Nanyuan City.
In the afternoon, the Civilization Academy examination began.
Fewer candidates took the Civilization Academy examination than the morning's test. In this day and age, anyone could train in martial cultivation, but when it came to scholarship, by no means could everyone see it through.
Those who had passed too few All-Races languages assessments in intermediate academy did not even meet the qualifications to sign up.
Between locals from Nanyuan and applicants from elsewhere, over three thousand candidates were sitting for the overall examinations, yet only around a thousand—or perhaps even fewer—took part in the Civilization Academy exam.
……
Inside the academy.
Unlike the quiet, understated atmosphere of the morning, the afternoon was dedicated to the Civilization Academy examination. The group that had previously accompanied Wu Lan had come specifically for the afternoon test; their presence that morning had merely been to get a look at Su Yu.
At that moment, Su Yu had just emerged from the dormitory building. Before he could reach the testing grounds, that exact group was already waiting for him at the entrance.
Seeing Su Yu approach, a cheerful-looking youth stepped forward, extending a hand with a smile. "Hello, Su Yu. I'm Zhou Tianqi. Nice to meet you."
Su Yu swept a glance over him. One never hit a smiling face, so without saying much, he reached out and gave his hand a brief shake.
"Su Yu, Nanyuan native."
After answering, Su Yu checked the time and asked with a slight smile, "Is there something I can do for you, classmate Zhou?"
Zhou Tianqi smiled and said, "A few of us came here from the Great Xia Prefecture. We've heard about you before—Assistant Researcher Bai Feng accepted you as a student ahead of time, and we were quite curious what sort of genius could catch Assistant Researcher Bai's eye.
"Seeing you this morning, we truly realized that there's always a higher mountain and someone greater out there!"
Zhou Tianqi sighed with admiration. "Stage Nine Kaiyuan—no wonder Assistant Researcher Bai took you on early. I'm deeply impressed!"
With an expression of pure goodwill, Zhou Tianqi called out toward the crowd behind him, "Everyone, come meet him! Who knows, we might all be academy classmates in the future! With Assistant Researcher Bai backing him, Su Yu is far ahead of the rest of us!"
As soon as he finished speaking, someone from behind also laughed loudly. "Su Yu, it's an honor to meet you! Being recruited early by the Great Xia Civilization Academy is treatment reserved for geniuses—top-tier geniuses of the Great Xia Prefecture, no less. Seeing you today, you really are something else!"
In an instant, candidates in the surrounding area—both out-of-towners and locals—turned their heads in their direction.
Murmurs broke out.
"Su Yu? Recruited early?"
"On what grounds? Is he that formidable?"
"Fucking under-the-table dealings again! People like that make me sick!"
"……"
The rustle of whispering voices reached Su Yu's ears. His expression did not change, but a subtle shift flickered through his eyes.
*How interesting!*
*These guys did this on purpose!*
*Painting a target on my back!*
They were steering public opinion. To the other candidates, the examination had not even started, yet a guaranteed-admission student had already appeared. Naturally, Su Yu became a thorn in everyone's side.
Everyone knew the quota for Nanyuan was strictly limited.
A spot being secretly decided in advance meant one fewer quota slot for the rest of them. They would not care how outstanding Su Yu was, nor would they blame their own shortcomings if they failed; if they did fail, it would only be because Su Yu had taken their spot.
That was human nature!
The murmurs instantly swelled. The Zhou Tianqi before him acted as if he had heard nothing, his face still brimming with smiles. "Su Yu, we'll really have to rely on you to look out for us in the future. The treatment for geniuses isn't the same as what we get. Once we're at the academy, you'll receive vastly more resources and guidance, while we'll be left far behind……"
Zhou Tianqi sighed, sounding part envious and part jealous.
Seeing how loudly he spoke, Su Yu chuckled and said, "I don't even know if I can pass. Even if I do…… I might not necessarily go! I took first place in this morning's War Academy examination, so I might just head to a war academy instead."
Su Yu sounded thoroughly nonchalant, utterly calm. "If I don't score first place at the Civilization Academy, I won't necessarily attend, since the benefits would likely be far worse. It's a shame one can't apply to all four great academies at once. Otherwise, I would have tested for all four to see which one suited me best."
*I took first place!*
*First place in the War Academy exam!*
*So this quota you cherish so much is just a joke to me.*
*It's not about whether they accept me, but whether I deign to go.*
As soon as those words landed, many people showed astonishment. Nearby, someone whispered, "He got first place this morning?"
