Chapter 160: The Entrance Examination (Part-6)
Unlike the examiners of the four districts, who naturally favored their own regions out of loyalty and emotion, the palace masters and elders were outsiders.
They had no regional bias.
When they placed bets, they did so purely from an objective perspective, weighing only probability and return.
And objectively speaking, the North District's odds were simply too low.
After ranking last for several consecutive years, almost no one believed the North District could suddenly seize first place.
Naturally, the regions receiving the most confidence were the Eastern District and the Western District, whose overall strength had been consistently high.
Even Murong Liu, the Sixth Master of Dui Palace, did not place his bet on the North District. Instead, he chose the Western District.
Murong Liu had personally witnessed Ryan's strength. Killing a fourth-rank monster with a single punch without using martial arts was indeed impressive.
But in Murong Liu's eyes, this was not beyond expectation.
After all, Ryan had opened all six Spirit Gates, a feat that naturally brought a tremendous boost in strength. Achieving such a result was not strange.
However, power gained through external means did not equate to innate talent, nor did it represent the overall level of the North District. For that reason, Murong Liu was unwilling to gamble his hard-earned resources on an uncertain outcome. He preferred to follow the safer choice embraced by most people.
Following the trend might not yield great profits, but choosing an unpopular option almost always leads to losses.
As for that remaining one percent of success?
Murong Liu believed that only blind luck could account for it.
Moreover, when Ryan had tested his mental strength earlier, the results had been utterly baffling.
Mental strength surpassing more than a dozen candidates who had not even entered the academy?
A candidate who had not yet joined Western Mansion opening all six Spirit Gates?
To Murong Liu, it sounded absurd.
He had shared this information with several palace masters and elders, yet none believed it. Everyone assumed Ryan's test results were flawed.
In time, Murong Liu himself began to think the same.
Subconsciously, his impression of Ryan soured. And with that, any optimism toward the North District vanished entirely.
Birds of a feather flock together. If Ryan liked to produce strange results, then the candidates of his district probably weren't much better.
With that mindset, the palace masters and elders placed most of their wagers on the Eastern, Western, and Southern Districts. As in previous years, they believed the best overall performance would come from one of those three.
There was, however, a rare exception.
Among the many palace masters and elders, one person placed his bet on the North District.
That person was Elder Fang Qingyang.
"Since no one is optimistic about the North District, then I'll add a bit of color and fill the empty spot," Fang Qingyang said calmly as he cast his wager into the floating white paper.
Moments later, a new crimson circle appeared in the North District section, displaying the number three.
Fang Qingyang had wagered resources worth three drops of Holy Liquid.
"Qingyang, have you lost your mind?"
Murong Liu was visibly shocked. "Elder Fang, are you serious? The North District only looks confident on the surface. Surely you aren't fooled by appearances?"
"Elder Fang, are you sober? Is life too boring that you decided to throw your bet into the North District?"
"I know the Qian Palace Palace hasn't been doing well lately, but there's no need to ruin yourself like this, giving away resources you worked so hard to accumulate."
"No wonder Qian Palace has been declining year after year. Back then, you could still compete evenly with our palace. Now? You're not even qualified to be an opponent."
Ridicule came from all sides.
Even some palace masters and elders from within Liandui Palace tried to persuade Fang Qingyang.
"Old Fang, are you alright? You put everything on the North District? If you're in a bad mood, don't gamble like this. Go talk to Special Envoy Gong. Maybe he'll let you retract the bet."
"That's right. Don't act on impulse. You know how bad the North District's situation is. Their confidence is just a performance. Don't be deceived."
"Elder Fang, the situation in Qian Palace isn't good to begin with. If you lose everything now, how will you continue cultivating in the future? The martial path is long. Without resources, how will you survive?"
"Hurry and retract the bet. We'll help you plead."
But Fang Qingyang merely smiled faintly.
