The cause was quickly found. The large, serpentine condenser tube newly crafted by Disciplinary Officer Liu had exploded. It was currently unknown whether it was due to an excessive buildup of steam or a thermal shock issue.
Jing Guan was chewing out the Ministry of Works’ Puppet Cultivators.
Before long, Liu Muwa arrived in his Coffin Sedan. With a dark expression, he first listened to Jing Guan berate the Ministry of Works’ Puppet Cultivators before commanding his skeletons to tear apart the building and inspect the pieces one by one.
It wasn’t until sunrise, after breakfast, that Liu Muwa finally found Li Qingxian.
Zhou Chunfeng and Luo Jing had also arrived.
Inside the Prison Guard’s Room across from Room B3, several tables had been pushed together to form a long one, and the group sat on opposite sides.
Liu Muwa said, "The responsibility for this incident lies with me. I am willing to accept any punishment. I was too eager for results and didn’t listen to Lord Li’s advice. From this day forward, we will listen to Lord Li and establish a set of safety procedures. Everyone must strictly follow these procedures. If you don’t agree, you can get the hell out. If these safety procedures prove effective, I will promote them throughout the Ministry of Works. Once they show results, I will petition for a commendation for Lord Li."
Li Qingxian said, "There aren’t many people like you, Lord Liu, who can be so objective. Who is responsible this time isn’t important, nor is there any need for punishment. What’s important is how we can prevent similar accidents in the future. These safety procedures may seem ordinary, but they are a plan for the next hundred years. We must be meticulous and thorough."
"Lord Li is right," Liu Muwa said, nodding stiffly.
The others breathed a sigh of relief. One person had taken the initiative to accept responsibility, and the other had chosen not to pursue it. In the world of officialdom, this was the best possible outcome.
Jing Guan smiled and said, "I also owe Disciplinary Officer Liu and everyone from the Ministry of Works an apology. I was too anxious at the time and spoke without thinking. Thinking about it now, it wasn’t really a big deal. At worst, it was just unfavorable Flowing Years. We just need to be more careful next time."
Li Qingxian’s heart skipped a beat. ’Could it be that someone among them has a problem with their Qi Fortune?’
And so, during the ensuing conversation, Li Qingxian secretly used Seeing the Dragon and Gazing at Qi.
He first looked at Liu Muwa.
Li Qingxian had assumed that since Liu Muwa was a Senior Fifth Grade official, he wouldn’t be able to see anything without consuming a Qi Fortune Fish. To his surprise, the man had his guard down completely, allowing Li Qingxian to see.
An Official Seal floated above his head, its corners tilted slightly upward.
The Official Seal represented the Approaching Officer, one of the four auspicious signs. The upward tilt was a sign of Ascending the Hall, one of the three manifestations of the Approaching Officer, indicating that Liu Muwa was on a good upward trajectory.
’His Qi Fortune is fine, so there shouldn’t be any major issues. The Fate Grid of a high-ranking official like him surpasses that of Wei Yong, the Disciplinary Officer of the Finance Department. It would take at least three Qi Fortune Fish to even enter his Life Mansion. Unless there’s a special reason, there’s no need to look.’
Li Qingxian then glanced at Zhou Chunfeng’s Qi Fortune.
Just like with Liu Muwa, Uncle Zhou was indeed not guarding against him, so Li Qingxian could see his Qi Fortune without consuming a Qi Fortune Fish. His Qi Fortune was "Advancing in Rank" under the Approaching Officer, an even better upward trend.
Seeing Uncle Zhou so flushed with success, Li Qingxian knew there was no need to look at his Fate Grid.
A person as famous as Zhou Chunfeng would have an extremely strong Fate Grid. It would be impossible to enter his Life Mansion without seven or eight Qi Fortune Fish.
’I really can’t afford that.’
Li Qingxian then looked at Luo Jing and Jing Guan. One was an Evil Cultivator from the Ministry of Revenue, the other a Eunuch Martial Cultivator. Both showed the sign of Ascending the Hall under the Approaching Officer, a clear upward trend.
Li Qingxian was puzzled.
’The only people with a direct influence here are the five of us. If their Qi Fortune is fine, then who’s the problem? Could it really have been just an accident?’
Li Qingxian wracked his brains but couldn’t figure it out.
In the afternoon, the group finalized the new plan, and Liu Muwa began using the Hundred Crafts Furnace to rebuild the Room B3 prison cell.
Zhou Chunfeng left to handle matters at the Divine Capital Bureau.
Back in the Prison Guard’s Room, Li Qingxian remained completely baffled.
Luo Jing walked over and said, "The five hundred taels of Gold and four hundred taels of silver are ready. They’re with Duan Heng outside the door. You can start crafting the Life Artifact whenever you’re ready."