"Aren't the results still unreleased? How does he know?"
"Idiot! If he took first place, an examiner would have made him an early offer on the spot! If he already got first place, why is he even here…… seriously!"
The wind shifted at once.
Backdoor dealings were infuriating, but if the guy truly was a monster who took first place in the War Academy exam, he genuinely might not hold the Civilization Academy in high regard.
Just as Su Yu had said, if he did not score well here, he might not even go. If the Civilization Academy wanted him, he still had to be picky about it!
Su Yu kept his composure, then added, "Since you all seem so certain you'll be my classmates…… does that mean you have inside information? Are you guaranteed to pass this year's exam? I've long heard that there's far more insider knowledge back in the Great Xia Prefecture. Could you give me a hint about the exam contents?"
Su Yu sighed. "We folks from small places know so little; we haven't a clue what will be tested. Once we step inside, we're entirely at the mercy of others. We can't compare to the Great Xia Prefecture."
Zhou Tianqi's expression stiffened slightly, and he forced a laugh. "No such thing. The exam content changes every year; we don't know what will be tested either."
"Is that so?"
Su Yu offered neither agreement nor denial. In the next moment, his eyes caught someone, and he suddenly called out, "Wu Lan, do you know what's on the test later?"
Over in the distance, Wu Lan was walking over alone, proud and detached.
She was an arrogant, brainless fool—at least, that was Su Yu's assessment.
This woman had no fear of offending people, nor did she seem to care in the slightest.
Or rather, she did not believe offending them was a big deal at all; in her eyes, these people were simply not on her level.
Hearing Su Yu call her name, Wu Lan turned her head, her face dark with displeasure, and said indifferently, "If you want to know, you'll find out when the test starts!"
Su Yu smiled. "Just asking. I heard those from the Great Xia Prefecture know much more than we do. We folks from small towns are a bit anxious, so I thought I'd ask."
At that moment, quite a few Nanyuan candidates looked over with faces full of anticipation; they truly knew very little.
Wu Lan frowned impatiently, but spoke anyway. "Just the standard assessments, plus some tests on willpower and divine characters later on."
"Oh!"
Su Yu nodded and asked nothing more, remarking with a sigh, "The Great Xia Prefecture really is something else. Even the students know more than we do. With these classmates coming from the Great Xia Prefecture, they're practically guaranteed to get in this time. As for the rest of us…… even if we meet the standard, we might not get accepted. Well, whatever. I took first place for the War Academy anyway, so I don't need to worry.
"Still, I wonder how many people from the Great Xia Prefecture will be admitted. Hopefully, they won't take too many of Nanyuan's spots……"
The moment he said this, the candidates' expressions shifted erratically.
Someone who recognized Su Yu could not help speaking up. "Su Yu, it can't be that bad, right? Didn't the teachers say that people from the Great Xia Prefecture wouldn't take part in our quota allocation?"
Su Yu smiled. "That's what they said, and that's the policy. But…… these classmates from the Great Xia Prefecture are so outstanding, and comparison is a dangerous thing. When the exam comes, if our scores look pathetic, it wouldn't have mattered in past years when there was no one to compare us against. But now with a direct comparison…… if the Civilization Academy examiners see how dreadful the Nanyuan candidates are, it's not impossible that they might trim a few spots from our quota."
The moment those words dropped, the mood turned completely sour!
The locals from Nanyuan all looked thoroughly displeased as they glared at Zhou Tianqi's group, as well as the other outside applicants.
It truly was possible!
The presiding examiners were all from the Civilization Academy. If they saw how poor Nanyuan was…… without a comparison, it was fine, but what about with one?
Su Yu continued, "Besides, the quota for applicants from the Great Xia Prefecture is limited too. I previously thought that only those who weren't confident of passing back in the Great Xia Prefecture would bother coming here. But seeing classmate Zhou and his friends, I can tell at a glance that they're geniuses even in the Great Xia Prefecture. Well, isn't that wonderful? Now ordinary students from the Great Xia Prefecture probably don't stand a chance either."
Before this, some people had not connected the dots.
With his prompt, several candidates who were clearly from out of town suddenly started cursing. "Damn it all! Zhou Tianqi, you're ranked in the top ten at the Ninth Intermediate Academy! What the fuck are you doing coming to Nanyuan to snatch our quota? Fuck your ancestors!"
