Chapter 54: On the Day of Spring Breeze and Success, Thousands of Kongming Lanterns (2/3)

“Jiang Jiang, do you think the Emperor that Li Shaoqing mentioned might give our boss an official position?”

Jiang Qingyu glanced at him with a faint smile. 

“Without a doubt.”

With the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, the Supreme Court, and the City God’s Office all under Su Fu’s influence, even if the Emperor didn’t appoint her, they could demand it!

***

In the examination room, the invigilators watched in stunned silence.

“This… this is too absurd,” Bai Li murmured to himself.

On the screen, the three chief examiners were scrambling for survival in the underworld’s manhunt, fleeing like dogs.

Meanwhile in Chang’an, Su Fu’s name was on everyone’s lips, celebrated by the people with great fanfare!

“But can Su Fu really succeed like this? Even with all this momentum in the mortal realm…”

Before he could finish, everyone saw the underworld scene change dramatically.

Behind his judgment desk, the Underworld Judge carefully examined the latest mortal realm dossier, his frown deepening.

How could such brutal crimes exist?

And since all the perpetrators were dead, their souls fell under underworld jurisdiction?

They must be captured and tried immediately!

“Send out the order!” he commanded.

“Dispatch additional underworld soldiers! Ox-Head and Horse-Face shall lead the troops immediately! These heinous criminals must be apprehended wherever they hide and severely punished!”

As the judge’s words faded, the entire examination room fell silent.

“You… you actually pulled it off?”

“The mortal realm’s judgment…” Bai Li stared in disbelief at the massive underworld army, “has truly influenced the underworld’s trial!”

“Now those examinees… heavens above!”

On screen, countless underworld soldiers were assembling in formation.

At Ox-Head and Horse-Face’s command “With us! Apprehend the fugitives!”—the terrifying army advanced ominously into the darkness.

“It’s over! It’s really over now!” Bai Li watched the screen in dismay. 

“They’re truly finished this time!” 

“During normal soul chases, it was just regular underworld officers at most. But that Ox-Head and Horse-Face look extremely powerful!”

Zhao Wujie added gravely, “Exactly. This is completely different in scale. Regular underworld officers chasing wandering spirits is routine. But when Ox-Head and Horse-Face mobilize, it means serious business.”

On screen, a group of examinees who had just evaded one wave of pursuers were catching their breath when suddenly the sky darkened, and countless chains came flying through the air!

“Bind!”

The Ox-Head let out a fierce shout, and the chains instantly transformed into a vast net filling the sky.

“Capture them!” With a wave of the Horse-Face’s soul-judging brush, over a dozen examinees were instantly bound by chains, unable to move.

It was practically a dimensional strike!

While the underworld was in utter chaos, the teachers turned their heads to look at Su Fu-

***

In the Imperial Observatory of Chang’an City.

“My lady, shall I brew another cup of tea?”

“Mmm, switch to jade dew-it tastes better.” Su Fu reclined lazily on the soft couch, flipping through the novel in her hand. 

“Oh, and tell the kitchen to prepare some snacks as well.”

Outside the window, cicadas chirped incessantly, and a gentle breeze rustled the wind chimes, producing a melodious tinkling.

She looked utterly at ease, radiating pure comfort.

The teachers: “…..”

Wait, this is an exam! 

How are you just lounging around?

Bai Li was fuming.

“Su Fu is just too much!”

“While others are being chased to the ends of the earth in the underworld, she’s here sipping tea and reading books?”

And the worst part? 

She’s the one who caused all this-how shameless can she be!

“Now, now, let’s not be hasty,” Zhang Yuanhua said with a chuckle. 

“When others increased the difficulty for examinees, it was fine, but when Su Fu does it, suddenly it’s shameless?”

“No favoritism allowed.”

“Besides, she merely… slightly… added a bit of excitement to everyone’s examinees.”

“Look at them now-aren’t they much livelier? Especially that ZhongZheng Ye-see how much faster he’s running compared to before!”

“Tsk tsk, this is what potential looks like. Exams are meant to bring out one’s potential!”

The crowd: “???”

She’s shameless, and so are you!!

***

In the underworld.

ZhongZheng Ye and Su Luan had just finished off a wave of resurrected vengeful spirits when suddenly, the netherworld trembled. 

A vast army of ghostly enforcers came charging toward them from a distance.

The two exchanged a glance, then immediately turned and bolted.

“What’s going on?!”

“Why are there so many enforcers all of a sudden?”

“This can’t be right-we didn’t do anything!”

“We definitely didn’t break any rules!”

Su Luan panted, eyeing ZhongZheng Ye suspiciously as he sprinted ahead. 

