noffsinger Chapter 697 Is this what you call an exam?!
Chapter 697 Is this what you call an exam?!
Chapter 697 Is this what you call an exam?!
Lin Xiaohe met Hao Jiejie's watery eyes and chuckled, "Okay."
The passerby ghost cultivator, who had only intended to give it a try, was overjoyed to suddenly receive five registration forms. He thanked them repeatedly, and then, as if afraid that they would regret it, he vanished into the gray mist with a bang.
Wang Tianhai was filled with sorrow: "In my previous lives, I was so clever that I never became meat in a pot. But I became a ghost cultivator and got tricked. Hao Jiejie, I don't ask you to have a change of heart, I just ask you to let me die knowing why."
Hao Jiejie laughed heartily, her bright eyes making her seem unlike a ghost cultivator: "He doesn't have any bad intentions. It's just that the Eternal City civil service is always short of openings, so the higher-ups gave him a referral bonus. There's a reward for referring someone to apply, and if they pass the exam, the reward doubles."
Wang Tianhai's face was all scrunched up in a wrinkled mess, as if the sky had fallen!
If it were truly a good thing, they would only keep it a secret; how could they announce it to the world and introduce policies to encourage it?
My heart is shattered to pieces!
The bald monk added insult to injury: "The higher-ups finally managed to trick some ignorant beast cultivators into joining the ranks, but when they went to stop the Eastern Kingdom people, they were burned to ashes by a nine-tailed fox. After the news came back, the remaining beast cultivators quit!"
Wang Tianhai felt as bitter as if he had swallowed a bitter herb.
Good heavens, this job not only offers no freedom, but also puts your life in danger!
No matter how unwilling he was, he had already registered, and there was no room for backing out.
The preliminary examination venue for civil servants in Yong Sheng City was set up at the former site of the Yama Palace on the eighth day before.
A dusty, three-courtyard house with a cracked plaque hanging at the entrance, bearing the four large characters: "Selecting Materials for the City".
Wang Tianhai pulled up his pants.
To appease him, Hao Jiejie gave him a hemp rope belt, which was sturdier than the previous one, but he still had to lift it when walking fast.
When they arrived at the entrance, the skinny, ghostly Xiu Hexiu, who was in charge of registration, stamped their forms expressionlessly and said, "Go in."
The examination room was a large open hall with dozens of low tables arranged in four rows. On each table were a pen, an inkstone, and a stack of straw paper.
There were only five of them taking the exam, and they could choose their seats randomly.
Wang Tianhai chose a seat in the very corner, an instinctive choice for a poor student.
Lin Xiaohe chose the middle seat, with the other three people surrounding her.
It was the same ghost cultivator in charge of registration, yawning, with droopy eyelids, carrying the exam papers as he walked in.
They didn't read out the exam room records, didn't mention the exam time, or say anything at all before handing out the exam papers.
Wang Tianhai looked down.
Fill in the blanks in Articles 57 to 83 of the "General Rules of the City of the Dead", two questions on the professional ethics of ghost cultivators, plus a policy essay entitled "On the Obstacles and Clearing Paths for the Flow of Talent Between the Yin and Yang Realms".
His mind went blank. He had just arrived in Eternal City; what rules did he know?
Hao Jiejie next to her had already started writing rapidly, her pen moving so fast it was as if she had memorized the answers beforehand.
Lin Xiaohe, like him, didn't even hold a pen; she just stared at the examiner, not knowing what she was looking at.
Seeing Lin Xiaohe so calm, Wang Tianhai suddenly slapped his forehead!
I'm telling you, you'll become stupid as soon as you enter the exam room!
He doesn't want to pass the civil service exam, so why should he be anxious about not understanding the exam questions or not being able to answer them? Isn't this exactly what he wants?
As expected, Lin Xiaohe is the smartest.
Ring ring.