"Exactly! To come to Nanyuan, my dad sold our house in the Great Xia Prefecture just to get a household registration here…… The quota for Great Xia applicants coming here was tiny to begin with. With these bastards showing up, aren't they going to take our spots?"
"Of course they will! Would the examiners separate them out? They're all in Nanyuan now, all registered here, and they're also from the Great Xia Prefecture—can they really be kicked out?"
"Fuck!"
Hundreds of out-of-town candidates erupted into an uproar!
Someone shouted in frustration, "Does anyone know how many spots are open for Great Xia applicants here in Nanyuan?"
"Twenty at the absolute most, maybe not even that!"
"And with seven or eight of them showing up, that wipes out half of them in one go…… What are we supposed to do?"
"How the hell should I know!"
"They could have passed back in the Great Xia Prefecture, yet they insisted on coming to Nanyuan—are they doing this on purpose? Spending millions just to come to Nanyuan, did they do it just to hand free money to Marquis Xia?"
"……"
The candidates were furious—far more furious than even the local Nanyuan students!
Not just them; the faces of the parents accompanying the out-of-town students also darkened. They had not understood the situation earlier, but after questioning their children, they learned that these newcomers were minor geniuses from the Great Xia Prefecture. While not on par with someone like Wu Lan, they were still standout talents in their respective academies.
And they had actually come here too!
Now, even the parents could no longer sit still.
They were standing outside the testing grounds, the exam had not yet begun, and the parents had not left. At this point, the Nanyuan locals did not even need to speak.
In the next moment, a parent stepped forward and shouted, "If you could get in back in the Great Xia Prefecture, why the hell did you come to Nanyuan? Do you think having money and influence makes you hot shit? We were forced to bankrupt ourselves in the Great Xia Prefecture just to move to a small town like Nanyuan, and now you won't even leave us a single way out?
"We can take getting swindled by Marquis Xia, but now you locals from the Great Xia Prefecture want to screw us over too? Damn it, do you really think being wealthy and powerful makes you untouchable? Once the Prefect emerges from seclusion, he'll chop off every single one of your heads!"
This parent had likely emptied his entire life savings, and his grief and fury were overflowing!
*We can't afford to provoke Marquis Xia, but do you think we're afraid of you?*
"You have to give us an explanation! If not, then refund our money! I don't want the house, and I don't want the registration! Give us our money back, or we won't take the test!"
"……"
"Refund the money, or we won't take the test! This is an outright scam!"
"Or increase the quota! Don't count those few!"
"……"
Su Yu was somewhat dumbfounded. *I just gave a little nudge—this isn't going to turn into a full-blown disaster, is it?*
While he was stunned, Zhou Tianqi and his companions were completely terrified.
This…… they seemed to have stirred up a massive hornet's nest!
Hundreds of students and dozens of parents were now glaring at them with murderous expressions, looking as if they wanted to swallow them whole. What were they supposed to do?
A catastrophe was brewing!
The applicants from the Great Xia Prefecture had turned on each other!
The students and parents from Nanyuan wisely kept their mouths shut and settled in to watch the show.
It seemed right, after all; this had little to do with them. It was the other folks from the Great Xia Prefecture who were truly miserable. They had spent massive fortunes, only to have their spots snatched away by these few individuals—wasn't that throwing money down the drain?
At least the Nanyuan locals hadn't spent a copper!
Zhou Tianqi was young, after all, and panic began to set in. Seeing parents marching toward him, he grew flustered and hurriedly said, "No, we…… we just came to meet Su Yu……"
"You came all the way to Nanyuan just to meet someone? We spent all that money—who's going to answer to us?"
A parent roared in rage, "If you couldn't pass back in the Great Xia Prefecture, we wouldn't blame you! But since you're already geniuses back home, why run over here? What's the meaning of this! Is the upper class trying to monopolize everything?
"Are you not going to leave the rest of us even the slightest chance?
"If my son doesn't pass this year, our family will barely be able to put food on the table. What will we do then? Will you support us? Will you pay us back?
"You rich folks treat millions like pocket money to throw around for fun, but that was our entire life's savings! We took on debt just hoping my son could pass! You're cutting off my entire family's lifeline……
"If you won't give us a way to live, and my son doesn't pass this year, I won't let you live either!"
This parent was completely enraged, and he was far from the only one.
In the next instant, inside the testing grounds, several examiners heard the commotion and rushed over, the air whistling with sonic booms!
All around, City Guards began to appear.
Even Xia Bing from the Longwu Guards showed up.
A conflict had erupted right outside the examination hall!
