The academy examination time arrived quickly.
A group of students got up before dawn and lined up early outside the examination hall to wait for the inspection.
Each person underwent a search, akin to being guarded against thieves, before entering the examination hall.
The hall was set up outdoors, divided into east and west venues, with exams running from early morning until dusk.
Leading Second Young Master Li, Eldest Young Master Li queued up.
Second Young Master Li had a serious expression.
Eldest Young Master Li also felt a bit anxious inside.
At this moment, more students joined the line.
Li Xuan instinctively turned to look and saw the newcomer with sword-like brows and bright eyes—who else but Lin Jianfeng?
He clasped his fists in greeting, and Lin Jianfeng returned the gesture, then laughed heartily before noticing something and turned his head.
Li Xuan followed him, turning his head together, and saw a stunning young woman standing on the blue brick road not far away. She wore a water-green dress, had a high bun of cloud-like hair, a slender and graceful figure, with a few shadows in her eyes, her demeanor solemn, and a long knife strapped to her waist.
Clearly, she was a female knight.
Li Xuan naturally compared her to the gatekeeper maid of his family.
This green-dressed knight, compared to Wei Yao, exuded more composure and elegance but lacked a stubborn and pitiful charm.
The green-dressed knight gave him a glance before her gaze fell on Lin Jianfeng.
Without speaking a word, Lin Jianfeng suddenly trembled, clenched his teeth, and shouted, "Go back, and let's discuss everything after the academy examination ends."
The green-dressed knight silently turned and floated away.
Li Xuan naturally asked, "Brother Lin, who is this..."
Lin Jianfeng's expression shifted to a cheerful one, saying with a laugh, "It was my wife sending me off, Brother Li, pardon my embarrassment."
Li Xuan replied, "So it's Madam Lin."
Lin Jianfeng nodded with a somewhat complex expression, saying, "Yes..."
Seeing that he might be hiding something he couldn't express, Li Xuan refrained from further inquiry.
Everyone entered the examination hall and sat down one by one.
After the exam papers were distributed, Li Xuan picked one up and examined it. Goodness, the questions were all over the place, but... this wouldn't trouble him. As long as it wasn't beyond the syllabus, he could finish the answers in one go.
Eldest Young Master Li wrote effortlessly and completed everything before the hour was up.
He wasn't concerned about being too ostentatious.
Every year Great Yin had child prodigies; one more wouldn't make a difference.
Even if he was an exceptional prodigy, at most, he'd be considered one of those "once-in-a-decade prodigies."
Thinking this, he submitted his paper directly.
In fact, he wasn't the first to submit; some students who couldn't solve the questions had already given up early.
Thus, other students assumed he had given up as well, with some who knew him from Yulan Hall privately mocking, thinking "What good was staying up late, what good was hard work, couldn't solve it meant couldn't solve it."
Meanwhile, Li Xuan's paper quickly landed in front of the chief examiner. The chief examiner hadn't planned on reading it, assuming it was filled out carelessly, considering the questions were rather difficult and offbeat this year. Yet after a glance, he looked again, then a third time...
The chief examiner involuntarily kept reading.
Upon finishing, he examined the essay.
The essay was stable in style, yet far-reaching in its conception, showing great talent.
Combined with the flawless understanding of the classics, he was stunned.
The Great Yin exams weren't blind grading, so the examiner looked at the name.
Upon seeing the name Li Xuan, he pondered, but the name didn't ring a bell, so he sought someone beside him to inquire, who laughed and recounted the stories from Yulan Hall, remarking, "He might be someone who chases fame and fortune."
The chief examiner seriously replied, "If he's chasing fame and fortune, then what is this?"
He handed out Li Xuan's paper, and the nearby supervising official read from beginning to end, involuntarily taking a sharp breath.
Passing the academy examination wasn't unusual, but with not a single mistake, this... this...
...
...
Several days later.
The results were posted.
The top name was surprisingly Li Xuan.
Yet Second Young Master Li, unsurprisingly, didn't make the cut.
Everyone in the Li family was astounded.
Wei Yao was also shocked.
Li Xuan barely had time to rejoice before he promptly took his family's prepared gifts to express gratitude to the chief examiner.
The chief examiner was none other than the Prefect of Hundred Flowers Mansion—Cao Shuda.
Cao Shuda casually tested a few more questions, and Li Xuan "searched, copied, pasted," responding fluently with each one.
Prefect Cao was very pleased.
Li Xuan referred to himself as a pupil.
Prefect Cao gladly accepted.
In the officialdom of the Great Yin, this was a very common and important relationship. The successful candidates needed to get close to officials, and officials considered the candidates they had selected as a form of interpersonal wealth.
