Chapter 41 Part 2

But when the final submission was made, because each group had actually planted different vanilla, the Moon Group’s plant would be identified as the Sword and Shield Group’s. This way, they could easily achieve their goal.

After hearing his little brother’s plan, the eldest Zhao beamed, slapping his shoulder enthusiastically. “You’re the cleverest among us brothers. Good job! We’ll do as you say!”

Afterwards, the three split up. The eldest went to find water, while the second and third brothers tried to swap the seeds.

But Yun Zouchuan had tucked the seed into her pocket and kept her hand firmly inside, sitting there without moving. They had no choice but to abandon the swap for the time being.

The eldest Zhao rubbed the stubble on his crew cut. “Then we’ll swap them when they plant the seeds. If that doesn’t work, we find a chance to secretly dig up the seeds and switch them.”

“Alright, let’s do that.”

The three brothers returned to the temple carrying soil, only to find the Moon Group had only a small clay pot of clear water. Their flower pot was clean and empty.

No soil for planting? No planting, no swap?

Second Brother Zhao asked with concern, “You’ve already fetched the water, why not plant the vanilla quickly? What if there’s not enough time for it to grow? Look, we dug up so much soil, let us share some with you.”

Yun Zouchuan shook her head. “Our group leader said she’ll find clean soil.”

Although the three brothers looked exactly alike, their auras made them easy to distinguish. The eldest Zhao was fierce; the second, blunt and straightforward; the third, cunning.

At this moment, the fierce eldest Zhao had to force a genial smile, pulling his brother back. “Why are you so enthusiastic? Careful you don’t scare them! Alright, don’t meddle in other groups’ business. Look at this soil you dug, it’s all rocks and sand. Dump it and dig again.”

Second Brother Zhao felt wronged. Big brother, this soil was clearly dug by all three of us brothers. How did it become just mine?

Third Brother Zhao quickly pushed his elder brother towards the exit. “Alright, brother, just go find another place to dig soil.” Stop causing trouble here!

…

Zhu Ming and Deng Yan were doing something else. In the center of their Moon Group’s dormitory floor, there was a square trapdoor. Pulling it open revealed a pitch-black passageway.

Zhu Ming and Deng Yan climbed down the stairs. The moment they were fully enveloped in darkness, they discovered their sealed Supernatural Abilities could suddenly be used again.

At intervals along the passageway walls, pale purple fluorescent stones were embedded for illumination. It wasn’t as bright as outside, but sufficient to see the path ahead.

The two walked for about five minutes until they reached level ground. The passageway ahead suddenly widened. Walking further, they discovered a three-way fork: left, forward, and right.

They chose the leftmost path, but not far in, they encountered another fork.

This had to be a maze. Not daring to go deeper, they retreated.

Back at the Moon Group’s exam table, Wenren Tu had also returned, bearing the full brunt of the midday heat. It was the hottest part of the day; her bangs were plastered together with sweat.

“Didn’t find anything except wood.”

Forging a dagger required metal first, a heavy hammer second, and a mold last. If they didn’t have a heavy hammer, having Yun Zouchuan just hammer it out with brute force wasn’t entirely out of the question, but no matter how they thought about it, it seemed impossible to complete.

A whole morning passed, and the Moon Group hadn’t completed a single task. The other groups weren’t much better off. Only the Ruler Group had planted their seed; everyone else had finished nothing.

Driven by a certain physiological need, everyone gradually and somewhat self-consciously gathered in the temple.

The newcomers didn’t quite understand the unspoken rules of dungeons. Looking around the empty temple, one asked, “When will the examiner take everyone to eat?”

There were dormitories, toilets, but no cafeteria.

The weather was sweltering. Everyone was thirsty and hungry.

The eldest Zhao said, “I reckon it’s not coming back. It’s deliberately messing with us.”

Third Brother Zhao agreed. “Exactly. Withholding food in dungeons is the most common tactic. It forces everyone to participate. If you want food, you have to find it yourself.”

Second Brother Zhao pointed at the fruits and vegetables surrounding the smaller deity statue inside the chamber. “What about these?”

Although he said it, few dared to touch them. Examiner Crowcrow had repeatedly stressed the goddess’s supremely high status here. What if eating the god’s offerings was taboo?

For a moment, everyone had their own thoughts but, quite unanimously, no one went for the offerings.

While others were gathered around the statue, Yin Yu remained seated behind her table. She suddenly rose and headed for the dormitory, the masked Tu Wei following closely behind. The other newcomer in their group hurried after them.

Zhu Ming said, “Let’s head back to the dorm. The food is underground.”

Wenren Tu had just returned and didn’t even know about the trapdoor in the dormitory. She was dragged along, completely disoriented.

