Chapter 168: The Stubborn Strange Man

In the morning, Gu Xia took the sun as a guide and walked in one direction.

He was quite relaxed. There were only some ordinary beasts here, which were not dangerous to him.

Gu Xia played with something while walking.

It was a seal full of cracks.

As the core of the fox demon cave, it did not perish with the cave.

However, the cracks on it were more and deeper, giving people the feeling that it would break with a slight touch.

Gu Xia knew why, because he had almost used the power of creation in the core of the cave to fight.

Looking at the seal in his hand, he couldn't help sighing.

"Alas, what a pity..."

What Gu Xia regretted was not the power of creation, but the Xuanming mecha.

After the collapse of the fox demon cave, he fell into the void, and the cockpit screen immediately showed that there was an unknown energy erosion.

Fortunately, the Xuanming mecha protected Gu Xia, and he fell back to the world safely.

After returning to the main plane, the Xuanming mecha was already in tatters.

Gu Xia wanted to hide him first and see if he could repair him in the future, but he didn't expect Xuanming's body to suddenly begin to disintegrate. Within ten breaths, the entire mecha turned into starlight and dissipated between heaven and earth.

The power of creation used to create Xuanming was wasted.

It seems that there are some rules of heaven in the universe that restrict the use of the power of creation.

No wonder Lingyun said that Gu Xia's use of the power of creation in this way was a waste of heaven's gifts.

Although it was a pity, he was already very satisfied with this trip.

Yu Liyan planted the beast-controlling talisman and had to follow him here.

Unexpectedly, Yu Liyan and Dugu Baihu died together in the end, and Xiahou Ling and his men who had traveled thousands of miles to catch monsters returned empty-handed. Gu Xia became the person who gained the most from this trip.

He got the Feihong Sword and treasures worth tens of thousands of silver taels in the suspicious tomb.

Most importantly, he got dozens of strands of the power of origin remaining in his body and the seal.

This magical power can increase the power without any side effects.

It was enough for Gu Xia to advance his Xuanwu and soul cultivation skills by a large margin.

...

After a while.

After walking out of the forest, a familiar city appeared in front of Gu Xia.

He walked into Dajiang City silently, and after a little rest, he soon chose to leave.

...

March.

It happened that the imperial examination, which was held every three years, was about to begin.

On the forest trails, from time to time, there were young men riding in carriages or scholars walking with their bookboys to take the exam.

The poor scholars who often appeared in fox fairy ghost stories were not seen at all.

There was no other reason. In Dagan, there was actually no saying that the poor scholars were rich in literature and the rich in martial arts. Both literature and martial arts required a lot of resources.

In Dagan, where books were printed by engraving and movable type, various classics and historical collections were not cheap, not to mention that they had to become apprentices.

A family that could support a scholar could never be said to be poor.

Of course, nothing is absolute, and there are still some fish that slip through the net.

For example, Gu Xia in the past barely embarked on the path of a scholar with the books left by his parents whom he had never met.

Unfortunately, he had never obtained any fame, so he could not join the tide of taking the exam.

So, at this moment, Gu Xia was riding a horse in the forest, and he felt inexplicably emotional when he saw these candidates.

"Hehe, if the learning of Taoism in Gaoning County was not so dark, maybe I would have taken another path."

Walking, walking.

Gu Xia opened the map and saw that it was about 10 miles away from the next town.

He planned to rest for a night, and then rush to Xianfu City.

Since he could not get the resources he wanted from Xiahou Ling and others, Gu Xia did not plan to be a quiet and casual cultivator.

He was still planning to return to Tianxuanmen.

Although he did not get along well with the Yu family and the Ye family, the chaotic times were coming, and it was better to lean on a big tree than to face the wind and rain alone. Besides, he had Yuan Yi as his backer, so it was not difficult for him to protect himself.

Moreover, Gu Xia's power had soared recently, and he might break through to the Zang realm within the year. By then, he would be the backbone of Tianxuanmen, and there would be fewer people who could touch him.

He was not in a hurry. He walked leisurely for more than half a month. Now it might take another half a month to reach Xianfu City.

"Hey! Passerby! If you are thirsty, there are tea and wine, and if you are hungry, there is food!"

At this time, Gu Xia heard the sound of hawking not far ahead.

He rode forward and walked a hundred steps. He saw two stalls on the roadside in the wilderness, one selling water and the other selling food, and there were a few tables next to it.

