Qiu Yan never expected to encounter such a thing today. If only she had someone she knew at the academy.

Her gaze hardened: "As far as I know, anyone who is male, regardless of age, can participate in the entrance exams at Luming Academy!"

The guard narrowed his eyes and said with a crooked mouth, "Miss, your brother is a country bumpkin. Even if he takes the exam, he might not be able to stay in our academy. There's no need to waste your energy. I'm only doing this for your own good. Why don't you go and look at other academies?"

The surrounding examinees looked at Qiu Xu with some sympathy, but since it was none of their business, they didn't say anything and hurriedly entered the academy to wait for the exam.

Suddenly, in a corner of the academy, Qiu Yan saw Qiu Dazhi.

At that moment, he and another scholar were quietly watching all of this.

Qiu Xu saw it too; he clenched his fists and his eyes turned cold.

Zhou Zifang, inside the academy, was somewhat confused. Students taking the entrance exam was a perfectly logical process, so why was this guard deliberately making things difficult? "Hey, you guard, what gives you the right to call the shots?"

Lin Shu, standing in the distance, also stared intently at Qiu Yan and the others.

Qiu Yan's eyes sharpened.

"There's always a reason for everything. If you can't give us a proper reason today, then let us in quickly. Otherwise, I'll personally ask Headmaster Du if the academy's admissions are divided into different classes!" Her voice wasn't loud, but her aura already overwhelmed the other party.

Qiu Yan had no choice but to bring up the headmaster Du, whom they had only met once.

Upon hearing this, the guard looked troubled.

The headmaster could make him lose his job with just one sentence.

He originally thought that the woman in front of him was not worldly and would give up easily, but he did not expect her to be so eloquent.

He glanced at the two people in the distance and was surprised to find that they were no longer there; in their place stood Headmaster Du.

Indeed, Headmaster Du was quietly observing the direction of the courtyard gate.

The guard's expression became more respectful.

"Alright, Qiu Xu, you can go in now."

Zhou Zifang scratched his head, still completely confused.

Qiu Yan and Headmaster Du exchanged a glance and nodded to their younger brother. "It doesn't matter whether you do well or not, just do your best."

Qiu Xu breathed a sigh of relief, but before he could even step into the courtyard, a group of beggars suddenly appeared at the academy gate, blocking him outside. In the blink of an eye, his bundle was snatched away.

"Watch out!" Zhou Zifang shouted, his heart pounding. He looked at Lin Shu in the distance, signaling him to come forward and help.

These little beggars moved so fast that Qiu Xu was completely caught off guard.

In an instant, the beggar who tried to snatch the bundle was kicked solidly by Qiu Yan, and Qiu Xu snatched the bundle back.

Qiu Yan stared at the beggar for a moment, and then saw him take off running.

The guard's expression changed; it seemed they had offended more than one person.

"Go away, go away! Don't you even know where you are? How dare you come here to beg?"

Seeing that the beggars were persistent and wouldn't let Qiu Xu go, Qiu Yan bravely protected her younger brother. After kicking down two beggars in succession, she pushed her brother into the academy.

Qiu Xu, carrying his bundle, glanced worriedly at his sister before Zhou Zifang quickly pulled him away. Turning around, the two of them bumped into Headmaster Du and hurriedly bowed respectfully.

"What's going on?" Headmaster Du asked the guard.

"Reporting to Headmaster Du, they are a few beggars asking for food."

Qiu Yan was furious and quickly chased after the beggars.

"Miss Qiu."

A man blocked his way.

Qiu Yan looked up and saw Manager Gao walking towards her with a shiny face, and behind him was a thirteen-year-old boy.

“I recognized you from afar, Gao. What trouble have you encountered? If you didn’t bring paper and pen, my son did bring two sets today…”

"Manager Gao, how do you know my brother didn't bring paper and pen?" Qiu Yan raised her voice. "What goes around comes around!"

After she finished speaking, she disappeared.

My younger brother's college entrance exam was fraught with difficulties, with obstacles in front and behind.

These people tried every means to stop her, but she was determined to trample them underfoot.

Manager Gao originally just wanted Qiu Yan to owe him a favor, but he didn't expect to be rebuffed.

In front of the academy, bursts of fighting could be heard. Nine beggars were being beaten by Lin Shu and were lying on the ground, howling and unable to get up.

Another beggar took advantage of Lin Shu's inattention and escaped into the alley.

"Lin Shu, keep an eye on them!"

Qiu Yan stared at the figure in the distance, cried out urgently, and hurriedly chased after the beggar who was trying his best to escape.

In a short while, Qiu Yan blocked the man's path.

Qiu Yan's eyes were cold and she exuded a terrifying aura, which really startled the beggar.

Before the man could speak, his body had already fallen to the ground, followed by a cry of pain.

"Girl...please have mercy on your feet!"

He struggled to his feet and tried to escape, but Qiu Yan kicked him in the back of the knee, causing him to kneel on the ground.

Qiu Yan then recognized the man; it was him who had just tried to snatch her brother's bag.

This man was none other than Lu Jia, the leader of the beggars.

"How much benefit did Manager Gao give you?"

"What Manager Gao? I...I don't understand what you're saying..."

Qiu Yan punched him in the chest, and as Lu Jia fell backward, she grabbed his collar. "Playing dumb with me?"

Lu Jia steadied himself, quite frightened by Qiu Yan. "No...no...each person...one hundred coins. There will be another hundred coins after it's done."

As he was speaking, he tried to get up, but Qiu Yan kicked him in the back of his other leg, forcing him to kneel on both knees.

"Hmph, two hundred coins, and you've been bought off."

Lu Jia paused for a moment, "We are beggars on the street, we also need to survive. Girl, please let me go, I don't want a single penny of the hundred coins, you can have them all."

Qiu Yan sneered, took the string of copper coins he handed her, grabbed him by the back of his collar, and then kicked him in the buttocks. "Go!"

Lu Jia took a step forward, rubbing his backside, and was forced to walk forward by Qiu Yan's threat. "Girl, you've taken the money, now let me go."

At Luming Academy, Qiu Xu and Zhou Zifang walked side by side.

Zhou Zifang coughed lightly, breaking the tense atmosphere.

"Qiu Xu, what kind of questions do you think will be on our test today?"

Qiu Xu shook his head; how would he know?

"Oh, heavens, please bless me so I can pass, otherwise, if my father comes, he will definitely take me back." Zhou Zifang's anxious heart had been in turmoil since yesterday. "What if the academy deliberately sets up difficult problems to make things difficult for the students?"

He has never taken an exam in his entire life.

He couldn't sleep last night because of today's exam.

Compared to Zhou Zifang, Qiu Xu seemed much more composed. "The headmaster of the academy is very good; I don't think he'll make things difficult for the students."

Zhou Zifang turned to look at Qiu Xu, "Have you met the headmaster?"

Qiu Xu tightened his grip on the bundle in his hands. "Yes, yesterday my sister and I ran into two abbots near the academy. The former abbot even asked me in person whether he should retire from public life."

Zhou Zifang asked curiously, "What did you say?"