Chapter 33: THE EXAMINATION(7)

Elder Mo listened carefully before moving his finger to the second question. "And this one?"

Li Yan read it before explaining the answer and the reasoning behind it. He remembered the subject particularly well because Hu Biyan had spent considerable time teaching him the principle the previous night.

Elder Mo then selected the third question and asked him to explain it as well.

Li Yan gave his answer, then went a step further by explaining why the other possible answers were incorrect. He had not simply memorized the material; he understood it well enough to reason through the questions himself.

Elder Mo’s expression gradually eased as he listened.

When Li Yan finished, the elder lowered the paper and looked toward Elder Shen. "He did not cheat."

Elder Shen frowned slightly. "Are you certain?"

"I am." Elder Mo’s gaze returned to Li Yan. "I chose three questions at random, and he explained the principles behind all three without hesitation. If he had merely obtained the answers beforehand, he would have had to memorize not only the answers but also the reasoning behind them. His responses were too natural for that."

Li Yan finally felt the tension in his chest ease.

At least someone had actually tested him instead of judging him by his result.

Elder Mo continued studying him. The boy had been questioned for some time now, yet his eyes remained clear. He was obviously angry, but there was no fear or evasiveness in his expression.

A person who knew he had been caught cheating would usually be desperate to defend himself, yet Li Yan had done something different. He had simply demanded evidence and then offered to take another examination in front of witnesses.

Elder Mo had seen enough young cultivators to recognize the difference.

This boy was not afraid of being exposed.

He was angry because there was nothing to expose.

Elder Mo turned his attention back to Elder Shen. "You should have verified the answers before making your accusation. A student’s result being unexpected does not make it false. You should have praised his intelligence."

Elder Shen’s expression tightened, but he did not argue.

Li Yan watched the exchange quietly.

He had no idea what Elder Mo had thought of him before entering the hall, but the second elder had at least judged him according to what he had actually demonstrated.

That alone was enough to earn him his respect.

Elder Mo returned the examination paper to Elder Shen and gave Li Yan another brief look.

"Young man, continue studying as you have been. Your foundation is good."

Li Yan nodded respectfully. "Thank you, Elder Mo."

Elder Mo acknowledged him with a slight nod before turning toward the exit.

His duty had been to determine whether Li Yan’s knowledge was genuine, and he had reached his conclusion. There was no reason for him to remain involved in the dispute between the examinee and Elder Shen.

As he walked away, however, the name written at the top of the examination paper remained in his mind.

Li Yan.

He had examined countless young cultivators during his years in the Nine Jade Sect, but very few had left an impression on him after a single meeting.

Elder Mo left without saying anything more.

Once the doors closed behind him, Li Yan finally allowed himself to relax.

He had been sitting in the examination hall since morning, and after everything that had happened, he was beginning to feel the exhaustion he had ignored earlier.

He looked toward Elder Shen. "Am I allowed to leave now?"

Elder Shen gave him a complicated look before nodding. "You may leave."

Li Yan immediately rose from his seat.

He had no desire to remain in the examination hall any longer.

The moment he stepped outside, the afternoon sunlight fell across his face. He narrowed his eyes for a moment before adjusting to the brightness, then looked toward the entrance where Hu Biyan had told him he would wait.

The sight of a familiar figure standing nearby immediately lifted his mood.

Hu Biyan had been pacing back and forth for some time, and the moment he noticed Li Yan, he hurried over.

"You finally came out. What happened? The examination ended hours ago, and I was beginning to wonder whether something had happened to you."

Li Yan looked at him and immediately felt a little guilty when he realized how long the man had been waiting.

"They accused me of cheating."

Hu Biyan stopped in front of him, his concern turning into disbelief. "They accused you of cheating after you finished the examination?"

Li Yan nodded as they began walking away from the examination hall. "They thought I could not possibly have answered so many questions correctly because of my yellow spirit root and background."

Hu Biyan’s expression darkened. "What did you do?"

"I asked them to prove that I cheated. When they couldn’t, I offered to take another examination in front of them."

Hu Biyan looked at him with a mixture of exasperation and pride. "You certainly did not make things easy for them."

"I was angry."

"I can imagine." Hu Biyan’s expression softened as he studied Li Yan’s face. "But what happened in the end?"

"Elder Mo came to examine me."

"Elder Mo?"

Li Yan nodded. "He chose three questions from the examination and asked me to explain them. After I answered, he confirmed that I had not cheated."

Hu Biyan’s relief was immediate.

"Good. At least someone in that sect knows how to judge a person properly."

Li Yan smiled. The irritation he had carried out of the examination hall was slowly disappearing now that he was with someone who actually understood how much effort he had put into preparing.

Hu Biyan looked at him again. "You said you answered almost all the questions correctly?"

Li Yan’s eyes brightened at the opportunity to finally share his achievement.

"I knew about two hundred and eighty of them with certainty. I had to think about the others, but I managed to work through them before submitting the paper."

Hu Biyan’s face immediately filled with pride.

"You did very well."