Chapter 160
Chapter 160
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 160
Chapter Title: Judicial Exam
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Seo-ran and Dam-cheong spent the end of the year at the Golden Bamboo Sect.
Deciding on studying abroad and just taking off without a second thought would have been a problem.
She had to consult with the leadership about the study abroad arrangements and bid farewell to her acquaintances.
That was why it was set for next year.
Even amid their busy reorganization efforts, the leadership devoted a great deal of time to Seo-ran and Dam-cheong's study abroad plans.
And as always, they promised their full support.
This was so the two students could focus entirely on preparing for the Judicial Exam.
As the last day of the year approached, the usually bustling Aurora Isles grew noticeably quieter.
On the other hand, Seo-ran's estate was more crowded than ever.
Everyone had gathered to share the sorrow of parting.
The year-end gathering attendees chatted or ate, passing the time.
Ho Hye-mun arrived riding her mountain goat, as usual.
"Studying abroad? That's a huge decision. I hope it all works out for you. Oh, and this is a gift to cheer you on for your studies."
Seo-ran asked.
"Oh, what's this?"
"It's a brush. I tried a bunch of different ones, and this was the best. Writes nice and neat."
"Thank you so much, Hye-mun. I'll make good use of it."
Her thanks brought a smile in return.
Ever since the wall victory, Ho Hye-mun had been handling both writing duties and leadership tasks.
Perhaps because of that, a touch of seasoned authority was starting to show in her every movement.
Yi Agum arrived next.
"You're heading off to study abroad? Is it far from here?"
"Not really. There's the teleportation array, after all."
"True. Still, you have to video call often, got it, sis?"
Seo-ran nodded and replied.
"Of course."
"It's a promise? No forgetting?"
"Yeah, Agum."
The two tried to hug.
But Yi Agum's purple deer antlers got in the way.
In the end, Yi Agum had to circle behind Seo-ran's back.
With her face buried in her sister's crown, Yi Agum asked.
"But sis, you hardly wear hairpins these days?"
"Oh, the hairpins? They kept bothering me somehow."
"Weird. Is it because you're half-human, half-dragon?"
Yi Agum gave Seo-ran one last tight squeeze before letting go.
Then she wandered off with a small yawn, looking tired.
She'd been pulling all-nighters researching unfamiliar immortal realm herbs and developing new medicines.
Seo-ran looked around the central courtyard where the gathering was held.
Jang Seonhwa sat with her feet in the pond.
Lately, she'd been worrying a lot more.
She was going through trial and error trying to craft her own puppet.
Deung Baek-wol was chatting with Yi Agum.
When her eyes met Seo-ran's, she gave a slight nod.
According to the maids, she'd been staying mostly indoors lately due to her Five-Colored Heart training.
Shik San Daepung's clone, Hong Sun, and the Three-Eyed Cat trio were there too.
They'd set up near the cooking stove and were gobbling down the food the moment it was ready.
They whispered among themselves about how fruit was best raw or that grilling it made it tastier.
Hong Sun said.
"Obviously grilled is better. Same with meat."
Up close, her whole body brimmed with spiritual power.
Thanks to learning the Human-Faced Bird Art after coming to the immortal realm.
Hong Sun was now a proper Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Three-Eyed Cat retorted.
"No way, are fruit and meat the same? Fresh fruit is the best."
Three-Eyed Cat had become a mature inspector.
Her main job was, naturally, finding spirit root holders.
She often delivered Elder Wang's greeting letters to Seo-ran on her way home from work.
Shik San Daepung's clone, in the middle, said.
"Both fresh fruit and grilled fruit are delicious, I think."
Shik San Daepung didn't do much in particular.
He read books or flew around the Aurora Isles vicinity.
There were no satellites in the immortal realm, but thanks to the base station Seo-ran had set up, his range of activity was quite wide.
Geum Yeongyeong lounged on a bench fiddling with her terminal.
Endless refills of food, perfect weather, friends, and jaunts to the Harmony Exchange Society.
It couldn't get any better.
Geum Yeongyeong posted a question on the Judicial Exam board of the Harmony Exchange Society forum.
Question) Isn't the Judicial Exam basically an automatic pass?
They say 45 to 55 points is passing range.
Out of 100, half is enough.
I got 80 on dictation in writing class today—can I become a judge too?
Soon, intense reactions poured in from the exam-takers.
Reply) You think the Judicial Exam is a joke?
-There are over ten written subjects alone, and among them...
-Second round total cutoff rates...
-Plus, the average study time for passers is...
-Questioner) Huh, why so scary...
Reply) What is the moderator doing not deleting this?
