Su Ke and Chen Yuan faced no further mishaps during the practical portion of the exam, which concluded shortly thereafter.
Their results were released not long after they finished, with Su Ke scoring three points lower than Chen Yuan. Su Ke had been mentally prepared for this outcome the moment she left one question blank. However, those watching the live broadcast raised objections, pointing out that one specific question was clearly outside the curriculum and should not have been counted toward the final score.
The examiner, upon reviewing the results, agreed that this was unfair to Su Ke. Even though he hadn't heard the dissent from outside the examination room, he consulted both students. "Candidates, because the paper contained a question that fell outside the syllabus, would you agree to exclude that question from the final scoring?"
Chapter 173