Dream King

Chapter 37

It's no wonder Guo Jing was horrified. At this moment, the ground was covered with blood and corpses, almost none of them intact. Moreover, the ground was full of large pits, each nearly ten meters in size, filled with a shallow layer of blood.

Swallowing hard, Guo Jing said in a trembling voice, "No wonder the Mongols retreated; this is a force that no human can resist." For some reason, Guo Jing thought of Mo Mo, and he felt that this must be related to this mysterious young man.

If Mo Mo knew Guo Jing's thoughts, he would definitely give him a thumbs up, because it was indeed what he did. It was actually very simple; he just wore an ordinary steel armor and ran into the Mongol army camp and used up all the ammunition. It proved that firearms were indeed deadly weapons. After using up the ammunition, Mo Mo went to meet up with Xiaolongnu and the others and head to Kyoto. After all, he had only laid out the first step of the plan. Only after completing his second plan could the first plan be activated, and Kyoto was the best choice to complete this plan.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 74: The Plan Begins

"Great news! Great news! Wangchen Academy will be opening its doors to students in half a month!"

The once bustling market fell silent for a moment, then erupted again a moment later, becoming even more lively than before. However, if you listened carefully, you would find that the discussions in the market were now mainly about Wangchen Academy.

"Really? Wangchen Academy is recruiting students? We must hurry back and tell the master; this is truly huge news!"

"Hey, brother, what's the background of Wangchen Academy?" A scholar in white robes, clearly new to the area and unaware of the situation, pulled aside someone next to him and asked.

"You don't know?" The person who was being pulled aside glanced at the white-robed scholar with disdain and said, "Judging from your attire, you should be a scholar, yet you don't even know about Wangchen Academy. You're a disgrace to us scholars. Out of consideration for our shared academic background, I'll mercifully tell you."

"Wangchen Academy was founded half a year ago. No one knows where it came from. All that is known is that it suddenly appeared on the shore of West Lake half a year ago. When it was founded, all the civil and military officials were present. It is said, just said, that the officials in the court almost fought over becoming the academy's disciples. Moreover, it is rumored that even the emperor wanted to become the academy's disciple but was refused. However, the emperor was not angry at all, but instead respected the academy even more." The scholar who was pulled aside finished speaking with a face full of admiration and longing.

Another scholar nearby overheard this and chimed in, saying, "I heard that this is because the headmaster completely impressed all the officials in the court with his knowledge. Moreover, my cousin's second aunt's cousin works under a high-ranking official. He let it slip when he was drinking with me that day. He told me that the reason even the emperor wanted to become the headmaster of Wangchen Academy was because the headmaster had the art of immortality."

"Oh, I see." After the scholar finished speaking, a chorus of exclamations suddenly came from behind him. He turned around and instantly collapsed, because he didn't know when a large crowd had gathered behind them. He had only seen people talking about Wangchen Academy, and his mouth was itching to speak, so he couldn't help but say what he knew. He didn't expect that it would become the talk of the town, and his only advantage would just vanish into thin air.

By evening, the entire city of Lin'an knew that Wangchen Academy would be recruiting students in half a month, and that the academy's headmaster had been rumored to be a deity who had descended to earth to pass on the path to immortality and establish a new school.

Meanwhile, the dean of the Wangchen Academy, whom they had deified, was leisurely sitting by West Lake, enjoying the beautiful scenery and sipping fragrant tea under the setting sun, pondering how to 'test' the students who would come to the academy in half a month.

Three days later, the basic admission requirements for Wangchen Academy were posted outside the academy. Once the basic requirements were met, students could become students of Wangchen Academy as long as they passed the test.

"How can this be? This is blatant discrimination! I want to complain! I want to see the dean!" A guy who wasn't very confident about his appearance shouted after reading the conditions, clearly dissatisfied with them.

"Oh, I'm satisfied. But isn't it a bit inappropriate for a woman to be allowed into the academy?"

"You don't know anything. For a god-like person like the Dean, gender is no longer a consideration. Talent is what they value. Otherwise, they wouldn't have added a condition at the end: 'Those who do not meet the above conditions but still wish to study at Wangchen Academy can participate in the special assessment prepared by the academy. Those who pass the assessment can enter the academy.'"

