TGA Chapter 91

Not long after, Huang Jue’s convulsions finally stopped. His head hung at an eerie angle, and after a strange beastly cry, he slowly lifted it, raising his eyes to look at the people in front of him.

The next second, Huang Jue’s voice became shrill, “Little girl, your life fate is quite special.”

His expression changed drastically, making him seem like a completely different person from before. Though his body was burly, his voice was sharp and piercing. He scrutinized Chu Qianli with an air of mystery.

The others respectfully said, “The Immortal has spoken!”

The young Taoist priest’s gaze turned cold upon hearing this. He pressed his lips together and said, “Immortals do not possess bodies.”

“Oh, I also think my life fate is quite special.” Chu Qianli showed no fear in the face of the possessed Huang Jue and responded calmly, “Didn’t expect that after the possession, you could actually see things. Your external signs weren’t even that strong just now.”

Chu Qianli watched Huang Jue with great interest. Before being possessed, his abilities were likely inferior to Mei Rujing’s, yet now, his ability to perceive matters had seemingly doubled.

The Huang Immortal smiled faintly, “Aren’t you afraid?”

Chu Qianli replied, “Afraid of what? Most of what you can do, I can do too. If you can do something I can’t, then I’d respect you as truly capable.”

She simply didn’t believe that a spirit medium could solve her short lifespan problem.

The Huang Immortal was momentarily stunned, not expecting such a response. He questioned, “But you can’t diagnose illnesses, can you?”

“I don’t have a medical license, so of course, I can’t diagnose illnesses. Why, do you have one?”

“…No.”

“Then in this era, neither of us can diagnose illnesses!” Chu Qianli declared decisively.

“……”

The others were stunned by Chu Qianli’s audacity and gasped, “How can you talk to the Immortal like that!?”

They found it hard to believe that she dared to joke with a spirit medium.

Chu Qianli blinked innocently and said, “Proper Immortals are civilized and well-mannered. They wouldn’t get angry over such trivial matters.”

Spirit mediums primarily engaged in healing, fortune-telling, and feng shui, following their own karmic rules, much like ordinary practitioners of divination. If they accumulated bad karma, they too would face consequences and couldn’t simply harm people at will.

Chu Qianli was now fearless because she understood how their system worked. As long as she remained righteous and unafraid of spirits and ghosts, everything had to follow the rules of cause and effect. If she didn’t seek their help, then they had nothing to do with her.

Of course, the disciples who are possessed are not protected by this rule. Most people who wish to become spirit mediums endure immense suffering, even developing depression, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses before they gradually gain the ability to “see things.” The cost of spiritual perception is often the loss of everything, which is why spirit mediums have a terrible reputation in the industry.

“Forget it, with a fate like hers, there’s really nothing to be afraid of…” The Huang Immortal could see that Chu Qianli didn’t have long to live. She was completely reckless, even mentally stronger than many disciples who had endured hardships.

The Huang Immortal glanced at Tan Muxing, who was recording in the background. His eyes narrowed, glinting with sharp light as he whispered, “And he’s with someone who shouldn’t even be here.”

Tan Muxing was pretending to take notes and hadn’t noticed the Huang Immortal’s gaze. He was still worried about how this mischievous act was going to end.

Compared to Chu Qianli, the Huang Immortal was more wary of Tan Muxing. A righteous man walks straight, and all evil naturally retreats. Someone like him, who neither believed in mysticism nor karma, was, in a way, the natural nemesis of those who practiced this craft. Who would be the one offending whom was yet to be determined.

Noticing that the Huang Immortal was distracted, Chu Qianli eagerly asked, “Dear Immortal, we are in the middle of an exam. Do you have any other talents to showcase? Jumping through a ring of fire? Riding a unicycle?”

“Show some respect when speaking to the Immortal!” someone scolded.

The Huang Immortal sneered, “Little girl, let’s be honest. I was so focused on your fate just now that I almost didn’t notice… you actually…” —aren’t the examiner, are you?

