"Strength" Assessment

Early the next morning, the assessment began. There were nearly a hundred children in the entire Orphanage, and they all arrived at the playground in neat ranks.

The assessment process was exceedingly simple. The examinees basically did not need to do anything. Like goods waiting to be put on display, they merely had their quality inspected from the outside first, then underwent a measurement with a special instrument.

In truth, the assessment consisted of two levels.

What they called inspecting one's quality was known among these "Immortals" as Qi Gazing. Though it contained the word "gazing," it was not actually done with the eyes. Just as a feast for the eyes was not meant to be eaten, but to be enjoyed—admired!

This Qi Gazing was actually the examiner's exploration of the examinee's spiritual domain. It was a subjective judgment, and wherever there was subjective judgment, there was naturally room for manipulation, much like an interview.

The other level of assessment used a detection instrument known as the Bone Observing Mirror.

The Bone Observing Mirror was extremely objective. During the assessment, it only needed to scan someone from head to toe, and values would automatically appear on the display. Once those values met the standard, the assessment was naturally passed.

But machines were objective, while the people using them were not.

Just as a dog might originally be simple and guileless, yet after spending a long time around people, it too became tainted by human craftiness and learned skills such as fawning.

Therefore, the greatest hurdle in this assessment was, in fact, people. As the saying went: if they said you could, then you could—even if you could not. If they said you could not, then you could not—even if you could.

After all the Orphanage children had lined up in formation, the two High Persons, Li Yu and Xun Xin, began their work.

As long as one of the two levels was passed, the assessment counted as passed. The two assessments could be conducted together. Each of them held a Bone Observing Mirror, and each of them also had a brain, so they could assess one person and produce both results at once.

The assessment proceeded very quickly, taking less than twenty seconds per person on average.

Perhaps to avoid attracting too much attention, Tie Dan had been placed relatively far back in the line. Thus, Li Yu and Xun Xin could not assess him first.

Chen Nan, on the other hand, had been placed fairly near the front, and Xun Xin was the one assessing him. Xun Xin came before him wearing an extraordinarily gentle smile, displaying the approachable, spring-breeze manner of an Esteemed Personage.

Yet Chen Nan felt no warmth at all in that smile. He did not understand why, but that was simply how he felt. Xun Xin's smile was far too fake.

It was so fake that it was almost like the girl before his transmigration who had told him, "You're a very nice person, but sadly, we just weren't meant to be."

Without saying anything, Xun Xin used the Bone Observing Mirror to give Chen Nan a somewhat lengthy scan. Then he studied the numbers on it with an air of great seriousness.

Chen Nan looked at the instrument, but because Xun Xin had done it deliberately, he could not see the numbers at all.

"Very good. There is hope."

After tossing out those words, Xun Xin left.

What did that mean? Chen Nan thought gloomily. Hope? Could it be that...

Over on Li Yu's side, he had reached Tie Dan. He immediately said with slight surprise, "Good, everything meets the standards perfectly! I truly did not expect that we would finally be able to accept a student from the Orphanage!"

Xun Xin also went over. He gestured at the numbers on the Bone Observing Mirror and looked exceedingly pleased as well.

Around Director Wang, the staff had already begun gathering to offer congratulations. Some of the Orphanage children also sensibly did what they ought to do—those who should leave left, while those who should celebrate celebrated.

Director Wang came over to hand things over with Li Yu and Xun Xin. After exchanging scripted-sounding pleasantries, they began walking toward the office. Tie Dan followed behind them, his face full of smug delight.

He deliberately came over to Chen Nan and said, **"Well? You little bastard! Did you really think that because you were clever at everything, you stood above everyone else?

"I'm telling you, no amount of effort or intelligence is of any use. My height is something you will never reach in your entire life. Because you do not have that opportunity."**

Chen Nan looked at Tie Dan and said coldly, "Then why did you have to come over and say all this to me?"

Tie Dan's gaze turned cold, then he smiled and said, "Hmph. From now on, you'll be nothing more than an ant. I won't lower myself to your level. That is my height."

After saying that, Tie Dan left.

Watching Tie Dan walk away, Little Black Ox whispered in Chen Nan's ear, **"I even dreamed last night that you would pass the assessment. Who would have thought that this guy would...

"You've always been better than him at everything. Even after getting struck by lightning and losing your memory, he still could not compare to you. But now look at him, strutting around like he's something special."**

Chen Nan smiled and said, "Forget it. Passing the assessment was never going to have anything to do with us anyway. Today is a day off, and I still need you to keep helping me with that matter."

