Chapter 20: Visitors from the Capital

Ma Qin immediately turned his head and looked in the direction Wang Yang was pointing.

He was extremely curious about what the mysterious talisman master looked like.

At the end of the long and narrow corridor, he saw a pair of young boy and girl walking towards them, talking and laughing.

The girl was petite with her black hair tied up high. Her cheeks were rosy and smooth, and her nose was delicate and smooth. Her appearance was given a touch of elegance by her black "Seven Luminaries Robe."

The boy, dressed in a blue cloth shirt and a leisurely scarf on his head, was slender with fair skin, well-defined eyebrows, and bright eyes. He had an otherworldly temperament, and the corners of his mouth naturally curled upwards, even when he wasn't smiling, exuding a hint of humor.

Before Ma Qin could react, Wang Yang rushed to the front of the boy in the blue shirt and grinned, saying, "Brother Gu, you're finally here! We have a newcomer in our Bureau who says he really wants to meet you!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Qin stared fixedly at the boy in the blue shirt, furrowing his brow.

The talisman master from Yishui County's Bureau was actually so young?

He found it hard to believe.

If he remembered correctly, his competitor, Gu Xu, seemed to be an uncrowned boy.

Could it be that the cultivation prodigy Gu Xu and the talisman master "Brother Gu" were really the same person?

Did this guy, in addition to cultivating and doing tasks, also excel in talisman cultivation?

Where did he find so much time?

But what made Ma Qin even more jealous was that this scoundrel not only understood the profound and complex knowledge of talisman cultivation but also looked handsome and charming, chatting and laughing with beautiful girls along the way—

It was completely different from the image of a scruffy ascetic who didn't eat or sleep like he had imagined.

Thinking that he was almost thirty-five and still hadn't found a wife, Ma Qin suddenly felt so miserable that he wanted to cry.

This damn world was just too unfair!

However, out of the basic etiquette of the Great Qi officialdom, he took a deep breath, forced himself to remain calm, and took the initiative to greet the young couple.

First, he clasped his fists and bowed to the black-robed girl with an official position. "Junior clerk Ma Qin pays his respects to the esteemed lady!"

Then he forced a stiff smile and looked at the handsome boy in the blue shirt. "I am Ma Qin from Qingzhou Prefecture. May I ask how I should address this young man?"

The young man in the blue shirt smiled faintly and replied, "I am Gu Xu from Yishui County."

Gu Xu! It really was Gu Xu!

Ma Qin clenched his fists, struggling to control the urge to curse.

At the same time, Wang Yang, who had been silent all this time, added another sentence, "Brother Gu, this new arrival, Ma Qin, says he has read some books on talisman cultivation and admires experts proficient in talismans. If you have the time, maybe you can exchange experiences with him."

"Ma Qin has also studied talisman cultivation?" Gu Xu asked with a smile.

"A little bit," Ma Qin replied, gritting his teeth.

"Me too," Gu Xu humbly replied. "I started studying talisman cultivation three months ago, and I only know a little. I hope to learn more from Ma Qin in the future."

As he spoke, Gu Xu's gaze was clear, his smile genuine, without any pretense of taking advantage.

It was evident that he was not speaking out of courtesy but stating the truth.

However, this sincere attitude felt like a devastating blow to Ma Qin, causing him unbearable pain, as if he had been struck with ten thousand hits.

His legs went weak, and he leaned against the pillar in the corridor, feeling powerless.

"Ma Qin, are you alright?" Gu Xu asked with concern.

"I... I'm fine," Ma Qin turned his head away, not wanting to see Gu Xu's handsome face anymore. "I just haven't had breakfast, and I'm feeling a bit dizzy."

In reality, Ma Qin had eaten breakfast before leaving.

But to save face, he could only come up with a temporary excuse.

At this moment, Shi Xiaohan, who had remained silent, spoke up, "That's easily solved. The fried dough sticks and sesame cakes from our Bureau's canteen are delicious. Wang Yang, why don't you take Ma Qin there? He will be participating in the assessment later, and it's not good for him to be hungry."

"Yes, Chief Shi!" Wang Yang nodded enthusiastically, accepting the order.

.........

