Inside the house.
"Senior Sister, don't turn around."
"Just a moment."
"I'll be ready in a second."
Lü Yanyan turned her head aside and lowered it as though she were very busy. With the fruit blocking her feet, she unconsciously kicked the little stones on the ground back and forth.
The rustle of clothes reached her ears, and she couldn't resist sneaking a sideways glance.
But Chen Yu was already fully dressed.
Fine.
She felt inexplicably disappointed.
"Ready." Chen Yu walked to the door. "Let's go."
"Mm-hmm."
Lü Yanyan smiled and nodded.
The door swung open.
The disciples waiting outside immediately rose to their feet.
A clamor instantly erupted:
"Junior Brother, you've finally agreed to come out!"
"That fast? Junior Brother, want an exclusive secret remedy? My grandfather's ex-girlfriend developed it. The results are remarkable-it'll make you last at least ten times longer! Restore your masculine prowess for just one Contribution Point!"
"Sweet little brother, still need someone to warm your bed? We sisters charge just two Contribution Points a time."
"Dad, the Emerald Cloud Points Association cordially invites you to join!"
"..."
The disciples packed the doorway so tightly that not even water could seep through.
Before Chen Yu could speak,
Lü Yanyan said coldly, "Junior Brother Chen has been invited by the Heavenly Union Association to take its assessment. Do you dare stand in his way?"
As she spoke, Lü Yanyan displayed a wooden token engraved with the words "Heavenly Union Association."
The disciples' expressions changed. They hurriedly moved to either side, clearing a path down the middle.
"Let's go, Junior Brother."
Lü Yanyan turned and smiled at Chen Yu.
Seeing everyone ahead instantly fall into line, Chen Yu was surprised. He hadn't expected the Heavenly Union Association's name to carry so much weight.
"Okay."
He answered.
Soon, the two left his residence behind.
They walked along the stone steps.
Once no one else was nearby, Chen Yu asked Lü Yanyan, "Senior Sister, where is the Heavenly Union Association's assessment held?"
"At the Affairs Pavilion halfway up the mountain," Lü Yanyan answered.
The Affairs Pavilion?
Chen Yu had been there before.
When he had first become an Outer Sect disciple, he had collected his house key and the Code of Conduct Manual at the Affairs Pavilion. Back then, Elder Sun's attitude had changed drastically upon learning that he had a false spirit embryo, and the elder had left him to collect those things alone. That was why Chen Yu remembered it so clearly.
They reached the bustling plaza halfway up the mountain. Quite a few disciples approached to strike up a friendly conversation when they saw Chen Yu, and he responded politely.
"Once you go inside, a member of the Heavenly Gate Association will take you to a room and give you a sheet of paper with questions on it. Just answer according to your instincts," Lü Yanyan reminded him as they neared the Affairs Pavilion. "Everyone gets different questions, so I can't give you any examples to refer to."
"Generally, there are twenty questions. Answer seventeen correctly, and you pass."
Chen Yu cupped his hands. "Thank you for the advice, Senior Sister."
"Mm-hmm." Lü Yanyan smiled. "Don't be nervous. The Heavenly Union Association's assessment is very difficult. Most people don't pass on their first attempt. Afterward, you can come back once a month to take it again. You get ten chances in total."
"Okay."
As they spoke, they entered the Affairs Pavilion.
The first thing they saw was still the Dao Sect's official service counter. After walking a few steps forward, Lü Yanyan turned aside, and only then did Chen Yu notice a very narrow staircase. They climbed to the second floor, where he saw a wooden plaque bearing the words "Heavenly Union Association Emerald Cloud Peak Branch."
"Senior Brother Yan."
Lü Yanyan walked up to an Emerald Cloud Peak disciple.
"Junior Sister Yanyan." Senior Brother Yan curled his lips into what he thought was a handsome smile. A trace of suppressed desire flashed in his eyes as he looked at Lü Yanyan. Then he noticed Chen Yu behind her, and his gaze instantly turned cold. He beckoned. "You're Chen Yu? Follow me."
"Go on."
Lü Yanyan turned back to Chen Yu. "Good luck, Junior Brother!"
Chen Yu nodded. "Okay."
He followed Senior Brother Yan into a cramped room containing only a table and a stool.
"Sit." Senior Brother Yan placed a sheet of paper in front of Chen Yu. "Here are the questions. I'll come back to collect your answers in half an hour. Get seventeen out of twenty right, and you pass."
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
Chen Yu took the question sheet.
"Mm." Senior Brother Yan nodded. "Begin."
With that,
he left the room.
The door shut with a bang.
For some reason, it felt like taking an exam at school in his previous life. Chen Yu lowered his head to inspect the paper.
[Question 1: What does a fly taste like?]
[A: Sour.]
[B: Sweet.]
[C: Bitter.]
[D: Foul.]
Chen Yu: ?
Are they sick in the head?
What normal person would eat a fly?!
I'll pick B.
Next question.
[Question 2: When "blowing a cow" to boast, which organ of the cow do you blow into?]
[A: Lungs.]
[B: Reproductive organs.]
[C: Skin.]
[D: Mouth.]
Chen Yu frowned at the question.
"Is this question meant for humans? Blowing a cow's bits? How did this get approved?"
I'll pick C.
On to the next question.
[Question 3: As revised to date, how many rules does the Dao Sect's Code of Conduct Manual contain in total?]
[A: Nine hundred and sixty-one.]
[B: Nine hundred and seventy-one.]
[C: Nine hundred and eighty-one.]
[D: Nine hundred and ninety-one.]
This one is reasonably normal.
I'll pick C.
Knowing the Code of Conduct Manual by heart was the foundation of survival for a Dao Sect Outer Sect disciple.
He couldn't afford to lose such easy marks.
[Question 4: Suppose the premise is "If Zhang San and Li Si have not been refined into Rhyme Spirit, then Zhao Wu has been refined into Rhyme Spirit," and the conclusion is "Li Si has been refined into Rhyme Spirit." Which of the following is a necessary premise?]
[A: Zhang San has been refined into Rhyme Spirit.]
[B: Zhao Wu has not been refined into Rhyme Spirit.]
[C: Both Zhang San and Zhao Wu have been refined into Rhyme Spirit.]
[D: Neither Zhao Wu nor Zhang San has been refined into Rhyme Spirit.]
"Hiss..."
The difficulty was starting to climb.
Chen Yu knitted his brows and sank into thought.
Time
slipped away.
Half
an hour passed quickly.
"The answers to the previous few questions were all B, C, or D. Even if it's just taking turns, the last one ought to be A."
As the questions grew drastically harder, Chen Yu surrendered and instead began trying to fathom the question setter's thought process.
When he filled in his answer to the last question,
the door opened.
The Heavenly Union Association really isn't that easy to join. Passing on my first attempt probably isn't realistic. Looks like I'll have to find another way to get rid of those people blocking my door. Chen Yu picked up his answer sheet and turned around. "Senior Brother Yan, this is my..."
He stopped halfway through.
What greeted his eyes was not that ordinary-looking Senior Brother Yan with his somewhat suppressed air, but a beautiful face filled with loathing, disgust, and disdain.
-Xiang Baiwei.
"You?" Chen Yu frowned.
With 14,272 Contribution Points to her name, she still needs to take the Heavenly Union Association's assessment?
Xiang Baiwei did not reply. She merely cast a sidelong glance at the answer sheet in Chen Yu's hand, then snatched it away.
She lowered her head and scanned Chen Yu's answers.
A cold laugh escaped her.
"Heh."
"Hopelessly stupid!"