Chapter Sixty-Four: The Monthly Examination

The next morning, Su Bai emerged from his room, yawning, his complexion sallow and dark circles hanging beneath his thick brows, making him look much like a malnourished panda. He had burned the midnight oil the night before, but fortunately, he had recovered enough to reach the third level of the Bronze Skin realm, and his energy was just barely sufficient. Strapping the books left by Gu Fanshuang yesterday onto his back, he followed the map and soon found the dining hall.

Just as he arrived, Gu Fanshuang was already eating. Su Bai was about to return the books to her when two cheerful youths approached her. Seeing this, he shrugged. Gu Fanshuang was no delicate flower; she could handle herself, and it was best not to meddle in things she could manage.

Su Bai filled a bowl with plain porridge, picked up a small steamed bun and a tiny dish of pickled vegetables, then found an empty seat by himself. There was no one around—a rather good spot. As he prepared to eat, a voice sounded beside him.

The newcomer gave a hearty chuckle and said, "May I sit here?"

Su Bai looked up to see someone whose appearance matched his voice—dressed in the same standard uniform as Su Bai, his face youthful, likely about the same age, but noticeably more robust and taller by half a head.

"My name is Baxia, from the Heaven class. Yesterday, I saw you were new and a bit shy, so I didn’t introduce myself in front of everyone," Baxia said, settling beside Su Bai with easy familiarity, slinging an arm around his shoulder, calling him brother.

Su Bai didn’t mind. He would have to live here from now on and couldn't keep entirely to himself. Besides, Baxia seemed harmless enough for now; he could chat with him.

"I haven't interacted with people in a long time, so I was indeed a bit awkward before the seniors," Su Bai apologized with a cupped hand.

Baxia raised his hand to stop him. "Hey, no need to be so formal. We have a long road ahead here—if we're always apologizing for small matters, how can we stick together?"

Then Baxia glanced around and gave Su Bai a look. Su Bai understood and leaned in to listen as Baxia whispered, "To be honest, I have an older brother who once stayed at Blood River Pavilion."

"Oh?" Su Bai raised his eyebrows, prompting him to continue.

"How could I lie, brother? My elder brother is ten years older, studied there for seven years, but never returned from the final trial," Baxia said seriously.

Su Bai responded calmly, "Then why come to me with this?"

"Well..." Baxia hesitated under Su Bai’s gaze before saying, "Actually, I’ve discussed this with others, but no one wants to team up with me. In Blood River Pavilion, the first three years are spent studying like ordinary scholars, with not even a single rest day. After three years, there are four years of martial training. In the eighth year comes the final trial. All this I learned by spending some silver. But the exact form of the final trial changes every time—never the same."

Su Bai took up the thread, "So the last trial must be completed with your group, and you start assembling your team as soon as you join the sect?"

"Exactly," Baxia nodded vigorously. "It’s usually groups of five. At the moment, only Xue Jiahui from my class is with me, so I wanted to ask if you’d consider joining."

Su Bai smiled lightly. Baxia was honest, though his words wound in circles. However, Su Bai had no desire to get involved just yet and was about to politely refuse when cries of pain rang out from his left.

“Ah!!”

“It hurts, it hurts!”

Su Bai looked toward the commotion: Gu Fanshuang had twisted one youth's right arm behind his back, pinning him to the table, his food spilled everywhere. Another was immobilized, pinned under her foot, begging for mercy.

Seeing Su Bai’s gaze shift to Gu Fanshuang, Baxia immediately “understood.”

"Brother, you’re not interested in the great fiend of the Heaven class, are you?" Baxia patted Su Bai’s shoulder sympathetically. "Gu Fanshuang is no ordinary person—her mother hails from the current leader of the Canglan Sect, Gu Qingyun. Though her family met with misfortune and she was raised by her third uncle, her background is formidable, and with her skills, even I’m no match."

"Oh?" Su Bai didn’t confirm or deny, but asked with interest, "Have you actually sparred with Sister Gu?"

"Uh, well, I was only being gallant at the time—otherwise, taking her down would have been easy," Baxia said, scratching his head awkwardly under Su Bai’s scrutinizing gaze. "Gu Fanshuang is about fifth layer of the Bronze Skin realm—I admit, I’m a bit weaker."

"Bronze Skin, fifth layer..." Su Bai calculated. "At my current rate of recovery, I should reach the fifth layer within half a month."

(Before, the realm was divided into early, middle, and late stages; now it’s unified as layers one to nine.)

Baxia, thinking Su Bai was pondering how to pursue Gu Fanshuang, hurried to advise, "Brother, there are plenty of flowers in the world. Sure, Gu Fanshuang is beautiful, but..."

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Originally, Su Bai wanted to clarify this misunderstanding with Baxia, but someone interrupted them.

"But what? Go on!" A sharp female voice called from behind Baxia, making him shiver.

Su Bai didn’t turn to look at Xue Jiahui, but signaled Baxia and said, "But how could she compare to Sister Xue, so beautiful in your heart, right, Brother Baxia?"

He then turned to Xue Jiahui: almond-shaped eyes full of spring, slender brows like drifting willows, lips like red brocade, cheeks tinged with peach blush—she was indeed pretty, though her temper... Well, that was Baxia’s problem.

"Sister, you misunderstand. Baxia was advising me not to pursue Sister Gu, lest I end up like those moths drawn to the flame," Su Bai said, glancing at Gu Fanshuang.

Xue Jiahui looked over as well. By now, Gu Fanshuang had dismissed the two troublemakers, who staggered out of the hall clutching their arms.

