Chapter 151 - 111: Making a Name During Course Selection, Dead Silence

Chapter 151: Chapter 111: Making a Name During Course Selection, Dead Silence

Time passed quickly.

The teachers from both academies soon arrived and took their seats in the arena. The selection process for the academies was actually quite simple, and the rules weren’t complicated. It was nothing more than a group of people taking an exam simultaneously, from which the top sixteen would be selected based on their scores. Then, it would be sixteen down to eight, eight to four, four to two, and finally, two to one. In truth, reaching the top sixteen was enough to earn an academy’s recommendation quota for the imperial examination. But who wouldn’t want to stand out among the stars?

Of course, this only applied to the students participating in the written examination.

Zeng Anmin had chosen the Illusion Array Examination. Since not many people participated in it, the academy allocated a small number of quotas to its students each year. There were only six spots, each corresponding to one of the Six Arts of the Gentleman. This meant that Zeng Anmin had to take first place in the art of archery to secure a quota for the imperial examination.

Not many students opted for the Illusion Array Examination because everyone knew it suppressed one’s memories.

"Commence the evaluation of Archery Skills!"

The teachers from both academies were highly efficient. The students taking the Illusion Array Examination were called out by name and directed to the other side of the Training Ground. Zeng Anmin was naturally among them.

Carrying his Black Gold Longbow on his back, his expression was calm. He first took a rough glance around. There were only a little over thirty students participating in the Illusion Array selection, and merely eight competing in the art of archery. Among these eight, four were from the Imperial College, and four were from the Qi Lin Academy.

Since they were all here for the archery selection, every student carried a Soft Bow on their back. Only Zeng Anmin’s man-sized Black Gold Longbow drew sidelong glances from the crowd.

"HEH."

As the eight students followed the teacher into the shooting range, one of the Qi Lin Academy students opposite them let out a soft chuckle. The young man had an ordinary face and an unremarkable figure. Even the blue student uniform of the Qi Lin Academy looked rather plain on him.

"I am Li Ru, a student of the Qi Lin Academy. I will rightfully claim first place in this archery selection," he said, lifting his chin slightly and looking toward Zeng Anmin’s group with a face full of smiles.

Zeng Anmin’s expression turned slightly odd. Trash-talking before a match was a long-standing tacit understanding between the students of Qi Lin Academy and the Imperial College during selections. The teacher watched the scene expressionlessly, showing no intention of stopping it. It would actually be surprising if the students of the two academies were amiable and harmonious.

Qi Lin Academy and the Imperial College had been fighting over the issue of "Confucian Cultivator orthodoxy" for hundreds of years. It was an irreconcilable conflict. In fact, if the students of the two academies genuinely got along, neither the academy teachers nor the royal family would be happy to see it. Such conflicts had to be cultivated starting from the academies. This way, when the students eventually entered the imperial court, they would be completely incompatible as fire and water, allowing the royal family to maintain a balance of power.

"What a joke!" one of the other two Imperial College students beside Zeng Anmin sneered. "Don’t boast so shamelessly. If your aim is off later, we won’t show any mercy."

Relying on his tall stature, he looked down at Li Ru and curled his lips. "How dare a guy who isn’t even as tall as Brother Zeng’s bow bark so madly?"

Zeng Anmin smiled and cooperatively patted the longbow on his shoulder. Though he didn’t say a word, this gesture was an absolutely devastating blow.

Looking back at Li Ru from Qi Lin Academy, his face was now extremely gloomy. Clearly, the Imperial College student’s words had wounded his pride.

"Teacher, this person insulted someone else while you are present. I hope you will be impartial and strip him of his quota for this selection!" Li Ru bowed expressionlessly to the teacher in the arena. "When we students participate in the selection, we only compete on skill. We may not yield an inch verbally, but we still respect our opponents in our hearts. How can one directly attack another’s physical shortcomings?!"

Having said that, Li Ru cast a faint glance at the student who had just insulted him.

Zeng Anmin cast a surprised glance at Li Ru. He thought, "Well played!"

He had heard Liu Xian mention this person. His Archery Skill was excellent, having even reached the point of entering the Dao of a Confucian Cultivator. He was only one step away from breaking through his current Grade; once he entered the Sixth Grade, he could directly strive for the Fifth Grade Dharma Aspect. Zeng Anmin didn’t expect him to be so adept at nitpicking the rules as well.

Sure enough, as soon as Li Ru spoke, the teacher narrowed his eyes and looked over. Staring at the offending student for a moment, he warned, "If you do it again, you will be disqualified directly."

"You!" The Imperial College student’s face darkened as he glared daggers at Li Ru.

Li Ru, on the other hand, looked relaxed. Without even sparing a glance at the student, he leisurely stroked the Soft Bow in his hands.

"Let’s hurry up and start," Zeng Anmin said, urging the teacher. He spoke loudly, "This student can’t wait to use his Archery Skill to shoot this fellow Li Ru in the face."

He thought, "You want to act arrogant? I’ll show you what true arrogance looks like." Simple trash talk brought maximum enjoyment.

Zeng Anmin cast a sidelong glance at Li Ru, his voice laced with confidence. "If you lose later, whatever you do, don’t run back home crying to your mommy. After all, it hasn’t been easy for the old dear to raise you this big."

This was merely the absolute lowest tier of trash talk from his past life, yet Li Ru’s face flushed crimson. Breathing heavily, he glared fiercely at Zeng Anmin.

"Good, good, good!! Very good!"

Clearly, he was so furious that he couldn’t even form a coherent sentence.

Zeng Anmin gave him a pitying look. He thought, "I haven’t even tried yet, and you’ve already crumbled?"

"I’ll show you what I’m capable of later!" After holding it in for a long time, Li Ru only managed to squeeze out this single sentence.

"SNORT." Zeng Anmin blew air through his nose.

He thought, "What a pure and innocent person of the Otherworld!"