How could someone be unhappy living in a matriarchal society?

Chapter 113 Miscellaneous Exam Matters

Not long after, Nie Xianzhu finished the archery competition and calmly stepped off the field.

She gently wiped away the thin layer of sweat that had seeped from her forehead, and her delicate face was filled with a confident smile.

All the onlookers swarmed around her, fawning over her.

Such scenes were commonplace for Nie Xianzhu, who came from a distinguished family. From childhood to adulthood, she had heard countless similar words of praise.

Faced with these compliments, she simply didn't have the energy to respond to them all and just wanted to find a quiet place to rest as soon as possible.

Nie Xianzhu glanced around casually and spotted a few empty seats in the distance. Without hesitation, she strode towards them.

But when she got closer, she was surprised to see a candidate lying on a stool with his eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to everyone else.

Nie Xianzhu was somewhat surprised, but she didn't meddle and found an empty seat to sit down.

Her two henchmen stood firmly on either side of her, like two powerful generals.

The slightly overweight man on the left hurriedly handed over the water, his face full of flattery.

The slightly thinner one on the right kept waving his fan, trying his best to cool Nie Xianzhu down.

These two were acting far too obsequiously, behaving like complete lackeys.

One of them said, "Boss, you don't need to say anything more this time. First place is definitely yours. It's a sure thing!"

Another person quickly chimed in, "That's right! As long as you show your skills even a little, the top spot will be as easy as taking candy from a baby!"

Hearing these flattering words, Nie Xianzhu felt pleased with herself. Her tense face gradually relaxed, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up.

It's important to know that this year's martial arts champion competition is crucial for her.

Even before leaving home, she had made a bold statement at home, claiming that after the imperial examination, she would definitely give her older sister a good beating, so that everyone could see who was truly capable of inheriting the family position!

As time went by, the sun gradually moved to the center of the sky.

Just then, a melodious bell rang out, signaling that it was time to serve dinner.

The crowd began to stir, and they all rushed towards the cafeteria.

Chu Ci was also mixed in with the crowd, and walked into the cafeteria with everyone.

However, after the food was served, she only took a few bites and found that it didn't taste very good.

Nevertheless, she managed to finish a bowl of food, then put down her chopsticks and refused to eat again.

In the late afternoon, the sun was still shining brightly on the earth, and it was finally time for the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu) to take the stage.

She gracefully leaped onto the horse, like a nimble swallow, and skillfully picked up her bow and arrow, instantly getting into position.

As the bowstring was drawn, a sharp arrow shot out like lightning, hitting the bullseye with perfect accuracy.

This movement was fluid and seamless, performed in one go, leaving people in awe.

The next few arrows were equally impressive, hitting the bullseye one after another.

It should be understood that, in general, being able to hit the target seven times out of ten is already considered a master, almost invincible.

However, Chu Ci achieved perfect accuracy every time, a feat that was beyond imagination and simply miraculous!

When Chu Ci finished the race, dismounted, and left the racecourse, the entire arena fell into silence.

All the examinees involuntarily stood up quietly, their eyes following her figure as if they were seeing an incredible monster.

They consciously made way for Chu Ci, watching her walk back to her original resting spot.

After returning to her original position, Chu Ci closed her eyes as if no one else was around and continued to rest.

At this moment, Nie Xianzhu, who was sitting next to her, was unusually confident. Instead of being as self-assured as before, she stared intently at Chu Ci, her eyes unblinking, seemingly lost in thought.

Upon seeing this, the two followers behind Nie Xianzhu exchanged a glance, both revealing a hint of unease in their eyes.

They clearly hadn't expected Chu Ci to perform so amazingly, and couldn't help but secretly speculate about the mysterious woman's strength and background.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and before we knew it, it was already late afternoon.

The melodious bell rang again, echoing throughout the examination hall, announcing the end of the day's examination for all candidates.

Upon hearing the bell, Chu Ci slowly opened his eyes, got up, walked to the stable at the entrance of the examination hall, untied the reins of his steed, mounted it, and galloped home.

The sound of horses' hooves grew fainter and fainter as it faded into the distance, until it disappeared completely from sight. Chu Ci's figure on horseback also vanished from everyone's view.

Only then did the people, who had been on edge and dared not utter a sound, begin to whisper among themselves, as if they had been freed from some kind of restraint.

