Looking at the lush forests and bamboos, and the gurgling springs... For a moment, Chu Tianxiao had the illusion that he was in an underground fairyland.
"Two seniors, what do you mean?"
"This is the test question you want."
When Elder Ze finished speaking, Elder Feng also nodded: "Yes, you need to grow a bamboo here to satisfy us."
As the two elders talked to each other, Chu Tianxiao roughly understood the content of the question.
In theory, the content is simple, which is about growing bamboo, but when you look into it in detail, it is by no means easy.
Because the bamboo here is not ordinary bamboo, but a strange species called "retarded bamboo" native to the vast land of China.
The reason why it is called this weird name is because this kind of bamboo has a characteristic - it grows regardless of the season. As long as it is continuously hit by the power above the peak of Tongxuan for a period of time every day, it will grow rapidly. Moreover, before it grows into a mature bamboo, no one can know its "final form", and no one can know its "value". According to an ancient legend, the value of the highest form of "retarded bamboo" is enough to rank among the top bamboo treasures in the vast land of China! But no one has ever seen it... Over time, some people jokingly said that only "retarded people" would believe such rumors...
Hence the name.
However, although "retarded bamboo" sounds very childish and the rumors may be exaggerated, it does have enough possibilities to grow into a natural treasure that is worth looking at... All of this depends on many factors, which are complicated. Not to mention that those who "take their chances" can't grow "good bamboo" at all, even veterans in this field, known as "bamboo growers", find it difficult to mass-produce "good bamboo"...
Over time, the "retarded bamboo" naturally became a useless existence, a flash in the pan, and then it declined.
But judging from what the two elders told me just now… it seems that they have found a trick, so they ‘tricked’ a bunch of “laboratory mice” – that is, the group of academy students who came to challenge before, the geniuses from afar… Their “first level” hit here, and they were all annihilated, so the two elders left some of them to raise bamboo…
Of course, the two elders had no intention of letting Chu Tianxiao realize that absurd legend... They just wanted to cultivate a "totem bamboo" that would satisfy them and that they could gain enlightenment from observing.
But even so, the difficulty can be imagined. After all, everyone knows that the academy is the teacher of the world, and the two elders of the academy who can rival the dean of the academy in terms of knowledge and experience are naturally the teachers among teachers!
His erudition determines his vision.
It is said that there is no cloud except the Wushan Mountain... How could people like the two elders in the academy be so easily satisfied
Of course... the most important thing is...
“… I seem to only know that bamboo can bloom, can be eaten by pandas, can be used to recite a few lines of pretentious poetry, and then, and then…”
Chu Tianxiao racked his brains, shrugged, and found that there was nothing else to do.
What is bamboo cultivation
He knows nothing!
Just when Chu Tianxiao was in trouble, Master Ze suddenly disappeared from the spot. When he reappeared a few breaths later, he brought a group of young geniuses with him. Judging from their appearance, they should all be "bamboo growers". If not, they must have been "sent back home".
"Friend Chu, as the answerer, you can choose anyone at will... to cooperate with you and help you grow bamboo. It just so happens that this batch of bamboo will mature in a few days... Hurry up."
After these words, Chu Tianxiao roughly understood - it should be that after these geniuses "lost", they would have regular opportunities to "turn the tables". Perhaps if they themselves, or cooperate with new test takers, could cultivate bamboo of sufficient quality, they would be able to obtain certain benefits
While Chu Tianxiao was thinking, Ze Lao stroked his beard and said, "Okay, there are nineteen people in total. Choose a partner carefully... After seven days, I look forward to your 'answer'."
As soon as these words fell, the two elders looked at each other, nodded, and then disappeared in a flash, leaving time to Chu Tianxiao.
As the two elders left, although the faces of these geniuses did not change much, they were still more relaxed. Some of them held a handful of "bamboo leaves" and looked at Chu Tianxiao, looking eager to try, but most of them... still had an indifferent attitude.
After all, although they were not as good as the nine geniuses who entered the palace of the Liu Clan, they were also the best of the time, with extraordinary talents and arrogance... Among them, there was one person who was the most conspicuous, wearing a long robe with wide sleeves and a tall figure, standing out like a crane among chickens, and his temperament was also extraordinary. At a glance, it was known that he was the top figure among this group of people...
