Chapter 137: Go, Pikachu

Miao He also passed soon after, becoming the third to emerge.

As soon as she stepped out, she bounced over to Pan Yun, exclaiming happily, "Little Master Auntie, I feel I did very well."

Pan Yun: "I think you did well too—and you had good luck."

Miao He agreed wholeheartedly, "I was falling behind, but then the candidate two seats over had a furnace explosion—I immediately overtook them all."

Seeing Miao Zhen: "Grandmaster said the luck of Third Master and Miao He is the best on Mount Sanqing."

Pan Yun: "That's wonderful."

Even if her own luck wasn't great, she was still happy seeing those around her succeed.

Miao Zhen and Miao He's results came out quickly; their names were written on a massive curtain.

Eighth place on the blue canopy curtain, third on the green canopy curtain.

But as more candidates emerged, their rankings shifted—after all, those who finished later may have taken longer, but their completion and accuracy were higher, so their scores rose too.

Gradually, all candidates from the three examination halls emerged and gathered on the square; only after the last one finished and scores were finalized did the rankings settle.

Miao Zhen ultimately ranked twelfth among fifty-eight candidates in Talisman and Array Techniques;

Miao He ultimately ranked ninth among sixty-two candidates in Qi Gong and Alchemy;

Pan Yun remained first in Spellcraft, among seventy-eight Spellcraft candidates.

Pan Yun's lips curled slightly as she led Miao Zhen and Miao He to endure the gaze of the crowd.

Whether veteran or newcomer, skepticism and resentment toward the three had diminished considerably.

When their ranks were low, people could still claim they didn't deserve their place, that they got in through backdoors, and refuse to associate with them.

But now all three had strong results—and Pan Yun had defeated Zhang Weiyi in front of the veterans. Who would still doubt their admission qualifications?

Mount Sanqing~~

Sanqing Temple~~

What a miraculous mountain, what a miraculous temple.

Zhang Ziwang rose and stepped to the podium: "Results are out. You now have a sense of your own abilities and those of your peers. From now until sunset tomorrow, each of you must choose your master and the Dao Academy you wish to join."

"Classes begin the day after tomorrow. Those who haven't chosen will rotate through all Dao Academies. Every year, around the Winter Solstice, the Academy holds an exam—only those who pass earn subject credits."

Zhang Ziwang called out loudly: "Today's exam showed you the Academy is divided into three categories: Talisman and Array Techniques, Qi Gong and Alchemy, and Spellcraft. You may choose one, two, or all three. I don't care how you choose—but by the latest five years from now, if your accumulated credits fall below sixty, you will be expelled from the Academy and denied the Talisman."

A boy immediately raised his hand and asked, "Academy Director, if we accumulate sixty credits early, can we apply for the Talisman sooner?"

Zhang Ziwang replied: "Correct. Once you reach sixty credits, you may apply for the Talisman exam at any time. Those who pass will be granted the Talisman collectively on the Double Ninth Festival each year."

Not all Talisman-granted Daoists come from the Academy; external Daoists also have opportunities.

Those with great ability or great contributions are invited by Long Hushan to receive the Talisman, so Long Hushan grants Talismans only once a year, on the Double Ninth Festival.

In truth, students of Long Hushan Academy do receive the Talisman more easily than external Daoists.

This is one reason Long Hushan remains a sacred place in the hearts of Daoists.

After Zhang Ziwang finished speaking on behalf of the Academy, he departed, leaving the stage to the Academy Directors.

They would mutually select from unaffiliated young Daoists, seeking disciples worthy of inheriting their lineage.

Pan Yun, Miao Zhen, and Miao He were not among them—they already had their own masters.

So as numerous Daoists surged onto the stage to self-recommend, the three found a spacious platform to sit and rest, watching the spectacle from halfway across the square.

Miao He sighed: "So many people~ I've never seen this many in my life."

Pan Yun: "Didn't you see the temple fair last year?"

Miao He: "Wasn't there fewer people at the temple fair?"

Pan Yun glanced at the packed crowd filling the vast square and nodded. "There were fewer."

She frowned slightly. "Strange. There don't seem to be many new students—only one hundred ninety-eight across the three halls. Even counting all five grades, there should be only nine hundred ninety students. Even if we round up to a thousand, plus faculty, there shouldn't be this many."

Seeing Miao Zhen said: "Don't forget the people from Da Shangqing Palace, and Daoists from temples across the realm who came for short-term observation and study."

She added: "I looked into it—the Academy doesn't restrict students from leaving. Da Shangqing Palace also has devotees and visiting Daoists who often slip over here. Today's Academy exam drew many outsiders to come and watch."

"Oh." Pan Yun's gaze shifted to a line of captives chained together by government office Runners on the side.