Chu Qianli knew when to quit while she was ahead. She immediately interrupted the Huang Immortal and went with the flow, saying, “Alright then, being able to read my fate counts as passing. Congratulations, Immortal, on passing the preliminary test!”

“What Immortal? It’s just a spirit manipulating human consciousness! Spirit mediums never meet good ends—they all end up with broken families and tragic fates!” The young Taoist priest said sternly, “Which sect do you belong to?”

Behind the young priest stood a group of Daoist disciples, all staring at the Huang Immortal with serious expressions. Some even took out their ritual instruments.

The Huang Immortal let out a mocking laugh. “What? A bunch of young priests think they can bind my spirit?”

Suddenly, the two sides stood at odds, the tension in the air palpable!

Tan Muxing looked puzzled. “What is a sect?”

Chu Qianli patiently explained, “If we put it in modern terms, being a spirit medium is like running a business. The sect is the company, and it has its own rules and regulations.”

Tan Muxing asked, “Then why are they fighting?”

Chu Qianli continued, “Well… because Taoists are more like the police, and spirit mediums are kind of like gangsters or street thugs. So, they fight from time to time, and sometimes even go and destroy each other’s sects. Some spirit mediums believe they are doing good and accumulating virtue, but some Taoists don’t accept that, believing that they are forcing people to become spirit mediums against their will.”

“Of course, spirit mediums also think that some Taoists are just incompetent and have no right to criticize them.”

Tan Muxing’s expression turned complicated. “…Why does the so-called Immortal world feel so much like the mortal one?”

It seemed that no matter how mystical these people claimed to be, they still followed the same social rules as ordinary humans—fighting, setting up businesses, and forming rival factions.

“Exactly! And they even have a rigid hierarchy in their celestial registers. That’s why socialism is better!”

“……”

“You don’t even know my karma, and you still want to drive me away?” the Huang Immortal sneered. “The Qian Sect is indeed powerful, but you lot are not qualified. I’m in a good mood today, so I won’t bother with you.”

The Huang Immortal was wary of Tan Muxing’s presence and didn’t want to get into a conflict with the Daoists.

Chu Qianli quickly urged, “Oh, no need to be polite, Immortal! You can bother with them!”

The Huang Immortal glanced at the instigating Chu Qianli and then at the oblivious Tan Muxing behind her. He seriously suspected they were trying to bait him into a trap. “……”

The Taoists’ disrespect was written all over their faces, while Chu Qianli’s was hidden in her heart. Moreover, Huang Jue was currently injured, so the Huang Immortal felt it was unwise to stay.

With a flick of his sleeve, the Huang Immortal turned to leave. “I’m wasting my time here.”

The Taoists shouted in anger, “Evil spirit, don’t run!”

However, the black-clothed man suddenly convulsed and trembled again. Moments later, his rough, unrefined expression returned, along with his deep, gruff voice. “The Immortal has left.”

The Taoists looked displeased.

Inviting spirits was easy; sending them away was the hard part. Huang Jue was still on the spirit’s side, so naturally, it would be more difficult to subdue him.

Seeing this, Chu Qianli clicked her tongue in disappointment. “Tsk, this spirit medium is really something. Why didn’t he just start a fight?”

If the two sides had clashed, it would have been a good opportunity to assess the Taoists’ skill levels.

Tan Muxing weakly said, “If you hadn’t studied astrology and dialectical materialism, some of your thoughts would actually be quite dangerous.”

Thanks to her past studies, Chu Qianli still generally guided people toward goodness. Her level of harm to society wasn’t too severe—she just enjoyed stirring things up.

Huang Jue crossed his arms and asked, “So? Did I pass?”

Chu Qianli waved her hand. “You passed, you passed. Next!”

Huang Jue casually grabbed his bag from the soft sofa. He had already received instructions and knew he shouldn’t linger here. With a laid-back attitude, he said, “Alright then, I’m out…”

“Huang bro, you’re not staying for a meal?”