After the basic requirements for entering Wangchen Academy were posted, some people were happy and some were sad. Those who met the requirements went back to prepare for the assessment in half a month, while those who did not meet the requirements had to go back and prepare well. After all, it is easy to imagine that the assessment faced by those who did not meet the requirements would be much more difficult than that faced by those who did meet the requirements.

The conditions for this list caused an uproar after they were released. Why did the posting of the basic admission conditions by Wangchen Academy cause such a stir? It's not that these conditions are too harsh. On the contrary, they are very simple, but also very difficult. The main reason is that some of these conditions are too strange. The list is as follows.

Today, Wangchen Academy is opening and enrolling students. We are grateful for everyone's support, but there are countless students in the world and our academy has limited manpower. Therefore, we have reluctantly set the following conditions. Those who meet the conditions can participate in the entrance examination.

1. Individuals aged 12 to 30 with good appearance and character, regardless of gender.

Second, those who are not good-looking should not apply.

Third, those who are poor and have no means of livelihood and no income should not apply.

Fourth, those with multiple wives and concubines should not...

Fifth, don't assume that everything the teacher says is right.

Sixth, those who disobey the teacher's orders should not...

7. Those who dislike peach blossoms should not...

8. Those who do not meet the above conditions but still wish to study at Wangchen Academy can participate in the special assessment prepared by the academy. Those who pass the assessment can enter the academy.

As for the Forgotten Dust Academy, it was naturally Mo Mo who created it. At this moment, he was watering the peach trees, and he had no interest in knowing what kind of noise would be going on outside because of his conditions.

On the day Mo Mo left Xiangyang with Xiaolongnu and Li Mochou, they arrived in Lin'an, which is now Hangzhou. After arriving in Lin'an, Mo Mo used her silver tongue to refute a group of ministers in the court, leaving them speechless. Then she showed off her magic, completely impressing the entire court. Afterwards, she expressed her intention to establish an academy to pass on what she had learned. Thus, Wangchen Academy was officially established on the shore of West Lake. After determining the location of the academy, Mo Mo racked her brains during the construction time and created a set of martial arts techniques half a month ago.

Mo Mo originally wanted to create a cultivation method that could improve one's strength simply by reading and writing. However, after thinking about it, he realized that it wasn't a problem with the cultivation method itself, but rather with the rules of the world. The reason why people in those worlds could improve their cultivation methods simply by reading and writing was because that was the nature of that world, and it had nothing to do with the cultivation method. Just as Mo Mo was about to change his approach to implement his plan, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he created the cultivation method he has now.

In fact, this cultivation method is very simple. If you remove the part that Mo Mo added, it is a very ordinary method of guiding spiritual energy into the body. Basically, any world that can cultivate will have something like this. However, after Mo Mo added some changes to this ordinary thing, it produced a very magical transformation.

First, this cultivation method can only be learned by scholars, because the core element Mo Mo incorporated is righteous energy. Scholars possess a scholarly air, and Mo Mo uses a simple method of guiding spiritual energy into his body through this technique. He then combines this absorbed spiritual energy with the scholarly energy he develops while studying, forming righteous energy and thus embarking on the path of cultivation. However, this method has a fatal flaw. Righteous energy is the pure energy of heaven and earth, utterly upright and unyielding. Therefore, if a cultivator harbors evil thoughts, they will be directly devoured by the righteous energy within their body.

After creating the cultivation technique, Mo Mo prepared to implement his plan, which led to the opening of the Wangchen Academy and the recruitment of disciples. As for those conditions, they were indeed set by Mo Mo, and the reason was simple: they were not, as outsiders thought, used to select people with extraordinary talent.

Mo Mo set this age limit because he believed that those who were too young would be immature and prone to causing trouble, while those who were too old would have already reached maturity, making cultivation less effective and teaching them much more difficult. As for those who weren't good-looking, who would rather be surrounded by handsome men and beautiful women than a bunch of unattractive women? The third point was that such people were usually bookworms who only knew how to study. Saying they were wasting food was a bit of an exaggeration, but they were essentially parasites on their families—knowing nothing, doing nothing, yet enjoying the best resources, only knowing how to study. Mo Mo disliked such people very much, so they were excluded.

