[Vol. 6] Chapter 188: A Tense Atmosphere
The answer written by Yu Dan'er was quite intriguing.
At first glance, the content she wrote on the test scroll seemed like nonsense, wild ideas that ignored even the most basic theoretical knowledge.
However, upon closer inspection, it turned out to be incredibly unique, offering an explanation that went beyond the current academic understanding of spiritual veins in the Ancient Spirit Realm. Her approach was efficient and innovative, even surpassing the conventional wisdom in the field.
When it came to spiritual and earth veins, Violet had never received any formal or systematic training. However, she loved to read, and many of the books she came across were rare and invaluable texts that ordinary people could only dream of accessing. Her broad perspective was naturally out of the ordinary.
But that wasn’t the key point.
Back in the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains, during the second trial left behind by the Demon God Olivia, Violet had stumbled upon a peculiar library. There, she happened to read a notebook titled [Research Notes on Geomantic Ecology]. It was a record of someone’s practical experiences, mainly focusing on how to harness and guide the earth's veins to achieve various effects.
The knowledge recorded in that book far surpassed the outside world’s research on geomantic and spiritual veins. Even Violet couldn’t help but admire its depth, and she had learned a lot from it.
Because of this, the priestess could now identify the issue at hand.
While Yu Dan'er's answer seemed improvised and included many subjective methods, her overall approach was strikingly aligned with the knowledge found in the [Research Notes on Geomantic Ecology]. The two were almost like products of the same system, making it difficult not to draw connections between them.
Where did she acquire this knowledge?
If the legends about Yide County were true, could the source of the library’s books really be connected to…
Just as Violet was about to say something, a sudden commotion broke out from outside the gathering of nations!
“Clear the area! Everyone disperse! The [Eastern Origin Guards] are here. No unrelated individuals are allowed to gather or cause trouble!”
The sharp clatter of iron hooves echoed across the ground as a squad of more than ten heavily armored guards pushed aside the crowd and swiftly approached the registration area.
When the guards arrived, the staff handling the registration process immediately looked as if they’d found their saviors. One of them quickly stepped out from behind the table and approached the guards, whispering into the ear of the squad leader as if they were already acquainted.
Although the voice was soft, Violet could still barely make out what was being said. It was a brief explanation of the situation, delivered without much exaggeration, suggesting the staff member was keeping things professional.
“Violet, did you notice anything?”
“Oh… just thought it was interesting. Let’s see how it goes,” she replied.
After exchanging a few words with the silver-haired girl who had also approached, the two silently waited, watching the scene unfold with their usual composure.
The [Eastern Origin Guard] captain nodded after hearing the explanation from the staff. Turning to the girl in fine clothing, Yu Dan’er, he spoke with the cold detachment of a law enforcer, his expression completely indifferent.
“Name, gender, age, and place of origin.”
“Gender too? Isn’t that obvious just by looking at me…”
*Clang!*
The steel spear in the captain’s hand struck the ground with a loud, forceful sound.
“Answer the question!”
“Ahh!”
Startled by his stern demeanor and the clear distinction between the guards and the staff, Yu Dan’er jumped as if electrocuted. Her confident facade crumbled, and with a faintly aggrieved whimper, she stopped acting spoiled and reluctantly gave a stammering account of herself.
Seeing her cooperate, the captain’s tone softened slightly, though his voice still carried authority.
“Alright, I’ve got a general understanding of your situation. You believe the content you wrote on your answer sheet wasn’t wrong, but that the reviewers lacked the skill to grasp its depth, which led to a misjudgment and caused the argument. Is that correct?”
Faced with fully armed soldiers wielding gleaming weapons, Yu Dan'er’s courage seemed to falter. She quickly nodded timidly, her earlier bravado replaced with hesitation. Still, she couldn’t resist muttering under her breath.
“Yes, yes, he said that if the answer was particularly impressive, there was a chance to waive the registration fee. That’s why I took it so seriously! If I’d known they weren’t even capable of understanding it, I’d have just scribbled something random instead…”
“...”
The captain exchanged a glance with the nearby staff member, who looked equally exasperated, before nodding slightly.
“Here’s how we’ll handle this. You’ll come with us for now. Someone will escort you to have this answer sheet reviewed by a more senior expert. If it’s as extraordinary as you claim, this matter will be forgiven, and all registration fees will be waived as per the rules. However…”
As he spoke, he tightened his grip on the steel spear, the sharp aura of battle suddenly emanating from him, and his tone took a sharp turn.
“If it turns out you were causing trouble, making excuses for your failure, or intentionally stirring up chaos, the [Eastern Origin Guard] will have no choice but to detain you for further investigation. Be prepared for that.”
“Detain me? You’re going to detain me?! F-fine, I won’t register anymore! I’m leaving!”
Perhaps she hadn’t considered that her impulsiveness could lead to such serious consequences, or maybe the oppressive aura of the elite soldiers had scared her. Either way, the young lady, talented but clearly unaccustomed to such situations, panicked. She turned abruptly, intending to flee.
What she didn’t realize, however, was that this reaction only made her look more suspicious, prompting the guards to believe she was guilty of something.
Sure enough, the captain’s demeanor hardened as he saw her trying to run.
“Humph. Now you want to leave? Too late! Seize her!”
“No! Please, spare me! I’m not a bad person, I swear! Waaaah…”
Ignoring her incoherent pleas and protests, the soldiers moved swiftly to surround her, intent on detaining her on the spot.
Just then, a voice, calm but tinged with exasperation, broke through the tension.
"I say, isn’t it a bit much to completely ignore someone?"
A slender, fair hand gently pressed down on Yu Dan’er’s shoulder, stopping her panicked attempt to flee. With a casual wave of her sleeve, the black-haired girl sent the advancing [Eastern Origin Guards] stumbling backward.
*“Thud, thud!”*
"Bold troublemaker! How dare you resist arrest! Raise your spears!"
*“Shing, shing, shing!”*
Over ten steel spears instantly pointed toward the black-haired girl now standing beside Yu Dan’er. The captain of the [Eastern Origin Guard] assumed a combat stance, clearly ready to fight at a moment’s notice. The surrounding onlookers gasped in alarm and quickly backed away, afraid of getting caught in the chaos.
"You all have quite the temper, don’t you? Can’t you just talk things out? Look, you’ve scared the poor girl half to death."
Shaking her head with a wry smile, Violet couldn’t entirely blame the guards for their vigilance, given the importance of maintaining order at the registration venue. Still, the misunderstanding surrounding Yu Dan’er could have easily been avoided. Anyone serious about causing trouble wouldn’t act as foolishly as she had.
“I can vouch for her. This young lady’s answer is exceptional. If nothing unexpected happens, she’s likely to achieve one of the top scores in the [Geographical Spiritual Veins] category.”
“You vouch for her?”
The captain’s sharp eyes narrowed as he studied the two striking young women standing before him. One with black hair and dark eyes, the other with silver hair and a calm gaze. He then glanced at the staff member who had been feeding him information, prompting them to quickly step forward and describe the situation when Violet first appeared.
However, this didn’t prove much.
Seeing Violet’s composed demeanor, the captain wasn’t foolish. He could tell she had some sort of backing. Though unsure of her exact identity, he remained cautious. Quietly signaling a subordinate to call for reinforcements, he spoke in a probing tone:
"Regardless of whether her answer is valid or not, resisting the [Eastern Origin Guard] with force is unacceptable. No matter who you are or what your reasons may be, you’ll both have to come with us."
"The [Holy Sect] does not wrong the innocent, nor does it spare any offender. I advise you to surrender quietly, lest this situation escalate further and lead to unnecessary consequences."