Gu Xia was not surprised.

Now that the saints have passed for a thousand years, most scholars have long stopped practicing the six arts.

Many scholars are lazy and get tired quickly after a long journey to take the exam. They have money.

So there are vendors selling food and tea on the road where there are many candidates. Many scholars who pass by will buy some to quench their thirst and hunger.

Gu Xia, who has been walking for a whole morning, is not hungry or thirsty, but still wants to sit down and drink a sip of water. Anyway, he is not in a hurry to travel, so he can just take it as a vacation.

"Boss, can I have a bowl of tea? What food?"

After a while.

The vendor brought teacups and plates: "Your tea and snacks, sir."

Gu Xia took a sip and looked around casually.

Next to him were several scholars and their servants, and two carriages were parked on the roadside.

The scholars gathered together and talked passionately about something, mostly criticizing the current situation and how to solve the problem of the Huns from outside the Great Wall invading Hanzhou after passing the exam.

"The court is dominated by mediocre people and corruption is rampant. If I pass the exam, I must rectify the administration..."

"The most important thing now is the invasion of Hanzhou by foreign enemies. The Huns are brutal and abuse my people. If I can enter the court..."

Sure enough, keyboard politics is a hobby for men regardless of time and world.

Gu Xia was too lazy to listen after hearing a few words and sipped tea silently.

At this time, another carriage came. The driver was a young man with a thin body but firm and bright eyes. His skin was also fair, and he did not look like he often drove.

Coachman: "Master Jiang, come down and have a rest."

"Wushu, we are friends, just call me Jiang Yin."

The car door opened and the three of them walked out. A young man brought his servants and maids.

The servant also said: "Mr. Chu, you are a friend of Master Jiang. According to the reason, I am driving. You should be in the car."

Coachman: "Master Jiang is willing to give me a ride to take the exam together. I am very grateful, but I have no money to repay. It is reasonable to repay debts with work."

"This...we grew up together. I'll help you...forget it, it's up to you."

The young master Jiang Yin was a little helpless when he heard this, but he knew his friend's nature and didn't say much.

"Shopkeeper! Four cups of good tea and some food."

"Okay!"

Jiang Yin looked around and saw that there were no empty seats, but there was only one person at one table, so he stepped forward.

"My friend, we are all rushing to take the exam, so you don't mind if we share a table."

Gu Xia: "Excuse me. Besides, I'm not rushing to take the exam."

Jiang Yin smiled: "Sorry, I saw it wrong."

However, Gu Xia's clothes are indeed similar to those of these scholars. He is dressed in a simple blue robe and does not look like a merchant, craftsman or farmer.

The four of them sat down.

"Your Majesty, tea and cakes for you guys."

The hawker brought the things up, and the coachman asked again: "How much are these tea and cakes worth?"

The hawker was stunned: "Sir, this young man has already paid."

Coachman: "I'm just asking for the price. Just tell me."

"A cup of tea costs two cents, and a piece of cake costs three cents." The hawker scratched his head.

The coachman frowned: "Huh? This tea usually only costs two pennies a pot at most, and cakes cost three pennies or four yuan."

"Your Majesty, you are right."

Vendor: "But that's not the town. You see, I have to run a stall early in the morning, bring all kinds of things with me, and go ten miles out of town to sell tea. I don't want to sell it more expensively."

"I didn't think enough about it."

The coachman nodded, took out a pamphlet and a writing brush from his arms, and started writing something.

Jiang Yin quickly stopped him: "You have to keep accounts again, right?"

Coachman: "Yes, I owe another five cents today. After passing the exam, I will pay you back with the money from my salary."

Jiang Yin: "Stop! No loss, I, the Jiang family's employees, always get food and lodging included! This is part of your treatment, not the money you owe."

Coachman: "Is that so?"

"Yes, Mr. Chu!" The servants and maids on the side also agreed.

The coachman Chu Wushu put down his pen and paper.

Gu Xia was a little surprised when he saw this. People in the world are greedy and like to take advantage. They even have to compare every penny.

Even Gu Xia himself is greedy, but he only likes those who are greedy and has little interest in small gains.

Suddenly seeing a man who never took advantage of others, who had to work to pay for the fare when riding in a friend's carriage, and who had to keep accounts and repay the money when he drank a cup of tea, he couldn't help but take a second look.