Fairness

Inside a quiet, secluded hall, Zhang Sheng and Sun Yu sat opposite each other. Once seated, Sun Yu handed over a sheet of jade-colored paper and a black jade box, saying, "This is the new charter, and this is the Liquan Powder." The jade-colored paper had originally been completely blank, but the moment it landed in Zhang Sheng's hands, dense swarms of tiny characters surfaced across it, stacked layer upon layer into dozens of tiers. The charter was expansive, spanning tens of thousands of words, yet scanning it took Zhang Sheng only a few breaths. With just a single glance, Zhang Sheng said, "Such a drastic change—is this the handiwork of the Reform Faction?" Sun Yu lifted his teacup, took a sip, and replied, "When you left the mountain, Junior Brother, the Reform Faction already held the upper hand. In recent years, with large numbers of young disciples joining their ranks, their momentum has grown ever greater, and the Traditionalist Faction has gradually been unable to hold them back. This general examination charter did indeed come from the Reform Faction, after which the prominent clans and noble houses each meddled with it to varying degrees. The end result is what you see." Zhang Sheng frowned. "Isn't this martial test prepared specifically for the prominent clans? They only need to announce their pedigree to rally an entire unit, while children from ordinary families can only serve as foot soldiers on the front lines. Besides, what opportunity would an ordinary child have to study the art of war? Even if they wanted to learn, where could they hire a renowned mentor truly versed in military strategy who has fought and won battles? Even if they could scrape together a unit of their own, in the end, they would merely serve as stepping stones for others." "The martial test is indeed tailored for the aristocratic clans; without it, the new charter could never have been implemented. The Reform Faction has far-reaching ambitions, and the new charter is merely the first step, so they need the backing of the clans." Zhang Sheng said slowly, "Yet the Palace specifically granted these quotas with the original intention of recruiting children of destiny. Now they have still ended up in the pockets of the prominent clans. What difference does it make?" Sun Yu sighed. "In the future, once your mastery of the Dao is complete, if you find such things intolerable, you can always change them." Sun Yu spoke diplomatically, but Zhang Sheng naturally understood his meaning. He sighed. "Forget it. I cannot concern myself with others' affairs. In any case, there is the quota specially allocated by our Sky Azure Hall for Yuan'er. The sooner the exam concludes, the sooner I can return to the mountain to restore my Dao power, sparing me the vexation of watching them." Sun Yu said nothing, merely staring straight ahead as though an ancestral Daoist master were expounding the Dharma or a celestial immortal were revealing wondrous mysteries upon the opposite wall. The hint of a smile on Zhang Sheng's face gradually faded, his voice dropping low and grave. "What? Someone dares to set their sights on Yuan'er's quota?" Sun Yu's expression was wooden. "Junior Brother, the general examination is such a major affair, with countless eyes watching. I'm afraid personal favors cannot be indulged." "Personal favors? I reported to the Palace gates a month ago. This quota was bestowed by our Sky Azure Hall's Patriarch Xuanyue and had nothing to do with anyone else to begin with. How can that be called playing favorites?" Sun Yu gritted his teeth and said, "I'll just be frank with you! To recruit children of destiny, the Palace originally handed down two quotas. But there were simply too many people vying for them, far more than could be satisfied, so someone set their sights on your Sky Azure Hall's quota. Several prominent clans banded together to pressure the Palace, demanding that all quotas be contested fairly based on results, without private conferral. Going by the charter, that is indeed how it should be. The Palace had no choice but to release all three quotas for fair admission based on exam scores." "Their appetites are growing quite large indeed, encroaching even upon my Sky Azure Hall..." A sharp glint gradually surfaced in Zhang Sheng's eyes, and he said chillingly, "How many clans are competing for these three quotas?" "As far as I know, disciples from five clans are roughly matched in strength and pre-exam preparation, with little to separate them." With the words put so plainly, Zhang Sheng naturally understood. At least five prominent noble clans were competing for the Palace of Grand Beginning's three spots, evenly matched in