"Ah!"
"Oh my god!"
"Ghost!"
The originally silent Great Hall suddenly erupted into an uproar. The group of scholars who were kneeling at the front and closest did not even care that the Emperor was still in the Great Hall. They used their hands and feet to scramble back in a flurry.
Even Pan Yu, who had always been calm, showed a hint of shock on his face. Although Xu Xian was not afraid, he could not help but widen his eyes. He knew that Zhong Kui was ugly, but he did not expect him to be this ugly.
In his previous life, it was a common sight in many traditional Chinese New Year paintings, but it was just a black face with a big beard. But now that he had seen it with his own eyes, he knew how serious the beautification of those paintings was. What he was seeing now was no longer something that could be described with words.
Zhong Kui's ugliness was not disgusting because he was covered in sores, nor was it wretched because of his slanted eyes and collapsed nose. It was truly "ferocious".
His thick eyebrows were flying, his face was like steel, and his bulging eyes were bloodshot. Two fangs protruded from his bloody mouth, and he seemed to be sneering.
His face was like a bloodthirsty murderer whose expression froze the moment he killed someone. It could only be described as ferocious and evil.
If ordinary ugliness could scare children, this one could directly scare them to death.
However, it was not only because of his appearance. Xu Xian had seen many ferocious spirits and ghosts, and there were some who looked even weirder. Zhong Kui carried an extremely strong murderous aura. One look from him would make one feel like he would rush over and tear them into pieces.
The White Tiger was in charge of killing, and the Wood Wolf of Kui was the first star of the White Tiger Seven Stars. Even if he had reincarnated, this murderous aura could not be erased, which was why he had such a terrifying appearance.
Zhong Kui saw that he had caused an uproar and everyone was looking at him as if he was an alien. He was indescribably furious and could not help but take a step forward. However, he did not know that this made his face even more ferocious. With him as the center, the scholars retreated in a larger circle.
The Emperor was puzzled. No matter how ugly he was, they should not act like this. He was very dissatisfied with the performance of these new scholars.
Wang Wenrui, who was standing at the side, shouted, "Everyone, don't lose your manners. Hurry up and return to your positions."
The scholars finally calmed down and slowly returned to their original positions, but none of them dared to look up at Zhong Kui. If they accidentally caught a glimpse of him, they would immediately shiver.
The scholars closest to Zhong Kui were unlucky. They trembled like lambs in the mouth of a tiger.
If not for their fear of the Emperor, they would have stayed far away and comforted themselves with the thought that Zhong Kui would not do anything.
Xu Xian smiled bitterly. With Zhong Kui's appearance, it would be a waste for him to be a scholar. If he were to be a martial scholar on the battlefield, he would be able to scare people to death with a single glare. He would be invincible.
It was even more useful in dealing with ghosts. A soul without a physical body would be more easily disturbed by the malevolent aura, and any evil ghost would be easily captured by Zhong Kui.
The Emperor was also curious. "Zhong Kui, turn around!" Mortals were curious, so he was also curious to see what Zhong Kui looked like.
Zhong Kui's body trembled, but he did not move. His heart was filled with unspeakable bitterness. He had been born with this appearance since young, and other than his parents and sister, no one had not despised him. It was said that the reincarnation of an evil spirit would bring misfortune to the family. His mother often comforted him by saying that he would surely achieve great things in the future.
But later, both of his parents died of illness. Everyone said that he was the cause of their deaths.
He once had the will to die, but he did not want to admit defeat. He studied even harder, hoping to gain fame to prove himself and comfort the souls.
A guard in the hall risked his life to persuade the Emperor, "Your Majesty, you can't!"
The Emperor frowned. There was no place for a guard to speak in the Golden Hall. He would be punished later.
Wang Wenrui said, "Zhong Kui!
Didn't you hear the imperial edict? "
Zhong Kui had no choice but to turn around. The Emperor's pupils suddenly shrank. He leaned against the back of the chair and gripped the armrest of the golden throne tightly. Fortunately, he had the Imperial Qi and was not affected by the evil spirit, so he did not lose his composure.
Wang Wenrui also took a step back and sucked in a cold breath.
The guard who risked his life just now stepped forward and said, "Kneel!"
He could also be considered a martial arts expert of the Imperial Palace, but when he saw a scholar who didn't even have the strength to truss a chicken, he actually didn't dare to step forward.
Zhong Kui hurriedly knelt down. "I am guilty!" The Emperor and Wang Wenrui looked at each other and shook their heads.
Xu Xian sighed. This time, Zhong Kui might not be able to keep his position as the Zhuangyuan. It was human nature to love beauty.
Even a hero like Liu Bei, who was good at recruiting talents, would not be happy when he saw a young phoenix.
In the feudal era, choosing an official had always been based on "body, speech, knowledge, and judgment".
The so-called body referred to the body, which required good facial features and a dignified appearance. Otherwise, it would be difficult to establish an official's prestige.
The so-called speech referred to clear and articulate speech, otherwise, it would be a hindrance to governance.
The so-called knowledge referred to writing neatly and beautifully, so that superiors could read his written report.
