Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)

Just as Man Gu stood there in a daze, an old farmer carrying a hoe on his shoulder sauntered over and looked at him with a wide smile.

“So you are Man Gu?”

Man Gu knew that everyone standing in the Zhongshan crater was a big shot and dared not be remiss in his etiquette. “May I ask who you are?”

Jiang Ping’an didn’t answer directly. Instead, he sized Man Gu up. “Not bad, not bad. It’s been a while since anyone from the Dao-Seeking Sect took up an official post, especially someone who’s risen through the ranks so quickly.

“The imperial court has been a pool of stagnant water for too long. It needs talents like you to breathe some life into it.

“Keep up the good work. I have high hopes for you.” With that, Jiang Ping’an vanished on the spot, leaving behind an air of mystery.

“Ah? Oh.” Man Gu felt utterly flummoxed by the old farmer’s words.

“Senior Brother, who was that?” Man Gu sought clarification from Lu Yang.

Lu Yang waved his hand dismissively. “He’s no big shot. His position isn’t even as high as mine as the Pillar Minister.”

After returning to the Fengdu City space, Man Gu gathered the masses and informed them of the situation outside.

“Although Zhongshan Commandery has been destroyed, rest assured, everyone. I purchased insurance from the Luodi Merchant Guild at the start of my tenure. The merchant guild will cover the full cost of rebuilding our Zhongshan Commandery!”

The higher-ups of Zhongshan Commandery exchanged glances, their eyes filled with admiration for Commandery Governor Man’s foresight.

Purchasing insurance for an entire commandery was a substantial expense. When he first took office, he faced much flak for tapping into the commandery’s funds.

Now, the irrefutable facts proved to them that his decision had been extremely wise!

“Lord Man is truly inscrutable.”

Gazing at Man Gu, who often wore a guileless grin, the higher-ups of Zhongshan Commandery felt not only respect but also a faint chill.

He has concealed his true nature so well! But then again, he’s someone who has gotten rid of three former commandery governors and ascended to the position himself. How could he be as simple as he appears on the surface?!

Moreover, when they had first entered the Fengdu City space, both the creed leaders of the Nine-Netherworlds Creed and the Radiant Sun Creed had voluntarily surrendered to Man Gu. That was a monumental meritorious achievement, yet none of them could fathom how he had accomplished it.

When the Thief King heard this news, he clutched his heart and keeled over. Fortunately, the Balance Arbiter and the Fittest Arbiter caught him on either side, preventing him from collapsing to the ground.

When Man Gu descended from the platform to thank the Thief King, he happened to see the latter fainting and was greatly alarmed, fearing that the earlier battle had left the Thief King with some hidden injury.

The two divine lords worked together to wake the Thief King, who gradually regained consciousness.

The Thief King consoled himself that there was no need to despair so soon. After all, I’m now a criminal, likely to be confined in prison for several years. The merchant guild won’t hold me responsible for the time being.

When the Thief King came to, the first thing he saw was Man Gu’s honest, guileless face.

Man Gu grasped the Thief King’s hand and congratulated him excitedly. “Senior Thief King, I have good news to share with you—you have been released.”

During the battle against the shadows, the Thief King had fought valiantly and rendered meritorious service. With unanimous approval from Zhongshan Commandery’s higher-ups, he was granted freedom.

Hearing this dire news, the Thief King passed out once more.

When the civilians of Zhongshan Commandery heard that the merchant guild would help rebuild their homes, they became less restless and even found themselves in the mood to discuss the battle.

“Speaking of which, how did Young Creed Leader Lu and that Great Qian whatchamacallit divine lord manage to reduce our entire prefecture to nothing but a crater?”

In their eyes, Lu Yang and the Balance Arbiter Divine Lord had taken their fight outside the Fengdu City space, after which news came that Zhongshan Commandery had been obliterated.

They were completely in the dark about the addition of the Fittest Arbiter Divine Lord, the Qilin Immortal, and the Midheaven Emperor-Lord, as well as the multiple immortal battles.

Lu Yang was silent. Please don’t malign a good person. What does this have to do with me? I didn’t damage even a single brick or tile of Zhongshan Commandery.

