Chapter 33

The time for the exam was quite ample, and Jiang Chen was not in a hurry. This third assessment posed no difficulty for him. The rote memorization part was something he had cultivated over a million years, almost reaching the point of perfect recall.

Therefore, such rote memorization tasks were no challenge for him at all.

With a flourish of his pen, he wrote his name, then began to answer the questions.

After about half an hour, Jiang Chen had completed the rote memorization section flawlessly.

Next came the free-response section. This part was relatively more flexible and the questions were more profound.

Of course, from Jiang Chen's perspective, these questions were still rather shallow and low-level, but he still took them seriously.

Although the questions were shallow, Jiang Chen did not want to answer them too deeply. The theoretical level of the Eastern Kingdom might not be able to digest overly profound answers.

With Jiang Chen's knowledge, if he answered too deeply, the examiners from the Eastern Kingdom might as well consider it a blank paper.

If the answers were too profound to understand, what difference would it make from being off-topic?

Therefore, Jiang Chen racked his brains, starting from the knowledge level of this world, and made some pioneering explanations.

These answers, in Jiang Chen's knowledge base, were considered low-level. But here, he was still somewhat worried that they might exceed the syllabus and cause unnecessary trouble.

So, he suppressed his impulse to elaborate, keeping these pioneering explanations within the knowledge level of the Eastern Kingdom.

This effort was quite taxing. After about an hour and a half, Jiang Chen reviewed his answers and found no flaws, so he submitted them.

According to the rules, the examiner in charge of this section sealed Jiang Chen's exam paper in a box.

"Jiang Chen, this assessment needs to be reviewed by the higher-ups and graded by the heads of each department before the results can be announced. I assume you understand this rule, right?"

The rule was indeed as such, and Jiang Chen nodded without much concern.

After all, no matter who graded it, this answer sheet would definitely pass. Jiang Chen was very confident about this.

After completing the three basic assessments, it was already evening. Xuan Pang, the fat man, followed Jiang Chen at a brisk pace, which was not easy for his bulky frame.

Not far into the walk, the fat man was already panting: "Brother Chen, wait for me, will you?"

"Brother Chen, I've booked a table at Songhe Tower to celebrate your passing the assessment. I, Xuan Pang, knew from the start that you were just pretending to be weak. You didn't pass the previous assessments on purpose to keep your opponents off guard, hehe!"

Xuan Pang's flattery was endless, and he didn't blush at all.

"Let's skip Songhe Tower," Jiang Chen said casually, then after a moment's thought, he looked at the eager faces of Xuan Pang and Hu Qiu Yue and sighed, "Let's gather at my place tonight."

Hu Qiu Yue nodded: "Right, Brother Chen is right. My old man also said that with all the trouble in the capital recently, it's best to avoid places like Songhe Tower."

"Hehe, if Brother Chen says no, then no. Besides, going to Brother Chen's place, we'll have more face, right?" Xuan Pang was a reasonable person and quickly changed the topic, not insisting on his original plan.

As a servant and steward, Jiang Zheng knew it was his time to act. Hearing Jiang Chen's words, he said, "I'll go back and prepare."

Upon arriving at the residence of Marquis Jiang Han, Xuan Pang and the others felt even more at ease.

For Jiang Chen, this was the first time he had gathered with these close friends since coming to this world, and the atmosphere was quite pleasant. During the meal, listening to Xuan Pang and the others talk about their past hardships, he felt a bit nostalgic.

"Brother Chen, do you think that Yang Zong is heartless and ungrateful? Think about it, you used to protect him so much. After you had your problems, he shrank away and dared not associate with us. It seems he can't be relied upon. I, Xuan Pang, used to consider him a brother, but he's not a good person!"

Xuan Pang was furious when he mentioned Yang Zong.

Jiang Chen, however, just smiled casually, not commenting. As they say, everyone has their own aspirations. Yang Zong chose to protect himself, not choosing brotherhood, which was his personal choice.

But in Jiang Chen's heart, Yang Zong's name was already erased.

Seeing that Jiang Chen didn't respond, Xuan Pang didn't continue to criticize Yang Zong but changed the topic to the Qianlong Examination.

"Brother Chen, speaking of the Qianlong Examination, do you have any ambitions?" Xuan Pang seemed a bit drunk, his tongue a bit thick.

"What ambitions?" Jiang Chen smiled.

