A Baffling Exam

The summer mornings in the north are often shrouded in a thin mist.

Zheng Qing pressed the phone in his armband and switched to a more upbeat playlist.

The sky was still early, but there were plenty of people out running. Along this track built by the riverbank, morning joggers in sportswear could be seen everywhere.

The track was located in Fen River Park, one of the municipal government's recent urban beautification projects, and it had been built with considerable care. On one side of the plastic pavement was the tranquil water of the Fen River, and on the other, a lush willow forest. They filled the air of this land with the scent of nature. These elements, so scarce in the city, held a huge temptation for the urbanites out for their morning exercise.

A black figure flashed past Zheng Qing's eyes and stopped on a stone platform not far ahead.

That black cat!

Zheng Qing sniffed, tightened his armband, and cast a glance at it.

This black cat had white-tipped paws, making its fur quite striking. Although it appeared to be an ordinary domestic shorthair, it lacked the skittishness of a typical house cat; instead, it was remarkably bold. Ever since he had entered the track, it had been lingering not far ahead of him.

Neither slow nor fast, keeping just out of reach.

It never vanished from Zheng Qing's sight, yet it always maintained a distance of a hundred meters or so.

This made Zheng Qing, who was trailing behind it, feel a bit curious.

His running pace was not slow, and the other morning joggers around him had changed many times over, yet there was no sign of anyone who looked like the cat's owner.

Perhaps this cat just found it amusing.

After rounding the bend ahead, the black cat suddenly disappeared from view. Zheng Qing slowed his pace and looked around, easily spotting the cat's figure in the dense woods.

It had left the main path and darted into a quiet, narrow trail nearby.

Compared to the main track, this side path was only three or five meters wide, and the surface wasn't plastic, but ordinary flagstone. The black cat ran along the path for a few dozen meters, then stopped, turned its head, and stared at Zheng Qing with those emerald-green eyes.

Zheng Qing hesitated at the fork for a few seconds before turning into the side path to follow the cat.

Running after a cat is really no different from running on one's own; I'm still running regardless. Zheng Qing thought silently, and besides, this path looked so quiet—it would surely be more comfortable to run here than outside.

The black cat trotted along nimbly ahead. The ground beneath its feet changed from flagstone to asphalt, then from asphalt to hardened dirt, and finally, even the dirt road vanished, leaving only a wild trail paved with withered branches and fallen leaves.

Zheng Qing decided to turn back once the path ran out.

He was running with such contentment now that he even ignored the black cat not far ahead of him.

His nose breathed greedily, the nasal cavity filled with the scent of decaying grass and leaves from the forest, mixed with pine resin and morning mist, clearing the exhaust fumes that had settled in his chest from the city and washing away the faint unease in his heart.

The sky was gradually brightening, but the sun had not yet risen, and the mist in the forest grew heavier.

Rounding a thick, ancient tree, Zheng Qing's eyes lit up as a vast expanse of emerald bamboo forest appeared before him. This green was so dazzling that even the morning mist could not obscure its brilliance.

The bamboo leaves rustled, and the bamboo stalks clattered against each other. The feeling of jogging through the bamboo forest was intoxicating.

Zheng Qing had completely lost his sense of direction and could only continue running slowly, following the black cat as it wandered ahead.

The bamboo forest in the distance gradually thinned, and the light from outside slowly filtered in.

I'm about to go out, Zheng Qing felt a pang of reluctance; he decided he would come here for his morning run again tomorrow.

After running out of the bamboo forest, the suddenly expansive view and bright light made Zheng Qing involuntarily squint.

He opened his eyes, swallowed, and couldn't help but squint again.

Before him lay an open lawn, and a few hundred meters away, a brownish-yellow six-story building sat sturdily in the middle of the grass. The building was surrounded by flower beds, rockeries, and fountains. All around the lawn were those tall, silent bamboo forests.

There's a building like this by the Fen River? Zheng Qing couldn't help but touch his armband.

Seeming to sense Zheng Qing's hesitation, the black cat not far ahead let out an "Aow" sound.

That's not how a cat sounds, his mouth twitched.

The black cat didn't care about his thoughts at all; it flicked its tail and turned to run toward the brownish-yellow building.

Zheng Qing looked back; the bamboo forest, which had been so fresh and refreshing moments ago, suddenly took on a more profound air. That distant, mysterious feeling made him hesitate to step back in.

Without this cat to lead the way, I would definitely get lost in there.

Sighing, Zheng Qing pulled a small gray cloth bag from his armband and quietly gripped it in his palm.

The black cat leading the way encountered other small animals from time to time, such as squirrels, rabbits, foxes, and even a milky-white piglet. Every time it met one, the black cat would stop to greet them. These small animals were also strangely curious; not only were they not afraid of Zheng Qing, but they would circle him twice with interest, as if sizing him up.

Figures could be vaguely seen at the main entrance of the building.

The black cat stopped by the flower bed at the entrance, flicked its tail, and signaled for Zheng Qing to go in.

"You're not coming in?" Zheng Qing glanced at it.

The black cat huffed, leaped, and nimbly dove into the lush flower bed, vanishing from sight.

