Chapter 3: A Beauty Tortured by Civil Service Exam Questions Even in the World of Cultivation...
The Immortal Venerable's casual tone sent chills down Elder Liu's spine. Sweat poured down his forehead, and he knelt down in trembling fear: "Your subordinate... Your subordinate was unaware of the Immortal Venerable's presence. This unfilial son has offended the Immortal Venerable."
Immortal Venerable!?
Hiss, gasps of breath came from all around. It turned out that this was the Moon-Gazing Immortal Venerable, who was also the sect leader of their Liwen Palace!
Speaking of the Moon-Gazing Immortal Venerable, there's so much to say. She reached the Great Ascension stage at the age of fifty—what does that mean? Some people with duller talents never even reach the Foundation Establishment stage in their entire lives, yet she did.
One can easily cultivate to the Mahayana level.
Of course, we can't just compare them like that. We should compare her years of guarding the Demon-Sealing Seal alone, and her inability to return home.
The Moon-Gazing Immortal, Jiang Yuemian, is the pinnacle of combat power in the human realm and a role model for young people.
Even if Shen Que was completely unfamiliar with the situation in the cultivation world, he had heard of this person's legendary reputation. For a moment, he was at a loss for words and could only sit there blankly.
What Jiang Yuemian saw was Shen Que's expression, as if she had just been startled by a rabbit. Her eyebrows softened instantly; how could she be so adorable? However, the smile in her eyes vanished immediately as she turned her gaze to Elder Liu, who was kneeling.
Many people in this sect do not recognize Jiang Yuemian because the Moon-Gazing Immortal Venerable often travels to the Rift to resist the Demon Clan, and usually the sect's internal affairs are handled by her senior brother. Now, it is unknown when the Moon-Gazing Immortal Venerable has returned to the sect. The Liu family has really kicked a hornet's nest and will likely be severely punished.
Those disciples of the Discipline Hall thought this way, but in reality they were also terrified, fearing that the Immortal Venerable would be angry with them, especially the disciple who had captured Shen Que, who was now covered in sweat.
Jiang Yuemian raised an eyebrow as she looked at Elder Liu below, who was filled with fear and trepidation. So they could be afraid too. Well, let them be afraid for a while longer.
After hearing no sound for a long time, Elder Liu was on the verge of tears. If only he had disciplined his descendants better, he wouldn't be suffering like this in his old age.
Just as Elder Liu was feeling uneasy, Jiang Yuemian finally spoke.
"Oh, offended? I wouldn't dare. I've offended your precious grandson, and he even wants to drag me over to whip and beat me." Her tone was flat, as if she were joking as usual.
But these words made Elder Liu break out in a cold sweat: "Immortal, Immortal Venerable, you may do as you please with my two unfilial sons, I have no complaints." As long as he is not angered, that's fine. After all, he has more than one son and grandson. If he loses them, he can save himself.
Elder Liu and Liu Hao, kneeling on the ground, were on the verge of tears. Liu Hao, in particular, was caught off guard and fainted.
Elder Liu also felt in his heart that it was all over, all over, completely over.
Seeing them drenched in sweat, Jiang Yuemian spoke again: "In that case, cripple their cultivation and throw them out of Liwen Palace. As for you—"
Elder Liu's face turned pale as he awaited the final verdict.
"It seems Elder Liu can't even manage his own family affairs, let alone the sect's affairs. He shouldn't add to Senior Brother's mess."
"Yes, yes, yes." Elder Liu of the inner sect wiped his sweat. Although he had been removed from his position in the inner sect, at least he was still alive.
[Host! You're so pretentious!] 001 An untimely interruption.
Jiang Yuemian pretended not to hear, raised her hand, and Elder Liu personally crippled the cultivation of the two.
"ah--"
The mournful cries echoed throughout the entire Discipline Hall.
However, no one thought this was inappropriate. The Liu father and son had been committing crimes in the outer sect and had been suppressing powerless disciples everywhere because of their family connections. This time, they had no choice but to offend the Immortal Venerable.
