[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming":3,"chapter-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-137":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Unorthodox Sword of Ming",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2337342,4570,"Chapter 137","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-137",137,"\u003Cp>Miao He also passed soon after, becoming the third to emerge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She bounced over to Pan Yun’s side, delighted: “Little Master, I feel I did very well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “I think you did well too—and you had good luck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao He agreed: “I was falling behind, but the candidate two seats over had a furnace explosion—I immediately overtook them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Zhen: “Senior Master said that Third Master and Miao He have the best luck on Mount Sanqing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “That’s wonderful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if her own luck wasn’t great, seeing others around her succeed still made her happy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Zhen and Miao He’s results were soon posted—their names written on a massive curtain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eighth place on the blue curtain, third on the green curtain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as more candidates emerged, their rankings shifted, since later finishers, though slower, achieved higher accuracy and completeness—and thus higher scores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gradually, all candidates from the three examination halls emerged and gathered on the square, until the last one finished, scores were finalized, and rankings locked in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Zhen ultimately ranked twelfth among fifty-eight candidates in Talisman and Array Arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao He ultimately ranked ninth among sixty-two candidates in Qi Cultivation and Elixir Arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun remained first in Spell Arts, among seventy-eight candidates total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun’s lips curled slightly as she led Miao Zhen and Miao He to face the crowd’s gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether veteran or newcomer, suspicion and resentment toward the three had diminished considerably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With low rankings, others could still claim they didn’t deserve their place, that they got in through backdoor connections, and refuse to associate with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mount Sanqing~~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sanqing Temple~~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a miraculous mountain, what a miraculous temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ziwang rose and stepped to the podium: “Results are out. You now know 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.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Classes begin the day after tomorrow. Those who haven’t chosen will rotate through all Dao Academies. Before each Winter Solstice, the Academy holds an exam—only those who pass earn course credits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ziwang declared loudly: “Today’s exam revealed the three major categories: Talisman and Array Arts, Qi Cultivation and Elixir Arts, and Spell Arts. You may choose one, two, or all three. I don’t care how you choose—but if, by the end of five years, your accumulated credits fall below sixty, you will be expelled and denied the talisman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A boy immediately raised his hand: “Headmaster, if we accumulate sixty credits early, can we apply for talisman conferral ahead of time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ziwang: “Correct. Once you reach sixty credits, you may apply for talisman conferral at any time. Those who pass will be conferred collectively on the Double Ninth Festival each year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not all talisman-conferring Daoists come from the Academy—external Daoists have opportunities too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those with great ability or great contributions are invited by Long Hushan to receive talismans, which is why Long Hushan confers them only once a year, on Double Ninth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Long Hushan Academy students do receive talismans more easily than external Daoists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is one reason Long Hushan remains a sacred site in Daoists’ hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Zhang Ziwang finished speaking on behalf of the Academy, he departed, leaving the stage to the Academy Heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would mutually select unaffiliated young Daoists, seeking disciples to inherit their lineages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun, Miao Zhen, and Miao He were not among them—they already had their own masters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So as numerous Daoists surged onto the podium to self-recommend, the three found a spacious platform to sit and rest, watching the spectacle from halfway across the square.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao He sighed: “So many people~ In my whole life, I’ve never seen so many.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “Didn’t you see the temple fair last year?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao He: “Wasn’t it less crowded than this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun glanced at the packed square and nodded. “It was.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She frowned slightly. “Strange. There don’t seem to be many new students—only 198 across three halls. Even with five grades, that’s only 990 students. Even if we round up to a thousand, plus staff, there shouldn’t be this many.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Zhen said: “There are also people from Da Shangqing Palace, and Daoists from temples across the realm who came for short-term observation and study.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She added: “I looked into it—the Academy doesn’t restrict students from leaving. Da Shangqing Palace has believers and visiting Daoists who often drift over here. Today’s exam draws many spectators.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.” Pan Yun’s gaze shifted to a line of captives chained together by government office runners on the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was startled: “They caught so many?