……
Su Yu's expression shifted continuously. *Nothing terrible is going to happen, right?*
He had truly only said those words to mess with Zhou Tianqi and his crew.
Those guys clearly harbored ill intent, which was why he had spoken up to make them suffer a setback.
Who would have guessed…… he had poked a hornets' nest!
If this was investigated, would he be accused of inciting public unrest?
A large crowd arrived. There was Section Chief Sun of the Yuqiang Department, whom Su Yu recognized; Old Xie, who walked up with his arms crossed; Xia Bing had arrived; the chiliarch from the Demon Suppression Army appeared; and even Wu Wenhai was present!
With multiple Tengkong Realm experts arriving, the scene finally settled into some semblance of order.
Section Chief Sun was listening to a subordinate's report. At that moment, his gaze snapped to Su Yu, cold and sharp. Su Yu felt a tremor in his heart. In the next breath, Section Chief Sun turned his gaze to Zhou Tianqi and his companions, his face grim!
They had nearly provoked a full-blown civil riot!
Did these bastards have any idea how much trouble would erupt if a violent conflict broke out here?
As the section chief and the primary official in charge of this examination, his own head might have been lopped off by Marquis Xia!
That was no exaggeration!
Purchasing registrations and buying property to settle down had all been Marquis Xia's policy. If that policy ran into trouble and detonated here in Nanyuan, the fallout could spread across all twenty-eight cities.
While Marquis Xia's ambiguous policies bore part of the blame, as the person overseeing Nanyuan's examination, his failure to steer the situation properly would be considered gross negligence.
Section Chief Sun's expression fluctuated before he projected his voice loudly. "Everyone, do not panic! Do not listen to rumors or take them on blind faith! Zhou Tianqi and his group will not be competing for the registration-transfer quota; they are specially approved registered applicants!
"Each of their families paid an additional ten million. Including Wu Lan, there are nine of them in total, and they will be admitted at a three-to-one ratio—meaning only three will be accepted! They did not come to Nanyuan to snatch these spots from you, but to challenge themselves!"
Section Chief Sun beamed with a broad smile. "If someone is willing to spend over ten million just to test their limits, we are more than happy to oblige. Marquis Xia said it himself: since they have money and are willing to get fleeced, we don't mind obliging them!"
The section chief from the Yuqiang Department spoke with a light chuckle, sounding utterly relaxed, though his banter carried a subtle warning. "You all have such fiery tempers. That's the one bad habit of our Great Xia Prefecture—the moment anything happens, everyone wants to solve it with fists…… To that parent who just spoke: dare say another word about not letting someone live, and the Wind Arrest Hall will be waiting for you!"
The parent who had shouted earlier hurriedly backed down, stammering with an aggrieved tone, "No, my lord, we were just startled. So many spots being taken at once…… had we known, we wouldn't have come. We poured our entire fortune into this; isn't that cutting off our livelihood?"
"Cut the sob story!"
Section Chief Sun scolded with a laugh. "Isn't the house still yours? Are you going to starve to death? You paid out of your own pockets to come; did anyone hold a blade to your neck? Even if they weren't excluded from your quota and were competing with you, you brought it on yourselves!
"The next time you dare incite a mob…… you'll be treated as an All-Races Sect cultist, and your head will roll!"
Section Chief Sun's expression abruptly turned stern, his demeanour flipping in an instant as he barked, "What, gathering here to stage a rebellion? Or do you want the scum of the All-Races Sect to see an opening, egg you on to riot, and then get yourselves beheaded?
"Every single one of you, clear out! Anyone who isn't a candidate, leave immediately!"
Playing both the carrot and the stick, he gave them both comfort and intimidation. At once, the parents lost their fury, wearing obsequious smiles and daring say nothing more as they quickly dispersed.
The unrest subsided.
Section Chief Sun's eyes turned icy as he fixed them upon Zhou Tianqi and the others, his voice frosty. "What I said earlier—make sure it is enforced!"
Zhou Tianqi and his group turned deathly pale.
Ten million!
The money was not even the main issue—three out of nine!
Six of them would not be admitted!
Several among them felt sheer dread and grievance, hurriedly crying out, "Section Chief Sun, we……"
Section Chief Sun's gaze went entirely dark and chilling, and he murmured softly, "The Longwu Guards and the Prefectural Army know how to seize family estates, too."
At those words, their courage shattered!
