Sage Ancestor Cube

Chen Shu felt confident about the national exams.

Yi Nation did not divide students into arts and sciences, nor did it have combined papers for either track. Every subject had its own paper or testing method; only their share of the total score differed.

The exams lasted four days in all.

On the first morning came history and geography; in the afternoon, biology and physics. Physics also included what his previous life had called chemistry.

Two papers were handed out at once.

Chen Shu's history needed no explanation.

Across the sweep of human development, geography and civilization had often shaped each other. That needed no explanation either.

His biology and physics were somewhere between average and above average. It was not that he could not learn them well, but his days had only twenty-four hours. Other pursuits took up so much of his time that some subjects inevitably got neglected.

The second day brought literature and mathematics.

Chen Shu was pretty good at both.

He could probably score close to full marks in mathematics.

Literature was too subjective to call.

The third day tested physical fitness and Spiritual Power Aptitude, along with ethics and one elective art course. Chen Shu had chosen music.

How many points he could get for fitness and Spiritual Power Aptitude depended on how many points were available.

It was hard to score poorly in ethics. As for music, he had studied it until he was nearly sick of it in his last life, so it was hard not to score highly.

The fourth day covered spiritual theory and Runes.

One primarily concerned Cultivation Rank; the other, the application of spiritual power.

Spiritual theory included a few subjective questions, making full marks difficult. As for basic Runes, Chen Shu could say he knew more about them than the average university professor specializing in runic theory.

There was no foreign-language exam. The whole world could rejoice.

The maximum score was 1,350.

If admission depended on total score alone, a popular major at Yujing University might be a stretch. But Yi Nation used a two-stage admissions process.

Two rounds of screening, in other words.

For a university to admit you, it first set a total-score requirement. That bar was generally low and easy to clear. Once you passed the first round, the school screened your scores in subjects relevant to your chosen major. Those requirements were much stricter.

It sounded troublesome, but it was simple enough.

The school first made sure it did not admit someone who knew one subject and was utterly clueless about every other one. Then it selected the outstanding students best suited to each field.

Honestly, Chen Shu could hand in a blank paper on the first day and still be fine.

After a thorough inspection, Chen Shu entered the examination room, gave a lazy yawn, and waited for the papers without a trace of nerves.

Identity check.

The history and geography papers were handed out.

History first.

Question one, fill in the blank:

1. The Sage Ancestor was born in:

134 BC.

Free points.

The Sage Ancestor was a figure on par with the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of Chen Shu's previous life. At 134, he had unified western Central Continent, founded the Xia Dynasty, consolidated the cultivation system, and established writing and culture. He marked the beginning of this world's central Chinese civilization. When Chen Shu was around ten, he had taken advantage of Professor Chen's access to scour every record and artifact connected to him. There could hardly be anyone in the world who knew this founding emperor better than Chen Shu did.

Unfortunately, it was now the year 5020.

More than five thousand years...

He was still far too distant from Chen Shu.

Chen Shu wished he could meet him.

Once he finished the history paper, Chen Shu started on the second without even checking his answers.

Toward evening.

Professor Chen and Lawyer Wei made Chen Shu a simple but nutritious dinner to show they cared about their son. It was bland as hell and did not taste good at all.

After dinner, Chen Shu had no intention of reviewing. He washed his bowl, then sat on the sofa with Professor Chen to watch the news.

He chatted with Qingqing while he watched.

Qingqing: How did it go?

Chen Shu: They say you're not supposed to ask that before the exams are over. It can mess with a student's head.

Qingqing: So, how did it go?

Chen Shu: Easy as anything.

Qingqing: Did your dad drive you to school?

Chen Shu: I walked there myself.

Qingqing: Did you get caught in the rain?

Chen Shu: You think I don't know how to use an umbrella?

Chen Shu: /you dumbass

A few minutes passed in silence. When Qingqing still did not reply, Chen Shu calmly typed again: What did you have for dinner?

Qingqing: Takeout.

Qingqing: Hot-and-sour potatoes.

Chen Shu: Suddenly what I ate doesn't seem so bad.

As they chatted, he heard the news anchor say, "At 8:04 this morning, continued rainfall caused a severe landslide on Beauty Mountain, across the Mirror Sea in Swimming Dragon District, Bai City. The disaster blocked the western section of Coastal Road and buried two vehicles. According to life-sign scans, all four occupants have unfortunately died..."

Chen Shu glanced up at the footage—

Half of Beauty Mountain had slid away. The mudslide had swept straight across the coastal highway at its foot and flowed into the Mirror Sea.

The scene was shocking.

But what was that on the mountainside?

A perfectly square black corner?

The anchor continued: "The landslide also exposed an ancient ruin. Experts believe it is very likely a Sage Ancestor Cube..."

A Sage Ancestor Cube...

Chen Shu froze for a moment, then turned toward Professor Chen.

"Looks like it."

Professor Chen kept his eyes on the television, his tone perfectly calm. "They asked me to take a look this afternoon. Barring any surprises, it should be a Sage Ancestor Cube. Only one corner is exposed for now, though. Excavation will have to wait until the rain stops."

