Mo Qingkuang sat on the chair cautiously, only daring to touch half of his buttocks to the surface so that he could be ready to pull his legs and run at any moment.
"Young as you are, you're quite timid. Back in the day, I always used to have a brawl with Old Fu and others in front of His Majesty," remarked Zheng Tao, giving Mo Qingkuang a disapproving look.
"Dean Zheng, aren't we supposed to check my age?" Mo Qingkuang mentioned the main business.
"I could see through you the moment you walked in. There's nothing worth checking," scoffed Zheng Tao disdainfully, pouring a cup of hot tea for Mo Qingkuang. "Here, have some tea."
Mo Qingkuang hastily took the cup, sipping it cautiously without saying much.
"Don't be so afraid. Are you afraid that I covet the divine-grade technique you possess?" Zheng Tao played with the tea leaves on the surface, speaking slowly.
Mo Qingkuang suddenly stood up in shock, looking at Zheng Tao with amazement. "How do you know about my..."
Zheng Tao did not lift his head, maintaining a calm demeanor. "Young man, I've lived for a long time, seen a lot, and understand more than you do. Sit down; if I really wanted your technique, do you think you could escape?"
Mo Qingkuang gazed deeply at Zheng Tao for a while, constantly seeking guidance from Mo Fan on how to proceed.
"Why panic? Since we can't resist him, why not try to enjoy it?" Mo Fan whispered.
He wasn't worried that Zheng Tao would covet the 'Wind and Fallen Leaves Technique' because Zheng Tao was an upright person and had been a model teacher for many years.
Thinking about it again, the ancestor was right; he couldn't escape anyway.
Mo Qingkuang relaxed his whole body, sat back in the chair, picked up the teacup, and took a long gulp, then comfortably leaned against the backrest.
"Tsk. Senior, if you have any orders, just let me know," Mo Qingkuang said casually, breaking through the tea leaves tangled in his mouth.
Watching Mo Qingkuang suddenly loosen up, Zheng Tao first froze, then smiled.
"Hehehe, so this is your true self. I suddenly feel that you're better the way you were just now."
Mo Qingkuang shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not like the you told me not to be nervous."
"Well, maybe this old man is asking for too much," chuckled Zheng Tao. "Do you know why I brought you here?"
"I have no idea."
"In this martial examination, there are over a thousand participants. The top one hundred participants from both the martial and literary exams will be selected for the Imperial Academy."
"I know that. I'm only taking the martial exam, not the literary exam. I haven't read any books," Mo Qingkuang nodded. As a playboy, he always kept a distance from reading.
"I haven't finished yet. I received information that the Yuan Sword Sect has secretly sent numerous disciples to participate in the martial examination, intending to humiliate the disciples of our Central Province."
"Oh? What does that have to do with me? I just need to enter the top one hundred." Mo Qingkuang dismissed it nonchalantly.
"Originally, it had little to do with you. However, the Yuan Sword Sect, though it had meddled in the past, never went to such great lengths. Ultimately, it's because you helped that girl Yan'er in the Nianhua King's Tomb, causing them to lose face. They've come to make trouble," Zheng Tao pointed at Mo Qingkuang, calmly stating.
"Because of me?" Mo Qingkuang was surprised. Was the Yuan Sword Sect so petty?
In his heart, Mo Qingkuang was taken aback, wondering if the Yuan Sword Sect was so narrow-minded?
Considering Zheng Tao's words, Mo Fan wasn't surprised. According to the original plot, the Yuan Sword Sect had also sent many disciples to participate in the Imperial Examination, winning it, and later abandoning the Imperial Academy to join the Yuan Sword Sect, further suppressing the royal family's prestige.
Notably, the winner was Lin Yang.
This time, the Yuan Sword Sect had come again.
"Do you want me to stop them?" Mo Qingkuang was not a fool; he quickly understood Zheng Tao's meaning.
Zheng Tao nodded, "Exactly, I believe you've also seen that the luck of Central Province is gradually declining, and the quality of young talents is not as good as that of the four major sects. Originally, we could take advantage of a loophole in the rules, using older participants as references to obstruct them. However, it doesn't look good on the surface."
"You're exceptionally talented, and you meet the rules. I think you're quite suitable."
Mo Fan was also clear about this. In the past, Central Province had made preparations, falsifying ages and having young talents take pills to increase their cultivation.
There were over a dozen people with the strength of second or third-rank martial masters. In the end, in the finals against Lin Yang, there was even a fourth-rank martial master.
Although the Central Province had calculated everything and changed the rules of the game, they were defeated in the end by the protagonist Lin Yang. From this, Lin Yang's fame skyrocketed, and there was no turning back.
"Don't agree too quickly, get some benefits first," Mo Fan reminded. He brought Mo Qingkuang here to win the title of the Martial Arts Champion, so why not take the opportunity to gain some benefits?
