Inside Exam Room Three, Chu Qianli was enthusiastically organizing the test, instructing the candidates to queue up and showcase their special skills. The atmosphere was lively and bustling.
Most of the examinees, even after finishing their tests, refused to leave. Instead, they stood to the side, watching others cast their divinations. The methods varied greatly, covering Liu Yao, Si Zhu, Da Liu Ren, Qi Men Dun Jia, and more. Naturally, there were also Chinese practitioners who studied Western divination techniques.
Chu Qianli marveled, “This really is a place full of hidden talents. It’s been a long time since I’ve exchanged ideas with fellow practitioners. The outside world has changed again.”
Though her divination skills were exceptionally strong, she too had her areas of specialization. During her time working on projects with Pan Yicheng, her feng shui expertise had grown, but there were still divination methods she had never encountered before. Now, she found herself watching with fresh curiosity.
It was like solving a math problem—while the final answer remained the same, the process could differ, and perhaps there was something worth learning from it.
Others felt the same way as Chu Qianli. When they saw an impressive technique, they couldn’t help but cheer,
“Nice! That’s some serious skill!”
“Hey, fellow Daoist, mind adding me on WeChat? What technique do you practice?”
“Why don’t we start a group chat?”
Some of them had never been in the presence of so many peers before, and they eagerly engaged in discussions, turning the exam hall into what felt like a grand gathering.
Seeing Chu Qianli watching with keen interest, Tan Muxing whispered, “How are we going to leave later?”
He had been dutifully recording information, but now that the examinees were nearly finished, he had no idea how they were supposed to exit.
Chu Qianli replied sweetly, “Don’t panic—just use your legs and walk.”
“…”
The Qianmen disciples stood closer to the entrance, and they could still hear the persistent thud, thud of knocking, as if Wang Che, who had been locked outside, was unwilling to leave.
A young Daoist sighed, “The guy outside really does seem to be the examiner.”
Earlier, he had hesitantly cast a divination and found that Wang Che had been telling the truth—he was indeed the official examiner. However, he couldn’t understand why the real examiner was worse than the fake one. Moreover, the candidates inside were so engrossed in exchanging techniques that no one seemed to care about verifying the situation anymore.
“So… who are we actually supposed to test with? This whole thing feels completely unorganized,” another person questioned.
“Even Daoist temples conducting rituals aren’t this chaotic. These people seriously lack organizational skills.”
The fake examiner was wildly popular, while the real examiner was locked outside. The Daoists were utterly confused.
“Forget it, let’s just go with the flow. I’ll cast another divination… I guess testing with her works too.” The young Daoist hesitated for a moment before adding, “Let’s finish up quickly and regroup with Zaiyuan.”
The Daoists and the Chuma Xian practitioners often clashed due to differing philosophies. However, they had no responsibility for maintaining order in the exam hall, so they simply queued up to take their tests with Chu Qianli.
By the time Shi Zhuoqu rushed back, the exam had already concluded smoothly. Exam Room Three was completely empty.
Inside the room, Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing were still seated at the conference table.
At last, Wang Che managed to enter the exam hall. The moment he saw Shi Zhuoqu step inside, he couldn’t wait to file his complaint, furiously pointing at them, “It’s these two! They pretended to be me and acted as examiners!”
Hearing his hysterical yelling, Chu Qianli quickly covered her ears and muttered, “Alright, alright, I’m not going to run away. No need to shout so loud…”
“Besides, don’t examiners get paid? I didn’t take any money but still did your job for you. Why are you so angry?” she said innocently.
Tan Muxing had a bad feeling that her white lotus remark was about to make things worse.
Sure enough, Wang Che exclaimed in disbelief, “Director Shi, just look at how arrogant she is!”
On his way back, Shi Zhuoqu had been wondering who the fake examiner could be. He hadn’t expected it to be Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing. Raising a hand to signal Wang Che to calm down, he frowned deeply and asked, “Ms. Chu, I don’t understand—why did you do this?”
Shi Zhuoqu knew that Chu Qianli’s abilities were not bad, likely on par with Mei Ruqing’s. But he hadn’t expected her to throw Exam Room Three into chaos!
“I had nothing better to do. When I saw that there was no examiner, I just took over,” Chu Qianli blinked. Then, picking up the list from the table, she smiled and said, “I’ve selected your candidates for you—no need to thank me!”