From the outside, the layout of this building looked compact. But once inside, Zheng Qing discovered that the interior was quite spacious.

Directly facing the entrance was a hall a hundred meters in circumference. On the left and right sides of the hall were two deep, dark corridors, silent and devoid of lights. Eight pillars stood at the four corners of the hall, and between every two pillars was a tightly shut black door.

Some people wearing Black Robes were moving back and forth through the hall; most of them looked serious and walked with hurried steps, seemingly completely unaware that a stranger had entered through the front door.

Zheng Qing observed for a moment, then picked a girl with delicate features and a ponytail, hurried over a few steps to intercept her, and asked with a sheepish expression, "Hello, I don't know if this place..."

"New here?" The girl looked a bit rushed and interrupted him with rapid-fire speed.

Zheng Qing nodded repeatedly.

"Are you here for the exam, the Talent Test, the Faith Appraisal, or Simulated Combat?"

Zheng Qing looked blank: "Exam?"

He had only caught that single word.

"The exam is over here." The girl grabbed Zheng Qing's arm, led him to a black door between two pillars in the northeast corner, pulled it open, and shoved him inside.

The girl's strength was surprisingly great; before Zheng Qing could even react to what was happening, he was already standing inside the black door.

It was a massive lecture hall with nearly a hundred rows of tiered seating. Light poured in from eight tall glass windows, making the room exceptionally bright. At this moment, hundreds of people sat in the room, heads bowed as they worked on their papers, the rustling sound of pens making the hall feel eerily quiet.

Zheng Qing turned back, but the door behind him had already closed silently at some point.

He tugged on it gently, but it wouldn't budge.

"You're late!" A stern voice came from a podium far away. At this distance, Zheng Qing could only make out a tall figure, also wearing the same black uniform robes as the people outside.

Several figures answering questions nearby cast a quick glance his way, causing the words Zheng Qing was about to speak to die in his throat.

Noise was strictly forbidden during an exam.

"Your paper is in front of you. You are about fifteen minutes late compared to the others. Don't just stand there, start the test!"

Zheng Qing saw that there was indeed an empty seat not far in front of him, with a set of test papers, paper, and pens laid out.

He definitely hadn't signed up for this exam. Zheng Qing was very clear on that.

Maybe someone really is late? I'll give up the seat once they arrive.

He sat down silently and picked up the paper, curious as to what kind of exam this was.

The bold black characters on the front of the paper were exceptionally clear:

2008 Higher Wizard School Global Unified Entrance Examination (Nine-Lives Scroll)

Zheng Qing shook his head and blinked, feeling as though he were hallucinating.

He tried to open the Gray Cloth Bag in his hand, only to find that the opening, which was usually easy to undo, was tied shut tight and refused to budge.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!" A slender hand curled its index finger and tapped lightly on the desk in front of Zheng Qing.

Zheng Qing looked up and saw only a pair of dark red eyes.

It was a proctor.

"You are only permitted to use the stationery provided by the exam hall. If you have other special requirements, you may state them."

Zheng Qing gave a dry laugh, stuffed the limp Gray Cloth Bag into his pocket, and flipped to the first page of the exam.

Instructions: This paper is divided into Part I and Part II, totaling 20 pages. Part I consists of mandatory questions, and Part II consists of optional questions. The total score is 500 points, and the exam duration is 300 minutes. Please use the provided 0.57mm signature pen; it is strictly forbidden to bring your own brushes, Quill Pens, or other types of pens. Before answering, please ensure you sign your True Name on the front page. After the exam, the proctoring assistants will collect the papers.

Please observe the exam hall discipline set by the proctors.

Cheating is strictly prohibited!

Flipping to the second page of the paper, Zheng Qing scratched his hair.

The content on the paper was surprisingly ordinary; Zheng Qing discovered that much of it was material from the calligraphy practice books he used daily.

Maybe I can leave once I finish the paper. He looked up at the figures around him, all buried in their work, sighed, and picked up the signature pen beside the paper.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but after finishing the paper, Zheng Qing dozed off at his desk, waiting for the proctor to collect it.

Once I get out, I'm definitely finding that black cat and poking its little butt a hundred times, he thought groggily.

"Wake up! Get up! It's time for you to go home!" A violent shaking startled Zheng Qing awake.

"Handing in my paper!" He reached forward with bleary eyes, but his hand met only empty air.

A roar of laughter erupted right beside his ears.

He opened his eyes and looked around; the vast, quiet classroom from before had completely vanished, replaced by a cramped, noisy KTV room.

"The college entrance exam is over! You're free! No more exams!" A dark-skinned fat guy shouted at the top of his lungs right next to his ear, making his head buzz.

Zheng Qing looked around blankly, his brain still half-disconnected. He vaguely saw a dozen figures huddled together, singing at the top of their lungs.

"Friends walk together for a lifetime, those days will never return..."

It seemed to be the final outburst before the end; the atmosphere in the room reached its peak, and a large glass of beer was shoved into Zheng Qing's hand.

As the beer went down his throat, the strange exam from moments ago was pushed to the back of his mind. Zheng Qing's memory reconnected with his normal life: he was at a party with his classmates after the college entrance exam.

As for the running and the exam?

Just a dream.