Chapter 75: The Worst Era He didn’t just look this way—he came straight over! What’s he planning to do?

The provincial exam eliminated the process of selecting subjects, so naturally, there was no crossroads either.

The moment You Huo stepped inside, he was greeted by a thick fog.

Qin Jiu had entered a step ahead.

One second earlier, he had turned back as if to say something to You Huo. The next, his tall figure vanished into the pale mist…

Disappeared.

He had taken so many exams, traversed this thick fog several times.

This was the first time You Huo felt a hollow sensation.

Countless similar or dissimilar moments surged forth all at once…

Some year, some day, he sat at the conference table, and someone glanced at him over the arguing crowd, picked up a jacket, pushed the door open, and left;

Some year, some day, he led a group through a long corridor, brushed past another group, paused for a moment, but didn’t even say hello;

Some year, some day, he drove past a street corner, someone leaned against a lamp post, and vanished abruptly in the rearview mirror;

Another year, another day, all the outlines in his vision grew dim and blurred, someone sat smiling before him, fidgeting as if tucking in a scarf, he seemed to smell blood, but he could no longer see..

……

“Sir?”

“Sir? Are you alright?”

You Huo blinked lightly, snapping back to his senses.

The thick fog had unknowingly dispersed. A dirt road stretched horizontally before him, with a black carriage parked by the side. The coachman was dressed in attire from a bygone era, speaking with a heavy accent.

He must have already entered the examination hall.

You Huo turned his head and looked around, but did not see anyone else.

The coachman said, “You look very uncomfortable; your complexion is terrible.”

You Huo stood still for a moment and said, “It’s fine.”

The coachman still glanced at him uneasily.

You Huo rubbed his temples and asked wearily, “Who are you?”

“I’m here to pick you and your wife up,” the coachman said. “Have you forgotten? You agreed to visit Carlton Manor as guests.”

You Huo paused for a moment, looking at him as if he were crazy. “Pick up who?”

The coachman said, “For you and the madam.”

He pulled open the carriage door, gesturing with a “please” motion: “The madam is already in the carriage. Please come aboard. There is food prepared inside; having a bite might make you feel much better.”

You Huo’s brows were furrowed so tightly they could have crushed a mosquito.

He stepped up into the carriage and saw inside a young girl who looked even more bewildered than he did, barely twenty at most.

A round-framed oil painting of a round-faced cat hung inside the carriage.

The coachman pushed him into the compartment without a word, closing the door as he said, “The weather around here isn’t good, especially in this season.”

He straddled the driver’s seat, holding the reins as he glanced into the distance and added, “The dark clouds are already coming from over there. If we wait any longer, it’s likely to start raining. Sir, Madam, please sit tight—we’ll have to move quickly to reach the manor before the rain arrives.”

The interior of the compartment was quite spacious. The seat opposite the door was adorned with exquisite cushions, and both sides were reinforced with armrests. The unfamiliar young lady sat there. There was ample space beside her—enough to seat even a large man with room to spare.

The girl stared blankly for quite a while before patting the seat beside her and saying, “Um… are you also an examinee? Then, please sit here.”

Before You Huo could reply, she waved her hands repeatedly and said, “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to take advantage of you. I just got on the carriage myself, about two minutes before you. The coachman called me ‘Madam’ as soon as he saw me, which scared me. I argued with him for a long time, but it was useless—he just wouldn’t change what he said.”

You Huo let out a light “Mhm” and said flatly, “It must be the system playing tricks again.”

He still didn’t sit beside her, choosing instead to take the side seat and maintain a polite yet distant space between them.

This young lady wasn’t new to her first exam either, having witnessed the system’s peculiar ways.

Still, she couldn’t help muttering, “What kind of broken system even marks people as married…”

“Oh, by the way, there’s some bread and wine over here. Would you like to have a bite? You don’t seem to be feeling well…”

It was a silver bucket, holding some stiff bread, two bunches of grapes, and a few silver wine flasks.

You Yu glanced at him: “You ate it?”