Wang Che raged, “Director Shi—”
Shi Zhuoqu’s voice turned serious. “Do you understand the consequences of what you’ve done?”
“What consequences? I have no idea,” Chu Qianli shrugged with a bright smile. “Why don’t you tell me, Director Shi?”
Seeing how composed she was, Shi Zhuoqu suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
Seeing Shi Zhuoqu remain silent, Chu Qianli happily swung her legs and motioned for Tan Muxing to push her chair. Sitting on the swivel chair, she spun around joyfully and said casually, “Disqualify me? Send someone to beat me up? Or use the power of your group to suppress me?”
“Oh, wait, that’s not right. Director Shi, you should report to your superiors first since you don’t really have much authority yourself.” Chu Qianli tilted her head and continued, “Even though you speak politely, in your hearts, you’re not truly respectful. You still don’t see us as equals.”
Shi Zhuoqu’s words were calm and courteous, but his attitude was merely superficial. Or rather, the forces behind him were simply like that. They claimed they were open to cooperation, but their approach was straightforward and forceful—if they decided someone could skip the preliminary test, that person was exempt, as if they were the ones setting the rules.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense.
Tan Muxing silently helped Chu Qianli spin her chair, watching as she gleefully twirled around.
Wang Che noticed their fearless attitude and saw that Shi Zhuoqu remained speechless, so he reminded him anxiously, “Director Shi…”
Shi Zhuoqu’s gaze darkened. After a long moment of contemplation, he finally spoke, “I assume you did this for a reason. You could have just said it outright—we can communicate properly.”
Chu Qianli wasn’t entirely wrong. They actually had no means to punish her. If she were disqualified, she wouldn’t care at all—she might even persuade Mei Ruqing to leave as well.
The three of them were in this together. If they lost the Sanqing Bell, Monderson might end up being restricted.
Her disruption of the exam hall was both a provocation and a demonstration, something she had thought through before taking action.
Chu Qianli smiled. “If you’re looking for mystics who will obediently call you ‘Director Shi’ all day, then there’s no need for us to continue this conversation. But if you’re looking for something else, maybe we can talk.”
Wang Che snapped, “What do you mean!?”
Shi Zhuoqu remained calm. “Wang Che, please step outside.”
Wang Che was seething with resentment toward Chu Qianli, but he couldn’t defy Shi Zhuoqu’s orders, so he left the exam room begrudgingly.
Watching Wang Che walk away, Chu Qianli sighed helplessly. “Sigh, once you stop caring about yourself, others won’t care about you either.”
Shi Zhuoqu turned to face them. “Now that we’re alone, you can speak your mind.”
Chu Qianli remarked, “Sometimes, dealing with people like you is even more exhausting than dealing with ordinary folks. You all believe that those with money and power are the ones who define the rules and that everyone else should follow your system. Monderson is a world-class financial group—why would anyone dare to disobey it?”
Divination required sincerity. If the person seeking guidance wasn’t respectful or honest, the diviner wouldn’t be able to deliver a meaningful reading.
“You say we should take the preliminary test, so we must take it. You say someone can be exempt, so they’re exempt. You completely act as if you’re the ultimate authority!” Chu Qianli sighed.
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
“In our field, arguments are common because we hold different perspectives. But there are always some fundamental principles that remain universal. Regardless of your beliefs or the rigor of your system, you at least need to follow the concepts of karma and cause and effect—you should understand that some things can be done, and some things shouldn’t.” Chu Qianli stated, “But you don’t. You’re not one of us, yet you think you can control everything.”
Even though Chu Qianli considered herself the best of her time, she still had rivals among her peers. What qualifications did these people have to make the rules?
At the very least, those who practiced divination held a sense of reverence, but some people simply didn’t know fear.
“You’ve been game masters for too long, and now you’re extending your hand into a field you don’t understand. I was just playing a small prank,” Chu Qianli said nonchalantly. “You probably think I’m a troublemaker and a nuisance, but when someone has been dominant for too long, they start believing that any demand for dignity is unreasonable.”
She spread her hands. “To be honest, I don’t care about the preliminary test results. I know my own abilities. I’m just here to stir things up.”
Her real reason for participating in the preliminary test was to create an opportunity for negotiation.
Shi Zhuoqu understood the deeper meaning behind her words and asked, “Then what do you consider a dignified approach?”
