Lime, Citrus, Examination, and Sword

"Alright, your registration is complete." Inside the association's office, Li Yun smiled and put away Ji Jue's registration form. "Please keep an eye out for text messages so you don't miss any notices." Then, she pushed a POS terminal forward. *Now you can swipe your card...* When Ji Jue's trembling hands finished punching in his PIN and a notification popped up on his phone, his heart shattered all over again. He deeply felt that the Embers had their own currency... and its exchange rate with Federation currency was truly touching. Just like that, four hundred and ten thousand was gone in a single swipe, leaving behind only a pitiful sliver of a balance. From striking it rich overnight to hitting rock bottom, it had taken only a few short days. Watching his bank balance plummet like a roller coaster, Ji Jue felt as if his entire being was about to crumble. "There are still a few days left before the exam, so make sure to review," Li Yun kindly reminded him. "I just asked a friend at headquarters. The total number of apprentices registered this year is considerably lower than usual—only about eleven hundred. "Presiding over the exam this time is Director Gustav, one of the eight Crowns of Glory. Compared to the other Crowns, his standards tend to be far higher and far more demanding, so you'd best be prepared." "The difficulty's gone up?" Ji Jue instantly went on alert. "From what I understand, yes." Li Yun thought for a moment before speaking slowly: "According to the announcement just released, the exam content will be adjusted compared to previous years. The weight given to theory and fundamentals has been reduced, while the requirements for apprentices' practical execution and creativity have been significantly increased." "What?" Ji Jue nearly leaped out of his seat. He rechecked his ears to make sure he hadn't misheard, unable to believe it. His biggest weakness... had been casually stripped away just like that?! Seriously? Even though he had initiated into all three branches—modern alchemy, Fluid Alchemy, and corruption alchemy—and his practical skill solidly surpassed ordinary artisans, while crafting blessed creations had become second nature, he had simply entered the craft far too recently. So recently that he'd had no time to make up for his vast theoretical deficiencies. Even if his theory was barely passable for his current level, pitted against those freaks who had been grinding away since age fourteen or fifteen, a single exam would probably expose him completely. If luck wasn't on his side, scraping a passing grade would be a stretch. And now, his biggest handicap had just been effortlessly swept off the board? "That's just... terrible," he muttered. Desperately trying to mask his delight, his face twitched into a heavy sigh. "Ahem, cough... Ah, the pressure is immense. Whatever will I do?" "I heard many apprentices who already signed up submitted requests today to withdraw," Li Yun said with a sympathetic sigh. "The association made a rare exception: withdrawing before the official examination won't be entered into your file or record. You have the next two days to think it over carefully." Having known Ye Xian for so many years, Li Yun was well acquainted with her style and perfectionism. Among modern alchemy's various schools, Ye Xian belonged to the group that placed the greatest emphasis on building a rock-solid foundation. In Li Yun's eyes, no matter how gifted an apprentice might be, a single year of study was scarcely enough to master the entry-level fundamentals. Not just Li Yun, but even Gustav had never imagined... that in this world existed a freak who had begun studying less than half a year ago, whose practical execution blew ordinary artisans out of the water, yet who would get utterly slaughtered by mere apprentices when it came to theoretical exams! "Understood. Absolutely, definitely!" Ji Jue gritted his teeth, rose, bowed his head in feigned distress, and hurried out. If he stayed any longer... he wouldn't be able to keep the corners of his mouth down. *Hold it in, hold it in! Don't laugh!* Inside, he was crying tears of joy, singing and dancing, about to weep little pearl-tears of delight. *How the hell is there such a lucky break?!* *The heavens have eyes!!* *After eating dirt for so long, this year it's finally my turn to strike it lucky!* *A joy to celebrate, truly a joy to celebrate!!* *A measly exam—how could I possibly not ace it now?!