Those with multiple wives and concubines are not welcome. You're already a winner in life with multiple wives and concubines, what more do you want? The fifth rule is to eliminate those who blindly follow without their own judgment. As for the last two rules, they are purely due to Mo Mo's personal preferences. The Great Dao is fifty, and the Heavenly Dao is forty-nine. There is always a glimmer of hope under the Heavenly Dao, and Mo Mo naturally does not want to be an exception. Thus, the last rule was established, and the examiner these people will face is the eager Mo Mo.

Seven days after Mo Mo's Wangchen Academy posted its recruitment notice, at the Guo Mansion in Xiangyang: "Is this the signal you were talking about? I've received the signal. Let's work together to restore peace to the world!" With that, Mo Mo's plan officially began.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 75 The Tragic Students

"It's finally starting, the entrance exam for Wangchen Academy."

"Yes, yes! I expected there would be a lot of people, but I didn't expect there to be this many."

At this moment, the area outside Wangchen Academy was already packed with people, roughly estimated to be four or five thousand. This was even with Mo Mo only giving them half a month; if the enrollment time were announced earlier next year, even more people would likely come.

Inside the academy, Mo Mo and Li Mochou were drinking tea in the main hall, while Xiaolongnu, disliking crowds, had gone to hide in the back mountain.

"I was wondering why you built such a large academy, but now I understand. I shouldn't have doubted your character and thought you were a wasteful and extravagant person," Li Mochou said apologetically.

Mo Mo

"Young lady, you're the proctor. The written exam should have already started, so is it really okay for you to be drinking tea here?" Mo Mo, with a few black lines on her forehead, avoided the topic.

"It's alright, there are officials from the imperial court taking care of it. The first two tests are a written exam, which tests their basic skills, and the second test is the Six Arts of a Gentleman. It's best if the imperial court takes care of these. By the way, how are your preparations for the later tests going?" Li Mochou said nonchalantly.

"Don't worry, I've prepared a series of elaborate meals for them, I guarantee they'll be satisfied," Mo Mo said with a smile, but Li Mochou beside her felt that it was the smile of a devil.

There are two examination venues for the written test: one is the academy's square, and the other is the academy's peach grove. The open-air square is prepared for those who do not meet the requirements, while the peach grove is prepared for students who meet Mo Mo's requirements.

The square is paved with bluestone and is nearly 100 meters long and wide. There are also some fruit trees planted around the square. There is a high platform in front of the square. The platform is less than two meters high, twenty meters long and ten meters wide. At this moment, a awning was built on the platform, and the table on it was full of all kinds of fruits. The square below the platform was filled with desks forty or fifty centimeters high. The desks were fully equipped with the Four Treasures of the Study and a test paper was also placed on them.

The situation was similar at the Peach Blossom Grove examination hall, though it was much better than the plaza. After all, it was the transition between spring and summer, and the examinees were to enter around 10:00 AM, when the sun's intensity was about to be unleashed. The midday sun would be incredibly intense, and the exam would last three hours. Upon entering the examination hall and seeing the exam papers, the examinees felt a chill run down their spines; even the ground beneath their bottoms couldn't dampen their spirits.

"What the heck is this?! If your teacher and your wife both fell into the water, who would you save first? Who came up with this question? I've never seen such a bizarre question before."

"Brother, don't be surprised yet, the best is yet to come."

"Holy crap, what kind of question is this? There were five birds in a tree, and one was shot dead. How many birds are left in the tree now?"

One day, Confucius came to a small river. The water was crystal clear and up to his shoulders. Someone asked, "Why were Confucius's clothes dry after he crossed the river?"

The sun was high in the sky, but the examinees present felt no warmth at all, because there were many, many similar questions in the exam. The only normal questions were three: one was to recite the Thousand Character Classic backwards, one was two couplets: "Smoke along the swallow's eaves, smoke and swallow's eyes" and "Smoke locks the pond and willows", and the other was a discussion of the current situation.

At this moment, Mo Mo was completely worn down by Li Mochou's pestering. Ever since she got the test paper, Li Mochou had been relentlessly asking Mo Mo for the answers to the questions. Although she had been following Mo Mo for more than half a year, she was still an ancient person. Those questions were a piece of cake for people who frequently surfed the Internet, but for these ancient people who were exposed to the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, they were as difficult as climbing to the sky.

"Speak quickly, or I'll go into the palace tonight, drag the Empress out, and throw her into your bed," Li Mochou said viciously.