The girl shook her head. “I’m not hungry, I ate my fill at the rest stop.”

You Huo nodded in agreement.

He seemed a bit distracted, and once again he lifted the window to take a look outside.

“Are you waiting for someone?” the girl asked.

You Huo’s finger, which was pressed against the window, paused for a moment before he responded, “Mm.”

* * *

Unfortunately, the carriage driver had no intention of waiting any longer.

No one else came down this road either.

Though dark clouds were gathering in the distance, the sun overhead still blazed intensely.

It was already midsummer here, sunlight dappled the treetops, turning the green into a pale white.

You Huo sat in the car for a while before he suddenly realized the heat.

As if his soul hadn’t fully returned until now.

He took off his winter coat, leaving only a white T-shirt.

The girl said, “There’s a box under my seat where you can tuck your coat in.”

“Thank you.”

“My name is Zhou Qi, and you?”

“You Huo.”

Zhou Qi uttered an “Oh,” realizing that the other person genuinely spoke very little, and didn’t disturb any further.

She rested her head in her hand, gazing out the window, and before long, she lost herself in thought.

The carriage traveled for about half an hour when the driver called out a few times and turned his head to say, “We’ll be passing through the town shortly, and there’s another pair of guests to pick up.”

You Huo opened his eyes, no trace of drowsiness in them.

This was the first time he hadn’t fallen asleep on the way into the examination hall.

Hearing the driver’s words, he lifted the curtain to glance outside.

This was a certain border town, its houses mostly built of stone, women dressed in cumbersome dresses from a bygone century, men in grayish-white cloth shirts with necklines that seemed eager to open all the way down to their navels.

Despite it being daytime, the town wasn’t lively in the least.

The people’s expressions were wooden, their eyes dull, their cheeks gaunt and bearing the signs of illness.

At a glance at the carriage, they hurriedly closed their doors and windows.

The carriage made a turn within the town and stopped beside a certain grove of trees.

Inside the grove, a familiar, thick fog lingered between the trees, drawing You Huo’s gaze.

Branches rustled and swayed, and a woman emerged from the dense fog.

You Huo’s gaze swept past her, still fixed on the edge of the fog.

The coachman went forward again and said to the woman, “Madam, I have come to take you to Carlton Manor. Would you like to get on the carriage first?”

As he spoke, another figure emerged from the thick fog.

This time, it was a man.

The exact person wasn’t clearly seen, but it definitely wasn’t Qin Jiu.

Zhou Qi was leaning against the car door, looking out the window when a sudden metallic “clang!” rang out behind her.

Startled, she turned her head to see that the handsome guy named You Huo had let go of the window. The small metal flap clanged as it swung back and forth, while he had already crossed his arms and closed his eyes, showing no interest in the two newcomers.

Hmm… he seemed to be in an extremely bad mood.

Of course, the two newcomers weren’t feeling much better themselves.

As soon as the man and woman entered, the entire carriage was filled with a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.

Zhou Qi: “…”

She didn’t even know whether she should still introduce herself.

But she was an enthusiastic girl, so after holding it in for a long while, she finally managed to politely say, “Um… my name is Zhou Qi. You guys are examinees too, right?”

You can tell just by looking at the clothing.

The woman appeared to be in her thirties, with short, neat hair that gave her a sharp and efficient look. She sat down next to Zhou Qi and said, “Sorry, I was in a bad mood because I got dragged into this exam. Did I startle you just now? I’m a 0—”

She stopped mid-sentence, looking awkward, then corrected herself, saying, “My name is Zhao Jiatong.”

Zhou Qi: “?”

Zhao Jiatong nudged the man beside her again. “Speak up.”

The man still carried the scent of alcohol, his hair disheveled like a bird’s nest, and a stubble of beard on his chin made him look somewhat weary.

He rubbed his face, lifted his bloodshot eyes to glance at Zhou Qi, and said hoarsely, “Room 1006.”

Zhou Qi: “???”

She froze for a moment, suddenly realizing, “An invigilator?”