Although Little Black Ox did not know much, he still knew quite a bit about matters within the Orphanage, especially the circumstances of the children here.

Over the past month or so, besides completing his regular lessons, Chen Nan had also paid close attention to these children's circumstances. What concerned him most was when they had entered the Orphanage.

Of course, Chen Nan absolutely did not dare inquire too closely, but having a rough grasp of the timing should have been enough.

And all of that had been told to him by Little Black Ox.

Unfortunately, Little Black Ox could not remember all that much.

Now that Chen Nan was asking Little Black Ox to help him sort through it again, it meant this would be the last time.

After the two returned to their living quarters, Chen Nan took out the papers he had prepared from a small hole beneath his bed. Some dates had already been recorded on them. He had Little Black Ox check them once more.

Then Chen Nan wrapped the paper in a plastic bag and put it back where it had been.

Over by the Orphanage gate, ten thousand firecrackers were still being set off, creating a scene of overflowing festivity.

But inside this dilapidated room, Little Black Ox sensed that Chen Nan was terribly abnormal. He cautiously asked, "Chen Nan, are you going to do something?"

Chen Nan looked at him and said, "From now on, you must speak less, or only speak nonsense. Say nothing. Know nothing. No matter who it is or what methods they use, you know nothing. Understand?"

Little Black Ox wanted to laugh, but tears were already swirling in his eyes. He asked again, "Chen Nan, what are you going to do?"

Chen Nan reminded him again, "Know nothing. Just remember that..."

You must do your utmost to stay alive! That was the second half of what Chen Nan wanted to say, but he did not say it, because it was not something Little Black Ox could bear.

The day's celebration was unavoidable, but how could the two High Persons allow themselves to be stained by mortal dust? Thus, they took their prize and left early.

The Orphanage cafeteria improved the evening meal somewhat as well, due to the celebration. It could be said that Tie Dan's admission into the Preparatory Academy had truly brought these orphans some benefits.

After dinner, Chen Nan said he was feeling unwell and went to sleep early. It was not until the latter half of the night, when the entire Orphanage had fallen completely silent, that he moved again.

Chen Nan waited another hour. It was already around two in the morning before he slowly got up. He summoned the Rat, prepared the sheet of paper, tied it around his waist, and quietly left the room.

There was no moon outside, and it was pitch-black. But Chen Nan's eyes had long adapted to the darkness, and with his Shared Sense with the Rat, walking through the night posed no problem at all.

After the Rats scattered like scouts reported that all was safe, Chen Nan arrived at the cave exit.

Beneath a ten-centimeter layer of earth, Rats had already been waiting there. At Chen Nan's command, they worked together with the Rats above, and the layer of soil was quickly dug away.

The opening had appeared. Its size was perfectly suited for Chen Nan. With the excitement of soon gaining freedom in his heart, he slid his feet into it. Soon his waist had descended below, followed by his chest. Then he began crawling backward, making his way deeper into the tunnel.

The tunnel was not actually very long, yet Chen Nan felt as though he had crawled for ages. Only when his legs reached open ground and his entire body emerged outside did he finally let out a long breath.

Stars glittered across the sky, the river behind him gleamed white, and to his left, after walking a little farther, he could find a narrow goat trail.

That path had been trodden out by people who usually walked up the mountain. Since the Orphanage had been built here, the path had nearly fallen into disuse. Yet its rough shape remained, only now it was covered with far more grass and trees.

This was the route Chen Nan had chosen to leave by. Let alone at night, even in broad daylight, the thick vegetation made it difficult for anyone to notice someone passing along this path.

He glanced at the Orphanage. From outside, it looked even more like a prison. He summoned several Rats over, and each carried something he needed.

The gifts he had given Li Yu and Xun Xin had only been one portion of the valuables Chen Nan had stolen using the Rats. What these Rats brought him was another portion.

This portion consisted entirely of money. Once he reached Wu City below, currency would be much more convenient than gold and jewelry, especially for a child around ten years old.

The money was packed in a tied cloth pouch, which Chen Nan fastened around his waist. Then he plunged into the Lesser Dao and left.

Many of the Rats followed in Chen Nan's footsteps as well, chasing after him in the direction of Wu City.

Aside from Chen Nan having established a spiritual advantage over them, this was also related to small animals' wholehearted worship of larger animals.

Chen Nan paid the Rats no mind. Under the cover of night, he walked as fast as he possibly could.