"Really?" Madam Wei asked, her face bashful.
Zhou Chunfeng smiled. "Qingxian is right. In that case, I shall write a piece of calligraphy to wish you a long life, Madam."
"Thank you, Brother Chunfeng." Madam Wei’s face flushed red with excitement.
Yan Shixiao watched Madam Wei with envy.
Surrounded by the crowd, Zhou Chunfeng walked to the desk while Li Qingxian ground the ink.
Wei Yong sat alone in his chair, a complete outcast.
He occasionally glanced at Li Qingxian, then quickly lowered his head to avoid being noticed.
Wei Yong thought back on the ups and downs of his life. He had worked hard in his youth, found success as a young man, and begun to enjoy his life in his middle age. Though the road had been rough, he had never known fear, and he’d brought down countless colleagues.
But for some reason, looking at this teenage boy made a chill run down Wei Yong’s spine.
’Since when can’t I even beat a mere brat?’
’And to lose so miserably... Tomorrow, the entire Government Office, maybe even the whole Divine Capital...’ Wei Yong didn’t dare to think any further.
’Was it an accident, or did I really do something wrong?’
After a long while, Wei Yong came back to his senses. He looked up to find the room empty.
Madam Wei was cupping her face with her hands, gazing infatuatedly at the calligraphy Zhou Chunfeng had written.
Wei Yong stared at his wife for a long time. Then he rose, staggered out of the rear residence, and walked to the garden, where he gazed at the well sealed shut with a stone slab.
Late that night, Wei Yong returned to his study to sleep.
Back at the Chunfeng Inn, Li Qingxian (representing himself), Zhou Chunfeng (representing the Night Guard Divine Capital Department), Luo Jing (representing the Ministry of Revenue), Liu Muwa (representing the Ministry of Works’ Civilian Equipment Department), and Yan Shixiao (representing the Inner Treasury Bureau) signed the documents.
The five parties would each hold two shares. The Ministry of Works would be responsible for production, and the Night Guard Divine Capital Department would handle operations. Li Qingxian was to be certified by the Ministry of Works as the inventor of the distillation method.
Furthermore, all departments were to provide their full support. If the distillery ever ran into trouble, they were required to help and could not simply stand by.
The group didn’t disperse until the sky began to brighten at dawn.
After seeing everyone off, Zhou Chunfeng clasped his hands behind his back. "Qingxian, come with me."
The two returned to the Chunfeng Inn in silence, one walking in front of the other.
"Alright, tell me what happened," Zhou Chunfeng said, holding his Cow Bone Fan and looking calmly at Li Qingxian.
Li Qingxian praised him, "Uncle Zhou, you’re amazing. A real heartthrob wherever you go."
"I want to hear the whole story, from beginning to end!" Zhou Chunfeng snorted.
Li Qingxian thought for a moment. He knew he couldn’t hide it from Zhou Chunfeng—in fact, Zhou probably knew already—so he explained everything in detail.
He started from Tao Zhi’s comment about the strong dusty winds, to dealing with Hong Cheng, then to his nightly investigation of the Grand Canal, followed by the ’snake and ant’ Accelerating Life curse, and finally, today’s coincidental encounter.
"Uncle Zhou, you can’t blame me for what happened today. It was all because Wei Yong is a scoundrel who wanted a piece of the pie and happened to run right into me. Honestly, I couldn’t stand for it either. You’re a Fourth Grade Disciplinary Officer, and he’s only a Fifth Grade. What right does he have to bully the Chunfeng Inn? So, I stepped in—for your sake."
Zhou Chunfeng ignored him, pondering for a moment before saying, "Han Anbo and Yu Ping are both veterans of the Divine Capital Bureau. They’re trustworthy. Aside from where the snakes were buried, they won’t have left any traces."
"I’ll have Brother Han clean it up when I get back."
"It’s already been taken care of," Zhou Chunfeng said nonchalantly.
Li Qingxian laughed. "Uncle Zhou, you’re as shrewd as ever." Inwardly, however, he cursed, ’The Night Guard really is no place for humans. The higher-ups know about every little disturbance.’
But Zhou Chunfeng sighed. "Your methods and Gangfeng’s may seem vastly different—one overt, one covert—but in truth, you both follow a path that is fierce, unyielding, and prepared to take everyone down with you. A blade too rigid is easily broken. I don’t need to repeat this principle to you, do I?"
Li Qingxian replied helplessly, "I understand, Uncle Zhou. But I can’t just keep taking abuse, can I? If I don’t fight back, I’ll end up dead at someone else’s hands. If I do fight back, at least I have a chance to live. What choice do I have? Besides, I used to be powerless, but now I know Fate Skills. Things are different."
As Li Qingxian spoke, he took out a Spirit Talisman he had made.
