As soon as he rose to his feet, all the assistant examiners present jumped in fright, thinking he was about to fly into a rage. They all stepped back, while Li Shenguang glared with eyes wide and answered with a cold snort.
But just as the staff came down on her, the little girl suddenly leaped up. Like a butterfly, she stepped onto the iron rod and floated into the air.
In the center of the ring, the tower-like giant suddenly raised his iron rod and struck at the little girl. As the rod swung, it gave off a strange, mournful howl. Even from ten paces away, it made one's heart pound in terror.
"Keep him ranked first. Once the examination is over, we'll settle the rankings and post the list. This provincial examination beneath the Son of Heaven's feet in Yujing is watched by countless eyes; it is not like those in the provinces. Move smartly and quickly. Don't drag your feet."
Moreover, his calligraphy had been modeled after the Amitabha Sutra. Once the examiners saw it, they would surely be drawn in and would not toss it into the rejected papers without even reading the essay.
There had originally been three people performing martial arts and tricks in the ring, but Hong Yi could tell that theirs was no ordinary flashy routine. They possessed real skill.
As Hong Yi wandered about, he suddenly saw a crowd ahead gathered into a huge, impenetrable circle. Fierce gusts of wind whooshed from within, accompanied by the little girl's crisp shouts, followed by a burst of thunderous applause.
The giant drew back his rod and swept it sideways again. The little girl leaped once more, clinging to the rod, as light as if she had no weight at all.
Hearing the disappointment