23 Constitution (2/2)
She pulled out a small round pill and handed it to Davide. He grabbed it eagerly and popped it in his mouth. After a second, a look of pure disgust crossed his face.
”I know it's bitter, but if you swallow it, you'll feel a lot better!”
Davide looked betrayed, but pain overcame his taste and he swallowed.
”Good boy.”
I heard muffled tapping, then the door swung open.
”Chairman.”
The nurse bowed, then left the room.
”Congratulations. You three are this year's scholars.”
Even these simple words were incredibly dynamic, and I felt excited at the prospect of being a scholar.
”Sir, what does being a scholar mean?” I asked
”Hm. I will get to that in due course. Our testing methods are designed to select two types of students.”
”The first is those that have high innate qi. Those children are best suited to enter the middle ranks of the military.”
”The second is you three. You, have special constitutions.”
He paused and walked underneath a beam of light from a small window.
”Your constitutions are of a particular type. They drastically increase your innate qi and render you incompatible with other sources of qi.”
”The teachers at my school are well equipped to teach you appropriate techniques for your constitution.”
He looked at me with a little smile.
”Now, I will address what makes scholars special in our school. You will follow the standard curriculum, but you will also be assigned a suitable mentor.
”Before I send you back to your parents, do you know what your constitutions are? If you already know, it will hasten the process of selecting your mentor.”
Davide spoke up first.
”I've got the Golden Web constithingy!”
His pain seemed to have already disappeared, and he was as cheery as ever. Before I could speak, a nervous murmur escaped Yao Daiyu's mouth.”
”… Qi constitution.”
Chairman Liu leaned over towards her,
”Would you be able to speak up?”
”Crystalline Qi constitution.”
Yao Daiyu's voice was louder this time, and Chairman Liu seemed a bit taken aback at her words.
”My, my… and you are taking the appropriate medicine I presume?”
Yao Daiyu shook her head.
”What?!” Chairman Liu's calm demeanour was broken in an instant, ”How are you… I will have someone take you to the Crow immediately.”
I was alerted by the name. This was probably the same Crow that I knew. Chairman Liu turned to the door and called out,
”Guard!”
A guard burst through the door,
”Sir?”
”Take this girl to go see the Crow urgently. Tell him that she has a Crystalline Qi constitution and hasn't taken any medicine. Tell him I sent you.”
”Yessir,” he turned to Yao Daiyu, ”follow me.”
Yao Daiyu started walking after the guard, but was stopped by chairman Liu,
”Stop! You can't be walking, guard, you must carry her.”
”I'm fine,” she interjected. Her voice was timid, and she seemed scared.
Chairman Liu seemed unnerved for a second, then regained his composure.
”If you say so.”
They left the room, and Chairman Liu turned to me.
”For you, I have read your document. I haven't heard of that constitution, but I will pass it on to the head archivist. For now, you two may go back to your parents. Come back tomorrow at sunrise.”
Chairman Liu started towards the door when Davide called out,
”Mr Liu, what did I get? I didn't hear my results…”
I saw a little smile creep across Chairman Liu's withered face.
”Your qi force was 153. Your qi affinity was 91%. You'll need to work hard, little upstart.”