“Are you sure you didn’t do something behind the scenes?”

“Bullshit!” ZhongZheng Ye snapped. 

“I think you’re the one pulling tricks here!”

Before they could continue arguing, the situation worsened. 

Every patrolling enforcer they passed seemed to receive some kind of order, joining the pursuit one after another.

Below then, the clanking of chains echoed endlessly, and the sheer number of enforcers blotted out the sky like a massive black net descending upon them.

This is a nightmare!

“Something’s wrong… this is definitely not right!” Su Luan felt her scalp prickle. 

“Why would they abandon their patrol routes?”

They had observed and tested the enforcers multiple times, yet nothing like this had ever happened. 

So what was going on now?

The two exchanged another glance this was beyond bizarre.

“Shen Yan!” ZhongZheng Ye shouted. 

“Is this a bug?! What the hell is happening?!”

“This is way beyond the exam’s difficulty level!”

Shen Yan: “…”

Why does it feel like ever since a certain someone appeared, the number of bug reports has skyrocketed?

“Rest assured, the exam is proceeding normally.”

“Normally my ass!” ZhongZheng Ye was nearly hysterical. 

“Open your eyes and look! Is this number of enforcers normal?!”

Su Luan suddenly yelled, “Watch out-ahead!”

The two skidded to a halt.

From the shadows ahead, another squad of ghostly enforcers slowly emerged, their soul-hooking chains gleaming with a sinister chill.

This was it they were completely surrounded. 

From every direction, the watchful eyes of the underworld officers bore down on them, leaving no escape.

The two instinctively stood back to back, their nerves completely fried.

“Stop holding back,” Su Luan gritted her teeth. 

“If we don’t go all out now, we’re both dead today!”

The lead ghost officer raised his soul-hooking chain, letting out a piercing shriek. 

“Seize them!”

In an instant, a brilliant blue light erupted from ZhongZheng Ye’s body. 

The phantom of Poseidon materialized behind him.

“Wrath of the Sea God!” he roared, unleashing his full power.

At the same time, the Moon Shadow Bow in Su Luan’s hands blazed with silver light. 

The phantom of Tsukuyomi enveloped her, and cold moonlight cascaded like a waterfall.

“Illusion of the Moon!”

She drew her bow, and countless arrows of moonlight shot through the air.

BOOM!

Poseidon’s raging tides swept in all directions, churning up massive whirlpools that swallowed the ghost officers whole.

Meanwhile, Tsukuyomi’s illusions plunged the struck ghost officers into chaos, leaving them unable to react.

But the enemies were endless.

Wave after wave-there was no end to them!

ZhongZheng Ye’s face darkened. 

“While they’re disoriented-run!”

BOOM!

Another surge of tidal fury blasted open a path. 

Seizing the chance, the two sprinted toward the gap.

But just then, a massive soul-hooking chain slashed through the air, forcing them to dodge in opposite directions.

The next second, they vanished from each other’s sight.

Separated..

ZhongZheng Ye had never pushed his speed to such extremes. 

His divine energy burned wildly, his Fourth Perspective active without pause as he desperately searched for any possible safe spot.

Finally, he spotted a dead end.

Without hesitation, he dashed inside and collapsed against the wall, chest heaving.

“Damn it!”

“Why are there so many ghost officers? And why-why are they targeting us?”

Just then, a bloodcurdling scream echoed from the distance, followed by another wail from a different direction.

ZhongZheng Ye whipped his head around—and froze, his scalp crawling.

Everywhere he looked, examinees were fleeing for their lives, pursued by hordes of ghost officers.

…It wasn’t just him. 

All the examinees were under attack!

“What the hell is the Ministry of Education playing at?” he snarled. 

“The 72-hour exam isn’t even a full day in, and they’ve already maxed the difficulty?”

No-the first day wasn’t even over yet!

This couldn’t be serious!

A thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Right, this wasn’t normal. 

Calm down. 

Think.

His eyes narrowed, expression grim. 

“This isn’t a standard difficulty adjustment. It’s too extreme. Even the Ministry wouldn’t pull something like this on the first day…”

“There has to be a source behind this. These ghost officers must have a commander controlling them.”

He had to find it!

The more he thought, the darker his expression grew.

Even with his Fourth Perspective and Wrath of the Sea God, he could barely protect himself.

The strength of these ghost officers far exceeded what the exam should allow.

So someone was definitely pulling the strings behind the scenes.

…Elai? 

Su Luan?

Whoever the reckless bastard was-

Daring to scheme against him? 

He’d make them pay!

Then, an absurd idea flickered in his mind.

“Su Fu…” ZhongZheng Ye muttered before shaking his head with a scoff. 

