5

Lin Kai who was still unaware that his fate was being decided by someone else was still having a headache on how to make his cheat work. By now, he was out of energy to write anything. Feeling both mentally and physically exhausted, he was in no condition to write further.

At this moment, the only thing he could do was to lay on his bed with his eyes closed.

"There wasn't much reaction from him even after knowing of my memory loss." With nothing to do, the only thing he could do was remember the interaction he had. "Is it because of the recent murders?"

Thinking about the bodies that were hung up like puppets, his heart shuddered as he stood up and walked out of the house into the brightly lit garden. The more he thought about the bodies, the more fear crept into his heart.

"Also, what are the family arrangements he was talking about." Trying to distract himself from those gruesome murders, he thought about what Lin Xun said to him.

"Didn't those people in the novel always get the memories of the previous body owner? Why is my luck so shitty?" The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

"Also, how the hell did I end up here? Did I die?" Recalling the scene before his death, Lin Kai tried to focus. The memories of his previous life seemed to be fine as he recalled almost everything major that happened along with some miscellaneous things. "Did the phone explode?"

Recalling how he got a call and then everything went black, the only possible explanation was that the phone exploded.

"Fucking shit company." Recalling the blue circle logo of the famous company, Lin Kai cursed for a good five minutes before calming himself.

What has happened has already happened. Even if he were to smash his head on the walls, nothing was going to change. The only thing he could do was to focus on the current situation.

"What do I do now?" Lin Kai still has the entire day. It was only now that he realized what life without technology was. There were no smartphones, no laptops, no internet, no comics. There wasn't anything for him to do. After a week of constant writing, he felt he was going crazy. Reading books for the exam was the last thing on his mind. As for the matter of the deal between the original Lin Kai and his father... he couldn't care less about it.

"I guess I will just sleep." Tired both physically and mentally, Lin Kai made up his mind. After having breakfast that contained noodles and soup in the dining hall, he rushed back into his small house, closed the door, windows, and curtains, and fell on his bed.

It took a while, but soon one could only hear the stable light breathing sound coming from his room, implying he had fallen asleep.

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"Knock... knock... knock..."

"Ugh. Who is it?"

Waking up to the loud knocking on his door, It took a moment for Lin Kai to come to his senses as he stretched his body with a loud yawn. His clothes which were still messy along with his hair gave him the appearance of a homeless person.

"knock...

knock...

knock..."

Much to his annoyance, the knocking on the door still continued.

Looking outside from the slit of the window, Lin Kai saw the garden and sky which were dimly lit.

"It's evening?" Patting his clothes, he came to the door before opening it with a yawn.

"Young master... You are awake." As soon as Lin Kai opened the door, he was greeted by a man in his late twenties wearing a guard's uniform.

"Something happened?" Confused, Lin Kai looked at the man in front of him.

"Young master, it's the exam. You need to hurry up or you are going to be late." Looking at the boy in front of him whose hair and clothes were in a mess, the guard sighed helplessly. For a moment he even felt bad for this tenth young master of the Lin family. No matter how hard he worked, he could only live in the shadows of his siblings who were vastly more talented than him.

"IT'S MORNING ALREADY?" Now fully awake, Lin Kai stood there stunned. He remember going to sleep when it was early morning. Who would have thought that he would sleep through an entire day?

"Damn it." After a brief panic, Lin Kai calmed himself. "Wait for a moment."

After instructing the guard to wait, he rushed towards the nearest cabinet before pulling out a new set of clothes.

Within a few minutes, Lin Kai changed from a messy homeless appearance to one worthy of a scholar.

"Let's go." Opening his door, Lin Kai put on a small clothed bag around his shoulder containing ink and a brush as he signaled the guard to lead the way before following him.

Within moments, both of them were standing near a small stream of water inside the Lin family grounds just beside the meeting hall which connected to a river in the distance.

"If we go by the boat, we might be able to make it in time." Jumping into a small boat that was parked on the brink of the stream, the guard untied the rope that was holding the boat.

"Erm..." After a brief hesitation, Lin Kai walked towards the boat before jumping in. Even though he had never ridden such a crude boat before, there wasn't any hesitation on his face. Compared to riding the boat, there was something more important.

"Haaaah." Grabbing the handles of the tow oars which were placed on both sides of the boat, the guard gave a loud shout as he pushed the oars back, propelling the small boat to a speed far greater than normal.

"HOLY SHIIT." Startled by the sudden burst of speed, Lin Kai almost fell into the water. It took him some time to adjust to the speed which was almost reaching more than seventy miles an hour.

It was only now that he carefully looked at the guard in front of him.

At this moment, the man in front of him had a calm face. The only striking feature on his simple face was a striking red mark on his forehead. The mark was in the shape of a flame, constantly flickering. It was as if, under his layer of skin a flame was burning slowly.

Stunned by this sudden change, Lin Kai kept on staring a the red flame. If one excludes the sudden appearance and disappearance of Lin Xun, this was perhaps the most amazing thing he had seen till now.

For a person from modern times, it was almost magical. It was something he had never seen or heard before. Something that made him fascinated. If not for the need to take the exam, he would have sat here talking to the guard about what it was.

"Young master, we are here." It was only when the guard spoke to Lin Kai that he came out of his trance. Looking at the guard, the mark of flame between his eyebrows slowly began to dim before disappearing completely.

Lin Kai tried to look at the Lin family manor, but all he could see was a dot, signifying the distance that he had traveled in such a short span of time.

