Zhong A Niu laughed heartily upon hearing this: "As long as my heart is free of the Ghost Realm, and I walk upright, what great calamity would I fear?"
The Ascendant Fuluan asked curiously, "Even if you seek a path from the jaws of death, and are destined for a disaster, you wouldn't be afraid?"
The Demon Exorcism True Monarch grinned and said, "Afraid of what? Life is but a season, like plants and trees. A tree aiming to be a pillar must grow straight. I would rather take it straight than win it by bending. Otherwise, even if I lived for a thousand years, I'd just be a turtle, empty like those without eggs. I disdain that!"
The Ascendant Fuluan's face turned dark and he retorted, "Nonsense! Haven't you heard that water is the softest in the world, yet nothing can conquer the strong? Being too rigid leads to breakage, only by bending can you endure long!"
At this time, the Demon Exorcism True Monarch was unaware of the Divination Master's background, so he sneered, "Empty is empty, cowardly is cowardly, talking like you're as soft as water, like a woman..."
"You!"
The Ascendant Fuluan suddenly stood up, wanting to rebut further, but unable to hit the uncouth and sometimes eloquent rude man!
After some rather weak arguments, he began speaking some incomprehensible words, such as "Impermanence in the world, the fragility of nation and land, only through emptiness and suffering can one not be entangled by karma, achieving non-action and selflessness to glimpse the great path..." and other such mysterious phrases.
The Demon Exorcism True Monarch didn't listen carefully, he paid for the divination and turned away from the bridge head.
At the bridge head, the ignored Ascendant Fuluan was disgruntled, but thinking of the other's divination, he shook his head helplessly.
"You tell me, why be angry with someone whose death is just around the corner?"
No matter how incompatible their horoscopes or conflicting their personalities, they would likely not meet again.
They were initially strangers, today was just an unlucky coincidence because he didn't check the almanac before going out.
After coming to terms with this, the Ascendant Fuluan sat back at the divination stall to await the next destined person.
...
On the day of the exams, Zhong A Niu battled through them, his answers were brilliant and exceptional.
After ten years of hard study, raised in a scholarly family from the countryside, Zhong A Niu never felt his mind and body so at ease as today!
When the ranking results were announced in the Golden Hall, as the Ascendant Fuluan foretold, he gained the top position, standing alone in the lead!
However, just as Zhong A Niu was filled with emotions, ready to meet the Holy Emperor and fulfill his lifelong ambitions, he didn't expect the imperial court to be filled with scheming villains like Lu Qi and Yang the Empress's father, who envied and resented the talented.
Seeing Zhong A Niu's ugly appearance, they devised a wicked plan to replace him with the second-place finisher, who was connected to them, in the top scholar's position.
Lu Qi stepped forward, called for long life, and then presented slander to the Holy Master with Confucian teachings of "Virtuous men should correct their attire and respect others' perspectives," citing precedents: "The top scholar represents the imperial court's dignity, must possess upright looks to display our nation's image. Zhong Kui's appearance is ghostly, if he becomes the top scholar and parades to officials, wouldn't it bring shame upon all nations and tarnish our heavenly empire's integrity? I hope Your Majesty considers carefully!"
The Holy Emperor initially favored talent, had his doubts, but couldn't withstand the constant persuasion from Lu Qi, Yang the Empress's father, and others, eventually abolishing Zhong A Niu's top scholar title, denying his ten years of hard study and ambitions in front of civil and military officials, and fellow scholars!
Zhong A Niu felt as if struck by lightning, his passionate zeal turned to frost and snow!
Standing beneath the throne, in anger and grief he said, "The path to selecting scholars should prioritize talent and virtue, how can appearance determine superiority? I studied tirelessly for ten years, grinding iron into inkstone, aiming to serve the imperial court and stabilize the nation. Yet now my grand plan hasn't unfolded, my aspirations unachieved, all due to mere appearance facing injustice, where is the heavenly justice, the fairness?"
At the end of his speech, Zhong A Niu surveyed the glorious hall, feeling dead inside, yet rekindled: "I can't face my little sister at home, nor my dear friend Du Ping! But if today I sacrifice this humble body, it brings later generations of talented people no more disgrace due to unpretty looks, talent unburied, then though I die, it's for a worthy cause!"
With those words, Zhong A Niu turned and rushed towards the golden dragon pillar.
Startled, the Holy Emperor stood and called out: "Stop him quickly!"
Around, civil officials and generals hurried to stop him.
But no one expected this newly crowned scholar to not only be literarily talented but also skilled in martial arts!
They pulled at robes and sleeves but couldn't succeed, only watched as the ugly man collided with the pillar.
A massive crash echoed, the thick golden dragon column cracked, the whole hall trembled.
Looking again at Zhong Kui, his forehead was crushed, his soul gone.
The Holy Emperor stepped back, lost, collapsed on the seat.
After a moment, he spoke: "Bring the top scholar's red robe, dress Zhong in it, bury him with the honors of a top scholar!"
Zhong A Niu's life story wasn't over yet, Xu Qing watched as his soul left the body and stepped into the underworld.
Along the way, there were greedy ghosts seeking wealth, hungry ghosts snatching food, prostitute ghosts luring, liquor ghosts drooling drink, gambling ghosts inviting bets...the Yin Soldiers and Ghost Messengers were mostly comprised of rascals of the marketplace.
Seeing Zhong A Niu wearing the top scholar's red robe, they assumed he had much wealth, and approached to pull and bully.
Zhong A Niu pleaded for help from the Ghost Messenger, who only watched coldly because he hadn't paid the road money.
Even a clay figurine has some fire, how much more so Zhong A Niu after a major upheaval.
In anger, he no longer held back: "You wicked beings, committing sins in life, still tormenting the living after death! You ought to be killed!"
Zhong A Niu swung fists as large as sandbags, appearing more terrifying than the evil ghosts!
Upon seeing Zhong A Niu fight against the ghosts bullying him, the Ghost Messenger ceased to watch coldly and instead greeted him with the soul-hitting whip and the soul-hooking iron hook.