Chapter 7, Chen and Tang meet

Xu Shiji ... even though the Empress holds him in high favor and he possesses great power, he is ultimately just a divine general

Divine General's Mansion

Indeed, there are many peers in my clan, and everyone has their own books at home, so there is no noise. The reason I am called Tang Thirty-Six is not because I am ranked thirty-sixth in my family, but because when I first entered the Qingyun Ranking at the age of fifteen last year, I was ranked thirty-sixth. I found it quite embarrassing, especially when compared to that woman and that wolf cub... Therefore, I changed my name to Tang Thirty-Six to remind myself of how inadequate my current realm and strength are. Hmm, it seems I have answered all the questions... Yes, I have answered them all.

He left the Tiandao Academy and walked towards the second academy on the list, still unaware that a carriage bearing the emblem of the Blood Phoenix was following him from a distance

He lived with his master and senior brothers since childhood. His master rarely spoke, and his senior brothers were even less talkative, so he had no idea how to engage in small talk, which made him appear somewhat awkward and stiff. Although he intended to convey good intentions to others, misunderstandings easily arose, just like what happened yesterday at the Divine General's residence

Chen Changsheng found the teacher who was initially responsible for the assessment of the sensing stone and said, "I want to review the papers"

... ...

Tang San Thirty-Six looked at him and asked, "Why not?"

Most of the others remained in front of the building, comparing answers with one another or lamenting the difficulties of the exam. When he arrived at the lake, the stone platform was still very quiet, with only the previously brilliant young man in blue standing by the lakeside. He thought that geniuses are inevitably proud and did not approach, but unexpectedly, the other party came over.

You are only two years older than him, calling him a little guy is truly amusing

The vice president calmly stated: "There is no need to pay attention to who hetushu.com is. He is already fourteen years old, and even if he becomes enlightened, it is too late. There are too many geniuses in the world; even if he has potential, what difference does it make? Previously, he was compared to Wang Zhi Ce. If he truly possessed Wang Zhi Ce's determination and fortune, what difference would it make whether he is in the Heavenly Path Academy or not?"

In today's mainland, there is one tyrant, five sages, and storms from all directions, with countless perverts on the carefree list. Not to mention the demons hiding in the wilderness, while the thirty-eight divine generals are indeed powerful... but what kind of place is the Heavenly Dao Academy? How could it possibly heed the orders of the Divine General's Mansion?

Chen Changsheng was puzzled, thinking to himself, where had he been arrogant?

The indifference and pride between Tang San's brows could no longer be maintained upon hearing the words "Phoenix"; it instantly melted away. After a long silence, he murmured, "... that guy Chen Changsheng actually managed to provoke that Phoenix? Who on earth is he?"

... ...

There is no mention of Chen Changsheng's name above

The teacher was organizing various matters and did not meet his calm and resolute gaze. He said, "Since you have obtained the qualification for the exam through the rules and regulations, you should understand... the examination papers of the Tiandao Academy have always been non-recheckable, which represents respect for the Tiandao Academy. If you did not pass, then you simply did not pass."

Chen Changsheng was unaware that his failure to pass the examination was related to the Xu family. He believed that he had probably taken the spot of some nobleman's son in the capital, and thus had fallen victim to someone's schemes. Although he was new to the world, he had already witnessed too much deceit and sordidness in the scripts of Daoist plays, leaving him with no choice but to remain silent. At this moment, aside from silence, what else could he do?

Tang San was taken aback, seemingly not expecting such a mundane name for the young man. Even a wealthy family or a scholar from the countryside would probably not name their son like this. After a moment of silence, he said: "This name is indeed simple; I cannot say it is bad."

... ...

There are some questions regarding cultivation that I truly cannot answer, such as consciousness, true essence, and the gathering of stars to burn the sun

Tang San Thirty-Six listened to these words and fell silent

Chen Changsheng thought to himself that you speak quite honestly, but your name is also rather strange

He only knows one version of that question and has only answered one version.

... ...

"My name is Tang Thirty-Six," said the young man in a blue robe

Will the Academy of Heavenly Dao regret rejecting an ordinary student

Chen Changsheng spoke honestly, feeling a bit of luck in his heart. He had read the Daoist scriptures since childhood, and those seemingly profound academic questions posed no difficulty for him. Instead, it was the issues related to cultivation that he truly had no answers for. Fortunately, it was merely an admission examination, and the content in that regard was not too extensive.

I do not understand, Chen Changsheng said

Because someone made an introduction, the deputy dean said

Inquiring about someone's name directly is not a very polite thing to do, especially considering that he has a cold, unapproachable face. Those who are unaware of the origin of his name, no matter how curious they may be, would hold back in his presence, not daring to ask him directly. However, unexpectedly, this young man casually asked about it, even adding so many topics to the conversation.

Are you sure you have answered the rest ... ... ?

But his family has a phoenix

Chen Changsheng was somewhat surprised, not expecting the other party to take the initiative to engage in conversation. He straightened his clothes and politely responded: "Chen Changsheng from the East of the Ear."