Hearing Mo Fan's words, Mo Qingkuang nodded secretly. After pondering for a while, he pretended to hesitate, "Director Zheng, it's not that I don't want to help, but I'm afraid my strength is insufficient to handle the outstanding disciples of the Yuan Sword Sect."
Zheng Tao was a crafty old fox who had lived for many years. As soon as he heard Mo Qingkuang's words, he knew this kid was angling for some benefits.
"Well then, what benefits do you want?"
"Ancestor, what should we ask for?" Mo Qingkuang asked secretly.
"What do you think?"
Mo Qingkuang's mind moved, "Senior, what do you think about asking him for some high level cultivation techniques?"
"Being greedy will get you nowhere. Don't you have enough skills already?" Mo Fan shook his head.
"Then, how about asking for some divine weapons or high-level pills? I still don't have a handy weapon," Mo Qingkuang asked again.
"Fool! Why don't you ask him to accept you as his direct disciple? He is the director of the Martial Arts Department. By then, you'll have everything—skills, weapons, and pills. He will be your biggest backer!" Mo Fan rolled his eyes, thinking this kid was really stupid.
That's right! Techniques, martial skills, divine weapons, pills—He wanted them all!
Mo Qingkuang's eyes lit up, and he turned around to kneel and kowtow, saying, "I have been self-taught all along, suffering from the lack of guidance from a renowned master. If the director is willing to accept me as a direct disciple, I dare not spare any effort to uphold the honor of my mentor."
Zheng Tao, upon hearing this, couldn't help but show a trace of astonishment on his face. This kid knew how to strike while the iron was hot and asked for benefits directly from him?
But considering Mo Qingkuang's talent, he was also very satisfied. As soon as he received the news that Mo Qingkuang had signed up for the martial arts examination, he rushed over immediately. Seeing him drive away Li Ang with a single move outside, he was even more satisfied. In his heart, he had long harbored the idea of accepting him as a disciple.
However, on the surface, he still needed to handle it carefully, "With your exceptional talent, you can achieve success through self-study. There are many renowned teachers in the Imperial Academy, and I have never taught students in my life. I'm afraid I might mislead the younger generation."
"This is inappropriate. If you have any other conditions, feel free to suggest. Techniques, pills, divine weapons —believe me, the royal family will not be stingy with rewards."
Mo Qingkuang, upon hearing that Zheng Tao did not firmly refuse, knew that there was a chance. With Mo Fan's guidance, he quickly said, "Director, the admiration and respect I have for you are like the continuous flow of a river."
"I heard that Headmaster Fu's disciple is hailed as the number one talent in the Central Province. He must have shown off in front of you many times, right? You can rest assured, that as long as you accept me as your disciple, in the future, you can show off in front of anyone!"
These words scratched Zheng Tao's itch. He had never accepted disciples not because he didn't want to cultivate successors, but because he had never found a suitable one.
A few years ago, the previous martial arts champion, Chen Kong, satisfied him quite well, but he was snatched away by that fellow Fu Qing.
Although the three big shots of the Imperial Academy had always been at odds with each other, in reality, they maintained good relations. The rivalry of the older generation naturally continued to the next.
Chen Kong's talent was exceptional. Over the past three years, he consistently broke through his cultivation realms, surpassing the disciples cultivated by Hua Ge over many years. He became the number one talent in Central Plains, ranking high on the Young Qilin Ranking.
However, Fu Qing was someone who couldn't control his mouth. Whenever he met someone, he would brag about how talented his disciples were. When he snatched people away from Zheng Tao back then, Chen Kong willingly joined his side. Fu Qing often boasted about this in front of Zheng Tao.
Thinking about this, Zheng Tao's heart was filled with anger. He carefully examined Mo Qingkuang.
About sixteen years old, with a divine-grade technique, a first-rank martial master, an earth-grade physique, and extremely high comprehension. In a short time, he could cultivate an earth-grade martial skill, possessing a certain level of strength to fight beyond his rank.
No matter how you looked at it, he was a good seedling. If cultivated well, he wouldn't be much worse than Chen Kong!
"Do you really want to be my disciple?" Zheng Tao stared deeply at Mo Qingkuang, and his aura suddenly changed, as if a mountain was pressing down.
Seeing this, Mo Qingkuang was not alarmed but delighted. It seemed that Zheng Tao didn't want to reprimand him but was instead testing him before accepting him as a disciple.
He straightened his back, his gaze firm. The profound hatred, the hope for the rise of the family, and the belief in becoming stronger were all supporting him!
"I indeed want to be the director's disciple!" Mo Qingkuang gritted his teeth, enduring the overwhelming pressure, and spoke slowly with determination.