* "What are you so giddy about?" After watching Ji Jue smirk like an idiot for the entire morning, Ye Chun couldn't take it anymore and dumped a bucket of cold water on him. "Sure, the situation works out in your favor, but they're clearly doing this to clamp down on the frivolous, superficial trend represented by people like you, okay?" As she spoke, she pointed at him with a potato chip. And it was a cucumber-flavored chip, to boot—so rude. "Besides, the person presiding over this examination is that Gustav..." "Huh?" Ji Jue snatched the chip from her fingers, tossed it into his mouth, and crunched away. "Who the hell is Gustav? Never heard of him." Ye Chun lifted her phone and showed him an introductory page from within the Ring of Taiyi Association's internal network. At the very top was an aged photo. On screen was a stony-faced, chilling middle-aged man with stubble covering his jaw and indifferent eyes, gazing down as if constantly scrutinizing everything around him. "They say he detests nothing more than show-offs—flashy phonies who lack real ability yet aim far too high. Ever since he became a director, during internal audits alone, he's stripped the licenses of more than twenty artisans on grounds of limited talent and incompetence..." Ye Chun paused, then said with pity, "The rule barring anyone with less than three years of study from applying for the exam? He's the one who proposed it. Who do you think he's targeting this time?" "Hiss..." Ji Jue drew in a sharp breath of cold air. "Also, he and my aunt really don't get along." Ye Chun smiled with growing schadenfreude. "Three years ago at a directorate meeting, he publicly criticized a bunch of artisans—including Auntie—for ignoring association rules and regulations and doing whatever they pleased..." "...And then?" Ji Jue's eyelids began twitching madly. "And then? What else could happen? As if Auntie would care about that sort of thing," Ye Chun shrugged, sighing. "Word is he bumped his nose against a wall later over one of her achievements and never brought it up again... But don't worry, directors are all magnanimous. How could he possibly give you a hard time over such a petty grudge?" "..." Ji Jue was dumbstruck. "Uh, so if I withdraw my application right now..." he lowered his voice, "can I get a refund on the exam fee?" Ye Chun's grin grew all the more brilliant. She raised both arms, crossing them over her chest. "Nope!" *Smack!* Righteous punishment from Professor Ye descended from the heavens. Unbeknownst to them, she had materialized silently behind Ye Chun. Raising a hand, she rapped the girl on the noggin. Ye Chun let out a yelp, ducking her head and squirming around the couch in a chaotic ball of misery. Tears in her eyes, she glared at Ji Jue. *You set me up!* Ji Jue gave a sympathetic, rueful shrug: *You brought it on yourself...* "You don't need to worry about Gustav," Ye Xian said flatly. "Rigid as he is, what he values most is rules. He wouldn't stoop to sabotaging you over a minor feud with me. "Instead, you'd better worry about your own shortcomings. Pass or fail, if you want to walk a long path, the lessons you've missed still have to be made up." She paused, a dangerous glint surfacing in her eyes. "You didn't think taking a few extracurricular cram sessions elsewhere meant you were set for life, did you?" "Never!" Ji Jue's eyes went wide, and he answered in a resounding, resolute voice: "Tide Sound Workshop is my home! In my heart, Teacher, you are my only sun! I recognize no one but you! How could I possibly attend some random, illicit lectures on the outside?!" As for Kanemoto? Who's that old bastard? Beat it! "Is that so?" Professor Ye showed an apparently gratified smile—one that made Ji Jue's skin crawl. Then, her other hand, held behind her back, slowly rose into view. In her grasp was a massive book as thick as Ji Jue's head. The gilded lettering on its cover cast an unsettling, chilling gleam. —*Compendium of Past Written Exam Questions for the Ring of Taiyi Artisan Examination (Cataclysm Era 109–401)*. She placed the book gently into Ji Jue's hands and patted him on the shoulder. "Even if the association doesn't test certain things, I still will. "It works out nicely; the exam doesn't start until next week, so there's plenty of time." She said, "No need to push yourself too hard. Just finish it before the exam begins." "..." Ji Jue looked down blankly and flipped open the cover. Gazing at the paper so thin it was practically translucent, he estimated the lethal volume of questions—enough to trigger an acute cerebral hemorrhage. He swallowed dryly. Clutching at a final sliver of hope, he looked toward Ye Chun on the couch, eyes glistening with tears, pleading. *Senior Sister, my Heavenly Lord?* *Help me out!* Ye Chun gave a cold sneer and averted her gaze without an ounce of mercy. She even cracked open another bag of chips. *Your senior sister is dead. You brought this on yourself, you overachieving tryhard!* And so, the matter was settled. There would be no pre-exam indulgence or revelry, not even time for a final meal on death row. In the distant future, in the forty-first decade of the Cataclysm Era, inside this dark world, there were only cram sessions. Having missed nearly half a month of classes for physical reasons, Ji Jue was kicked into the workshop's basement, once again resuming a life of churning through test questions day and night. He didn't even dare to close his eyes and guess. Every mistake would be flagged by Professor Ye. The moment he made an error on the same question type or theory a second time, he was gifted a whole extra volume of intensive thesis reading notes and analyses to complete. Eat when hungry, drink when thirsty, sleep when tired. The soul strengthened by his Metamorphosis rank and the physical resilience reinforced through Zhou Chong wouldn't even allow him the luxury of fainting on the spot. On top of that, there was an unlimited supply of alchemical potions—dying