She was startled. "They caught so many?"

Miao Zhen and Miao He had emerged late and missed the most dramatic part; they hurriedly asked, "Little Master Auntie, who are these people?"

"The senior brothers picked them up from outside as tools," Pan Yun urged Miao Zhen to look closely. "Quick, examine their facial features—can you divine why they were arrested? Rare material. It's hard enough for the senior brothers to find so many criminals in such a vast crowd."

Miao Zhen immediately went to look.

The criminals passing by the platform heard this and turned to glare at the three. The middle-aged man, upon recognizing Pan Yun, glared with furious hatred, as if he wanted to devour her.

Pan Yun sighed at him, waving her hand. "Good person—no, evil person—you shouldn't hate me. You should thank me. Catching you now is better than waiting until your son achieves success in the imperial exams, then discovering his father is a murderer—wouldn't that make all his past efforts vanish? Wouldn't that be worse for you? Wouldn't he hate you more?"

"Now is better. You're caught early—your assets can be compensated to victims while you're still idle, and seized by the state if needed. He can abandon the exam path early, realizing it's useless for him, and seek another livelihood. Your intended bride can avoid disaster too—she learns before marriage that this match is unsound and finds a better one. Isn't that all for the better?"

Even the government office Runners stared at Pan Yun in surprise, yet couldn't help muttering, "Little Daoist, you're right… but…"

Before the words finished, the middle-aged man spat a mouthful of blood and collapsed backward, enraged.

Pan Yun immediately pointed at him and shouted, "Miao He, hurry up! Don't let him die here—he must face trial. This is all official merit. You can't let the government office Runners make a wasted trip!"

The government office Runners, who had been indifferent, instantly moved to support him, laid him flat on the ground, and cleared space for Miao He to treat him.

They came to Long Hushan every year and knew these people were all experts—whether or not they had other skills, they definitely knew healing. So they didn't mind Miao He's young appearance and immediately stepped aside for her.

Miao He pried open his eyelid, listened to his pulse, then decisively pulled out a long, thick needle. She grimaced, removed his shoes and socks, and stabbed straight into the sole of his foot…

Everyone involuntarily stepped back. Even Pan Yun felt a twinge in her own soles and swallowed hard.

The man lying on the ground suddenly opened his eyes, sat bolt upright, legs rigid, screaming "Aaah!"

The government office Runner jumped back, slapped his face sideways, and roared, "Shut up! Scream again and I'll stab you again!"

The middle-aged man dared not scream again, nor dare to faint—his chest's qi had already dispersed somewhat from the shout.

The middle-aged man dared not shout again, but he also dared not faint again—the qi in his chest had dispersed considerably from that shout.

He left limping, chained up.

Pan Yun and the other three stood at the edge of the square, watching them go; Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He even imitated her, waving at their backs—waving, waving again. Pan Yun lowered her hand, feeling refreshed and clear-headed. "Alright, let's go. Back to bathe and change clothes, and find where we'll eat, draw water, and wash clothes."

Seeing Miao Zhen: "Shouldn't we be finding where classes are held?"

"Tomorrow, the notice board will post the class schedule. We just pick the ones we're interested in," Pan Yun said. "Since we're not taking a master or joining any specific academy, we'll just take the interesting courses."

Miao He's hand quietly rose.

Pan Yun pressed it down. "I know—you want to join the Tai Su Academy—but it's not urgent. Let's start with classes first."

Seeing Miao Zhen: "Is Little Auntie hoping Tai Su Academy will come to invite Miao He in?"

Pan Yun said: "Miao He has a natural gift for Qi Gong and Alchemy. Big Brother and Third Brother have both praised her talent in alchemy more than once. Right now, we're being secretly targeted. Though the Academy has clear rules banning private fights, judging by what Zhang Weiliang and others have done—the traps they've set—the Academy won't intervene. So unless the head of Tai Su Academy promises to protect Miao He, we won't join. For now, we'll still attend classes together as three."

Seeing Miao Zhen nodded: "Perfect. We're all still young, right in the phase of building foundations—we should learn everything."

Pan Yun: "Exactly. So we're not in a hurry—the ones in a hurry are them."

Pan Yun truly wasn't in the slightest hurry.

!. Read

In Fengqi Courtyard, there were two water vats, one on the left, one on the right.

Pan Yun was domineering—she directly claimed one and told Zhang Weiyi, who had returned to recover: "You six use the other vat."

Zhang Weiyi: "Bathing and changing clothes happen in the bathhouse. The water in these vats is only for washing faces and brushing teeth. Your three couldn't use up one vat in three days…"

Pan Yun: "We're happy to use stale water."

Zhang Weiyi was speechless. After a moment, he said: "Go tell Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua yourself."