"Oh..."

Chen Shu nodded.

A Sage Ancestor Cube was a cubic ruin measuring roughly two hundred meters on each side. Set on the ground, it would cover more space than a typical university sports field.

No one had settled exactly what it was. Theories varied.

Some believed it had been the Sage Ancestor's treasury;

some believed the Sage Ancestor had feared his deeds would one day be swallowed by the long river of history, so he had built it to preserve what he left behind;

others believed he had built these special monuments around the world to display his power and strike awe throughout the realm;

and still others said they were tombs the Sage Ancestor had built for himself, with his remains resting in one of the cubes.

The Sage Ancestor's tomb...

In the novels Chen Shu had read, the opening of a figure like that's tomb usually meant the world was about to change—and that the protagonist was about to appear and rise to greatness.

Unfortunately, if the ruin exposed on Beauty Mountain really was a Sage Ancestor Cube, it would be the eleventh unearthed worldwide and the fifth within Yi Nation. Some of the earlier ones had already been turned into museums or cultural attractions. Chen Shu had visited them himself.

As far as he knew, no one had found the Sage Ancestor's remains inside one. At least, no official announcement had been made, and historians had not classified the cubes as tombs.

There were plenty of wild rumors, though.

All in all, it was like discovering the tomb of some famous person in his previous life. Worth a surprised reaction and a repost, perhaps, and locals might talk about it endlessly, but it was nowhere near that dramatic.

Chen Shu was very interested.

Professor Chen spoke again, still staring at the news footage. "Once the rain stops and the authorities decide to open the Cube, I may need an assistant. You'd be a good fit."

"Would they allow it?"

"I'll tell them I know someone who understands the Xia Dynasty—especially the Sage Ancestor's period—better than I do."

"If it works out, I'll give you an extra drumstick."

Footsteps approached. Chen Shu's mother came over from behind them, her voice stern. "You're bringing this up during his exams? What if it affects his performance?"

Professor Chen focused on the news and did not dare make a sound.

Chen Shu just grinned foolishly.

After the news, he returned to his room, turned on his computer, and logged in to Wide and Narrow Alley.

Mr. Cat: I looked into it. That works.

Mr. Cat: ?

Mr. Cat: Where are you?

Mr. Cat: I'm losing my mind here.

Mr. Cat: Unless you tell me you're an exam invigilator, there's no way I'm forgiving you this time.

Greens and Jade-White Soup: I forgot.

Mr. Cat: You work in education, don't you?

Greens and Jade-White Soup: /trembling

Mr. Cat: If all goes well, I'll hire someone to leave the item behind that cemetery on the sixth of next month, at night. Pick it up as soon as you can. Don't lose it. It isn't expensive, but getting it into Yi Nation is a pain, as you know.

Greens and Jade-White Soup: Logging off.

Mr. Cat: Mm.

The final day of the exams, in the afternoon.

The Runes basics exam was ridiculously easy for Chen Shu. Of the three hours allotted, he spent less than one finishing the vast majority of the questions.

The last few major questions took longer, but mainly because he had to write out a lot of Runes.

Then, as he worked, things got interesting—

The final question was a competition problem clearly far beyond the syllabus. It only asked for an approach, not a full solution, yet it was still extremely, extremely difficult.

One of those questions that made you curse the examiner's entire bloodline.

One designed to crush everyone's scores.

Chen Shu could guarantee that few students would get any points for it. Any points, mind you, not full marks.

Even he would need over forty minutes just to work out an approach.

How did he know it would take over forty minutes?

Because he had seen the same problem in Ning Qing's book a few days earlier, with only negligible differences. It had taken him over forty minutes to work out a rough approach, and only after asking Teacher Shi Qian for help had he solved it in detail.

How interesting!

He finished, checked his work, and handed in his paper under the stunned gazes of his classmates, feeling delighted.

He strode out of the examination room.

Several familiar-looking reporters stood at the entrance. They were from Yuanzhou TV, there to interview the first student out. It was routine for local stations; nothing unusual.

Chen Shu merely put on a mask beforehand. He did not refuse the interview.

"Could you introduce yourself?"

"Skip all that. Make it quick. I'm in a hurry."

"...Then may I ask your surname?"

"Ning."

"Which school do you attend, Student Ning?"

"Sixth Talent School."

"Why did you come out so early, Student Ning?"

"The questions were so easy a dog could do them."

"So you're very confident?"

"I guess."

"Oh? Which university are you hoping to attend?"

"Yujing University."

"Wow! Impressive! By the way, why are you wearing a mask?"

"Wearing a mask is a good habit. You wouldn't understand."

"All right. Is there anything you'd like to say to our viewers?"

"Yes."

Chen Shu nodded solemnly, adjusted his mask, and said into the camera what he had long wanted to say: "Why hasn't Highness Cinnabar been showing her thighs when she dances lately?"

"??"

"Don't listen to the nonsense people say online! Wear less! Wear shorter outfits! As a public figure, you should set a good example and stand firmly for freedom of dress!"

"...Student Ning certainly has personality. Could you pull down your mask so we can see your face?"

"Goodbye."