Chapter 184: Crisis (1)
The afternoon examination wasn't held in the classroom. It was held in the Dao Preaching District. There were several big public squares there for the purpose of lectures. Su Yu had not been to this place much. He had heard that at times, there would be researchers here to give free lectures, but he had been too busy recently to visit this place.
For the afternoon examination, Liu Hong was not the only Skysoar cultivator present. The instructors were not Skysoar cultivators, so they had no way of supervising tests involving willpower and Divine Characters. And for this test, not only the intermediate class students were present.
...
Public square #2.
This was the examination venue of the intermediate class. Beside them was public square #1 where the senior class was taking their examination. Both were the students from this year's intake.
There were also students from the other batches taking the examination today, but they were taking different examinations so they weren't here. As for public square #3, it was the examination venue for the junior class students.
Su Yu arrived quite late. Everyone knew that he was unwell today so nobody was surprised that he was late. They were relieved to see that some color had returned to his face. At the very least, he had recovered somewhat.
The moment he arrived, someone softly said, "Class Monitor, the senior class students are taking the exam here too. Lin Yao would definitely be here..."
Su Yu nodded, "So be it."
Liu Wu said, "That's not the issue. You're unwell today. What if...cough, what if you get a negative score today? Wouldn't those bastards take that chance to humiliate you?"
He was worried for Su Yu. He had heard about the senior class students doubting Su Yu's high-high evaluation. If Su Yu ended up with a negative score today, that would be very humiliating.
According to the rumors, there was a problem with the Mark of Culture during the Nanyuan examination. And today, they were going to take a Mark of Culture test again. Liu Wu was feeling nervous for Su Yu. After all, reputation was very important for a young man like Su Yu.
"It's fine."
Su Yu glanced at the nearby public square #1. There weren't a lot of people there. The senior class had much fewer students than the intermediate class. But in truth, there were quite a lot of students in this year's senior class. There were about a hundred of them. A hundred Mental Tempering Stage students. And this was only a class in the Character Faculty. It was not a small number at all.
…
When Su Yu looked at public square #1, some of the people over there were also looking his way. Very few people in the intermediate class were worth their attention. Only Su Yu was worth a little bit of their attention.
"We’re taking the Mark of Culture test today..."
Someone said with a mocking look on his face.
High-high genius, Su Yu.
He was not at the Mental Tempering Stage. He was the first high-high student who was not at the Mental Tempering Stage. Wasn't that weird? And what a coincidence. The Mark of Culture used during the Nanyuan examination was damaged.
What a coincidence!
Today, Su Yu would finally have his true worth tested. If he obtained a negative score, he would be reduced into a joke. Back during the entrance examination, he had obtained 270 marks for this test. That was a score beyond even what many of the senior class students had gotten. Generally, an average Mental Tempering Stage student would only be able to walk 20 meters in that test.
That day, Wu Lan had only walked 18 meters. But she had just reached the Mental Tempering Stage back then. Her willpower hadn't been strong enough. While the senior class students were mocking Su Yu, a certain someone was seething with rage. Su Yu was still looking at them indifferently.
Meanwhile, Wu Lan shouted coldly, "You, get in the ring with me today. I challenge you!"
She was very loud. All three classes heard her. Wu Lan had her head raised high, overlooking a young man in front of her. That young man was none other than Hu Zongji, someone who had traveled to the academy with Su Yu.
Ignoring Hu Zongji's red face, Wu Lan coldly said, "A piece of trash will always remain a piece of trash. Why do you insist on looking for excuses for your worthlessness? Damaged Mark of Culture? Why don't you try getting a high-high evaluation from a damaged Mark of Culture first? What gives a piece of trash like you the qualification to look down on others? Get in the ring. If I can't beat you to death you in three moves, I'll withdraw from the academy!"
Silence descended. Wu Lan was incomparably arrogant.
Yes. She was furious. Because she had also taken her examination in Nanyuan. When these students mocked Su Yu, she felt like they were mocking her as well. How dare a piece of trash like Hu Zongji look down on her?
Sure, she was also the type to look down on others. But it was only natural that she looked down on Hu Zongji. She was a high-high student while he was only a high-middle student. He was not qualified to be making all those snide remarks. He was beneath them.
Hu Zongji's face was flushed red, and he was about to fly into rage out of humiliation. But beside him, someone softly pulled his sleeve and brought his mind back. He clenched his teeth and said, "Wu Lan, I wasn't talking about you..."
