The exam time was more than generous, and Jiang Chen was in no rush. The third assessment posed even less of a challenge for him. Rote memorization — with the reading ability he had cultivated in his previous life, honed over a million years, he had practically achieved the level of photographic recall.
So this little bit of rote memorization couldn't stump him at all.
With a grand sweep of his brush, he wrote Jiang Chen's name in large characters, then began answering the questions.
After roughly half an hour, all the memorization-based questions had been perfectly completed by Jiang Chen.
Next came the free-response section. The questions in this part were comparatively more flexible and carried a bit more depth.
Of course, from Jiang Chen's perspective, these questions were still laughably shallow and rudimentary, but he still set about composing his answers with genuine care.
Although the questions were crude, Jiang Chen couldn't very well answer too profoundly. The theoretical level of the Eastern Kingdom likely couldn't digest anything too advanced.
Given the breadth of Jiang Chen's knowledge, if he were to answer too deeply and these people from the Eastern Kingdom were grading the papers, it might as well have been a blank sheet.
Too profound to be understood — how was that any different from giving irrelevant answers?
So Jiang Chen racked his brain and, starting from the knowledge baseline of this world, crafted some pioneering explanations.
These answers, by the standards of Jiang Chen's knowledge base, counted as extremely low-level. But placed here, Jiang Chen still harbored some worry — worry that they might exceed the curriculum and trigger unnecessary trouble.
So he held back again and again, managing at last to suppress his urge to show off, keeping these pioneering explanations within the knowledge level of the Eastern Kingdom.
In its own way, this was quite mentally exhausting. After roughly an hour and a half, Jiang Chen reviewed his paper, found it flawless, and submitted it.
By the rules, the assessment steward responsible for this stage collected Jiang Chen's exam scroll and sealed it in a box.
"Jiang Chen, this stage of the assessment requires review by senior officials. Results will only be announced after grading by the heads of each subject. You understand this rule, I trust?"
That was indeed how things worked, and Jiang Chen didn't pay it any mind. He nodded.
No matter who graded it, this paper would absolutely pass. On that point, Jiang Chen was supremely confident.
By the time he had completed the three foundational assessments, it was already approaching evening. Fatty Xuan had been trotting along behind Jiang Chen the whole way, and with his considerable bulk, keeping pace was no easy feat.
He hadn't gone far before the fatty was huffing and puffing: "Brother Chen, wait up for me, will you?"
"Brother Chen, your little bro reserved a table at Crane Pine Tower, all to celebrate you passing the assessment! Fatty knew all along that you were playing the pig to eat the tiger. Not passing the assessments before — that was deliberately showing weakness to lull the enemy! Heh heh, a strategic move to put the opponents off guard!"
Fatty Xuan's flattery flowed like a tide, and he didn't blush in the slightest.
"We won't be going to Crane Pine Tower," Jiang Chen said mildly. He considered for a moment, glanced at the eager faces of Fatty Xuan and Huqiu Yue, and let out a soft sigh. "Come gather at my manor tonight instead."
Huqiu Yue nodded. "Brother Chen is right. My old man said the same thing — there's been too much trouble in the Royal Capital lately. Places like Crane Pine Tower, we're better off visiting less often."
"Heh heh, if Brother Chen says we're not going, then we're not going. Besides, going to Brother Chen's manor — isn't that more prestigious for us brothers?" Fatty Xuan was a man who knew how to adapt. He changed course quickly and never stubbornly clung to a fixed idea.
Jiang Zheng, as the servant steward, had his moment to shine. Upon hearing Jiang Chen's words, he immediately replied, "Your subordinate will return at once to make the necessary preparations."
Once they arrived at the Marquis Jianghan estate, Fatty Xuan and the others felt even more at ease.
As for Jiang Chen, this was the first time since arriving in this world that he had gathered together with these close friends, and the mood was genuinely warm and enjoyable. Over the course of the feast, listening to Fatty Xuan and the others recount the bitter and bittersweet experiences of the past, he couldn't help but feel a touch of wistful emotion.
"Broch Chen, tell me — isn't that Yang Zong just heartless and faithless? Back in the day, you had his back through everything. The moment trouble hit you, he tucked his tail between his legs and stopped associating with us. Looks like that guy is completely unreliable. I can't believe I, Fatty Xuan, once considered him a brother — what a piece of trash!"
The moment Fatty Xuan brought up Yang Zong, his anger flared up all over again.
Jiang Chen simply smiled casually, offering no comment either way. To each their own, as the saying went. Yang Zong had chosen to seek advantage and avoid harm, picking the side that benefited him rather than standing by brotherhood. That was his own choice.
Still, deep in Jiang Chen's heart, the name Yang Zong was naturally and silently crossed off the list.
Seeing that Jiang Chen didn't pick up the thread, Fatty Xuan didn't continue his tirade against Yang Zong either. Instead, he steered the conversation toward the Dragon's Gate examination.