novelhk #137 - Problem Solving
#137 - Problem Solving
“Have the results of this year’s assessment come out yet?”
“Not yet. I heard from the Academic Director that 414 wooden plaques were issued this time. There’s still a month and a half until the assessment deadline.”
“So many new people this year? I remember the previous sessions only had about 200 at most.”
“I don’t know… I heard it was the Deputy Director and the higher-ups' idea to have the supervisors above the third rank in the department recommend more new people, giving each of them five spots.”
“But weren’t those guys always uninterested in this kind of thing?”
“So, in the end, only 400-plus wooden plaques were issued. Some were people the department had already selected in advance… But this year is indeed a bit different. It’s said that the seismograph now gives a warning every three days, and the toad under the dragon's head is even more noisy, croaking non-stop every night. Clearly, there will be a great change in the world. The Deputy Director and the others are probably planning for the future.”
“Hmph, that Guo Ziyi is playing a good game, but rules are rules. Even if he brings in so many people, it’s useless if they don’t pass the assessment. The Academic Director will never let them study in the academy, otherwise, they will only harm themselves and others in the future.”
“It’s not that serious. Although there are many new people this year, their quality is quite good. According to the current results, there are already 79 people above the C grade, which is far more than in previous years. Everyone has been discussing this year's newcomers these days, wanting to pick out good seedlings to pass on their knowledge.”
“Oh? Does Professor Xu have anyone he favors?” The person who spoke perked up upon hearing this.
“Yan Yun, huh? I’ve also heard of her, but in terms of mystic force compatibility alone, she shouldn’t be comparable to that little girl from Xijian Pavilion named Xia Huai. When she came to deliver the letter, didn't Old Xu and I go to see her together? Even the Academic Director was alarmed. Moreover, I heard that after returning, her master took her into seclusion again, and she has now broken through to the second-class realm.”
“It’s a pity that she lacks a bit of experience in the martial world. Although the professors in the academy are optimistic about her cultivation in mystic force, Yan Yun is indeed better in terms of overall potential.
“Not only Yan Yun, but the monk Zhaoming from Xuankong Temple, the Young Master Baiyu from Yaoshan Manor… these leaders of the martial world are also well-deserved. I don’t know how Deputy Director Guo managed to gather them all. This year’s newcomers are indeed very lively. It’s just a pity about Wei Zixian. Xijian Pavilion already sent Xia Huai, and they are unwilling to send Wei Zixian again no matter what.
“As for the person I want most… it’s not among the above.”
“Oh, who is it?”
“It’s okay to tell you, Old Zheng. It’s a young man named Yang Tao. He has a simple and honest nature and possesses an extremely rare pure heart, which is very suitable for cultivating my Righteous Qi Body Protection Art.” Professor Xu stroked his beard and said, “However, this kid is too straightforward. It’s easy to pass the assessment, but it will be difficult to get good grades.”
“This time, the exam question for the trial realm is…”
“The Ancient Desert Tomb.”
“It’s actually this question?”
Professor Zheng was surprised, “I remember this question is recorded in the academy. It has only appeared once in the last two hundred years. The case itself is not complicated, but it has high requirements for the examinee's comprehensive qualities, especially the decision-making ability in harsh environments.
“Sandstorms appear twice every day. Although the armored warriors inside are one realm lower than the examinees, the aura of decay on their bodies can greatly consume the examinees' internal force.
“And once they come into contact with those armored warriors, they will become the priority targets of those armored warriors in the next sandstorm.
“So the gap time between each sandstorm becomes especially important. On the one hand, the examinees need to use this time to meditate and adjust their breath to restore their lost internal force, and on the other hand, they have to find a way to use this limited time to investigate the truth.
“And as the days go by, the sandstorms will become more and more frequent, and the survival pressure will become greater and greater. The design of this question is quite clever. Who has the best score currently, Yan Yun?”
“No,” Professor Xu shook his head, “Yan Yun is still in the assessment, but she has already been in the trial realm for nine days and hasn’t come out yet. I don’t think there’s any need to worry about her progress.
“Apart from her, the one with the best score is Young Master Baiyu from Xiaoyao Mountain Villa. He stayed in the trial realm for twelve days and has found out the mastermind behind the scenes. He was about to break the formation, but it was a step short.”
Professor Xu’s words were quite regretful, “But even so, he is still A grade.”
Professor Zheng on the other side thought of another thing, “I remember there is also a hidden opportunity in the Ancient Desert Tomb question, right?”
“That’s right. There is a hidden opportunity in every question in the trial realm, but the opportunities in most questions have already been taken. The Ancient Desert Tomb has only appeared twice in two hundred years, so the opportunity in the question should still be there.”
After a pause, he continued, “But… this question is too difficult. It’s already hard enough to solve the question, so I’m afraid no one has the time to look for that opportunity.”
“That’s true.” Professor Zheng closed the ancient scroll in his hand, and finally made up his mind. He stood up and said, “Let’s go, let’s go see this year’s newcomers.”
… … … …
Lu Jing hasn’t realized yet that he has entered the academy’s trial realm.
After all, everything in front of him looks very real, and he couldn’t find any flaws in the conversation with the female shopkeeper. At this moment, he really seems to be in a small desert city thousands of miles away.
Everything he sees and hears is full of exotic customs, especially when he sees the majestic palace in front of him, he can’t help but admire the superb skills of the builders.
“Yazdan said that this palace is more than 400 years old, longer than his family. It was built by the first master of Malasar Khan, but later there was turmoil in the city, and most of it was destroyed. Now this palace has been rebuilt on the original site, but unfortunately, it is not as magnificent as before,” the female shopkeeper translated.