42. It Would Have Been Better to Get a Perfect Score
The next morning, the results of the second round of examinations were finally announced.
While everyone was anxiously waiting, Gong Yiling and Yan Chuyue were the calmest of the bunch.
Although Gong Yiling was still wondering where Yan Chuyue got her “standard answers,” she knew that if she asked directly, the answer would be…
“Of course I read it in a book~”
If Gong Yiling hadn’t been so sure she hadn’t seen this content before, she would have suspected that the “book” Yan Chuyue referred to was actually the entire novel.
“Ladies,” Lan Suqin greeted them, bowing with her hands clasped. “Thank you for your kindness towards Ruohuai Daoist Mountain.”
“Eh?”
Gong Yiling and Yan Chuyue exchanged glances, then quickly replied, “What are you talking about? Why are you being so polite?”
“I should have said this yesterday.” Lan Suqin smiled wryly. “With such a huge advantage in the first round, even if we don’t do well in the second and third rounds, Ruohuai Daoist Mountain will definitely secure its sixth-tier position.”
“And the previous crisis was also resolved by Miss Lü and Miss Yan. You’ve only just joined, yet you’ve done so much more than I, who have been here for a long time. It makes me feel ashamed.”
“It’s nothing.”
Gong Yiling blinked and smiled. “We’re all from the same sect, so it’s only right that we help each other. Besides, I’m good at scheming. You don’t have to worry about it, Miss Lan.”
“Who says that about themselves?”
Yan Chuyue patted Miss Gong’s shoulder and said calmly, “I can vouch for that. She’s really good at this stuff. Even someone from ’98 wouldn’t be able to outsmart her.” (A reference to a popular internet meme about older, more experienced people)
“Hey, you…”
“Pfft…” Lan Suqin, seeing their interaction, couldn’t help but chuckle. “There’s no need to be so modest.”
“Our sixth-tier rating is all thanks to you…”
“Just sixth-tier?” Miss Gong suddenly asked.
“What?”
“Actually, Miss Lan, if the academy’s rankings are calculated this way, then why can’t Ruohuai Daoist Mountain be a third-tier sect?”
Her words stunned Lan Suqin.
A third-tier sect… she had never even considered it, let alone dared to dream of it.
Ruohuai Daoist Mountain was a nobody in the Hundred Paths Mountain, and with the recent scandal of their Sect Master being scammed and defeated, their reputation had plummeted.
There were only about twenty third-tier sects. If Ruohuai Daoist Mountain could secure a spot… it was unimaginable, truly unimaginable!
“Why do you say that? Even if we got first place in the first examination, there are still the next two…”
Then, she suddenly remembered yesterday’s examination paper.
Yes, if the answers on that paper were correct, then their score would definitely be high.
Although it was a long shot…
“Just watch.” Gong Yiling looked at the screen, which had started to display the results, crossed her arms, and shrugged. “What if we make it?”
As before, only the top fifty percent of the scores were displayed.
Until around the twentieth place, the scores were rather pitiful, the highest being only 60, even though the total possible score was 140.
It wasn’t until the eleventh place that the scores started to rise—and again, it was Longyu Daoist Mountain.
11th place, Longyu Daoist Mountain, 9 correct answers, 90 points.
“Damn it, eleventh again?”
Many from Longyu Daoist Mountain couldn’t help but curse.
This scene was too familiar. Surely it wouldn’t be that Ruohuai Daoist Mountain again, right?
Third place, Chongming Daoist Mountain, 10 correct answers, 120 points.
Second place, Shenqi Daoist Mountain, 10 correct answers, 130 points.
Both had ten correct answers, but their scores were different.
It seemed the questions had different point values, with the more difficult ones being worth more.
If that was the case…
“Could the first place be—”
Just as someone was exclaiming in surprise, the first-place score appeared on the screen.
First place, Ruohuai Daoist Mountain, 6 correct answers, 200 points.
6 questions, 200 points!?
What!!?? What!!??
“The one with ten correct answers only got 130 points! How could six questions be worth two hundred? Don’t tell me they didn’t answer any of the easy questions and only did the difficult ones?”
After he said this, everyone turned to look at her.
This… you know, it’s not impossible.
Although it was hard to believe, it was the most likely explanation.
“I should have just submitted a perfect answer sheet.” Gong Yiling sighed with regret. “We won’t be at Qian Yue Academy for more than a year. We should have left an unbreakable record for Ruohuai Daoist Mountain as a memento.”
“This score is practically a record already.” Yan Chuyue said with a smile. “I don’t think anyone else can get over 200 points unless they lower the difficulty of the questions.”
“That’s true—”
Just then, the members of Ruohuai Daoist Mountain surrounded them.
Their faces were filled with excitement.
They knew it was this girl and her companion who had brought back the full bags of spiritual beans in the first round, and Lan Suqin had also informed them about their contribution in the second round.
Two first-place finishes in a row, a huge slap in the face for the established sects.
Especially Ye Ao Daoist Mountain.
Senior Sister Wen Qiyin stared at the ink screen, her expression a mixture of emotions.
According to her plan, Ruohuai Daoist Mountain was supposed to fail this examination, so she could turn the entire sect into a breeding ground for her Gu insects.
But now, with two consecutive first-place finishes, even if they came in last in the third round, they might not be demoted to a ninth-tier sect.
This meant her long-laid plans had been completely ruined. She had to resort to a more dangerous method, forcibly implanting Gu in a lower-ranked ninth-tier sect.
This would easily attract attention, but for her plan to succeed, she had to take this risk.
“Lü Youyuan…”
A cold glint flashed in Wen Qiyin’s eyes. “Anyone who ruins my plans will not be forgiven. I’ll let you taste the bitterness of losing your dignity.”
And it seemed, a closer cooperation with that self-proclaimed Gong Yiling might be necessary.
