Chapter 300 - The Method Of Assessment
So, he wanted to learn the 10 Sections of the Finger Sword.
Xu Xiaoshou slowly lowered his two fingers.
To be honest, if it were not for the feeling that Young Master Fu was simply excited and had no other intentions, he was afraid that this person would be sent flying again.
He looked down at the jade pendant hanging on Fu Xing's waist. For the second time, he felt that he was too weak.
First, there were endless piles of jade treasures from Lei Shuangxing. Now, he was bestowed countless defensive spiritual jades from Young Master Fu.
How rich was this guy?
Did he have a new replacement for every destroyed piece?
He heaved a silent sigh and then peeled off Fu Xing's hands that were cupping his cheeks before wiping his face.
His face was a bloody mess.
This guy…
"Calm down a bit."
However, Fu Xing was simply unable to calm himself down.
The thought that Xu Xiaoshou had mastered a real version of the 10 Sections of the Finger Sword instead of his own ubiquitous spiritual technique made his heart flutter.
How could the Tiansang Spirit Palace have such a thing?
If he had known that the Spirit Palace had this wonder, he would not have listened to his father and stayed home to inherit everything from the City Lord's Mansion.
People surely had to go out and forge their path.
He regretted it.
"Big Brother…"
"Please teach me the 10 Sections of the Finger Sword. I really want to learn it."
Xu Xiaoshou pushed him away. The corners of his mouth twitched.
Fu Xing turned his head. He saw that President Shi Ti's face was so dark that it could drip out black ink.
"Cough, cough, cough…"
"I will compensate for the losses!" Fu Xing smiled ruefully.
Shi Ti exploded at once and roared, "Don't think that you can do whatever you want just because you are the young master of the City Lord's Mansion! If we were to restore the Pill Pagoda, will your few stinking dollars be enough?"
"This is the will of the ancestors. It is an inheritance!"
"Do you understand?"
Fu Xing nodded his head feebly. "I understand, I understand!"
"President, I know I'm in the wrong. I'll never mess up again."
President Shi Ti angrily flung his robe sleeves. "You two better not have more tricks up your sleeves whilst you are here. If you want to mess things up, wait until you exit the Pill Pagoda first."
He instantly had an idea. "Or how about I'll show you out now?"
"No, no."
Xu Xiaoshou immediately pushed his hand. "I am here for the examination, and it was this guy who made the first move. Why don't you show him out?"
Fu Xing's face paled immediately. Was he asking the president to send him away?
He surely did not have such gall.
"Please don't! I'm here to see my sister's examination. I can't leave just yet."
From the corner of his eye, he looked at Xu Xiaoshou.
If he had asked him to call him big brother earlier, he was still a little reluctant to do so, but now…
'Big Brother is great!'
Now that he had called him Big Brother, he would grovel and beg to learn 10 Sections of the Finger Sword' no matter what.
Fu Yinhong chipped in rather hostilely, "I finished the exam!"
Fu Xing looked at her. "Did you succeed?"
"I failed."
"..."
He pushed his sister into the alchemy room. "Why don't you retake the exam?"
"I'm tired!"
"No, you're not tired!"
She had to retake the exam. While she sat for the examination, he would follow Xu Xiaoshou.
He was determined to dig out the wisdom of 10 Sections of the Finger Sword.
Fu Yinhong was speechless.
She thought of the saying, "Stay near ink and you will be stained black."
The two of them re-entered the open-air alchemy room. Xu Xiaoshou looked at President Shi Ti and asked, "How do I take the exam?"
Shi Ti paused in thought. He finally decided to swallow his resentment.
Indeed, if he wanted to be calculative and precise, the destruction seemed to be caused by Fu Xing alone.
The Pill Pagoda really could not refuse those who opened their hearts to the art of alchemy and reject them at the door or the likes. It would suffice to give them a stern telling off, but if he prevented them from entering the Pill Pagoda, it will send chills into people's hearts.
Moreover, if it were alchemy, it would be impossible to make that kind of mistake.
"You two, follow me."
After speaking, Shi Ti led Mu Zixi into another alchemy room.
This was Elder Sang's beloved pupil. Naturally, he wanted to personally keep an eye on her to see what heights this young girl could achieve.
As for Xu Xiaoshou, he would leave him to another receptionist.