Although he did not speak, I knew what he wanted to say... It is truly remarkable for a little fellow who can hold back his anger and refrain from speaking ill. Tang San Thirty-Six watched the figure of the youth disappear across the lake, then turned to someone and sarcastically said: "Such a person, and even the Academy of Heavenly Principles dares not to accept him, truly remarkable."

My name is Chen Changsheng... It is because I suffered from an illness when I was young, and my master hopes that I can live to be a hundred years old. What about you? Why are you called Tang Thirty-Six? Could it be that you are the thirty-sixth in your family? How can there be so many people in your family? Where is your family from? With so many siblings, isn't it too noisy when studying?

Tang Thirty-Six questioned the Dao. ... He was indeed somewhat interested in this answer, as he always felt that although Chen Changsheng was an ordinary person, ... he should not be an ordinary person. ... When he saw that Chen Changsheng's complexion was somewhat pale, he realized that his question was inappropriate. Those exam questions, vast as the sea, were somewhat challenging even for a genius like him. It was evident that Chen Changsheng's mental state had been severely depleted, and judging by the situation, the outcome should not be too favorable.

The crowd looked at him with unfriendly eyes, filled with mockery, ridicule, and disdain. If it were not for Tang San Thirty-Six standing beside him, many unpleasant words would likely have already emerged by now

How many questions did you answer

After a while, he looked at Chen Changsheng and said, "I always thought that I and that guy were the most arrogant figures among the younger generation, but I didn't expect you to be even more arrogant than us"

As the incense burned out, a golden sound rang out, signaling the end of this round of examinations for the students. Chen Changsheng, along with the other candidates, walked out of the building, ignoring the unusual gazes directed at him, and followed the guidance to the stone platform behind the lake where the results would be announced, waiting for the final examination results at dusk

In fact, Chen Changsheng thought very simply: in the unfamiliar city of Kyoto, within the Taoist Academy filled with ridicule and cold glances, when someone who is clearly a genius takes the initiative to approach him, he should naturally reciprocate with even more warmth and kindness. At the very least, he should take the initiative to greet and engage in conversation.

He wants to say, you will definitely regret it... I know this because if I were treated like him, I would certainly say this.

The Vice President of the Tiandao Institute said: "What is even more interesting is, how do you know what he wants to say?"

Chen Changsheng stood beneath the ranking list, remaining silent for a long time

The list has been posted

Who

Tang San Thirty-Six listened and felt that something was amiss, the questions he could not answer were only these... Could it be that this little fellow actually answered all the other questions? At that moment, he noticed across the lake, a teacher was hurrying towards a certain place, holding a thick stack of exam papers. The teacher seemed to be in a state of emotional turmoil, almost tripping on the stone steps. He couldn't help but be taken aback, recalling Chen Changsheng's earlier words, and couldn't help but come up with a guess that he himself found hard to believe. Could it be that this little fellow was really going to give everyone a shock?

Your father entrusted you to my care, so I will not conceal this matter from you, but you must not speak of it to others... The mere God General's residence naturally cannot affect my Heavenly Dao Academy, but that particular God General's residence is different, for it is the Eastern Imperial God General's residence, and the master of the residence is named Xu Shiji

The dialogue above marks the first social interaction of Chen Changsheng after leaving Xining and arriving in the bustling capital, as well as the first social engagement of Tang Thirty-Six after departing from Wenshui to the capital. At that time, Chen Changsheng was fourteen years old, and Tang Thirty-Six was about to turn sixteen. In this regard, both were somewhat naive and inexperienced. This interaction was undoubtedly awkward, amusing, and even laughable. However, many years of history have proven that this interaction was extremely successful. It can even be said that it was the most successful and significant social engagement since the pact between Emperor Taizong and the leader of the demon clan.

However, interestingly, Tang Sanliu not only did not dislike this, but instead found Chen Changsheng to be a very honest and genuine person. What Tang Sanliu most wanted in this life was to be a true person, yet what he encountered in the world were either mediocre individuals or delusional people. Suddenly meeting someone like Chen Changsheng made him very satisfied

The Vice President of Tiandao Academy fell silent for a moment before saying: "I have reviewed that young man's examination paper. Without any cleansing of the marrow, he possesses such extensive knowledge and insight; it can indeed be said that he is a genius. He is not much inferior to Wang Zhi Ce of my time. Under normal circumstances, I would definitely recruit him into the academy and personally instruct him. Unfortunately, this time it is not possible"

... ...

Tang San was taken aback

Tang San Thirty-Six also did not understand. He believed that this boy, who made him feel warm and sincere, would not lie. Since he said he had answered most of the questions, he must have done so. Therefore, based on the scores, even if he did not rank at the top, he should at least be more than qualified to be on the list.

Chen Changsheng looked at him in silence for a long time before turning to leave

... ...

He is not an ordinary student; he is a genius like me

I dare not say for certain... The Supreme Clarity Heart Mantra has two versions. It underwent a compilation and revision in the year when the national religion was first established. Since then, everyone has been using the revised version. However, the date mentioned in the title is prior to 1573, so I do not know which version I should use to respond. In the end, I could only provide answers for both versions, fearing that it might displease the teacher and result in point deductions.