Chapter 98: Crushing the Competition

Tang Yin looked at the rankings.

Third place. Third place in the Metropolitan Examination was already an excellent result. Even though he was the Jieyuan from Yingtian Prefecture, achieving this position was enough to satisfy him.

But… he stared blankly at the names above his own—Ouyang Zhi and Liu Wenshan—his face full of shock.

How could this be?

Since the founding of the Great Ming, no Provincial Graduate from Northern Zhili had ever taken the first place in the Top Three Candidates. Moreover, they had even swept the second place as well.

Not to mention Jiang Chen in eighth place.

He was so stunned that his jaw dropped.

Outside the Examination Hall, everyone seemed to have forgotten to breathe. They stared at the announcement board as if they had seen a ghost.

The Zhang Brothers thought they were mistaken. Zhang Yanling rubbed his eyes over and over again.

Zhang Heling trembled, and the smile on his face slowly faded.

Silence…

A terrifying silence…

Fang Jifan let out a long breath. The great task was accomplished, and his efforts were not in vain. This Young Lord… was now awesome.

He turned around and saw his three disciples, their faces full of joy.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the shocked faces around him.

Soon, countless pairs of eyes turned toward Fang Jifan.

What terrifying gazes these were.

Many of them even wished they could tear Fang Jifan apart. How could you, Fang Jifan, have taught three such disciples? What virtues or abilities do you possess? What exactly did you rely on?

Could it be… fraud?

This was almost the deepest thought in everyone’s heart.

Barefaced jealousy made their eyes bloodshot, turning them unusually crimson.

The smile on Fang Jifan’s face gradually faded. He could feel the sensation of being violated by thousands of eyes. In fact, Fang Jifan was not the least bit afraid of anyone accusing him of fraud. Evidence? Was there any evidence?

But… these arrogant Scholars always gave Fang Jifan a very unpleasant feeling.

You… weren’t you usually so awesome? Didn’t you always think you were superior to others?

This Young Lord today… would let you know what it means to be crushed!

Fang Jifan sneered inwardly, took a deep breath, and suddenly shouted sharply, “Jiang Chen!”

All eyes, filled with complex emotions, were drawn to Fang Jifan.

This guy must be overjoyed.

He must be so proud that his tail is raised to the sky.

But Fang Jifan scolded angrily, “Jiang Chen, kneel down before your Mentor!”

Jiang Chen was startled. He had been excited about ranking eighth in the Metropolitan Examination—something he wouldn’t have dared to imagine in the past.

But with his Mentor’s roar, how could he dare to act recklessly? He immediately knelt straight down. “This disciple respectfully awaits your instruction, Mentor.”

He was convinced.

Completely convinced.

His Mentor was amazing. Without his Mentor, there would be no Jiang Chen.

But Fang Jifan appeared deeply pained. “You… you… you… are a disgrace!”

“…” The words “a disgrace” coming from Fang Jifan’s mouth left everyone dumbfounded.

“Mentor…” Jiang Chen froze for a moment and hurriedly spoke.

Fang Jifan waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t call me Mentor. I don’t have a disciple like you. Shame! Shame! How did you manage to score eighth in the Metropolitan Examination? You… you… you only got eighth place, and you still have the nerve to call yourself my disciple? What a disgrace! How can your Mentor ever go out in the future? How can your Mentor dare to boast to others that I, Fang Jifan, have Disciples all over The World, and each one of them is a top-notch talent? How can I have the face to tell people that I am a skilled teacher? Tell me, how can you face your Mentor? You… you… I don’t have a disciple like you!”

“…”

Outside the Examination Hall, it was still as silent as ever.

Those who had originally passed the examination with high scores, who had been beaming with joy, suddenly had their expressions freeze.

Uh… it seemed very awkward.

Look at Jiang Chen. He ranked eighth and was almost expelled from the school, scolded severely by that good-for-nothing Fang Jifan. If you scored eighty-eighth, how could you still smile?

Xu Jing’s face turned as purple as liver. He had originally thought that ranking twenty-seventh was praiseworthy, as he considered himself a talented scholar from Wuzhong. But now… he quickly wiped the smile off his face and looked as if his mother had died.

In fact, it seemed that besides Ouyang Zhi, the Top Candidate of the Imperial Examination, no one else had the right to laugh.

Jiang Chen was so grief-stricken he could hardly breathe.

Tang Yin and Xu Jing were also so grief-stricken they could hardly breathe.

All the Provincial Graduates, whether they passed or not, felt heartbroken at this moment.

Whether they were scholars from Jiangnan or Jiangbei, whether they were talented or just ordinary Provincial Graduates, at this moment, they all seemed like ants.

Seeing this, Liu Wenshan wisely knelt down without saying a word. “This disciple also performed poorly. Please punish me, Mentor.”

Indeed, after all, he didn’t score a perfect hundred but only ninety-nine—just a little short. So, he had brought shame to his Mentor, even though the top spot was taken by his senior brother.

“You must know shame!” Fang Jifan roared sternly. “Both of you must know shame! Know shame and then strive to improve. Otherwise, you will be a disgrace, and my old face will be completely shamed by you unworthy brats. How did I teach you normally? How did I teach you? As punishment, return to the residence and reflect on your mistakes for three days. When you understand what it means to be a disgrace and know where you went wrong, then come and speak to me.”

Jiang Chen and Liu Wenshan, tears in their eyes, bowed low. “This disciple… will respectfully abide by your instruction, Mentor.”

“Hmph!” Fang Jifan let out a cold snort, like a thorn that pierced every Scholar in the Examination Hall.

Suddenly… he felt a sense of emptiness.

Those who didn’t pass felt they were worse than pigs or dogs.

But what if you did pass? What was your rank? What are you? Someone who ranked eighth was still considered a disgrace, so what does that make you? Even Liu Wenshan, who placed second, still had to reflect on his mistakes. Do you think passing the exam makes you amazing? That you can become an official? You’re wrong. You’re just trash, the absolute worst of the worst!

Countless people hung their heads. This year’s announcement of the Metropolitan Examination results, compared to previous years, lacked the heart-wrenching cries of despair and the ecstatic joy like that of Fan Jin passing the exam. It was quiet—terribly quiet. Even those who passed kept their heads down obediently. If anyone showed a smile and was seen, they would fear being pointed at and called shameless.

Tang Yin’s mind was buzzing. He looked at Fang Jifan, then at the rankings. The glaring characters “Tang Yin” remained in third place no matter how he looked at it—this was an established fact that could not be changed. He shivered. He… the prestigious Jieyuan of Yingtian Prefecture, was far inferior to Ouyang Zhi and Liu Wenshan, only slightly better than Jiang Chen. And yet, Jiang Chen was being scolded so harshly…

“…”

Fang Jifan finished his scolding and felt satisfied, especially when he saw those dejected Scholars.

Damn it, these jerks usually didn’t hesitate to slander me, Fang Jifan, in the streets and alleys. This Young Lord has a mental ledger of all their offenses. Come on, act arrogantly! Have the guts to be arrogant in front of this Young Lord! With one finger, I’ll grind you into the dirt. How does that feel?

Wherever his gaze swept, everyone bowed their heads in shame.

Only Fang Jifan strode forward proudly and said lightly, “Alright, get up. There must not be a next time. If you ever bring shame to your Mentor again, I will not be lenient! Ah, if teaching is not strict, it is the Mentor’s fault. I also bear responsibility. Normally, I didn’t beat you enough. In the future… you must work harder!”