The dry-cold ghost cultivator collected the papers, graded them on the spot, and said calmly, "Congratulations to the five candidates who have advanced to the second round of interviews."
What? !
Wang Tianhai was utterly shocked and raised his hand in protest: "That's not right, I handed in a blank paper!"
The withered ghost cultivator flipped to Wang Tianhai's exam paper and said righteously, "It's clearly a perfect score! The general rule of our Eternal City is that there are no rules, and you got everything right! As for the essay... we don't communicate with the Yang Realm, so of course we don't have any talent exchange mechanism."
Wang Tianhai felt as uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a fly.
He could tell that Eternal City was genuinely short of civil servants, but was it really necessary to be so desperate?
Do you even understand that forced relationships are never sweet?
Wang Tianhai persisted, pointing at Hao Jiejie and saying, "But she's filled it up!"
The withered ghost cultivator said without changing his expression, "Our Eternal City welcomes fresh blood with such ideas." Wang Tianhai felt aggrieved.
Whether you write or not, it's still you. So, this answer sheet has to get full marks, right?!
The dry-cold ghost cultivator didn't care about any of that. How to go easy on the second round of interviewers was a problem for the second round examiners to figure out. Anyway, his mission was accomplished.
With Ganba Guixiu gone, the second round of interviews began with structured interviews.
They didn't even change the exam venue!
Wang Tianhai made up his mind to remain silent and not say anything!
He refused to believe that he could pass the interview like this.
The examiner was a woman wearing a black veil: "Wang Tianhai, if you become a civil servant, and there are ghost cultivators fighting in the city, what would you do?"
Wang Tianhai sneered, and remained silent!
The examiner nodded repeatedly: "Very good. Fighting is not prohibited in the city. Your inaction is in accordance with the regulations. You pass with full marks."
Wang Tianhai's pupils dilated violently.
My dears, he's about to break down. Is this even acceptable?!
Wang Tianhai stood aside, feeling resentful, wanting to see how the examiner could still lie through his teeth.
The second person to be interviewed was a monk.
The examiner was really not paying attention; he asked the same questions repeatedly.
The monk lowered his eyes and said, "Amitabha."
The examiner waved his hand and said, "You pass! Using Buddhist principles to influence ghost cultivators is a truly innovative idea. You can give it a try."
The monk nodded. If you can't fight against fate, then just lie down and enjoy it.
Lin Xiaohe was the third one to speak.
Lin Xiaohe said calmly, "Kill them all. Both sides in the fight, and all the ghost cultivators watching—kill them all!"
The examiner paused, then forced a smile: "Very good. In chaotic times, harsh measures are necessary. Full marks."
Wang Tianhai didn't want to watch anymore.
He finally understood that from the moment he pressed his fingerprint to register, he had already been slated to become a civil servant.
Even if his answer is a pile of dog poop, the examiner will hold their nose and say that the pile of dog poop is good!
Sure enough, as expected.
On that day, all five of them passed with perfect scores and became honorable civil servants of Eternal City.
Upon hearing this news, Wang Tianhai burst into tears: "Ancestors, I'm so sorry! I've brought shame upon you! I've lost my freedom, I've lost the dignity of a ghost cultivator!"
The bald monk faced east, tilted his head back at a 45-degree angle, and shed bright yet sorrowful tears.
The mute boy squatted listlessly in the corner, pretending to be a mushroom.
Of the five people, Hao Jiejie was the happiest, full of energy and enthusiasm.
Lin Xiaohe looked at her intently: "Are you happy?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't you be happy?"
Lin Xiaohe: "Why should we be happy?"
Hao Jiejie exclaimed energetically, "Because I can change this awful Immortal City!"
Lin Xiaohe smiled enigmatically: "Given how ridiculous this civil service exam is, you could pass it anytime you come. Why wait until now to register?"
Hao Jiejie said matter-of-factly, "Because I didn't get to meet any partners. It would be so lonely to do this great thing alone."