YM778.TV Chapter 120: Just a Snake’s Spare Tire After All
According to Jiang Cheng’s “Basket of Talismans” plan, he would develop fifteen talismans, with each trio catering to an exam at Lotus Cloud University as the main, backup, and trump card.
Although various reasons later thwarted the plan, preventing him from creating fifteen talismans.
But Jiang Cheng still produced ten!
This “Crisis Calm Talisman” was the spare for the “Substitute Messenger Talisman (Liu Qing exclusive limited edition)” in the plan!
It belongs to another solution for the “character” category of questions at Lotus University.
“Character” category questions, when analyzed using Jiang’s Fundamental Logic Analysis Method, undoubtedly test one’s intelligence!
In character-category questions, morality is always compromised while intelligence is the essence of solving them!
If the “Liu Talisman” represents a hard solution of intelligence, then the “Crisis Calm Talisman” represents a soft solution of intelligence.
Because Jiang Cheng, through his study of “character” category questions, discovered a startling pattern in these questions!
That is, the difficulty of “character” category questions is often caused by “man-made disasters”!
For example, a runaway carriage, a wavering devotion, a greedy kappa, or, as now, a mother and companion falling into the water.
There’s a saying that might be somewhat biased, but it’s quite appropriate here: All the unfairness of this world is because of the inadequate capabilities of the concerned parties.
Sometimes Jiang Cheng wondered, if he were involved, would incidents like the runaway carriage, wavering devotion, or falling into water happen?
Obviously not.
Sober when you drive, no driving when you drink.
Frequenting the riverbanks.
Reflecting daily, to comfort the initial intentions.
Jiang Cheng could easily do these things, but those who caused the troubles couldn’t.
So, Jiang Cheng thought, is there a possibility to make them become “Jiang Cheng,” so they can save themselves or avoid disaster?
Possession!
But possession is a divine skill and spell of Nascent Soul old monsters, and it’s also been listed as a forbidden art by the Immortal Sect.
In such a situation, Jiang Cheng came up with the “simplified version of the possession talisman.”
That is—the Crisis Calm Talisman!
Crisis Calm: Let go of that girl! I’ll handle this!
“Umm, you, this… student, simply taking out the talisman is useless. We need to verify its actual effects before we can confirm your final grade,” the presenter said.
Jiang Cheng says, “I can’t verify it for now.”
Presenter: ?
Talisman Department teachers: ?
Li Youyuan: ?
Spectators in the stands: ?
Yue Linger silently closed her eyes and covered her cheeks with her hands as if she was too ashamed to show her face.
The spectators in the stands suddenly felt like they had been played by Jiang Cheng.
They immediately began to curse loudly:
“If you can’t verify it, what are you showing off for?”
“Just a bluffer pretending to be important! We thought you could really save both!”
“Get off the stage already! Stop dawdling!”
When Li Youyuan heard Jiang Cheng say he couldn’t verify it, a huge weight finally lifted from his heart.
It was right not to be able to verify it; verification would have been troublesome.
If Jiang Cheng indeed could save both in one go, that would mean discovering a massive loophole in the character assessment.
Because if he managed to save both, there would be no reason not to give full marks, as the “drowning rescue” was perfectly resolved, breaking the “choose one” reality from its foundation.
I can save both? Why should I save only one?
Anything less than a full mark wouldn’t make sense.
However, if Jiang Cheng got full marks, it would set a very bad precedent. The “drowning rescue” would completely change its purpose, from a test of character to a test of intelligence.
Then the entire style of the exam would immediately start to feel strange.
The questioners want to test character, but the respondents display divine skills, fetching people in various creative ways!
In room number three, five teachers from the Talisman Department fell silent.
Eventually, someone broke the silence: “Hiss, what talisman is that kid holding? I don’t recognize it?”
“Ah, I don’t recognize it either.”
“Now that you mention it, I remember I don’t recognize it, haha.”
“It must be from some obscure textbook. It’s not possible that he researched it himself, right?”
Impossible, impossible. These second-order Talisman Masters haven’t researched many new talismans; how could this freshman just whip out a new talisman right off the bat? Most likely, it’s because his teacher is more unorthodox, that’s why he would draw unorthodox talismans.
In the examination hall, the proctor said to Jiang Cheng, “Student number 1016, if you are unable to validate your claim, then, unfortunately, you will score zero on this test.”