“Impossible. How could she pull off something like this? There’s no way one person could control so many ghost officers…”

He could no longer sit idly by-action was necessary.

So, should he venture deep into the underworld to find that ghost officer commander, or… head straight for the Ghost Gate?

ZhongZheng Ye hesitated briefly before finally choosing to make his way to the Ghost Gate.

Muttering to himself, as if trying to convince himself, he said, “It’s not like it’ll take much effort anyway. Might as well ask the new ghosts what Su Fu is up to up there-why hasn’t she come down yet?”

***

Examination Room.

Bai Li couldn’t help but facepalm upon hearing his words. 

“So ZhongZheng Ye still leans toward believing that Su Fu is behind all of this, huh?”

Mo Sanchou’s expression was complicated. 

“Honestly, his instincts are spot-on.”

Of course it was Su Fu!

“With ZhongZheng Ye’s intellect, the moment he finds out Su Fu is reopening the case, he’ll immediately realize she’s the mastermind!”

“And once ZhongZheng Ye knows, the others will probably figure it out soon too.”

He was slightly stunned. 

“This is insane. Does Su Fu really plan to face everyone’s combined assault when she comes down? Isn’t that just asking for death?”

Hearing this, Zhang Yuanhua leisurely set down his teacup, frowning slightly. 

“Now, that’s not quite right.”

“Let me correct you.”

He chuckled lightly. 

“Right now, it’s Su Fu-alone-who’s besieging all of them.”

Everyone else: “….”

Just drink your tea and stay out of this!

This has nothing to do with you!

We’re not on the same wavelength!

At this point, Bai Li couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Seriously, you all need to look at Su Fu right now-I can’t handle this anymore. Just look at what she’s doing!!”

Hearing this, the others instinctively turned their attention to the screen showing Su Fu.

Good news: She had finally left her reclining couch.

Bad news: She was now leisurely drinking tea with her teammates in the courtyard, still utterly relaxed.

The moon was bright, the stars sparse, and the rustling of leaves from the large tree beside them accompanied the gentle breeze.

“Here, try this jasmine tea,” Su Fu said, pouring a cup for her teammates.

The fragrant steam curled upward, adding to the serene atmosphere.

Lin Mingxi accepted the cup, grinning smugly. 

“Boss, what do you think they’re doing down there right now?”

“Hahaha, I bet they’re running around like headless chickens, completely clueless about what’s happening!”

“Serves them right!” 

He took a satisfied sip, thoroughly enjoying himself. 

“After all the underhanded tricks they pulled on us before, now they finally get a taste of what it’s like when the difficulties cranked up!”

Jiang Qingyu rested her chin on her hand, her amber eyes hazy and beautiful in the tea’s mist. 

“And now, the hour of midnight has arrived -the new ghosts should have already entered, right?”

“They’ll probably find out very soon.”

In her mind, revenge was only satisfying when the targets knew exactly who was behind it-when they were left seething in helpless fury.

She suddenly paused, glancing at Su Fu.

Wait, why was her way of thinking starting to resemble someone’s?

At that moment, the someone in question took another unhurried sip of tea. 

“Ah, this is so satisfying!”

“The current difficulty is just an appetizer, really,” Su Fu said, her eyes glinting with amusement. 

“The real show begins tomorrow when we enter the underworld.”

A game of cat and mouse was only fun when the mouse had a chance to scurry around first.

“I hope they enjoy the grand gift I’ve prepared for them.”

***

Meanwhile, at the Ghost Gate…

ZhongZheng Ye’s luck was strangely good-the moment he arrived, a new ghost appeared.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward, blocking the spirit’s path.

It was a youth who appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. 

Startled by ZhongZheng Ye suddenly blocking his path, he stumbled backward in fear: “B-big boss……”

ZhongZheng Ye had no time for pleasantries, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes: 

“Tell me, before you died, what was Su Fu doing? What was she up to in Chang’an City?”

The youth trembled under his fierce gaze, stammering: 

“Sh-she was investigating cases……”

“Investigating cases?”

“Y-yes! She reopened everyone’s cases.”

ZhongZheng Ye instantly realized something was terribly wrong, his face turning ashen.

“Wait!” He abruptly grabbed the youth’s collar, “You said she’s reopening cases?!”

This didn’t make sense. 

Why reopen cases?

Unless…… 

She wanted to expose them as murderers!

The sudden movement startled the youth, “Y-yes! Not just yours, boss, but also Elai’s… so many cases were reopened! 

Then they were all publicly tried… and sentenced.”

ZhongZheng Ye’s expression darkened completely.

So that was it. 

Now he understood why so many underworld officers had suddenly gone berserk.