The Second Trial
"Who performs Mantis Boxing like this?!" The vice-leader's eyes widened. He had heard of Mantis Boxing before; it was a style of boxing that imitated the mantis.
It imitates the mantis's boxing style, not transforms into the mantis's boxing style!
To ensure the test met the expected standards, he repeatedly deduced the scenarios and even had several quick-witted senior members of the teaching staff try them out, confirming that there could be no other solution besides the standard answer he provided.
He can't accept the two answers that suddenly appear outside the standard!
The cult leader, however, took a more relaxed view. "Think about it from another angle. He only glanced at the praying mantis a few times and yet he comprehended the Praying Mantis Fist. Historically, even the generals of the Jin Kingdom didn't have martial arts talent. This shows that this Lu Yang has extremely high martial arts talent. In the end, he even reached the profound realm of entering the Dao through martial arts and transforming martial Law Technique into magic. This is a genius that is hard to come by!"
The vice-leader paused, turned to look at the serious-looking leader, and asked, "Are you serious?"
The cult leader thought to himself, "Of course I made that up. Actually, I didn't understand how he turned from a human into a praying mantis either. But as the cult leader, I can't appear ignorant in front of my subordinates."
The cult leader nodded and said, "Of course I'm serious."
After the cult leader said that, the vice cult leader felt a little better. Since he was a genius who was hard to come by, it was only natural that he would find a way to break the deadlock by accident.
It's barely acceptable.
"Those who could pass have passed. Let's end the first test here," the vice-leader said. Hundreds of thousands of images appeared on the water's surface, recording everyone's performance.
Only a few people learned perseverance from spiders, and a very few learned strategy from mantises. Most people became despondent in the caves, deserted, and were killed by Liang soldiers in the chaos of war. They died nameless and faceless, and the Liang soldiers did not even know how spirited the people they killed had once been.
"The second test begins."
"The second test is to make the examiners genuinely want to keep you."
Everyone had this one thought in their minds, forgetting the cause and effect, only remembering that they had to find a way to pass the second test.
Yan Wangsun was a little dizzy. He had no recollection of what had happened before, but he vaguely remembered a rather familiar person asking him where he was from. He said he was from Huangyue City.
"I am Prince Yan, and I am currently applying for a position at the Landing Money Merchant Guild. I need to pass an interview, and the interviewer is instructed not to disclose the interview questions to anyone else." Prince Yan summarized the information he currently possessed.
Even if it weren't required, Prince Yan would not tell others the interview questions, as that would be setting up connections for others and would not benefit him at all.
Prince Yan found himself sitting in the first seat, next to a burly man dressed in a Confucian robe.
"My name is Man Gu, what's yours?"
Prince Yan did not answer, because the examiner was calling his name.
Upon entering the room, Yan Wangsun noticed a wad of paper on the floor, casually tossed it into the trash can, and then prepared for the interview.
The examiner was chubby, his clothes were rather tattered, and he always had a smiling face, "You're Prince Yan, right? Go to the market now and see if there's anywhere that sells potatoes?"
Prince Yan left obediently, strolled around the market, and found only one stall selling potatoes. When he returned, he said, "Yes."
The portly examiner then asked, "How many potatoes are there?"
Having no other option, Prince Yan went out again and returned, saying, "There are eighty catties of potatoes."
"And the price?"
Yan Wangsun cursed inwardly, "Why didn't you say so earlier, you fatso?" He ran out for the third time and asked about the price, "Three coins a pound."
"How is the quality of the potatoes? Do they match the price?"
Suppressing his anger, Prince Yan went out to inspect the potatoes for the fourth time, much like walking a dog. "The potatoes are of average quality, worth about three or four coins. The price isn't high."
The portly examiner said with a smile, "You're eliminated."
"Why should I!" Yan Wangsun roared. He had been led out four times by the fat examiner, each time running there and back, working hard for most of the day, and now he was being told he had failed?
They're playing a trick on me!
The overweight examiner shrugged. "You've gone out four times just to ask about something as simple as potatoes. How can I trust you with any work?"
"Then just ask them all at once!"
The portly examiner shook his head. "It's your lack of thoroughness that's to blame, not for not finishing my questions. Young man, in your work you need to learn to understand your superiors' intentions."
"Pah, do you think you're the emperor? Acting as if you have the emperor's will."
The portly examiner wasn't annoyed. "Even though you failed, you can stay."
Prince Yan looked at the portly examiner suspiciously, worried that he was being tricked again. "Really?"
"Do you remember that wad of paper you picked up as soon as you came in? I deliberately threw it on the ground to see who would pick it up."
Prince Yan was delighted, thinking to himself, "Could this be a test of my sense of responsibility and observation skills?"
"We happen to need someone to clean, so you can stay and take charge of cleaning."
Prince Yan's grandson. "..."
Yan Wangsun really wanted to curse, but he didn't say it. In any case, being able to stay meant he had passed the test, which was a good thing.
"Next," the fat examiner called out.
Man Gu entered the room. Yan Wangsun looked at Man Gu's honest appearance with some disdain, thinking that this person was probably just like himself and would be made a fool of by the examiners.
"Go see if they sell potatoes at the market," the fat examiner asked the same question.
Man Gu said "oh" and left, returning more than ten minutes later.
"At the market, there was an old man selling potatoes from a cart. He had eighty pounds of potatoes, and they were three coins per pound. The quality matched the price, and the old man even said that if I bought a lot of potatoes, he could give me a tenth discount..."
Man Gu answered in great detail, even asking questions that the fat examiner hadn't considered. Yan Wangsun, who was standing to the side, was stunned.
Despite his Man Gu appearance, Man Gu is actually a thoughtful and meticulous person. He is good at learning humbly, especially from Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.
Judging from the current situation, there is still a long way to go before graduation.
"Congratulations, you've been accepted."
"See how I told you? This Man Gu is a good prospect, isn't he?" The vice-leader was very pleased to see that Man Gu had passed the test again, which proved that his approach to setting the test was correct.
Others managed to answer the examiner's four questions in just two trips, which is barely considered passing.
Only the Man Gu perfectly matched his ideas.
The cult leader nodded. "It seems that this second test assesses whether one is thorough in their work and whether they can consider the needs of their superiors."
Those who follow the demonic path must act with extreme caution, leaving no loose ends, lest the righteous path find fault with them.
Furthermore, only by considering your superiors' needs can you demonstrate your potential for advancement, which will lead to promotion by higher-ups.
The deputy leader set out the second test based on various considerations.
"There shouldn't be any other way this time," the vice-leader said with a smug smile.
The cult leader remained silent, turning his gaze to the two who had performed exceptionally well in the first round.
His intuition told him that there might be other ways.