930: Chapter 278 Final Exam 930: Chapter 278 Final Exam January 5, Monday.
The tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, “Minor Cold”.
Advised activities include receiving wedding gifts, asking a na, offering sacrifices, getting married;
Advised against are starting business, burial, repairing graves.
None of the advised or discouraged activities pertains to exams, which indeed makes it seem like a good day to conduct examinations—according to taphysical beliefs, this day is fair to everyone, at least no one can claim that their performance was hindered due to physical sensitivities and taboos.
This day marked the beginning of the first final exam at Jiuyou Academy of First University.
Early in the morning, the atmosphere within the academy had already beco incredibly oppressive.
From the Flying Garden where morning exercises were held to the cafeteria where breakfast was served and the shady path under the trees covered by blue stone slabs, every passing figure hurried with a blank expression; either bowing their heads, clutching scraps of paper, and mumbling sothing as they desperately cramd before entering the exam venue.
This sight left Zheng Qing with mixed feelings.
He was glad because everyone’s attention was on the exams, which naturally decreased the scrutiny directed at him as the newly recognized ‘Great Arcana-World,’ easing his outer pressures significantly.
However, he was worried because the tense state of others deeply affected him.
His mindset had initially been relatively relaxed, but under the influence of others, he felt himself growing tense involuntarily.
Just like now.
Since the first exam was the written part of Curse Studies, early in the morning, he had been reciting notes from the Curse Course, never setting them down even during morning exercises, and even recited the international standards of Law books and their operating principles while eating breakfast—only at tis like these did he deeply envy Doctor Xiao.
In the whole 403 dormitory, or perhaps the entire Astronomy Class 08-1, maybe only Doctor Xiao could still be experinting with subtle differences in curse releases using a Law book right before the written exam began.
“I really want to scoop out your brain and stew it,” the young fee-paying student remarked.
Doctor Xiao, with empty eyes, glanced at him and reminded, “You are a pure-blooded human and don’t possess the capabilities of zombies or vampires…
I don’t think eating my brain will lead to good grades.”
“So, does that an if I do eat it, I will achieve good grades?” Dylan, who dined alongside them in the cafeteria, chuckled and chid in.
Zheng Qing forced a smile, “Isn’t your academy’s exam thod fighting?
What use would you have for his brain…
If you truly harbored such thoughts, the Elders’ brains would suit you better than the doctor’s.”
Go and consu Zhang Ji Xin’s brain?
Dylan grimaced and didn’t retort.
Only if his brain were damaged would he attempt such an act.
Given the Zhang family’s inherited fiery temperant and defensive nature, if Dylan truly did sothing, his two sharp and pretty fangs would likely be plucked out before he could taste the stewed brains.
“Can we talk about sothing lighter while eating,” Xin Fat Man complained as he gripped a red-skinned bun, devouring it and oozing oil all over his mouth, “what you guys are discussing is making lose my appetite.”
The other three glanced skeptically at Fat Man’s claim of ‘losing appetite.’
However, watching Xin Fat Man eat did indeed whet Zheng Qing’s appetite sowhat.
He couldn’t help but follow Fat Man’s lead and picked up a red-skinned bun from the plate—an elaborate al also essential on examination days.
Today’s cafeteria breakfast featured these red-skinned buns as the main dish, made with mythical fillings and wrapped in blood-red dough, served on plates made of willow branches, six to a plate.
These buns symbolized blessings and were also called ‘Fortune Buns’; and having six per plate symbolized great smoothness in abundance.
Every student was expected to eat at least one plate of Fortune Buns.
After all, this was a wizards’ university where mysticism always had a huge market among the students.
Believing rather than not believing was the universal attitude toward mysticism.
Even the master chefs in the academy’s cafeteria subtly maintained such unspoken practices.
Although they couldn’t add Luck Elixir to the porridge or soymilk, the cafeteria’s master chefs still carefully prepared a ‘special supply’ breakfast suitable for the examinees.
Apart from the ‘Fortune Buns,’ there was also ‘Fortunate Soup.’
This so-called ‘Fortunate Soup’ was a small jar of indigo, thick liquid, which looked like soymilk made from peas or raw Arhat Beans mixed with unknown herbs and still unfiltered.
“Fortunate Soup can help us neutralize our chaotic spirits…
Before exams, our spirits need to be in a very pure state… Such a state can increase the sensitivity of our souls, improve our response speed, and help us to grasp the subtle changes during the curse casting process,” he explained.
When it ca to eating, Xin Fat Man seed to transform into an artist, sitting at the dining table and elaborately explaining today’s breakfast to his companions, “Mythical seeds are the main stars of blessings, blood dough is an ancient panacea…
and this Fortunate Soup carries countless blessings from students in history towards us!”
Zheng Qing had to exert a great deal of effort to refrain from reminding Fat Man that this morning’s test was a written exam on curse studies and didn’t need much of his effort to ‘purify’ his spirit.
“The so-called ‘Fortunate Soup’ is actually a nutrient solution made from blending soymilk, egg whites, rosemary, mint, and Dragon Tooth Grass together, which can slightly enhance your focus and keep you alert,” Doctor Xiao whispered aside to Zheng Qing, explaining quietly.
In the end, he added, “Oh, and if you feel you’re lacking confidence, I suggest you add so ingredients to the soup…
Many people like to add a few spoons of incense ash from the Wenquxing Temple, which is said to be very effective…If you don’t have the connections, I can arrange for soone to get so from Atlas Academy.”
As an academy rooted in ‘faith,’ Atlas Academy always had an abundance of various deities.
Zheng Qing shook his head vigorously, clearly indicating his stance.
“If you have the connections, you might consider stocking up to sell in D&K,” he added as though recalling sothing, “Ever since the winter hunt, the school no longer requires us to hunt mice or corpse beetles, and business has been rather slow in the shop.”
“We can talk about that after the exams,” Xin Fat Man interrupted the sponsored student’s ramblings in a rough voice, emphasizing, “Right now, the most important thing, and the only thing we need to focus on, is the exam!”
Zheng Qing shrugged his shoulders, glancing at the breakfast in front of Fat Man.
It was evident that Fat Man believed deeply in the ‘traditional’ or ‘folk redies’ ntioned by Xiao Xiao.
He had even referred to so popular beliefs in modern mysticism to reconfigure his breakfast based on his body weight.
For instance, the portion of ‘Fortunate Soup’ in front of Fat Man was easily three tis more than that of others.
“Maybe you should prepare a urine bag before you enter the examination hall,” Zheng Qing finally reminded Fat Man.
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