The entrance exam that only occurred once every seven years naturally wouldn’t be too simple.
At least everyone in a four-person living quarter had their own bedroom, which made it less likely to disturb each other.
Dormitories were built in the courtyard, surrounded by lush forests and flowers, which was much better than some people’s residences outside Ethereal City. Most of the disciples present were children of ordinary families, but they were lucky and have good talents, so they just had the opportunity to take the Myriad Dao Academy’s exam. Thus, many candidates expressed their satisfaction with the dormitory.
There was also a dormitory for two people, which could be bought with spirit stones, but the price was slightly more expensive. One low-grade spirit stone for one night, and you couldn’t change the dormitory until the end of the assessment.
The examination lasted for one month. If you lived for one month, it would be 30 spirit stones.
For ordinary families, 30 spirit stones were already a huge sum. Yan Tianhen could afford it, but he didn’t plan to pay. In any case, where he lived, what dormitory he lived in, and whom he lived with, had no impact on him.
But Shen Congrong said, “Steward Ruan, please give me a room for two.”
Steward Ruan looked at him and asked, “How long do you want to stay?”
Shen Congrong answered, “Thirty days.”
So he wanted to stay until the end of the examination.
Steward Ruan nodded and didn’t say much. “You can come with me to the accounting office to pay the money later, and then choose a residence.”
Shen Congrong smiled. “Thank you for your troubles.”
Shen Congrong was indeed polite in etiquette, so that people couldn’t be disgusted or annoyed with him.
However, after that, Shen Congrong came to Yin Changge and stood in front of him and asked, “Would you like to live with me?”
Yan Tianhen was close, so he could feel that when Shen Congrong asked this sentence, Yin Changge’s body suddenly stiffened, and he didn’t know whether he was afraid or nervous.
Yin Changge bit his lower lip and shook his head slowly without speaking.
Shen Congrong didn’t say anything, but spoke to Yan Tianhen instead, “He trusts you. Please take care of him.”
Yan Tianhen was a bit surprised.
Do these two people know each other?
But it doesn’t look like it.
One could feel from Shen Congrong’s clothes that his family was well-off, middle-class, well-spoken, and his words and deeds were very appropriate. It was obvious that he had received special instruction.
However, Yin Changge was dressed in coarse hemp garments. Rather than saying that he treated people coldly and acted high above them, Yan Tianhen observed him and felt that it was just because he was nervous and afraid. Clearly, he had never seen much of the world, and his heart couldn’t keep up.
Since there was a sucker willing to pay for it, Yan Tianhen was naturally willing, so he stopped asking and bluntly said, “Deal.”
Yin Changge bit his lips till they turned white and hung his head, not daring to look up.
Shen Congrong didn’t pay attention to it either. He swept a glance at Yin Changge. “I’ll pay. Choose a room.”
After saying that, Shen Congrong left with Steward Ruan.
The other students present couldn’t help looking at Yan Tianhen and Yin Changge, and kept whispering to discuss the relationship between these people.
When they were on the boat, Shen Congrong obviously had the status of a leader, and Yin Changge had a beautiful appearance. It was still alright when the two didn’t have any interactions, but when they did, some people couldn’t help gossiping.
The consistent principle of Yan Tianhen was to act in a low-key manner, and that was, if others said anything, as long as they didn’t step on his bottom line, he would pretend that he didn’t hear them, so he ignored the gossip and spoke to Yin Changge, “We got this thanks to you, so you can choose the room.”
Yin Changge looked up and saw Yan Tianhen, and Yan Tianhen discovered that his eyes were already red.
Yan Tianhen got a fright, wondering whether he was angry or moved.
Yin Changge said, “I want to be closer to him.”
Yan Tianhen realized who he was talking about as soon as he wanted to ask.
He casually pointed to a room and followed a guide martial sister to the other side. On the way, he asked, “You two really know each other ah? Then you might as well live with him.”
Yin Changge whispered, “We don’t really know each other, but if I knew he was going to get another room, I would definitely agree to his initial proposal.”
Then he said, “Can we go back on our word and return this room? Thirty spirit stones are too expensive. You can’t earn so much, even in three years.”
Yan Tianhen, “…”
No, I refuse to go back on our word.
After choosing a dorm, Yan Tianhen and Yin Changge each chose a room. Yan Tianhen didn’t carry many things with him, only a storage bag and a storage ring that could accommodate all kinds of things. Both of them were impressive magic treasures that could accommodate both living things and dead things.
All of Yan Tianhen’s belongings were in it.
Yin Changge was different.
No matter how cheap a storage bag was, it was still calculated based on spirit stones. Yin Changge didn’t have a single spirit stone on him. He only had one suitcase that looked heavy, but there were many scratches on it. The scratches had rough edges and looked recent.
After packing his things, Yan Tianhen went out of the door, and he happened to see Yin Changge coming out.
The two looked at each other, and Yan Tianhen showed a friendly smile. “Are you going to eat?”
Yin Changge’s face was a little red, and he said hesitantly, “I brought food.”
Yan Tianhen laughed, and his eyes looked like crescent moons. “What do you eat? Can you give me a taste? I don’t think you are a child from the city. Maybe you have brought a lot of hometown specialties that I haven’t tried before.”
