Fang Jie knew that half of the several hundred candidates who could enter the Martial Arts Academy this time possessed cultivation power or the potential for cultivation. The fact that these individuals could stand out among nearly ten thousand candidates was proof of their strength in itself. As for the other half without cultivation power, they also possessed exceptional martial arts skills.
The candidates entering the Martial Arts Academy were all very young, and even those who could cultivate wouldn't have ridiculously high cultivation levels. After all, people like Xie Fuyao and Yu Xiao were few and far between. And for those who had just begun cultivating, being defeated by experienced martial artists wasn't a great disgrace. Five years later, ten years later, perhaps if they faced their former opponents, those opponents wouldn't even be able to get close to them.
Those with cultivation levels above the fifth rank were the ones pure martial artists absolutely dared not provoke.
Approximately one hundred and sixty or seventy people were led by the professors to the backyard of the Martial Arts Academy, which was the training ground where Fang Jie and his group had taken the liberal arts exam. Fang Jie and Mo Xidao walked at the back of the crowd, observing the eager expressions on the faces of the examinees. Fang Jie no longer felt the envy and jealousy he had felt before in Fan Gu.
Fang Jie wasn't a saint; he too felt jealousy towards those stronger than himself. He wasn't an ordinary person either, so many others envied him.
Therefore, even though Fang Jie was deliberately keeping a low profile, the students still turned their attention to him. Fang Jie's performance in the exam was too dazzling; his previously unremarkable name was now known to everyone in the capital. Overnight, the people of Chang'an remembered this name: the second person in over a hundred years since the founding of the Sui Dynasty to achieve excellence in all nine subjects of the Martial Arts Academy exam.
The people of Sui were inherently proud, not only of their own pride but also of the strength of the Sui Dynasty and the pride of other Sui people.
And Fang Jie was now more than just the pride of Chang'an; once this news spread, he would become the pride of the entire Sui Dynasty. As His Majesty said, this was an excellent omen. During Emperor Taizong's reign, Li Xiao, an outstanding student of the Nine Gates, emerged, and from then on, Emperor Taizong's territorial expansion was unstoppable. This year, His Majesty Emperor Tianyou also has a student of the Nine Gates. Will the Sui Dynasty usher in another period of rapid development?
On one side of the training ground, a row of a dozen or so professors from the Martial Arts Academy sat. Each had a table in front of them, with a stool opposite each table. Students with cultivation potential lined up in a dozen long rows, sitting one by one opposite a professor to be tested. This so-called test was pulse diagnosis.
The professors of the Martial Arts Academy used pulse diagnosis to ascertain the students' cultivation level and determine which direction they were suited for cultivation. According to a rule established by some unknown senior master, cultivation power is divided into five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, but each individual is different. The professors of the Martial Arts Academy would then formulate a personalized cultivation path for each student.
Such treatment was the best for both aristocratic scions who had received guidance from masters since childhood and those from humble backgrounds who had to learn entirely on their own. No one dared claim to be better at guiding cultivation than the professors at the Martial Arts Academy, not even the Taoists of Qing Le Mountain and Wudang Mountain.
Fang Jie was sixth in line, and the one testing the cultivation power of his group of students was the female professor Qiu Yu, who possessed a pair of strange white eyes.
Unlike the other professors, Qiu Yu didn't need to take pulses. She simply sat there, staring intently at the students before her for a while, then writing down each student's type in her notebook. Clearly, her white eyes possessed a mysterious power. Fang Jie knew that many people at the Martial Arts Academy were exceptionally talented; those professors hadn't achieved their current status and position solely through cultivation.
And it wasn't just the Martial Arts Academy. For example, Zhuo Buyi's mental power wasn't acquired through cultivation, but was innate. Another example is the red-robed high priest of the Daoist sect, Crane Cry Daoist, whose vertical eye on his forehead was also innate. In Fang Jie's understanding, these people with special abilities were born strong.
Based on what he'd seen so far, Fang Jie deduced that Professor Qiu Yu's extraordinary talent lay in her white eyes, which allowed her to see through a person's constitution. She could determine a person's cultivation level without even taking their pulse. Of course, such an ability seemed rather useless in actual combat; she was more suited to being a doctor.
Fang Jie further thought that if Qiu Yu weren't a professor, she might be very wealthy as a gynecologist. Those white eyes were far more accurate than any instrument.
"This is a boy, very healthy. This is a girl, very healthy..." Fang Jie imagined Qiu Yu in a white coat examining a pregnant woman, then shook his head, dismissing the pointless thought. Still unwilling to give up, he slightly modified his imagination, dressing Qiu Yu in a nurse's uniform with a short skirt.
If Qiu Yu could read Fang Jie's mind like Zhuo Buyi could, she would definitely crumple him into a ball.
When it was Fang Jie's turn, he had a slight expectation that this female professor with special abilities would be able to discern any potential in him. Although he was certain he couldn't cultivate and didn't even have a Qi Sea or Dantian, Fang Jie still hoped to gain a more concrete understanding of his body through testing.
However, Qiu Yu simply shook her head when she saw him: "Go directly to the row of wooden houses at the back. I've looked at you more than once, and no matter how I look, I can't see a Qi Sea within you. What I'm more curious about is why you're still so energetic without a Qi Sea. Logically, you should be dead."
Although he had expected this, Fang Jie was still slightly disappointed. He had thought Qiu Yu's disdain would reveal something, but clearly, nothing was different, no matter what he looked at.
"Thank you."
