The Urban Dao Child

Yang Dao entered the big hall with all the other examinees, leaving Athena behind. The hall was simply decorated with a lot of chairs and small tables placed in neatly arranged columns. An elderly person stood at the end of the hall, with all the chairs facing him. 

The people came inside and the elder said, "Welcome everyone, the examinees will take the seats in any order they wish to, I will then explain the rules and regulations to you all." 

His voice was calm and filled with vicissitudes of time. The people all sat down quickly. Yang Dao found a seat at the front, since it was the only one left, no one wanted to sit directly under the gaze of the elder. He did not think much and sat down calmly. 

The elder nodded when everyone sat down and said, "I am head deacon Mark, I will be your invigilator with seven other deacons. They will be monitoring you all from the crowd standing in the spectator gallery above." 

The people raised their heads and found that their companions were all standing in the balcony-like structure. They could also spot the deacons of the alchemy hall. Deacon Mark continued, "The examinees will be given an hour to finish as many questions as they can on the paper. You are prohibited from using any treasured artifacts, or spiritual senses. If anyone found using such means, they will be vacated from the Alchemy peak and never be allowed again." 

The people gulped and nodded. Yang Dao was still sitting calmly. Mark then waved his hand and a set of papers, quill, and inkpot appeared in front of everyone. The elder asked again, "Any questions?"

Yang Dao raised his hand. The head deacon was surprised but asked calmly, "Go ahead." 

The boy said, "Elder, can I ask you to give me more paper? The answers will be lengthy and they will not fit in this one." 

They were all given a question paper filled with fifty questions and two sheets of blank paper to input the answer. Usually, the people will not be able to even fill the two blanks and now this kid was asking for more paper. Was it some sort of joke?

However, when the disciples saw the clothes Yang Dao was wearing, they did not dare to make a mockery out of him. Even the spectators were smart enough to not let out a peep. Well not everyone is your common blind muggle. The head deacon was surprised, not because of the sentence but because of the seriousness of Yang Dao's words. He did not know how to respond. 

Then he heard a soft voice, "Head Deacon, why do you not provide him with extra paper?" 

The people turned their heads to the voice and found Elder Jing Shui walking in with a faint smile on her face. The Head Deacons and the other invigilators greeted her and Jing Shui nodded. The examinees were about to stand up when the lady gestured them to keep sitting and said, "Do not bother. The time is passing away. Head Deacon give him the sheets he asked for and begin." 

Mark did not say anything else but placed a small stack of papers at the table. Yang Dao nodded and placed the question paper on the right-hand side of the table and read the questions leisurely. Elder Jing said, "The exam begins now." 

Yang Dao picked up the quill, dipped it in the inkpot, and began to write the answers. His speed was not slow. He wrote with his back straight and his elbow parallel to the ground, it was as if he was practicing calligraphy. 

The spectators could have all, to some extent, forgotten that they were here to watch their people perform after this kid asked for the sheets of paper. They paid attention to him subconsciously, and to their surprise, the boy had beautiful handwriting. Even more, his speed was not slow. The paper was rice paper, so as soon as the ink was dropped, it was absorbed and dried. 

Yang Dao kept writing and answers kept flying off his quill. After half an hour he turned the question paper over and continued answering. Every question was worth five points. You needed to reach at least fifty percent to pass the apprentice level. But you will be given the same value negative point for a wrong answer. 

The boy did not stop and kept on writing, the questions were all from the herb compendium they were provided by the alchemy hall after passing the affinity test. They were all basic level knowledge, however, the herb compendium contained details of at least two-thousand herbs of different levels. 

Jing Shui was paying attention to everyone and was nodding repeatedly. Some students were good, while some were struggling, however, she was not surprised by Yang Dao's performance. When Yue Jing came back from his place, she asked her how was the progress, and the girl told her how Yang Dao had learned the whole book in just one day. 

She was shocked but this was too much, but after hearing from her fellow elders that the boy could comprehend Seed of weapon intent in one visit to the war peak, then learning the compendium was even easier. 

An hour passed quickly and a lot of people sighed as they looked at the results in front of them, Elder Jing said, "Time's up." 

Yang Dao stopped his quill but he sighed and mumbled, "Still missed one word." 

Jing Shui heard his words and said, "Dao, one word does not make much difference. If your answer is correct you will still get the points." 

The other invigilators nodded, however, the boy said, "This will not work. Half knowledge is even more harmful than no knowledge." 

Jing Shui smiled and nodded, she said, "I would like to ask all the examinees if they have no objections then we can allow you to add the one word." 

Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Effort begets reward, mistake begets punishment. I will take it as it is Elder. Everyone here also worked hard, it will be unfair to them, even if they provided consent." 

This statement of the boy improved his image not only in front of the Elder and Deacon but also the examinees and spectators. Yang Dao submitted his answer sheets to Elder Jing and walked outside with everyone. They were told to wait for half an hour before the results will be displayed on the bulletin board.

Yang Dao came outside the hall and found Athena waiting for him at the side of the crowd. He walked over to her and stood up quietly. The girl asked, "So, Young Master Yang, what do you think of your result?" 

The boy thought and said, "Should be passable." 

Athena smiled and did not say anything. She knew that he has been writing intensively but could not see what he has written. The rice paper was covered with a formation, until you are in direct contact with the paper, you cannot see the content. They were cheat-preventing measures. 

  The people all began to discuss the answers to estimate a score for themselves. This was a way they could relax and divert their attention. A few people came to Yang Dao to discuss and the boy happily talked to them. He also found out that these people came here especially for the test. After the result, they will go back to their planets in the sovereign system. 

Only the cream will be allowed to stay here as a true disciple. Yang Dao nodded, and his brain began to work up some ideas. As ideas kept evolving and refining, time passed. After half an hour, the bulletin board lit up. This board was connected to the board one on the first floor. Names began to flash up on the board along with the score of the people. 

Those who obtained the passing marks were ecstatic, while those who did not were in despair. Yang Dao's name appeared on the list and his score surprised the people. Four hundred ninety-five, just five points short of the full score, but the people who spectated or attended the exam along with him were sure that this score was short of five because of his magnanimity. 

The words flew and spread throughout the planet. These people interacted and they discovered that Yang Dao was very good at martial grounds as well. His spar with Amil on the gathering was highlighted with some exaggeration. 

As the people returned to their branch planets, they passed on the news, about how the prime disciple of the sect master, was a genius in both alchemy and martial skills. Yang Dao had his own fan club as some of the true disciple girls had his portraits drawn and circulated as posters. He was a cute jade doll for them and his charm was a fire to these moth-like females. 

The boy himself was, however, going to visit his 'Master', unaware of all this.