Zhao Jiatong nudged him once more, and he corrected himself, “Sorry about that, haven’t slept from last night until today, feeling a bit out of it. What was my name again?”

“……”

The two women stared at each other in bewilderment.

At this point, Zhao Jiatong had finally had enough of him and said, rubbing her forehead, “His name is Gao Qi, um… both of us are invigilators.”

Zhou Qi let out an “ah” of surprise, “Even invigilators have to take exams?”

Zhao Jiatong explained, “I made a bit of a mistake and was punished by being sent here to take one.”

She said, glancing at Gao Qi, who had just fished a wine flask from the silver bucket in the carriage.

Zhao Jiatong snatched the wine flask with a stern face and said, “Can you be sober for a single day? Hmm?”

Zhou Qi shrank back into her collar.

As soon as she shrank back, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the handsome guy in an awful mood “resurrect” again.

He finally turned his head toward the two invigilators across from him and opened his eyes.

Zhao Jiatong held the wine jug, apologetically saying, “Sorry for waking you…”

Halfway through her sentence, her eyes widened.

Staring at You Huo’s face, the wine jug in her hand clattered to the floor.

Alcohol was splashed all over the car.

Zhou Qi perked up again: “Hmm?”

She glanced at You Huo, then at Zhao Jiatong. The latter was at a loss for words and could only jab Gao Qi repeatedly with her elbow.

Gao Qi was quietly reaching for a second pot.

“Just one pot, a small pot!” He shielded the wine in his hands, looked up.

Clang…

Another one falls.

Zhou Qi: “Huh???”

What kind of magic is this???

You Huo furrowed his brow slightly, stepping aside to avoid the spreading puddle of wine.

Gao Qi finally spat out a sentence: “Holy shit, Examiner A?!”

Zhou Qi had no idea what this “Examiner A” stood for, but he guessed it must be someone of considerable standing.

Because this Mr. Gao Qi has already gone hoarse.

She only ever goes hoarse at concerts.

Zhao Jiatong also murmured, “Examiner A… Oh my god, is that you?”

Gao Qi: “You’re not dead???”

Zhao Jiatong: “Weren’t you expelled?”

Gao Qi: “You actually didn’t die???”

Zhao Jiatong: “How can you still come back?”

Gao Qi: “How could you possibly not die???”

You Huo: “…Do I have some kind of vendetta against you?”

Three sentences, three deaths.

Gao Qi was dumbfounded by the question.

He stared at You Huo, his lips parting and closing several times before he finally said, “A vendetta? Hah—he’s asking if we have a vendetta?”

Gao Qi shook Zhao Jiatong twice, saying, “Holy shit, he actually asked if I have any grudges?”

“After you left, I was the one who fell into the deepest slump. How could you even ask such a thing?”

You Huo: “?”

“I’m going to die of anger.” Gao Qi said, scooping up another pot of wine.

Zhao Jiatong: “…”

This time she didn’t stop him.

Gao Qi gulped down a large mouthful, his bloodshot eyes fixed on You Huo for a long time.

This extraordinary man actually managed to calm down miraculously after drinking.

After a moment, he said, “Have you… forgotten what happened in the past?”

You Huo thought to himself that this observational skill was truly sharp—after venting such a huge outburst, he had finally said something humane.

“Yeah, I don’t remember,” he said.

Gao Qi’s expression was complicated, and he nodded again, saying, “Yes, yes… They’ve been struck from the record, so of course they wouldn’t let you remember any of that. But how did you end up back in here?”

You Huo replied, “How should I know? I was having a meal with my family, and the three of us were pulled in together.”

“That must mean you were implicated…” Gao Qi said.

Zhao Jiatong muttered in confusion, “Why didn’t the system send you back out again?”

Gao Qi said, “You’ve had alcohol too? Once you’re inside, you must follow the rules. Even the system has to comply with regulations to send anyone off!”

Zhao Jiatong replied, “Oh, right.”

You Huo answered, “That seems to be the case so far.”

He had been puzzled earlier about why 021 was being so cautious, while Qin Jiu directly called him the Grand Examiner.

