Chapter 253 - 176: Difficult to Reside
"Not bad, not bad at all. Achieving Qi Sensing before thirty makes you a promising talent, more than qualified to serve as an Inspector Envoy for a county.
"However, you also know that you weren’t promoted through the proper channels. As per our agreement, now that you’re here, your mission is complete, and your title as Inspector must be revoked."
Yujing City, the Observatory, the Examination Pavilion.
The man in charge of the Examination Pavilion was an old man with a white beard named Hui Hengwu. That’s right—he was the younger brother of Hui Hengli.
Unlike Hui Hengli, who was assigned to a regional post and rose to the rank of Director of an Observatory in a Prefecture Mansion through meritorious service, Hui Hengwu had remained at the Observatory’s headquarters. Through diligent and conscientious work, he had managed to become the Steward of the Examination Pavilion, one of the Observatory’s eight pavilions.
Hui Hengwu had known the moment Fang Yue arrived in Yujing City, hence this meeting.
In reality, the recruitment and promotion of Inspectors followed extremely strict procedures.
If Fang Yue had truly completed some major mission and been given an exceptional appointment, it would have been more palatable. But as it stood, having merely escorted a young girl to Yujing City, his case was difficult to justify to others.
Therefore, even though Hui Hengwu was the Steward of the Examination Pavilion, he couldn’t unscrupulously bend the rules for personal reasons.
However, with the current turmoil in the Great Wei, special circumstances could be handled with special measures.
"However, given the current situation, we can be flexible. But it would require you to take up a post in Guangfeng Prefecture for one year."
After speaking, Hui Hengwu closed his eyes to rest.
Even Guangfeng Prefecture was currently in turmoil. The Rebel Army had instigated many Martial Artists and officials, sparking rebellions throughout the prefecture.
However, Guangfeng was not like Shanyang Prefecture and other such places. The Imperial Court’s influence was still deeply rooted, and these rebellions had all been suppressed.
Of course, from a safety perspective, Guangfeng Prefecture certainly had its own latent threats. This assignment would not be without its dangers. Therefore, the choice was Fang Yue’s to make.
"Let me think about this," Fang Yue said, understanding the other man’s position. Escorting Bai Li to Yujing City had been a transaction from the start.
Now that the transaction was complete, it was only reasonable for them to revoke the official position they had granted him.
"Of course. Just give me an answer within a month. This is your reward—a single entry into the Observatory’s Library Pavilion." Hui Hengwu smiled slightly, not at all displeased that Fang Yue hadn’t agreed immediately.
Instead, he gave Fang Yue an appreciative glance. ’After the journey he’s had, he must understand the special nature of an Inspector. They operate independently of the ordinary Great Wei bureaucracy and wield immense power.
’More importantly, the Observatory possesses the subsequent cultivation methods for Qi Refiners.’
"Thank you."
Fang Yue took the token and left the Examination Pavilion.
Stepping out the door, he was greeted by a vista of magnificent and imposing architecture.
Visible strands of Primordial Qi crisscrossed along specific pathways, all converging on a tower rising a thousand feet into the air at the center.
That was the residence of the Chief Director of the Great Wei Observatory. With such a massive convergence of Primordial Qi, anyone residing within would likely see their Qi Refining cultivation advance by leaps and bounds.
Indeed, after arriving in Yujing City, Fang Yue had discovered that the concentration of Primordial Qi within these few great cities was several times higher than anywhere else.
If he could live here, Fang Yue’s cultivation speed would increase severalfold, perhaps even more than tenfold!
The problem was, without a permanent residence, one couldn’t settle here.
Forget the central Yujing City; even in the four great cities surrounding it, the price of real estate was staggering. A simple courtyard home with three rooms cost one hundred thousand taels of silver.
Although he had that much silver, if he spent it all at once, his family’s life would become very difficult.
In a word: Yujing City was vast, but it was not an easy place to live.
Inside the Observatory, people with extraordinary auras hurried back and forth.
After asking for directions, Fang Yue soon arrived at the Observatory’s Library Pavilion, a massive building standing seven or eight stories tall.
The entire structure was a dark, blackish-brown color, its surface smooth and flawless, made of some unknown material.
"This token only grants access to the first three floors. You may select only one Secret Manual. Once you have chosen, come to me to register it and make a copy," a cold-faced, middle-aged man standing guard at the entrance of the Library Pavilion told Fang Yue.
Fang Yue nodded and stepped inside.
Now that he had achieved Qi Sensing, although he had mastered the Earth Element True Skill, he had no subsequent cultivation technique to follow.
Since this place was touted as having the most complete collection of Cultivation Technique Secret Manuals outside of the Great Wei Royal Library, he figured he should be able to find what he needed.
*Vajra Technique*, *Nine Revolutions Profound Skill*...
Walking into the Library Pavilion, he looked up and saw row after row of Cultivation Technique Secret Manuals. However, most of these were techniques for Secret Medicine Martial Artists.
Furthermore, a quick glance around the first floor showed Fang Yue that while there were many techniques, all of them only allowed one to cultivate to the Bone Forging realm.
Seeing this, Fang Yue immediately went up to the second floor.
The situation here was slightly better. The techniques could be cultivated to the level of Great Success in Marrow Transformation. Of course, the number of manuals was much smaller—only about a third of what was on the first floor.
Finally, here, Fang Yue saw some books related to Qi Refiners.
*Qi Refiner’s Secret*, *Primordial Qi Traits*, *Law Body and True Body*, *Secret Medicine Martial Arts and Qi Refining: Who is Stronger?*...
Row after row, volume after volume—they were all books about the fundamentals of Qi Refining. One could even say they were related to ’scientific research’ on the topic.