Chapter 17

At the next table, Yu Qing could no longer bear to cover his forehead with his hand, rolling his eyes several times, wishing he could pull Xu Fei’s ears and yell at him. What is this big, dumb, black guy doing, dilly-dallying? If he keeps dragging, my reward will be in danger. Hurry up!

The deed was already done, and it had been successful. Xu Fei, who was about to reap fame and fortune, ultimately couldn’t resist the temptation. He rolled up his test paper and got up from his desk.

Several officials maintaining order in the hall all turned their gazes to Xu Fei, who was holding the test paper.

As Xu Fei passed by, the candidates, either writing or pondering, were gradually startled. In the end, all the candidates’ gazes were fixed on the back of the person who was turning in the test paper.

Is he really turning it in? Jie Yuan Lang Zhan Muchun was initially stunned. After confirming that it was indeed a submission, his hand couldn’t help but tremble, and a drop of ink fell from the tip of his pen, making a light "plop" sound, staining a black spot.

Only at the last moment, when it was confirmed that Xu Fei was the first to turn in his test paper, did Yu Qing’s nervous heart truly feel relieved.

The official in charge of the scene glanced at Xu Fei a few more times, unfolded the test paper, and glanced at the content. He found that there were no mistakes; all thirty questions were indeed answered.

It wasn’t his responsibility to check for correctness. He just picked up his pen, marked a red "one" on the test paper to indicate the submission order, and then extended his hand to say, "Go back and sit quietly, don’t disturb or influence others."

Xu Fei didn’t feel the glory of being "first." His heart was beating fast, and he was nervous, after all, he felt guilty for his actions.

He politely bowed and then turned to walk back, only to realize that everyone’s gaze was on him. Since the situation was like this, he could only bear it.

No one saw any pride on his face. Some secretly praised him, while others secretly despised him, thinking that the fastest might not necessarily be the most correct.

At this moment, all the candidates who didn’t know Xu Fei were most curious about who this person was.

Jie Yuan Lang Zhan Muchun lowered his head and noticed the ink stain, feeling both surprised and relieved. Fortunately, it was just a draft. If it had stained the answer sheet, he would have had to rewrite it. He tried to focus and solve the remaining puzzles, but various worries began to surface in his mind.

The official in charge of the scene didn’t see any pride on Xu Fei’s face either. He had a slightly approving look in his eyes, then lowered his head to carefully look at the name on the test paper, remembering it. He then found the list of the county examination rankings and checked Xu Fei’s position.

Xu Fei, back at his seat, was also writing and drawing, acting as if he didn’t know Yu Qing at all.

The official in charge of the scene glanced at the incense that was nearly half burned, called over a subordinate, gave him some instructions, and then turned to leave.

Outside the hall, he saw Lu Jikui and two others chatting in a waterside pavilion and immediately went to them.

Entering the pavilion, he bowed to the three and reported, "Sir, someone has answered all thirty puzzles and has already turned in the test paper."

"Oh!" Lu Jikui was interested and asked, "Who is it?"

The official in charge of the scene replied, "Xu Fei, a candidate from Hengqiu County this year."

This name clearly didn’t ring a bell, definitely not one of the top-ranked in the county examination. Lu Jikui asked again, "What rank is he this year?"

The official in charge of the scene replied, "131st."

Di Cang and Yu Qi exchanged glances, and Lu Jikui was also surprised. He chuckled, "A dark horse has emerged, surpassing the top six of this year. Compared to the county examination, it’s a minor skill, but it’s interesting. Gentlemen, let’s go check the quality together!"

The two masters followed his gesture and stood up, returning together.

As soon as the three returned to the hall, the candidates all looked at them.

The three didn’t sit down but gathered around Xu Fei’s submitted test paper, examining the answers together.

As Lu Jikui looked, he stroked his beard and smiled, gradually nodding.

The three, being the ones who set the questions, naturally knew the correct answers. They quickly finished checking and looked at each other, smiling.

Lu Jikui casually picked up his pen, circled the "one" that indicated the submission order, and then put down the pen.

Everyone around understood that the first place was unquestionable, and the state governor had personally selected it. The official in charge of the scene immediately asked for a register to record it.

Jie Yuan Lang Zhan Muchun, who was closest to the podium, understood the meaning of the three and felt a deep sense of despair, his mind completely in chaos, unable to focus on solving the puzzles.

Yu Qing secretly rejoiced, glancing at the reward on the table, starting to think about how to carry it. Carrying thirty pounds of spirit rice was actually quite troublesome.

A stick of incense can be slow or fast. It can’t withstand much disturbance. After a little disturbance, the time was almost up.

Regardless of how many puzzles they had solved, the candidates had to formally copy the questions and answer them, and they started turning in their test papers one after another.

The official in charge of the scene marked the submission time on each test paper, to be used as a basis for resolving conflicts.

More than half of the candidates had turned in their test papers, and nearly a hundred were still left, who could be said to have a clear understanding of their own abilities, knowing they wouldn’t rank, so they didn’t want to embarrass themselves by putting their names on the list. Yu Qing was also like this.

