Recollection Exam

Huang Lu stood right beside Chu Ming, his eyes fixed straight ahead, yet they lacked any focal point, as if he were staring at nothing at all.

But the next instant, his pupils shifted abruptly, as if he had suddenly grasped some profound realization.

"Right, right, it must be this, it must be this. Brother Chu ate my father's medicine and had an epiphany, an epiphany! The medicine... cassia seeds... goji berries..."

He muttered to himself, his voice growing quieter as if afraid someone else might overhear.

This sudden outburst hooked the hearts of all the young men present.

Chu Ming, the top scorer of the Academy Exam, had an epiphany because he took the medicine from Huang Lu's father?!

The information was scarce, but it was crucial!

Although this year's Academy Exam had ended, there was always next year.

Many of the youths present were under sixteen and could still participate in the exam the following year.

Even Lu Xian and his two companions, after a moment of shock and disbelief, were drawn in by the medicinal herbs Huang Lu mentioned.

They would rather believe that Chu Ming had an epiphany from eating the old physician's medicine than admit that he was more diligent or naturally more gifted than themselves.

Guan Chong gently patted Chi Lin on the shoulder, casting an encouraging look as if to say, "We shall fight again next year."

Only then did Chi Lin snap out of his daze, his clenched fists slowly relaxing.

That's right, he could just come back next year. With Lu Xian and Guan Chong passing the exam this year, he would see who could stand against him next year!

"Brother Chi, the banquet at the Green Bamboo Pavilion tonight...?" Guan Chong added in a lowered voice.

"!" Chi Lin's fists tightened instantly once more.

I'm hosting a banquet to celebrate you lot, and to celebrate that fellow named Chu Ming, is that it?!

A flash of helplessness crossed the corner of Chu Ming's eyes; the way Huang Lu's brain worked was truly unique—he could link anything to medicinal herbs.

On the platform, Lu Hong watched Chu Ming's calm demeanor and then the expressions of Lu Xian and his friends, sighing inwardly.

It wasn't just that their exam papers were lacking; in terms of emotional control, the youth named Chu Ming was far more composed.

Even upon hearing he was the top scorer of the Academy Exam, he showed no great excitement, as if he didn't care much for the ranking at all.

Lu Hong recalled how Feng Yuan had specifically inquired about Chu Ming before the exam, and a thought suddenly occurred to him.

Could it be that this youth named Chu Ming actually had some connection to Magistrate Feng?

While he was lost in thought, Feng Yuan entered the outer hall with two attendants, and Lu Hong hurried over to greet him, "Magistrate Feng."

Feng Yuan nodded indifferently, "Is the announcement finished?"

"Yes."

"Then prepare for the Recitation Exam."

"Understood."

Below, the youths who had just been whispering fell silent the moment they saw Feng Yuan and his party enter, and upon hearing Mr. Lu Hong respectfully address him as "Magistrate," they stared in astonishment.

Lu Hong held a stack of papers already inscribed with excerpts from the Poetry, Politics, and Military Strategy, standing on the platform as he said respectfully, "Everyone, quiet down. This is Magistrate Feng, the Registrar of Baiyuan County."

Registrar of Baiyuan County?!

The youths were all stunned for a moment, and then their faces flushed with excitement.

They were actually in such close proximity to the Registrar of Baiyuan County—that was a high-ranking official of the Principal Eighth Rank!

Lu Xian looked excitedly at his father, while Guan Chong and Chi Lin exchanged intense glances.

Without needing to speak, they all knew that this opportunity to showcase their talent must not be missed.

A Registrar, is it?

Chu Ming lifted his head slightly, a strange glint flashing deep in his eyes before it vanished instantly.

Judging by the official ranks of his past life, it was hard to say exactly which position this world's Principal Eighth Rank Registrar corresponded to, but in terms of power, it was equivalent to the second or third-in-command of a county—a very impressive position indeed.

However, he had seen higher-ranking officials before, so his heart remained largely unmoved.

But Huang Lu, standing beside him, began to tremble with nervousness, causing their desk to vibrate.

