Chapter 149: There Can't Be Two Accidents, Can There?

Fortunately, the list of candidates for the assessment had not been directly announced; everyone only knew the names of a few "seed players" and assumed this was a figure recommended by some obscure, remote county.

That was still a guaranteed upset.

People were baffled, asking around everywhere, yet no one knew where Lu Nuonuo had popped up from.

"Then what about the money I bet?" someone shouted: "Damn it, this can't count as the house taking it all, can it?"

"Names not on the betting list don't count! Refund the money, refund it!"

"Wait a moment." The house, sweating profusely, said: "This is a tie! There is another first place: Lu Xingzhou! Lu Nuonuo doesn't count; count it as Lu Xingzhou!"

"How can it be a tie? The Top Graduate and the Bangyan must be distinguished, right?"

"The official list doesn't separate individual Top Graduate; it only looks at the overall ranking. It doesn't matter to the officials if individual categories are tied! We said this was a list leaked privately; on the surface, both surnamed Lu have refined six Grade Four pills, and the quality of both is supreme, indistinguishable from each other, so they are tied for first place!"

"Then why did you just say Lu Nuonuo?"

"Because Lu Nuonuo is young! The person who leaked the list thought she was first! But who does that person think they are? Does the official side recognize them?"

People looked at each other in silence; indeed, the individual Top Graduate was just a title the common people shouted themselves; the officials had not separately listed an Alchemy Ranking, looking only at the total score.

If Lu Nuonuo were a name on the betting list, everyone might have argued until the end about who truly counted as first, perhaps ranking by age or cultivation time, but since Lu Nuonuo was not on the betting list at all, naturally only those who bet on Lu Xingzhou had won.

Originally, if it had been directly stated that Lu Xingzhou was first, it would still have counted as a dark horse and would have sparked great discussion. But after the inexplicable Lu Nuonuo caused a stir, Lu Xingzhou taking first place now seemed strangely normal, and for a moment, things were actually much quieter.

Sheng Yuanyao finally squeezed in, her face flushed: "I bet on Lu Xingzhou! Give me the money!"

The house looked at her sympathetically: "Miss Sheng, you bet on the overall ranking."

Sheng Yuanyao flew into a rage: "Are you tricking me?"

"Don't make a scene." Pei Chuyun smiled and pulled her aside, her green-jade hand casually dropping a betting slip onto the table: "For the individual Alchemy category, I bet one hundred taels on Lu Xingzhou. What was the odds for Lu Xingzhou in the individual category? Come on, come on, give me the money."

Sheng Yuanyao: "..."

Looking left and right, the only winner was Pei Chuyun; the odds seemed a bit terrifying.

I am so stupid; how could I forget that individual categories can be bet on too...

The discussion voices from the side drifted into her ears, here and there: "Looking at it this way, the overall ranking this year will surely be an upset."

"Yes, these two surnamed Lu are so strong in the individual Alchemy category; as long as they perform adequately in the Literature and Healing categories, they will most likely be among the top few. But not many people even bet on Lu Xingzhou for the top five, let alone Lu Nuonuo..."

"It seems only Miss Sheng and Miss Pei bet on Lu Xingzhou as Top Graduate... Miss Sheng bet more."

"Could it really be that Lu Xingzhou is the Top Graduate? If so, Miss Sheng's family's salary from the Demon Suppression Bureau for ten years wouldn't compare to this single bet; it would be a huge profit, directly buying a large manor."

Sheng Yuanyao's heart stirred slightly, and she quietly instructed those around her: "Go ask for me whether Qingyao Garden is for sale, and for how much."

"Regardless of whether the Alchemy Academy's list comes out, the New Talent Ranking really needs a new version." Inside the Demon Suppression Bureau, Sheng Qingfeng was discussing with the Old Head Seat: "Although the customary half-year roster change hasn't arrived yet, the current changes are too great; dragging it on will always invite discussion, and in the long run, it will lose the credibility of the Great Qian Hero Ranking."

The Old Head Seat, who rarely handled affairs, nodded slightly upon hearing this: "Qingfeng... actually, you don't need to discuss this with me; you can make this your first reform measure after taking office. For example, change the customary half-year roster change to a three-month rotation."

Sheng Qingfeng was thinking the same thing in his heart, but on the surface, he naturally had to give face to the Old Head Seat. Who the Old Head Seat recommended to the Emperor to succeed him after retirement was also a very crucial opinion.

Upon hearing this, he hurriedly said: "Head Seat, please don't say that; the Demon Suppression Bureau still needs your experienced leadership. Besides, who will succeed is still unknown; Your Majesty has not decided yet."