This was the Great Xia Prefecture. In ordinary times, things seemed relaxed, but the moment anyone crossed the bottom lines of the major authorities, the Longwu Guards and the Prefectural Army would instantly turn into demons. Raiding homes and wiping out clans was not unheard of!
Section Chief Sun paid them no further mind, turning toward Su Yu instead. Su Yu's face was also somewhat pale.
Section Chief Sun stared at him for a moment without a word, then turned to speak a few quiet phrases to the young team leader from the Great Xia Civilization Academy.
That researcher nodded repeatedly. By this point, he was no longer aloof or dismissive toward Section Chief Sun; in an emergency, all of them fell under Section Chief Sun's jurisdiction.
After listening for a while, the researcher nodded, and Section Chief Sun departed.
Once Section Chief Sun was gone, the team leader from the Great Xia Civilization Academy looked at Su Yu, his lips moving slightly as his voice was transmitted directly into Su Yu's ears.
"The Great Xia Prefecture enforces clear rewards and punishments, and maintains strict discipline. Zhou Tianqi and his group initiated this trouble, so this incident is not entirely your fault…… however, you recklessly stirred the pot, and you cannot go unpunished!
"Do you know what consequences would have unfolded had those people actually assaulted Zhou Tianqi and his group?
"Su Yu, you possess exceptional intellect; in the future, think thrice before acting!
"Considering this is your first offense and you bear secondary responsibility, you are fined twenty merit points!"
Su Yu's expression shifted erratically. *Twenty merit points……*
*Damn my loose tongue!*
Section Chief Sun had been there this morning; he knew Su Yu had picked up twenty merit points for free, and now he had wiped them out in one stroke!
*What a colossal loss!*
Yet while he felt the sting of his loss, Zhou Tianqi and the others nearby were on the verge of despair.
They had originally been guaranteed admission, but now six of them would be barred, and they had caught the attention of both the Yuqiang Department and the Great Xia Civilization Academy. Even if they got in, immense trouble awaited them!
The ten million was not the worst part. The crucial point was that once this news reached home, their families and elders would probably want to beat them to death!
Appeal?
Don't be ridiculous!
They had nearly sparked a major crisis; if they took this up the chain, their homes might genuinely be raided!
They felt suffocating grievance, yet there was nowhere to plead their case.
In the next moment, the group glared resentfully at Su Yu, while Su Yu glared right back with an equally awful expression!
"Don't you dare come to the academy…… or I'll play you to death once you're inside!"
Su Yu uttered a barely audible threat, his face green. Twenty merit points was far too steep a price to pay just to screw over a few idiots; it was entirely not worth it.
As for how much genius or potential these fools possessed, he could not care less.
Nearby, Wu Lan looked completely lost.
She…… had just lost ten million?
She had no idea what had just occurred!
Nine people—she was counted among them.
*Did I do anything?*
*I didn't do a single thing!*
Wu Lan was genuinely baffled. She had only just arrived and knew nothing of what had transpired. While she had heard Su Yu's words, what did that have to do with her?
She was already considered a special admit and would never have taken anyone else's spot.
Why on earth?
Wu Lan first glanced at Su Yu. Seeing his face as dark as thunderclouds, she suddenly felt a spark of schadenfreude. Losing ten million…… didn't seem so bad after all. That guy had been so cocky this morning, and look at his expression now!
Turning her gaze to Zhou Tianqi and his group, Wu Lan's face darkened as well. "Don't let me see you at the academy, or else…… you'll spend your entire lives wasting away in retirement there!"
She felt entirely dragged down by these fools!
She hadn't done anything. Those bastards had been whispering with Su Yu earlier, and it was their stupidity that had implicated her and gotten her fined.
As for the three spots, she would undoubtedly secure one of them; no one would contest that.
Zhou Tianqi and his companions felt their faces darken yet again. Su Yu threatened them, Wu Lan threatened them, Section Chief Sun had fined them and stripped six of them of their admission eligibility……
What on earth had they actually done?
How had they fallen into such an abyss of a trap?
They had come here to pick up an easy bargain…… and nearly ended up getting picked off themselves!
……
"That kid…… can certainly talk!"
Inside the testing grounds, several Tengkong Realm experts were at a loss for words.
Wu Wenhai did not know whether to laugh or cry as he turned to Section Chief Sun. "You can't really blame him. Those Great Xia folks went out of their way to cause trouble for him…… Su Yu was merely fighting back. And frankly, he was speaking the truth. In the end, this still traces back to Marquis Xia; the policy laid down back then had loopholes."