It can be considered that the wicked got their just desserts, and the news spread throughout the entire sect at lightning speed.
The next morning, Jiang Yuemian's communication device lit up. She groggily opened her eyes and glanced at it, only to find that it was a message from her senior brother.
[Senior Brother: Fifth Brother, may I come to you to discuss something?]
Discussing matters? She suddenly realized, could it be related to yesterday?
Jiang Yuemian quickly tidied herself up and waited for her senior brother, who looked travel-worn.
Senior Brother Xiao Mingjue, a talisman cultivator, was in charge of the sect's affairs. At this moment, he had just finished dealing with the turmoil caused by her yesterday.
She looked up at her senior brother, who was the typical gentle and refined type. At this moment, he was smiling at Jiang Yuemian, with faint fine lines appearing at the corners of his eyes. His eyes were like black jade soaked in clear water, gentle and bright.
She naturally likes good-looking people, since looking at them makes her feel good.
Seeing Jiang Yuemian sitting crookedly in her seat, Xiao Mingjue's eyes twitched. As if he was used to it, he sat down next to Jiang Yuemian without caring and began to reminisce: "Xiao Wu, why didn't you tell your senior brother when you came back? You even got into this mess. It's really my fault for failing in my duty." At this moment, guilt was evident in his dark eyes.
Jiang Yuemian was still a little sleepy. She rubbed her eyes and looked at her senior brother. The sight of him immediately woke her up. Her senior brother looked apologetic, seemingly regretting his negligence.
She didn't know what to say, so she forced a smile and met her senior brother's gaze: "Senior brother, I wanted to tell you this when I came back yesterday, but you are usually very busy with official duties, so I didn't want to bother you. I thought I would wait until I had some free time to communicate with you." She replied politely.
But Xiao Mingjue's eyes lit up after hearing this, and he became enthusiastic: "Xiao Wu, it's been a long time since you called me Senior Brother."
Ha, was she really that bad before?
Jiang Yuemian felt a little embarrassed, but didn't change the subject: "Heh...hehe, Senior Brother, what are you saying? I still respect Senior Brother the most!"
Xiao Mingjue had a smile on his face, seemingly in a great mood because of the address "Senior Brother". He didn't bother with formalities and went straight to the point: "Well, what do you want to do with the disciple you saved yesterday?"
He knew his fifth son's personality best; he always showed special consideration for people with good looks.
Jiang Yuemian only remembered that Shen Que hadn't been properly arranged after his reminder. After this incident, Shen Que's situation must be very difficult, but she didn't know what to do to make arrangements.
Seeing Jiang Yue deep in thought, he suggested, "Xiao Wu, I think that disciple has good potential, and since he was wronged this time, let's make it up to him properly. Also, how about allowing him to participate in the inner sect selection as an exception?"
An inner sect election? Great! Speaking of elections, she suddenly had an idea.
So she called 001, "System, system, I've got it! If we're talking about collecting faith points, what could collect more faith points than the Inner Sect Election?"
[The host is clever!]
Jiang Yuemian had an idea in mind, and a strange smile appeared on her lips that Xiao Mingjue found unfamiliar: "Senior brother, speaking of which, the selection method for the inner sect election in previous years has been too monotonous. Why don't I set the questions this time?"
"Of course, Xiao Wu, you're really different this time. You can set the questions this time, and let your senior brother take a look." Xiao Mingjue's eyes shone brightly. Not bad, not bad. Xiao Wu has become more sensible this time, and he can share his senior brother's burdens. Guarding the Demon Clan is really good for training people.
But when it came to guarding the demons, he suddenly realized that Xiao Wu didn't seem to have a disciple yet? That wouldn't do, so he said, "Xiao Wu, it's time for you to take on a disciple to inherit your mantle."
Jiang Yuemian gave a vague reply, and Xiao Mingjue then drifted away. Watching his retreating figure, Jiang Yuemian thought that her senior brother seemed quite pleased.
"..." It's because she doesn't understand.