After informing Man Gu of his resignation, Lu Yang turned to Meng Jingzhou. “Old Meng, I need to make a trip to the Buddhist Kingdom. Zhongshan Commandery is in ruins and needs much rebuilding. Junior Brother Man could really use a helping hand now. Stay here and assist him as much as you can.”

“Naturally.” Meng Jingzhou nodded. He would stay even without Lu Yang’s request. “By the way, I couldn’t help but feel that Big Senior Sister seemed rather odd during the battle. Her expressions were incredibly animated. Old Lu, do you know what that was about?”

Big Senior Sister’s face was so expressive, as if she had been struck by the Seven Emotions Dao Fruit.

Lu Yang remarked inwardly, Animated? That wasn’t all. If you had been reckless enough to poke your head out again, you would have seen Big Senior Sister self-detonate.

“The Immortal Fairy had taken over her body.”

“Ah?”

~~~

After Lu Yang’s departure, the Thief King was released and left Zhongshan Commandery. When he actually laid eyes on the crater that was once Zhongshan Commandery, his eyes twitched nonstop. He immediately activated his Speed Incipient Dao Fruit and fled this godforsaken place.

“President, you’re back?” The president’s secretary was taken aback at the sight of the Thief King. It was the first time he had seen the president in such a panic, with a look in his eyes that could eat a person alive.

“Did Zhongshan Commandery take out insurance from us?”

“Yes.”

“Get me the risk assessment report! How did you evaluate such an enormous risk?!”

The president's secretary dared not tarry and quickly retrieved the thick report. The Thief King flipped straight to the last page to read the conclusion.

Risk Profile: Extremely Low.

The report also detailed the investigative process carried out by the seven senior experts, covering everything from Zhongshan Commandery’s history and local customs to an analysis of the newly appointed Commandery Governor Man’s character. It was comprehensive and left no room for criticism.

The Thief King rose to his feet. Now that things have come to this, I’d better flee. I’m already a half-immortal. With how vast the world is, I can go anywhere.

“Little Wang, when you see the old man, tell him this—whoever wants to be president can have the position.”

“Where do you think you’re running off to?” An old man with a single leg pushed through the door, leaning on a cane. His hair and beard were white, and his heavy white eyebrows obscured his eyes.

The Thief King’s face changed color. Damn it! Why must the old man come over now?

“Nothing. It’s just that I’ve been president for so long that the position has become a shackle, restraining my talents. I figured I’d go out and see the world.”

The Thief King flashed an ingratiating smile as he retreated step by step. The moment the Thief Ancestor’s attention slipped, he crashed through the window and bolted.

The Thief Ancestor raised an eyebrow, a sharp glint in his clouded eyes. “Well, well, little rascal. Quite the haul, huh? You’ve condensed a Speed Incipient Dao Fruit!”

Before long, the Thief King was dragged back by the Thief Ancestor. Evidently, there remained a significant gap between a fresh half-immortal and a veteran one.

“Why were you running away for no reason?” The Thief Ancestor was puzzled. Did you condense a Speed Incipient Dao Fruit just to flee at the sight of me?

The Thief King had no choice but to recount the failed insurance case of Zhongshan Commandery.

After hearing him out, the Thief Ancestor gave him a cuff on the head. “This is a good thing. Why did you run?”

“Ah?” The Thief King was dumbfounded. How is this a good thing?

“Think about it. If Zhongshan Commandery hadn’t bought insurance from us, they would have exhausted their entire treasury and still been unable to cover the shortfall. The Wilderness Province and the imperial court would have to provide funding. This would have affected the appraisal of the commandery governor.

“But the reality is that they bought insurance from us, suffered no losses, and saved the Wilderness Province and the imperial court an immense sum of money. What kind of assessment will this governor receive from both parties? His future prospects are limitless!

“This is an extraordinarily successful case study. We should promote it heavily.

“The incident in Zhongshan Commandery was purely a coincidence. Can officials from other commanderies and counties guarantee that something similar won’t happen to them? Of course not. Therefore, they will also come to us to buy insurance. This is a huge business opportunity!”