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Zhen and Miao He had emerged late and missed the most dramatic part. They hurried to ask: “Little Master, who are these people?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The senior brothers brought them in as tools,” Pan Yun urged Miao Zhen: “Go look at their facial features—see if you can divine why they were arrested. Rare material. It’s hard enough for senior brothers to find so many criminals in a sea of people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Zhen hurried over to examine them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The criminals passing by the platform heard and turned to glare at the three. The middle-aged man, upon seeing Pan Yun, glared with pure hatred, as if he wanted to devour her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun sighed at him, waving: “Good man—no, wicked man—don’t hate me. You should thank me. Catching you now is better than waiting until your son excels in the imperial exams, then discovering his father is a murderer—erasing all his past efforts. Wouldn’t that be worse? Wouldn’t he hate you more?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now it’s better. You’re caught early—your assets can be compensated to victims or seized by the state before you’ve even tried to build them. He can abandon the exams early, realizing they’re useless, and seek another path. Your intended bride can avoid disaster, learning this marriage is unsound before the wedding, and find a better match. Isn’t that all for the better?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the government office runners stared at Pan Yun in surprise, yet couldn’t help mutter: “Little Daoist, you’re right—but…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he finished, the middle-aged man spat blood and collapsed backward, enraged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun immediately pointed at him and shouted: “Miao He, hurry! Don’t let him die here—he must face trial. This is all official credit. We can’t let the officers waste their trip!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The government office runners, previously indifferent, immediately supported him, laid him flat, and cleared space for Miao He to treat him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They came to Long Hushan every year—they knew the place was full of masters. Even if they lacked other skills, they at least knew healing. So they had no qualms about Miao He’s young age and stepped aside immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao He pried open his eyelids, listened to his pulse, then decisively pulled out a long, thick needle. She grimaced, removed his socks and shoes, and stabbed straight into the sole of his foot…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone stepped back involuntarily. Even Pan Yun felt a twinge in her own soles and swallowed hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man on the ground shot upright with a sudden gasp, legs rigid, screaming “Aaah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The government office runners jumped back, slapped his face sideways, and roared: “Shut up! Scream again and I’ll stab you again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man dared not scream, nor dare faint again—his chest’s qi had already dispersed from the shout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He limped away, still chained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three stood at the square’s edge watching them go. Miao Zhen and Miao He mimicked Pan Yun, waving at their retreating backs—waving, waving, waving again. Pan Yun lowered her hand, feeling refreshed. “Alright, let’s go. Back to bathe, change clothes, and find where we eat, fetch water, and wash clothes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun and the other two stood at the edge of the square watching them off; Miao Zhen and Miao He imitated her, waving at their backs, waving, then waving again. Pan Yun lowered her hand, feeling refreshed and invigorated. “Alright, let’s go. Let’s return, bathe, change clothes, and find where we’ll eat, fetch water, and wash clothes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tomorrow’s notice board will post the class schedule. We’ll just pick the ones we like,” Pan Yun said. “Since we’re not taking a master or joining a fixed Dao Academy, we might as well take the interesting classes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tomorrow, the notice board will post the class schedule—we’ll just pick the ones that interest us,” Pan Yun said. “Since we’re not taking a master or fixedly joining any academy, we might as well choose the interesting classes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun pressed it down. “I know—you want to join Tai Su Academy. But no rush. Let’s take classes first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Zhen: “Are you hoping Tai Su Academy will come to invite Miao He in?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “Miao He has exceptional talent in Qi Cultivation and Elixir Arts. Senior Brother and Third Brother have praised her talent in elixirs more than once. Right now, we’re being secretly targeted. Though the Academy forbids private fights, the traps set by people like Zhang Weiliang won’t be stopped. So unless the head of Tai Su Academy promises to protect Miao He, we won’t join. We’ll still attend classes together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Zhen nodded: “Good. We’re all still young—this is the time to build foundations. We should learn everything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “Exactly. So we’re not in a hurry—the others are.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun truly wasn’t in a hurry at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!. Read\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fengqi Courtyard had two water jars, one on each side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun was domineering—she claimed one outright and told Zhang Weiyi: “You six use the other one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Weiyi: “Bathing and changing is done in the bathhouse. These jars are only for washing faces and hands. You three couldn’t use one jar dry in three days…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “We prefer stale water.