Chapter 25: Quota

Looking at the long queue that has already formed in a venue in Tong Yuan City. Yan Jin Chang then glances at the jade board beside it that lists the prizes for the winners, he feels somewhat tempted to participate.

An Shao lowers the brim of his straw hat and pulls up his black mask. He catches a glimpse of Yan Jin Chang’s gaze. “Do you want to sign up for the competition too?”

Yan Jin Chang replies: “I lack spirit stones.”

An Shao: “……” This reason is indeed hard to refute.

Not interested in participating in this puppet-making competition, An Shao waves his hand, indicating that he is going to find something to eat. He also wish Yan Jin Chang good luck.

The puppet-making competition starts tomorrow at the hour of Chen, and there is still one hour left until the registration deadline. (Chen hour – Dragon hour: From 7am to 9am)

While in line, Yan Jin Chang learns from the discussions of others that signing up for the puppet-making competition requires testing bone age, cultivation level, and spiritual root. 

If the bone age exceeds sixteen years, the cultivation level is below the first layer of Qi Refinement, or if the purity of the spiritual root is too low, one cannot participate in the competition.

Because of this, the hundred spots available for tomorrow’s competition have not yet been filled.

“To put it plainly, the people from the Huo Yu Sect just want to take this opportunity to recruit qualified disciples.” People watching from outside the queue whisper. 

“There are very few people in the Qi Refinement stage who are under sixteen. If it weren’t for the increasing number of people coming to the city in recent years, and many bringing their qualified children, who knows when these hundred spots would be filled?”

“Exactly, this is just the entry requirement for other sects to recruit new disciples. The Huo Yu Sect has simply changed the method of testing qualifications.”

“It’s all a mutual agreement, everyone knows it. Otherwise, why do you think so many young people have come to Tong Yuan City in just three days? They either come seeking fame or are brought here by their elders.”

“All to showcase their talents in this puppet-making competition organized by the Huo Yu Sect. If they can impress the immortals of the Huo Yu Sect and be taken under their wing, wouldn’t that be a win-win situation?”

“They are just young people who have only been exposed to puppetry for a few years. Being able to make one or two decent puppets is already impressive, and the number of puppets rated as good is probably very few.”

“Ultimately, this puppet-making competition is just a facade, the next auction is likely just for show. The high prices at the auction are definitely inflated by their own families, merely for vanity purposes.”

However, when this man finishes speaking, the young people in line nearby all turn their sharp gazes toward him. Their eyes seem to be able to turn into knives that can physically stab at him.

The man: “……”

A young man in white standing in front of Yan Jin Chang snorts lightly. “Some people aren’t qualified themselves but arrogantly enough to put down others, thinking they can elevate themselves by doing so. Hmph.”

“What did you say?!” The man is instantly enraged, rolling up his sleeves as if he wants to teach the young man in white a lesson. 

But he is stopped by those around him, who quietly advise: “Are you crazy? He is the direct descendant of the head of the Mu family from the south of the city. If you cause trouble with him here, you won’t have a good time in the city in the future!”

Upon hearing this, the man calms down slightly. Although his cultivation is higher than that of the young man before him, and if they really fight, he would definitely have the advantage.

However, this Young Master clearly wouldn’t come out alone, and the power behind him is obviously not something he can afford to provoke.

The man doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with what he just said. He feels that this descendant of Mu family is truly relying on his family’s power to bully others. 

Aware that he cannot afford to offend him, he simply tosses his sleeve and mutters: “What’s so great about it?” before pushing his way through the crowd and leaving.

The Mu family Young Master snorts coldly and then looks toward the front of the queue. At that moment, a loud voice calls out from the front of the line, “Ninety participants have been selected so far, and there are only ten spots left!”

Upon hearing this, the onlookers who were previously focused on the brief conflict immediately begin to discuss.

“Just two sticks of incense ago, there were still forty spots left. How did it suddenly drop to only ten?”

“Did I miss something?”

“I did see a few young people register, but it can’t be that many, right? It seems like there were only seven or eight.”

“Didn’t you notice? More than twenty new disciples from the Huo Yu Sect just came over and were counted in, plus eight new registrations just now. That’s thirty spots gone.”

