Chapter 10

Chen Changsheng successfully entered the formal admission examination of the Star Plucking Academy. This time, unlike the mocking or cold reception he received at the Heavenly Dao Academy, he was met with earnest expectations and gentle, encouraging gazes. This made him feel very warm and determined, and his state of mind was excellent.

The various academies in the capital city had different focuses in their admissions. The Heavenly Dao Academy emphasized the teachings of the National Religion and innate talent in cultivation, while the Star Plucking Academy was less concerned with cultivation. The military of the Great Zhou Dynasty believed that cultivation was something to be focused on after admission. They placed more importance on the military discipline and qualities of the candidates. Therefore, the number of questions in the Star Plucking Academy's exam was not as many as those in the Heavenly Dao Academy, but there were extremely strict requirements for the format, even the way names were written. The content of the questions was mainly focused on battlefield simulations and case studies of battles.

If Chen Changsheng had any talent, it was his ability to recite millions of books from memory since childhood. Just like in the Heavenly Dao Academy exam, when he opened the test paper, the first question was very familiar. The saying "The Great Dao encompasses all things" was not an exaggeration. The countless fields of knowledge, like stars in the sand, were all included, naturally including famous military strategies and historical battles, especially the detailed descriptions of the wars between humans and demons. He remembered these, so he would not answer incorrectly.

Very smoothly, Chen Changsheng finished the exam and, along with his companions, came to the front of the Military Discipline Building to wait for the final results. Standing before the divine beast that symbolized the strict military discipline of the Great Zhou Dynasty, he recalled the content of the exam, confirming that he should have no problem getting into the Star Plucking Academy. He relaxed and, seeing the bitter expression of a young demon, kindly patted his shoulder to offer comfort—clearly, this talented young demon had little knowledge of human military strategies and performed poorly.

The sun was about to set, and the faint red light illuminated the divine beast and the cold iron bars of the Military Discipline Building, creating a mysterious and eerie atmosphere. Chen Changsheng stood in the light and shadow, his young face full of happy smiles and expectations for the future.

However, he did not know that he would soon face bitter disappointment.

...

...

"Why?"

The Great Zhou officer who had presided over the initial stone millstone test and another instructor with a solemn expression stood before a desk, looking at a middle-aged general behind the desk. His face was ashen, clearly struggling to contain his anger.

The middle-aged general, with a face as expressionless as a stone and eyebrows as dark as ink, exuded an aura of authority. Listening to his subordinate's angry questioning, he frowned slightly and said, "Is this how you ask a superior?"

The two instructors were momentarily speechless. One of them pointed to the setting sun outside and said, "Although only we two have seen that test paper, many colleagues have been paying attention to the candidate named Chen Changsheng. My attitude may not be good, but if my colleagues learn of the outcome, they will also have the same questions."

The middle-aged general said, "He is just an ordinary boy who has not even successfully undergone the Bone Cleansing. Why do you value him so much?"

The instructor took a step forward in anger, pointing to the test paper that had been crumpled into a ball, and said, "You have seen that test paper. You should know that in the past dozen years, no such perfect test paper has appeared in the admission exams. Whether in terms of answering standards or case study analysis, there are no flaws, no misspellings, not even a slightly thick stroke. Yes, that child may not become a heroic and powerful divine general like you, but he can definitely become the best staff officer!"

The middle-aged general was silent for a moment and then said, "This is an order from the palace. I do not need to explain it to you."

The instructor was stunned for a moment, then said in a low voice, "But... I need to give that child an explanation."

The middle-aged general looked up and glanced at him, saying, "Then bring him here, and I will explain it to him."

...

...

Chen Changsheng walked into the stern building, looking at the candle burning on the desk. He remained silent, his fists clenched at his sides, his face pale, unsure if it was from fatigue or anger, or both. When he saw that his name was still not on the stone wall, he was extremely angry, more so than when he faced cold looks and contempt at the divine general's residence the day before.

Because he had great expectations for entering the Star Plucking Academy, and all his hopes turned into disappointment the moment he saw the list. The efforts he had put in now seemed like a joke. What was the reason for all this?

He needed an explanation.

The middle-aged general behind the desk said he would give him an explanation. He wanted to know what it would be.

"Sorry."

The middle-aged general stood up, staring at him coldly like a predator staring at a rabbit, but the words that came out were "sorry."