Mo Mo: "..." "Girl, why don't you just run to my bed yourself? I'll definitely give in to you."

"I'm scared of you, I'll tell you the answer!" After spending half a year together, Mo Mo knew that if he didn't agree to Li Mochou's request, she would really go to the palace and drag the Empress out, so he told her the answer he wanted.

"What? It's that simple? Save the one closest first. You didn't set any traps or anything? Like eliminating someone if they didn't save the teacher? This isn't like you!" Li Mochou exclaimed in surprise.

Mo Mo "..."

"This is only the first stage, don't be so brutal, okay? If you scare them all away, there won't be any fun left," Mo Mo explained.

"Sure enough, this is the Mo Mo I know. You scared me. I thought you had changed your personality." After saying that, Li Mochou patted her ample chest.

Mo Mo: "Can't we just have some fun together? This is the end of our friendship."

Finally, the written examination, which lasted three days, came to a successful conclusion. The list of those who passed the examination was posted outside the academy, along with the answers to the questions.

"What? There aren't any birds left? Didn't you ask how many birds were left? How come there aren't any again?"

"What? There's a bridge over the river, so you walked across it and your clothes didn't get wet?"

When the students saw the answers, they were incredibly surprised. This shows that these brain teasers, which are only somewhat difficult in modern times, were still very challenging for ancient scholars who spent their days studying the classics. The announcement of the results caused a great deal of lamentation, as many well-known scholars failed the exam. In response to the students' questions, Wangchen Academy gave a single sentence.

"Wangchen Academy accepts extraordinary talents from all over the world, not mediocre people. What qualifications do you have to enter Wangchen Academy to cultivate if you don't even understand some basic flexibility?"

At this time, the imperial court issued a proclamation, stating that questioning Wangchen Academy was tantamount to questioning the court itself. From then on, the court would use Wangchen Academy as a model for the annual imperial examinations. From then on, no one questioned Wangchen Academy's decision anymore. After all, offending Wangchen Academy only meant not being able to enter a prestigious academy, and there were many other academies. But offending the court would ruin one's life. Scholars generally had one mindset: to learn literary and martial arts to serve the emperor. Studying was for the purpose of passing the imperial examinations, becoming an official, and securing a good future. Offending the court would mean that all of this would become a pipe dream.

After the written examination, Wangchen Academy began intensive preparations for the next test, the "Six Arts of a Gentleman".

There are two interpretations of the "Six Arts." One refers to rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics. The *Zhou Li* (Rites of Zhou), in the section on the *Baoshi* (Guardian of the State), states: "To nurture the sons of the state with the Way, one teaches them the Six Arts: first, the Five Rites; second, the Six Musics; third, the Five Archery Skills; fourth, the Five Charioteering Skills; fifth, the Six Calligraphy Skills; and sixth, the Nine Mathematical Skills." Another interpretation is that the "Six Arts" refer to the Six Classics: the *Yi Jing* (Book of Changes), the *Shu Jing* (Book of Documents), the *Shi Jing* (Book of Poetry), the *Li Ji* (Book of Rites), the *Yue Jing* (Book of Music), and the *Chun Qiu* (Spring and Autumn Annals). The Six Arts were the six compulsory courses for gentlemen in ancient China, encompassing the Five Rites, the Six Musics, the Five Archery Skills, the Five Charioteering Skills, the Six Calligraphy Skills, and the Nine Mathematical Skills. The implementation of Six Arts education was based on the students' age and the depth of the curriculum, proceeding sequentially. Furthermore, there was a distinction between minor and major arts. Calligraphy and mathematics were considered minor arts, elementary courses; rites, music, archery, and charioteering were considered major arts, advanced courses.

Mo Mo will test them in four major arts: etiquette, music, archery, and charioteering.

The rites were categorized as follows: "auspicious" rites, used for sacrifices; "inauspicious" rites, used for funerals; "military" rites, used for hunting and military affairs; "guest" rites, used for audiences or exchanges between feudal lords; and "festive" rites, used for banquets and celebrations. Mo Mo's requirements were not high; he only needed them to write down the meanings, classifications, and some basic taboos of the rites.