Chu Qianli raised four fingers and stated with composure, “First, you shouldn’t be the ones selecting us. I understand the project’s personnel are limited, but your expertise isn’t sufficient. At most, you can be sponsors—you have no right to be the judges.”
“Second, the exemption process should be abolished. Everything should be fair, just, and transparent. No more private meetings to pull strings.”
“Third, there should be transparency of information. Since you need the antique in Sister Ruqing’s possession, that means this isn’t just a simple employer-employee relationship—it’s an equal partnership. At the very least, there should be open communication.”
“Fourth, let the people with real authority step forward. I don’t want to finish a conversation only to have to wait for Director Shi to report it up the chain.”
Shi Zhuoqu raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you think these demands are a bit excessive?”
Chu Qianli smiled sweetly. “Not really. Compared to your secretive exemptions and backroom deals, I think I’m being quite reasonable. Besides, you don’t have to listen to me—I’m not forcing you.”
Shi Zhuoqu thought for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, “I…”
“Going to report it?” Chu Qianli interjected knowingly. She waved her hand dismissively. “Go on, go on, report to your superiors!”
“…”
Shi Zhuoqu found Chu Qianli incredibly difficult to deal with. He wasn’t sure if she was connected to the national team, but she had a deep understanding of human nature. Realizing he couldn’t handle this situation himself, he knew that only Lin could communicate with her directly.
Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing, after posing as examiners, left without consequence. They even bid a cordial farewell to Wang Che at the door.
Seeing them leave, Wang Che hurried back into the room and anxiously asked, “Director Shi, they just left like that? What about the exam!?”
“I’ll report this matter to my superiors. For now, let’s not interfere any further.” Shi Zhuoqu added, “She’s close with one of the exempted candidates. If we make a wrong move, it could have major repercussions.”
Wang Che hadn’t expected him to back down and quickly pressed, “Then what about the results of Exam Room Three? I haven’t even given them the test questions!”
Shi Zhuoqu hesitated for a moment, then glanced at the conference table and tentatively suggested, “…Why don’t you check if the people they selected are suitable?”
If they declared the results of Exam Room Three invalid and tried to reassemble the candidates for a retest, it would severely damage their credibility.
This might have been the very purpose of Chu Qianli impersonating an examiner—she wanted to make it clear that Monderson was unqualified to take the lead. Once discipline was broken at the very beginning, there would be even less obligation to cooperate moving forward.
This move was exceptionally ruthless. She was a troublemaker, and now she was cultivating more troublemakers. In the future, there would be plenty of people refusing to follow orders.
At the entrance of the building, Tan Muxing followed Chu Qianli outside. Looking up at the sky, he remarked calmly, “I thought I’d have to call Uncle Qi.”
Worried that they might be detained, Tan Muxing had been prepared to contact Uncle Qi.
Hearing this, Chu Qianli suddenly realized something and regretted it deeply. She smacked her forehead and said, “Oh right, we’re in the capital! Xingxing, you could’ve just called someone over—if I had known that, I wouldn’t have bothered reasoning with him for so long!”
Since they were in someone else’s building, she had thought it best to persuade them with logic. But Tan Muxing had an invisible fleet of vehicles in the capital—if that was the case, they could have just stormed in directly!
“…No, that’s not how this works.”
On the other side, Lin had just finished a call with Shi Zhuoqu. His expression darkened as he hung up, then turned to see Abner sitting on the sofa watching TV.
On the screen, a giant panda was lounging adorably in a bamboo forest, accompanied by an English narration.
“Aberna, what are you doing?”
Aberna, still watching TV, was holding a pair of chopsticks awkwardly, practicing his grip. He answered, “I’ve never been to China before, so I’m trying to learn a bit in advance.”
Lin frowned. “There was an issue with the preliminary test over there. Someone stirred up trouble and disrupted an entire exam hall.”
Aberna paused in surprise. “So it’s actually true.”
“What’s true?”
As a researcher of mysticism, Aberna suddenly became intrigued. His eyes lit up with enthusiasm as he said, “I heard that mysticism and ping-pong hold the same status in China. The way people play ping-pong in residential neighborhoods is on par with international tournaments. No wonder your preliminary test got completely wrecked—it turns out the rumors are true.”
Lin stared at the inexplicably excited Aberna: “?” What exactly are you so happy about?
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.
