Fang Zhengzhi's voice was not loud, but it caused the village elder, who was at the exit, to halt. Fang Zhengzhi's question was the one that he feared the most.
If this was a question raised by an adult, the village elder would have to think about it's implications. Under any normal circumstance, when faced with such a situation, they would have held a competition before deciding on the namelist. However, this was different, the people coming were from the Divine Constabulary and this chance was extremely rare.
He felt the silver inside his pocket and his face paled and flushed at the same time. In the end, he grit his teeth and stepped forward, preparing to just exit without addressing the question. He was keenly aware that this was his only chance for him to get such a bribe/
Mrs Li's expression was more normal. After all, she had given the silvers to the 'biggest customer', and she was not afraid that the village elder would go back on his word.
"Aiya, what does a kid know? Where would we find the time to arrange a preliminary test? Your time would be better spent if your mother taught you a few more hunting techniques. This would ensure that you won't be skilless in the future..." Mrs Li tried to blow him off.
"Hunting?" Fang Zhengzhi did not even let Qin Xuelian say anything. He immediately looked at Mrs Li innocently, "Mrs Li, I heard that you know everything about the mountains, then do you know which snake has the longest lifespan?"
"Which snake has the longest life span?" Mrs Li stiffened as she looked at Fang Zhengzhi, still looking at her naively, "Zhengzhi ah, this mountain has so many species of snakes, there is the Three Eyed Snake, the Lesser Snake, the Silver Clawed Snake... silly boy, who will know which snake has the longest lifespan?"
Outside the door, the village elder, who was preparing to leave, heard Fang Zhengzhi's question. He sighed internally, This kid was really silly, why was he caring so much about the lifespan of snakes? He should care more about the species and their attacks.
"A pity, I wanted to tell you all the answer." Fang Zhengzhi shook his head in disappointment.
"Oh? You know?" Mrs Li was slightly amazed.
The village elder was also amazed, a six year old kid knows which snake has the longest lifespan? That's not very possible, even the oldest hunters in the village could not be certain.
"Mm, it is the 'Snake' that doesn't wear out [1], don't you all know that?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at the two people as if he was talking to idiots.
"The 'Snake' that doesn't wear out?!" Mrs Li was stunned when she saw a six year old kid look at her with those eyes. In that moment, her whole body started shivering.
This little kid was scolding her? How could it be? How could a six year old kid think of such a way to chide others? No way, this must be something Qin Xuelian taught him.
"You..."
"Don't say anymore, let's go!" The village elder was also trying to hold back his tongue. He could tell that whilst Fang Zhengzhi was insulting Mrs Li, he was also insulting the village elder.
Was he going to exert his dominance as village elder? Bicker with a six year old?
The village elder still cared about his reputation. He had a guilty conscience, but when he thought about that man from the Fang family who never spoke...
He didn't wait for Mrs Li to say anything, he just dragged her along and left.
Mrs Li had wanted to say more, but if she were to speak whilst being dragged out by the village elder, wouldn't she be proving that she indeed could not stop talking?
In that moment, she bit back her tongue.
After repeating this process a few times, Mrs Li was able to gain some distance between herself and the house.
Qin Xuelian looked at the village elder and Mrs Li 'fleeing', and then she glanced at the 'innocent' Fang Zhengzhi. She was slightly amazed at where Fang Zhengzhi had learnt such a question, but her focus was still on the national exam name list.
Because...
She really couldn't just roll over and accept it.
She grit her teeth and prepared to go chasing after them. Then, a coughing sound could be heard coming from inside the house.
"Don't chase them..." a sigh could be heard from inside the house.
"They are obviously bullying people! Mrs Li must have bribed him! The four Fire Plume Chickens are not the point. Even though we are poor, I do not care about that. The Southern Mountain Village has not had visitors in decades. Now that the Divine Constabulary is here and holding a national exam for all six to eight year olds, Zheng Er is right, there needs to be a preliminary selection. How can the namelist be decided by the village elder? If we go according to age, Huzi from the Li Family is not even in line. I cannot let Zheng Er fall behind, this chance is so rare!"
Qin Xuelian bit her lip as she stretched out her arm to grab Fang Zhengzhi's hand.
Fang Zhengzhi sighed internally, chiding himself for being too young. His words did not carry any weight. In an instant, he felt his arm being gripped by Qin Xuelian and his mouth twitched.
If you want to have a discussion, go ahead, why grab me so tightly?
"It hurts..." Fang Zhengzhi could not extract his hand, he could only moan in protest.
"Aish, Zheng Er ah, my heart hurts too. Previously, when the Blue Fire Wolf had come down from Cang Ling Mountain, if not for your dad protecting the village and losing his arm in the process, the village would have been destroyed. Back then, everybody hailed your dad as a hero, but before long, they began bullying us again. They give us less rations, poor housing, and are even trying to cut us off from the national exam!"
When Qin Xuelian talked about the arm, she was clearly agitated and grabbed Zhengzhi's arm even tighter.
Fang Zhengzhi began to swear, the veins in his arm popping out, his expression revealing a worry way past his years.
His own mother, pretty, patient, gentle, virtuous, why is she is so naive and innocent? It is no wonder that after his father spread stories about her, she married him after a few years. Didn't I just say my arm hurt?
