"What?!"
Both of them trembled at the same time. Erwil, dressed in blue, quickly moved forward and took the bamboo slip from the attendant's hand.
After carefully reading the answers on the bamboo slip, Erwil's grip tightened, the smile on his face slowly disappeared, his lips pressed tight, and his eyes showed a deep, hard-to-read expression.
A few seconds later, the smile returned to his face as he turned to look at Izekiel in white.
"Izekiel, what kind of person do you think can solve the question that those proud elites spent several months on, in less than half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn?"
Izekiel, who had no expression at first, slowly furrowed his handsome brows when he heard that.
"Her answer is correct?"
Erwil stepped in front of him and handed over the bamboo slip with a light smile. "See for yourself."
Izekiel took the bamboo slip and found the answer surprisingly brief, only a clear string of numbers.
However, the numbers were strange. Besides the beginning written in words, there were black dots in the middle, and several numbers after that.
Izekiel read all the numbers carefully. Even though he had traveled most of the continent, he had never seen numbers separated by black dots like this.
And if you only look at the numbers before the black dots, they matched exactly the amount that those people spent months calculating.
But how did she do it?
Izekiel looked at the bamboo slip, his eyes slowly growing colder.
Erwil walked step by step behind him, his eyes flashing cold light with a thoughtful look.
"Izekiel, what do you think would be the expression on Shuki and Ji Yuan's faces if they found out that the data they worked so hard on for months was solved by a woman in less than half the time an incense stick burns?"
Erwil said this without any mockery. Instead, his face grew even colder.
Holding the bamboo slip, Izekiel looked up at Erwil. His cold face was full of deadly seriousness.
"You, the Skywork Pavilion, were unknowingly taken the answers from. Arieck, have you had enough of sitting as the Skywork Pavilion's leader?"
Clearly, although Elara had written the correct answer, neither of them believed she solved it in such a short time.
They both came from noble families and had stood at the top of this chaotic world since birth.
They had seen many clever people since childhood, even those rumored to be as smart as demons gathered around them.
But now, a question that even those people struggled with for months was solved by a little-known merchant's daughter in a tiny country, and it only took a few words.
They could not believe it no matter what.
So now, the only explanation was that the answers, which were kept as top secrets by the Skywork Pavilion, somehow leaked out.
They had spread far without their knowledge, allowing even a merchant's daughter from a small country to get the answers.
Erwil did not care about Izekiel's cold words. He raised his hand to call a male attendant and quickly whispered a few instructions.
"Send a fast pigeon message to the nearby capitals' Lianyi Towers. Ask if anyone recently solved the first or second level questions. If so, have them write down the whole process and report quickly. Also, inquire across countries and the martial world if anyone is secretly spreading the answers."
"Yes."
The male attendant took the order and left. Erwil then looked up at Izekiel, smiling carelessly again.
"Though it's unlikely, Izekiel, this world hides many strange things. That young lady may be unknown, but what if—just what if—she has some method we don't know?"
"Also, we need to find out what the black dots and the numbers after them mean. That part is not in the Skywork Pavilion's answers."
Izekiel sat at the low table in front of him, voice cold.
"Better be true. Otherwise, your Skywork Pavilion will have no excuse."
Arieck smiled awkwardly. He also did not want the problem to be from the Skywork Pavilion. Otherwise, it would cause a wide bloody mess, not only inside the Pavilion but involving everyone who spread the answers, including the young lady downstairs.
But what if there really was such a chance?
Arieck pushed himself up from the soft couch and waved the folding fan in his hand again, his face full of interest.
"In any case, if it is the Pavilion's fault, I, Arieck, will take full responsibility. But if the young lady really has some special skill, then, well, we need to call her up and carefully test her. Let's see how capable she really is."
...
Elara followed the attendant upstairs to the second floor of Lianyi Tower.
The room was large, decorated richly and elegantly. A faint scent filled the air, making the whole private room more elegant and pleasant.
At the far end, two screens stood in front of two seats. The screens were tall and hid two vague figures behind them.
Elara glanced and confirmed that both screens hid two large men.
The male attendant led Elara to the middle of the room, facing the two screens, and asked her to sit down. Then he bowed to the screens respectfully and left.
The room was silent, with only Elara and the two men hidden behind the screens.
No one spoke, but Elara clearly felt two pairs of eyes looking at her through the screens, examining her carefully.
If a normal person was here, they might feel nervous because of the quiet and the silent gaze.
But Elara was calm and ignored those eyes. She looked around naturally and then sat down at the tea table, picking up a cup and sipping.
Hmm, not bad. The tea was top grade, almost as good as the expensive tea in the luxurious princess's mansion.
"Miss, you are calm and graceful, with an extraordinary presence. I wonder, what is your full name? Which family do you belong to, to have such a manner?"
