Signing Up for the Immortal Examination
"..."
(￣~￣) Chew!
As Annie listened, she polished off nearly half the dishes on the table before slowly setting down her chopsticks. She wiped her mouth with a certain bear, a glint of understanding flashing in her emerald eyes, then asked as if summing things up:
"So, in other words..."
(゜-゜)
"Anyone can take part in this so-called Immortal Examination, as long as they sign up?"
"Of course!"
The waiter nodded firmly.
"The Heavenly Court's Immortal Examination is open to all talents. In theory, there are no restrictions on age, gender, or social standing. Anyone can sign up!"
"But..."
He changed tack, lowering his voice slightly.
"After you submit your application, the Immortal Officials' Office still has to review it."
"First and foremost, your family background must be clean. As a rule, you can't have any record of committing crimes or colluding with the Devil Dao."
"And then..."
"You have to pay an application fee of one qian of spirit stones."
"That may not sound like much, but it isn't exactly cheap, either!"
"If you're really short on cash, you can apply for an 'Immortal Examination Loan' from Heaven and Earth Bank, which is run by the Heavenly Court. You can take the exam first and pay it back later, but the interest is steep."
"If you pass, the interest is waived."
"That's why people who aren't reasonably confident don't usually sign up on a whim. After all, the application fee doesn't just fall from the sky. It's one qian of spirit stones—no less than a thousand gold yuan!"
After explaining all this, the waiter looked at Annie's thoughtful little face. A thought struck him, and he put on a smile before tentatively asking:
"Customer, you've been asking such detailed questions. Could it be..."