Chapter 64: Releasing the Results
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
"Report?!"
A few invigilators looked at one another, a similar expression of shock appearing on their faces. Cheating in the county Law of Dao examination wasn’t something that was uncommon.
After all, this was a world where strength was respect.
There were many people with powerful training, but only had a surface level comprehension of the Law of Dao, lacking a deep understanding and usage.
Hence, during the theory examination, the initial rules had given enough space for cheating to occur.
For example, after entering the examination venue, there were no preassigned seat numbers, and not every seat was monitored closely with by invigilators. It was actually hint to examinees.
Cheating was allowed!
In this world, everything was result-based.
Just like on the battlefield, nobody cared how one fought, what formation one employed, what troops one used. People only cared about one thing, whether you managed to win the battle.
But…
If cheating was discovered, that was a completely different matter altogether.
Given the space, and given the relaxed rules, one still managed to get caught?
That was humiliating, simply humiliating.
A few of the invigilators quickly reached Fang Zhengzhi and unfolded the paper.
"Fang Zhengzhi, you wait! Let me see how you pass the theory examination!" Meng Yushu didn’t bother arguing with the invigilators. Because, the handwriting on the paper and his own were one and the same.
There was no way to argue over this point.
Results of the theory examination was glory to him. It was important! But, it wasn’t worth sacrificing himself over.
Because, due to having accessed Dao, he would be able to participate in the combat examination without even participating in the theory examination. He could even directly skip the county examination to participate in the capital examination.
That was the rule of this world.
Power determined everything!
But...
He was completely humiliated today and had was unable to remain at this place anymore.
He stood up, and left.
But, Meng Yushu leaving the venue didn’t bring about any good words for Fang Zhengzhi. Even those examinees who saw Meng Yushu leave the venue looked at Fang Zhengzhi as if they were looking at an idiot.
"He actually reported Meng Yushu?!"
"That’s simply too stupid! Without Meng Yushu, how can he pass the theory examination?"
"Harming himself, how can he live like this!"
Sitting a distance away, Li Huer also witnessed this scene, and silently celebrated. It was lucky that Fang Zhengzhi had done something so stupid, else with Meng Yushu’s help, he might really be able to pass the theory examination.
But now, it seemed like…
There was no doubt that Fang Zhengzhi was going to fail the theory examination.
Everyone was silently worried. Even a few invigilators secretly shook their heads at Fang Zhengzhi. This kid was too stupid? He had given up such a good opportunity.
After this brief episode, the examination venue once again regained its silence.
Fang Zhengzhi had no idea that the Law of Dao examinations in this world would have such an inside story. Based on his understanding of ancient history, the Law of Dao examination should be rather similar to the imperial examination of the past.
Cheating?
Once it was caught, that was something that would ban one from examinations for life.
Having successfully eliminated a rival, Fang Zhengzhi was delighted. Then, he once again leisurely rested his body on the table and took a nap.
When the rest of the examinees witnessed this, they shook their head once again.
"Don’t tell me this guy’s purpose in participating the Law of Dao examinations is to take a nap?"
"After so many years of intense studying, success is already right in front of his eyes, but he gave it up just like this. That is really too stupid!"
…
"Dong!" A gong sounded.
The first round of the Law of Dao theory examination had officially ended.
Fang Zhengzhi walked out of the Qingfeng Academy looking completely relaxed. After walking a few steps, he was blocked by Li Zhuangshi, Li Huer and the rest of the gang.
"Zhengzhi, I heard Huer say that you reported Meng Yushu?" Li Zhuangshi was the first to open his mouth.
At this moment, Fang Zhengzhi realised that Li Zhuangshi and the rest seemed to have betted that Meng Yushu would enter the top three. Could they be here to ask him for money?
"If you want money, I don’t have. If you want my life, you are not getting it either!" Fang Zhengzhi instantly expressed his stand.
Li Zhuangshi was taken aback, then a laughter quickly followed.