“Eh? Can it be done like this?”

“After all, this is the Huo Yu Sect’s home ground. All the materials for making puppets are provided by the Huo Yu Sect. Participants don’t need to bring anything, they just have to sign up to compete.”

“Even if the Huo Yu Sect wants to add more participants at the last minute, others can’t really say anything.”

Someone murmurs softly: “Isn’t that unfair?”

“Those who think it’s unfair can naturally leave and erase their names. There are plenty of people eager to take their spots.”

As the number of available spots suddenly decreases, those at the back start to feel a sense of urgency.

Yan Jin Chang glances at the number of people in front of him—there are twenty-five. If all these people meet the Huo Yu Sect’s requirements and sign up, there’s no chance for him.

His gaze falls on the silver-white orb that measures qualifications. He sees a faint red light emerging from the orb, mixed with some light blue and light green hues.

Below the orb, two deep red stone beads glow softly. A middle-aged man standing next to the silver orb gently strokes his beard and speaks in a calm tone.

“Bone age fifteen, cultivation at the second layer of Qi Refinement. Fire, water, and wood spiritual roots.”

He continues: “The purity of the fire spiritual root is low, and the purity of the water and wood spiritual roots is extremely low. Fail to meet the requirements for this puppet-making competition.”

Upon hearing this, the young man who had placed his hands on the silver orb looks disappointed and walks down the steps. After he leaves, the long orb and the stone platform beneath it return to their original state.

Another person quickly steps up, first having the middle-aged man measure his bone age before reaching out to touch the silver orb.

Seeing the red light that shines more brightly than before, the middle-aged man’s expression improves noticeably.

“Bone age eleven, cultivation at the second layer of Qi Refinement. Single-element fire spiritual root, with medium purity of the fire spiritual root. You can register.”

A smile instantly spreads across the nervous young man’s face, and he waves to his friend nearby. Then he quickly remembers that this might be rude and bows in gratitude to the middle-aged man.

In contrast to the joy of this registrant, the expressions of some people behind him turn sour. Due to the limited spots, each person in front of them who registers reduces their chances.

The person behind Yan Jin Chang appears particularly anxious. Yan Jin Chang can even hear him stomping his feet in frustration.

Not long after, he pats him on the shoulder. “Hey! Switch places with me.”

Yan Jin Chang looks at him, he sees the guy wearing a brown-gray short outfit. The guy is looking down at him with clear disdain for his small figure. When he doesn’t move, the guy grows impatient, grabbing his wrist in an attempt to pull him to the back.

Yan Jin Chang immediately gathers his energy, slapping the guy’s hand away. He raises his foot to stomp down hard on the guy’s foot, using his heel to grind against the guy’s toes.

“Ah!” The guy cries out in pain, swinging his fist at Yan Jin Chang.

However, Yan Jin Chang slightly sidesteps and trips him with his other foot. The guy crashes heavily to the ground!

Hearing the commotion, everyone immediately turns to look, their gazes shifting between the boy in the brown-gray outfit on the ground and Yan Jin Chang.

The fallen boy groans in pain, pointing at Yan Jin Chang and angrily exclaiming: “You! How dare you…”

Without waiting for him to finish, Yan Jin Chang raises his voice slightly. “You really are a strange person. By the order of the line, my position is actually behind the quota. Whether I can register is uncertain, and you are right behind me.”

“If you want to fight for a spot and cut in line, why not just ask someone in front of me instead? Isn’t your chance better that way?”

After a pause, he pretends to notice, “Could it be that you think if you are just one person ahead of me, you can secure a spot?”

This exclaim clearly questions the abilities of those in front of them. Those people turn to look at the fallen boy with disapproving expressions.

“……”

The boy in the brown-gray outfit quickly defends himself. “You’re talking nonsense! I don’t mean that at all! I just… I just…”

But he struggles to express his reasoning. Yan Jin Chang glances at the young man in white standing in front of him, recalling the earlier discussions among the crowd and suddenly understands.

It seems this guy has considered cutting in line, but he can’t do so while the Mu family’s heir is still here. He can’t just jump ahead of the Mu family’s Young Master.