"Brother Chen, I, Xuan Pang, am a straightforward person. I don't look up to those top feudal lords. I naturally feel that you, Brother Chen, are the right fit. So, if you rise to prominence, I, Xuan Pang, will be overjoyed in my dreams! Brother Chen, I hope you aim for the top feudal lords!"

"Right, Brother Chen, I think Bai Zhanyun is just so-so. You have the strength to challenge the status of the four major feudal lords," Hu Qiu Yue thought of Jiang Chen's performance that night and felt his blood boil.

"The four major feudal lords?" Jiang Chen murmured, then smiled, "The four major feudal lords are not my goal."

"Ah? Brother Chen, what is your goal then? If you can secure one of the top ten feudal lords, that would be great," Hu Qiu Yue said.

"Pot, are you a pig?" Xuan Pang, though drunk, was not confused. Knowing Jiang Chen, this tone didn't mean he couldn't achieve the status of the four major feudal lords, but rather that the four major feudal lords were not even in his sights!

Thinking of this, Xuan Pang's fat body suddenly trembled, and the drunkenness instantly dissipated. His small, beady eyes shot out a look of intense anticipation.

"Brother Chen, could it be that your goal is the position of the Eastern Clan? Ha ha, you're worthy of being my Brother Chen, with such grand ambitions!"

Xuan Pang was a rough person, and with the stimulation of alcohol, he spoke without any reservations, not even considering the implications of his words.

"Brother Chen, are you serious?" Hu Qiu Yue was stunned, his breathing becoming rapid.

Seeing the serious expressions of these two, Jiang Chen couldn't help but laugh: "Fatso, your imagination is too wild. When did I say I wanted to replace the Eastern Clan?"

"Then what is it?" Xuan Pang scratched his head, looking puzzled.

"As cultivators, if we only seek temporary wealth and honor, we waste our lives. I, Jiang Chen, am dedicated to the path of martial cultivation. Mundane wealth and honor are like floating clouds to me."

Seeing Jiang Chen's serious expression, Xuan Pang felt deflated, like a frost-bitten eggplant.

"Brother Chen, this doesn't seem like your style. What about the vows we made? Didn't we agree to be wild and crazy together, to be arrogant and defiant together, to face the storms together?"

Xuan Pang grumbled, his face full of委屈 (grievance).

"People always change," Jiang Chen sighed. "Fatso, you are my brothers. I won't say insincere words. The days of being carefree, though beautiful, are not meant to last. Without the feudal lord's token, what capital do you have to be carefree and arrogant? What capital do you have to be defiant?"

Xuan Pang had no response. He knew that the so-called days of being defiant and wild were just a fleeting dream.

Without strength, who would you be arrogant to? Who would give you the right to be arrogant?

In the end, the reason they could be wild and defiant was because they had good fathers and were born into the right families.

But what about the next generation after their carefree days?

Hu Qiu Yue felt deeply: "Fatso, I think Brother Chen is right. I also believe that in this world, strength is the only truth. Look at Brother Chen's recent experiences. Isn't it clear that strength brings change? In the past, people challenged us everywhere. Now, when they see Brother Chen, they don't even dare to look at us. This is the change that strength brings!"

Xuan Pang was once again alone, feeling dejected: "But, you know, I'm a fatso that people look down on. Cultivation is really a luxury for me. I've only reached this level because my father beat me into it..."

The more he spoke, the more despondent he became. Despite his usual cheerful and carefree demeanor, Xuan Pang had a sensitive and vulnerable side.

His large frame brought him many troubles that others didn't have, and many forms of discrimination and humiliation that others couldn't understand.

Deep down, Xuan Pang cared a lot about these things but pretended not to. So he learned to mock himself and make fun of himself.

But when he came to the capital to participate in the Qianlong Examination and met Jiang Chen, the only person in this world who didn't discriminate against him and treated him as a brother, everything changed.

At that moment, Xuan Pang felt that Jiang Chen was his soulmate, his lifelong brother, someone he would give his life for.

"Brother Chen, do you know? When I first came to the capital, I tried hard to fit into the world of the feudal lords' children. But wherever I went, I faced their discrimination and ridicule. You... were the first person I met in the capital who called me 'fatso' without a look of disdain. At that moment, I, Xuan Pang, decided to follow you for the rest of my life!"

Xuan Pang wiped his red eyes fiercely: "Brother Chen, what you said is right. If we didn't have good fathers, what capital would we have to be carefree and arrogant? Besides, to ensure that my descendants have the chance to be carefree, I must keep the feudal lord's token!"

For the first time, Xuan Pang's eyes showed a firm determination that made others respect him.