Section Chief Sun snapped irritably, "Then go tell Marquis Xia that! It nearly caused a massive catastrophe! That brat…… sure has a sharp tongue! Isn't his father in the Demon Suppression Army? Since when did people from the Demon Suppression Army learn how to use their brains?"
At those words, the Demon Suppression Army chiliarch beside him flared up!
"Are you provoking the Demon Suppression Army?"
Section Chief Sun's face twitched. *You brainless brute, who was provoking you?!*
Wu Wenhai sighed helplessly and, after some thought, said, "He was taught by Liu Wenyan, so it's only natural for his tongue to be sharp. This matter was settled quickly and won't spread further. Fining him twenty merit points will teach him a lesson."
Nearby, the Great Xia Civilization Academy team leader asked softly, "Then what about the other nine—are six of them truly to be stripped of admission eligibility?"
Section Chief Sun said coldly, "Do you have an objection? If you do, keep it to yourself! The only reason they weren't struck down on the spot was because of their youth! If Civilization Masters have this little brains, what business do they have being Civilization Masters at all?
"At least Su Yu has half a mind; those few are pure idiots, and no one would mourn their deaths!
"Did each of them honestly think taking the exam here would make Bai Feng notice them?"
Section Chief Sun had known their motives all along, and he scoffed with utter disdain. "If Bai Feng accepted them, his name wouldn't be Bai Feng—he might as well be called a fool! What's the point of admitting brainless fools into the academy? To waste resources? Well, at least it brought in an extra ninety million in revenue. Once it's handed over, Marquis Xia probably won't pursue the matter further……"
With that, Section Chief Sun added, "Furthermore, if Su Yu takes first place in the Civilization Academy exam, the chief examiner from the Great Xia Civilization Academy will pay twenty merit points out of his own pocket to compensate him!"
Beside him, the chief examiner looked flabbergasted. *Why me?*
Section Chief Sun said coldly, "The trouble was stirred up by your Great Xia Civilization Academy. The only reason you aren't being held accountable is because the situation didn't blow up! If you have any objections, it won't be twenty points—even twenty thousand points wouldn't cover it, believe it or not!"
Wu Wenhai smiled and chimed in, "Let it rest to keep the peace. Don't give the Marquis a pretext, or he'll flay a layer of skin off you, and none of you will have an easy time. Don't bring trouble upon yourselves."
The chief examiner was somewhat helpless. "Then why give it to Su Yu……"
"And you're a researcher? You idiot!"
Section Chief Sun berated him outright. "Do you think Bai Feng and Liu Wenyan are push-overs? Elder Hong only went to the All-Heavens Battlefield, it's not like he…… ahem! Fining Su Yu twenty merit points out of nowhere when he wasn't the one looking for trouble—if he takes first place, give it back to him. If he fails to take first place, that just shows he's incompetent, and the incompetent don't deserve special regard. Do you understand now?"
The chief examiner sighed. "Section Chief Sun, you truly are my senior brother; it wasn't for nothing that you thrived so well in the Civilization Academy back then."
Section Chief Sun's expression darkened. *Who do you think you're getting chummy with?*
*Believe it or not, I'll give you a proper thrashing!*
Then again, it wasn't without reason that this fellow had fared so poorly in life—he would probably remain an assistant researcher for the rest of his days, foolish fool!
If not for the fact that they were alumni from the same academy, Sun wouldn't have bothered advising him. Later on, he would realize just how many people he had inadvertently offended: Bai Feng, Liu Wenyan, Elder Hong, and even the Wu family and Zhou Tianqi's circle…… Who asked him to be so dense?
Of course, it was only ten million; the Wu family wouldn't make a fuss over that.
Pondering this, Section Chief Sun looked at him with clear distaste. "Don't cause any more trouble for me! If anything else goes wrong during the examination, I'll take your head to raise the banner! If you drag the internal disputes of the Great Xia Civilization Academy out into the open and stir up chaos on the examination grounds, I'll deal with every single one of you. Don't think the Great Xia Prefecture has only one Civilization Academy!"
The chief examiner hurried to reply, "I won't."
"You'd better not! Keep your distance from that fool Liu Hong…… wait, that fool doesn't even step forward himself; he just pulls your strings. You're even dumber than he is!"
The chief examiner sighed helplessly. He hadn't done anything, so how had all the blame landed on him?
He had only come to Nanyuan to earn a few merit points. Life truly was difficult.
Chapter 55