Gu Qingyan wrote at a tremendous speed, completely ignoring the distracting sounds of the outside world.
Regardless of whether the fame was good or bad, Sun Mo was famous now. At least ? of the examinees knew that he was the one who said ‘you are just a dog waiting for others in front of their door!’,
But to Gu Qingyan, so what of it?
(No matter how famous you are, can you be more famous than me?)
Gu Qingyan was pursuing those genius seniors in his school, as well as those great teachers. He didn’t even regard Sun Mo as his competitor, not even for a single second.
Because Sun Mo wasn’t worthy.
“Full marks! I must obtain full marks!”
Gu Qingyan was giving his all, challenging his limits!
Dang! Dang! Dang!
When the bell rang, Gu Qingyan placed his brush down. After that, he glanced at the tidy stack of exam papers and revealed a pleasantly surprised smile.
(I actually finished answering everything?)
(Seems like my potential isn’t fully excavated yet!)
“Place down your writing brush and leave the classroom in order. No talking is allowed, no one is permitted to stay behind!”
Tang Nian warned.
Some examinees had unsightly looks on their faces as though they were suffering from constipation. (Ai, can’t you guys give us half an hour more?) However, the rest revealed expressions of relief. (This torment is finally over.)
“In the future, I will hand in my exam papers in advance while getting full marks!”
Gu Qingyan flicked his sleeve and smoothened the crease on his shirt before calmly leaving the classroom. Everywhere he passed by, the examinees took the initiative to step aside for him.
When Tang Nian’s gaze matched with Gu Qingyan’s, he involuntarily revealed a smile on his face. This was a smile that appeared only when he saw a top-graded examinee.
There were admiration and encouragement in his eyes!
When the examinees saw this, all of them felt exceptionally envious because they wouldn’t be able to find a chance to fawn on great teachers. However, Gu Qingyan basically didn’t need to do this. Although great teachers wouldn’t lower their statuses to take the initiative to chat with him, as long as Gu Qingyan spoke, no great teachers would reject having a conversation with him.
…
The office building had now become grading areas for exam papers. 309 people were responsible for grading the spirit rune written exam, and these people were all great teachers who specialized in the study of spirit runes. This was to guarantee that the grading wouldn’t have a mistake.
“How many examinees does the Saint Gate plan to eliminate this year?”
An aged great teacher sighed. His concept was there should be education for everyone irrespective of background, and he wished to encourage more people by letting them become 1-star great teachers. Hence, he really wasn’t very fond of such a strict exam.
“I feel like this is the correct way. In the past, too many low-quality newbies had managed to obtain the title of a 1-star great teacher.”
Su Tai’s lips twitched.
The lesser the number of great teachers, the more it would show everyone else how precious great teachers were!
“Everyone, please grade the papers as fast as possible. We have to release the results tomorrow!”
Tang Nian urged.
The Saint Gate’s examination was divided into many grounds. If you were eliminated in any one, you could just return home immediately. So, they had to release the results tomorrow morning, or it would affect the examination tomorrow afternoon.
Because grading exam papers were too mechanical, it was very boring. However, after the great teachers cast the Encyclopedic Knowledge halo on themselves, they could maintain their conditions at their peak states. There was no need to worry about them making a mistake.
“I’ve marked 16 papers as of now and every one of them failed. Ze, they dared to come and participate in the 1-star great teacher examination with such low standards?”
Su Tai tossed a 40 mark exam paper down as a look of disdain appeared on his face. (Are all the newbies today so full of themselves?)
“Only half would be able to pass given the difficulty level of last year’s paper!”
Tang Nian spoke a word of fairness.
“Ai!”
That aged great teacher sighed. This was fate. If you took the exam at the wrong timing, you could only blame yourself for your bad luck.
“Have any of you marked Gu Qingyan’s paper yet?”
Su Tai had seen too many rubbish exam papers and wanted to grade a higher quality one to ‘cleanse’ his eyes. Secondly, he wanted to see for himself the capabilities of this top graduate from the Skyraise Academy.
Everyone shook their heads. Another hour passed and Su Tai suddenly called out.
“I have a premonition that this paper is definitely Gu Qingyan’s!”
Su Tai was very excited because after marking six of the papers, there wasn’t a single wrong answer. Also, the writing was beautiful and had the imposing air of a master.
“Let me take a look!”
“Let me admire it too!”
“Don’t rush!”
The examiners placed the exam papers in their hands down and crowded around in excitement, surrounding Su Tai.
That aged great teacher also wanted to come over, but after glancing at the papers in his hand, he gave up. (Who knows, the papers I am grading now might be Gu Qingyan’s.)
“Teacher Su, do you want me to read through and evaluate for you?”
A great teacher spoke in a half-teasing and half-serious tone.
“Hehe!”
Su Tai didn’t reply, he felt contempt in his heart. (How ridiculous, I’m not a fool. How can I give up such a chance to you?)
Being able to grade the exam papers of a genius was like an opportunity.
Honestly speaking, Su Tai was very confident in himself, but he didn’t feel his potential could surpass Gu Qingyan’s. No matter if Gu Qingyan became the future headmaster of the Skyraise Academy or not, he would definitely be more impressive than Su Tai. Hence, Su Tai mustn’t miss out on this chance to have a connection with him.
“Quickly grade the papers!”
Someone urged.
Su Tai had long since memorized the answers so he could read ten lines at a single glance. He was able to tell the results quickly.
“First paper, all correct!”
“Eighth paper, also all correct!”
“Ninth paper, still all correct!”
Su Tai grew joyful. “Sorry, everyone. This year, the first set of full marks exam papers will appear from my hands!”
