41. Two Hundred and Fifty for Third Place
Originally, Emperor Shangguan Long’s rules didn’t specify the score for defeating an examiner.
—He hadn’t anticipated any examinees actually defeating the examiners!
Even those demonic cultivators hiding their strength wouldn’t reveal their full power.
And yet, Shangguan Lingyue was defeated by two girls who only seemed to be at the Return to Origin realm.
Although…
They had tricked her into falling off the arena, not defeating her directly, but that was still incredibly difficult.
“Scores don’t really matter for you two,” Shangguan Lingyue said with a smile. “No one else can replicate what you did.”
“I’ll give you a thousand points each, a score no one else can reach.”
That was true.
Before them, most scores were around seventy, with a few reaching eighty. The First Prince and Xuli had a score of one hundred and sixty.
A thousand points each was a completely different level.
“Uh…”
The ignored Gong Yiling raised her hand. “I have a question. How many points do I get!?”
She had been completely disregarded!
Even when she asked Shangguan Lingyue directly, the general’s eyes were still on Qiu Shui and Lu Xinyao, discussing their scores.
Seeing this, Qiu Shui and Lu Xinyao couldn’t help but laugh.
—This useless master, claiming she wouldn’t help, really didn’t do anything but cheer from the sidelines.
Although her cheering was actually quite helpful.
“You…?”
Shangguan Lingyue finally looked at her. “What did you even do?”
“What do you mean ‘what did I do’?”
Gong Yiling said confidently,
“I was standing right there. You could have chosen to stay and fight them, but because I was cheering, you thought fighting me was pointless, and you fell for their trap.”
The more she spoke, the more she believed her own reasoning. It was the truth!
“So, I deserve at least half the credit… no, that’s too much. Maybe a third. Yes, a third.”
Of course, no one, not even Qiu Shui and Lu Xinyao, believed her.
It was like saying, *I, along with Shangguan Long, am the most powerful person in the Heartflame Empire.*—What did that have to do with anything?
However, that was how the rules worked.
As long as they were a team, even if she did nothing, she would receive the same score.
Having strong teammates was also a form of strength, a special skill requiring a high level of…
Shamelessness.
And Gong Yiling had plenty of that.
“I think I deserve some points. Otherwise… why don’t you ask these two… uh, these two strong teammates?”
Gong Yiling shamelessly pushed the question to Qiu Shui and Lu Xinyao.
—Knowing her identity now, they couldn’t refuse to give her face.
Master was supreme!
So—
“I think she deserves some points.”
“Ah, I… I also think… she deserves some. Maybe… half of half?”
Since they had no objections, Shangguan Lingyue didn’t say anything more.
And she followed Lu Xinyao’s suggestion, giving Gong Yiling half of half.
What was half of half of a thousand?
“Let me confirm one last time,” Shangguan Lingyue said, “you two get a thousand points each, and this girl who did nothing gets two hundred and fifty.”
Yes, two hundred and fifty.
She didn’t know if the number had any special meaning in this world.
Although this score practically guaranteed her third place, leaving the fourth place far behind…
Seeing it on the scoreboard made Gong Yiling feel like a monkey on display.
—*Look, the third-place winner is a fool!*
Something like that.
But it wasn’t a big deal.
As soon as they left the arena, while Qiu Shui and Lu Xinyao were surrounded by excited spectators, Miss Gong quietly slipped away.
When she reappeared, she had transformed.
From an unremarkable, shameless slacker to an elegant, immortal-like Daoist nun in just five minutes.
She was getting quite good at this.
“Master!”
Her attire stood out in the crowd, and Qiu Shui spotted her immediately, finally able to share her excitement.
“We’ve completed the mission!”
But Lu Xinyao, or rather, Little Heehee, was even more dramatic.
Although the duel had little to do with her, her joy overflowed, and she took control, clinging to Gong Yiling.
“Big Sister~”
Seeing this, although Qiu Shui felt a twinge of something, she smiled wryly and walked over. “Just as you predicted.”
“As the Immortal Master predicted?” Shangguan Lingyue, also approaching, asked, puzzled, “What did she predict?”
“Nothing much.” Gong Yiling said, “I just mentioned that General Shangguan, under the influence of the Bloodthirst Aura, tends to be straightforward and predictable. Just make her lose track of her surroundings, and she’ll fall for the trap.”
“Ahem…”
This wasn’t exactly a compliment for a martial arts enthusiast.
On the battlefield, she and the late General Yan were polar opposites.
With the Bloodthirst Aura, she could single-handedly take on an entire army. Her strength was monstrous.
So… she didn’t need any tricks. If you didn’t submit, she would beat you into submission.
Simple as that.
“I actually considered that a strength.” Shangguan Lingyue sighed, slightly troubled. “But to be outsmarted by Qiu Ming and Xinyao… I feel like Yaochang will laugh at me.”
“An examiner being defeated by examinees is indeed a miracle.” Gong Yiling shrugged. “So, Miss General,”
“Before you defeat my disciples again, don’t mention sparring with me.”
Just as planned.
A perfect victory.
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