"Piece of trash. You don't have the guts to admit what you've done?" Wu Lan berated, "You're nothing except a treacherous slime. You only dare to talk about others behind their back. Even with a broken Mark of Culture, a piece of trash like you wouldn't be able to get a high-high evaluation. And now, you're trying to deny what you've done? What an embarrassing piece of trash."
Wu Lan looked around and snorted coldly, "Anyone who disagrees with me is free to come after me. I'll accept all challenges. What a bunch of useless fools. Because you couldn't get a high-high evaluation, you slander others and look for excuses to cover your incompetence."
Her gaze landed on one of the students and said disdainfully, "What are you looking at? If you keep looking at me, it means you're one of those pieces of trash too. Don't think that I haven't heard what you guys were saying earlier. The next time you run your mouth off in front of me, I'll cripple you."
She was incomparably arrogant.
The student she was berating had an unsightly expression. Wu Lan was too arrogant. Nobody was talking about her. Most of the time, they did not include her when talking about the broken Mark of Culture.
Little did they know, leaving someone out could hurt someone even more. Wu Lan suspected that they believed that she was unworthy of being talked about. Why did they spend their time talking about Su Yu? Why couldn't they talk about her? She was there in Nanyuan as well!
And her result wasn't even as good as Su Yu's! In Wu Lan's opinion, since even Su Yu's result wasn't good enough for them, she must be completely worthless in their eyes. They were all looking down on her! She wouldn't take that silently! Those bastards were too excessive! How dare they say all that in front of her?
...
"Incredible!"
Su Yu wanted to give Wu Lan a thumbs up.
Mighty. Domineering.
Su Yu was feeling very good. He knew he was right. This woman was kind of silly and could be provoked very easily. Just look at her holding a grudge against him even though he hadn't done anything to her.
It was only natural for the senior class students to offend her by harping about the broken Mark of Culture day in and day out. Su Yu wasn't in the position to teach them a lesson, but now, there was Wu Lan!
"LIke I said, a little bit of push is enough to make her go after the entire academy. Sure enough, I was right."
Su Yu was very amused. When Wu Lan had her eyes on him, it was really bothersome. But when Wu Lan was doing that against others, it felt incredible! Hu Zongji had been making snide remarks about him for quite a while now. Good. Finally, it was his turn to be humiliated.
Would he dare to fight Wu Lan? Her elder sister was a genius teaching assistant, a ninth-stage Skysoar. Her grandaunt was a Mountainsea and a big shot in the Pillmaking Faculty.
Even the student of her elder sister was a top 100 student. Someone in the Top 100 Ranking was certainly a Mental Tempering Stage student. Wu Lan's elder sister and grandaunt might not be able to touch a student who had provoked Wu Lan, but that wasn't the case for a student. The mood turned frosty.
Next, someone else spoke, "I was there at the Nanyuan examination too. Why am I being used as a negative example every single day after that? Doubting the exam results because of the broken Mark of Culture is basically the same as questioning my integrity."
Someone landed from the sky.
Proctor Huang. He was a proctor during the Nanyuan examination. Huang Yao had been in a bad mood recently. He was getting tired of all these people. What did they know?
Not only had he been fined for the incident, he had also been forced to endure having a bunch of little bastards talking behind his back every single day. Were they blind? Couldn't they see that he had been punished already?
Huang Yao was furious. He was losing control of his temper. These people were doubting his integrity as a proctor! He was already very unhappy after being fined. How could he still control his temper after having these bastards talking about the test held under his watch being unfair repeatedly?
After landing from the sky, Huang Yao coldly said, "When the exam starts, let me see just how incredible all of you are. You better be great since you've been spending your time doubting my judgment. If you do well, I'll have nothing to say. If you do badly, you would only prove that all of you are pieces of trash. And pieces of trash are unqualified to judge others."
He had thought that he was already at peace with himself having reached the middle age. But nothing seemed to be going well for him this year. He was really furious.
The Nanyuan examination was unfair? What a load of nonsense! In his opinion, the Nanyuan examination was the fairest of them all. He had no relationship with Su Yu. Furthermore, he was there to help Liu Hong suppress Su Yu. Thus, nobody deserved his result more than Su Yu. And these idiots had been doubting Su Yu's result for days. Wasn't that the same as doubting him?
