Chapter 12 The Test of Worstness
Senior Brother Song Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Elder Zhao loves Confucian culture. In the past, every time he accepted a disciple, he would set a small test, and this test was related to Confucian culture. It should be selected from poetry, lyrics, calligraphy, and painting."
Li Xiuchang thought about his "electrocardiogram" calligraphy and minimalist stickman style, and felt that he was too advanced in calligraphy and painting, and no one in this world could appreciate it.
In other words, in terms of poetry, relying on the fact that he had received nine years of compulsory education, he could be a copycat.
Now it depends on luck. If he is tested on poetry, maybe he can shine.
"I have been to a private school for a few years and have a little knowledge of poetry, but I am not good at calligraphy and painting..."
Senior Brother Song Yu smiled and comforted, "Don't worry, the last time Elder Zhao accepted a disciple, he tested calligraphy. This time, he should change the test question, either poetry or painting.
"And you don't have to be proficient in these two. Tests are tests. I didn't say that the one who performs best in the test will definitely be accepted as a disciple by Elder Zhao. ”
Li Xiuchang asked in confusion: “Since there is a test, why not select the best candidates?”
“I just said that the most important thing for Elder Zhao to accept a disciple is that he likes you. The test process is the basis for him to judge whether he likes you or not.”
Li Xiuchang heard some teasing in Brother Song Yu’s tone, and felt that there must be something wrong with it, so he bowed and said:
“Please give me some advice, Brother. "
Senior Brother Song Yu played with the jade pendant on his waist, paused for a few breaths, and then said:
"Although Elder Zhao likes to study Confucian culture, he is busy with affairs and puts most of his energy on the way of alchemy. Therefore, in addition to some attainments in calligraphy, poetry and painting..."
At this point, Senior Brother Song Yu gave Li Xiuchang a look of "you know".
Li Xiuchang certainly understood that Elder Zhao was a dilettante, and was only a half-baked poet and painter.
Seeing Li Xiuchang's sudden realization, Senior Brother Song Yu continued: "Therefore, when Elder Zhao sets questions to test you, you must remember to keep a low profile as much as possible on the premise of passing the test, and don't be the first to do it. Elder Zhao doesn't like disciples who are too high-profile. "
Li Xiuchang seemed to understand and vaguely grasped something.
Seeing that Li Xiuchang was still confused, Senior Brother Song Yu had to lower his voice and make his words clearer: "If you were a master, would you choose someone who is better than you as your apprentice? "
Li Xiuchang thought for a moment and finally understood what Senior Brother Song Yu meant - if I perform too well, Elder Zhao will be jealous of my talent!
Li Xiuchang was a little amused.
Elder Zhao Yuansi loves Confucian culture and has studied it for many years, but he can only show off one skill, calligraphy. If he sees that some of his outer disciples are better than him in poetry or painting at a young age, he will naturally feel unhappy.
This "unhappiness" will not make him target others, but he will naturally dislike these people. Senior Brother Song Yu repeatedly emphasized that the only requirement for Elder Zhao to accept disciples is to be pleasing to the eye.
Similarly, if you know nothing about Confucian culture and can't even pass the small test set by Elder Zhao, Elder Zhao will naturally not be pleasing to the eye.
"So, whether it is poetry or painting, I must pass the test, but I can't show a level higher than Elder Zhao, so that I have a chance to be accepted as a disciple by Elder Zhao. "Li Xiuchang rubbed his temples, feeling a little headache.
Originally, he wanted to try his luck. If the test was poetry, he would be a plagiarist and surprise everyone.
If the test was painting, he would simply give up.
At least there was a 50% chance of success.
But now the situation has become complicated, and even if the test was poetry, he was not very sure.
Li Xiuchang pondered for a while and asked, "What is the level of poetry and painting of Elder Zhao?"
Senior Brother Song Yu did not answer, but just stretched out his hand to brush off the non-existent dust on his feet.
Li Xiuchang had an idea in mind.
It seems that this test is not about comparing the good, but the bad!
Now Li Xiuchang hopes that the test is about painting. He is bad at painting, and there may be a glimmer of hope.
If it is poetry, the poems in his memory are all famous lines that have been passed down through the ages. How can they be compared?
"Junior brother, you go back and prepare first. I will take care of the recommendation. When I have news, I will send someone to bring you a letter. By the way, I don’t know which district of the outer gate you live in? "
"No. 18, Donggeng District."
Song Yu's face suddenly became strange.
"Junior brother, that place is not suitable for living!"
Song Yu swallowed the words back when they came to his lips. After all, he didn't say it out loud.
Since Li Xiuchang chose to live in Donggeng District, he should have known the rumors about Donggeng District. There was no need for him to persuade him.
Moreover, even he couldn't say what the specific problems of Donggeng District were. The curse was all based on speculation and had no basis.
...
Li Xiuchang bid farewell to Senior Brother Song Yu and returned to Donggeng District.
This time, there would be no boat to take, so he could only walk on his own.
As a result, as soon as he walked out of the inner gate, a flying boat fell from the sky, and a voice came from the flying boat:
"Junior brother, are you going back to Donggeng District? Why don't I take you there? This time, you can save a little money, just half a spiritual stone. "
Li Xiuchang looked up and saw a familiar pockmarked face. It was the "taxi driver" who was driven away by Zhang Wanzhi at the gate of Donggeng District.
Li Xiuchang frowned slightly. He sent him back to Donggeng District for half a spirit stone. The journey was longer this time, so the price should not be expensive.
But he only had 19 spirit stones at the moment. There was no source of spirit stones later, so he had to spend them sparingly.
"If it doesn't work, I'll give you a discount. How about four spiritual sands? Just consider it as making friends." Senior brother with pockmarked face said with a hard heart.
Spiritual sand is fine spiritual stone particles. One low-grade spiritual stone is equivalent to ten spiritual sands.
Nowadays, life is difficult and spiritual stones are hard to earn. Even a mosquito leg is meat.
Li Xiuchang did not agree or refuse, but asked: "Senior brother, are you a talisman master?"
He felt that his question was not accurate enough, so he added: "First-level talisman master?"
Senior brother with pockmarked face's face changed, as if someone stabbed his heart with a sword. In an instant, his face turned from red to white, then pale, and then from white to red, redder than spicy crayfish.
He said angrily: "If you don't want to sit, then sit. Why scold me!"
After that, without stopping, he drove the flying boat and broke through the wind.
Li Xiuchang looked at the back of senior brother with pockmarked face and blinked. Did he offend someone?
He just remembered what Senior Brother Song Yu said, that first-level talisman masters were rampant, and some even fell to the point of relying on flying boats to make money, so he asked casually, but he didn't expect the other party to react so strongly.
"It seems that the situation of talisman masters is more difficult than I thought."
Li Xiuchang made up his mind that unless he was "free of spirit stones" in the future, he would not easily get into the talisman path.
He didn't know that there was a saying circulating in the outer sect of Xianchen Sect: Everything is of high quality, only talisman masters are of low quality.
His question directly hit Senior Brother Ma Lian's heart and lungs.