When the incense burned out, the official in charge of the scene got up, pulled out the incense, and inserted the last bit of ember into the incense burner, shouting, "It’s over. Those who haven’t turned in their test papers are considered to have forfeited."

There were no objections on the scene. The official in charge of the scene then went to consult with Lu Jikui.

After selecting the top candidate, Lu Jikui had no interest in personally reviewing the test papers again. He tapped Xu Fei’s test paper, instructing him to use it as a reference to grade the others.

The official in charge of the scene took the order and handled it efficiently, having someone count the number of answers on each test paper on the spot.

There was no need to carefully review each test paper. He picked out the ten with the most answers and then compared them with Xu Fei’s answers.

Based on the number of answers, if all the answers were correct, they would have the qualifications to compete for the top six.

Comparing the submission times, half of the ten test papers were eliminated.

The official in charge of the scene was indeed efficient and knew that Lu Jikui didn’t have the patience to wait. In about a quarter of an hour, he reviewed over two hundred test papers and selected the final five, presenting them to Lu Jikui.

Di Cang and Yu Qi couldn’t help but take a closer look at the official in charge of the scene.

After a brief inquiry, Lu Jikui sighed. After Xu Fei turned in his test paper, he thought the other candidates would gradually finish and turn in theirs.

At this moment, he realized that, except for Xu Fei, no one else had solved all the puzzles within the specified time, not even Jie Yuan Lang Zhan Muchun.

Lu Jikui also glanced at Zhan Muchun. This Jie Yuan Lang, who ranked after Xu Fei, only solved twenty-three puzzles within the specified time, leaving a blemish on his impression.

Among the top six from the county examination, only two entered the top six of this competition.

After asking the two masters if they had any objections, Lu Jikui personally wrote the rankings on the five test papers, put down the pen, and loudly called out, "Where is Xu Fei from Hengqiu?"

The tone of his voice clearly showed his curiosity to see who this person was.

Di Cang and Yu Qi also had the same expectation. In just a stick of incense time, Xu Fei had outperformed over three hundred candidates. It was truly a revelation. Though it was a spontaneous competition, the significant difference in performance could reveal something. A true standout!

In this situation, when "Xu Fei from Hengqiu" was called out by the state governor, the candidates were envious, and many felt a pang of jealousy.

It could be said that they were envious to the point of being green with envy.

The candidates all knew that the state governor had truly remembered this name. After this call, the entire officialdom of Liestate would know Xu Fei from Hengqiu!

Jie Yuan Lang Zhan Muchun slightly lowered his head, feeling deeply hurt. The state governor had never called out his name so loudly.

He vaguely felt that there was a difference between the county examination champion and the one personally tested by the state governor.

Xu Fei himself was also surprised. He had never thought that he would be called out by a high-ranking official of the Jin Kingdom. After a moment of shock, he quickly stood up, bowed, and said, "Student Xu Fei is here."

The candidates turned to look, and the official in charge of the scene loudly said, "Xu Fei, the state governor is giving you the reward. Why don’t you come over and thank him?"

Xu Fei was a bit flustered and hurried over.

Seeing the person bowing, Lu Jikui laughed to the two masters, "Scholars are usually fair-skinned, but you, Xu Fei, are a black-faced scholar." This made him even more memorable.

The two masters couldn’t help but laugh.

Xu Fei stammered, "Student, student, likes to practice swordsmanship, and got, got tanned."

"Um, no wonder you look strong. Don’t be nervous. I don’t mind your dark skin; a strong body is a good thing. With a good body, you can better serve the court." After praising him, Lu Jikui didn’t continue to talk in public and personally gave Xu Fei the promised reward.

A bottle of Mystic Level Demon-Repelling Dew, which Xu Fei took, and thirty pounds of spirit rice, which he put in a bag and casually slung over his shoulder.

He refused help and carried the heavy items with ease, but the combination of the scholar’s robe and the heavy load looked a bit comical.

Lu Jikui, Di Cang, and Yu Qi exchanged amused glances.

Seeing Xu Fei carry the reward back, Yu Qing’s heart was pounding with joy, but he had to maintain his composure and not let anyone know that the reward was related to him.

The award ceremony continued on the stage. The second place, Zhan Muchun, and the third place received their awards simultaneously. The state governor stepped back, and the two masters gave out the remaining awards.

After the awards were given, Lu Jikui and the two masters left.

The official in charge of the scene had the top six test papers displayed and announced a short break, inviting everyone to the "Chenxiang Hall" for a meal, where the state governor would personally host a banquet, a farewell for the talented scholars of Liestate.

After the relevant officials left the scene, the candidates immediately gathered around the displayed test papers, mainly to see the answers to the puzzles they had struggled with.

Yu Qing gave Xu Fei a nod, and the two quickly left the scene.

Xu Fei carried the items, and Yu Qing helped by sweeping away their draft papers, still wanting to cover their tracks and avoid leaving any hidden dangers.