Section 15: Perfect Score
February 9, 2013 Author: Gu Zhenren
The old gentleman’s words were indeed disorganized and unsystematic. However, much of what he said was not in the booklet. Moreover, this content was mostly crucial and important.
However, remembering it all wouldn’t be easy. The old gentleman rambled on very quickly, requiring patience and the absence of haste. One had to carefully sift through and distinguish useful information from useless.
The new students were all 13-year-old youths, and few had the patience to listen carefully. Gradually, the entire classroom became noisy, with new students whispering to each other, filling the air with a buzzing din.
Strangely, the old gentleman’s voice, though not loud, remained clear amidst the noise. By the end, almost all the new students had shifted their attention to other things, such as the booklet or their peers.
Only two individuals remained focused: Chu Yun, with his calm and patient nature, and Jin Bihan, whose royal upbringing made her sense the underlying intricacies.
Chu Yun listened intently, and Tiange Academy, in his heart, was like cloud sea enveloping mountains, now lifting the mist to reveal its true form.
Tiange Academy was located on a verdant coastal island. It possessed the scale of a city, with complete facilities and abundant resources. Even Shu Family City, the main city on Shu Island, could not compare.
Tiange Academy was a general term, with various buildings spread across the entire green mountain.
Three gatehouses were set up on the green mountain: the Upper Gatehouse, the Middle Gatehouse, and the Lower Gatehouse, dividing the mountain into three levels from top to bottom.
The top level, from the mountain peak to the Upper Gatehouse, housed the Scripture Repository, the Kaiyan Hall, and the Mingyi Hall, among others. There were also the Battle Discussion Tower, the professors’ dormitories, the Academic Hall, the General Affairs Hall, and the Mountain Arena.
The middle level, from the Upper Gatehouse to the Middle Gatehouse, contained the Dining Hall, the East Mountain Dormitory, and the West Mountain Dormitory.
The lower level, from the Middle Gatehouse to the Lower Gatehouse, had shops, an art garden, a pawnshop, a textile workshop, a bun shop, a fishing farm, and the Earth Altar.
Outside the Lower Gatehouse were the docks and shipyards, where six treasure ships were moored.
What particularly intrigued Chu Yun was Tiange Academy’s teaching system, which they called the credit system.
At the start of the semester, each new student was given a certain amount of credits. During academy life, students would expend credits to purchase pills, clothing, meals, and even pay for courses.
The academy’s lectures were very flexible, allowing students to choose freely from a wide range of courses. Each lecture cost 1-3 credits, and upon completion, a test was administered to assess learning outcomes. Credits were awarded to those who excelled.
In essence, the credits recorded on the identity Jade Pendant became an invisible resource, exchangeable for any available commodity on the entire green mountain island.
Tiange Academy had put in great effort to meticulously craft this alternative currency system. The goal was to foster a fair, competitive environment that incentivized diligent study, thereby maximizing the discovery of truly outstanding talent.
Consequently, credits became paramount, the object of students’ fervent pursuit. It was no wonder that an elder near the Lower Gatehouse had advised Chu Yun that credits were extremely important.
There were only three ways to obtain credits.
The first was through learning and earning the teachers’ approval, thus receiving rewards.
The second was by completing tasks for the General Affairs Hall, for which a certain amount of credits would be awarded.
The third was by becoming a member of the Academic Affairs Committee, which involved managing students and receiving daily credit rewards.
Beyond these, credits could not be borrowed or obtained by pawning items. Errors in credit calculation were rare. The identity Jade Pendants were young demon-level Demon Soldiers, imbued with a faint Spirit, recording credits impartially.
After the old gentleman finished speaking, Chu Yun was immersed in thought, his mind expanded and greatly enlightened. The classroom, however, remained a cacophony of whispers and murmurs.
“Next, we will have an examination. No referring to books, no looking at each other’s papers, no discussion. Violators will be expelled from the academy and never re-hired. Begin.”
With the old gentleman’s sudden pronouncement, academy staff filed in through a side door, placing blank paper answer sheets on each new student’s desk.
The new students were dumbfounded. An in-class exam?
They picked up their brushes, dipped them in ink, and prepared to write. Then they looked!
“Oh my god, list the important buildings in the upper layer of Qingshan Island? How could I possibly remember that?”
“What is the use of credits? What is the credit system?”
“The three ways to obtain credits are not mentioned in the booklet at all…”
Many were stunned, holding their brushes. Ink dripped onto the pristine paper, but they couldn’t put pen to paper. Some scratched their ears and cheeks, others tapped their heads and sighed, some glanced around furtively, and more still secretly flipped through their booklets.
Only Chu Yun and Jin Bihan remained composed.
“One hour has passed. Collect the papers. Cheaters will be expelled on the spot.” The instructor’s smile remained as gentle as a spring breeze, but his words chilled to the bone.
On the spot, many new students were forcibly dragged out of the classroom.
Immediately, cries of weeping and begging erupted.
“Wait, I am the son of the island master of Zhao Family Island. You can’t do this to me!” a young man shouted.
The academy staff remained expressionless and directly struck the back of his head with a palm, knocking him unconscious before unceremoniously dragging him out of the hall like a sack.
“They really expel people on the spot! How will these people go back? What a disgrace.”
“So ruthless, the academy is too ruthless.”
The new students remaining in the classroom broke out in cold sweats. A chill ran down their spines, and their arrogance vanished, replaced by newfound awe for the instructor.
The hall fell silent, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop, a stark contrast to the previous din.
“Now, the grading. The old gentleman’s smile persisted, and no one dared to question his authority any longer.
“Lu Rengjia, answered 4 out of 10 questions correctly, earning 4 credits.” The old gentleman picked up the first paper, glanced at it, and spoke.
Hearing this, Chu Yun’s spirit jolted. So this was how the initial basic credits were obtained.
“Jiang Youdang, answered 3 out of 10 questions correctly, earning 3 credits.”
The old gentleman graded the papers quickly, one after another. When he reached Chu Yun’s paper, he paused. Nodding, he said, “Chu Yun, answered all 10 questions correctly, earning 10 credits.”
A ripple went through the hall as the new students turned their astonished gazes towards Chu Yun.
After his battle with Yan Que, no one didn’t recognize him.
Chu Yun remained unfazed, seemingly indifferent to the myriad of eyes upon him.
When he reached Jin Bihan’s paper, the old gentleman said, “Shi Jiaming, answered all 10 questions correctly, earning 10 credits.”
After grading all the papers, most new students had only 4 or 5 credits. Only Chu Yun and Jin Bihan, with a perfect 10 credits each, drew significant attention.
As the credits were awarded, they immediately appeared on their identity Jade Pendants. Many new students were filled with regret.
“Credits are so useful! If I had known, I should have listened carefully. What a pity!”
“This class was actually an entrance exam. The more basic credits you have, the higher your standing. I really envy those who got a perfect score.”
“As expected of the Young Tiger, earning the title of Monster Tamer is indeed no simple feat.”
“Strange, who is this Shi Jiaming? How did he also get 10 credits?”
“Don’t you know? He’s the roommate who shares a dormitory with the Young Tiger.”
“No wonder! He’s someone close to Chu Yun, the Young Tiger…”
(PS: During the new book period, I need votes, go all out…);