"Don't say anymore, it is not good for the child to hear such things. Zheng Er is still little and he still has a long way to go. The fact that the Divine Constabulary is here shows that they have taken notice of the Southern Mountain Village. If they really set up a school here, then there is hope for the future of the Southern Mountain Village!" Dad's voice boomed.
"Hope? The hope is all for the others. Seeing the village elder's attitude, even if the Divine Constabulary sets up a school here, Zheng Er would never be recruited!"
Qin Xuelian was fuming, and she gripped Fang Zhengzhi's hand tighter, almost lifting him off the ground.
Mother, my mother, please don't be so 'rough'! Fang Zhengzhi was on the verge of tears. How could a mother bear to do this to her son?
"Mother! Hand, my hand hurts..." Fan Zhengzhi felt that if he didn't voice out, his hand would be ruined.
"Aiya, what happened to you? Who caused your hand to become like that?" Qin Xuelian looked down and saw a bruise on Fang Zhengzhi's arm. She immediately thought that someone had bullied him just now.
This hit a nerve and Qin Xuelian begun to sob.
"Zheng Er ah, you are my only hope, you must remember that this world respects "Dao of all creation'. Don't just think that the Li Family is strong now, but they are barbaric and uncouth!"
"What is the Dao of all creation?" Fang Zhengzhi blinked as he looked up at his mother with curiosity.
Fang Zhengzhi was the type who liked to live a carefree and leisurely life. However, the family was really poor, and meals were hard to come by. If she continued to live a carefree life, then they would only be bullied more and more.
Carefree was carefree, but being carefree and bullied everyday made you a complete idiot.
"The Dao of all creation is... haha, actually I am not sure either, but I know that the Dao of all creation originates from the "Law of Dao". So, Zheng Er, if you want to be strong, you must be educated and literate!"
Educated and literate?! Is the key not cultivation?
Fang Zhengzhi became more and more curious, what is the relationship between getting stronger and being literate?
"Mother, have you read the "Law of Dao?" Fang Zhengzhi regretted this the moment he asked it. His mother was illiterate, how could she have read the "Law of Dao"?
"Haha, that's a good question, even though I have never read it, but when I was younger, when I passed by the city's schools, I eavesdropped on a few lines. However, I am illiterate and can't remember much, let me recall..."
Qin Xuelian smiled cryptically, then cleared her throat. She put her right hand behind her back, raised her head, and pretended to be like a professor as she "imparted knowledge" to Fang Zhengzhi.
"Ahem, one of the chapters starts this way... yes, The Dao,which can be told, is not the true Dao; The Name,which can be named, is not the true Name... what's next? I forgot..."
Fang Zhengzhi was shocked when he realized that his mother knew the Dao of all creation, his eyes widened.
The Dao,which can be told, is not the true Dao;
The Dao of all creation? Isn't this the Dao De Jing from his previous life?
"Zheng Er, please don't worry, I may have forgotten this chapter, but I remember another. The Emperors of the past created the Art of Invisibility. There are 4320 laws. This is further split into 8 segements of the Bagua, each segment has three Qi, for a total of 24 Qi. Qi is made up of Earth, Heaven and Human factors, for a total of 72 factors..."
Fang Zhengzhi's heart rate increased, isn't this the "Art of Invisibility"?
"And then... hang on, I will tell you another, ahem..."
Qin Xuelian smiled awkwardly, then seeing Fang Zhengzhi's blushing and stunned expression, confidence built up on her face. It would seem that her son was stunned by her knowledge?
Being able to show off her "skills" in front of her son made Qin Xuelian contented. She cleared her throat and continued.
"Confucius said, isn't it pleasant to practice what you've learnt? Isn't it great when friends from afar come to visit? Isn't part of being a gentleman not blaming someone for not recognizing you?"
Fang Zhangzhi heard his mother stumble through the sentences and he couldn't react in time. It was almost as if he was walking on a cloud, isn't this the "Confucian Analects"?
How could this world have the teachings of Confucius and Mencius? They even had the classics? Was this a coincidence?
Furthermore, what is the link between the Law of Dao and the Dao of all Creation?
Hang on...
If his mother did not recall wrongly, this world did not have the classics, and did not have the annals because all of them were amalgamated in the Law of Dao!
As a history researcher and graduate, Fang Zhengzhi did not dare say that he memorized the entire Law of Dao, but he did know it pretty well.
He was going to be successful! Not even god could stop him now!
"Erm erm...."
Fang Zhengzhi recited a passage of the Tao Te Ching in his head, then, he raised his hand in the sky and shouted, "Dao of all Creation, come to me!"
"..."
In an instant, the sky was still as blue as before, the ground just as it was. The only thing that changed was Qin Xuelian's expression. She was stunned.
Fang Zhengzhi blushed...
What was going on? Was there something wrong with the scene? What went wrong?
Qin Xuelian was stunned. When she looked at Fang Zhengzhi again, she recalled how her son had just chided the village elder and Mrs Li with a question. Her expression darkened, "Come here quickly! Could Zheng Er be... possessed?"
[1] The mandarin word for snake has a similar pronunciation as the mandarin word for tongue. In this case, the MC is leveraging the word snake to relate it to a mandarin phrase which means a tongue that does not wear out. He is insulting Mrs Li for talking too much rubbish.