Chapter 113 - 112: Seizing the Championship
Chapter 113: Chapter 112: Seizing the Championship
"S-Spirit Realm?"
Hearing his master’s cry of alarm, the folding fan in Qian Laibao’s hand clattered to the ground. His mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg, and his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
Shi Zhongjian was frozen in place like a clay statue, his face a mask of pure shock and bewilderment. His mind seemed to have shut down, leaving him to stare blankly at the arena.
In a quiet corner.
"Spirit Realm!"
Granny Zhou shot up from her seat. Though her face was hidden beneath her bamboo hat, her eyes shone with an unprecedented, sharp light.
Her earlier intuition and judgment had been confirmed.
Granny Zhou grabbed her daughter’s arm. "Qingyi, the generous gift I told you to prepare—is it ready?"
"N-no..."
Zhou Qingyi winced from her aunt’s tight grip. Beneath her veil, her pretty face was deathly pale. She stared blankly at the overwhelmingly powerful figure in the arena, her mind a complete void.
The final ranking matches that followed had already lost all suspense.
When the referee signaled for Liu Ruoyi to enter the arena and face Chen Shouheng.
Liu Ruoyi’s expression was complicated. She bit her lower lip gently before giving a soft, delicate shake of her head. Her voice, though quiet, carried clearly. "I... concede."
Against an opponent who had demonstrated the absolute power of the Spirit Realm, any struggle would be futile.
To everyone present, her concession was only natural.
Finally, the Lord Governor himself rose. With the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger, he walked to the front of the stage.
"Well then, I hereby declare this session of the Liyang County Examination concluded."
His gaze swept over the entire venue, and his voice, laced with authority and Inner Strength, clearly suppressed all the clamor.
He paused, his eyes falling upon Chen Shouheng in the arena. His voice suddenly rose as he announced the final result:
"After the three trials, the champion of this session is..."
"From Jingshan, Chen Shouheng!"
His resonant voice echoed across the training grounds, reaching the ears of every single person.
...
「Late at night.」
Inside the study of the Jingshan County Magistrate’s Office’s rear residence, candlelight flickered, casting the long, short, and ever-changing shadow of a figure hunched over a desk, writing furiously.
County Magistrate Zhang Heming rubbed the bridge of his tired nose, set down his brush, and took a sip of tea. His eyes swept over the mountain of documents on his desk, and he couldn’t help but sigh.
The sheer complexity of his duties left him feeling utterly exhausted.
Since the beginning of spring, Jingshan had seen a rise in robberies and criminal cases.
Financial matters were also quite thorny.
Last year, Water Bandits had come ashore to plunder, and the Court had exempted Jingshan from its taxes.
But for the Jingshan County Magistrate’s Office, this was not necessarily a good thing.
After all, aside from the few ranked officials in the office, the salaries of all other personnel had to be sourced by the Magistrate’s Office itself.
In previous years, they would skim a surcharge from the Land Tax or levy additional fees.
But last year’s autumn tax was never collected, and of the 65,000 shi of grain forcefully requisitioned at year’s end, 30,000 shi were then forcibly taken by the army sent to suppress the bandits.
The common folk of Jingshan were now destitute; there was no more fat to be squeezed.
If they tried to levy more fees, it would likely incite a revolt.
If not for those 30,000 shi being taken, the County Magistrate’s Office would be in a much better position this year.
The moment he thought of that grain, he thought of Chen Li, and Zhang Heming couldn’t help but grit his teeth.
Just then, a set of hurried yet deliberately quiet footsteps approached from outside the study.
"County Magistrate? Are you resting?"
Steward Huang’s slightly shrill voice called from outside the door.
Zhang Heming’s brows furrowed slightly. "What is it? Come in and speak."
CREAK. The door was pushed open.
Steward Huang hurried in, holding a red cloth scroll, his face wreathed in smiles, though his eyes seemed to shift evasively.
"County Magistrate."
Steward Huang bowed. "The Spring Roll from the Commandery City has arrived by urgent delivery. In this year’s Martial Scholar County Examination, a student from our Jingshan County has won the championship."