Reply) Guess it's about time for the job postings...
-No wonder the trolls are everywhere...
Reply) Too obvious, 30 points.
-Questioner) I got 80 points, I said!
-Blunt as hell, minus 10 more.
Reply) Take the Judicial Exam for sure, rooting for you.
-Questioner) Thanks!
Reply) Here's your punctuation mark.
-This jerk says "punctuation mark"!
-Questioner) Thanks!
Reply) Isn't this the famous troll from the high-rank boards?
-Famous for what? Realm?
-No, trolling.
-Questioner) Huh?
-Total spectacle...
Geum Yeongyeong set the Judicial Exam board ablaze with her thousand-faces mask-swapping skills.
*****
Year 26 of the Wall Victory era, the new year dawned.
Seo-ran and Dam-cheong set off on their long journey abroad amid the enthusiastic farewells of the Golden Bamboo Sect family.
About seven or eight attendants came along.
On the way to the Im District 6 central hub, Dam-cheong asked.
"But how much time is left until the exam?"
"About six or seven years."
"That seems like plenty of time. Do we really need to go abroad so soon?"
Seo-ran, turning the steering wheel, answered.
"Six years is actually pretty tight. There are about fifteen written subjects. Even diligently reading through them takes two or three years just to finish. To avoid cutoffs, you need another two or three years of study on top."
"Then just study patiently for six years."
"Huh? No, that's not it. The Judicial Exam is relative scoring. You pass by getting higher than others. Better to abandon any thought of passing on the first try."
Dam-cheong asked with his already wrinkly face scrunching up more.
"Then when's the next exam after that?"
"In a hundred years."
"What did you say...?"
Seo-ran spelled it out clearly.
"It opens in a hundred years. The Judicial Exam happens once every century."
"Then if you fail once..."
"What can you do? Study another hundred years. Ah, we're almost at the central hub. Get ready to land."
Seo-ran docked the flying vessel on the ground.
The attendants grabbed the luggage and the dazed Dam-cheong and piled out.
Only those returning to the archipelago by flying ship stayed behind; the rest entered the teleportation array station.
Seo-ran said to the counter clerk.
"Imgye Branch Division, small vessel, group ticket."
"Round trip or one way?"
"One way, please."
After getting the tickets, they lined up at the inspection gate.
It looked like a longer wait than expected.
The group sat on their luggage bags and chatted.
Recovering from the shock, Dam-cheong asked Seo-ran.
"But why go via Imgye Branch? Why not straight to District 2 with Yeongbaek Island?"
"Peach Blossom Fragrance strictly bans inter-district teleportation arrays. For order maintenance, they say. So we have no choice but to go through Imgye Branch to District 2."
"Why make such a decision?"
Seo-ran checked the Heavenly Net encyclopedia and replied.
"Let me see... Ah, here it is. Apparently, once a Yin-darkness cultivator used inter-district arrays to pop up everywhere causing trouble. That's when they started regulating teleportation arrays."
"That does make it easier to catch criminals."
"But the wait times got longer too."
The boring wait dragged on.
The attendants dozed off leaning on each other.
Seo-ran read a book on her terminal.
Dam-cheong squirmed from boredom.
Finally tired of fidgeting, Dam-cheong began observing the crowd lined up at the inspection gate.
Rats, oxen, tigers, rabbits, dragons, snakes, horses, sheep, monkeys, roosters, dogs, pigs—a variety of races.
All wearing the same I-could-die-of-boredom faces.
A miracle of racial unity.
Seo-ran said to Dam-cheong, who looked about to die of boredom.
"Lord Dam-cheong, if you're bored, take a nap. I'll wake you when it's our turn."
"You're saying you'll stay awake alone?"
"I don't sleep anyway."
Dam-cheong asked.
"Not bored?"
"I can just read."
"Well, then..."
Dam-cheong lay down on a large luggage bag.
In his tilted view, the soundly sleeping attendants came into sight.
They all looked peaceful.
Even if your body didn't need sleep.
She was saying it was fine because she'd stay awake.
It struck him anew how good of a superior Seo-ran was.
Dam-cheong rolled his eyes toward Seo-ran.
She read her book with a seriousness belying her appearance.
Soon, his eyelids drooped.
The line shrank slowly but steadily.
The sleeping attendants woke one by one.
Finally, it was Seo-ran's group's turn.
A brief inspection ended.
They stood in the designated spots, and the teleportation array activated.
They transferred via Imgye Branch to District 2.
By the time the well-rested Dam-cheong rubbed his eyes awake, they had already arrived at their destination, Yeongbaek Island.