novel-bin Chapter 3 A Ten-Day Examination of the Wuhou School
Chapter 3 A Ten-Day Examination of the Wuhou School
The bell at the drill ground rang half an hour earlier than usual.
As Zhuge Yan walked through the corridor, the sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.
The bamboo forest on the back mountain was still shrouded in morning mist, and a thin layer of dew had formed on the bluestone pavement, making it slightly slippery when stepped on.
He didn't sleep all night.
It's not that I don't want to sleep, it's that my mind just won't stop.
Last night he completed his second overclocking attempt.
This time, he used an even finer wisp of Qi, about one two-thousandth of the total amount, and he counted it silently in his mind from the very beginning.
One breath.
The Qi travels up the spine and enters the brainstem.
Two breaths.
His senses began to amplify; he could hear his own heartbeat, the dewdrops sliding off the bamboo leaves outside the window, and the sound of Zhuge Yunhui's sleeves tearing in the wind as he practiced his martial arts in the neighboring courtyard.
Three breaths.
The eight gates unfold in consciousness: Rest, Life, Injury, Block, View, Death, Shock, and Open. The eight gates correspond to the five elements of the eight directions, like eight chess pieces, steadily placed on the chessboard.
Then, Zhuge Yan deliberately severed that wisp of Qi.
The method of cutting was simpler than he had imagined.
It's not about using your mind to retract the Qi, but about directly stopping the flow of Qi into that path.
It's like turning off a tap; once the water has finished flowing, it naturally stops.
The lone Qi that had penetrated so deeply dissipated on its own in his cerebral cortex in less than half a breath.
When Zhuge Yan opened his eyes, a warm liquid trickled down his nose.
But it was just one stream, not the unstoppable torrent of last night.
He wiped the blood from his nose and began to write in the notebook:
On the 18th day of the fifth month of the year Jiwei, at the hour of Chou.
Second attempt.
Qi volume: 1/2000. Duration: Three breaths. Voluntary withdrawal: Success.
Side effects: Unilateral nosebleeds, small amount, mild dizziness, lasting about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
There was no coma, no ear canal bleeding, and no confusion.
Completed in overclocked mode: Consciously locate the central palace of the eight directions once.
He stared at the last line of text for a long time.
The eight directions are fixed in the central palace. What couldn't be accomplished in two years can be done as naturally as breathing in three breaths of overclocking.
Then he added another line to the paper: No more than twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, do not be greedy.
This is a rule he set for himself.
The first time was last night, and the second time was this morning, with more than three hours in between.
The combined side effects from both attempts were far less than the initial attempt last night.
This illustrates two things.
First, the cost of overclocking is directly proportional to the amount of Qi and the duration.
As long as these two factors are controlled, the cost is manageable.
Secondly, his body needs time to recover.
There must be a sufficient interval between two overclocking sessions, otherwise the accumulated damage will be cumulative.
"Five to seven breaths is the limit."
He was talking to himself while looking at the words on the paper.
"Three breaths is the safety line."
Take three breaths twice a day.
This is the current limit of his cultivation.
Zhuge Yan put the booklet into the deepest part of the drawer and weighed it down with several old books.
Then he washed his face, changed into a clean robe, and stuffed the blood-stained robe from the previous night into the bed.
Bloodstains can be washed away, but there's clearly no time for that today.
The bell has rung for the second time.
Today is May 18th, the day of the Wuhou School's once-every-ten-day minor examination.
The elder of the Second Clan, Zhuge Zhong, would test the progress of the young disciples at the training ground. Those who passed could proceed to the next stage of training, while those who failed would continue training.
Zhuge Yan has failed the test for two consecutive years.
He pushed open the door, and the morning light shone in, carrying the scent of bamboo leaves and dew.
Zhuge Yan took a deep breath and slowly walked towards the training ground.
He wasn't late, but by this time, the training ground was already full of people.
Today is the ten-day examination day, and not only the second clan elder has come, but also the third clan elder, Zhuge Ji.
The two sat side by side on a stone platform on the north side of the training ground. In front of them was a small table with a pot of tea and a booklet recording the disciples' assessment results.
Zhuge Ji was a few years younger than Zhuge Zhong. He was tall and thin with a gaunt face, but his eyes were extremely bright, like those of an eagle.
He was an elder of the Wuhou faction responsible for criminal law and clan competitions, and he rarely appeared at the martial arts arena.
He came today because his performance in the ten-day exam is related to his qualification for the clan's grand competition next month.
There were about twenty young disciples around the field, ranging in age from twelve to eighteen.
People were whispering among themselves.
"I heard that Uncle Ji came in person today."
"Nonsense, the clan's grand competition is next month. Those who came in last place in today's exams probably have little chance of making it into the grand competition."
"Then wouldn't Zhuge Yan be...?"
"Shhh."
When Zhuge Yan entered the training ground, the murmurs subsided, but the gazes remained fixed.
He could feel those gazes falling on him, carrying all sorts of meanings—sympathy, contempt, schadenfreude, and the indifference of a few.
He walked straight to the sidelines and stood in the spot designated for non-disciples.
This location is at the very edge.
It is furthest from the stone platform and furthest from the Bagua diagram in the center of the venue.
The disciples standing here are all people who haven't even mastered the most basic layout.
He's the only one in this spot right now.
Actually, there were two more two months ago, but those two eventually got the hang of it and moved to a spot closer to the center of the field, so now only he is left standing here.
"Is everyone here?"
Zhuge Zhong's voice wasn't loud, but the training ground fell silent instantly.
He glanced at the disciples on the sidelines, his gaze lingering on Zhuge Yan for less than a breath before shifting away.
"Today is the ten-day exam, and the rules are the same as before—those whose names are called should come up and start the game."
The eight gates are used for deduction, and the four plates are used for mutual generation and restraint; each is assessed according to its own progress.
He paused.
"Zhuge Zhao."
Zhuge Zhao walked out from the sidelines and stood in the center of the Bagua diagram.
He was wearing a dark blue training uniform today, with the cuffs tightened, and he looked energetic and neat.
As he passed by Zhuge Yan, he didn't stop, but the corner of his mouth curved slightly.
It wasn't a smile, but rather a "let me show you what a genius is" expression.
"Zhao'er completed the assessment of the Eight-Domain Deduction last month."
Zhuge Zhong introduced Zhuge Ji.
"This month I'm practicing the basics of the four-plate system of mutual generation and restraint—the combination of the nine stars of the Heavenly Plate and the eight gates of the Earthly Plate."
Zhuge Ji nodded without speaking, his gaze falling on Zhuge Zhao in the room.
"Setting up the game."
Zhuge Zhongdao.
Zhuge Zhao closed his eyes and slowly spread his hands in front of him.
His movements were very standard—his left hand formed a mudra to stabilize the central palace, while his right hand guided the Qi to spread through the eight gates.
Every gesture was clean and crisp, showing that he had put in a lot of hard work.
After three breaths, the Bagua diagram beneath his feet suddenly glowed with a faint blue light.
The light flowed along the lines of the Bagua, spreading outward from the center, and condensing into a fist-sized halo at each of the eight cardinal directions.
The Xiu Gate is in the north, and the water there is dark blue.
The wound gate is in the east, and the wood is green...
All eight gates lit up simultaneously.