"Oh?"
At this, Zhang Heming’s spirits lifted slightly. This was a rare piece of good news.
One who becomes champion of the County Examination will have no trouble passing the Provincial Examination, and could even contend for the title of Advanced Scholar.
As long as the student passed, it would all count as his political achievement!
He then asked, "Which family’s child is it? Excellent. He has brought glory to our county."
"It’s... it’s Chen Shouheng of the Tiger Subduing Martial Arts Hall."
Steward Huang lowered his voice.
"Chen Shouheng? Tiger Subduing Martial Arts Hall, that’s not ba—"
Zhang Heming nodded casually, then suddenly froze as if he had remembered something. He shot his head up, his gaze piercing Steward Huang. "Which Chen Shouheng? The one from Lingxi?"
"The very same! The eldest son of Village Chief Chen."
Steward Huang felt a chill run down his spine under the County Magistrate’s stare and hastily confirmed.
CLATTER!
The brush in Zhang Heming’s hand suddenly fell, spattering a jarring blot of ink across the open document.
"He... he actually won the championship?"
Zhang Heming was in disbelief.
"His name is right here on the Spring Roll."
Steward Huang presented the red cloth. Then, as if recalling something else, he leaned in closer and lowered his voice even further. "County Magistrate, the government constable who delivered the roll privately shared a piece of news... He said that Chen Shouheng... revealed his Cultivation on the stage. He’s... a Spirit Realm master!"
"Spirit Realm?"
The words struck Zhang Heming like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
He shot up from his chair, staring hard at Steward Huang as if to confirm he hadn’t misheard.
"Y-yes, County Magistrate." Steward Huang sighed softly, nodding in confirmation.
’A Spirit Realm master... under the age of twenty...’
Zhang Heming’s mind went blank for a moment, and he collapsed back into his Grandmaster’s Chair, muttering to himself.
In an instant, countless scenes flashed through his mind.
A dead silence fell upon the study, broken only by the crackling of the candle flame.
After a brief moment of shock, Zhang Heming quickly forced himself to calm down.
He took a deep breath. The terror in his eyes faded, replaced by deep apprehension and rapid calculation.
He looked up abruptly and said to Steward Huang, "Go find Zhang Chengzong. Have him prepare a generous gift at once. Tomorrow, I will personally go to Lingxi Village to offer my congratulations."
Steward Huang was taken aback and instinctively replied, "County Magistrate, for the mere title of a Martial Scholar—even a champion—it is more than sufficient by custom for the County Captain or the Inspector to offer congratulations. Why must you personally..."
"You don’t understand!"
Zhang Heming shook his head and sighed softly. "A Spirit Realm master is already among the top experts of a county. What’s more, his father..."
He stopped mid-sentence, forcefully swallowing his next words. ’His father is likely in the Spirit Realm as well.’ He simply waved his hand, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Hurry up and make the preparations."
"Yes! I’ll go at once."
Seeing the County Magistrate’s expression, Steward Huang dared not say another word. He quickly bowed, retreated, and his hurrying footsteps vanished into the night.
Zhang Heming sat alone in the study, his expression flickering between light and shadow as he watched the dancing candlelight. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk, his mind deep in some unknown calculation.
...
「The next morning.」
At the spirit screen wall of the County Magistrate’s Office.
Two government constables posted a huge, vermilion-red list onto the wall. At the top, the four gilded characters for "Spring Examination Victory Report" glittered in the morning sun.
Passersby were instantly drawn in, and soon a crowd had formed, packed shoulder to shoulder.
"Look! The results are posted!"
"Let me see, who from our county passed this year?"
"The champion is... Chen Shouheng from Jingshan?"
"Chen Shouheng? Who’s that?"
"Chen Shouheng! I know him, he’s from the Tiger Subduing Martial Arts Hall! Such a promising young talent!"
"Incredible! Champion of the County Examination! That’s a massive honor!"
The crowd instantly erupted, a mixture of gasps, praise, and excited chatter filling the air.
The name Chen Shouheng spread throughout Jingshan County with unprecedented speed.