Once outside, Xiao Mingjue sent text messages to his fellow disciples who were also away, each containing only one sentence: "[Xiao Wu has returned; return quickly.]"
………
"Have you heard? This year's inner sect selection will be set by the Immortal Venerable Lan Yue. This is a great opportunity for an immortal to impart his wisdom!"
"Indeed, this Moon-Gazing Immortal Venerable is a Mahayana stage cultivator. Even a minor tidbit like a sesame seed crack can greatly benefit us!"
"Then we'd better prepare well this time!"
"Hey, have you guys heard?! The Moon-Gazing Immortal Venerable is going to take on disciples during this Inner Sect Competition!"
"Really?! If I'm lucky enough to be accepted as a disciple by the Moon-Gazing Immortal Venerable, then I'll have a Mahayana stage cultivator protecting me!"
"Hey, don't even think about it, it's not our turn anyway."
"Who said that? What if I get incredibly lucky and the Moon-Gazing Immortal Venerable takes a liking to me!"
"You? Forget it, I wouldn't even dare to dream of it."
"Coward, I dare to think that."
Beside the notice board, some disciples were chatting idly.
As Shen Que listened to their conversation, he focused his gaze on the list of candidates for inner disciples, where his name was prominently displayed at the very end.
He listened to their conversation, his hand tightening around the jade pendant at his waist.
"A question has been set! A question has been set!"
This written examination will be based on the principles of administrative aptitude tests and essay writing tests.
Civil Service Exam:
The exam is out of 100 points, with 130 questions, each worth a point proportionally. It consists of six modules: Political Theory, General Knowledge, Verbal Comprehension and Expression, Quantitative Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Data Analysis. (Reference material: Basic Lecture Notes from a certain platform)
Essay Writing: 100 points total, subjective questions, reference book is "Essay Writing 100 Points"
"Don't push, don't push, let me see!"
"A civil service exam strategy question? What's this?"
"Never heard of it!"
"Reference material: Basic lecture notes from a certain organization?"
"Could this book have been written by a high-level cultivator? I've never heard of it before."
"Never mind that! Just go get one already! Otherwise..."
Hearing this, Shen Que hurriedly grabbed two books as well, regardless of who wrote them. He reasoned that anything done by a powerful person must have its reason.
However, that night:
"Ugh! This is so difficult! Why does diagrammatic reasoning work this way? What's the underlying principle?!"
"Help! How do I write the essay section for the civil service exam?!"
"Waaaaah, I have to choose between words!"
"Waaaaah, why is this common sense so twisted?!"
Shen Que stared at the diagram puzzle in his hand, lost in thought…
[Faith Points +1]
[Faith Points +1]
...
"Brother, how's your test going? Why can't I understand the data analysis questions?" An inner disciple patted his friend next to him.
"Sigh, stop talking. I'm completely confused by what I'm saying. The sect leader must be testing us by giving us these questions. I'm only managing to get 40 points on practice tests!"
"What! You actually got 40 points! My highest score is only 40 points!"
He clapped his hands and put down his chopsticks: "I'm not eating anymore! I need to hurry back and practice my aptitude test questions!"
At the next table, Shen Que's eyes were also unreadable. He remained silent and simply ate faster.
...
[Faith Points +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1]
It feels so good to hear the system announce my faith points!
Jiang Yuemian was overjoyed, and her face naturally beamed with pride.
These flowers... they're really beautiful!
This grass... it's really grassy!
Oh dear, this water... oh dear?
A beauty?
Who else could it be but Shen Que by the lake? From a distance, he could be seen holding a book in his hand.
She went closer to look, and the book cover clearly stated "5000 Civil Service Exam Questions".
And what lay beside him was actually a set of "Exclusive Internal Lecture Notes from a Certain Organization."
Jiang Yuemian: ...
Oh no, Shen Que has also been poisoned by the civil service exam.
She is truly guilty of a terrible sin.
