The Immortal Seeker: Legend of Bronze Mirror
Chapter 417 - 183: Hard to Rid the Heart of Thieves (3rd Update, Please Subscribe)

Chapter 417: Chapter 183: Hard to Rid the Heart of Thieves (3rd Update, Please Subscribe)

Xu Qing’s cultivation of the Three Yin Demon Slaying Saber deepened, as if he himself had arrived in the void, with a formation of huge stars interwoven into the shape of Xuanwu before him.

As the killing intent from the Human Dao surged into the Xuanwu star formation’s Sword Gang, it entered the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, Hand Jueyin Pericardium Meridian, and Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian, flowing into the triple energizers. Under his powerful Divine Soul, it continuously compressed and refined, transforming into Sword Gang.

"As the saying goes, a hundred refinings make fine steel; this Sword Gang also needs to be tempered hundreds and thousands of times in the meridians. And the force of tempering comes from the Divine Soul," a flash of enlightenment crossed Xu Qing’s mind.

A night passed in cultivation.

Xu Qing originally planned to visit the County Government to check the local records, but unexpectedly, it did not happen.

...

Outside the post station, Xu Qing looked at the crowded crowd, mostly local scholars, led by a dozen young Scholars.

After a conversation to clarify the situation.

Xu Qing understood their intent.

They wanted to invite him to give a lecture in the county.

This was somewhat like famous personalities in Xu Qing’s previous life being invited to speak when they visited a place.

Indeed, lectures by eminent scholars are common in today’s world.

Before Xu Qing established the Recovery Society, some Great Scholars drew audiences of thousands when they lectured.

For such an audience, what they heard was often not important; just attending a few times allowed them to claim to be followers of a Great Scholar. If lucky, they could enter the inner circle of a famous scholar and become registered disciples, gaining a certain status when mingling in society.

Xu Qing now also had a bit of this prestige.

This was the immense reputation brought by the struggle against the Yansheng Gong Mansion.

Moreover, as time fermented, this prestige still had room to grow.

What if he were to bring down the Heavenly Master Mansion?

Xu Qing considered that he could only use the influence of the Court’s central authority to suppress the Heavenly Master Mansion, not being too harsh; if the Old Heavenly Master got desperate and unleashed a few strikes of the Five Thunders True Skill, he would not be able to withstand it.

He was not afraid of competing with North Kong, since North Kong’s Combat Power was just so-so.

The Heavenly Master Mansion truly possessed Thunder Skills.

Although many scholars came to seek learning, earnestly, Xu Qing did not agree.

He went directly to the County Government without giving a reason.

These scholars wanted to stop Xu Jieyuan.

So, Xu Jieyuan showed them what Qinggong was.

Many had heard of Jiangning Xu Qing’s formidable combat power.

But how formidable, nobody really knew.

Now these people got a firsthand impression.

The skills of Xu Jieyuan were at least as high as three or four stories.

How could this be seen?

Because they really saw Xu Jieyuan fly up as high as three or four stories.

...

"Jieyuan, why do you refuse the scholars of this county?" the County Magistrate Mr. He asked, puzzled, because he himself was a scholar and knew that these scholars, though mostly unremarkable in capability and scholarship, were particularly petty and adept at creating rumors and strife.

This refusal would inevitably provoke the resentment of these scholars.

And there were even some among them who, if their Imperial Examination went poorly, might find reasons related to Xu Qing’s refusal to lecture.

Mr. He, given what he had heard of Xu Jieyuan’s usual actions, truly couldn’t understand why Xu Jieyuan would do so.

It was precisely because he did not understand that he asked.

As a County Magistrate with ambitions to advance in the officialdom, he felt that every move Xu Jieyuan made was profound and worth deeply pondering and learning from.

The scholarly pursuits popular among officials previously now seemed outdated compared to Xu Jieyuan’s current combat methods.

This new method, whoever mastered it first would certainly gain the upper hand.

Of course, Xu Qing had to explain, not to satisfy Mr. He’s curiosity, but as a preamble to his plans concerning handling the bandit problems in Xijiang Province. He said, "Mr. He, considering that your province has many bandits who often receive inside information from ordinary folks, I indeed have an idea to link the bandit issue with the academic and Imperial Examination issue."

Mr. He exclaimed in surprise, "Could Jieyuan be planning to reduce the number of examination spots in Xijiang Province?"

Each province’s honors, though not fixed in quantity, were roughly consistent each year. Form Scholars to Imperial Scholars, they all derived from the Court.

Thus, the greatest punishment for an official was actually not exile but the revocation of their scholarly status.

This essentially nullified their efforts over the years to achieve their scholarly honors, leaving them without any posthumous glory, at best buried as ordinary civilians.

Moreover, Xijiang Province had a strong tradition of scholarship; the zeal for fame and profit was imaginable. If this were really to happen, it might tear the heavens of Xijiang Province apart.

However, after Mr. He finished speaking, he also suddenly realized what he was saying.

The spots for the Imperial Examination were not something that Xu Jieyuan could reduce just by saying so.

But combining the past deeds of Xu Jieyuan, he really felt that something that seemed impossible to ordinary people, when it came to Xu Jieyuan, seemed very probable.

There was no helping it; Xu Jieyuan’s achievements were too impressive.

It made people believe he could do anything.

Xu Jieyuan had a bit of an aura of a sudden emergence, like the popular operas in recent years, with that monkey who stirred up the Heavenly Palace in the stories.

Fearless of heaven and earth.

Moreover, when things escalated, the Heavenly Court still had to appease.

However, the monkey was later suppressed under the Five Finger Mountain, and many discerning people believed that Xu Jieyuan, with his antics, would sooner or later be suppressed as well.

But being so young, as long as he was not stripped of his status, he could still make a comeback.

After all, as an official, rising and falling were normal.

And Xu Jieyuan, as someone outside the establishment, had already proven his influence.

If he were a top official, he would prefer to bring Xu Jieyuan into the Court and keep him caged.