The tenth exam paper was full of discussion-type questions.
It was the most difficult topic to score full marks on. Hence, as long as one’s main gist was correct and they gave examples to support their theory, they would be able to get it right.
“You guys, with such beautiful answers, how can I not give him full marks?”
Su Tai marveled.
Everyone read through the paper and nodded unceasingly with admiration in their eyes. There was really nothing to pick on. However, when the paper reached the hands of a middle-aged great teacher, he frowned.
“However, for the last major question, this answer seems to be lacking something?”
After the middle-aged teacher spoke, before others could reply, Su Tai already called out.
“It’s lacking something?” Su Tai immediately disputed, “Gu Qingyan has already predicted the development and usage of the spirit rune. Isn’t this enough?”
There was no model answer for the last major question. The question requested the examinee to expound on the future of the study of spirit runes and its influence on the world.
“Teacher Tang, you should come and evaluate this!”
Su Tai took the paper back and passed it to Tang Nian.
“Hehe!”
Although the middle-aged great teacher was unhappy with Su Tai’s attitude, he knew that he shouldn’t have blurted what he said earlier out. For this question, Gu Qingyan had already answered it quite well, yet he still said that Gu Qingyan’s answer was lacking something. If word of this were to spread, it might attract some unneeded trouble.
Gu Qingyan wouldn’t be so petty as to become angry over such a matter. But who knew what the other teachers and students of the Skyraise Academy would think?
“Teacher Bai, what do you think it lacks?”
After Tang Nian finished reading, he also felt that something was lacking. But as to what exactly it was, he wasn’t able to pinpoint it.
“I have no idea, but I only feel that with Gu Qingyan’s fame, he should have given a better answer!’
The middle-aged great teacher honestly spoke.
“Che!”
Su Tai’s lips twitched. (I didn’t expect that Teacher Bai would actually be a simp with his large eyes and thick eyebrows.)
“Alright, enough. Make good use of the time to grade the other papers!”
Tang Nian urged.
Having seen these full marks papers, everyone felt like they had just drunk three-days worth of iced cola. They felt so satisfied that their hearts turned cool.
“Everyone. I’m sorry, I’ll be taking away the first ‘prize’ this year!”
Su Tai was very happy.
“Congratulations to Teacher Su.”
“You will be lucky the entire year!”
“No matter what, Gu Qingyan has to treat you to a meal, right?”
The great teachers laughed. There was a saying in the great teacher world – if one graded a full mark set of exam papers, they would have a year of good luck.
“Thanks!”
Su Tai sat down reservedly and prepared to focus on his work. Yet, all of a sudden, he heard the aged great teacher saying, “It’s too excellent!”
Su Tai’s eyebrows lifted. He then smiled and teased, “Teacher Zhang, are you praising me?”
Zhang Mai lifted his head with an astonished look on his face. “Praising you?”
“Eh!”
Su Tai frowned. (Are you trying to act dumb to annoy me because you are unhappy?)
“Everyone, quickly come and take a look. I also have a set of exam papers here, and this might actually be the one from Gu Qingyan!”
Zhang Mai excitedly called out.
“Ah? Another full mark set of exam papers?”
“Is this real?”
“Are there two Gu Qingyans?”
The great teachers exchanged mutual glances. It was naturally impossible for there to be two Gu Qingyan. In that case, whose exam papers were those?
“Impossible!”
Su Tai doubted. “Teacher Zhang, are you mistaken? The questions this year are all very difficult.”
Su Tai had bragged for half-a-day about his exam papers. If those exam papers didn’t belong to Gu Qingyan, how awkward would he feel? Besides, he would lose the opportunity to build a relationship with Gu Qingyan.
“Teacher Su, I will pass you the brush. How about you grade it?”
Zhang Mai also felt unhappy now. (How can you doubt my professionalism?)
Zhang Mai didn’t notice what everyone had been talking about earlier because the answers to this last exam paper were simply written too beautifully. This was especially so for the final major question. The answer was thought-provoking and would broaden the horizons of everyone. It made him so intoxicated that he forgot all the clamor around him.
Su Tai didn’t take the papers, but Teacher Bai took them and browsed through them quickly. After he finished reading, he involuntarily cried out loudly.
“Beautiful, truly too beautiful! I dare to state that these are then Gu Qingyan’s exam papers!”
Teacher Bai greatly praised it.
All the great teachers immediately crowded over and surveyed it carefully.
Tang Nian frowned and shook his head. As the invigilator of the classroom, he had personally seen Gu Qingyan’s writing. Hence, he could be sure that Su Tai’s papers were Gu Qingyan’s ones.
“Could there be two sets of exam papers that scored full marks?”
Tang Nian was shocked. He knew all the talented newbies who had registered for the study of spirit runes examination, but they shouldn’t be able to score full marks.
“Could there be a dark horse?”
When Tang Nian stood up, he heard those great teachers marveling out loud.
“Really well-written!”
“Excellent, very excellent!”
“It’s just that his writing is not as stylish!”
“Stop nitpicking. We are great teachers and not calligraphers.”
The great teachers were all excited as though they had just discovered a new land.
“Teacher Tang, quickly come and look at the answer for the last major question. Didn’t I say that the previous answer seemed to lack something? This part of the answer is what was lacking!”
That Teacher Bai chortled, “I dare to use my head as a bet. This must then be Gu Qingyan’s exam papers!”
Tang Nian’s curiosity was piqued. He hurriedly came over and looked at the papers.
“Allow me to take a look at it!”
Tang Nian was smiling originally, but the moment he saw the writing, his countenance changed. (My heavens, why is the writing style so familiar?)
