Porter's Immortal Cultivation: I Have Level 5 Full Inscriptions

Chapter 228 Distribution Secret Realm

Master Wang hurriedly recounted the whole story, then chuckled awkwardly.

"Grandpa Chun, you've made a wasted trip."

"The person Princess Le'an chose is indeed incredibly fortunate."

"Just when I was about to make a terrible mistake, my best friend arrived, and he turned out to be a master."

"They fought a huge battle here and kidnapped me... Look at the mess this has made..."

He was initially angry, but now he suddenly felt relieved.

The arrival of this Mohist guest was timely. In the capital, one cannot afford to offend the emperor, for the royal family is the true ruler of this land.

Even if Zhou Mingxuan, whom he had abducted, did consummate the marriage with his daughter, he suspected that his daughter would soon "die of illness," and then Zhou Lang would continue to be the prince consort.

If His Majesty were to take his anger out on them, the Wang family would be fine, but my branch of the family would be in deep trouble.

What was once anger towards the Mo family's guest elder has now turned into relief, with the feeling that the money given to the other party was too little.

Grandpa Chun chuckled.

"Okay, that's what they call destiny."

"This prince consort shouldn't have joined your Wang family," he said, glancing at the young lady beside him. "We'll find another one for you later."

"Now that this matter is settled, I will take my leave..."

The old eunuch lightly stomped his foot, and the toad floated on its head, exuding demonic energy. It quickly rose into the sky and disappeared.

Old Master Wang turned his head to look at his two lively sons and daughters.

"See? This is destiny!"

"Thank goodness we didn't go through with the celebration, otherwise our whole family would be on the death list!"

"Don't think about that couple anymore, and don't even think about revenge. Don't bring trouble to our family!"

"Hmm... Guards, take the young master and young lady back and keep them under surveillance for a month!"

Knowing his children's character, he was worried and simply tied them up.

Now, let's talk about the other side.

Yang Silang and the others returned to the inn.

Mr. Fu was anxiously waiting at the door.

He wondered if his daughter had just been cursed. It hadn't been long, and she had been kidnapped again, this time by a powerful family. He felt like the sky was falling.

Fortunately, Yang Silang immediately mounted Daqing and set off, but we don't know what the outcome will be.

Seeing a few people return, my heart immediately sank.

After thanking Yang Silang, he expressed his reluctance to leave the aristocratic families and asked if they should prepare to send the group away from the capital now.

Yang Silang smiled and waved his hand, saying no need.

He also invoked the Mohist school's name, assuming the other side would be cautious in their response.

Fu Dongjia's heart finally settled down, and without saying a word, he took his daughter's hand.

"Hongying, your father didn't want this either."

"Starting tomorrow, you will stay quietly in the inn and not go out for a month."

Fu Hongying was very unconvinced and asked why.

Fu Dongjia shrugged.

"Perhaps you've been having a run of bad luck lately, or you're just destined to make a mistake."

"Dad is getting old and has a heart condition; he really can't take it anymore."

"Just listen to your father's advice..."

Fu Hongying had no choice but to reluctantly agree.

Yang Silang returned to the house, sat down, and drank a few sips of tea.

Only then did the black ring in the Niwan Palace react.

"My lord, what brings you here?"

They couldn't communicate if they were too far apart, but they could sense each other within a certain distance. Although they couldn't leave messages, they knew the Dharma Ring had turned.

"It's all done..."

Yang Silang rolled his eyes.

The Ink Lotus is like the moon in the sky. When it is needed to illuminate the earth, it hides behind some unknown cloud. When it is no longer needed, it comes out to shine on the earth.

He recounted the whole story.

Mo Xinlian responded with a light laugh.

"I thought it was something serious."

"That third son of the Wang family is a blustering but cowardly man. He thinks a lot but does very little."

"He's a coward, he'll have a little devil and a little round egg, they won't be able to cause any trouble."

"So what if we cause a ruckus at his manor? A few people might die, it's no big deal."

"If you sign up for me, I guarantee he won't even have the thought of revenge."