While Elara was sipping the tea, a soft laugh came from the pale blue screen to the upper right.
It was a clear and pleasant male voice.
"My surname is Bai. Our family is a small merchant family that sometimes trades between the Plumera Kingdom and Azalea Kingdom. Our name is not well known. You flatter me, young sir."
Elara answered calmly.
The pale blue screen gave another soft laugh. "I am not flattering you. Rather, Miss Bai, you are too modest. Otherwise, this problem, which has troubled many talented people across the continent, would not have been solved by you in just a few words."
The male voice behind the screen paused lightly, as if watching Elara's expression.
She still calmly poured and tasted her tea without changing expression. The voice sighed again:
"Since I was young, I have traveled all over the continent. I have seen many intelligent people, some almost as clever as demons. But if they appeared before you, they would seem like tiny insects next to a great tree."
"To solve this problem is already rare among all those in this building. Not to mention to do so in such a short time. Your talent is truly unprecedented."
"So now, I am very curious. Could you tell me how you did it?"
Elara held her tea cup, showing no surprise at the praise in his tone. She lifted her eyes and looked calmly at the blue screen.
"Okay, but this method belongs only to me. Others may not understand it."
This might sound proud to others, but she said it plainly as if stating a fact.
Another soft laugh came from behind the pale blue screen.
"Miss, why don't you try first? Although I have not studied magic deeply, I have read many books since childhood, and I think I have a good mind. Please teach me, I want to try my best."
Elara had already guessed they would not believe her easily. She said nothing more and called a male servant standing by the door. She asked him to bring the bamboo scroll with her draft from downstairs.
She was not worried that they might see it and cause problems.
On the contrary, she wanted to show them something they could not understand, to confirm their doubts.
Elara had always been in power in her past life. She knew well what high-ranking people think.
The two behind the screen were only doubting whether her answer was real.
Since Elara wanted their attention, she needed to make them believe.
The servant quickly returned with the bamboo scroll. He was about to put it on the table before Elara but she waved her hand, raising her chin to indicate the two screens above.
"This is my thinking and process for solving the problem. Give it directly to the two young men."
The servant held the scroll and waited beside her until a voice from the pale blue screen agreed. Then he respectfully handed over the scroll.
First, it was passed to behind the pale blue screen. After about half an incense stick's time, it was taken to behind the white screen.
At the same time, the pale blue screen laughed softly again.
"As expected, this is your unique calculation method. I really do not understand a single symbol here. Miss, could you explain it?"
The white screen made sounds as pages were flipped.
Elara shook her head this time and refused.
"This cannot be explained. Even if I explain, you would not understand."
Again, she spoke in a calm tone that sounded proud.
The pale blue screen laughed softly once more. The pleasant male voice still smiled but the tone was a bit colder.
"Miss, you must know that the Lianyi Tower has been running for many years. Some people try special methods to cheat the tower's rewards. If your unique method cannot be explained to us, how can we tell you are not making things up, but..."
Before the voice finished, Elara raised her hand to stop him.
She put down her tea plate. Even though they used the words 'making things up,' she stayed calm.
Elara looked up at the blue screen and asked lightly:
"So, is my answer the same as yours?"
The man inside the blue screen seemed surprised that she could interrupt and ask back so calmly at such a time.
Arieck's folding fan slowly fanned again.
"It is somewhat the same, and somewhat different…"
Elara lost patience with his vague pressure and spoke directly.
"The numbers before the black dots are the same as your calculation, but the ones after are different, right?"
Arieck paused. She knew so clearly, could she have gotten the answer ahead of time?
Arieck glanced at Izekiel behind the white screen. Their eyes narrowed slightly as he said casually:
"Yes. Miss, you know this clearly. Could it be that you truly…"
"Got the answer from your Heavenly Workshop ahead of time?"
Elara interrupted again and finished his sentence.
No sound came from behind the screens this time. Only two sharp gazes stared at her, clearly waiting for her explanation.
The air had turned deadly quiet. This data answer was very important. If they confirmed she did not solve it herself but knew the answer beforehand, Elara might not leave this place today.
Feeling the faint killing intent in the air, Elara held the tea plate without expression and took a small sip. Then she suddenly smiled coldly:
"There are so many talented people in this world. Lianyi Tower is a huge power across the continent. I thought those inside would cherish talent and be tolerant."
"But now, you two are so confident that no one in this world can surpass Lianyi Tower. No one can get answers faster or easier?"
"Not understanding means it is nonsense? Ha, that is quite disappointing."
The tense air, frozen before, slowly melted and flowed again after Elara's almost mocking words.
The two figures behind the screens did not expect her to say such things now.
Arieck and Izekiel exchanged a glance, their eyes darkening.