"Ha ha ha… a few pieces of silver are a small matter. Your future is an important matter. Look at you, such a good future right in front of your eyes, yet why did you give it up?" Li Zhuangshi said with a mature, adult tone.
Then, looking at Fang Zhengzhi’s lost expression, he reassured.
"Hmm, but what you did was also right! At least people know how honest you are! Seeing the answers of the theory examination right in front of your eyes, yet remaining indifferent. If you have the opportunity of becoming an official in the future, you would definitely be an honest and upright one!"
"Yes! We all support you!" Li Huer interrupted at this apt moment.
"Even though you lost your advantage in this time’s theory examination, but it’s alright. You are still young, you can take this as a learning opportunity. There will be more opportunities next time, it wouldn’t make any difference to participate a few years later." Li Zhuangshi reassured once again.
"I think… I can pass the theory examination!" Fang Zhengzhi thought of his own answers and felt that he had full confidence of scoring full marks.
"Sigh… man must know himself well!" When Li Zhuangshi heard, he seemed rather pained, then pulled along Li Huer and the rest. "Let’s go, we’ll go back and eat, the results will be released tomorrow!"
"After the results are released, I wonder what else can you say? I saw you sleep for over an hour, you think you can pass the theory examination like that? Doesn’t that mean I am going to top the roll? Ha ha ha…" Li Huer also began to laugh.
Meng Jiangshan and the rest were also in the examination venue and naturally noticed Fang Zhengzhi sleeping. They shook their heads silently and sighed.
Fang Zhengzhi also shook his head, how could small fry predict the ambitions of the great!
…
Inside the grading room of the Qingfeng Academy.
Fang Zhengzhi’s examination paper was passed from an invigilator to a middle-aged man whose official attire had the world "Imperial" sown on it. The middle-aged man gently received the paper, his brows threaded tightly in a frown.
"You can’t find it?"
"There’s no record in the namelist, furthermore, there isn’t even this register number in the examination!" The invigilator bowed and replied.
"This is mysterious, what address is shown in it?"
"Northern Mountain Village!"
"Northern Mountain Village? Is there a Hall of Dao there?"
"That was what I suspected as well, the Northern Mountain Village doesn’t have a Hall of Dao. However, the neighbouring Southern Mountain Village within the same mountain has a Hall of Dao. Furthermore, the Divine Constabulary had built it personally eight years ago! I had initially also noticed this Hall of Dao, but within eight years, it only produced someone who barely passed the county examinations, and didn’t even pass the capital examinations. After that, I didn’t pay attention to it anymore…"
"You say, eight years ago, the Divine Constabulary went to a village to build a Hall of Dao?" A hint of shock appeared on the middle-aged man’s face.
"Yes, furthermore, that was the Divine Constabulary’s daughter’s… personal order!"
"The Divine Constabulary’s daughter? Chi Guyan?!"
…
The second morning.
In a patch of space outside the Qingfeng Academy, the examinees waiting for the release of the results had already completely surrounded two pieces of "Roll Stones".
These two stones were categorised as First-Class Roll and Second-Class Roll.
It was less than an hour to the release of the results. Fang Zhengzhi also strolled over leisurely.
Li Zhuangshi, Li Huer and the rest had already occupied a good spot in the area long ago, once they saw Fang Zhengzhi, they instantly felt somewhat spiteful.
He came so late, yet he still said that he was confident of passing the theory examination?
"Fang Zhengzhi, come here, I reserved a spot for you!" Li Huer called out loudly. He liked to have a close-up view of Fang Zhengzhi’s expression when he didn’t make it onto the roll.
"Zhengzhi, come quickly!" Li Zhuangshi also shouted out loudly.
People had reserved a spot for him, Fang Zhengzhi naturally didn’t have any reason to reject. Then, he leisurely made his way over. Right at this moment, a few officials dressed in black official clothes also walked over from afar.
"Make way!" The results announcing official split the crowd and directly made his way over the two roll stones.
Then, he gingerly took out a square-shaped, seal-like stone and pressed it into a square-shaped depression on the roll stone. Instantly, faint golden rays of light emanated from the roll stone...