Chapter One: Breaking Zhong Mountain
The wind carried dampness that clung to the skin like a rag that hadn't been wrung out. Chen Ye sat on the threshold of the Dragon King Temple, the cigarette between his fingers burned down to the filter, scorching him into a sudden jerk. The butt fell onto the cracked dirt, sparks flying before the wind quickly snuffed them out, just like the crumpled college entrance exam results in his hand: 478 points, two short of the cutoff for a bachelor's program.
The third time.
He stuffed the results into his pocket. The fabric rubbed against the glaring words "Bachelor's cutoff: 480," as if repeatedly tearing at a wound that hadn't healed. In the distance, the mountains were shrouded in gray mist. In past years
