C45

"Life is full of surprises, isn't it, Miss Feng? Aren't you thrilled to see me?" Rong Qi took the exam pass from Feng Tiange's hand and carefully tucked it into his coat. "From now on, I'll be here waiting for you at the start of each of the three exams."

After years of hard work, the three exams at the Imperial Academy are the final step to success.

Feng Tiange ignored Rong Qi, not even sparing him a glance, and walked straight into the exam hall.

Feng Xueyao had entered the hall earlier, so she witnessed the scene at the door clearly. She wasn't the only one; many female candidates saw it and couldn't help but fix their eyes on Feng Tiange with a mix of curiosity and envy.

Inside the hall, a platform stood six feet high at the front. Those with the privilege to observe the exams included Empress Dowager Chu, Beiming Yuan, and Dugu Rou. Below the platform, over a hundred desks and chairs were arranged in three rows, with screens set up to prevent the candidates from seeing each other.

On either side of the hall, circular platforms about three feet high were furnished with dozens of rosewood crescent chairs for officials of the second rank and above.

Lanterns hung on the walls, and the ceiling was adorned with dozens of luminous pearls, along with the lattice windows on either side, making the hall bright and spacious.

As the bell tolled, all 130 candidates took their seats. When it rang again, they eagerly unsealed their exam papers and began to write.

The exam at the Literary Mansion began thirty minutes before the one at the Martial Academy, which meant Feng Tiange had to finish her test within that time to make it to the first session at the Martial Academy.

In the grand hall, the only sound was the scratching of pens on paper.

On the high platform, Empress Dowager Chu's focus was clear; she only had eyes for Feng Tiange. Beiming Yuan, out of curiosity, glanced at her a few times, while Dugu Rou felt the weight of responsibility, her sharp eyes scanning the examinees below repeatedly.

Most of the officials on either side were from the civil service, except for Feng Qing.

As for Rong Qi, a teacher from the Imperial Academy's Literary Mansion, his presence as an observer was expected.

Time ticked by, and while other examinees either wrote furiously or frowned in concentration, Feng Tiange suddenly stood up and declared, "Finished."

The hall erupted in astonishment!

The first exam at the Literary Mansion covered classic texts and interpretations, designed to test the examinees' breadth of reading. Only those well-read could hope to score well.

According to the rules, any examinee who declared "finished" had to leave the hall and could only return for the next session.

As Feng Tiange's words hung in the air, she ignored the mix of hopeful and mocking gazes from the platform and the floor, swiftly exiting the hall!

To most, her quick departure suggested she hadn't understood the material.

At that moment, the only ones leaving with Feng Tiange were Empress Dowager Chu and Feng Qing.

In principle, observers aren't allowed to leave the examination hall until the last candidate has finished, to avoid disrupting the test-takers' concentration. But who could control Empress Dowager Chu?

Feng Qing had previously arranged for permission and received tacit approval from the Director of the Imperial Academy, who was also the current Emperor's tutor, Meng Zhen.

Compared to the Wenn Mansion, the Martial Academy's architecture was simple and straightforward. Feng Tiange hurried into the Martial Academy, changed into her exam attire in a side room, and headed toward the expansive exam area nearby.

As she entered the exam grounds, Feng Tiange was surprised to see Rong Qi standing at the entrance, smiling as if he had descended from the heavens.

"Why is it you again?" Feng Tiange couldn't help but frown, feeling like he was haunting her.

"Yes, it's me again. No need to be too thrilled, Eldest Miss Feng," Rong Qi said, taking the exam token Feng Tiange handed over, his face lit up with a bright smile. "So, can you tell me how many questions you got right on your paper?"

"No," Feng Tiange replied expressionlessly, striding into the exam area.

Unlike the Wenn Mansion, the Martial Academy's assessments were straightforward and a bit rough, with a touch of luck involved in the first two rounds. Whether you advanced depended on who you were matched against.

There were 130 candidates, divided into 65 groups by the on-site examiners. After the first round, 65 would advance, while the Wenn Mansion's progression depended on scores.

Feng Tiange was one of the last to arrive among the Martial Academy candidates. Shortly after she took her place, the Martial Academy exam officially began.

The examiner began calling names, pairing the candidates in twos to step onto one of the sixty-five circular platforms in the arena. At this moment, Empress Dowager Chu and Feng Qing were seated at the observation platform, both feeling a bit anxious.

Empress Dowager Chu was especially tense, worried that someone might accidentally hurt her granddaughter.

"Xie Ruxuan versus Han Ke, Situ Yi versus Ouyang Qi, Feng Tiange versus Lou Yanming..."

As the examiner called out the last few names, all candidates were in position.

Feng Tiange silently observed her opponent. He was tall and slender, gripping the wooden sword that the Martial Academy had provided for all candidates.

The issue was that even though Feng Tiange wore the academy's exam attire, her face was still covered with the white veil that signified her identity.

Facing someone with such a notorious reputation, Lou Yanming's eyes naturally showed undisguised disdain and contempt. Underestimating an opponent is a grave mistake.

"Begin!"

With the examiner's command, the sixty-five pairs of candidates clashed swords.

"Please," Feng Tiange said, holding her sword horizontally in a gesture of respect, her expression calm and composed.

Eager for victory, Lou Yanming attacked without returning the gesture. His sword slashed forward with fierce determination, aiming straight for Feng Tiange's heart.

On the observation platform, Empress Dowager Chu gripped Nanny Sunn's hand tightly, standing up in anxiety. Feng Qing also rose, uncharacteristically ignoring the fact that he was blocking the view of those behind him.

In the corner, Rong Qi seemed indifferent. With Silver Mask's past prowess, the first two rounds of the Martial Academy exams were hardly worth anticipating, and the results were expected to be predictable. What worried him was whether Feng Tiange could pass the first literary test at the Wenn Mansion; he was practically pulling his hair out over it!

On stage, Feng Tiange stood still as the fierce sword energy slashed toward her. She remained motionless until the blade was almost at her chest, then suddenly leaped into the air! Her speed was so swift that by the time Lou Yanming realized and tried to lift his sword, the blade was already pinned under Feng Tiange's foot.

He wanted to fight back, to pull the wooden sword free and continue his attack, but he couldn't control the sword's downward trajectory. If he didn't abandon the sword, he would meet the same fate as it did!

Decisively, Lou Yanming let go of the wooden sword, and just as he was about to throw a punch, a wooden sword was already at his throat.

"You lost," Feng Tiange declared as she landed, her voice ringing out across the arena, "The match is over!"

"The match is over!" echoed a voice from a nearby platform. Feng Tiange turned to see it was Gu Ruochen.

The audience erupted in astonishment. No one expected the so-called "useless" daughter of the South Suppressing Marquis Mansion to finish the first martial test simultaneously with Gu Ruochen, the renowned prodigy!

While no one was surprised by Gu Ruochen's swift victory, everyone was taken aback that Feng Tiange could achieve the same feat!

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, no one could question the authenticity of this martial demonstration. Feng Tiange's move was nothing short of stunning.

"Nanny Sunn... Nanny Sunn, did you see that? That's my granddaughter! Incredible!" Empress Dowager Chu exclaimed, tears of joy streaming down her face as she clutched Nanny Sunn's hands, crying like a child.