Zhou Chunfeng looked down, his expression softening. He nodded. "You have obtained the Divine Sky Thunder Seed. All your techniques are infused with the Thunderbolt Dao, so you do indeed have the power to protect yourself. However, the fewer people who know about this, the better. You must not expose it."
"In that case, can I sell Spirit Talismans through you?" Li Qingxian asked.
"You underestimate the experts of this world. Once someone with ill intent takes notice of your Spirit Talismans, they will inevitably investigate you thoroughly. How about this: once you advance to the Seventh Grade, which is the Peak of the Lower Grade, you can sell them in small quantities. For now, you can only use them yourself."
"Alright," Li Qingxian said.
Zhou Chunfeng glanced at the sky. "For the next few days, your unit won’t need to go on patrol. As for the banquet at the Drunken Country Inn and so on, push it back. You should focus on your Cultivation of Fate Skills and Thunder Skills. While you’re at it, go to the Imperial Prison and keep an eye on the distillery workshop."
"I can’t even have a meal?" Li Qingxian asked.
"Do you want to reach the Ninth Grade or not?"
"Of course I do."
"The Night Guard was founded to deal with Demons and Ghosts. If you want to be promoted to the Ninth Grade within the Night Guard, you must participate in at least one Demon Hunting expedition. I’m having you prepare for the next one," Zhou Chunfeng said.
"Just participating is enough?"
"Of course not. You need to kill at least ten Little Demons or one Tenth-Grade demon or ghost."
"I see. In that case, I need to cultivate my Thunder Skills as quickly as possible. Once Sister Youfei’s injuries heal in a few days, I’ll go to Luoyu Pavilion to ask her for guidance on Thunder Skills."
Zhou Chunfeng shot Li Qingxian a look. "Youfei will come here in a few days; you can ask her directly then. Her Sect is in turmoil, so you should avoid going to Qingxiao Temple as much as possible."
"What’s going on?"
"Mr. Jiangg has been missing for many days, and the internal strife in the Celestial Cloud Sect is intense. No one even cared that Lü Ren was seriously injured; it’s even become a running joke. Youfei didn’t want the Celestial Cloud Sect’s reputation to be ruined, so she came down the mountain with her sword and severed Cyan Cloud at the Broken Demon Gate. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had to ask me for help. She’s staying in the Divine Capital to avoid the Sect’s infighting and find some peace. You should bother her less."
"I see..."
"It’s almost dawn. Go back and get some rest."
"Alright. Goodbye, Uncle Zhou."
Li Qingxian took a few steps, then turned back around. He stood before the desk and said with a sly grin, "Uncle Zhou, I’d like to ask you a few personal questions."
"Get out!" Zhou Chunfeng said.
Li Qingxian said, "This time is different from the last two times. It’s not about you, and it’s not about me."
Zhou Chunfeng snorted coldly.
Li Qingxian said, "This time, it’s about someone else. Everyone knows you’ve been faithful and devoted since you married—they say you don’t even glance at other women when your wife is around. But I’ve heard that when you were young, many beauties threw themselves at you. Those beauties... where are they now...?"
"Get out!"
"Sigh, forget it. Brother Chunfeng, tsk tsk..." Li Qingxian broke into a trot and fled, glancing back at Zhou Chunfeng halfway, afraid he was about to get hit.
Zhou Henn rolled his eyes. ’Beating that brat to death wouldn’t be going too far.’
Zhou Chunfeng snorted coldly, walked to the window, and gazed out at the lotus pond.
"I wonder if the Chunfeng Association is still around..."
A gentle breeze drifted past Zhou Chunfeng. In the pond, the lotuses transformed one by one into the faces of women. These women were gathered together, standing before a wooden building. On the building’s plaque were two large, gilded words: "Chunfeng Association."
The women chattered away, calling out, "Brother Chunfeng."
One of them, dressed in pink with light makeup, was dazzlingly bright in Zhou Chunfeng’s eyes.
Zhou Chunfeng smiled, walked to the lotus pond, and plucked a lotus flower. He went to the maple tree and, next to the spot where he had buried the candied haws, dug a small hole, placed the lotus inside, and covered it with dirt.
Li Qingxian slept until noon, when he heard Han Anbo’s voice.
"Hmm?" Li Qingxian’s eyes were half-closed with sleep.
"A Guard from the Chunfeng Inn just left. He said Disciplinary Officer Liu from the Ministry of Works came in person, the Inner Treasury Bureau sent a Eunuch, and Lord Luo from the Ministry of Revenue is here too. They’re all waiting for you."
"What a rude awakening. I was just dreaming about Youfei..."
Li Qingxian sat up with a sigh, washed his face, got dressed, and headed to the Imperial Prison Department with Han Anbo and Yu Ping.