"Really?" Yang Silang had some doubts.

The more Mo Xinlian talked, the less confident he felt.

Mo Xinlian sensed his suspicion and looked as if she had suffered a great injustice.

"Husband, you don't believe me?"

"Who doesn't know that I, Mo Xinlian, was once the infamous 'Street Cleaner' of the capital?"

"Which aristocratic family of my generation haven't I beaten up?"

"Even in the imperial palace, we can come and go as we please."

Yang Silang thought to himself, "I don't know if you're a street-cleaning tiger, but you're definitely not a good cat."

"Oh dear..." Mo Xinlian suddenly exclaimed again, then laughed, "Does this mean I'll become the wife of a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations)?"

Yang Silang said irritably.

"Those who are ranked third in the imperial examinations are not considered true Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations)."

"Besides, you're just a concubine, what kind of wife are you?"

Mo Xinlian giggled sweetly.

"I don't care, a fellow Jinshi is still a Jinshi."

"As long as your first wife hasn't entered the household, am I, as a concubine, also considered a wife?"

"My lord, have you been missing me? Would you like me to come and share your bed tonight?"

Yang Silang's eyes darted around.

"Really? Then I have a good story to tell..."

A cold snort came from within the black ring.

"I knew you had no good intentions. Never mind, we can't worry about that tonight. There's a group of people lurking around the imperial mausoleum, looking like they're up to something big."

"I have to go with them. I'll come find you after I'm done with this..."

"My lord, remember, if you need anything, just mention my name, Mo Xinlian. It's very effective."

"You must remain chaste for me, and don't let that vixen seduce you... I'll sleep with you next time..."

The sound disappeared from the black ring.

Yang Silang asked several times but received no reply, knowing that the cat had run off somewhere again.

"What the heck..." He patted the empty bed.

Tonight, I'll be alone in my room again.

Hu Jiaoniang has been absent for some time now, as she used to complain about having too many people in the house. I wonder what she's been up to lately?

The next day.

Yang Silang and Zhou Mingxuan put on their official robes, rode their horses out of the inn, and went to the Ministry of Rites to attend a banquet bestowed by the imperial court that night.

In the past, the emperor would sometimes personally attend the banquet as a sign of favor.

However, later emperors gradually became less diligent, sending high-ranking officials to participate instead of attending themselves.

A night and a day passed.

Zhou Mingxuan's eyes were mostly no longer swollen, but there were still bruises underneath.

He was telling Yang Silang the story with great enthusiasm.

"Brother Yang, you didn't see the excitement today."

"The three top scholars rode through the streets on horseback, drawing huge crowds and creating a spectacular sight."

"Quite a few ladies threw sachets at the top three..." he said smugly. "Although I wasn't among the top three, I still collected more than a dozen sachets along the way."

The imperial decree bestowed the honor of parading through the streets, a privilege enjoyed only by the top three scholars (状元, 榜眼, 探花). Those who were second or third-ranked scholars were not required to participate.

Zhou Mingxuan is clearly someone who can't stay still. He was arrested last night, and today he's enthusiastically joining in the fun in the crowd again.

He's handsome, and even with a bruise on his eye, he's still quite popular. He'll probably have a lot of female admirers soon.

Yang Silang yawned, showing no interest whatsoever. Wouldn't it be better to use this time to practice his skills?

"Brother Yang..." Seeing his interest, Zhou Mingxuan changed the subject, "Have you decided where you'd like to go after being appointed to an official post by the Ministry of War?"

Each imperial examination was followed by a grand feast for the officialdom, with a large influx of newcomers entering the bureaucracy.

For example, the top scholar might be granted the title of first-class bodyguard and accompany the emperor. As long as he is clever and can please the emperor, his future prospects are limitless. He might also be sent to a post as a third-rank military officer.

Those who ranked second or third in the imperial examinations could become second-class bodyguards, or be appointed as guerrilla commanders of the third rank or commanders of the fourth rank.

A second-class Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) could be appointed as a third-class imperial bodyguard or a fifth-rank local garrison commander.