“Nope, see you later.”

Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted, “Wait a minute! You can’t leave yet!”

Huang Jue turned back with a sneer. “What’s this now? Don’t tell me there’s actually a Taoist dumb enough to make trouble?”

As he turned his head, he saw an unremarkable man standing in front of him. The man wasn’t wearing a Taoist robe but was instead dressed in a plain white T-shirt.

Wang Che, the actual examiner, had been blending in with the crowd. But seeing that Huang Jue was about to leave, he sensed that something was off and was forced to reveal his identity. “You can’t leave yet; the exam hasn’t started.”

Huang Jue was confused. “Big guy, did you lose your memory? I literally just finished my exam.”

Wang Che braced himself and said, “They’re not the examiners—I am the chief examiner.”

The crowd looked puzzled.

Huang Jue scratched his head in confusion. “What the hell? I don’t get it.”

Huang Jue had no memory of being a spirit medium. His ability to “see things” only worked when he was possessed. Normally, he exhibited no external signs, as if he were an entirely separate person. Because of this, many believed that spirit mediums suffered from mental illness.

While the others examined her, Chu Qianli didn’t show the slightest reaction. Instead, she blinked in surprise before bursting into laughter. “You masters sure love to joke around. What kind of stunt is this now? You’re saying you’re the chief examiner?”

Tan Muxing turned his head guiltily, avoiding eye contact and trying to act normal.

Wang Che widened his eyes in disbelief at Chu Qianli’s blatant reversal of the situation. “That’s what I should be asking you! How are you the examiner? Exam Room Three is under my jurisdiction!”

Wang Che was utterly appalled by Chu Qianli’s audacity—she had stolen his lines right out of his mouth!

Chu Qianli, looking puzzled, said, “If it was really under your jurisdiction, shouldn’t you have stepped in earlier? Anyway, let’s stop messing around. There are other people waiting to take the test…”

“Bro, are you out of your mind?” Huang Jue said impatiently. “Alright, I’m leaving.”

Wang Che hurriedly grabbed him. “No, really, I’m the examiner! You haven’t taken the test yet!”

The others exchanged bewildered glances. One of them turned to Chu Qianli and asked, “Hey, don’t you guys have any exam regulations here? If someone’s causing trouble, just throw them out.”

Wang Che, exasperated, said, “Who are you throwing out? I’m actually the examiner!”

“Then show your credentials. That guy has one.”

Wang Che was left speechless. To better blend in as a test taker, he hadn’t brought anything that identified him as an examiner. Now, he had been outmaneuvered.

Frustrated, Wang Che scratched his head. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he proposed, “Wait a minute! Can’t you guys divine the truth? Just calculate who the real examiner is!”

Earlier, he had been worried that Chu Qianli had ruined his exam questions, but now he had a perfect chance to come up with a new one.

The young Taoist, still confused, asked, “Do we need to calculate this?”

Seeing Wang Che suddenly step forward, everyone was thrown into even greater confusion, unable to make sense of the chaotic test scene.

Chu Qianli had a sudden realization. “Oh! I see now! You masters still don’t trust me and want to test me to see if I’m qualified to be an examiner, huh?”

Wang Che, furious, snapped, “Who said anything about testing whether you’re qualified? You were always supposed to be the one being tested!”

Huang Jue, who thought he had already completed the exam, was getting increasingly irritated. “Yeah, why should we calculate this? Stop messing with people. How about you two just have a contest? The stronger one is obviously the examiner!”

“Yeah, yeah, Huang bro is right! You say we have to calculate? Do you even know how much a divination session costs!?”

“What kind of nonsense is this? Just fight it out already!”

A nearby Taoist muttered, “The tests down here in the mortal world are really unprofessional.”

Chu Qianli, still in good spirits, said, “Alright, let’s settle this quickly so we don’t waste time for other test takers. What do you want to compete in?”

Wang Che was dumbfounded. “Wait, why should I compete with you? I am the examiner!”

