Novel Full Chapter 125 - 104: Known by All
Chapter 125: Chapter 104: Known by All
He swallowed the words he had been about to say.
Only after the last person had finished their assessment did Su Chen and Zhang Hengyu return to the field.
Everyone gradually found their places. Su Chen, Zhu Xuan, and the others remained at the very front.
The man in charge looked down at the virtual screen and moved the earpiece microphone to his mouth.
“I declare the Judicial Court assessment officially over!”
“A total of 316 people participated in this assessment. Of those, 112 will become Outer Court Members, 15 will become regular Inner Court Members, and 8 will become Inner Court Seeds…”
As he made the announcement, many people on the field began to sob.
’Over three hundred people…’ Su Chen couldn’t help but think. ’Ying Feng only has one hundred and twenty-five Subordinate Cities. With one slot per city, that adds up to just one hundred and twenty-five people. Even with exceptions, the total couldn’t possibly exceed one hundred and fifty.’
’That means the rest are all Ying Feng locals. No wonder everyone wants to come to Ying Feng.’
At this point, the man in charge paused. His expression changed subtly as he looked down at the virtual screen. He swallowed hard before announcing in a clear voice:
“Additionally, Zhu Xuan, who possesses an Ink Jade Talent and demonstrated an outstanding performance during the assessment, will be made a Core Seed by special exception!”
Thanks to the speakers placed around the training ground, everyone heard him loud and clear.
Chu Yunze and his group had already received the news, so they weren’t surprised. But a clamor arose from behind them as some people showed looks of indignation.
“How can he be made a Core Seed by exception? Wasn’t Su Chen’s performance even better than his?”
“Exactly! On what grounds? If you can get in just based on Talent, then what’s the point of the assessment?”
People started to speak out. Everyone was jealous of Zhu Xuan, but no one dared to challenge him directly. They were, however, quite bold when it came to attacking Zhu Xuan under the pretense of speaking up for Su Chen.
“Silence! I’m not finished!”
Amidst the discussions, the man in charge spoke again.
The crowd fell silent, surprised. ’He’s still not done?’
The man in charge paused again, then said, “And Su Chen, who possesses an Ink Jade Talent and a resilient heart, and gave an astonishing performance during the assessment, will also be made a Core Seed!”
Silence!
The once-noisy training ground fell suddenly silent as gazes converged from all directions.
“’Resilient heart, astonishing performance…’” Zhu Xuan mulled over these words. They hadn’t appeared in his own evaluation.
These comments shouldn’t be underestimated; they represented the attitude of the Judicial Court’s upper echelons.
’He has Ink Jade Talent too!?’
Chu Yunze’s expression shifted several times as his gaze fell on Su Chen, his thoughts unreadable.
Pang Xingwen looked like a strangled rooster, his mouth opening and closing but no sound coming out.
They knew Su Chen would become a Core Seed, but they had assumed his promotion was a package deal with Zhu Xuan’s. They never expected that Su Chen himself actually possessed an Ink Jade Level Talent.
This meant that in terms of both strength and Talent, Su Chen completely crushed Zhu Xuan!
The crowd’s emotions grew complicated. The person for whom they had just been decrying an injustice had suddenly received the treatment he deserved, but instead of excitement, they felt a sour sense of envy.
“What, another Ink Jade popped up?”
“HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT!” Du Yu yelled, grabbing the collar of the nearby Zhu Mingxu and not letting go. “A Core Seed! Su Chen is actually a Core Seed too!”
“Ink Jade! Ink Jade! Do you even know what color that is? I’ve never even seen it before!”
“No wonder…” Zhang Yunqing’s gaze grew distant. She now understood why Su Chen had told her to wait.
The price of winning over an Inner Court Seed was naturally different from that of a Core Seed.
But back in Southwind, wasn’t his Talent Red Gold?
“The assessment is complete. All new members of the Judicial Court, please come forward to report.”
The man in charge’s face was also slightly flushed. He knew just how big of a stir the last two sentences he announced today would cause.
…
Ever since the Judicial Court was founded, the number of Core Seeds had been fixed at four. It had never changed.
But today, an exception was made, and two more were added at once.
As one of Ying Feng’s titans, the Judicial Court’s assessment always drew considerable attention. Thanks to modern communications, news traveled at lightning speed. Not long after it concluded, the results had sent shockwaves through more than half of Ying Feng.
All of Ying Feng’s various organizations and factions, large and small, were in an uproar, buzzing with discussion.