When the morning sun climbed onto the eaves, the procession of the Luojing examination official's entourage finally made its way slowly down the wide "Righteousness Street" towards the Yishui County Exorcism Bureau.

The examination official was named Chu Fengge, a fourth-level cultivator who held the position of "Langzhong" in the Great Qi's Luojing Exorcism Bureau, with a fifth-rank official position.

"Langzhong" was not a physician but referred to an official who served as an attendant or assistant.

Sending a fifth-rank official to a remote little county like Yishui as an examination official seemed like a waste of talent.

However, for some unknown reason, the current head of the Luojing Exorcism Bureau, Luo Chuan, attached great importance to this insignificant assessment and pressured Chu Fengge to end his vacation early and come to Yishui.

"Two low-level ants competing for a ninth-rank official position, and they think it's worth my personal visit?" Chu Fengge disdainfully thought to himself.

But the Lord of the Bureau had given the order, and he didn't dare to disobey.

The common people of Yishui had clearly never seen such a high-ranking official before.

In the Great Qi Dynasty, there were strict regulations for the processions of officials.

For example, the number of bearers for a sedan chair was determined by the rank of the official sitting in it. The higher the rank, the more bearers there would be, with four, six, or eight bearers.

Another example was that when officials traveled, someone would go ahead and sound the gong to clear the way. Seven strikes for a seventh-rank official, nine strikes for a fifth-rank official, and eleven strikes for a third-rank and above.

Upon hearing the sound of the gong, the common people were expected to voluntarily step aside. If they failed to give way in time and collided with the procession, it would be considered a disrespect to the court, and would be severely punished.

At this moment, Chu Fengge wore a black gauze hat and a seven-colored robe, lazily sitting in a grand sedan chair carried by six bearers.

Before and after the sedan chair, the entourage played gongs and drums, holding up signs that read "Silence" and "Avoid."

Seeing this spectacle, the people of Yishui respectfully retreated to the sides of the road, bowing their heads in reverence. However, their peripheral vision couldn't help but steal a glimpse of the exquisitely decorated sedan chair, filled with both awe and curiosity.

Chen Jisheng had already stood at the gate of the bureau with Gu Xu and Ma Qin, welcoming Chu Fengge, who had come from afar.

"In this lifetime, if I could experience such a procession, I would die without regrets!" Ma Qin gazed at the grand sedan chair, filled with envy.

"The damn feudal society," Gu Xu said calmly, his face undisturbed, silently complaining in his heart.

If he remembered correctly, cultivators of the fourth level or higher could fly on their swords—an extremely fast and convenient mode of transportation. Yet, they insisted on creating such a grand procession to show off their status, causing unnecessary trouble and expense.

As for Chen Jisheng, he stood straight with a calm expression, his deep eyes resembling ancient wells, revealing no emotions.

After a moment, the sedan chair stopped in front of the entrance of the Yishui County Exorcism Bureau.

A servant stepped forward a few steps and respectfully lifted the curtain of the sedan chair.

First, a pair of green satin embroidered boots appeared under the curtain.

Then, a man under thirty years old, with a beautiful appearance, stepped out of the sedan chair.

His face was powdered, his lips were rosy, and his peach blossom eyes were full of charm. There was a lazy smile at the corners of his mouth. The whole person was as delicate as a meticulously drawn court painting.

It was Chu Fengge, the Langzhong of the Luojing's Exorcism Bureau.

If Gu Xu's appearance could be described as the youthful charm and freshness of a young man, with a hint of immaturity, then Chu Fengge's appearance could be described as beautiful, even enchanting.

Gu Xu even felt that if this person were to put on women's clothing, he would likely outshine all the beauties and become a calamity to the country and its people.

Chu Fengge, with his hands behind his back, looked up at the sky, flaring his nostrils at everyone present, seeming to disdain all worldly matters. At the same time, he murmured softly:

"Throughout my life, I move like a gust of wind, disregarding the talents of others. I alone wield the cold sword against the heavens. Why should I be ashamed of being a hero?"

Never did I imagine that such an arrogant and self-loving person could exist in this world!

Upon hearing these words, Gu Xu couldn't help but sigh in astonishment.