“I mean, I like picking fights, but even so, you can’t be this much of a troublemaker,” Huang Jue said loudly. “She’s willing to show what she’s got, so stop messing around already.”

“…How am I the one messing around!?”

Huang Jue glanced around and then took charge of the situation. “Alright, how about this? I’ll come up with a question, and you both try to answer it. Let’s see who’s the real examiner.”

“Sounds good! Huang bro setting the question is totally fair!”

Some of the Qian Sect disciples hesitated. “Are we really letting him decide?”

The young Taoist remained calm. “Let him. We’ll observe for now—this is just the preliminary test, after all.”

No one had any objections. Since the situation didn’t concern them, they were happy to just watch the supposed examiners argue.

Wang Che, now forced into a corner, had no choice but to accept the challenge to reclaim his authority.

Huang Jue smiled lazily. “Alright, here’s my question. Tell me about my spiritual connection to the Immortals.”

Spirit mediums have different connections to Immortals. Some inherit them from their ancestors, while others form connections by chance, each with its own karmic ties. Many Taoists fail to banish spirits because they can’t untangle the karma. It’s easy to ask about tangible things, but asking about the unseen is much harder.

Chu Qianli generously said, “Well, I am half the host here. How about we let the master go first?”

Wang Che mentally cursed her for calling herself a host but then began his divination. “It’s an animal spirit. You formed a connection with it over ten years ago, and it specializes in healing.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

Huang Jue looked at Chu Qianli.

She calmly stated, “Thirteen years ago, you fell off Mount Tai and were severely injured. After that, you unexpectedly gained your current abilities and formed a connection with the fox spirit you mentioned. Although you now have the ability to investigate matters, it’s mostly limited to underground affairs—you’re not skilled at reading celestial or human matters. As a result, you mainly make money through healing.”

Matters of the underworld refer to past ancestors, while matters of the human world involve wealth, marriage, career, and so on. This made it difficult for Huang Jue to divine things for ordinary people.

“However, your temple can also do feng shui readings, though you personally don’t practice it often.”

In the Chuma Xian system, different temples had varying abilities in investigation and problem-solving. Their areas of expertise differed, and their specializations were not the same.

Huang Jue was astonished. “Healing is something almost everyone knows about, but feng shui—very few people pick up on that…”

“Huang bro is a jack-of-all-trades! Hiding his skills so well!”

“The gap between them is pretty big,” someone else commented, looking around. “I feel like the difference in skill level is obvious.”

The contrast in the amount of information provided by Chu Qianli and Wang Che was stark—so much so that even outsiders could judge their abilities.

Wang Che, feeling uneasy, asked, “What do you all mean…”

“What do we mean?” Huang Jue grabbed Wang Che by the collar, now feeling completely fooled. Angrily, he said, “Are you out of your damn mind? You think messing with me is funny? With this level of skill, you’re out here trying to scam people!?”

“No, I really am the examiner, I swear—”

The next moment, Wang Che was thrown out of the exam hall. No matter how hard he tried to figure it out, he couldn’t understand how he had suddenly lost his job!?

Chu Qianli cheerfully clapped her hands. “Alright, alright! Let’s continue the test. Next candidate, please!”

Before long, far away from the scene, Shi Zhuoqu suddenly received a phone call. Lowering his voice, he asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Director Shi, this is bad! You need to come back immediately! Exam Room Three is in complete chaos—we’ve totally lost control of the situation!”

Shi Zhuoqu was baffled. “Isn’t this just the preliminary test? It’s not a war—how could it be chaotic?”

“Wang Che, the examiner, got kicked out! He’s knocking on the door outside, but no one’s letting him in. He said the test takers have decided to conduct the preliminary test on their own and are completely ignoring him!”

“…What!?”

I am just a novice translator and Chinese is not my native language. I try my best to translate the chapters as accurate as possible.
If there are any mistakes then kindly comment and remind me. Your support means a lot.