of exhaustion was practically impossible. From initial agitation and wailing, to subsequent habituation and immersion, to the very end where he was completely numb... He had turned into a problem-solving machine. So much so that a week later, when Ye Chun pinched her nose and dragged him out of the basement, his whole person smelled thoroughly rancid, his gaze vacant. He was even drooling... "How many is this?" Ye Chun held up three fingers and waved them in front of him. Zero reaction. "It's over, Auntie!" Ye Chun gasped in shock. "He's gone stupid!" From the study, a calm voice drifted out: "Leave him be. He'll recover in a bit." Faced with such rare entertainment, Ye Chun gave it some brief thought, conducted a rational analysis, punched her fist into her palm, and grinned silently. She pulled a marker from her pocket... —The runner-up of the 16th Yacheng Friendship Cup Turtle-Drawing Tournament, deploy! It wasn't until she finished drawing her fourth lifelike little turtle that Ji Jue's eyes finally twitched. Yet his gaze bypassed her fingers and landed squarely on her face. "..." The countless theories and formulas surging endlessly in his mind still held the high ground. His dark-red pupils, resembling embers dimmed to a smolder, contracted as he subconsciously seized her wrist, instinctively analyzing: *Human, female, age twenty-three. Blood and vitality calm, spiritus faint, four humors index abnormal, internal disharmony, suspected interference from excessive blessings, foundation disk structure sealed tight, indecipherable...* Yet an instant later, everything within his perception vanished without a trace. As if detecting external prying, it all faded back into dense fog, leaving nothing to observe. More dazed than ever, he instinctively held on, probing again and again. Yet he found not the slightest trace. *That shouldn't be. What's going on? A spiritus composition I've never seen before and a colossal structure that felt fused with her entire soul—could that really have been an illusion?* *Why is her temperature rising? By about one degree... Blood flow abnormal, heartbeat accelerated too. Huh? Fragrant and soft... What is this? Residual plant essential oils?* *Body wash?* *Smells a bit like that lazy dog of a senior sister... Wait...* *Ye Chun?!* In that instant, Ji Jue's eyes went wide. He looked up stiffly. His unfocused pupils shrank, and his blurred vision slowly cleared, revealing that familiar face right in front of him, staring down at him. Looking down, he saw the slender fingers clamped in his grip. The pale, luminous nails caught the sunlight streaming through the window, giving off a faint, subtle sheen. "Looked your fill?" Ye Chun tilted her head, smiling as she asked curiously, "Aside from 'smells a bit like that lazy dog of a senior sister,' do you have any last words to leave behind?" Ji Jue let go as if struck by lightning. He raised his hands in surrender, hoping to struggle a bit more before having his skull cracked open. Then, a basket was thrust into his chest, followed by a bath towel, toothbrush, soap, and shampoo tossed inside. Finally, Ye Chun rummaged through the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of body wash. "Here, a twin bottle for you: lime and citrus..." She pointed toward the guest bathroom. "You're completely rancid. Get lost and take a shower. Once you're done, I'll help you commit seppuku and act as your second." "Yes, ma'am." Ji Jue nodded, meek as a mouse. Bowing and scraping, he hugged the bath basket and fled for his life. More than half an hour later, showered and changed, Ji Jue sat in his teacher's study, waiting trembling for the verdict. In the silence, only the crisp rustle of turning pages sounded. After a long while, Professor Ye slowly raised a hand, took off her glasses, and rather than slamming the desk in fury, nodded slowly. Instantly, Ji Jue couldn't help but breathe a long sigh of relief. Cold sweat had nearly broken out across his brow. While growth was gratifying, cramming day and night had been nothing short of a nightmare. By now, even he couldn't count how many exam papers and problem sets he had plowed through in the past week, or how many papers and notes he had hammered into his skull. "At this rate, you've roughly reached passing level," Ye Xian said slowly. "The rest can be made up after the exam." Instantly, Ji Jue's heart seized and his vision went black. Life had lost all meaning. "There's... more to make up?" Only then did Professor Ye's next words register: "Given this progress, once the artisan examination is over, we can pretty much begin—" She paused, lifted her teacup, took a sip, and spoke measuredly: "—the study of the *Treatise on Imagistic Swords*." In the brief dead silence, scarlet light flared in Ji Jue's eyes, and saliva practically pooled in his mouth. Instantly, an unbearable hunger consumed him. *Cram, cram, cram!* *Cram my freaking brains out!* *What's a little make-up class? I'll do backflips and pirouettes while cramming!* Right now, his mind was utterly dominated by the title Professor Ye had uttered. *Treatise on Imagistic Swords! Treatise on Imagistic Swords!! Treatise on Imagistic Swords!!!