"Calm down, Assistant Huang." Someone smiled, "It's just a bunch of kids. Don't mind them."
A teacher of the senior class had arrived. He was a Skysoar cultivator as well. In truth, most of the teachers of the senior class were also researchers instead of mere instructors.
When Huang Yao saw who the newcomer was, he snorted. He held nothing back and said, "Kids? Since they have entered a cultural research academy, all of them are the elites of humanity. They are preparatory soldiers. Who would treat them as children? If you guys continue questioning the fairness of the Nanyuan examination, that would be the same as slandering me. Don't blame me for the measure I'd have to take to address that."
Huang Yao then looked at Su Yu and said, "Su Yu, stop hiding when it is time to show the world what you're really made of. Show them what it means to be a true genius. Don't keep hiding yourself. Keeping a low profile isn't enough to shut the mouth of the ignorant. Only by stepping on them ruthlessly would you teach them that they are the actual pieces of trash."
"Huang Yao..."
The newly arrived teacher looked at Huang Yao in surprise.
Huang Yao had always preferred keeping a low profile. Why was he in such a bad mood today? Was he not afraid that these geniuses would target him after they grew up in the future?
Huang Yao seemed to know what the teacher was thinking about. He indifferently said, "This is the last monthly exam I supervise. I'll be joining the Talent Fostering Bureau next month. I forgot to tell you about this. I was accepted into the Talent Fostering Bureau due to my contribution during the Nanyuan exam. Interesting, isn't it. That is the same examination with the damaged Mark of Culture."
He spoke with a mocking tone. Wasn’t that interesting? He was going to get promoted. He was joining the Talent Fostering Bureau.
Bureau Head Sun might have harshly criticized him, but they were fellow schoolmates and the incident in Nanyuan had ultimately been harmless. Thus, Bureau Head Sun was apologetic after seeing Huang Yao being fined so he had ultimately helped Huang Yao join the Talent Fostering Bureau instead.
The Talent Fostering Bureau was not as influential as the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy, but it was still the official department in charge of education, and the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy was an education institution. His current position as a teaching assistant was nothing compared to the role of a minor official he could get at the bureau.
At that time, even the full researchers in these academies would have to be respectful in front of him. And his trip to Nanyuan was the reason he was able to join the Talent Fostering Bureau. With everyone questioning what he did in Nanyuan repeatedly, he had to stand up for himself or everyone would think that he was a pushover.
"Congratulations!"
Liu Hong and a few other instructors had arrived as well. These instructors would be in charge of helping out with the examination. The three Skysoars would be the main proctors.
Liu Hong smiled, "Assistant Huang's promotion is worthy of celebration. This is just a minor issue. Let's focus on the exam for now."
Huang Yao was still slightly fearful of Liu Hong. He nodded and said, "I don't want to waste my time on these people too, but they have been provoking someone stronger than them repeatedly. If I remain silent, they will start thinking that they can bully me as they wish.
"These people have no respect for others just because of their seniors in the academy. After entering the Talent Fostering Bureau, I will definitely make a suggestion to make some changes to next year's entrance examination. The examination system is in need of an adjustment.
"Let's see what happens. I might propose to deduce 50 marks from the score of each candidate from a large family who has used willpower texts and source qi liquid before."
Boom!
Those words instantly created an uproar. Even Liu Hong's pupils shrunk.
The expression of the other Skysoar changed as he said, "Huang Yao, watch what you say!"
However, Huang Yao seemed to have gone mad as he said, "What is there to fear? I will definitely make this suggestion after entering the Talent Fostering Bureau. I will submit the proposal to the director, to Marquis Xia, and to the prefect. We will crush the dominance of the influential families and allow those with humble origins to rise into prominence as well!
"The rich and influential families hold the dominant position in the prefecture. Those without any background do not enjoy any benefits the powerful enjoys. Even so, the rich families have still produced a bunch of useless students. What gives you the confidence to make all these snide remarks and question an actual genius from an ordinary family? What a joke!"
Liu Hong was shocked. Huang Yao was definitely not doing all this just because of his anger. He was doing this on purpose. There was definitely a reason for this.
Huang Yao, someone from an ordinary family, had made a declaration that he wanted to break the dominance of the influential families. He was definitely not doing this for nothing. Someone was definitely behind him, using him to test the waters.
They were using Su Yu as an excuse to launch their own play. Something major was really going to happen. Strife was really coming. The conflict between the influential and the common had never stopped.