At this moment, Chu Tianxiao's eyes just happened to fall on him... With just one glance, the man's brows furrowed high, and then he looked back at Chu Tianxiao coldly, saying without any emotion: "Don't choose me."
"You don't deserve it."
As soon as the voice came down, the place suddenly became silent.
Those plain words seemed to carry a natural sense of superiority.
Before Chu Tianxiao could reply, the tall man snorted disdainfully and continued, "You don't have any bamboo charm at all, which shows that you are not proficient in the art of 'cultivating bamboo'. No, you haven't even touched a bamboo a few times, right? In this case, you might as well admit defeat and ask for mercy from the two elders."
As he spoke, his eyes became sharper and more arrogant. He looked at Chu Tianxiao with eyes that were like looking at an ant, sneering: "You know what, what I despise the most in my life is a waste like you who don't know how to be self-reliant and always rely on others to cling to you! Others may be willing to help you, but I won't."
"Dragons do not live with snakes. This has been a truth since ancient times."
"It's not without its benefits to live there, but it will lower your status by being filthy and lowly."
After saying this, the tall man turned around, leaving behind a "handsome" back, and left.
From beginning to end, he was talking to himself and did not give Chu Tianxiao any chance to retort. It was obvious that he had already practiced this routine to great proficiency.
Chu Tianxiao naturally wouldn't be easily angered by this, but if he said that he had no opinion at all about this person's behavior, it was just a joke.
At that moment, Chu Tianxiao narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at the expressions of the other geniuses around him... He saw that their faces were full of complexity, some looked like sympathy and some looked like ridicule, but no matter who they were, they unconsciously took a few steps back, and even the few people who wanted Chu Tianxiao to choose them before, their eyes were vague for a moment, as if they had changed their minds.
All this was certainly because I hadn't revealed my identity yet, or because the tall man had an extraordinary identity...
but.
"… More likely, it's still limited by the rules." Chu Tianxiao watched and read for a while, and soon figured out the key point, "The benefits of bamboo farmers are shared? In other words… Being selected by the 'answerer' who comes here can certainly cooperate with each other and increase the possibility of being 'selected as the answer' by the two elders, but the benefits obtained afterwards will inevitably be diluted. And the majority of the benefits should go to the answerer."
"If we follow this rule... Of course no one wants to be chosen by a 'know-nothing' answerer. Those who were tempted earlier probably wanted to curry my favor. Once they are pointed out by the 'high-level people', they will naturally not be 'fooled'..."
Chu Tianxiao quickly figured it all out. He couldn't help but look in the direction where the arrogant man had left. He thought, "This guy... is very smart. It seems like a mindless sarcasm, but in fact he is using the self-esteem of the answerer as a 'protective umbrella' to remove himself in the first place... From this point of view, he is also a top figure, but he is also arrogant..."
"Well, to be fair, this plan is not bad. It's nothing to rack your brains to think for yourself..."
"but!"
A hint of coldness flashed across Chu Tianxiao's eyes.
"You want to play dirty tricks and use me, Chu Baijia, as a stepping stone?"
"Don't you think your wishful thinking is a little too loud?"
With this in mind, Chu Tianxiao suddenly wanted to see what kind of expression he would have if he insisted on "choosing" that person... But then he changed his mind and thought that although this would be revenge, the method would be too "harmful to both sides", and his ultimate goal was to pass, which meant... would that guy get some benefits
This won’t do!
There is obviously no grudge between us, but you come here to criticize me for your own selfish reasons, and you still want to get some benefits
You wish!
He must be beaten to death, not even a trace of him can be left!
"Well... the best way is to find someone he least looks down on, support him and snatch all his opportunities... Tsk, I can do this myself, but raising bamboo is too tiring... A prodigal son doesn't want to do hard work!"
Thinking in his heart, Chu Tianxiao carefully scanned the people in the room. Suddenly, their faces turned ugly. Everyone's eyes flickered, and they looked extremely reluctant to be chosen...
(ps: Don’t ask me what’s going on with the stupid bamboo in this chapter, everyone in the group knows it)