power. And because each had their own underhanded means, external interference had to be ruled out, forcing the five clans to compete on an even footing. Seeing Zhang Sheng's expression, Sun Yu hurriedly added, "Perfected Fenhai also had me pass eight words to you: do not transgress the rules; let nature take its course." Zhang Sheng showed no expression. Sun Yu gritted his teeth and lowered his voice. "Your disciple is still young; by the next examination, he will only be eleven. When the time comes, we can find a way to get your disciple into a commandery with open quotas. If others can fabricate blood relations, can we not do the same? Furthermore, the several Perfected were delighted by your return this time and specifically appointed you as one of the seven evaluators for this general examination. With this seat, your disciple's placement next term should be virtually assured." With that, Sun Yu handed over a jade medallion. The medallion was the size of a palm, carved with immortal mountains and auspicious beasts, with the characters for 'Evaluator' inscribed in the center, Dao power flowing between the brushstrokes. According to the examination charter, the position of evaluator was of paramount importance, granting the discretion to raise or lower examinees' marks within a certain margin. Serving as an evaluator naturally brought all sorts of advantages, both overt and subtle. First and foremost, every candidate who passed the examination would view the evaluators as half a mentor, and the families backing them would seek good relations. With destiny coalescing over Fengyuan Commandery this time, competition was unprecedentedly fierce, with illustrious clans gathering in numbers rivaling the realm's most prominent commanderies. Consequently, the weight of this evaluator post was dozens, even a hundred times greater than usual. By taking up the mantle of evaluator, Zhang Sheng would place the aristocratic clans vying for the quotas in his debt. When the next examination came around and Zhang Sheng sought to send Wei Yuan into the Palace, they would more or less have to pitch in. With proper maneuvering above and below, securing a quota would be sixty to seventy percent certain. Zhang Sheng knew this was intended as compensation for the loss of Sky Azure Hall's quota. Zhang Sheng's gaze grew deep and distant as he spoke slowly: "Yuan'er bears destiny upon him—how can he afford a delay of five years? If that destiny dissipates, his path of Dao will be severed. The immortal path is arduous, and every moment counts. This is a contention for the Great Dao, and as his teacher, I must stand in the vanguard! Since those people have such large appetites, I shall see what tricks they have up their sleeves!" "Junior Brother..." Sun Yu tried to dissuade him, but Zhang Sheng raised a hand to stop him. Zhang Sheng rose and paced back and forth across the hall several times before coming to a halt. His clear, bright gaze fixed upon Sun Yu. "You are the Chief Proctor for this general examination, correct?" Sun Yu nodded. "I merely oversee all mundane affairs, nothing more." "Are there any other evaluators from our Palace of Grand Beginning?" "There is one more: Senior Brother Fufeng from the Hall of Heavenly Secrets. Senior Brother Fufeng is straightforward and open-hearted. Though we rarely interact ordinarily, he should lean toward our side during evaluations." Zhang Sheng shook his head. "Not necessarily." Sun Yu paused, then quickly realized the truth. Daoist Fufeng was not like Zhang Sheng; his serving as an evaluator surely came with predilections, or else why would those aristocratic clans have let him sit in that chair? Now that young Wei Yuan aimed to snatch food from the tiger's maw, he was naturally placed at odds with Daoist Fufeng. Zhang Sheng held out his hand. "First, let me see the roster of examinees participating this time." Sun Yu was shocked. "Th-this violates the rules! I..." Under the gaze of Zhang Sheng's clear eyes, Sun Yu's expression shifted several times. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "Since they want fairness, then it must be absolute fairness! They have long since riddled the rules into a sieve, so why should we remain pedantic fools? Wait a moment, Junior Brother. I'll go fetch it right away!" After a short while, Sun Yu returned and handed Zhang Sheng a sheet of jade paper listing in detail the background information of every candidate in this examination. Zhang Sheng took it and examined it closely. The hall fell silent. Sun Yu poured himself a cup of tea. His hand shook slightly, splashing a few drops, but by the time the cup reached his lips, it was finally as steady as an old dog.