Li Qingxian froze for a moment, then it dawned on him.
’I was so focused on the four of them, how could I have forgotten about myself?’
’And I have the ’Broken House Zero’ Fate Grid!’
’My Fate Grid should have been in a neutral state, neither good nor bad. But after offending Wei Yong, Ye Han, and the others, there’s a hidden mastermind after me. Now that Ye Han’s power and Fate Grid have grown stronger, I’m bound to be affected.’
’Looks like I need to hurry up and build my own Fate Grid! First, I’ll refine the Destiny Fishing Rod, and then buy a life to go Fishing for Fate.’
Li Qingxian thought this as he walked out, saying, "Go tell Disciplinary Officer Liu to just follow the plan. I need to spend the next few days working on my Life Artifact and Fate Skill. Don’t call me unless it’s important."
Li Qingxian picked up the large bundle from Duan Heng’s feet. Five hundred taels of Gold would be strenuous for an ordinary person to lift, but after taking the Jiao Dragon Transformation Pill and undergoing Celestial Thunder Body Refining, the weight was no different from a blade of grass to Li Qingxian.
Luo Jing shouted, "If you have a way, try to get some Spirit Gold. But don’t look at me for it, I really don’t have any."
Li Qingxian stopped and turned his head. "I’ll give you another life in exchange for some Spirit Gold."
Luo Jing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "I really don’t have any. I’m not even at the Middle-Third Grade, so I’m not qualified to use it."
Spirit Gold was a magical metal used to forge Magical Artifacts. It could be combined with various types of power, and the more Spirit Gold used, the better the Magical Artifact.
However, Spirit Gold was expensive and extremely rare, only bought and sold at Spirit Workshops frequented by Cultivators.
Li Qingxian tallied up what he had on hand.
The five hundred taels of Gold were untouchable, and so were two hundred taels of silver. The other two hundred taels, plus the few mace of silver on his person, still wasn’t enough to buy even one mace of Spirit Gold.
One mace of Spirit Gold cost one thousand taels of silver.
And the Destiny Fishing Rod required at least ten mace of Spirit Gold to be integrated into it.
Just then, Liu Muwa walked over and asked, "Qingxian, how much Spirit Gold are you short?"
"Ten mace," Li Qingxian replied casually.
"Catch."
Liu Muwa reached into his Qi Fortune Silver Fish Pouch and tossed something over.
Li Qingxian caught it and looked. It was a small, clear, colorless glass vial, no bigger than his thumb. At the bottom, ten sand-grain-sized specks of black metal were scattered, emitting a faint, multicolored shimmer.
"Lord Liu..." Li Qingxian stared at Liu Muwa in astonishment.
"It’s a loan. Remember to pay me back. I’m busy," Liu Muwa said before turning and walking away.
Li Qingxian looked at the skull wreathed in black mist above his head and called out loudly, "Thank you, Lord Liu!"
Liu Muwa waved a hand without looking back and continued busying himself with rebuilding the distillery.
Luo Jing glanced at the small vial with envy and said, "Middle-Grade Officials are really on another level."
Li Qingxian held the vial, raising it toward the sunlight. He tilted his head back to observe the magnificent halo of light shimmering within it.
Li Qingxian smiled and said, "Brother Han, Yu Ping, let’s head back."
Han Anbo said, "Yu Ping wasn’t up yet when we left."
"Oh, I forgot."
The two returned to Room A9 and found Yu Ping sprawled on his bed, fast asleep. Li Qingxian smacked him on his thick, fat ass.
SLAP!
His palm sank in several inches before being bounced back out.
"Huh? Wha?" Yu Ping mumbled, groggily sitting up.
"Brother Han, I’m making a list. Help me buy the Life Materials on it. I figure you know the ins and outs. Some of these things can’t be bought by just anyone. Yu Ping, you go borrow two porcelain bowls for me—the big soup bowl kind—and then stand guard at the door. I’m going to refine a Life Artifact."
"Alright!" Yu Ping’s eyes went wide.
Li Qingxian wrote out the list. Han Anbo took it and read it over, checking it word by word.
Once everything was confirmed, Li Qingxian took out three hundred and eighty taels in silver notes and twenty taels of broken silver from the bundle Luo Jing had delivered. He kept eighty taels in silver notes and the twenty taels of broken silver for himself, then handed the remaining three hundred taels in silver notes to Han Anbo.
"Didn’t you say two hundred taels would be enough?"
"Two hundred taels are for the Life Materials. The extra hundred is for you to hold onto. I’m always asking you to run errands. Some expenses can be put on the official account, but some miscellaneous costs are harder to claim, and you’d be too embarrassed to ask me for them. Besides, when you ask someone for help, you can’t expect them to do it for free. Just use it as you see fit."
Han Anbo nodded, put away the silver notes, and left Room A9.