I am the Ruler of the Kingdom of Mysterious-Chapter 246 - 214: Guaranteed to Pass the Exam
Modern times.
In the days leading up to the final exams, Sang Que was so anxious that she started losing hair and couldn’t sleep, she hadn’t been this nervous even when facing evil ghosts stronger than her.
These days, she’s also been plagued with misfortune: breaking chairs while reading, desks crashing under the weight of her papers, water pipes bursting when she’s using the bathroom, almost causing a fire just by cooking instant noodles.
Luckily, she quickly realized that each time disaster was about to strike, the black dog Great General at home would bark at her. As long as she instantly teleported away from the spot, she could avoid these unfortunate and costly occurrences.
The two days of exams were the last days of misfortune, Sang Que was really afraid of going to the classroom and possibly causing the teaching building to collapse, something her mom couldn’t afford to compensate for.
Left with no choice, Sang Que had to resort to other measures.
Earlier in Pinghu Village, she had offered incense to the Mountain Ghost Token. When she returned from Pinghu Village, she discovered that the three sticks of incense she offered had burned out midway, showing a left-high, middle and right level appearance.
At that time, she didn’t understand, but later learned from Yu Da that it was ’Forest Formation Incense’, indicating that gods were offering protection on both sides. Delving deeper, it meant that although what she was about to do would have immediate misfortunes, God’s protection would offer compensation elsewhere.
In Pinghu Village, she faced the Fish Woman, receiving the Witch Lady’s protection, lost some things, yet the Yin Child accidentally obtained a Ghost Eye.
The incense indeed worked effectively.
Afterwards, she burned incense several times but never encountered the situation where the incense went out midway again, leading Sang Que to think it might be because she wasn’t sincere enough.
Before going to Fish Woman Village, due to nervousness and uncertainty, she could only rely on the Witch Lady, so there was a certain amount of sincerity in offering that incense.
When one’s personal ability can’t solve the current dilemma, seeking divine intervention becomes the last resort.
Sang Que immediately burned incense and bathed, selected the auspicious spot at home to place the Mountain Ghost Token and incense burner with offerings, respectfully knelt before the Mountain Ghost Token, calmed her mind, lit the incense, and bowed three times.
She genuinely prayed for the Witch Lady to bless her exams with luck, suppress the adverse effects of misfortune, even if it meant delaying it by two days.
With the incense inserted into the incense burner, Sang Que continued to kneel there, silently reciting the sacrificial poem about the Mountain Ghost.
"If there’s someone at the mountainside, clad in resplendent apparel and adorned with trailing vines..."
After reciting the poem, a breeze swept across, lifting the strands of hair on Sang Que’s cheek, prompting her to immediately look into the incense burner.
The incense was already extinguished, left low and right high in a stepped formation—merit incense.
Merits complete, divine blessings silently assured, success! 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
Sang Que felt heartened, and her mind seemed notably clearer when studying and doing papers afterward, as if guided by divine inspiration.
On the day of the exam, no unfortunate incidents occurred, and a substantial portion of the test questions were ones she had encountered while practicing before, including two big questions on the math paper.
Scoring a pass was definitely achievable now!
Cheerfully finishing the exam, Sang Que planned to have hot pot with Jiang Zao, but just when she spotted Jiang Zao, she felt as if her foot were pulled by a ghost, directly lunging toward Jiang Zao, unable to dodge at all.
Neither she nor Jiang Zao fell, but Jiang Zao’s newly bought phone was hit by her...
Bam!
The screen shattered like a flower.
Out in the corridor outside the classroom, Jiang Zao angrily stretched out her hand to Sang Que, "Pay up!"
Sang Que decided to skip the hot pot, fearing the restaurant might explode next.
On January 10th, after the final exams ended, the winter vacation began, and Sang Que’s streak of misfortune would continue for another two days.
...
Deceit Dynasty, Wangshan City.
A major snowfall had just ended, following the morning rooster crow, street-side shops opened one after another, shopkeepers holding brooms and various snow-clearing tools, sweeping the snow from their doorsteps.
"Old Yu, heading off early to check-in, huh."
Yu Da, dressed in heavy cotton clothing, over which he had worn the Evil Suppression Bureau uniform, resembling a ball. His hands held a freshly fried, steaming oil cake as he nodded greetings to the person on the roadside.
A bite into the oil cake offered a crispy exterior with a soft interior, the high temperature melting the sugar syrup which flowed hotly in his mouth, Yu Da inhaled the warmth, his brows and eyes bending into a satisfied smile.
"The newly opened Yun Ji Pastries shop makes really delicious oil cake, I must bring Little Chan and Sang Er here to try it once they return."
Yu Da, although exhausted daily like a dog, living as a solitary soul, as long as he had good food, his fatigue would vanish.