The Core Seeds were the group with the highest standing within the Judicial Court.
The only ones above them were the Chief Judges. Ordinary Judges could only flock to them and place their bets on who would succeed.
Some Chief Judges were even said to personally get in on the action and back their chosen candidates.
“Damn, two with Ink Jade Talent, and one of them can send a fully-developed Rock Guard flying. This batch of rookies is monstrously strong.”
“If you think about it, all three people with Ink Jade Level Talent came from Subordinate Cities. What’s going on? Where are all of Ying Feng’s own geniuses?”
…
After the assessment, most people left. The Outer Court Members were not permitted to live within the Judicial Court, so they had to return to their respective homes.
The Inner Court Members, however, had dedicated residences and could move in that very day.
“You’re really not having a celebration feast? We wanted to congratulate you.” Du Yu and his friends gathered around Su Chen. Zhu Mingxu and his group were there too, standing slightly further back. They weren’t nearly as familiar with Su Chen as Du Yu was, but they looked on with clear anticipation.
This group had all confirmed they would be staying in Ying Feng. The future benefits of building a good relationship with a Core Seed of the Judicial Court were self-evident.
In the distance, a few Judges were staring at them with unfriendly expressions. Some of the Outer Court Members had already departed, but this group still hadn’t left.
They were tempted to go over and shoo them away, but seeing Su Chen standing in the center of the group, they decided to turn a blind eye.
Before Su Chen could respond, he heard someone call out, “Su Chen…”
It was Gu Bing. She walked up, an expression of indescribable amazement in her eyes. “Elder Xia sent me to tell you that he’s waiting for you inside the Judicial Court.”
“Sorry, everyone.” Su Chen shrugged. Du Yu didn’t seem to mind; he and Su Chen were close and already had each other’s contact information. The others, however, were clearly disappointed.
“Could you do me a favor and bring my clothes from the hotel? And check out of the room for me, I won’t be going back.” Su Chen handed his key card to Du Yu, asking him to run the errand.
“No problem.” Du Yu patted his chest in assurance before leaving with the others.
“Let’s go,” Su Chen said to Gu Bing. Zhang Hengyu and Zhang Yunqing followed behind them.
“Su Chen…” Someone suddenly approached him. It was one of the new regular Inner Court Members who hadn’t left yet. He had a buzz cut and seemed to have struggled during the assessment. “Would it be convenient to exchange contact information?”
“Sure.” Su Chen thought for a moment. He hadn’t seen this person at Zhu Xuan’s banquet the other night, so he exchanged contact information with him.
“Du Ruoyu,” he said, introducing himself with what seemed like great sincerity. “If you need any help in the future, just say the word.”
Others who had been watching from a distance also began to flock over. Some were clearly skilled at this kind of networking, exchanging contact information with Su Chen amidst easy chatter and laughter.
Others, however, were more hesitant and awkward, too shy to offer up compliments.
Regardless of their approach, Su Chen maintained a warm, pleasant smile, and it took him a good ten minutes to handle everyone.
Gu Bing stood off to the side, not rushing him.
Zhang Yunqing’s thoughts were more complex. ’These people who managed to get into the Inner Courtyard will all have futures no less impressive than mine.’
“Later on, I’m afraid even more people will come calling.” Seeing that Su Chen was about finished, Gu Bing stepped forward and explained with a smile:
“A considerably large faction always gathers around every Core Seed.”
“They invest in the next potential Chief Judge in exchange for future benefits. In turn, the Core Seeds need them to handle matters and exchange resources.”
There are many minor tasks that a Core Seed can’t possibly handle personally; it’s a waste of both time and energy.
The group left the training ground and headed deeper into the Judicial Court. Gu Bing explained in detail, “The dynamic between the four Core Seeds has been balanced for many years. Everyone has to pick a side.”
“Zhu Xuan started recruiting before the assessment precisely to catch the other factions off guard.”
Gu Bing’s tone was clearly tinged with regret. “But I don’t know what Elder Xia was thinking, having you hide your strength for so long. You missed a great opportunity.”
“And then there’s Yuan Chenyang. He was forced to swallow that huge loss and didn’t even make a peep.”
’Hide my strength?’
’Gu Bing thinks I had Ink Jade Talent all along, and that Xia Hanshi just concealed it,’ Su Chen mused.
’The last time Xia Hanshi brought me to have my Talent tested, Gu Bing was there too. She probably thinks Elder Xia used some method to conceal my true Talent.’