Chapter 41 : Five. Odd.
All the examinees had approached the wooden box one by one.
However, most of the examinees still had a puzzled expression, and in the midst of that, Cha Yul-ryeong's voice was heard.
"Then, from now on, we will start voting by entering the tent placed in front."
"...?"
"If you think the number of beads in the wooden box is odd, put the newly distributed nameplate in the box on the left, and if you think it's even, put it in the box on the right."
Hmm, so that's how they're going to grade it.
In fact, this exam was a method where one could pass purely by luck, as well as by skill.
After all, there were only two possibilities. So it was also very easy to choose the correct answer by following others.
'If they vote in a hidden place like that, they can prevent that to some extent.'
It seemed simple, but with just this one trivial element, the result would probably change greatly.
In fact, as soon as Cha Yul-ryeong said that, quite a lot of sighs poured out from the surroundings.
The people who had just let out a sigh were probably the ones who were going to choose odd or even depending on the situation.
"Then, we will proceed with the voting in order of examinee number, dividing into sections as before."
As soon as Cha Yul-ryeong said that, people began to move.
Thump— Thump— Thump— Thump—.
But even at this moment, Gwangcheon was chanting a Buddhist scripture and striking the wooden fish.
Seeing that he was still doing that, it seemed he had not received the energy of odd and even from Buddha in the end.
'Should I wake him up?'
Since he was concentrating, it seemed that Gwangcheon had not heard what Cha Yul-ryeong had just said.
Since his number was one, he would have to vote first.
Since he didn't want the exam to be delayed because of Gwangcheon, in the end, Namgung Il decided to wake him up himself.
Flash—!
At that moment, Gwangcheon suddenly opened his eyes wide.
"Oh! Thank you! Buddha!"
"...?"
Namgung Il looked at Gwangcheon, who was speaking to the sky, with a puzzled expression.
Did Buddha really tell him the correct answer?
Although Namgung Il wanted to ask that, before that, Gwangcheon was already running towards the polling station.
'The more I see him, the funnier he is.'
Somehow, seeing him like that, it seemed he had some parts that resembled Jinheo.
Namgung Il walked towards his section with a small laugh.
"..."
A moment later, a long line was formed again in front of the twenty temporary polling stations created in the Great Training Ground.
People who received the newly distributed nameplates in order and entered the polling station.
Namgung Il and Jong Seo-eon were also in the line.
'Since there are a lot of people, it takes quite a while just to vote.'
Although it was early in the morning when he first came here, when he looked at the sky, the sun was already in the middle of the sky.
At this rate, would they be able to finish the second exam within today?
Still, since they were proceeding by dividing into sections like this, it seemed that the first exam would end faster than he had thought.
Swoosh—
Namgung Il slightly turned his head to the side and looked at Jong Seo-eon, who was standing in front.
Jong Seo-eon, who was contemplating with a serious face, as if he had not yet made a decision.
Namgung Il could understand to some extent why Jong Seo-eon was worrying so much.
'It would be a little difficult to accurately distinguish the beads in that wooden box from this distance.'
The key to this exam was the sense of qi.
The sense of qi, in other words, the sense of feeling qi.
Although it could be said to be a sense that any martial artist who had started to handle internal energy had, the level of the sense of qi could be said to be vastly different depending on one's skill.
'Perhaps what was in that wooden box was a Qi Storage Jade.'
Literally, it was a bead that could store qi.
Namgung Il only knew it as a tool that helped a person who had just entered the path of martial arts to feel qi more easily.
A genius might be able to instinctively feel the qi floating in the world without the help of such a tool, but it was common for most people to spend a huge amount of time just to feel this qi.
So, by artificially putting internal energy into that Qi Storage Jade and always carrying it, one could feel the qi more directly.
The Beggars' Sect also often trained in that way.
"..."
Perhaps a considerable number of examinees would be able to notice the existence of the Qi Storage Jade in that wooden box if they concentrated a little.
However, depending on the level of one's sense of qi, there would be a difference in distance and accuracy.
The more sensitive one's sense of qi, the more one would be able to feel the Qi Storage Jade in the wooden box from a distance, and accordingly, one would be able to accurately grasp the number.
'The sense of qi... they've brought a fairly difficult task from the beginning.'
There is a close relationship between the sense of qi and martial arts.
However, unlike training such as sword styles or fist styles, the sense of qi was not something that could be improved just by training.
Rather, a chance enlightenment, experience, or innate talent accounted for a larger proportion.
'A superior sense of qi is an essential element in becoming a master. But most of the examinees here are inexperienced, so the sense of qi will feel quite unfamiliar to them.'
So most of them would be able to notice the existence of the Qi Storage Jade in the wooden box, but it would be difficult to know the exact number.
The person who could accurately know even the number would mean that they had a certain degree of talent in martial arts.
From the perspective of someone who knew nothing, this exam might seem like a simple gamble, but if one considered all these elements, one would soon notice that it was a very elaborately constructed exam.
'As expected of the Flying Dragon Academy. It feels like the level has gone up a lot more than before.'
Namgung Il did not know how the Flying Dragon Academy had conducted the entrance exam in the past.
Since he had come through recommended admission, he had not been particularly interested in the entrance exam.
But comparing then and now, Namgung Il could vaguely feel that the number of examinees and the level of the exam had become considerably higher.
"..."
The reputation of the Flying Dragon Academy, which had become much higher over time.
Accordingly, it would not have been easy to become a member of the academy.
'Good luck.'