"Who is this person? His archery skills are simply divine, he's a master archer!" someone exclaimed.

“That’s right. My legs were trembling when I saw her just now. Her moves were so precise and ruthless, it’s truly admirable,” another person chimed in.

"In my opinion, she must be at least a Grandmaster to have such abilities," someone guessed.

"He might even be a grandmaster! With such skill and courage, he must be no ordinary person," someone else added.

At this moment, Nie Xianzhu, who was walking at the back of the crowd, stared intently in the direction where Chu Ci had left, seemingly lost in thought.

She turned her head slightly and gave her two trusted subordinates a wink.

The two men understood each other, and one of them asked softly, "Does Miss want us to investigate this person's background?"

Nie Xianzhu nodded slightly, then frowned and said, "Investigate this person thoroughly. There must be results by tonight."

"Yes, sir!" the two generals replied in unison, and then hurriedly left to carry out their mission.

Nie Xianzhu walked home slowly by herself, thinking, "Hmph, you're still too green to take my top spot."

Meanwhile, Shi An was busy in the kitchen all by himself.

The dishes he prepared for tonight are all of Chu Ci's favorite dishes.

Not long after, Chu Ci gently pushed open the courtyard gate, and a rich aroma of food wafted out.

Like a nimble cat, she tiptoed into the kitchen, gently pulled over a stool, sat down slowly, propped herself up on her arm, and looked at Shi An, who was busy in the kitchen.

Time passed by second by second, and before we knew it, a quarter of an hour had gone by.

Suddenly, Shi An turned around to retrieve something placed on a high shelf, only to discover his wife who had been silently gazing at him.

He was startled and almost dropped what he was holding.

"Ah! My lady... why didn't you make a sound when you came back? You scared me half to death," Shi An said, still shaken.

Upon seeing this, Chu Ci quickly stepped forward, picked up the person, and spun them around on the spot.

I miss you so much.

Hearing this, Shi An quickly broke free from Chu Ci's embrace, took a small step back, and said somewhat shyly, "Oh dear, my wife, my hands are still covered in oil and dirt, please don't hug me."

As she spoke, she raised her hands to show Chu Ci.

However, Chu Ci didn't care at all. She quickly rolled up her sleeves, picked up the apron next to her, and tied it around her waist. "It's okay, I'll help you."

Seeing this, Shi An quickly reached out to stop her, shaking his head repeatedly and saying, "Really, there's no need. There's only one last dish left, it'll be ready soon. Besides, you just finished your exam, you must be exhausted, go and get some rest."

After hearing this, Chu Ci stopped insisting and returned to the table to sit down. "Alright, you go ahead and get busy."

Shi An smiled and replied, "Yes, don't worry, my wife, the food will be ready soon."

As night fell, the two enjoyed a sumptuous and delicious dinner together.

Throughout the meal, Shi An did not ask a single question about today's exam, and Chu Ci also seemed to deliberately avoid the topic, not mentioning it at all.

The two of them, as usual, turned off the lights and rested after finishing their meal.

The next morning, sunlight shone through the thin clouds and fell on the earth, as if draping the whole world in a golden veil.

Chu Ci got up early, washed up quickly, and then took Shi An to the examination hall.

As always, Shi An went home after seeing Chu Ci go inside.

When the Chu Ci entered the examination hall, the scene was already bustling with people.

Some of the candidates looked nervous, while others appeared confident.

Chu Ci calmly walked to the number collection area and received her own number—forty.

After checking the group information, she learned that she had been assigned to the second group.

So, she walked steadily to the corresponding ring and quietly waited for the match to begin.

Not long after, it was Chu Ci's turn to perform.

She lightly touched the ground with her toes and leaped onto the ring, landing steadily near the edge.

However, despite her low profile, several opponents noticed her and quickly launched an attack on her.

Faced with this sudden attack, Chu Ci remained calm and composed. He simply raised his right foot slightly and kicked out, sending one of the men flying straight off the stage like a kite with a broken string.

This clean and decisive move surprised the others, but soon several more people gathered around, trying to join forces to defeat Chu Ci.

Chu Ci dodged a woman's straight punch with a swift movement, then grabbed her arm and pulled her to the right with a slight force. The woman lost her balance and fell off the stage with a thud.