"Relax. I'm perfectly fine," he said calmly. "My mind is clear, and I won't retract my bet. I won't embarrass Special Envoy Gong either. Even if everyone is pessimistic about the North District, I believe this year they will bring us an unexpected surprise."
As he spoke, Fang Qingyang glanced toward the light curtain hanging in midair.
Although Ryan's image had already disappeared from it, the young man's figure lingered vividly in Fang Qingyang's mind, refusing to fade.
"The palace will rise again. I promise."
"Rest assured, I will definitely enter the Palace."
Those were Ryan's words back then.
If Fang Qingyang had not just witnessed the scene of Ryan killing a fourth-rank monster barehanded, he would never have placed all his savings on such an uncertain choice.
But now, everything was different.
That casual palm, that overwhelming strength, the ease with which a fourth-rank monster was reduced to a corpse… Fang Qingyang did not know why, but from the moment he saw it, a voice deep in his heart began whispering to him.
This candidate named Li Wei, this young man who had clearly stated his willingness to enter Qian Palace, would definitely lead the North District to achieve the best results in this entrance examination.
Not only that, a bold thought quietly surfaced in Fang Qingyang's mind.
Could Li Wei be… that person?
He clearly remembered the timing when Ryan and his group had entered and exited the Eight Palaces Battle Hall. The timing aligned perfectly with the appearance and disappearance of the mysterious candidate with the temporary number 59416.
Back then, Fang Qingyang had only thought it was a coincidence.
But now, after personally witnessing Ryan's terrifying strength, it was impossible not to connect the two.
If that were the case, then Ryan being temporary number 59416 was not a wild guess at all, but a very real possibility.
And this was precisely why Fang Qingyang dared to wager on the North District without hesitation.
"An unexpected surprise?" Murong Liu frowned slightly and looked at Fang Qingyang with suspicion. "Qingyang, why do you say that? Did you receive some kind of news?"
As he spoke, Murong Liu also glanced toward the examiners and the person in charge of the North District. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became.
Were these people out of their minds?
Betting was one thing, but staking their entire fortunes on it was another matter entirely.
The North District's behavior today was simply abnormal. Now even Fang Qingyang, whom Murong Liu trusted the most for his steadiness and caution, had joined them. That made Murong Liu deeply uneasy.
Fang Qingyang was not the type to act on impulse, nor someone who would gamble away his cultivation resources without confidence.
If he dared to bet on a district that everyone else dismissed, then he must have had something to rely on.
Hearing Murong Liu's question, the surrounding palace masters and elders also turned their gazes toward Fang Qingyang, curiosity written plainly on their faces.
Fang Qingyang paused for a moment, then smiled faintly. "News? What news? I didn't receive anything."
"No news?" Murong Liu was stunned. "Then why are you betting on the North District?"
"I just have a feeling," Fang Qingyang replied calmly. "A feeling telling me that the North District will definitely achieve good results this time."
"A feeling?"
At those words, many people rolled their eyes.
If this were not a martial world, but an ordinary mortal one, they would have already clicked their tongues in disbelief.
A feeling?
What was this, fortune-telling? Divine revelation?
It sounded utterly ridiculous.
However, Murong Liu did not laugh.
Instead, his unease deepened.
He knew Fang Qingyang too well. A man this meticulous and level-headed would never gamble away his cultivation resources based on something as vague as a "feeling".
That was simply impossible.
"Qingyang," Murong Liu suddenly asked, "haven't we been friends for decades?"
"Of course," Fang Qingyang replied. "Why ask something like that?"
The two had entered Western Mansion together, trained together, and later served side by side in the Outer House. Though Murong Liu's talent had been slightly better, allowing him to become a palace master, and Fang Qingyang remained an elder, their relationship had always been close.
"Since we go back so far," Murong Liu lowered his voice and leaned closer, "then tell me honestly. Did you receive any special information from the North District's person in charge or examiners?"
This time, Murong Liu asked quietly, careful not to draw attention.
The others, having dismissed Fang Qingyang's explanation as nonsense, had already turned away.