In a nearby alley, Hua Qianmian, in a girl’s guise, hid unnoticed by others, secretly watching Yu Da while writing with charcoal pencil on paper.
[On the fourteenth of December, Yu Da got up early, did not wash, went straight to Yun Ji to purchase ten oil cakes, greeted the shopkeeper from Zhang’s Miscellaneous Work beside the road, before exiting the alley, finished all the oil cakes...]
Hua Qianmian leaned forward to take a look, furrowing her brow.
[Went again to the newly opened crispy cake shop at Old Ma’s, ordered two bowls of tofu pudding, three crispy cakes...]
"He eats even more than he did yesterday. The only abnormality in Yu Da is his increasing ability to eat, spending every day either on duties or eating, rushing straight to the city’s most expensive restaurant on payday for a table full of dishes, eating all day! Also, he doesn’t like cleanliness, often going three days without washing his face."
Hua Qianmian shook her head, watching Yu Da eat yet another meal of breakfast, her own stomach growling, prompting her to glance toward the newly opened Yun Ji pastry shop.
"Those oil cakes look pretty good, maybe I’ll buy some to bring to the orphanage children, it’s almost New Year, time to buy them new clothes again, Sang Mulan, when are you coming back? I’ve spent all my money."
...
At the far end of the street, Yun Ji pastry shop, a throng of people waited at the door for the next batch of oil cakes.
Having changed into the Day Traveling Envoy uniform, Kou Yushan, after sending two kids to the school, returned to see Yun Niang busily hustling inside the shop, hurriedly went in to help.
The over-thirty Yun Niang was busy at the stove, being the only one in the shop.
Seeing Kou Yushan come to help, Yun Niang offered a shy smile, wiped her hands clean on her apron, took out a specially reserved oil cake package for Kou Yushan.
"You shouldn’t help here, you’re still wearing the uniform, this package is for Granny Zhuang, quickly deliver it to her, it snowed last night, the roads aren’t good, and Granny would be going to the Evil Suppression Bureau, it’s not safe for her to go alone."
Yun Niang and Kou Yushan exchanged glances, smiled shyly at each other.
This shop was opened by Yun Niang herself, despite being young and widowed, raising two children, she continuously worked hard at various ventures to earn money.
Kou Yushan had helped her several times, leading her to gift some food and clothing in gratitude each time, as time went on, mutual affections blossomed.
Kou Yushan initially wanted to give money to Yun Niang for opening the shop, but she didn’t accept, insisted on using her own savings to open the storefront, stating that without Kou Yushan, she and her children couldn’t have dared to start the shop, fearing harassment.
Now with Kou Yushan as the Day Traveling Envoy backing her, she felt secure, others wouldn’t dare bully her easily, and that sufficed.
With the oil cake package, Kou Yushan headed to Cui Liu Lane to find Granny Zhuang, suddenly noticing a fortune-telling stall opposite the shop, the fortune teller being a female Daoist with a large red birthmark on her face, muttering to herself.
"Master, if I don’t find the person you mentioned this time, you must admit your fortune-telling skills stink! City entry tax of ten coins! Enough for ten oil cakes opposite!"
Kou Yushan glanced several times, intending to inquire, suddenly recalling Granny Zhuang had some cough yesterday, hastened to see Granny, later if no urgency returned to investigate.
Turning to glance at the bustling Yun Niang once more, Kou Yushan’s face couldn’t hide the smile, his greatest fortune now being following Sang Que to Wangshan City.
When Sang Que and Xia Chan return, he’d hold a simple wedding banquet, formally marrying Yun Niang.
Cui Liu Lane remained empty, except for Granny Zhuang, no one resided here.
Snow piled thickly at the alley’s entrance, upon Kou Yushan’s arrival, discovering a trail of footprints in the snow.
Normally, no one visited this area except himself, it snowed last night, the footprints were freshly made and small, appearing to belong to a woman, leading inside the alley.
"Did Wei Ziyan from the Merit Office come to see Granny?"
Kou Yushan ventured into Cui Liu Lane, the footprints indeed led to the door of Granny Zhuang’s residence.
Approaching Granny Zhuang’s yard, he heard a man’s tearful plea from inside the yard.
"Mother, your unfilial son, hasn’t written nor visited for years, it’s all my fault, please open the door and let me see you."
Kou Yushan’s hand paused mid-knock, was Granny Zhuang’s long-lost son truly returned? Had her son not died after all?
"Who’s there!"
At that moment, a fierce shout erupted from inside, before Kou Yushan could respond, an icy wind carrying a red hue attacked from behind.
Before darkness enveloped his vision, Kou Yushan glimpsed a corner of a blood-red wedding dress.
Plop!
The oil paper package fell into the thick white snow, its heat gradually dissipating...