"Your Majesty has already spoken to me... these past few days his mind has been entirely on the affairs of the Alchemy Academy; now Alchemy is his top priority in his heart... once this matter is concluded, there should be news."

Sheng Qingfeng was overjoyed: "Then I thank you, Head Seat, for your cultivation."

The Old Head Seat smiled: "When I was your age, I also wanted to climb up, turning the iron-blooded and majestic work into that of a bureaucratic sycophant... now that my limit is approaching, looking back on the past is like a great dream. Qingfeng, only when you reach a certain time will you know that nothing is as important as your own cultivation... it is no wonder that so many Sect Leaders just laugh amidst the green mountains, unwilling to get involved in this mortal world."

Sheng Qingfeng did not answer.

The Old Head Seat sighed: "I know you are different from others... your Sheng family has served the Demon Suppression Bureau for generations; your father and ancestors all sacrificed themselves while on duty. On the surface, you blend in with the world, acting more rounded than anyone else, but that is just you protecting yourself; in reality, you have backbone inside and want to do something... Yuanyao is like you."

Sheng Qingfeng finally said: "I dare not accept such praise. It is just that if everyone were like those so-called Sect Leaders, saying a word of 'clear breeze, bright moon, bamboo staff, and straw sandals,' so very free and easy, then who would do the work? Just like the Dongjiang Demon Case, Yuanyao was the one investigating; the Menggui City Demon Cultivator Case, the County Magistrate was the one who finalized the verdict. Where are the First-Rank Sects?"

"So the successor can only be you; others are not worthy." The Old Head Seat stood up, patted his shoulder: "Unless something unexpected happens, the appointment letter will arrive in these two days. As for the New Talent Ranking and such, you handle it as you see fit; I, an old man, cannot keep up with the changes, so I will not get involved in the affairs of the young."

Sheng Qingfeng stood up to see him off: "Head Seat, take care on your way."

The Old Head Seat had taken two steps when he suddenly remembered something and laughed helplessly: "That Lu Xingzhou, his momentum is very strong... is he and Yuanyao in that kind of relationship?"

Sheng Qingfeng did not expect the old leader to bring this up; he said with a mix of laughter and tears: "These are matters of the children; why trouble the Head Seat to worry and ask..."

"This is not just a matter of the children... this person is stirring up the wind and clouds; the New Talent Ranking simply cannot contain this dragon." The Old Head Seat lowered his voice: "Even the Princess of Chaohuang might not be able to row this dragon boat alone."

Damn, what does that mean? Sheng Qingfeng had a belly full of words stuck in his throat, staring blankly as he watched the Old Head Seat depart.

"Vice Seat, Vice Seat, the Alchemy Academy has posted the list!" A subordinate ran in from outside: "Every family will recruit people according to the list; should our Demon Suppression Bureau make a move?"

Sheng Qingfeng paused: "The list is out so early this year? Didn't the exam just finish?"

"Your Majesty is personally supervising; I heard the chief examiners are all pulling all-nighters to grade the papers."

"Damn it, go check quickly!" Sheng Qingfeng rushed out the door at high speed.

As for Alchemists, the practice of "catching a son-in-law under the list" was not really the case. Alchemists were all Dao cultivators; most Dao cultivators were men of pure cultivation; refining pills was basically staying in one place all day long, so regardless of whether they were monastics or not, they were not very suitable as sons-in-law, but early recruitment by various powers was indeed a common routine.

Of course, there would be some catching sons-in-law, often by nouveau riche families with no accumulation.

The Demon Suppression Bureau naturally also needed to recruit Alchemy and Healing talents; securing people before they entered the Alchemy Academy for further study meant they would be people of the Demon Suppression Bureau upon graduation. If other departments snatched them first, it would be one thing, but if they were recruited by great aristocratic families like the Huo family or the Pei family, that would be a waste of national talent.

Sheng Qingfeng rushed frantically to the main gate of the Alchemy Academy, where it was already a sea of people; a crowd was craning their necks waiting for people to come out and post the list.

Even with so many people, Sheng Qingfeng saw his own daughter's ponytail shaking in front at a glance. Old Sheng was furious, reached out, grabbed the ponytail, and pulled it directly.

"Who is pulling your aunt? Do you want to die!" Sheng Yuanyao drew her sword halfway with a "clang," turning around in anger.

The next moment, her angry face became ingratiating: "Vice Seat Sheng~ why have you come..."

"With so many people, what are you doing squeezing here? Is this something a young lady should do? Do you care about your image at all?" Sheng Qingfeng angrily pointed to the restaurant nearby: "Look at that Pei girl over there, watching from the upper floor, how elegant! Why are you like a monkey?"

