He Tunan's sneer suddenly froze, and the harsh words on the tip of his tongue got stuck in his throat.
Just now, he had been too focused on venting his anger toward the Ji family. In his fury, he had completely forgotten about this matter.
Reminded by Tian Ji, He Tunan felt a bit embarrassed. Suppressing his anger, he could not help but ask,
“Zuo Muxian... How could he have any connection with a mud-legged peasant from Changyun County?”
“This... your junior brother does not know either.”
Tian Ji said with a bitter smile, shaking his head slightly.
“But I heard from Junior Brother Lei Jun that Chief Disciple Zuo looks after this boy very well. He even went so far as to declare that no matter what happens, the boy can always go to Chiming Academy to seek his help.”
The Affairs Hall instantly fell into a deathly silence.
He Tunan stood frozen on the spot, his face turning pale and dark by turns as his chest heaved several times.
Against the Ji family, he could dictate their life and death. But against Zuo Muxian, even the He family behind him had to think twice.
After a long silence, He Tunan took a deep breath and grunted reluctantly,
“Since that is the case... I will give Zuo Muxian some face and transfer him to Damao County!”
“That place is remote and impoverished. Sending him there to rot for half a year will serve as a warning. It will teach him not to get too close to the Ji family and ruin his own future!”
“Senior Brother He, but...” Tian Ji hesitated, stopping mid-sentence.
He Tunan frowned.
“What else is there?”
Tian Ji gritted his teeth and lowered his voice, saying,
“That Junior Brother Shen is not completely without a background either. His master at the martial arts hall recently broke through to the Huajin Rank. Right after his breakthrough, he went alone and personally killed the grand bandit Duan Xiao, who used to dominate Cloudwater Lake...”
“The Huajin Rank!?”
He Tunan's expression changed slightly, filled with disbelief. “A local martial arts hall in a mere county seat actually possesses a Huajin Rank heart method?”
Unlike the Mingjin and Anjin ranks, the Huajin Rank did not rely on simple stance work, but rather on heart methods!
The major sects of Nanxiang Prefecture were willing to spread stance work and martial techniques to recruit geniuses from all over.
However, when it came to Huajin Rank heart methods, they had always guarded them with their lives, never leaking them easily.
This was because the combat power of a Huajin Rank martial artist was like night and day compared to those of the Mingjin and Anjin ranks!
Even in Nanxiang Prefecture, every Huajin Rank martial artist was a prominent figure. Even local giants like the He and Huo clans had to treat them with respect!
He Tunan paced slowly inside the hall, his expression shifting rapidly as thoughts raced through his mind.
'The Huajin Rank... This means that Shen Xiuhan might also have access to a Huajin Rank heart method...'
'If I throw him into that remote place, I will definitely offend him. Wouldn't that be creating a powerful enemy for myself out of nothing?'
'But... that Ji Mansion is a rare, defenseless fat fish dripping with oil!'
'The annual profit of their fleet and trading firm is probably no less than thousands of taels of silver. How can I, He Tunan, let go of such fat meat delivered right to my mouth?'
'What should I do to have the best of both worlds?'
Just as He Tunan was weighing his options, Tian Ji, who had been carefully observing his expressions, suddenly whispered,
“Senior Brother, are you looking for a way... to stay out of this and avoid offending Junior Brother Shen, while also keeping him too distracted to look after the Ji family?”
He Tunan raised an eyebrow and glanced at him. “Do you have a clever plan? Cut the suspense and let me hear it.”
Tian Ji chuckled, stepped forward, and whispered,
“I heard from those who returned from Changyun that Junior Brother Shen actually started out as a fisherman...”
Whoosh!
Hearing this, He Tunan's eyes lit up instantly.
“You mean... the Precious Fish ponds?!”
...
It had been thirty days since Duan Xiao and the Bai brothers had departed this world together.
The Duty Assignment Day had finally arrived!
“Junior Brother Shen, hurry, do not miss the hour!”
Early in the morning, Liu Chong came knocking excitedly on the door, dragging Shen Xiuhan along to Logistics Island.
Yesterday, after turning in his duty and collecting his salary, Liu Chong had hosted a feast, treating Shen Xiuhan to a hearty drinking session at a tavern on the island.
Clinking glasses and sharing drinks, the relationship between the two had naturally grown much closer.
In the Star-Plucking Sect, other than Zuo Muxian and Lei Jun, the only person Shen Xiuhan could really talk to was Liu Chong.
Although he occasionally ran into other disciples, most were merely nodding acquaintances.
The light boat rippled through the water, with crystal-clear green waves on both sides.
The creaking of the oars shattered the sky's reflection upon the lake.
Standing at the bow, Shen Xiuhan looked out. The surrounding waters were filled with the silhouettes of dozens of boats of various sizes, sailing side by side toward Logistics Island.
Rowing the oar, Liu Chong pointed to the island that was drawing closer in the distance and shouted,
“Junior Brother Shen, we are almost there. That is Logistics Island.”
