Chapter 173: The Urban Legend Test and the Unequal Playing Field

Another in-class math test today. While I had largely overcome my academic struggles, that didn’t mean I actually *liked* tests. Few students did, after all.

Yet, the moment the test papers were distributed, a strange sensation washed over me. I had already taken this exact math test. It was just yesterday afternoon, in that deserted classroom.

I flipped through half the page, confirming that every single question was one I had encountered yesterday. The latter half remained a mystery, as Yi Zhiqiu’s sudden intrusion had interrupted the test. Still, I was absolutely certain it was the identical paper.

A flicker of regret surprised me then. Had Yi Zhiqiu not burst in and cut the test short, I would have had the chance to complete the entire paper in advance.

I immediately shook my head, dismissing the thought. For one, I hadn’t known the test in the urban legend would be the actual exam the next day. Retaking it wouldn’t change much, and besides, an exam of this difficulty no longer posed a challenge to me.

However, someone aware of the urban legend’s true nature might have received a leak of the questions in advance. They could then revise specifically for those topics and achieve a better score. So, what exactly was the purpose of the deserted classroom urban legend?

As I had just thought, this exam was no challenge for me at all, especially since I’d already completed half of it. I scribbled away, finishing in a flash, and handed in my paper the moment submission time arrived.

“Classmate Xia Yubing, the test time isn’t over yet, hmm?!”

The teacher looked through the test paper, only to find that every question had been answered. Even the last few major problems were filled out meticulously, with derivations and formulas neatly listed, and diagrams perfectly drawn. It was clear this wasn’t random scribbling.

“Teacher, I’ve finished, and the submission time has also arrived. May I leave?” I asked.

In the past, I was notorious for submitting papers within an hour, but back then, half my paper would be blank and the other half filled with nonsense. The teachers knew better than to expect C-class students to take mock exams seriously, so they generally left us to our own devices.

Yet, I had always admired the top students, the sheer prestige of perfectly submitting a test within an hour—it was incredibly cool. I never imagined I’d get to experience it myself, to bask in the admiring gazes of my classmates. It felt truly exhilarating.

“Uh, yes, you may. Since Classmate Xia Yubing has finished, you can hand in your paper and leave,” the teacher said, her voice softening. She sat down, scrutinizing the paper, and to her astonishment, there were almost no mistakes at first glance.

While Xia Yubing had previously excelled in both academics and sports, she was only considered mid-to-upper-tier in the advanced class, still a fair distance from the top students.

Later, when she’d reportedly lost her memory, the teacher had worried her grades would plummet. Instead, she seemed to be improving. It was said that memory and knowledge were stored in two separate modules of the brain—could it truly be so?

“All of you should learn from Xia Yubing. Her excellent grades are inseparable from her diligent efforts in her studies,” the teacher encouraged the students still taking the exam, looking up.

I, who hadn’t even left the classroom, was mortified by that statement. How was I supposed to be a good example? My recent diligence stemmed entirely from those two calligraphy scrolls, which made studying feel effortless, even pleasurable, once I entered a flow state. I was addicted to learning. How could *they* learn like that?

I turned to look at my other classmates. As expected, most wore bewildered expressions. Of course, there were also boys looking at me with admiration, even infatuation, but Xiao Qing drew my attention the most.

How should I describe it? Her expression was complex, sometimes gazing at me with a strange emotion. And the moment she noticed me looking back, she immediately lowered her head.

After leaving the classroom, I pondered: if I could solve my exam score problems by buying calligraphy and paintings or using a Golden Edge Gu, and even get early leaks from urban legends, wouldn’t others use similar methods?

For truly wealthy and influential individuals, even if they didn’t fully understand the supernatural, they would still trust certain masters or half-immortals. They frequently donated to temples, hired geomancers to arrange their feng shui, consulted masters for fortune-telling, and purchased various calligraphies, paintings, and magical artifacts. As a result, their luck would gather around them, making them incredibly fortunate, ensuring smooth sailing in all their endeavors, and steadily increasing their wealth.

So, wouldn’t their children also use special methods like mine to improve their grades? Even without resorting to cheating, I had read about several methods in the Supernatural Events Department’s books. For instance, the ‘Dominating the Charts’ feng shui array symbolized success in imperial examinations, and there were plenty of Buddhist artifacts like Bodhi seeds that could enhance wisdom and comprehension.

From this perspective, the so-called fairness of examinations had never existed from the start. The wealthy only needed to spend a small sum to negate the need for effort and talent, even surpassing it significantly. Fairness simply did not exist.

I walked towards Yi Zhiqiu’s office in the academic affairs building, my mind swirling with doubts. The persistent itch on my skin compelled me to find him for a solution.

Upon reaching his office, I noticed several students were already inside. This time, in addition to girls, two boys had also come. They seemed to be asking Yi Zhiqiu about legitimate supernatural matters.

“It’s fine. As long as you don’t approach dark corners, stay away from the immediate vicinity of death sites, and don’t go exploring any urban legend locations within the school, you won’t encounter anything unclean. At least, none of you currently have any problems.”

Yi Zhiqiu imparted some crucial advice regarding supernatural matters. The students departed happily, suggesting that Yi Zhiqiu had already established a certain authority within the school.

I waited impatiently beside him as Yi Zhiqiu slowly explained these common-sense facts to them. Only when my patience was wearing thin did he finally say, “Alright, we’ll stop here for today. I still have some work to do. Please head back, everyone.”

“Okay, goodbye, Teacher Yi.” The students bowed respectfully before leaving together. One of the girls even glanced at me with a grin, turning to her companion to remark, “The campus belle seems to really like coming to Teacher Yi’s office.”

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Yi Zhiqiu said, tidying the documents on his desk. “I’ve asked other students to help collect some urban legends, but most of what they’ve provided is vague, incomplete, or clearly fictional. None of it is as clear as what you’ve told me.”

“They are only students, after all. Rumors are just hearsay, and you can’t offer them enough incentives. The reason I know so much is from what I’ve gathered at the Supernatural Events Department. Teacher Yi, if you want to know more, you could also check the records there,” I subtly hinted to him.

Unfortunately, Yi Zhiqiu seemed to miss the point. Instead, he said, troubled, “I truly don’t have anything good to give them. I can’t give them anything related to the mysterious, and I genuinely don’t have other valuable items.”

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