Now that I think about it, getting him in here was a success.

As for 021, she still has to keep her stance and identity hidden. As for Qin Jiu… well, he’s always been a troublemaker anyway.

Gao Qi gulped down the entire pot of wine, slammed the silver pot on the table, and let out a long sigh. “Forget it, let’s not talk about those things anymore. Since you don’t remember anything, let’s get to know each other again.”

“Back in the day, my number was D, and Jiatong was E. We were all part of the same faction.”

You Huo asked, “One faction?”

“Oh right, that phrase is outdated, you probably haven’t heard of it.”

That was a term from a long time ago.

Back then, the number of examiners had just expanded from a dozen or so to 50. With so many newcomers added all at once, and as signs of the system losing control began to emerge, conflicts in views and positions became more prominent.

The fifty proctors were subtly divided into two factions.

One faction was led by the initial proctors. As the first to come into contact with the system, they had witnessed its normal operation and held some degree of affection for it. They maintained that the occasional malfunctions of the system were mere bugs, to be gradually patched through continuous upgrades, subtly perfecting it without directly confronting the rules—since they were all operating within those very rules.

The other faction was mostly made up of newly recruited proctors. These individuals were already double-edged swords from the start, with eight out of ten being troublemakers who often operated on the edge of the rules, and a few standing out as particularly rebellious.

Their approach was more radical; wherever a problem arose, they would directly break through the rules and enforce changes by force.

To put it plainly, it’s about treating the system as an intermittent threat. One faction believes in gradually persuading it without provoking it, while the other believes in striking it down if it makes a mistake.

In fact, everyone knew at the time that most of the later-appointed invigilators came from the military, many of whom were there on assignment.

Because the system’s core is hidden here, if you want to do something, you have to enter the tiger’s den first.

But once you’re inside, you’re subject to its rules and regulations.

The consequences of fighting against the rules are all too clear to them.

Being tough for a day or two is fine.

A month, barely tolerable.

What about a year?

Who could endure that?

Moreover, every confrontation doesn’t just harm the hardliners themselves—it also drags others down with them.

Given enough time, even the hardest bone can have its edges worn smooth.

So at first, those of the hardline faction were the majority.

Then, one by one, they fell towards the moderate faction.

The system bug when Examiner A was eliminated was a warning to the hardliners.

After that, there were no more open hardliners.

In other words, there was no need to split into factions.

Everyone was the same.

Gao Qi said, “Talking about this now is just idle chat; it doesn’t mean much anymore. People I would have fought at first sight back then, I can now greet when I see them. There are only one or two I still don’t get along with.”

Hearing the beginning, You Huo could already guess the ending.

But he still asked, “For example?”

“For example, 001,” Gao Qi said, then let out an “ah” of realization. “You might not have met 001—he’s the one who was always going head-to-head with you back in the day.”

You Huo thought to himself, as expected.

“Back in those meetings, one side always ended up storming out. I remember one time when I called the meeting, and I accidentally seated the two of you together—the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. We ended up with a broken cup and a shattered phone.”

Gao Qi clicked his tongue as he spoke, “To think I’m feeling a bit nostalgic. I must be really drunk.”

Zhao Jiatong said, “When haven’t you been smashed?”

Gao Qi added, “But making me shake hands and make peace with 001 is still impossible. Back then, if it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t have nearly died.”

He mumbled something, then emphasized, “Completely impossible.”

As everyone was talking, the carriage circled around Calton Hill and turned near the manor behind it.

The coachman said, “Sir, Madam, we’ll be there soon.”

Just then, the round-faced cat hanging on the carriage spoke:

【The examinees have traveled from various locations by carriage, now heading toward the final examination venue.】

【The examination is about to officially begin.】

[Exam Subject: History]

[Exam Focus: World History, The Dark Ages]

[This examination is a large-scale test site, with a total of 26 examinees. The system has divided them into 13 groups, each consisting of two examinees. The sum of the scores of the examinees within each group forms the basis for the level evaluation in this exam.]