This relationship was cherished by all and was regarded as lifelong.
Prefect Cao naturally invited Li Xuan to stay for lunch, and as they parted, he said, "Li Xuan, the provincial examination in the State City occurs once every three years. It's the year after next. Do you plan to attend?"
Li Xuan wanted to leverage the officialdom to open up opportunities and wouldn't be satisfied with just being a scholar.
In fact, he had a foreboding that "a storm was brewing, and demons were spreading across the world," so... he wanted to seize benefits as much as possible from the most apparent power before this "storm" fully hit.
Even in the apocalypse, at least someone would be selling tickets to Noah's Ark, right?
This was his rational use of his "26 points of Spirit."
Thus, he solemnly declared, "A great man born in this world must repay his king. I am determined to go to the State City for the exam."
Prefect Cao nodded, knowing he was an ambitious young man, and smiled, "I heard Xiongshan County is quite restless. Why not move to the Hundred Flowers Mansion? My Wen'Er also passed the scholar exam this year, so you could study for the provincial exam together."
His implicit meaning was essentially inviting Li Xuan to stay at his mansion.
This was an investment.
Li Xuan looked troubled, but first thanked him heavily and then said, "To be honest, teacher, I am the top martial artist of the Li family. If I'm not at the Li family, it will only give petty thieves a chance, and I would also find it hard to concentrate on studying."
Prefect Cao was taken aback, his eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands, "Both literary and martial talents, excellent!"
He then asked, "What weapon do you use?"
Li Xuan replied, "A sword."
He then said seriously, "The sword is the weapon of a gentleman, naturally it should be a sword."
Prefect Cao said, "Bring me my treasured sword."
Immediately, an attendant quickly left and soon returned with an ancient longsword.
Prefect Cao unsheathed the sword, and a sharp whistling sound was heard as the sword came out, glistening like a stream of autumn water, causing people to squint.
Prefect Cao held up the sword, saying, "This sword is named Sparrow Feather and was the spoils of war when I participated in the campaign against the Yu Sect.
The Sparrow Feather comprises seven swords, passed down through the Yu Sect as their holy swords.
When the seven swords unite, they are referred to as the Great Phoenix Soldiers by the Yu Sect's demon followers.
A treasured sword matches a hero; Li Xuan, would you like to take this sword and perform a dance here?"
Li Xuan gladly accepted.
Immediately, he took the Sparrow Feather Sword and performed the "Pure Yang Swordsmanship." He executed moves like Golden Rooster Stands Alone, Pecks the Grain, White Snake Spits its Tongue, Hanging the Moon on the Horizon, Long Snake Swings Tail, and Golden Rooster on the Rack, each move executed with unmatched skill.
The young man in dark clothes wielded the sword, spinning and performing vigorously in the courtyard of the Prefecture, looking dashing and extravagant.
Gradually, a crowd gathered around, including Cao Wen and Cao Yi.
Cao Yi watched with her eyes slightly moist, her legs shyly clenching.
How could a girl not be moved by such a youth, both literary and martial skilled, who could also converse well with her?
Moreover, Li Xuan was the top scorer in this year's provincial examination.
Every prefecture would have a top scorer, but a flawless genius top scorer was unmatched.
Cao Yi hadn't passed herself, and upon seeing such a talent, her heart throbbed like a little deer, pounding.
Li Xuan danced faster and faster, so fast that even the Prefecture's martial artists were wide-eyed and tongue-tied.
With the support of 17 points of agility, Li Xuan was already at the level of a Grandmaster.
At this moment, he did not hold back, except for the "Mist Hidden Demon Panther," "Aberrant Demon Monkey" demon blood, demon skill, and the saw wire from melting copper, as well as the unused 1 Demon Point; he truly gave it his all.
Upon finishing, he spun the sword into a flower, sheathed it, and stood proudly, praising, "Good sword!"
Prefect Cao was already stunned.
He had led soldiers and had participated in the Yu Sect suppression, so he knew how to judge the value.
Initially, he thought the young man was exaggerating, just coming out of the academy, unaware of the vastness of the world, giving himself the title of "the Li family's top martial artist."
Or perhaps the young man was the Li family's eldest son, and the Li family's group of martial artists were all letting him win, thus earning this name.
However, a young man full of spirit is also a good thing.
So he planned to praise Li Xuan as long as his sword dance was passable.
But now, he was truly dumbfounded.
This was not just passable; this... this was clearly the sword of killing.
This was evidently a young Grandmaster, a prodigiously talented demon.
And such a demon had become his pupil, Cao Shuda.
Prefect Cao's face beamed with joy, his heart surged with excitement, and he couldn't help but raise his hand to the sky, shouting, "Heaven bless my Great Yin!!!"