"Hmph!" Xue Jiahui snorted and turned away.

Baxia knew what to do, exchanged a glance with Su Bai, and their mutual understanding was wordless.

"Ah!" Outside the dining hall, Su Bai stretched lazily. "There’s an exam soon; best to head to the test site early."

Blood River Pavilion took exams very seriously, almost like a government department. The exam hall lay several dozen yards west of Yunhua Tower, its architecture much the same, usually deserted except during literature exams.

It was a three-story building with forty rooms in total. Heaven, Earth, and Man classes all tested separately, so each exam meant one student per room.

Su Bai pulled out his number card: 210.

He sat at the lone desk and chair in the room, surveying the sparse furnishings—a table by the door, purpose unclear, and bare white walls.

After a short while, a loud gong echoed down the corridor. A teacher appeared at the door, set the exam paper on the table, and left.

Su Bai waited for him to go, then picked up the paper.

"The questions are fairly standard, not too difficult," Su Bai thought, and began to write.

The sound of pen on paper filled the room. His writing was swift and vigorous; within half a stick of incense, he’d finished most of the test.

Listening to the cicadas and feeling the summer heat, Su Bai was reminded of his third year in high school—dragging himself through the day, burning the midnight oil at night. Now, reflecting on it, he felt something stir.

That year was hard, but on Sundays in the library he met Zhang Yuting, a fellow grade-mate. Every Sunday, they studied together, helping each other solve problems. They became a couple in college, and just like that, three years had passed.

For some reason, Su Bai’s pen slowed—not because the questions were hard, but because the memories overwhelmed him.

"I never considered this before—if I could go back, how would I live?"

Yes, his parents were gone, the girl he loved would soon marry someone else, he’d lost his job, and after trying to help someone, he’d died on a wintry street.

He’d always felt the world was hostile, forcing him to live in constant turmoil. But before?

No matter where he was, he couldn’t escape his fate. To be healthy and alive was already enough. He was just a small figure, nothing grand.

Sigh...

...

He chuckled bitterly, "Fear really is powerful—here I am, still trying to persuade myself to live like a normal person. But if I keep being timid as before, won’t I repeat the same old mistakes? Now that I’ve got a second chance, how can I languish in obscurity? Qin Chaoyang, Hua Wenkai, Xi Menghe—not too far off, not too far off."

...

Gently setting down his pen, Su Bai left the exam room. Someone would collect the paper.

The corridor was empty; everyone else was still buried in their tests. Su Bai walked past room after room.

Suddenly he stopped at room 104, pausing at the door.

Yesterday he’d found Gu Fanshuang’s exam number in her notebook. He’d meant to return it in the morning but had been delayed.

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"Finish and come out quickly—don’t linger inside!" A stern voice sounded beside Su Bai.

He ignored it, continuing to stand at the door.

The words he’d spoken to Gu Fanshuang yesterday were half lies, but half true. He genuinely wanted to confirm something; he felt a strong sense of familiarity with her, as if she were someone deeply important, but whenever he tried to recall, he couldn’t figure out who she was.

"Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear me telling you to come out?" The voice grew threatening, followed by hurried footsteps.

"I told you to leave!" A broad hand landed on Su Bai’s shoulder, trying to pull him away.

Just then the door opened.

"Eh? It’s you?" A surprised female voice rang out.

"Why her?" Su Bai frowned instantly, thinking to himself.

He hadn’t expected the one emerging to be Xue Jiahui, whom he’d seen in the morning.

The proctor dragged Su Bai out and reprimanded him, but Su Bai apologized sincerely and, having caused no real trouble, was let off.

Xue Jiahui watched quietly from the side. She was close to Gu Fanshuang; she’d given her own exam number to Gu Fanshuang and explained to the proctor that hers was lost, so she took the test in an empty room.

"This kid is quite eloquent—so different from the shy newcomer he was. Is he really interested in Gu Fanshuang? Hehe, I’ll have to chat with Fanshuang later; maybe there’s a shocking secret," Xue Jiahui thought, her curiosity ablaze.

Meanwhile, in room 211

A slender figure pushed open the door—it was Gu Fanshuang.

Passing room 210, she remembered assigning Su Bai that room yesterday.

For some reason, she paused at the door.

Recalling Su Bai’s serious expression, she seemed lost in thought.

"What are you trying to say? Why do your eyes seem so familiar?"

After a short while, the gong sounded again.

Heaven class students emerged one by one, some faces bright with smiles and confidence, others downcast and dejected. Gu Fanshuang stood quietly at her door, but room 210 remained closed.

"Never mind, perhaps he handed in early—after all, no one can cram that much in a single night," Gu Fanshuang forced a smile, shook her head, and walked away.

...

Six Gates, Seven Sorrows Hall

"Chief Constable, here’s this year’s list from Blood River Pavilion," Azure Dragon handed a folded document to Chu Shanhe.

Chu Shanhe sat on the wolf-head throne, flipping through the list. "The quality of Blood River Pavilion’s recruits has been declining these past years. You notified them to raise the selection difficulty, right?"

Azure Dragon replied, "After you told me, I sent my steward to oversee the process personally. There will be no unqualified candidates. The first monthly exam has already begun, so standards should be high."

Chu Shanhe nodded and instructed, "I trust your work, but keep a close eye on the Su family heir—do your utmost to find him."

"Yes!" Azure Dragon bowed and accepted the order.

Chu Shanhe waved him off. "Go now."

Azure Dragon bowed again and strode away.

Seven Sorrows Hall returned to its quiet.