Fang Jie bowed and walked towards the row of wooden houses at the back. As he turned, the students couldn't help but start whispering among themselves. Although they had already heard that Fang Jie was incapable of cultivation, confirming this news from a professor at the Martial Arts Academy still shocked them.
How could a useless person who couldn't cultivate possibly win the Nine Gates Excellence Award? Why would someone who knows they can't cultivate bother coming here to cause trouble and waste everyone's time?
Fang Jie ignored the increasingly loud discussions, straightened his clothes, and stood respectfully in the doorway of the first wooden house from the left in the row of houses, saying, "Student Fang Jie requests an audience with the Dean."
After a moment of silence, a rather aged voice said helplessly, "Although according to etiquette I should say 'Please come in,' didn't you see the sign at the door? This is the toilet..."
...
...
Fang Jie stood awkwardly in the house, too embarrassed to look up at the old man sitting opposite him. Just now, due to habit and some nervousness, he hadn't even noticed that the house was actually the Dean's private toilet.
The old man sitting opposite him was indeed very ordinary. If he hadn't been certain that this person was the Dean of the Martial Arts Academy, Fang Jie couldn't imagine whether he would have remembered the face of such an ordinary old man if they met on the street. He was like those elderly people in the capital city, dressed casually in cloth clothes and shoes, with a pipe always seemingly smoking beside him. The Dean's beard was very long, almost reaching his chest. But not a single hair was white; it looked as young as his hair. His face was also wrinkle-free, with a ruddy complexion like a young man's. His forehead was smooth, showing no signs of age.
Judging by just his face, it was difficult to determine the Dean's age. Yet Fang Jie felt that the Dean must be very, very old.
"Shouldn't we congratulate you on your victory before discussing business?"
Dean Zhou tapped his pipe and set it aside, took a sip of tea, and began the conversation. Fang Jie thought for a moment and replied, "I think you must have many things to attend to, so let's get straight to the point."
"Hmm."
Dean Zhou nodded. "Actually, there's nothing important."
Fang Jie's lips twitched; he didn't know how to respond.
"You...you should know that your outstanding achievement in the Nine Gates was somewhat fortunate."
Dean Zhou said after a moment of silence. Fang Jie nodded, "This student knows it's His Majesty's favor and the Dean's consideration. If I could get into the Martial Arts Academy based on my own abilities, I'd be incredibly grateful. And I'm certain that under your proper guidance, I will achieve excellent results."
"Bullshit."
Dean Zhou curled his lip, "Is that what you really think?"
"Uh..."
Fang Jie wasn't sure of Dean Zhou's personality, so he prepared to use the foolproof method of flattery. But unexpectedly, the old man seemed completely uninterested in his compliments, even somewhat disgusted. Fang Jie knew his strategy was wrong, so he immediately straightened up and said seriously, "I may not win first place, but I'm confident I'll be in the top ten."
"That sounds more like the truth. Your strength ranks among the top five in this year's students."
Dean Zhou paused and said, "But do you know why you won first place?"
Hearing this question, Fang Jie thought of Wu Yidao's advice: When considering anything, first think about His Majesty. So he respectfully replied, "Because His Majesty wants me to win."
Dean Zhou frowned slightly, shook his head, and said, "You're too slick; I don't like that."
Fang Jie was taken aback, thinking to himself that this old man's temper was truly peculiar.
Dean Zhou stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the students outside undergoing testing. He said calmly, "But this also proves you're a smart fellow. Since that's the case, I'll tell you the truth. You know His Majesty wants you to win, so you naturally understand the meaning behind it. Therefore, you must be prepared… His Majesty has personally created a miracle, and he won't easily let anyone destroy it. And if one day this miracle is gradually pulled down from its heights, and the miracle is shattered, what will His Majesty do?"
"This student doesn't know."
"His Majesty will personally destroy you."
Dean Zhou said calmly, "His Majesty created you, making you a miracle. And if your subsequent performance cannot maintain..." "If the miracle continues, he'd rather it die young than be destroyed. If His Majesty destroys you before you're surpassed or even brought down to earth, then you'll still leave a legend for posterity. At least, a miracle is still a miracle, even if it's one that falls too soon."
"In other words, you are His Majesty's face now. Of course, His Majesty will protect you, but if he can't protect you anymore, will he allow others to slap him in the face?"
Fang Jie took a deep breath, remained silent for a moment, and then asked, "Dean, please enlighten me."
Dean Zhou snorted coldly, "Isn't it clear enough?"
Fang Jie didn't speak, because he knew Dean Zhou definitely had more to say. He had summoned him not just to remind him. "As I said before, you're a smart man."
Dean Zhou sat back in his chair, looking at Fang Jie with a half-smile, and asked, "So, do you want to keep creating miracles? Do you want to become a miracle like Li Xiao? Do you want to never be brought back to earth? Do you want to become an extremely powerful person? Do you want your name to be talked about a hundred years from now? If so, I can help you, but I think it's necessary to discuss a condition."
Fang Jie couldn't help but smirk, thinking to himself, "So Dean Zhou is also an insurance salesman."
"Please speak," he said with a slight smile.
"Your physique is very special, so special that even I have never seen it before. So..."
"You want to study me, is that right?"
Fang Jie asked. Dean Zhou paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, "Research...that's a good word. Okay, that's what I was thinking. If you're willing, we can continue."
"What's in it for me?"
Fang Jie, feeling more comfortable, leaned forward slightly and said, "Be specific."
Dean Zhou paused, then spread his hands and said seriously, "First of all...I won't ruin you..."
"Okay!"
Fang Jie waved his hand and said, "I don't want to hear the rest."