Chapter 370: Chapter 368: Academy Shooting Incident
As soon as the sound of the suona resonated, it dominated the world, silencing all other music.
Upon hearing the melodious flute abruptly stop, Xian Canchen on the Celestial Platform let out a sinister laugh, and a staff member quickly handed over a water bag: "Inspector, have some water to soothe your throat."
"Is it hot or cold?"
"Cold."
"You are so inconsiderate!" Xian Canchen slapped the staffer’s butt with the suona: "Bring me hot water!"
"Oh, okay!"
The staff member hurriedly went to get hot water. Xian Canchen looked down at the forest, licking his lips with excitement as goosebumps arose all over his body.
Although Cha Huan had asked Yan Tong for help with overseeing the exams, and the Statistical Department was acting out of charity, every overtime opportunity was a chance to elevate oneself. Yan Tong willingly played the antagonist at the Imperial Academy, also carrying out a side mission.
Yan Tong knew that he was loathed and abhorred, seen like a coffin with an opening lid. They initially rose to power during inner turmoil in Yanjing by capturing the ’Regicide Assassin,’ seizing authority from the Patrol Execution Guard and the Twelve Guardians. By exploiting public fear of the Backlight Organization, they aggressively pursued others, finally gaining the favor of the imperial ministers, swelling into a monstrous entity.
But everyone understands ’The rabbit is dead, the dog is cooked’ logic. Once the Backlight Organization ceases to be a threat, the Statistical Department, much like a handy dirty rag, would face abandonment. Everyone knows they are on a fast track to promotion, but also knows it’s a dead-end, unsustainable route.
Turning back is impossible, so they must find structural transformation. Regardless of the direction Yan Tong turns to, an excellent talent pool is fundamental to everything—if no one joins Yan Tong, what transformation is there to speak of? They’d might as well disband.
Speaking of talent pools, what place on earth could rival the Imperial Academy?
Yan Tong was also aware of their poor perception among students at the Academy. Changing impressions was impossible unless a tragic narrative emerged where Yan Tong ’endured humiliation to overturn the Imperial Court and then perished.’ Though it couldn’t be completely reversed, they could slightly enhance some perceptions—such as Yan Tong’s strength.
Strength comes in many forms, beyond just violence; there’s also wisdom. And that is Xian Canchen’s purpose in overseeing the exams—to outwit the entire Imperial Academy in this battle of cheating strategy!
Because the past examination oversight was too lax, candidates almost believed that cheating was competition among each other when it was actually a war between the candidates and the overseers.
Yan Tong didn’t care about the first half because Xian Canchen knew that the cheat assistants hidden in the woods outside would be handled by the Sword Sheaths. What they needed to do was conclude the second half of the cheating game early!
The sword-seeking contest had some connection to Yan Tong because the four Guards of Radiance originated from the same source. However, the Ritual Guard Le Yin behaved out of line, offending Xian Canchen. So don’t blame him for turning ruthless, knocking all the Sword Sheaths down with one blow!
Compared to the first half, the second half is the core of this exam. In the first half, at most a few people collaborated on one paper. The scores, however high, are limited. But in the second half, candidates who learned most of the answers returned to relay them. If the oversight isn’t strong, a slew of high-scoring candidates might appear.
And the difficulty of the second half is obvious—how to convey the answers to the candidates!
But if they casually let answers be passed around, treating the oversight as nonexistent, wouldn’t it prove Yan Tong to be a bunch of incompetents? For the sake of Yan Tong’s dignity, they must absolutely shatter these students’ arrogance!
Actually, Xian Canchen felt that even if Yan Tong managed the oversight perfectly, students from the Academy wouldn’t respect them more in the slightest.
But that’s okay, as long as they don’t look down on them even a little.
You may not like us, but no problem.
But you cannot disregard fearing us!
Let’s see who dares to pass answers under Yan Tong’s nose!
Suddenly, the flute sounded again, this time with harmonica accompaniment, forming a sea-like ensemble. In an instant, it stirred up tremendous waves, submerging the entire Nightmare Teaching Building in the tide of music!
Xian Canchen, instead of being angry, smiled: "Good, as expected from the Academy, there are actually two students reaching Integration and Mastery in harmony combat technique, and they work so well together... Good, students nowadays are spirited!"
"Suona, three more pieces!"