When Yin Changge heard him say that he was not a child in the city at first, he still felt apprehensive, but after hearing the rest, he gradually became cheerful.
Yin Changge didn’t want to talk with people along the journey here. On one hand, he was not good with words, but on the other hand, it was clear from first glance that he was a person who walked out of the remote backcountry. He heard some candidates pointing at him and saying some unpleasant words, which made him even more unwilling to listen.
It’s just that Yan Tianhen’s words made him very comfortable.
So Yin Changge also showed a smile, showing two sharp little tiger teeth.
“My hometown is remote and poor, but there are some special products to eat.” Yin Changge opened a simple cloth bag hanging around his waist and took out a handful of dried fruit and a few pieces of air-dried meat from the inside.
He generously handed them to Yan Tianhen. “This is a kind of spiritual fruit and venison, which is a specialty of my hometown. Try it.”
He then took out a small bottle. “There is also a kind of fruit drink in our place, which makes people feel refreshed after drinking it.”
Yan Tianhen accepted them with a smile. “If I eat your food, what will you eat?”
“There won’t be any problems even if I don’t eat. I have been fasting for a long time.”
Yan Tianhen stuffed a piece of fruit in his mouth. “How about this? Since you invited me to a meal, I will also invite you to a meal. Let’s order some local specialties together. After all, we’re new here… Hey, this fruit tastes really delicious. What’s it called?”
Yin Changge was even more happy when he saw that he liked it. “My hometown calls it Zhu fruit, and it grows all over the trees.”
Yan Tianhen put the rest of the Zhu fruit in a medicinal pill bottle. “This Zhu fruit can be used as medicine, so don’t casually give it to others.”
Yin Changge was confused. “Why?”
“I’m an alchemist. I’ve seen no less than 10,000 exotic flowers and plants. I only need to eat one of your Zhu fruits to detect that it is actually a great tonic that has aged for a long time. You said that this thing can be seen everywhere in your hometown. If people find out, it will bring disaster to your hometown.”
Yin Changge gasped, “It’s so serious?”
Yan Tianhen nodded. “Believe me, this Myriad Dao Academy is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. If I can tell, then others will also be able to sense it.”
Yin Changge seemed to think of something, so he nodded gravely.
Yin Changge was still wet behind the ears, and he soon got along with Yan Tianhen. He originally didn’t want to take advantage of Yan Tianhen, but he was fooled into going out for a meal with him.
When they were about to leave, Shen Congrong suddenly came in from the outside. His face was slightly gloomy. He blocked Yin Changge as soon as he entered the door. “Give me back the ticket.”
Yin Changge was a little flustered and lowered his head. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
Shen Congrong whispered, “Don’t be silly. You shouldn’t take that thing.”
Yin Changge bit his lower lip hard. “No.”
Shen Congrong said, “If you don’t give it to me, I will take action.”
Yan Tianhen came forward. “Fellow Shen, if you have something to say, then discuss it civilly. You are changing your face way too fast.”
Shen Congrong frowned and looked up at Yan Tianhen. “That ticket of mine is a blood-colored one. If he holds it, he will invite disaster upon himself.”
Yan Tianhen was stunned.
A blood-colored ticket — he had also learned the origins of this item these days.
If you killed people in the evil spirit array, the original green leaf-shaped ticket would turn red, and the more people you killed, the deeper the bloody color would be.
Shen Congrong looked graceful and elegant, calm and generous, but the meaning of his words was that he had killed people in the evil spirit array. It’s just that — why would Yin Changge insist on taking his ticket?
Yin Changge couldn’t persuade Shen Congrong, and he also couldn’t beat Shen Congrong. In addition, Yan Tianhen stood by and didn’t act, so a leaf-shaped ticket was quickly found on his person.
Yin Changge was very reluctant, as if he had been humiliated.
When Yan Tianhen saw the ticket, he frowned involuntarily. It was a very deep bloody color. He didn’t know how many people had to be killed to make it like this.
Shen Congrong put away the leaf ticket, curled his lips, and looked at Yin Changge. “I don’t know you that well; we’ve only met a few times. You will continue to pretend that you don’t know anything in the future, and everything has nothing to do with you, got it?”
Yin Changge clenched his fist. “Okay.”
He could only say yes.
Shen Congrong probably only wanted this leaf ticket. After he got it, he left.
Yan Tianhen looked at Yin Changge, who was obviously depressed. “You indeed know him.”
Yin Changge shook his head but then nodded again. He raised his head and looked at Yan Tianhen. He asked blankly, “Will he fail the sect entrance examination like this?”
“It’s hard to say. If he is ruthless, merciless, and has a disregard for human lives without any attention to right and wrong, then I’m afraid he will never get a chance to step in here again in his life. If he has excusable or pardonable reasons, he may be able to ascend to the heavens in a single step.”
Although Myriad Dao Academy advocated education for everyone, irrespective of background, it still didn’t mean that it was willing to accept just anyone.
For some wicked scoundrels or evildoers who had problems from the root, it was obviously better to kill them than to bother guiding them.
As for which kind Shen Congrong was, this was unclear to Yan Tianhen.