Soon after, Bai Lianxue’s group also headed for their dormitory. Seeing this, the three Zhao brothers followed suit.

In just a short span, all four groups had decided to explore the underground labyrinth. There was no food on the surface except for the fruits and vegetables piled around the deity statue. The oasis outside had birds, but who eats whom was still an open question.

Zhu Ming, Wenren Tu, and Deng Yan descended the winding stairs to the entrance. Hearing it was a maze, Wenren Tu couldn’t help but say, “The three of us have to stick together. No wandering off alone, or we risk getting separated.”

Deng Yan suddenly asked, “What if we can’t find our way out of the maze?”

Wenren Tu said, “We definitely can. If all else fails, just follow the wall.”

Deng Yan shook her head. “Give me your hands.”

She touched the back of Zhu Ming’s and Wenren Tu’s hands. Instantly, an identical compass graphic appeared on both of their hands. Although just a graphic, the needle could rotate, which was quite miraculous.

Deng Yan explained, “My ability is called ‘Person Pointer.’ No matter where I am, the red arrow always points towards the anchor point. I set the anchor to this stone.” It could be used on people or objects and was incredibly practical for regrouping teammates.

“If you get lost, you can follow the Person Pointer back.”

Zhu Ming suddenly turned to look at her. “How about you swap with Yun Zouchuan? You watch the table instead.” Her support-type ability was better suited for safer locations.

Deng Yan had been thinking the same thing. She nodded. “Alright. I also want to study the poem some more.”

But just as she ascended to the surface, the Person Pointers on Zhu Ming and Wenren Tu’s hands vanished. Left with no choice, Deng Yan and Yun Zouchuan moved all the test papers and tools into the dormitory.

Deng Yan sat on the stairs at the entrance. This allowed her to maintain her ability. If anyone barged in, standing up would allow her to see the situation inside the dormitory and the entrance.

As for Zhu Ming, Wenren Tu, and Yun Zouchuan, they adhered to the left-hand rule and proceeded deeper into the labyrinth.

…

Inside the temple.

The Sword and Shield Group had Wei Yuan watching their table. His ability was Electronic Program Control—capable of controlling airplanes above ground and excavators below. Unfortunately, in this primitive, backward setting, it was completely useless. Combined with his non-combative nature, he was left to guard the table and rack his brains over the third question.

The Harp Group had Xiao Lang watching their table. The other three had gone directly underground. He was happy not to go, so he stayed behind.

The Ruler Group had Wang Ziwei watching their table. Having lost a teammate so quickly scared him, so he insisted on staying, enduring the contemptuous looks from the newcomer in his group. Speaking of which, it was infuriating. A newcomer, entering a dungeon for the first time, yet acting with an arrogance that looked down on everyone. He couldn’t tell if she was genuinely capable or just too ignorant to know fear.

As the saying goes, three men make a drama. Thirsty and hungry on the surface, Xiao Lang and Wang Ziwei began chatting back and forth to distract themselves.

Yet, these two men, superficially friendly, were actually probing for information about each other’s group. This was a competition. Not just the Zhao brothers—others had also thought about the reward distribution issue. Under these circumstances, it was possible other groups were hiding something, trying to hoard the benefits for themselves.

They tried to drag Wei Yuan into their conversation to fish for information. The three brothers of the Sword and Shield Group looked too tough to mess with, but Wei Yuan seemed reclusive and easy to bully—a perfect target now.

Wei Yuan, however, ignored them, head bowed in thought. This attitude deeply displeased Xiao Lang, who sourly turned his head away. “What a petty, effeminate wimp.”

Wang Ziwei lowered his voice, his smile lewd. “Doesn’t that just perfectly balance out their group’s machismo? They say men and women working together makes the job easier, but he just has to hang with those three brothers. Even though there are three beauties right over there, wouldn’t you say…”

He formed a circle with his left hand, poked his right index finger through it, and wiggled it suggestively. The two men burst into a round of meaningful, mocking laughter.

Wei Yuan stared unwaveringly at his single task, his expression unchanged.

The bullied man not showing the expected fear or aggrievance left Xiao Lang and Wang Ziwei feeling a bit bored. Ignoring Wei Yuan, they started discussing what they could do.

Watching the table meant they couldn’t leave the temple. Despite the pleasant chat just now, these two fair-weather brothers hadn’t lowered their guard against each other one bit. Therefore, the watchers’ activities were limited to the temple interior. They couldn’t seek materials, only use their minds to ponder the third exam question:

The Great Goddess Descended Upon the Earth

On the first day, () proud () bled, paying the price for their arrogance.

On the second day, () vicious () were shattered to pieces, paying the price for their insolence.

On the third day, () irreverent () were cast into flames, paying the price for their discourtesy.

On the fourth day, () foolish () groveled in repentance, offering loyal souls and hearts.