* Unlike the foundational modern alchemy theories she had taught him so far, and distinct from the techniques and applications she had seized after defeating countless artisans... This was a supreme art belonging solely to Professor Ye Xian in the world today. Moreover, unlike the Dissociation Art she had researched on her own, this was an uncompromising, genuine Ye family secret heritage! One had only to look at the matrices—Ganjiang and Moxie—to understand the intimate bond between the Ye family's lineage and swords. The *Discourse on Sword Appraisal* that Professor Ye had tossed him back then was merely a basic primer explaining forms and concepts for introductory purposes; the *Treatise on Imagistic Swords* was the true core. Though called the *Treatise on Imagistic Swords*, it was actually split into two volumes: *Hanxiang* and *Shuo Jian*. The lower volume, *Shuo Jian*, documented the structures, analyses, and blessing series of renowned swords from the Age of Chaos up until several decades ago, as well as their weaknesses, flaws, and methods of countering and destroying them. The upper volume, *Hanxiang*, comprised the myriad secret traditions accumulated over a thousand years by successive generations of Ye family swordsmiths. Even though Ye Xian had forged her own path and no longer followed the course charted by her forebears, one had only to glance at the dust-covered, rust-pocked "discards" lying in the storehouse—blades that could butcher thousands or tens of thousands of Ji Jues without dulling their edges—to know the true worth of the *Treatise on Imagistic Swords*. Then he thought of the catalog of sword Celestial Crafts mentioned in *Discourse on Sword Appraisal*: Juque, Chunjun, Zhanlu, Yuchang... If he could really master it, maybe in the future he could clash blades with that old geezer Kanemoto, settle the score, and let him taste his precious masterpiece! In an instant, Ji Jue's fighting spirit swelled, exploded, skyrocketed! *Grind! Grind! Grind! Grind! Grind!!!!* His eyes were so bloodshot that even Ye Chun felt a pang of fear. Long after he had sprinted out of the workshop howling with laughter, she poked her head out in alarm. "Whoa, Auntie, did you dose him with some crazy stimulant again? I'm worried that during the association's pre-exam doping check, his doping test will turn out to be pure stimulants with traces of blood." "Nothing of the sort," Ye Xian turned a newspaper page calmly. "I merely plan to teach him the *Treatise on Imagistic Swords*. Once he's seen the good stuff, he won't go making a fuss over whatever random trinkets he encounters outside." "So soon?!" Ye Chun was shocked, before realizing something wasn't right. "Wait, shouldn't that be taught to me first?!" "..." At that, Professor Ye closed the newspaper and fixed her with a death glare. "Yes indeed. Why is that?" *Here sits a fool bearing the title of family head, heir to a profound and ancient heritage, spoon-fed by a grandmaster since childhood, yet completely unable to master a single family art. Utterly disgraceful—though I won't name any names.* The fool shrank back guiltily. "Auntie, you know me... I'm really not cut out for this!" Ye Xian sighed helplessly. As the saying went, mud couldn't be plastered onto a wall—and if you forced it, neither the mud nor the wall would be happy. Even if you forced an ox to drink, push its head down too many times and the ox might choke to death, not to mention your own arms getting sore. This tormenting cycle of "Ye Chun, you're the head of the house!" and "Auntie, you'll regret this!" had played out countless times ever since Ye Chun first learned to read. Stubborn as Ye Xian was, even she had been forced to accept the reality that some people were simply born insulated from the Embers. She had given up. Fortunately, heaven always left a way out. Her house's idiot had wandered outside and somehow, through pure happenstance, dragged back a chosen of the Embers. The blood, sweat, and legacy of her ancestors wouldn't die out after all. "Still, he's only been studying for less than half a year..." Ye Chun poked her head out again, curious. "Can he really pass the artisan examination?" "You said it yourself—it's an artisan examination, not a master assessment," Ye Xian answered nonchalantly. "No matter how reluctant Gustav might be, as long as he has eyes in his skull, he won't be foolish enough to defy reality. With the kid's current ability, a little more effort and he could break away to set up his own school just like I did. How could he possibly fail?" Passing or failing was never in doubt. It was merely a matter of ranking. However... "Send him a message," Ye Xian turned back, looking at her domestic fool. "Tell him that if his ranking is too low, he should prepare to come back for extra lessons in spiritus offense and defense." Hearing this, Ye Chun nodded frantically. *Yes, yes, yes, exactly that!* *Tryhards like him only drive up the price of grain by existing! He deserves to be ravaged, beaten down, and crushed without mercy!* Soon, Ye Chun poked her head back in. "Auntie, he's asking what rank doesn't count as 'too low'?" Under the afternoon sun, Ye Xian looked up and pondered for a moment. "Anything other than first place," she said, "counts."