"Cough...cough cough"
Shen Que turned around upon hearing the sound and saw that beautiful face. Jiang Yuemian was dressed simply as always, with eyebrows like distant mountains and eyes of a light, glassy color. Her eyelashes were long and thick, but not curled; they simply hung quietly, casting a small shadow on her lower eyelids. Her nose was high and straight with smooth lines, and her lips were as beautiful as plum blossoms in the snow. At this moment, her eyebrows were curved, and her usually aloof appearance was softened by the smile in her eyes, making her seem like a goddess descended to earth.
He quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Immortal Venerable."
The boy was only slightly taller than her, and now, with his head slightly lowered, he was about the same height as Jiang Yuemian. However, Jiang Yuemian found him to be inexplicably well-behaved.
"No need to stand on ceremony." Jiang Yuemian hurriedly helped Shen Que up, but her fingers accidentally slipped onto Shen Que's fingers. The moment their fingers touched, Shen Que's heart trembled slightly.
Jiang Yuemian didn't notice anything amiss. She was still immersed in the thought of poisoning Shen Que and felt guilty towards him: "Ahem... I see you are studying for the civil service exam. Is there anything you don't understand?"
[Host! How could you use your position for personal gain! You can't secretly tutor students!]
Nonsense! How could this be using public office for private gain? It's clearly...the bond between fellow disciples.
Jiang Yuemian did not listen to it.
Upon hearing her words, Shen Que looked up in surprise, his eyes sparkling: "Does the Immortal Venerable mean he can guide me?"
"Hmm." Jiang Yuemian nodded inscrutably.
then:
"Graphical reasoning emphasizes principles. Look at this problem; it can be viewed using a black and white grid. Let's see what common characteristics they share."
"Yes! Brilliant! So we solved this problem in a flash!"
"Let's look at this verbal comprehension question! This question asks what the core idea is, meaning there are many possible expressions, but we only need to grasp what it asks for, which is the content after 'but'!"
"Excellent! So smart! Shen Que! You're a natural-born civil servant!"
Shen Que blushed upon hearing the straightforward praise.
"Next question! Data analysis! For data analysis, you just need to memorize all the formulas first and then use a shortcut to solve the problem quickly! Look at this question, it's about finding the base period and the current period, so based on the given information, we can find the answer."
"That's fantastic! I understood it after just one listen!"
Shen Que's face turned slightly red again.
"Okay! Finally, let's talk about the essay section! How do we write the essay? First, we need to extract keywords from the material. This question says..., so when we answer the question, we need to distinguish between the main argument and the sub-arguments! We need to discuss them separately!"
"Great job! This content is already worth 60 points! Keep up the good work!"
Shen Que was flattered by Jiang Yuemian's praise, his eyes shining brightly.
[Host! Host! Stop praising him! He's already getting cocky!]
Jiang Yuemian then turned her gaze to Chen Que's face, but suddenly their eyes met. A cool breeze blew through their hair, and as their eyes met, Jiang Yuemian felt that the rabbit seemed even more beautiful.
Both of them were taken aback.
[Host! We suggest you don't get carried away with your crush! Shen Que is only 18, much younger than you!]
But he's just so ridiculously good-looking.
Feeling Jiang Yuemian's burning gaze, Shen Que pursed his lips, his earlobes turning red.
Just when the atmosphere was getting right, something spoiled the mood.
[Ding! System issues mission: The Qingyun Tournament is approaching. Please take on disciples as soon as possible and secure first place for Liwen Palace at the Qingyun Tournament two years from now! Note that this is not a drill. Both conditions are required! The mission time limit is two years.]
Quest completion reward: 1 Faith Point
Penalty for mission failure: Deduct 50 Faith Points
Deducting 50 faith points? Jiang Yuemian finally snapped out of her daze.
Then ask: 001, how much faith do you have now?
[Host, your total Faith value is 62. Keep up the good work!]
How infuriating! Why does failing a mission deduct so much? Tell me, 001.
[Host~ Please complete the mission as soon as possible~ / The key is to win first place! Feeling guilty]
"0, 0, 1 —"
A note from the author:
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Xiao Shen: It's me! It's me!
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