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Weiyi choked. After a pause, he said: “You tell Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Wei choked, then said after a pause, “You go tell Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun waited in the courtyard for Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua to return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They entered and exited together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing them, Pan Yun beamed, sweetly calling: “Senior Brother Deng, Senior Brother Xue, I have a favor to ask.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua paused, hearts rising, but kept their faces calm and replied gently: “Little sister, speak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “This jar is closer to us, so we’d like to fill it ourselves and use only its water. So…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine,” Deng Ziyu smiled. “We’ll give you this jar. We’ll share the other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun beamed broadly, clasped her fists: “Thank you, both senior brothers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao He immediately handed her two medicine vials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun offered them: “These are Sanqing Mountain’s Golden Wound Ointment. A gift for you two.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ziyu, who had been about to refuse, paused upon hearing “Sanqing Mountain’s Golden Wound Ointment” and took it without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sanqing Mountain’s Golden Wound Ointment was famous throughout the Jianghu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless bought at the pharmacy in Yushan County, it was nearly impossible to find elsewhere—and when found, it cost dearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ziyu glanced at Xue Hua, accepted on both their behalf, and bowed: “Then we accept with gratitude, thank you, little sister.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need for thanks. If you ever need Golden Wound Ointment or elixirs, just ask me. My Sanqing Mountain lineage traces back to Immortal Ge. I can’t promise much else, but in elixir arts, few can match us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua knew well—Tao Ji of Sanqing Mountain was famed for his medical skill and elixir cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Weiyi watched from the window as the five interacted warmly, gritted his teeth, and grew resentful—not just toward Zhang Weiliang and the others, but also toward Zhang Zifang. If not for his reckless behavior, Fengqi Courtyard’s situation wouldn’t have deteriorated so badly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Weiyi had never wronged Pan Yun—he was merely the same surname, same generation (Wei), and unlucky enough to be grouped with Zhang Weiliang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Weiyi rubbed his forehead, but he knew well: the real culprit behind the secret targeting wasn’t Zhang Zifang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was merely being used as a blade. He wondered if his fifth uncle even knew he’d become one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether he knew or not, he was already in the game. Unless those above chose to stop, none of them could escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Weiyi took a deep breath, his displeasure deepening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Wei let out a deep breath, even more displeased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this August, he will begin his final exams; if all goes well, he will receive his talisman in September, and then he may take up a post at the Celestial Master’s Mansion, or in the Ministry of Rites or the Temple of Rituals of the imperial court, or become abbot of an external Daoist temple—his future is open—but now he’s been drawn into this conflict, and no one knows if he’ll graduate at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Weiliang and those three fools still think this is a struggle between Long Hushan and Mount Sanqing, unaware that it is in fact an internal feud within the Celestial Master’s Mansion of Long Hushan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is a continuation of the struggle six years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Li refuses to give up, seeking to bring Mount Sanqing’s influence into Long Hushan, but Second Master and the others are no pushovers—so Pan Yun and the others were targeted from the moment they entered the Imperial Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Weiliang and those three fools actually believe Zhang Zi Fang is Pan Yun’s protector, unaware that Zhang Zi Fang is merely a blade—and all of them in this courtyard have been turned into blades by Zhang Zi Fang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Weiyi sneered. “To use us as blades, you must first ask if we’re willing. Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua are smart enough to pretend they know nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he himself was dragged into this entirely due to carelessness, tainted by Zhang Weiliang and those three fools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Weiyi took a deep breath and slammed the window shut. He did not wish to be drawn in—but if he must choose a side…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Xiao saw his brows knotted so tightly they could crush a fly, so she leapt lightly out the opposite window and slipped silently back into Pan Yun’s room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Pan Yun entered, she picked it up and smiled sweetly. “My dear treasure, tell me—what news have you found?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Meow. I found nothing but a face scrunched up into a ball.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun said, “This is close to Chongqing Academy—go there more often. Look for Zhang Zi Wang, Zhang Zi Fang, and other major figures. Listen for their secrets.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She paused. “If you can’t hear theirs, listen to others—see if there’s any plot against us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Xiao looked utterly defeated. “You’re using me as your spy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun tugged its tiny paw. “Why not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Xiao meowed, sulking. “Fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun set it down and patted its rump. “Go on, Pikachu~~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2496,"2026-06-20T22:03:57.478Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9473fbd172f98b65224164a6d89d9a2dd2afd7cb0f3da88bb4c65c8ef88af57b","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-138","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-136",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-cover.jpg"]