Chapter 156: Chapter 156: The Agonized Consorts, a Perfect Score for Yun Zhenyue?
When they saw the ghost proctor’s strange behavior,
the audience from the Dragon Country was completely baffled.
Seriously, man?
You’re giving her answers, you’re dropping hints—anyone who didn’t know better would think Yun Zhenyue was your own daughter.
And that’s not all!
You even made a cheat sheet for her?
This is just too ridiculous!
Even if she were his daughter, isn’t it going too far to be so brazenly dismissive of the exam?
Many of them had lived this long
and had never once seen a proctor help someone cheat.
[What kind of proctor needs a half-hour tea break?]
[This ghost proctor seems to have a lot on his mind.]
[My kid’s kindergarten exams are stricter than this.]
[Damn, he’s so obviously helping Yun Zhenyue cheat. Could this be a trap?]
[Probably not. I’m looking at the other contestants, and they all look constipated. Their proctors certainly aren’t helping them.]
[That’s really weird, then. It’s not like the great Yun Zhenyue bribed him. He’s just helping her out. Are they actually related?]
...
Although the ghost proctor had stepped out of the exam room,
not a single ghost dared to cheat!
Because if they were caught, the punishment would be extremely severe!
Not only would their scores be invalidated, but they would also be permanently banned from taking exams!
They’d even be thrown into prison for re-education.
Even though the ghost proctor was constantly making strange noises inside the exam room,
aside from the few test-takers near Yun Zhenyue,
most just assumed it was normal.
The thought that the ghost proctor might be helping someone cheat never even crossed their minds.
After all,
ghost proctors were officials in the ghost city who possessed a Fish Talisman!
They were beings who stood above all other ghosts!
Things like ghost coins and Ghost Artifacts? They wouldn’t even spare them a glance.
Even that group of rebels, the Embers, had no clue how to bribe such an existence.
Moreover, every exam room was monitored by Ghost Artifacts to ensure no test-taker violated the rules.
Under such conditions, getting a proctor to help?
Unless you could bribe every single ghost in the entire exam hall, it was unthinkable!
Yun Zhenyue also noticed the small paper note that had rolled to her feet.
But the thought of cheating never crossed her mind.
Her gaze was still fixed on the questions on her exam paper.
’This second question is hard too... What should I do...?’
Meanwhile, the ghost proctor was standing outside the exam room,
secretly peeking in from below the glass window.
When he saw that Yun Zhenyue wasn’t getting the hint and hadn’t even glanced at the note, he was so anxious he broke out in a sweat.
’Look at it!’
’Lady!’
’My dearest lady!’
’Just one glance is all it takes!’
’It’s filled with the answers to the multiple-choice questions!’
’Just copy a couple of sentences for the essay questions, and you’ll get a high score!’
’Why won’t you look?!’
The ghost proctor prayed desperately.
But Yun Zhenyue remained as stiff as a board, her expression grave as she gripped her pen, diligently following the exam rules—the very picture of a model student!
This was driving the ghost proctor crazy!
He’d worried himself sick trying to help Yun Zhenyue cheat!
She wouldn’t even look at the cheat sheet he’d given her.
He couldn’t just storm in and snatch her exam paper, could he?
...
「Meanwhile.」
The other contestants were also furiously answering their questions.
Cecil stole a glance toward the front of the room.
The proctor in her exam hall was incredibly strict!
Sadistically so!
A female ghost proctor with eyes like a hawk stood at the podium.
She wore an utterly frumpy shirt with her arms crossed, the lines around her pursed lips drawn taut. The shadow of her brow made her eyes look dark and bottomless.
No movement, however slight, escaped her gaze!
"You! Yes, you! What do you think you’re doing!"
Just then,
Cecil was about to pull out her cheating fountain pen.
The harsh shout made her jump.
Cold sweat beaded on her back, and she was ready to apologize!
Only then did she realize the female ghost proctor wasn’t talking to her, but to a ghost beside her.
And it was just because he took a sip of water?
’You can’t even drink water?’
Cecil swallowed hard and quietly lowered her head.
But staring at the hellishly difficult exam paper,
she found that even by guessing, she could only answer a small fraction of the questions.
And there was no guarantee any of those answers were right.
At this rate, she was probably going to end up in last place!
At that moment,
Cecil gritted her teeth and made a decision!
’I’m risking it all!’
She stealthily retrieved a hidden, blood-red fountain pen from under her desk.
After all,
all the test-takers were using the standard-issue ballpoint pens.
Her fountain pen was extremely conspicuous!
Thankfully, Cecil was sitting in the last row and had a rather ordinary, harmless demeanor, which helped her avoid detection.
She wrapped her large hand around the pen.
Using an exceptionally awkward grip, she pointed the nib toward the paper.
SCRITCH SCRATCH~
As soon as she was holding the pen,
Cecil was thrilled to discover it had started writing the answers automatically.
Her heart was pounding.
In a flash, it had already finished several multiple-choice questions.
But just then!
CLATTER!
She was so nervous her palms were sweating, and she lost her grip!
The fountain pen slipped from her hand, hit the floor, and the ink cartridge popped out!
"Hmm?!"
The female ghost proctor saw this, her brow furrowing.
She began to walk slowly toward Cecil.
At the sight, Cecil felt a chilling dread wash over her, as if she’d been plunged into an icy abyss.
She trembled uncontrollably, and only two words echoed in her mind!
I’m screwed!
...
「On the other side.」
Han Sumei was chewing on the tip of her pen, struggling with the exam.
’How is this so hard? Who the hell wrote this test? Dammit!’
On the verge of a breakdown, she frantically flipped through the pages.
She couldn’t write a single word!
The ghost fruit she ate earlier was completely useless!