Lin Kai wanted to ask questions about what the flame mark between his eyebrows was along with the power structure of this world, but he knew this was not the time.

"Are you going to wait here for me?" Grabbing his bag, Lin Kai asked the guard as he jumped out of the boat.

"Of course." Tying the boat to the nearest wooden pillar, the guard continued speaking "The Exam will last only for two hours. I will be waiting here for you."

"Hmm..." Nodding his head, Lin Kai looked around. It was only now that he was able to observe his surroundings.

He breathed in the gentle breeze that carried the scent of blooming lotus flowers, adding a touch of serenity to the bustling atmosphere.

There were many scholars, like Lin Kai, who arrived by boat, their vessels gliding through the gentle currents, leaving ripples in their wake. Their eager faces were bathed in the soft, early morning light, radiating a sense of determination and ambition. While there were others too who arrived via a carriage, bringing in the distant sound of horse's hooves.

Even though the scenery in front of him was nothing compared to that of the big cities of his past, it had its own charm. A charm that made him appreciate the scenic beauty in front of him. Lin Kai was sure in his heart that he would rather spend his life watching sceneries like this than go back and watch the constant hustling of the crowded cities filled with noises.

Amongst the whispers of the scholars who were arriving constantly at the scene, his gaze finally landed on the exam hall. Made from woods that were rustic red, it emanated a natural beauty that seamlessly blended with the surrounding landscape. Each wooden beam and panel displayed intricate carvings containing various beasts.

Appreciating the beauty of the architect, Lin Kai slowly moved forward as he finally stood in front of the entrance. Adorned with graceful arches and delicate wooden work, it evoked a feeling of awe in the onlookers. There were murals of scholars holding books covering the walls.

There were rows of people following on the two doors which were now wide open, leading a way towards the heart of this place.

The hall's interior, while not grandiose, possessed a simple yet artistic elegance. The walls, lined with handcrafted bookshelves, were adorned with scrolls. Oil lamps hung from wooden beams, casting a warm glow that danced upon the polished surfaces.

"Your token please." While Lin Kai was admiring the hall, a hoarse sound spoke to him.

"Ah!" Nodding his head to the old man who was standing near him, he reached inside the bag before taking out a wooden badge.

"Third row, sixth seat." Pointing towards his seat, the old man walked to the next person before asking for his badge.

It didn't take long before Lin Kai reached his seat. It was a simple wooden desk and a small table for his sitting. On the desk was a number carved which was identical to the one carved on his badge.

Looking around, he found many seats like him placed in a circle, surrounding the wooden platform which was placed in the middle of the hall. On the platform was a small wooden pillar erected and behind it was the figure of an old man standing quietly.

Taking out the ink and the brush from his cloth bag, Lin Kai kept on looking around him. He was one of the last ones to arrive as the majority of people were already sitting on their seats. Some had their eyes closed while others were counting with their fingers. He even saw many scholars discussing with the people in front and back of them, hoping to gain some extra knowledge in this short span of time.

"Okay. It is about time." At this moment a calm voice sounded in the hall. The hall which was full of whispers a moment ago was now quiet to the extreme. Other than the occasional sound of breathing, there was no other sound.

"Close the door." The old man who was standing on the platform instructed the guards as the doors of the hall closed. The lamps which were dimly lit a moment ago were now shining brightly, completely illuminating the interior of the hall.

"As you all already know, the exam will be divided into two parts. The first part will be the test based on your memory and the second part will be based on your decision making. Only people who have passed the first part will be eligible for the second part of the exam."

Speaking till here, he pulled out a small piece of what looked like paper from his robe. "Before we begin, is there anyone who shouldn't be here? If you are taking an exam in place of someone else, now is the last time to stand up and leave. If not, then you will be responsible for the disciplinary action."

Looking at the people sitting there quietly, he waited for a while.

"Okay good."

After a nod, he placed the small piece of paper on the wooden pillar in front of him.

The moment the paper touched the pillar, it emitted a shockwave traveling throughout the hall.

Lin Kai felt his body tremble for a moment before returning back to normal.

"Okay, we can begin." Nodding his head, the old man signaled the guards as they brought out stacks of paper before distributing them.

After a few minutes when everyone had a paper in front of them, one of the guards at the back of the hall picked up two small metal disks and clanged them together.

"Start."

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"Ugh..." Five minutes after the exam began, Lin Kai was looking at the questions helplessly. Just like the old man said, the questions here were related to one's ability to memorize things. All of the questions were related to the various schemes that were introduced throughout the years along with some famous scholars and their work.

After taking a look at all the questions, Lin Kai shook his head as he put the brush and ink back in his cloth bag. He might have had a chance if he had the memories of the previous body owner. Unfortunately for him, this was not the case. He couldn't even answer one question in the paper, much less pass the first exam.

Closing his eyes, he rested his chin on both of his hands. Occasionally, he would gently rub his throat before letting out a light cough. The Old man looked at him a few times before shaking his head.

In his eyes, there were always people like Lin Kai who overestimated themselves or just took exams to satisfy their egos. There was nothing new in it. In his eyes, Lin Kai wasn't the only one. Taking a glance around the hall, he could see a handful more sitting there quietly, scratching their heads in embarrassment.

"Hmph." With a snort, the old man shook his head before focusing his gaze back on the others.

As Lin Kai was sitting in the exam hall with his eyes closed, unbeknownst to him, a pair of eyes was quietly observing him from a corner. However, neither the guards nor the old man seemed to notice this strange pair of eyes.