Namgung Il said so to Jong Seo-eon in his heart and then pulled his head back to its original position.
If the brat was his grand-disciple, he would be able to pass this much of a difficulty.
And a moment later, it was Namgung Il's turn.
Swoosh—
Namgung Il held the new nameplate in his hand and walked towards the tent.
His eyes met Jong Seo-eon's, who had just finished voting and had come out.
Jong Seo-eon slightly raised his clenched right hand as if to say, good luck, and passed by.
'Who's telling who to have good luck?'
Still, he didn't feel too bad.
Namgung Il entered the tent with a small laugh.
"...?"
An unexpected person was waiting for Namgung Il inside the tent.
A man standing in the middle, between the two ballot boxes.
Since he had not expected Cha Yul-ryeong to be in this tent, Namgung Il looked at Cha Yul-ryeong with a rather curious expression.
'As expected, he's a considerable master.'
It seemed that he would not be a match for him in his current state.
The fact that such a person was in the academy itself would mean that the level of the academy had risen.
Since Cha Yul-ryeong was holding out in the tent like that, no examinee would be able to do any strange manipulation of the ballot boxes.
Thud—
Namgung Il immediately walked to the ballot box and put the nameplate he was holding in his hand.
And just as he was about to turn around, a voice was heard from behind.
"Wait."
"...?"
What is it?
When Cha Yul-ryeong suddenly called him, Namgung Il turned around with a puzzled expression.
"Number ten thousand."
"Pardon?"
"I will give you a special additional test."
"...?"
Namgung Il couldn't say anything with an incomprehensible expression for a moment.
An additional test all of a sudden.
Hearing him say that as if he were doing him a favor, Namgung Il couldn't help but be dumbfounded.
"What do you mean by that? An additional test."
"Odd or even. In this exam, guessing that is the condition for passing."
"..."
"But you will be recognized as passing only if you guess exactly how many beads were in the wooden box."
"...What?"
It was truly absurd.
He was surely the same examinee as the others, so why did he have to guess even the number to pass?
Since he naturally thought it was an unfair condition, Namgung Il immediately argued with Cha Yul-ryeong.
"No, then is there any benefit for me if I get it right?"
"There isn't."
"Then I won't do it. Why should I have to take the exam under a more difficult condition when there's no benefit?"
"...Examinee number ten thousand, no, Namgung Il."
When his real name came out of Cha Yul-ryeong's mouth, Namgung Il's eyes widened slightly.
"You caused quite a stir on the last day of registration."
"...Pardon?"
"Not only did you damage property, but you also put a student from the Flying Dragon Academy in a sickbed. Since you caused such a big incident, unlike the other examinees, I am putting this condition on you accordingly."
"..."
Damaged property? Put a student in a sickbed?
Namgung Il suddenly remembered something.
'Could it be... is he talking about me breaking the rock placed at the entrance of the registration office?'
As he had expected, it seemed that Ma Dongpal was a student of the Flying Dragon Academy.
Well, he would admit to the property damage somehow, but for him to have put that brat in a sickbed.
Since all he had done was to break the brat's saber, Namgung Il had a rather unfair side.
"Let's say the property damage is that, giving a hundred steps."
"..."
"But I did not injure that brat named Ma Dongpal. I just broke his weapon."
"I have been reported that Ma Dongpal was beaten up by people because of that."
"...?"
"In other words, even if you didn't directly cause harm, the cause is you."
It becomes like that?
Namgung Il was so dumbfounded for a moment that he could only laugh.
"...Do you perhaps have a grudge against me?"
"No."
"..."
"I will just say that I stayed up for two nights because of you."
That's the same thing!
Namgung Il could roughly guess why Cha Yul-ryeong was putting such a condition on him.
'So... he's displeased now because the exam was disrupted because of me?'
It would be a situation like that.
Still, for a grown adult to put personal feelings into an examinee.
Although it was a treatment that felt naturally unfair, Namgung Il could not argue any more than this.
Because he was now in the position of an examinee.
As long as the brat was an academy official, and moreover, was in charge of this exam, the power was, after all, with Cha Yul-ryeong.
Of course, if he were to make an issue of it by mentioning the name of the Namgung Clan, it wouldn't be impossible, but it didn't seem necessary to go that far for something like this.
If he didn't know the correct answer, it would be a different story, but it was not a very difficult matter to grant that request.
"I understand."
"..."
"Five. Odd. There were five beads in the wooden box."
Namgung Il said, showing his open right hand.
Hearing that, Cha Yul-ryeong did not answer.
As Cha Yul-ryeong continued to maintain his silence, Namgung Il asked, as if he were slightly sarcastic.
"Why are you not saying anything?"
"..."
"You're not going to change the correct answer now, are you, someone from the Flying Dragon Academy?"
When Namgung Il said that, Cha Yul-ryeong's brow twitched slightly.
"...That's correct."
"Then have I passed?"
Nod—
Seeing Cha Yul-ryeong moving his head as if he were reluctant, Namgung Il grinned.
"You waited for me in a place like this. I'm sorry."
"..."
"You're a little narrow-minded, but you're not a person without pride. Thank you for not making me open the wooden box and check it myself."
Namgung Il said and turned around, leaving the tent.
Cha Yul-ryeong, who was silently watching his back.
Soon, when he was left alone in the tent, Cha Yul-ryeong muttered to himself in a low voice.
"Namgung Il... just as I heard."
A meaningful smile appeared on Cha Yul-ryeong's lips as he muttered.
(End of Chapter)