It was supposed to enhance her memory, and she’d spent ages cramming. But the atmosphere in the exam room was so oppressive that the second she got nervous, she completely blanked on everything she’d memorized!
With no other choice,
Han Sumei could only try to peek at the exam of the ghost in front of her.
But the moment she lifted her head,
she met the proctor’s gaze, as cold and sharp as a razor’s edge!
Besides, the ghost in front of her was extremely tall, completely blocking her view of his paper.
And that wasn’t all.
The ghost next to her was deathly pale.
He looked unwell, constantly clutching his stomach.
PFFT PFFT~
Suddenly, accompanied by a soft noise,
a foul stench assaulted Han Sumei’s nostrils.
Her face instantly turned green!
It smelled exactly like rotten eggs mixed with fermented herring!
"BLEGH~"
Han Sumei gagged. ’Someone is actually farting during an exam!’
Her mind was already a blank slate, and the fumes were making it impossible to answer anything!
She tried to endure it,
but it was immediately followed by a rapid-fire succession of farts!
PFFT-PFFT-PFFT-PFFT~
Han Sumei stared at the ghost in disbelief.
’Does he have a trumpet shoved up his ass?’
Just as Han Sumei was about to report him,
the proctor walked over.
His brow was tightly furrowed.
He grabbed the farting ghost by the collar and sneered, "Trying to pass answers with farts? Don’t think I didn’t notice."
"One toot for A, two for B. Such a childish trick is truly pathetic."
"We’ve undergone rigorous training. No ability or Ghost Artifact can escape our notice!"
"You have cheated on the exam, violating the rules of the ghost city. Go reflect on your actions in prison!"
The farting ghost trembled upon hearing this.
He hastily pleaded innocence, claiming he was just feeling unwell.
But it was no use. He was dragged away by several officials.
Han Sumei was stunned speechless.
She hadn’t realized it at all!
’You can even cheat by farting?’
If such an unorthodox method of cheating was caught,
then wouldn’t she be courting death by trying to peek?
The entire exam hall was like an inescapable net!
She couldn’t fathom what kind of legendary figure could possibly succeed at cheating in this terrifying environment.
Amidst her shock,
Han Sumei also found a small bit of consolation.
’Good!’
’That Yun Zhenyue woman!’
’She had the shortest preparation time of all!’
’Surely she’ll have to face failure this time, right?’
...
Before long,
the written exam ended.
Yun Zhenyue had just turned in her paper and was walking out of the classroom.
She hadn’t even left the exam hall yet
when she noticed the ghost proctor seemed to be altering her paper, scribbling on it.
"Sir, did I forget to write my name?" Yun Zhenyue asked, turning back in confusion.
"It’s nothing. I’m just taking a quick look,"
the ghost proctor said, breaking out in a cold sweat.
"You should go on ahead. No loitering in the exam hall."
"..."
Yun Zhenyue walked out of the exam hall, feeling suspicious.
She saw Xiaoying still sitting on a bench by the exam hall.
Her crimson eyes seemed to ask how the test went.
"I have a really weird feeling about that test,"
Yun Zhenyue said with a sigh as she sat down beside her.
"Especially the proctor. He just stood next to me the whole time and wouldn’t leave."
"I’m guessing my written exam score will be terrible. It’s probably impossible for me to get to the interview stage."
"Mm..."
Hearing this, Xiaoying gave a slight nod, as if this was a matter of course.
’Of course!’
’It’s her first time taking the test, and she was so unprepared. No matter how smart Yun Zhenyue is, she’d be lucky not to come in dead last, to say nothing of making it to the interview!’
She had already anticipated this and was getting ready to leave.
But at that moment,
Yun Zhenyue insisted on dragging her to get medical treatment.
Coincidentally, there was a small clinic right near the exam hall.
A resigned Xiaoying was pulled into the clinic to get the scrape on her fingertip treated.
But just as the two were leaving the clinic and passing the exam hall again,
the results of the written exam were posted.
A score ranking was plastered on the exam hall wall.
The surrounding test-takers stared at the names on the list, some with envy, others sighing in disappointment.
The focus of their discussion was the person who had placed first on the written exam.
"Yun Zhenyue came in first on the written test?"
"Who’s that? I’ve never heard that name!"
"Damn, the test was so hard this time. How did she get a perfect score?"
"No way, she didn’t even lose a single point on the essay questions? You’ve got to be kidding me!"
"She must be a true genius. She’ll have a boundless future. Ah, if only I knew her."
Upon hearing these words,
Xiaoying’s mind went completely blank!
She shot a look of disbelief at the bewildered Yun Zhenyue.
Then her eyes darted back to the first name on the list!
Yun Zhenyue actually got a perfect score?!!
’And you call *that* a terrible score?’
"You... 1st place... a perfect score?"
Xiaoying stammered.
Her normally expressionless face was filled with shock.
Her lips, from which words seldom came, were parted in surprise.
’When did the written exam become this easy?’
’Can you really get a perfect score without even needing to look at the questions?’
After all!
Ever since the ghost city began selecting its officials through examinations,
there had never, ever been a perfect score!
’What kind of monster genius is this?!’
Yun Zhenyue was just as confused when she heard this.
She stared at her name at the very top of the list.
’I got first place?’
"No way. I just wrote down whatever came to mind. How could that get a perfect score? That exam must have been way too easy," Yun Zhenyue said, her eyes wide. "So does this mean I’ve made it to the interview?"
"..."
Xiaoying fell silent.
She secretly clenched her small fists!
’What a blatant humblebrag!’
’How could this be such a coincidence?’
’I just randomly dragged a stranger to the exam hall, and she turns out to be a super genius?’
’That said... if Yun Zhenyue passes the interview, she’d be a worthy candidate to recruit, wouldn’t she?’
Now, it all came down to the interview.