Fortunately, Huang Lu had experience this time; he stepped away from the desk, tiptoed over to stand beside Chu Ming, and looked toward the platform with excitement.

Feng Yuan walked forward a few steps, his gaze sweeping over the crowd with indifference. It lingered on Lu Xian and his two companions for a moment, nearly causing the three of them to lose their composure from excitement.

Then, that gaze swept toward the very back, resting on Chu Ming—and it stayed there even longer than it had on the other three.

The Magistrate is looking at Chu Ming?!

The youths in the front dared not turn their heads, but they all guessed what it meant.

Lu Xian's face tightened; if he had been the one to score first, it would be him receiving the Magistrate's attention...

Huang Lu, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Chu Ming, was trembling all over with excitement.

The Magistrate is looking at me! The Magistrate is looking at me!

Chu Ming remained calm, meeting Feng Yuan's gaze for a second before immediately looking away.

It wasn't out of fear, but because one could not stare directly at a superior for too long—a rigid rule of hierarchy in this world.

He did not want to go looking for trouble and invite unnecessary complications.

Fortunately, the gaze of that Master of Archives only lingered for a brief moment before shifting away.

Feng Yuan looked toward Lu Hong and gave a slight nod, signaling for the memory examination to begin.

Lu Hong understood the intent and held up a stack of papers, "Everyone should be aware that this year's Academy Examination is different from previous years. The top three finishers will not only be able to study at the Baiyuan Academy but will also receive the Poetry, Politics, and Military Strategy as a reward."

"Therefore, to ensure fairness, Master Feng has decided to add an extra examination segment."

An additional examination?

The expressions on the youths' faces shifted; in an instant, the sense of test anxiety they had finally managed to calm surged back into their hearts.

They had clearly already finished the exam and were waiting for their scores, with everyone in a state of relaxation—some were even planning celebratory feasts—so being told they had to test again was truly difficult to accept.

But soon, everyone realized the implication.

The Academy Examination wasn't over yet?!

This meant that the scores and rankings from just moments ago were not the final results!

After a brief moment of stunned silence, the eyes of Lu Xian and Chi Lin suddenly lit up.

It wasn't over?

That meant there was still a chance to fight for first place!

That meant there was still a possibility to break back into the top three!

It could be said that these two were the most excited among all the youths present.

As for the other youths, most of them wore long faces; it was obvious they did not want to test again, as they knew very well that with their own level of ability, testing ten more times would only mean being humiliated ten more times.

A small number of youths, like Lu Xian and Chi Lin, regained hope in their eyes, and among them was the tall youth, Wu Chun.

He wasn't thinking about first place or the top three, nor was he thinking about Grade A, B, or C; he just wanted to score a Middle-D or Upper-D so he wouldn't be at the very bottom.

He turned to look at Huang Lu, whose expression was vacant, as if he hadn't yet realized what it meant that the Academy Examination wasn't over.

Damn it, how did I end up ranked behind someone with a brain like that!

Wu Chun clenched his fists and secretly swore that this time, he would definitely score better than Huang Lu.

He looked toward the stage with a slightly fervent gaze, eager for the exam to begin quickly.

Chu Ming furrowed his brows slightly, but smoothed them out in the blink of an eye.

He had experienced many instances of plans changing halfway through in his past life, so he could accept it, but he still felt uncomfortable.

"The additional exam topic is a passage personally selected by the Master of Archives from Poetry, Politics, and Military Strategy. You will have one hour to memorize it, after which you will transcribe it from memory. Your scores will be determined by how much you can recall."

Memorizing a passage from Poetry, Politics, and Military Strategy?

Some of the youths were happy, while others were worried.

It wasn't testing the three standard poetry books, but rather the brand-new Poetry, Politics, and Military Strategy; this was purely a test of memory.

Lu Xian's eyes shone with spirit.

The additional exam was actually a contest of memory—didn't that play right into his greatest strength?

A look of worry appeared on Guan Chong's face. He had managed to secure second place through diligent study and hard work, but when it came to raw memory...