Which meant he had agreed.

Pan Yun waited in the courtyard specifically for Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua to return.

The two came and went together.

The moment she saw them, Pan Yun flashed a bright smile and called out sweetly: "Senior Brother Deng, Senior Brother Xue, I have a favor to ask of you."

Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua paused, hearts rising, but kept their faces calm, speaking gently: "Little Sister, please speak."

Pan Yun said: "This vat is closer to us, so we'd like to fill it ourselves and use only its water. So…"

"Fine," Deng Ziyu smiled. "This vat's yours. We'll share the other one."

Pan Yun beamed, clasped her fists: "Thank you, Senior Brothers."

She turned around.

Miao He immediately handed over two medicine bottles.

Pan Yun gave them to the two: "These are Qingshan-made Golden Wound Ointment. A gift for you two Senior Brothers."

Deng Ziyu, who had intended to refuse, couldn't help but accept upon hearing "Qingshan-made Golden Wound Ointment."

Qingshan-made Golden Wound Ointment was famously renowned throughout the martial world.

Unless you bought it from a pharmacy in Yushan County, you couldn't get it easily elsewhere—and even if you did, the price would be exorbitant.

Deng Ziyu glanced at Xue Hua, then accepted on both their behalf, clasping his fists: "Then we humbly accept your kindness. Thank you, Little Sister."

"No need for thanks. If you ever need Golden Wound Ointment, pills, or anything similar in the future, just come to me. I'm from Mount Sanqing, trained under Ge Xianweng. I can't boast about much, but in alchemy, few can match me."

Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua knew well that Tao Ji of Mount Sanqing was famously renowned for his medical skill and alchemical cultivation.

Zhang Weiyi watched from the window as the five got along harmoniously, gritting his teeth inwardly—not just at Zhang Weiliang and the others, but also at Zhu Zifang. If not for his reckless behavior, Fengqi Courtyard's situation wouldn't have deteriorated this badly.

To be fair, Zhang Weiyi had never wronged Pan Yun; he merely happened to share the same surname as Zhang Weiliang and the others, and belonged to the same "Wei" generation.

Zhang Weiyi rubbed his forehead, but he knew better: the real culprit behind Pan Yun's being targeted wasn't Zhu Zifang.

He was merely being used as a blade—and he wondered whether his Fifth Uncle even knew he'd become one.

Whether he knew or not, they were already in the game. Unless those above chose to stop, none of them could escape.

Zhang Weiyi took a deep breath, his displeasure deepening.

He was due to take his graduation exam this August. If all went well, he'd receive his talisman in September—then he could serve in the Zhang Zhang Tian Shi's Mansion, or the Ministry of Rites or the Temple of Rituals in the capital, or become abbot of an outside Daoist temple. But now, dragged into this struggle, no one knew if he'd even graduate.

Zhang Weiliang and those three fools thought this was a conflict between Long Hushan and Mount Sanqing—but they didn't realize it was an internal struggle within Long Hushan's Zhang Zhang Tian Shi's Mansion.

It was a continuation of the conflict six years ago.

Zhang Li had never given up his ambitions, trying to draw Mount Sanqing's influence into Long Hushan. But Second Uncle and the others weren't fools—so that's why Pan Yun and the others were targeted the moment they entered the Academy.

Zhang Weiliang and those three fools actually believed Zhu Zifang was Pan Yun's patron—yet they didn't realize Zhu Zifang was merely a blade, and that everyone in this courtyard had been turned into blades by Zhu Zifang.

Zhang Weiyi sneered. To use them as blades, one must first ask if they're willing. Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua were clever—they pretended ignorance.

He, however, had been dragged into this by Zhang Weiliang and those three fools through sheer negligence.

Zhang Weiyi took a deep breath, slammed the window shut with a crack—and he didn't want to get involved. But if he had to choose a side…

Pan Xiaohei saw his brow furrowed so tightly it could trap a fly, so he leapt lightly out the opposite window and slipped silently back into Pan Yun's room.

The moment Pan Yun entered, she picked him up, smiling warmly: "My good treasure, tell me—what news did you get this time?"

"Meow. Got nothing. Just saw a face all wrinkled up."

Pan Yun gripped his tiny paw. "This is close to Chongqing Academy. Wander over there more. Look for Zhang Ziwang, Zhu Zifang—those big players. Listen for their secrets."

Pan Yun paused. "If you can't hear theirs, listen to others'. See if there's any plot against us."

Pan Xiaohei looked utterly defeated. "You're using me as a spy?"

Pan Yun shook his tiny paw. "Can't I?"

Pan Xiaohei meowed, sulking: "Fine."

Pan Yun set him down, patted his rump: "Go on, Pikachu~~"

(End of Chapter)