"As a Great Zhou soldier, I have to violate my principles, sorry."

"My actions may damage the reputation of the Star Plucking Academy, sorry."

"You have talent and a bright future, but I have to temporarily halt your future, sorry."

"I cannot tell you why, sorry."

"But I think you will soon know the reason, so I hope you can give me a chance to correct my mistake."

Chen Changsheng listened to these words, remained silent for a moment, then turned and left.

...

...

The next morning at five o'clock, Chen Changsheng woke up on time, as he had done for the past fourteen years. He washed, dressed, and meditated, then left the inn to continue his academic journey.

He went to two other academies in the order listed. The experiences at the Heavenly Dao Academy and the Star Plucking Academy naturally left him depressed and unhappy, but he was the most time-conscious person in the world. He did not want to waste time on pointless anger and regret, only on valuable things. This attitude sometimes made him seem indomitable.

The previous experiences did not seem to affect him. He prepared carefully, took the exams cautiously, and successfully passed the entrance exams of the two academies—based on the content of the test papers, he believed he should have passed—then, as expected, he failed to make the list.

With the experience of the first two attempts, Chen Changsheng was no longer as disappointed, or perhaps he had become numb.

He knew that someone was targeting him in secret, and the answer was clear.

In the evening, he walked out of the fourth academy and finally saw the carriage from the divine general's residence, with the slightly faded but still striking blood phoenix emblem on the carriage pole. Of course, this was because the carriage was deliberately parked at the entrance of the academy, so he could see it.

Chen Changsheng looked at the carriage, knowing the answer was about to be revealed.

Although he had already guessed the answer, seeing the test paper felt different.

The middle-aged woman stepped out of the carriage.

"You are just a child... you have no right to make the divine general's residence do so much."

The middle-aged woman walked up to him, her face expressionless, and said, "But we still did so much because we are very worried that you, being too young, might not understand the situation clearly. So we showed you our strength, and now you should know that as long as we do not agree, you will never have a chance in the Great Zhou Dynasty."

Chen Changsheng remembered her; she was the first person he met at the divine general's residence, where he bowed and greeted her, then straightened up without saying a word.

A hint of surprise flashed in the middle-aged woman's eyes. She did not expect that even in such a situation, this young man could remain so calm and even remember to bow to her. This behavior was somewhat disconcerting and even unsettling, but she had to finish what she had to do.

"We want something, and you know what it is... if you agree, everything we have taken from you can be returned to you. The Heavenly Dao Academy, the Star Plucking Academy, the Ancestral Shrine... you can choose any. Whatever you want to learn, you can choose. Whichever teacher you want to follow, you can choose. After you complete your studies, whether you want to join the military, the National Religion, or become an official... everything is up to you."

The middle-aged woman looked at him seriously and said, "But if you do not agree, the experiences of the past two days will be a recurring part of your life."

Chen Changsheng remained silent, saying nothing.

The middle-aged woman said, "You are a smart person, you should know how to choose."

Chen Changsheng looked at her and finally said, "My senior brother's notes say that smart people do not live happily, so one should be wisely ignorant."

The middle-aged woman smiled and said, "But you are indeed well-behaved and smart, and you did not tell anyone about the marriage contract... otherwise, you would already be dead."

Chen Changsheng now confirmed that the divine general's residence had been sending people to follow him for the past two days.

The middle-aged woman said, "Of course, do not misunderstand... I was just talking about a possibility. With the Holy Empress above, the divine general's residence always follows the law and never bullies anyone, only helps people. If you are willing to pay... what you were already prepared to pay, we can help you gain a lot."

What you were already prepared to pay, of course, was the marriage contract.

Helping you gain a lot, but those were things you could have gained on your own.

Chen Changsheng suddenly felt that compared to the bustling capital, the forest behind the old temple, full of fierce beasts, was so beautiful.

He looked at the middle-aged woman and suddenly asked, "Auntie, have I done anything wrong?"

The middle-aged woman was taken aback, momentarily speechless.

She had lived in the capital for over a hundred years, seen her young mistress marry into the Xu family, seen her son-in-law fight his way to a better future, and was accustomed to the high officials of the court and the powerful figures outside. She was used to intrigue and conspiracy, but she had never expected to hear such a question, one that seemed naive yet was extremely difficult to answer.

So she could not answer.