Shen Zhe strolled around in the Gold Source Mall after he left the Zhao family's store. He saw many good things, but he wasn't desperately in need of them and didn't buy any.
In the end he bought a cloak, a hat and a scarf in a clothes shop to make sure that nobody could recognize him, before he finally went to the Empyrean One Pavilion.
He had never gone through any crises in his previous life; his world had always been peaceful. But Zhao Fan had taught him a lesson that day.
He had to look before he leaped; geniuses were everywhere in this alternate world.
It was best to keep a low profile.
Unfortunately, he was incapable of changing his face; he would be even safer if he could.
He soon arrived at the Empyrean One Pavilion.
The other stores were all crowded, but this one only had a dozen people who were all frowning and calculating nonstop.
Their equations were dense and long, but they all shook and sighed when they reached the end.
Difficult!
It was too difficult!
"Senior Quan, you should go back. You're not getting anywhere, even after working on this question for two years!"
An old man looked at another old man who was not far away.
Senior Quan continued calculating without looking back at him. "I think I've found a methodology. The answer will be ready in three days!"
"That's what you said a year ago…" The first old man ruthlessly replied.
"…"
Senior Quan said in embarrassment, "Rest assured. I'll definitely be the first in Green Abyss to solve this question!"
"Hehe!" The first old man chuckled and said, "Whatever you say!"
"You!" Agitated and angry, Senior Quan failed to contain himself and his enormous mental power raised a breeze, showing that he was a level-one Mage!
A Mage, proficient at calculation par excellence, failed to answer the question after working for two years…
One of Shen Zhe's eyebrows trembled.
He looked at the other side. There were some young men in school uniforms who had piles of used-up paper before them.
Shen Zhe approached the counter after observing for a while.
Behind the counter was a slightly plump girl in her twenties. She was taking a nap.
"Do you have Bark of Penghe?"
Shen Zhe asked in a low voice as he covered his face with his collar.
That was the purpose of his visit; there would be no need to waste his time if it wasn't in stock.
"Yes! It's a top-tier herb. It will be freely given to you, as long as you can answer a corresponding question!"
The girl yawned and pointed at the wall.
People had been inquiring about herbs every day, but the vast majority of them returned empty-handed.
There were fewer visitors after learning that the questions were too hard.
Shen Zhe raised his head and saw the herbs and treasures listed on the inner wall of the Empyrean One Pavilion. All of them were highly precious.
Their respective tiers were noted behind each treasure. Whoever answered a question of said tier would get the treasure.
The rule was simple enough. Shen Zhe said, "Then… Could I have a question from the top tier?"
"You're going to solve a question of the top tier?" said the girl in a shrill voice, clearly refreshed from her drowsiness because of this. She gazed at Shen Zhe.
The other people in the shop also stopped their calculations and eyed the stranger.
It had been years since anyone challenged the top tier. Was he serious?
"Yes!" Shen Zhe nodded.
"Our questions are divided into three tiers. At the moment, five questions of the tertiary tier have yet to be resolved…" The girl paused.
She didn't go on, but her intention was obvious.
The higher a question's tier was, the more difficult it would be. If Shen Zhe couldn't solve a tertiary-tier question, he certainly couldn't solve one from the top-tier!
"I need the Bark of Penghe, so I have to solve a top-tier question…" said Shen Zhe, not without regret.
He would love to solve questions in their proper order, but why did they have to set the herb in such a high tier?
"I want to lay low, but I can't under such circumstances!"
"Well…" Seeing that he was determined, the girl paused for a moment and said, "Generally speaking, questions of higher tiers would not be accessible to the public until the tertiary tier is completed, in case of any confusion. If you insist, I can file an application for you, but you have to prove yourself first!"
It was possible to end up deranged, if not heavily wounded, when trying to answer a question that was too difficult for yourself.
"How should I prove myself?" asked Shen Zhe.
"I have a question here. If you can answer it within five breaths, you will be qualified to answer a top-tier question. If you can't, for your own safety, I won't give you the question!" replied the girl.
Considering for a moment, Shen Zhe frowned. "Is this your rule?"
"Yes!" The girl nodded.
"There's no room for negotiation?"
The girl nodded firmly and said, "No! This rule is not to be violated!"
Seeing that she was determined, Shen Zhe asked for confirmation, "All I need to do is answer your question within five breaths, right?"
"Yes!"
"Let's begin!"
Taking a deep breath, Shen Zhe nodded his head.
"Please listen to my question…" The girl stared at him and said, "There's a number whose remainder is two when divided by three, three when divided by five, and two when divided by seven. What is this number?"
"What the heck?"
Shen Zhe could barely follow the question!
"Starting from now, you have five breaths to answer the question!"
The girl took out an hourglass where sand was fallling. It would be empty after five breaths.
Such a test was meant to check if the applicants were capable of solving a question and their speed. It wasn't really a difficult question.
The answer was not unique. Any number that met the requirement would be correct.
However… even though it wasn't difficult, Shen Zhe couldn't find an answer that quickly!
Anxiously watching the hourglass, Shen Zhe didn't dare to hesitate and wrote a number.
"I'm done!"
He handed over the paper.
"That fast?"
The girl was stunned after seeing that Shen Zhe completed it within one breath. She accepted the paper with a look of admiration and then read it, only to be dumbfounded.
The number on the paper was… five!
"Five? How can five be divided by seven? That's not even a close one!"
"I was really fast, wasn't I?" said Shen Zhe.
The girl's lips twitched. "Yes, you were, but your answer is wrong…"
"You didn't require the answer to be correct, did you? If I recall correctly, you said, 'if you can answer it within five breaths, you will be qualified to answer a top-tier question'. I've answered it in one breath and given the answer to you. Are you going back on your promise?"
Shen Zhe frowned, "Are you going to violate the rule and sabotage the reputation of the Empyrean One Pavilion?"
"I…" The girl was at a loss for words.
"I am sabotaging the reputation of the Empyrean One Pavilion?"
"This is such a shameless move!"
"Aren't all the challengers geniuses who aim for correct answers?"
"Why is this guy so different from other people?"
Even a dog would have reacted quickly if any answer was valid, just as long as there was a bone before him…
"You just said that the rule was not to be violated… There is nothing I can do if you don't abide by it, but I answered the question within five breaths as per the rule…" said Shen Zhe matter-of-factly.
"…Fine!"
Choked for a long time, the girl came up with no rebuttals. She could only nod her head and say, "I'll give you a top-tier question!"
"This is truly a tricky guy to deal with!"