Sheng Yuanyao glared hatefully at Pei Chuyun watching the show from the upper floor; just now, this Pei girl had been squeezing here too and had only just been dragged away by Pei Yu... how did she turn into someone else's child in the blink of an eye?

Sheng Yuanyao stood upright and righteous: "I, Sheng, as the Director of the Demon Suppression Bureau, am here for official business! How could I imitate that Pei family parasite, who only knows how to eat!"

"Who assigned you this task? Are you falsely claiming official business in front of me?" Sheng Qingfeng grabbed his daughter's hair and dragged her outside: "Go play with that Pei girl; this has nothing to do with you!"

Sheng Yuanyao, covered in dust and shame, went up to the floor and plopped down next to Pei Chuyun.

The candidates waiting for the list were not in this building; they were basically squeezed below watching the list, but Lu Xingzhou and his master were not here either; no one knew where they had run off to; neither Sheng Yuanyao nor Pei Chuyun had seen them. The upper floor was mainly for noble young masters of aristocratic families watching the show, including Huo Heng, the third son of the Huo family.

Pei Yu was chatting with Huo Heng with a smile that didn't reach his eyes: "Huo brother, isn't your family quite capable of refining pills? I heard that a single immortal pill once cured Your Majesty. What, now you want to come out and recruit people too? Can't you cultivate them yourselves?"

Huo Heng said indifferently, "Brother Pei is joking. Even if the Huo family cultivates alchemists, they still need to enter the Alchemist Academy for further study."

"Oh?" Pei Yu smiled, "Does Brother Huo mean that among the heroes participating in this assessment, there are some cultivated by the Huo family?"

"Cultivated is too bold a word, but they are indeed a few points stronger than ordinary young alchemists."

Pei Yu said, "Hearing Brother Huo's tone... one might think the top alchemist of this year has already been reserved by the Huo family."

Huo Heng said indifferently, "That's about right. If not the Top Graduate, they should at least secure the Bangyan."

Hearing him say this, everyone knew that Daoist Xuan Qing was basically secretly cultivated by the Huo family. He was indeed the biggest favorite to win the championship; even if an accident caused him to lose the Top Graduate, securing the Bangyan should be no problem.

There can't be two accidents, can there?

These noble Young Masters don't go to gambling houses; the list was released too quickly this year, so they probably haven't heard the private news from the gambling houses yet... Huo Heng hasn't heard of two people surnamed Lu and is still so confident...

Pei Chuyun rolled her eyes, covering her mouth with a round fan and laughing softly, "Third Young Master Huo, don't speak too confidently. Perhaps someone originally belonged to the Huo family, but now they don't?"

Huo Heng glanced at her with some contempt, "A village girl found outside, so ignorant. Do you really think anyone would be willing to bear the name of betraying their master and acting unrighteously?"

Pei Chuyun casually grabbed the sugar on the table, watching the snow-white sugar slip through her fingers, "Then does Third Young Master Huo dare to make a bet with this village girl? Bet that the Huo family originally could have owned the Top Graduate and Bangyan, but they are like sand between the fingers, and you can only watch helplessly as they slip away, not belonging to you."

With these words, everyone thought the Pei family was going to snatch someone from the Huo family; Huo Heng thought so too, so he sneered, "What if you lose?"

Pei Chuyun pointed to the large pig's head on another table not far away, "Whoever loses must shout three times at that pig's head: I love you."

"Vulgar and uncultured," Huo Heng snorted, but he didn't object, implying consent.

"Here it comes, here it comes!" Suddenly, a clamor rose from the crowd below. Meng Li held a yellow scroll and, protected by a group of guards, pushed through the crowd to hang the proclamation on the wall.

Everyone immediately looked at the highest position.

Top Graduate: Lu Xingzhou.

Bangyan: Lu Nuonuo.

The entire hall fell silent; on the upper floor of the restaurant, it was so quiet that the sound of a needle dropping could be heard.

For a moment, no one bothered to wonder why Lu Xingzhou had unexpectedly become the Top Graduate or who Lu Nuonuo was... Everyone's gaze fell on Huo Heng's face, filled with overwhelming malice and mockery.

The Pei family didn't need to snatch someone from the Huo family... The choices for Top Graduate and Bangyan themselves proclaimed that the Huo family originally possessed them, but now they are like sand between the fingertips, watching helplessly as they slip through the cracks, not belonging to them.

Pei Yu mimicked Huo Heng's earlier words, speaking in a sarcastic tone, "That's about right. If not the Top Graduate, they should at least secure the Bangyan~ Hahaha~"

Huo Heng's face turned iron blue.

Pei Chuyun smiled slightly, her slender finger pointing at the pig's head, "Third Young Master Huo, please?"

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PS: Last day of double votes, asking for monthly tickets~

(End of this chapter)