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Chapter 41 - Joy for Some, Sorrow for Others
The open space outside Shangqing Palace instantly came alive with activity.
Some examinees, just transported back, burst into tears immediately: "I was so close, just a little more and I could have cast the spell, why couldn’t they give me a little more time? Just half an hour... no, ten minutes, ten minutes would have done it."
Others slumped to the ground, their faces blank with despair, muttering to themselves: "It's over, it's all over, I only answered two questions, there's no way I'll pass."
They soon couldn't control themselves and started sobbing.
For those who couldn't complete the exam, there was a lot of sympathy, but nothing anyone could do. Everyone just lowered their voices when discussing among themselves, to avoid adding insult to injury.
Examinees who knew each other gathered in small groups, discussing the exam that had just ended.
"Cao Li, how did you do?"
"I think I did okay. At least I managed to answer all three questions before the exam ended, but I have no idea how many points I'll get. How about you?"
"Don't even mention it, I had bad luck and got several really difficult questions..." The person sighed.
Cao Li uttered an "Ah," and said sympathetically, "You had such bad luck?"
He was about to offer some comfort when the other person continued: "Luckily, I managed to answer all of them, four questions in total, but it was exhausting... I really have no idea if I'll pass this round of exams."
Cao Li rolled his eyes.
Damn it, this guy was just showing off. I almost thought he really didn't do well and was about to comfort him. I can't stand people like that.
Most examinees, for the sake of prudence, chose only three or four majors.
After all, with limited exam time, focusing on three or four majors and practicing the knowledge repeatedly within the short span of 48 hours is undoubtedly the most secure choice.
But there were exceptions.
"Pei Jun, you must have done well this time, right?"
"Not bad, I answered ten questions and I think I did pretty well on all of them. I should have upheld the Pei Family's honor."
The examinee named Pei Jun made a startling statement, but his tone wasn't boastful; it was as if he was just stating a matter of fact.
In reality, Pei Jun didn't see anything worth boasting about.
Unlike ordinary examinees, he came from a prominent cultivation family in Shu Province.
From a young age, elders in his family who were cultivators taught him qi refining hands-on. Once his spiritual qi value reached the standard, they would explain the principles of basic spells to him. Even in the exam room, if he encountered a basic spell he hadn't learned, he could grasp it quickly thanks to his solid foundation.
In fact, not just Pei Jun, but disciples cultivated by cultivation families generally performed well in the cultivation examination.
This specialized subject examination was no exception.
Apart from Pei Jun, there were a few other examinees from cultivation families, or whose parents were cultivators, who also did quite well.
Though they didn't answer ten questions like Pei Jun did, they managed to answer six or seven, and they answered them well.
For these disciples from cultivation families, ordinary examinees could only look on with envy.
In recent years, cultivation universities have also noticed this trend and have begun to slightly lower their admission requirements for ordinary examinees to prevent the monopolization of their student body by cultivation families.
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Upon hearing about Pei Jun's performance, the examinees were either amazed or gathered around him, offering their compliments and congratulations.
With ten questions answered, Pei Jun was certain to secure a spot in a cultivation university, and it was very likely that he would be the top scholar in this year's specialized subject examination!
Such a person, with a boundless future ahead, was worth knowing—there was only gain and no loss in befriending him.
At the very least, being around a brilliant scholar might rub off some good luck, increasing one's chances of successfully getting into a cultivation university.
Although Pei Jun was from a cultivation family and had performed so well, he didn't carry an air of arrogance. He responded to everyone's compliments and congratulations with either gratitude or modesty, displaying a graceful demeanor that won over many people.
Su Mu didn't join the crowd but still had great admiration for Pei Jun's accomplishment.
Being able to answer ten questions in 48 hours was impressive, regardless of one's prior knowledge.
Suddenly, an exclamation caught his ear: "Oh my God, are they all this incredible? Such difficult questions, and to answer ten of them is truly astonishing. Compared to them, I feel like I'm just so foolish..."
Su Mu couldn't help but frown slightly.
The voice was very articulate, almost like a newscaster on television.
But the tone was odd, reminiscent of the dubbed films from years past.
He turned his head to look at the speaker.
The man was standing to his left, with black hair but a high nose bridge and different facial features, pale skin, and a distinctly Western or Europa style.
Seeing Su Mu looking at him, the man grinned and reached out his hand in a friendly gesture.
"Hey, buddy, I'm Kevin Feng. It's a pleasure to meet you. You can call me Kevin, that's what my friends call me and I like it—it feels very friendly."
"Su Mu."
Su Mu extended his hand and shook Kevin's, asking curiously, "Are you from Anxi Province?"
Kevin shook his head. "No, no, no, my dear friend, I'm not from Anxi Province; I come from the distant lands of Europa. Have you heard of Vienna? Yes, yes, the city by the Danube River—that's where I'm from. It's a real surprise that you know my hometown; that makes me quite happy. Vienna is beautiful, and you should definitely visit it if you get the chance. Of course, I'd be delighted to be your guide..."
A foreigner?
Su Mu was somewhat surprised.
"Your Chinese is very good, but do you always speak like this? Uh, I mean, with this dubbed film tone?"
Without realizing it, he had caught a bit of the dubbed film accent himself, though thankfully not too severely.
Kevin scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed, clearly aware that his accent was quite different from others.
He sighed and said, "I must admit, it's quite embarrassing... To learn Chinese well, I watched many of your dubbed films. And oh God, I ended up speaking like this. It wasn't until I came to the East that I realized you all don't talk this way at all."
At that point, his eyes lit up: "Hey, buddy, how about you spend more time talking with me to help me get rid of this damned accent? I've heard that interacting more with people can really improve one's spoken language. Ah ha, that's a brilliant idea, isn't it?"
"Do you always make yourself at home like this?"
Kevin was not only unabashed but also a chatterbox. Once he started talking, he went on and on, and Su Mu was beginning to regret initiating the conversation.
"Don't worry, my friend, I definitely won't let you help me for nothing; I'll pay you."
"It's not about the money... How much are you offering?"