The music refers to ancient musical names such as "Yunmen", "Daxian", "Dashao", "Daxia", "Dahuo", and "Dawu". Music has educational, cognitive, aesthetic, and entertainment functions. Mo Mo's requirements are not high. As long as they can play a piece that satisfies the examiners, there are no restrictions on the instruments.

The archery skills were: "White Arrow," "Continuous Shots," "Sharpened Arrow," "Xiang Chi," and "Well-shaped Mark." A White Arrow is an arrow that pierces the target, requiring appropriate force to hit the mark precisely, with the white arrowhead just emerging. Continuous Shots involves firing one arrow followed by three more, each hitting the target, appearing as a single, continuous shot. Sharpened Arrows are arrows fired with the fletching high and the arrowhead low, moving slowly. "Xiang Chi" (襄尺) implies yielding; when shooting at the ruler, one should not stand beside the ruler but yield a foot. "Well-shaped Mark" refers to four arrows hitting the target in succession, arranged vertically and horizontally in a well-like pattern. Considering the Song Dynasty's emphasis on civil affairs over military matters, Mo Mo estimated that few among these people were skilled archers, so he lowered the bar, accepting anyone who could reach the top of the target.

The art of chariot driving includes: "Ming He Luan," "Zhu Shui Qu," "Guo Jun Biao," "Wu Jiao Qu," and "Zhu Qin Zuo." "Luan" and "He" refer to the bells on the chariot; the bells should ring harmoniously as the chariot moves. "Zhu Shui Qu" means navigating winding waterways without falling into the water. "Guo Jun Biao" means passing through gaps between upright markers without knocking them over. "Wu Jiao Qu" means turning the chariot in a rhythmic manner, like dancing, while crossing intersections. "Zhu Qin Zuo" refers to driving the prey to the left during hunting so that the rider, seated on the left side of the chariot, can shoot.

Mo Mo almost canceled the test of driving, because he knew that almost none of these people could drive a car. However, after thinking about it, Mo Mo changed it to horseback riding. As long as they could ride a horse through an obstacle course, they would pass.

The assessment of the Six Arts of a Gentleman lasted for seven days. Although the written test eliminated most of the people, seven or eight hundred were still left. The Six Arts were extremely time-consuming, hence the seven-day test. After the Six Arts were completed, Mo Mo and Li Mochou were eager to take the next test. After all, the later tests were the main event, and the earlier ones were just appetizers.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 76 The Third Round of Tests Begins

The second test, which lasted seven days, finally came to an end, and the two hundred to three hundred students who successfully passed the test finally met the academy's teachers the next day.

On the high platform in the square, a beautiful woman who looked only in her twenties, who was unusually young for a teacher, and a boy who also looked only around twenty years old stood quietly.

"This...this is the famous teacher from Wangchen Academy?" The students below were in an uproar, after all, these two looked to be the same age as them, and shouldn't be teachers.

"They must have gone to the wrong place. They should be students, or juniors of the faculty. That must be it." Hearing this, the student breathed a sigh of relief.

On the stage, Mo Mo looked at the students below who were whispering among themselves but not too excessively and nodded in satisfaction. "As expected, those who remained have basically passed the test, or you could say they are already considered elites."

Seeing Mo Mo and his group standing on the high platform, some students below assumed that Mo Mo and his group were also students who had simply gone to the wrong place or had some other purpose.

People reacted in all sorts of ways to this situation: some watched coldly, some gloated, and some kindly advised Mo Mo and the others to come down. As for those who gloated, Mo Mo had already sentenced them to death, because they would not be able to pass the remaining tests.

Seeing that it was almost time, Mo Mo spoke up: "You might think that we two have come to the wrong place or that we are juniors of the academy's teachers, right? But you may be disappointed. Because I am Mo Mo, the dean of Wangchen Academy, and the beautiful lady next to me is my assistant, Li Mochou."

"First of all, congratulations on passing the second round of tests. Aren't you happy? Aren't you excited? Do you think you're already students of Wangchen Academy? Do you see a bright future beckoning you? If so, you might be disappointed, because what awaits you next is not what I just mentioned, but the real test of whether you can enter the academy. The first two were just appetizers, otherwise why haven't you seen us before?" Mo Mo said with a smile.

The students below were shocked after hearing Mo Mo's words. It turned out that after more than ten days of hard work, including exams and archery, and finally breaking through from thousands of people, they had only earned the qualification to participate in the actual test.