3 Imperial Examinations

Gu Long and his parents stepped out of their grand mansion. It was two stories high with a red tiled roof. Traditional, simple and big from the outside and decorated and elegant on the inside. Gu Long and his parents walked down to a carriage lined with golden dragons and phoenixes on a white background, waiting to bring them to Long City. Long City was the biggest and most important city in the Long County. Gu Zhengzhi's mother came from the Long Family. The examinations were being held there. Long City was quite close to Gu City, there was about a ten kilometer distance between them. They stepped into the carriage. It had a lot of space inside and the benches were made of silk dyed red and stuffed with cloth, the walls were red and the windows lined with gold. They traveled for one hour and a half and finally arrived in Long City.

"We have finally arrived Xiao Long" Ling Ya said.

The family of three stepped off the carriage.

The city was bustling. Merchants selled their wares, farmers called out to try to sell their products, people walked, chatted and bought. It seemed as if there was an endless stream of people walking around. The houses were made of stone, most of them one to two stories high. In front of Gu Long there stood an enormous compound with a palace at the center. On the gates there were golden charcters that looked like dragons- 'Long Family'. The gates were currently open. Many nobles were queing up with their seven year old children walking next to them. On the left side there was an endless line of commoners that stretched all the way into the horizon. Gu long joined his parents on the left side of the que and waited patiently to sign in. When it was their turn to sign in his father scribbled Gu Long's name on the notebook infront him. On it thousands of names of all the seven year old children were written. Next to the names there were checkmarks or crosses depending on wether they passed or didn't. They then joined the line on the other side of the gates. Now that Gu Long was on the other side of the gates he could see the compound better. Vast green fields with many groups of white red roofed houses. In the middle there stood a palace made from jade white marble. It had four minor towers with windows there and in the center ther was a large tower that stuck out from a enormous hall. Wrapped around the tower was the statue of a golden dragon. Along the dragon's body stood the characters 'Long Family' once again. Gu Long had always loved dragons since little but whenever he heard or saw something related to phoenixes, he hated them. He had no idea why, but ot was a hatred that came froom deep inside his heart.

"Xiao Long! Come here!" Shouted his mother, Ling Ya.

Gu Long woke from his stupor.

"Coming!" Responded Gu Long

He ran to his parents who were already quit far ahead of him as the nobles behind him wore irritated look on their faces. Gu Long then slowly shuffled alongside his parents, making sure to stay focused. The left row wnet to agbigger group of houses in the distance while the nobles were led to the palace. An hour or so later, they finally arrived at the palace. They were led to a waiting room and thet waited there another hour😪. Gu Long fell asleep but in what seemed was the blink of an eye, he was woken up.

"Master Gu, Mistress Ling. Please, this way." The servant led us to the testing room.

We walked down a long marble hallway and entered a room. It was moderately big. There was a cold iron table in the middle there were wierd objects that glowed on wooden tables on the sides. Another wooden table towards the back had two people sitting behind it. Both of them wore a simple red robe. One was tall and lanky with long black hair and eyes. The one on the right was short, pudgy and plump with short brown hair and dark brown eyes. Both were male. My parents approached them and greeted them.

"Head of the Gu Family, Gu Zhengzhi"

"Wife of the Head, Ling Ya"

Gu Long approached slowly as well.

He said shyly "Son of the Head, Gu Long."

"I believe that Gu Long is the one to be tested?" Asked the lanky one with an 8ndifferent tone in his voice.

"Are you that stupid Gao[1]! Of course he is!" Said the pudgy one.

*Hmph* Scoffed Gao.

"Shut up Duan[2]! As if you are any better."

"Answering your question Sirs, Gu Long is indeed the one to be tested." His father intervened.

"Fine, please go back to the waiting room, we will call you when we are ready." Gao said.

His parents left leaving Gu Long alone with the Examiners.

"We will first test your talent in cultivation then your comprehension and mental capacity, ehich type of qi suites you best and finally your constitution if you have one. Now please step on this metal disk." Duan said.

Gu Long looked at the disk. It looked like a normal disk except for the slightly blue, gloeing magical inscriptions. He walked over to it and a strange sense of calm appeared in his chest then spreading throughout his body. He stepped on the disk and the inscription brightened. A burst of air and light came from the inscription as suddenly a roar could be heard.

*RRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR*

A dragon made of blue light hurtled from the disk into the air. It started circling around Gu Long's body, sending out roars occasionally there and there. Gu Long was mesmerized by the dancing and flying dragon so he didn't notice that the instructors had been thrown onto the floor and that the chairs, tables, devices, anything that was close to him had been pushed away by some unimaginable force. Gu Long reached to touch the dragon. When the tip of his finger grazed the dragon, the Qi that made up the dragon was absorbed by him. The dragon faded and so did Gu Long's consciousness.