Beauties in Simulation Cross over into Reality

Chapter 127: Chapter 112: Gentleman Assessment

The journey from Bailu Academy to the Confucian Academy took Xiao Mo and his companions about a month.

This wasn’t because the journey itself took a month.

Rather, over the course of that month, Xiao Mo and his companions traveled in fits and starts, encountering quite a few incidents along the way.

Minor incidents included helping a little girl who was lost in town find her mother, while more significant ones involved performing exorcisms for some families.

While exorcisms were typically the work of Daoists and Monks, it wasn’t something Confucian scholars were incapable of doing.

When they happened upon such things, they would simply lend a hand.

The three of them neither knew nor cared if this was all part of an examination by the Confucian Academy.

Additionally, the trio went into the mountains to eliminate bandits and vanquish members of the Demon Race who preyed on humans.

The three of them had the air of scholars who had descended from the mountains to roam the world.

It was just that during their days of travel, Xiao Mo came to understand that the entire world was gradually changing.

Although the great war between the Human Race and the Demon Race had yet to break out, the tense atmosphere of an impending conflict was gradually spreading.

Never mind the Sects, large and small; every Mortal Dynasty was preparing for a great war that would determine their very survival.

This atmosphere naturally seeped down to the common folk.

No one knew when the war between the Human Race and the Demon Race would truly begin.

And no one knew how long it would last.

Just as the trio was approaching the Confucian Academy, they encountered a rabbit demon.

In the end, Luo Yang let her go.

“If I were to call Senior Brother kind… he never so much as blinks when he draws his sword on those man-eating demons. He’s like an executioner.”

Shang Jiuli leaned against a tree with her arms crossed, watching Luo Yang with a smile.

“But if I were to call him decisive and ruthless… he just let a rabbit demon go. Aren’t you afraid she’ll harm people in the future, Senior Brother?”

“What is there to be afraid of?”

Luo Yang sheathed his longsword.

“She has never harmed anyone. She has only been diligently cultivating by absorbing the Sun and Moon Essence. If I were to kill her, how would that make me any different from those demons who do harm?”

“If she harms people in the future, that is a matter for the future. But who can say for sure what the future holds?”

“I only care about the here and now.”

As his voice fell, Luo Yang continued on his way.

Shang Jiuli shook her head and said to Xiao Mo, who was beside her, “Your senior brother just loves to show off, doesn’t he?”

Xiao Mo smiled. “Putting everything else aside, there’s one thing he said that I agree with.”

“Which part?”

“’I only care about the here and now,’” Xiao Mo repeated.

Shang Jiuli blinked, giving Xiao Mo a teasing smile. “Is my dear Junior Brother trying to express his affections for me? I wouldn’t be against it, but you’d better think long and hard about how you’re going to explain this to Miss Bai when you get back.”

“…” Xiao Mo froze for a moment before he realized what she was implying.

Xiao Mo shook his head and started walking forward as well.

“Hey! Don’t walk off so fast, Junior Brother! I’m serious, you know. Aren’t you even going to consider it?” Shang Jiuli trotted to catch up, though her playful tone made it clear she was anything but serious.

「Three days later.」 The trio arrived at the mountain gate of the Confucian Academy.

Besides Xiao Mo’s group, scholars from other academies had also gathered there.

They weren’t just scholars from the Four Great Academies, but from various academies across the land.

The so-called “Four Great Academies” were simply the four most famous academies outside of the main Confucian Academy itself.

Beyond those, there were thousands of other Confucian academies, both large and small.

All of these academies were under the jurisdiction of the main Confucian Academy.

“Let’s go up.”

Luo Yang looked up, his gaze falling on the dense scholarly aura at the mountain’s peak, then led his junior brother and sister into the Academy.

The grounds of the Confucian Academy were immense.

The sprawling mountain range and the vast plain below all belonged to the Academy.

After Xiao Mo and the others registered with their Jade Tokens, they parted ways with their senior brother and sister.

Luo Yang and Shang Jiuli went to take the “Academy Headmaster” examination. If they passed, they would be able to establish their own peak at any Confucian Academy, where they could teach and take on disciples.

Xiao Mo was participating in the “Gentleman” examination. Those who passed would earn the title of “Gentleman.” If one achieved a high pass in the Upper Examination, the word “Righteous” would be added before it.

However, most scholars only managed to earn the “Gentleman” title. To become a “Righteous Gentleman,” one would need to pass an entirely separate examination.

Guided by a few senior students from the Academy, Xiao Mo arrived at “Gentleman Peak” to take his examination.

Xiao Mo glanced at the other candidates around him. They were of all ages; the youngest were no more than fifteen or sixteen, while the oldest were gray-haired and ancient-looking.

’It has a certain similarity to the imperial civil service examinations.’

But without exception, every scholar emanated Vast Righteous Qi.

After making small talk with a few of the other candidates, Xiao Mo learned that the scholars standing here were only half of the original number.

The other half had been deemed “unqualified” during their journey to the Academy and had been sent back to their respective institutions to continue their training.

Half an hour later, the hushed whispers of the crowd gradually died down.

An elderly man from the Academy flew over and hovered in mid-air, bowing formally to the crowd.

The candidates hurriedly returned the gesture.

The Jade Token hanging from the elder’s waist was inscribed with three words: “Academic Palace Dean.”

“Thank you all for traveling such a great distance. Our examination will be divided into two parts.”

The elder scanned the crowd and spoke slowly.

“The first part of the examination will test your knowledge of Confucian principles. Please enter the lecture hall, find a seat wherever you like. In two hours, we will distribute the test papers.”

After the elder finished speaking, he departed. Xiao Mo found a lecture hall, entered, and chose a random seat.

Two hours later, a few senior students from the Academy came in and handed out the test papers.

Xiao Mo looked over the exam paper.

The questions were indeed profound and posed a considerable challenge.

But that wasn’t the most critical aspect.

With every character Xiao Mo read, he could feel a sliver of his spiritual energy being drained.

When he picked up his brush to begin writing, he could also feel its immense weight.

This was no ordinary brush; it was a Literary Energy Pen, just like the one he had used during the Bailu Academy selection several years ago.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Mo raised his brush and began to answer.

The exam would last for the time it took three incense sticks to burn.

By the time the first incense stick had burned halfway, some candidates were already sweating profusely, their faces growing increasingly pale.

When the first stick had burned down completely and the proctoring senior student lit the second, scholars began to collapse onto their desks, unable to endure any longer.

Watching the scholars fall one by one, the senior student couldn’t help but shake his head, as if lamenting that this was the worst group of candidates he had ever seen.

But not everyone had succumbed.

The proctor’s gaze fell on a scholar at the very back, by the window. His brush moved at a steady, unhurried pace. His expression was calm, and while there were beads of sweat on his brow, he was by no means drenched.

’His foundational training must be incredibly solid.’

The only thing the proctor found strange was the faint draconic aura emanating from the scholar’s body. ’Why does he carry the presence of a dragon?’