"Think carefully..." Zheng Tao smiled, and the pressure suddenly increased.
Mo Qingkuang groaned and collapsed to the ground.
Then he stubbornly straightened his spine again, looking resolutely at Zheng Tao.
As time passed, Mo Qingkuang felt the pressure all over his body alleviating, and his breath gradually stabilized. He stood up with a flushed face, panting heavily, "Have you agreed?"
As time passed, Mo Qingkuang's forehead was covered in sweat, and he almost bit his teeth until they bled. But he remained steadfast.
Zheng Tao nodded and turned away.
Mo Qingkuang felt the pressure around him ease, and he gradually regained his breath. With a flushed face, he stood up, panting heavily, "Does this mean you've agreed?"
"Secure the position of the martial arts champion first..." Zheng Tao waved his hand, and Mo Qingkuang flew out, falling down clumsily.
"Teacher, just you wait!" Mo Qingkuang knew he had passed the test. He glanced at the closed door and happily rushed out.
Inside the room, Zheng Tao had a faint smile on his face, murmuring to himself, "Since that fellow Fu Qing's disciple became the martial arts champion, my disciple should at least be the martial arts champion too. Little rascal, don't disappoint me."
***
Seeing Mo Qingkuang come out of the inner hall in a sorry state and unable to conceal his joy, Han Yan'er, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately went up to him.
"Why did it take you so long?" she asked.
Mo Qingkuang teased, "Just now, an old man claimed that I'm even more handsome than him and insisted on taking me as his disciple!"
"Old man? What old man?" Han Yan'er was puzzled. The ones who usually checked ages were some court officials, whose strength generally reached the level of Grandmasters.
Mo Qingkuang pretended to be clueless. "An old man who is quite handsome. He even introduced himself as the Dean of the Martial Arts Institute, called Zheng Tao."
Han Yan'er rolled her eyes. "Can you stop bragging? Dean Zheng wants to take you as his disciple, claiming you're even more handsome than him?"
"You think I'm lying?" Mo Qingkuang smiled. "The old man said that as long as I can become the Martial Arts Champion, he'll take me as his direct disciple."
"That sounds more reasonable," Han Yan'er said, glaring at him.
With Mo Qingkuang's extraordinary talent, it wasn't impossible for Dean Zheng to have thoughts about taking him as a disciple. However, achieving the title of Martial Arts Champion might be challenging for Mo Qingkuang.
The age limit for the martial arts exam was eighteen. Mo Qingkuang was only sixteen, and the candidates approaching eighteen were likely to have stronger talent and abilities.
Moreover, with the interference from Yuan Sword Sect, the difficulty of the exam had increased significantly.
Thinking about this, Han Yan'er said, "This isn't the place to talk. Come with me to my mansion; there are some things I need to discuss with you."
"Why can't we talk here? You always make things complicated." Mo Qingkuang, still in high spirits, jokingly complained.
His voice wasn't low, and many people around heard him. They were astonished. Was this guy flirting with the Ninth Princess?
Han Yan'er's cheeks quickly turned a hint of crimson. She glared at Mo Qingkuang fiercely. What on earth is the deal with this guy?
If it weren't for his assistance at the Flower King's Royal Tomb and being chosen by Director Zheng, she wouldn't have had to rely on him this time for the imperial examination. Han Yan'er couldn't help but wish she could call the guards to sew this guy's mouth shut.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Hurry up, there's something important to discuss!" Han Yan'er was so frustrated that she wanted to find a hole to hide in. She grabbed Mo Qingkuang's hand and rushed out.
Seeing this scene, a series of bone-dislocating sounds echoed in the hall of the government office.
"There's a brother trying to hit on her..."
"Help him put his jaw back in place first!"
*CRACK*
"Is the Ninth Princess holding a man's hand?"
Han Yan'er, always the dream lover of young talents in Central Province, with her clear and cold temperament, was widely admired.
Never before had someone dared to speak to her in such a frivolous manner. What was even more surprising was that instead of angering Han Yan'er, it led to an awkward situation where she pulled that guy's hand and fled.
Could it be that our pursuit strategy is wrong? Or was Kuang Qing so talented that he could make the Ninth Princess fall for him?
"I told you long ago not to be a lapdog. Look at those lapdogs drooling in the hall, did you hear them? The higher a woman's status, the more she dislikes lapdogs!" The teasing voice of Mo Fan came, awakening Mo Qingkuang from the delightful dream.
Unbeknownst to him, he had been dragged by Han Yan'er for quite a distance.
Feeling the silky smoothness tingling his senses, Mo Qingkuang deeply regretted his past behaviour towards Chu Yanran, bending over backwards to please her.
He silently swore in his heart: 'The old man was right, licking boots will leave you with nothing in the end. I won't be a lapdog anymore!'
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