Jiang Cheng retorted, “This isn’t fair. It’s not that my talisman isn’t working, but that this test isn’t realistic enough. If it were an actual person falling into the water, my talisman could be used.”
His words immediately caused an uproar throughout the venue.
I’m not incapable; it’s not that I’m incapable, but the person who set up this test did it so poorly that it hindered my performance!
Acting!
Such good acting!
Never seen someone act like this before!
Cheng Bingxin tugged at Yue Linger, “This number 1016 isn’t bad at all, quite imposing. Let’s not discuss whether he’s purposely making excuses. But at least he isn’t daunted, brave enough to speak out!”
Yue Linger seemed unfazed as usual, her face expressionless, “I think he didn’t overthink it; he simply spoke the blunt truth.”
Cheng Bingxin stared into Yue Linger’s eyes, “You understand him that well? You know him?”
Yue Linger immediately backed down, “No, I don’t.”
After Jiang Cheng made his statement, the Talisman Department teachers who were ready to unanimously give Jiang Cheng zero had a hard time scoring him now. If it indeed was because the scene wasn’t sufficiently realistic, causing the examinee’s abnormal performance, then they truly couldn’t blame the examinee.
Li Youyuan, the Director of Admissions, was already laughing with frustration at Jiang Cheng.
Questioning our Admissions Office’s set-up skills, huh? Plenty of students from previous years have never questioned it, but you did, trying to show off your level, right?
He personally flew to the examination site and said, “1016, you complained about the setup not being realistic enough, right? Fine, I’ll jump into this Weak Water River right now. I want to see how you use a single talisman to save two people! If you still can’t use a talisman this time, don’t look for excuses.”
Li Youyuan practised what he preached and immediately jumped into the Weak Water River.
Under the cleansing of the Weak Water, his cultivation level gradually dissipated, turning him into an ordinary person.
Jiang Cheng, always honest and trustworthy, confirmed that Li Youyuan had lost his cultivation, where the Crisis Calm Talisman could maximize its effect. He then immediately activated the Crisis Calm Talisman and applied it to Li Youyuan.
Li Youyuan only felt a sharp pain in a bone in his spine, and then everything below his jaw was paralyzed, losing control over his body.
“Damn, what’s happening?”
He saw that his body was completely out of his control and was mirroring the movements of Jiang Cheng on the shore—swimming, grabbing the dummy, and dragging it to shore!
Li Youyuan grabbed the dummy and reached the shore; the Weak Water disappeared, his Foundation Establishment cultivation returned, and he began to regain control of his own body.
Yet, the shock brought by Jiang Cheng’s talisman lingered!
Good fellow, making someone drowning go to save another person who’s drowning, huh? Is this something a human could think of?
Li Youyuan pulled the dummy ashore, which meant Jiang Cheng indeed turned the character test into an intelligence test!
Li Youyuan had an ominous feeling in his heart.
In the third conference room, five Talisman Department teachers widened their eyes. As teachers at Lotus University, even the least powerful among them possessed the strength of a second-order Talisman Master.
Yet, they couldn’t understand the principle behind the talisman Jiang Cheng used at all!
“How did he do it? That was a first-order Control Talisman, right? Can a Control Talisman last that long?”
“It’s impossible! Such large-scale control, plus needing to mimic actions—even a second-order Control Talisman would struggle with that, wouldn’t it?”
“Oh no, stumped here. Luckily we’re not in class, or else we’d lose all face.”
While the five Talisman Masters discussed the principle behind the mysterious talisman in Jiang Cheng’s hand, the anxious voice of the test proctor came through the loudspeaker, “Teachers! Time to score! Please score quickly!”
Only then did they snap out of it, realizing they had to assign scores.
But how should they grade?
Zero, or full marks?
After pondering, they each opened up the scoring guidelines provided by Lotus University’s Admissions Office.
Did the examinee demonstrate good character? For instance, was he subjectively willing to save someone?
He did demonstrate it, he saved someone, and even saved two.
Did the examinee show hesitation in his speech?
No, he even directly questioned the Admissions Office’s setup ability.
Were the examinee’s actions in line with social decency?
They were more than in line others saved one, he saved two. Double the decency.
After a round of deliberation, Jiang Cheng’s character assessment score was released.
Full marks: 100!