Chapter 221 Opening the Mountain Gate
"Good news! Congratulations to Master Ning Huibo for winning the ninth runner-up prize in the Dingzhou County Examination and being listed in the top ten in the Beijing Newspaper!"
Outside the restaurant, the loud voice of the messenger was heard, along with the beating of gongs and drums, with a festive tone.
Ning Boshang's face looked both sad and happy. He prepared a reward and sent the person away.
"Congratulations, Brother Ning, for getting admitted to high school!"
Other fellow townsmen or scholars he knew came forward to congratulate him, and even if he felt jealous, he suppressed it.
The provincial examination is extremely difficult, and passing this step is equivalent to becoming half an official.
In this era, it represents privilege and class.
Apart from anything else, Taizu of the Great Zhou Dynasty stipulated that candidates could have 200 acres of tax-free land, but in reality the amount of land and tenants that could be protected was far more than that.
In the later period of the dynasty, this power would be even greater.
After all, it is scholars who govern the world. Making things convenient for others is making things convenient for oneself.
In addition, you can also go to the capital to take the imperial examination. Once you pass, you will be on the fast track to a career in officialdom and can rise rapidly.
Even if you fail, you can return to your hometown and live a comfortable life without being bullied.
You can even get a promotion directly, although the salary is a bit lower.
In short, passing the imperial examination means you have indeed passed the dragon gate, and your life will be completely different from then on.
Ning Boshang was in a daze. For several days, he followed his classmates who had passed the imperial examination to visit a teacher and had several banquets. One day, he was drunk and returned to the inn. He saw a fellow scholar packing his bags. He couldn't help but ask, "Wang Xiucai, are you leaving now?"
"I failed the exam and was going to leave. The reason I stayed for a few more days was because a friend invited me to go see the immortal sect open its gate..."
Wang Xiucai had a gloomy look on his face. "My hometown is being attacked by bandits right now... My parents don't want me to go back, but as a son, how can I tolerate this?"
Ning Boshang sighed and stopped talking. Instead, he said a few words of comfort: "I heard that the court has sent His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin to come here, and he has also brought the court's heavenly soldiers. This is just a rebellion, and I believe it will be quelled soon. Why don't we go to Dengxian Mountain together tomorrow to relax..."
…
The next day.
Climb the fairy mountain.
The gate of Fangxiandao Mountain is wide open, and there are towering buildings in succession. Although they are newly built, they have a unique charm.
"Autumn is full of vitality, and there is a hidden vitality... but there is a sense of Taoism..."
Guests from all over the world gathered, and among them was a middle-aged man with ordinary looks. He was dressed in a blue shirt and seemed to have the title of a scholar, but he was not very eye-catching.
After all, a group of officials have come, and a mere scholar is really nothing.
Middle-aged people also enjoy this, walking around and watching at their leisure.
This person was none other than the King of Jin’s aide, Mr. Zhou Zu.
Although the Prince of Jin was still on the road after receiving the appointment, it was only natural for him to send his confidants to inquire about the situation in Dingzhou.
Zhou Zhu just revealed his thoughts slightly and was sent here.
Coincidentally, I caught up with the ceremony of Fangxiandao's grand opening of the mountain gate, so of course I wouldn't miss it.
" I heard that this sect has absorbed the Baodan Sect, Tongxuan Temple and other sects. It is true that its foundation has become much deeper. Maybe it will have the hope of becoming the leader of the sect in the future?"
Zhou Zhu was thinking to himself when he saw another group of scholars passing by. The leader seemed to be a young scholar.
"Huh? This person..."
His eyes were bright and he was practicing the secret method of observing people: "It seems that he has some luck? Although he is still a juren, his future is limitless. Do you want to introduce him to the prince?"
While I was thinking, I heard the morning bells and evening drums humming together on the top of the mountain.
"The auspicious time has arrived, open the mountain gate!"
Tong Hezi stood in front of the mountain gate, pretending to be a welcoming guest, and shouted loudly with full energy.
The resounding sounds of bells and drums seem to wash away the worldly noise and bring people into a fairyland.
"This is……"
Zhou Zhu rubbed his eyes and looked at the roadside.
I saw a bunch of unknown wild flowers blooming in an instant, and the autumn colors all over the mountain turned into spring in an instant.
"Flowers bloom in an instant?"
"The magical power of the ancient immortals in the legend?"
Ning Bo picked a wild flower, put it to his nose and sniffed it. He was stunned by the fragrance.
The flower was so real that he couldn't help but be amazed.
"grown ups……"
On the mountain road, an official looked at his superior, who had a gloomy expression but said nothing. He waved his hand and said, " Record ..."
No matter whether one is pretending to be a ghost or really has supernatural powers, as long as one becomes famous and renowned, the government will often not tolerate it.
But this time the target was too tough, and even the state capital couldn’t handle it.
Fortunately, Prince Jin is coming soon. They just need to record everything truthfully and leave it to the prince to decide.
Pedestrians continued to go up the hill and finally gathered in the square.
The five energies gathered and transformed into a clear and auspicious cloud the size of an acre. A man sat cross-legged on the cloud bed, uttering a mysterious sound: "The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao. The catastrophe is a catastrophe, not an eternal catastrophe! The catastrophe is life and death, karma, and extinction..."
"Greetings to the Immortal!"
When the people saw this scene, they were all stunned. Even some wealthy businessmen and scholars knelt down.
Zhou Zhu was mixed in the crowd. When he saw this scene, he was shocked and almost burst into tears: "It's true! Immortal, a real immortal! Our path to immortality is not cut off yet!"
He calmed his mind and listened carefully to Fang Xian's teachings.
However, he found that the Taoist master only spoke a paragraph and did not continue, which made him anxious as he was hearing the subtle parts.
"This time, I will open the mountain gate. Anyone who enters the mountain is a predestined person. You can worship at the mountain gate, or go and look for an opportunity on your own..."
After Fang Xian finished his last sentence, clouds and mist surrounded him and his figure suddenly disappeared.
"The immortal wants us to find opportunities on our own? Is there any treasure hidden?"
Beside Ning Boshang, a scholar's eyes lit up: "Everyone...if we don't look for it now, when will we?"
Ning Boshang was a step slower. Seeing his companions disperse, he couldn't help laughing: "Even if the immortal left treasures, they were only given to those who were destined to be with him... How can we force fate?"
With this in mind, he strolled around Fangxiandao.
"Although this Taoist temple is newly built, everything is in perfect order. It's extraordinary... Alas... Immortal Dao, Immortal Dao..."
Ning Boshang looked a little confused.
In fact, he didn't have much ambition for a career in politics.
Especially after seeing the white ape monster being invincible and the immortals displaying miracles, a feeling of unwillingness emerged in my heart.
Am I going to live my life in such an ordinary way, turning into dry bones, while watching others enjoy themselves and become immortals?
No! No!
Just when I was feeling unwilling, I suddenly came to a flower garden.
"Huh?"
Ning Bo was looking at a big red flower bud and suddenly he couldn't take his eyes away.
At this moment, as the Qi interacted, the huge flower bud suddenly blossomed, revealing a pill in the pistil.
"Is this... an opportunity? An opportunity bestowed upon me by an immortal?"
Ning Boshang's heart moved, and after looking around to see that no one was paying attention, he quickly put the pill away and put it into his sleeve.
This elixir is the 'Jie Dan' refined by Fang Xian. It is claimed to be made from the blood of a white ape, but in fact it is made from the blood of a tiger demon and an eagle demon. Even so, it has endless uses.
At the same time, Zhou Zhu's heart was pounding, and he quickly went down the mountain with something hidden in his arms.