At the same time, her left hand precisely blocked the other woman's fierce palm strike, and then her left leg kicked out quickly, striking the opponent's abdomen like lightning, sending her flying several meters away.

The third opponent gritted his teeth and charged forward, attempting to seize upon Chu Ci's weakness.

Chu Ci reacted extremely quickly, instantly twisting the opponent's wrist and cleverly tripping him with his foot, causing the person to tumble off the stage.

In just a few seconds, Chu Ci defeated several opponents with his superb martial arts skills and agile movements, drawing cheers from the candidates below the stage.

Seeing how powerful Chu Ci was, the others couldn't help but have second thoughts and changed their targets.

This arena uses a ranking system; the higher the ranking, the better the final result.

Nobody wants to be eliminated too early and end up at the bottom, which would be incredibly humiliating!

Time passed quietly, and the figures on the arena gradually became fewer and fewer.

At this moment, Nie Xianzhu appeared with two followers.

Taking advantage of their superior numbers, the three targeted those who were skilled in martial arts but were alone, easily eliminating several opponents.

When only they and Chu Ci remained on the field, Nie Xianzhu pondered for a moment and then instructed her two followers to launch an attack on Chu Ci.

However, compared to Chu Ci, these two were simply no match for him.

As expected, the two of them were quickly defeated and fell off the stage in a sorry state.

At this moment, only Nie Xianzhu and Chu Ci remained on the stage.

In fact, Nie Xianzhu's martial arts skills were quite good for her age, but compared to Chu Ci, they were far inferior.

It should be noted that Chu Ci now possesses profound internal strength and exquisite skills accumulated from her previous life, making her far beyond the reach of a young woman like Nie Xianzhu.

Chu Ci gazed silently at Nie Xianzhu, but the latter hesitated to make a move for a long time.

After a brief standoff, Chu Ci suddenly tilted his head slightly, and then, without hesitation, struck out with his palm from a distance.

In an instant, a powerful surge of internal energy erupted, displaying a chilling pressure that swept straight toward Nie Xianzhu.

Faced with this sudden attack, Nie Xianzhu had no time to make an effective response.

She was swept off the stage by this overwhelming pressure, like a kite with a broken string.

Fortunately, Chu Ci did not seem to intend to really hurt Nie Xianzhu, so although she was knocked off the stage, she did not suffer any substantial damage.

This precise control of internal energy truly shocked Nie Xianzhu, leaving her stunned for a long time.

Chief examiner Wu Feiyang gazed at Chu Ci with a smile, his eyes full of admiration. He nodded repeatedly, secretly praising, "Such an outstanding talent is truly a once-in-a-century find!"

The Chu Ci is like a piece of raw jade; with a little polishing, it will surely shine brightly.

It's such a success that this martial arts examination was able to discover such a promising talent!

It's a pity that there is still one last round of policy essays to be taken, and as the chief examiner, how can I be involved with the candidates?

Otherwise, we must bring such outstanding young martial artists under our command no matter what.

At this moment, not only Wu Feiyang was fond of Chu Ci, but many other generals who came to watch the arena competition also praised Chu Ci's wonderful performance.

The crowd whispered among themselves, discussing the young athlete's extraordinary skills and remarkable courage.

However, besides the highly anticipated Chu Ci, there was another candidate named Zhu Mei whose performance was also quite outstanding.

Every move he made demonstrated solid skills and quick reflexes, winning praise from the audience.

After the tournament came to a successful conclusion, Chu Ci returned home as usual to have dinner and rest for a while.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it's the third day—the day of the policy essay exam.

Early in the morning, Shi An thoughtfully checked Chu Ci's book box to make sure that no important items were left out.

Once everything was ready, Shi An watched with relief as Chu Ci entered the examination hall.

After a rigorous check, Chu Ci received a number and went to her assigned cubicle.

As soon as you enter, a musty smell hits you.

Chu Ci placed the book box in his hand on the table, preparing to take out the writing brush and ink inside.

However, just as he reached out to open the book box, a strange feeling welled up in his heart.

As the book box slowly opened, her expression turned serious.

The calligraphy brushes and ink that were supposed to be inside have mysteriously disappeared!

Instead, there was an inconspicuous stone.