The so-called judgment referred to quick thinking and judgment, otherwise, it would be a hindrance to harm others.
"Body" was listed as the first requirement, which could not be said to be light.
In fact, the court examination also included an "interview" part of the examination.
Logically speaking, even if Zhong Kui was a little ugly, it would not affect his position as the Zhuangyuan. However, his ugliness was too unique and had too much character.
The Emperor regained his composure and said lightly, "Zhong Kui, your appearance is not appropriate. If you become the Zhuangyuan, it would be difficult to convince others. In the future, when you become an official, it would be even more unbecoming of the court.
However, on account of your years of hard work, I can't bear to dismiss you. Let's enter the top three! "
If the world knew that he had chosen a Zhuangyuan tomorrow, he would become a laughingstock.
Zhong Kui initially had a glimmer of hope. After all, it was the Emperor who asked him to take off his mask. However, as the Emperor spoke, his heart gradually sank and blood rushed to his head. At the end, he finally could not hold it in anymore. He suddenly raised his head and said in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty!" His voice was as mournful as a cuckoo crying blood, making one sigh.
However, the other scholars were secretly delighted. Zhong Kui was ranked last, so everyone could take a step forward.
Cheng Cangjian also sighed and felt pity for this scholar named Zhong Kui. However, in this case, it was a blessing that he could enter the top one.
Zhong Kui was devastated. In just a day, he had experienced so many ups and downs. He felt like he was a puppet played by the heavens. From the surprise of receiving the examination paper to the ecstasy of becoming the Zhuangyuan, he slowly rose to the clouds, only to be stepped into the mud, telling him that all his efforts were in vain.
Zhong Kui suddenly remembered the words of the Taoist fortune-teller — success and failure are hard to discern, but gain and loss are easy to discern.
However, he understood that between the ups and downs of success and failure, no one could remain calm. Success and failure were hard to discern.
As for his investigation, was it not easy to discern the gains and losses?
It was a pity that he could not see through it, or was unwilling to see through it!
"Your Majesty, although Zhong Kui's face is ugly, his writings are top-notch. He is also loyal, brave, and benevolent. Please retract your order!"
A loud voice suddenly sounded in the hall. Xu Xian propped himself up and cupped his hands. His already tall figure was exceptionally eye-catching.
Pan Yu felt slightly helpless. Couldn't they just let nature take its course?
"Xu Xian, shut up!" Wang Wenrui's expression changed. He did not expect Xu Xian to be so bold. Did he not know that it was difficult to defy the Emperor's authority?
Even a high-ranking official like him would not dare to say something like asking the Emperor to retract his order.
The Emperor was displeased. If he was just an ordinary scholar, he would have lost his scholarly status because of this. He looked deeply at Xu Xian, stood up, and was about to leave.
"Zhong Kui, thank you, Brother Xu."
An equally loud voice shook the hall. Zhong Kui stood up as well. His eyes were bloodshot, making him look even more ferocious. He pointed at the roof above his head as if he wanted to break through the hall and reach the heavens. He shouted, "The Heavenly Dao is unfair!
The Heavenly Dao is unfair! "He slammed his head into the pillar beside him.
"Oh no!"
Xu Xian saw Zhong Kui's determination to die. He could not care less about shocking the world and was about to save him when he felt a hand pulling his arm. With his current strength, even steel would break if he pulled. He had no choice but to stop and look at Pan Yu.
"Bang!"
The entire hall seemed to shake. Zhong Kui's head was pressed against the pillar, and fresh blood flowed down the vermilion pillar. He remained in this position, and his expression could not be seen.
The setting sun lost its last splendor, and the hall seemed to darken.
The Azure Dragon and White Tiger walked together. Fortune and misfortune were unpredictable. Unfortunately, you are the White Tiger!
"Crack! Crack!" Amidst the cracking sounds, the tall pillar that required several people to wrap their arms around began to crack.
Everyone was dumbfounded by the turn of events. They did not expect Zhong Kui to be so unyielding. Who could understand how he felt when his life's trust was shattered?
The Emperor was furious. He pointed at Zhong Kui and said, "How dare you!
How dare you!
Drag him away. "
The guards dared not disobey the order and swarmed forward. However, Zhong Kui's' corpse 'suddenly trembled, and the guards scattered.
The collision had broken the top of his skull. He should have died a long time ago. Such a turn of events sent a chill down everyone's spine. Could it be that he had come back to life?
Zhong Kui's eyes were wide open, and two streaks of blood flowed from the corners of his eyes. He stammered, "I can't win against this curse after all. I hate it, I hate it …" Then, he finally lost his life.
However, Xu Xian saw a pitch-black resentment rising into the sky. The golden Dragon Qi could not stop it.
This resentment was mixed with a strong murderous aura. Even the thousands of evil spirits that Xu Xian had reincarnated a few days ago could not compare to it.
The Emperor suddenly felt a tightness in his chest and dizzy.
At this moment, countless people looked up and revealed different expressions.
After a long time, the guards dared to step forward and move Zhong Kui's body away. However, they found that Zhong Kui's hands were tightly clasped on the pillar. They could not pull him away, but no one dared to harm his body.