Chapter 1223: Barely Managed to Hold Onto the Title of Number One Below the Transcendent Tribulation Stage
The bailiffs outside the discussion hall had all seen Commandery Governor Zhou stand at attention for almost three hours. They transmitted auditory messages to their respective county magistrates, whose gazes toward Commandery Governor Zhou grew increasingly peculiar.
Is this some kind of fetish?
Even if he enjoys standing outside the door, he shouldn’t have made us wait from noon until now.
Despite Commandery Governor Zhou’s excellent interpersonal skills and exceptional composure, he still found the situation awkward.
“A minor mishap occurred during my cultivation. Let’s begin the meeting.” Commandery Governor Zhou brushed it off lightly and walked inside.
“Commandery Governor, it’s past office hours now,” Man Gu reminded him kindly.
Commandery Governor Zhou’s expression shifted several times. Although he was at fault, if Man Gu could talk him into calling off the meeting, it would undermine his authority.
He said in a solemn tone, “Lord Man, if we don’t hold the meeting today, we’ll have to do it tomorrow. Are you suggesting that all your colleagues should travel from their counties again tomorrow? Are you trying to waste their time?”
Man Gu was genuinely puzzled. “But wasn’t it because you kept standing outside the door and wasted our time?”
Faced with the facts, Commandery Governor Zhou couldn’t argue with Man Gu and had to order him. “We must hold the meeting today!”
“Oh.” Man Gu sat back down obediently.
Seeing Man Gu’s indifferent attitude, Commandery Governor Zhou’s blood pressure spiked. In all my years as an official, I’ve never met someone like this!
He tried his best to regulate his emotions and began presiding over the meeting.
This was actually just a simple introductory meeting. Since he was new and unfamiliar with the place, he couldn’t make hasty decisions about the direction of Zhongshan Commandery’s development.
At the end of the meeting, Commandery Governor Zhou asked, “Does anyone else have something to say?”
No one responded.
He scanned the room and fixed his gaze on Man Gu, who was itching to leave. “Lord Man, do you have anything to add?”
Man Gu shook his head, remembering the registrar’s precautionary notes. “No.”
Seeing that Man Gu was being reasonable and understood the rules of officialdom, Commandery Governor Zhou softened his tone. “There’s no need to hold back here, Lord Man. You can speak freely.”
Man Gu still shook his head. “I don’t believe it. Anyone who says that is a liar. They’re too hypocritical to be trusted.”
These were the registrar’s exact words to Man Gu when he explained why Man Gu shouldn’t speak when his superior invited him to.
Commandery Governor Zhou clenched his fists, nearly losing the composure he had cultivated over a century. He forced himself to speak in a calm tone. “Lord Man, you truly know how to joke.”
“I wasn’t joking, though.”
Commandery Governor Zhou stared daggers at Man Gu, wishing he could devour him.
It looks like Man Gu also has his eyes set on the commandery governor position. That’s why he arrested the commandery governor twice. But he hadn’t expected me to take the post, and now he’s repeatedly making things difficult for me in the meeting.
Commandery Governor Zhou forced out two words through gritted teeth. “Meeting dismissed...”
Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were curious about Man Gu’s performance and had been observing the discussion hall with their spiritual consciousness. Witnessing this scene, they exchanged a glance, shook their heads, and couldn’t stifle their laughter.
“As expected of Junior Brother Man.” Lu Yang figured the registrar would have to add more notes to Man Gu’s booklet after this.
Having a superior like Man Gu must be tough on that registrar.
“Hey, what’s so funny?” The Everlasting Immortal Fairy was also watching Man Gu and thought he had done rather well. “Upright, aboveboard, and forthright—he’s got the bearing of his ancestors.”
Lu Yang pressed a palm to his forehead. Fortunately, the Immortal Fairy has never entered officialdom. Wait, no, she is already at the very top.
I certainly can’t rely on the Immortal Fairy. Old Meng and I will have to look after Junior Brother Man ourselves.
After the meeting, the trio had no desire to linger in Zhongshan Commandery. Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou still had night patrol duty.
~~~
Man Gu returned to his room in the yamen to rest, while Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou perked up and roamed Quyi County, where they ran into an unexpected person.
“Sect Leader Lu?” Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were surprised. Why is he here? Doesn’t he know that the Hanba is already at the Corpse-Driving Sect? Is he still looking for the Hanba here?
Lu Baqian was even more taken aback. “You two are constables here?”
“Right. Man Gu is the county magistrate here. You two are here as his guardians.” Lu Baqian recalled that Man Gu was the county magistrate of Quyi County.
“What brings you to our county, Sect Leader Lu?”
“Well, I came across the Divine Craftsman Wang Family’s successor. In a rush to deal with the Hanba, I obtained the forging method for the Mountain-Suppressing Seal but didn’t have the time to thank them properly.
“Little Wang has decent aptitude as a blacksmith, but he’s still too young. When he’s older, he can use my token to join our Corpse-Driving Sect or another sect. I can’t speak for farther places, but the sects in the Wilderness Province will all give me some face.”
With his title as the “Number One Below the Transcendent Tribulation Stage,” every sect in the Wilderness Province knew who he was and dared not slight him.
“By the way, I have to thank you both for delivering the female Hanba to our Corpse-Driving Sect, junior nephews.”
“You’re too polite, Sect Leader Lu. She was originally a jiangshi from your esteemed sect. We just happened to run into her on patrol and returned her to the rightful owner.”
“Still, I have to express my gratitude. She possesses extraordinary combat prowess and can become a great asset to our Corpse-Driving Sect. I crossed hands with her and barely managed to hold onto the title of Number One Below the Transcendent Tribulation Stage.”
“Does that mean you defeated her?”
“No. She defeated me and advanced to the Transcendent Tribulation Stage.”
Both Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were speechless.
While Lu Baqian lay wounded in bed, he had replayed his battle with the female Hanba many times in his mind and reached one conclusion.
With the Mountain-Suppressing Seal, I could have won by intimidation. Unfortunately, after the female Hanba met Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, she grew too bold to be intimidated.
“In that case... congratulations on your sect’s promotion to an S-class sect.”
The requirement for an S-class sect is to have a Transcendent Tribulation cultivator in residence. The female Hanba can probably count as one for the Corpse-Driving Sect... right?
At the mention of this, Lu Baqian was delighted. With me around, our sect has been considered a half-step S-class sect. With the female Hanba joining us, we have finally become an S-class sect and get to enjoy the imperial court’s tax reduction policies.
Lu Baqian felt that Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were truly his lucky stars. The last time they came to our sect at the Golden Core Stage, I’d advanced to the Half-Step Transcendent Tribulation Stage. This time, they sent us a female Hanba at the Transcendent Tribulation Stage. Every time they visit, our Corpse-Driving Sect’s strength doubles.
~~~
“Choose between the Corpse-Driving Sect and other sects?” Little Wang fretted over the options presented by Lu Baqian.
Old Wang also struggled to make a decision.
“Child, don’t rush. You’re not yet sixteen; you can take your time,” Lu Baqian said.
Little Wang furrowed his brow. He had been ruminating over a question this whole time. “You said that the Corpse-Driving Sect specializes in controlling jiangshi and feeding zombies with blood.
“Since my Bloodthirsty Evil Sword is an inanimate object that grows stronger by drinking blood, can it be considered a jiangshi?”
Lu Baqian fell silent for a while, then replied seriously, “Child, you should join our Corpse-Driving Sect. What our sect lacks is precisely someone with your way of thinking.”