Seven or eight small boats were already moored at the Logistics Island pier, and figures of all kinds were walking up the stone steps.
The boat docked, and the two tied it up before stepping ashore. After walking for a while, they arrived in front of a stone hall.
The outside of the hall was already teeming with people. Disciples from the Four Academies of the Star-Plucking Sect gathered here, forming small circles with their acquaintances, cupping their fists in greeting, and chatting merrily.
“Junior Brother Shen, look over there.”
Liu Chong nudged Shen Xiuhan with his elbow, acting as a guide and pointing in a low voice.
“Those wearing yellow liveries belong to the leader lineage of Chiming Academy. Every single one of them is incredibly arrogant.”
“Those in red and black martial robes are the brutes from Kaiyang Academy. As for those...”
At this point, he chuckled and winked at Shen Xiuhan. “Those wearing moon-white long robes are our fellow disciples from Feixuan Academy.”
Shen Xiuhan followed his gaze and saw that amidst the sea of pure white, most were female disciples with graceful figures and pretty faces.
They gathered in groups of three or five, whispering and laughing merrily, looking like a splash of spring color amidst a sea of green.
Their crisp, melodious chatter drew frequent glances from the surrounding male disciples, who feasted their eyes on the sight.
However, Shen Xiuhan only spared them a brief glance before withdrawing his gaze.
Though beauty was pleasant, in this dog-eat-dog sect, strength was the only foundation one could rely on.
Right at that moment, the vermilion doors of the Logistics Hall swung open with a bang. Four teams of eight solemn-looking disciples filed out, lining up on both sides.
“Disciples of the Four Academies, line up in order before the hall immediately!”
A shout infused with powerful qi resounded in front of the hall.
The moment the voice fell, the originally noisy crowd instantly surged like a tide.
“Let's go, Junior Brother Shen. Let's line up too.”
Reluctantly withdrawing his gaze from the graceful figures of the female disciples, Liu Chong pulled Shen Xiuhan along as they squeezed toward the front.
Before the Logistics Hall, four long lines quickly formed, straight as arrows.
Shen Xiuhan followed closely behind Liu Chong, slowly moving forward with the queue.
Behind the long tables up front, several cold-faced Logistics Hall disciples sat upright, writing rapidly with their brushes. They continuously verified the black jade name plaques handed to them, flipping through files to assign duties.
“Ji Feiying of Feixuan Academy, assigned to the side hall of the Precious Beast Park, responsible for raising the Tier Two Precious Beast, the Fire-Patterned Eagle. The duty is for half a year, with a monthly salary of thirty-five taels of silver and two Force-Tempering Pills. No leaving without a valid reason!”
A female disciple below the stage revealed a look of joy.
Although this duty had a bit of an odor, it was safe and offered a decent salary.
“Lu Yuan of Chiming Academy, assigned to the Earth Fire Room of the Hundred Weapons Pavilion as an armorsmithing apprentice. The duty is for half a year, with a monthly salary of thirty taels of silver and two Acupoint-Expanding Pills. Any damage to precious artifacts must be compensated at market price!”
The young man named Lu Yuan accepted the token expressionlessly.
The Earth Fire Room was scorching hot, which was highly damaging to one's blood qi. It was considered a miserable chore.
“Zhong Ceyi of Tingquan Academy, assigned to Qingyuan Town to oversee the sect's mundane herb estates. The duty is for half a year, with a monthly salary of thirty-two taels of silver and two Essence-Blood Pills. In case of external enemies, send a signal flare!”
The disciple named Zhong Ceyi sighed deeply, his face filled with dejection.
Mundane towns had very little extra benefits to offer and were far from the sect's core. It was one of the least popular assignments.
“Su Qing of Kaiyang Academy, assigned to the black iron mineral vein in Hongfu County as a mining deacon...”
“Lin Yue of Feixuan Academy, assigned to the Baicao Hall herb garden, responsible for sorting and drying Tier One spirit herbs...”
In front of the grand hall, all sorts of expressions were on display.
Some who were assigned leisurely and safe duties beamed with joy.
Some who were sent to remote and bitter lands could only accept their bad luck with blank faces.
Others who were assigned high-risk patrol duties sighed endlessly.
Soon, it was Liu Chong's turn.
The deacon disciple took his token, flipped through the slips on the table, and read aloud,
“Liu Chong of Tingquan Academy, assigned to the Outer Affairs Hall in Nanxiang Prefecture capital, to assist in overseeing the sect's trading firms. The duty is for half a year, with a monthly salary of forty-five taels of silver and three Acupoint-Expanding Pills!”
“Thank you, Senior Brother!”
Liu Chong immediately beamed with joy.
The prefecture capital was a bustling place. Overseeing a trading firm was not only safe but also allowed him to visit home from time to time. It was a prime assignment.
He happily took his duty token and did not forget to look back and give Shen Xiuhan a “good luck” look.
Right after, it was Shen Xiuhan's turn.
Rate on N.U.