Before long, Raccoon Slave took a deep breath, inserting four suonas into his mouth. As his chest and abdomen expanded, his breath surged, echoing across the galaxy. In an instant, the high-pitched suona sound was like a sword piercing the galaxy, slashing through mountains and seas, a sword light colder than the Imperial Academy in Yanjing, trivializing the piano and flute. The suona’s journey traversed all of Yanjing!
You have a piano and flute ensemble; I have a four-suona fusion!
A tune breaks one’s heart; where to seek a confidant across the horizon!
At this moment, not only the Nightmare Teaching Building, not only the Academy, but all of Yanjing thought another emperor had passed away!
Otherwise, why is this funeral music so loud!?
What is it like when an Integration and Mastery level martial artist blows a suona with full strength? No one knew before, and now no one wants to know for a second time.
As the thunderous suona sound crushed past, many trees in the woods became bare too.
When Xian Canchen released his mouth, the entire Academy breathed a sigh of relief.
"Using music to cheat? No way." He snorted coldly, and a staff member immediately approached and said: "Inspector, have some water to soothe your throat."
"Is it hot or cold?"
"Hot, hot!"
"Are you stupid, giving me hot water in this weather!?" Xian Canchen hit the staffer with the suona: "Bring me cold water!"
The staff member showed a confused expression, replied with a couple of ohs, and went down to get water again.
Raccoon Slave sat cross-legged at the edge of the Celestial Platform, overlooking the Nightmare area of the Academy: "Let me see what else you can do..."
If I were Le Yin, how would I pass the answers? He suddenly had this strange thought.
It wasn’t his fault; after all, Le Yin had become his inner obsession. He thought about Le Yin at least forty-eight times a day, over a hundred times if he was in a bad mood. If he wrote down all the ways to deal with Le Yin, he could publish a cookbook.
To know others and oneself is to be invincible in a hundred battles. Xian Canchen often indulged in thinking from Le Yin’s perspective. And you know what, ever since he studied the theories of Le Yin, his sarcastic skills improved. Next time sparring with Le Yin, he might be able to clear past shames.
Xian Canchen thought if he were Le Yin, he certainly wouldn’t use music. Sound transmission was too easily interrupted, and it was a one-time deal. If the Sword Master misheard the answer or the sequence, wouldn’t all efforts be in vain?
Transmitting outside using lights? Xian Canchen shook his head, finding it not much different from sound, with similar transmission loopholes.
Actually, any distant indirect transmission of answers via a medium inherently has such flaws—the receiver might not receive it accurately. Even Luminous Stone radio has noise errors, let alone humans?
The safest way is to directly deliver the answers for candidates to slowly identify and write down. But with Yan Tong here, it’s impossible to give them such a chance...
Just then, Raccoon Slave saw his lifelong enemy with red hair emerging from the forest.
The detestable, foolish trash even looked up at him once!
Dare to laugh!
Even dare to breathe!
How could this person be so hateful?!
Then he saw Le Yin pull out a long firearm, followed by two girls, one holding a paper, and another a... munitions box?
Xian Canchen felt a foreboding sensation, which peaked when Le Yin loaded bullets into the firearm.
At this moment, Le Yin retreated into the forest, and soon, gunshots rang out in the forest!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
One bullet after another shot from the forest towards the Imperial Examination Hall, scaring Yan Tong’s people into a panicked outcry, thinking they were under attack. Only Xian Canchen knew what was happening. His eyes widened as he watched Le Yin shoot each ’answer’ directly into the Examination Hall, while he was powerless!
Cha Huan had already informed them that the battle in the forest had nothing to do with them!
"How dare he, how dare he..." Words squeezed out of Raccoon Slave’s clenched teeth, as Le Yin’s actions directly tore through Yan Tong’s defenses! The bullets were not just fired at the building, but striking Yan Tong’s face, striking his face, Xian Canchen’s face!
"Inspector, inspector, have some water to soothe your throat." The staff member came running up again.
Xian Canchen rasped out, "Hot or cold?"
"Both hot and cold are available, and we also have ice!" The staff member brought out three water bags.
Raccoon Slave glanced at the three bags, then grabbed the suona and knocked it on the staff member’s head.
"Why are you wearing a hat? Who told you to wear a hat!? I told you to wear a hat, wear a hat!"