...
The Alchemy Room…
Xu Xiaoshou gazed at the old man in front of him and was somewhat curious.
"Senior, are you…"
"Aren't the reception duties handled by those young ladies? Why does senior need to take the trouble to come in person?"
He saw that this old man was wearing alchemy clothes and had a badge attached to his chest.
The alchemist badge was easily recognizable. Apart from the golden background, there were only simple clouds and a cauldron adorning it.
The cauldron was a symbol of the alchemist's life and blood—the medicinal pill cauldron. The cloud was even more recognizable. The number of clouds represented the grade of the alchemist.
Xu Xiaoshou looked at the top of the old man's badge. It had six clouds and a cauldron, which meant that he was a sixth-grade alchemy master.
How could this kind of big boss come to receive him?
"I am Yun He."
The old man said with a smile, "If you can be brought to the seventh-grade examination by the president, you must be exceptional."
"The seventh floor of the Pill Pagoda has no receptionist. After all, few people come here on normal days. Usually, some of us old guys are here chatting."
"If anyone comes over for the examination, we old men, who are idle naturally, will have something to do."
"I see..." Xu Xiaoshou acknowledged the old man's words and inquired, "What about the exam? How do I take the exam?"
Yun He smiled and replied, "Which alchemy grade are you?"
"I have no grade."
"Hmm, no grade… Um, no grade?"
The old man's eyes narrowed. "Without a grade, how come President Shi Ti brought you to the seventh floor for the exam?"
"Uh."
Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. "Can't anyone be here?"
Yun He was speechless.
'Could anyone be there?'
'If anyone could come up to this seventh floor, then would us old men still have time to drink tea?'
'Only seventh to sixth-grade alchemist masters are qualified to be here!'
'Otherwise, why do you think we are so idle?'
Although there were fewer Master Level examinations, for the sake of livening up the activities, occasionally some old guys would bring over some seventh- to eighth-grade alchemists.
That also depended on their qualifications and background.
This was the case with Fu Yinhong, but there were few people in Tiansang City that had the surname Fu.
Suspected, Passive Points, +1.
Suspected, Passive Points, +1.
"..."
Xu Xiaoshou blinked his eyes. He did not expect this old man to have such a wild imagination.
"Since not anyone can be here, do they have to pull special strings?"
Yun He was instantly choked up. That was the very thought he had in his mind.
"Ha-ha."
He laughed awkwardly for a while. "It seems like you have good relationships, Little Brother. Are you friendly with the young master of the City Lord's Mansion?"
Xu Xiaoshou laughed. It seemed that this guy was wary of probing into the gossip that had been spreading like wildfire.
"I suppose you can call us acquaintances. Fu Xing calls me Big Brother."
Yun He's face stiffened. Could this young lad also be a son of the city lord?
It was no wonder. Since he knew the right people, he could come directly to the seventh floor.
But didn't the City Lord only have one son?
If the Young Master Fu called him Big Brother, was he…
Super Young Master Fu?
Suspected, Passive Points, +1.
Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand indifferently and said, "Let's put an end to this topic. You have not explained the method of assessment!"
Yun He finally came back to his senses and laughed. "Since you have not even taken the exam, you will need to start from the tenth grade."
"How do I take the exam?"
"It's simple. Just choose a tenth-grade elixir and refine it successfully."
"Where are the ingredients?"
"They are provided by the Pill Pagoda. You have three chances. The minimum passing mark is that you must refine a top-grade pill."
Top-grade… Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow. The Pill Pagoda's requirements were quite high. It looked like it would not let people muddle through murky waters to pass the exam.
He asked, "Besides that, is there anything else?"
"No, that's all."
"Alright."
Xu Xiaoshou pointed to the alchemy cauldron and earth fire inside the alchemy room. He asked "Do I have to use these? Can I use my own?"
Yun He felt as though he needed to re-evaluate this young man's abilities.
The people who could utter such things were generally immersed in the art of alchemy for many years. They had their own flames and possessed a certain spiritual connection with their alchemy cauldron.
Although this would increase the success rate of alchemists, in the tenth-grade exam, such a restrictive rule did not exist.
This youth…
Could he be the type who had explored the art of alchemy for a long time and kept his extraordinary talent to himself?