Those who passed the imperial examinations in the third rank had to start from the bottom, being appointed as blue-robed bodyguards (the lowest rank), or sent to be fifth-rank garrison commanders or sixth-rank captains.

Of course, having the title of Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) is a low starting point, and those who are ranked third in the Jinshi examinations will be promoted much faster than their colleagues.

Of course, there is a prerequisite: there must be an official vacancy.

In officialdom, vacancies are the most precious commodity. If the money is used properly, vacancies will appear in a timely manner. Otherwise, one might end up like Pei Buqi and Zhuangzi, waiting for years in vain.

Yang Silang shook his head and said calmly.

"My ambitions lie elsewhere."

"And you, Brother Zhou?"

Zhou Mingxuan blinked, looking a little shy.

"Brother Yang, my ranking is almost at the bottom."

"With money in hand that's not readily available, how can I be picky?"

"Now I just hope the officials in the Ministry of War won't be too greedy, so I can find my confidantes to pool my money and buy a decent position."

Yang Silang patted him on the shoulder and laughed.

You can do it.

With that face alone, he'll never lack money. And with money, why would he be afraid of not getting a good official position?

Furthermore, this person's ranking jumped by a hundred places; perhaps a noble lady has taken a liking to him, or maybe his official position has already been decided by the higher-ups.

The two chatted and laughed all the way to the Ministry of Rites. After entering, they followed the clerk, turning left and right, until they reached the banquet.

Because there were so many successful candidates in this imperial examination, they arranged for ten people to sit at a table for a group meal, which filled several courtyards.

The two ministers of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War personally attended, as did the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet who had initially selected them.

His Majesty did not come in person, but his personal eunuch, Eunuch Chun, arrived with the gifts.

The top three scholars were each given a Jade Dew Pill, a wonderful item that can cleanse the marrow and strengthen the body, a breakthrough pill taken by Grandmasters of Golden Marrow when they break through to Martial Saint.

The number of people in the second tier was 150, which was too large, so the reward was a bit meager. They were given the Marrow Cleansing Powder, which is an auxiliary elixir for Grandmasters to break through to the Golden Marrow Grandmaster realm.

The top three hundred people will be rewarded with a three-stage golden pill, which can cure serious injuries of Grandmasters and below, and is said to keep a person alive as long as they are not dead.

Yang Silang already had one, a gift from Yan Nanxing.

Therefore, he felt that the emperor was a bit stingy.

Fortunately, these are all appetizers.

In addition, Eunuch Chun announced an imperial decree that the royal secret realm would be opened to the newly appointed scholars in three days.

The place the three top scholars went to was called Longyun Cave Heaven, a world unto itself, with the sun, moon, and stars, abundant resources, and many treasures.

The place Erjia went to was the Royal Secret Realm, which was slightly inferior to the Cave Heaven, but still quite good.

The top three scholars also went to the royal secret realms, but these were mostly relatively "barren" secret realms that the royal family had developed for many years or that may have been left behind by the previous dynasty's royal family.

"Brother Yang, once we get to the secret realm, I'll have to rely on you a lot..." Zhou Mingxuan leaned closer and whispered.

Yang Silang nodded and said, "Of course, of course."

When Eunuch Chun announced the list of those going to the second-tier royal secret realm, he was actually just reading the list of second-tier members.

He paused slightly after reading it the last time, then uttered another name.

"Zhou Mingxuan..."

Zhou Mingxuan was taken aback.

Yang Silang patted him on the shoulder.

"Brother Zhou, it seems I can't accompany you."

But then, Eunuch Chun called out another name—Yang Silang.

Zhou Mingxuan chuckled softly.

"Brother Yang, you're speaking too soon. Aren't we still together?"

As Eunuch Chun continued reading, Yang Silang found the list to be normal this time.

In other words, only those two out of the top three violated the rules and jumped up the rankings.

Huh?

Is it really true that a noble lady from the palace has taken a liking to Zhou Mingxuan?

Was I benefiting from Zhou Mingxuan's influence?