"Uncle Zhou, you’ve misunderstood me!"
"Instead of wasting time talking nonsense, you should be focusing on your Cultivation of Fate Skills and Daoist Skills. You’ll be going Demon Hunting soon, and you need the power to protect yourself," Zhou Chunfeng said.
"How soon, roughly?" Li Qingxian asked.
"Three days at the earliest, maybe seven or eight at the latest. Yanxue is an impatient person," Zhou Chunfeng said.
"Then... what about Sister Youfei teaching me the Thunder Skill...?"
"I’ll have her come as soon as possible."
"In that case... Uncle Zhou, since you support me doing a little side business, could you give me a high-ranking token for the Imperial Prison Department? My clerk token is too low-level."
Zhou Chunfeng took out his own token as the Imperial Prison Director, tossed it on the table, and said, "You dare take this one?"
"Thank you, Uncle Zhou!" Li Qingxian said, shamelessly taking it and stroking it gently.
It was square, palm-sized, and made of dark yin-wood. The edge was carved with a ring of red flames, and the center was engraved with the title "Imperial Prison Director," radiating a faint aura of Magical Power.
"You really took it?" Zhou Chunfeng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
"Don’t worry, I know my limits," Li Qingxian said.
Zhou Chunfeng frowned. "You’re not actually going to cause a scene, are you?"
"Of course not. I’m just sorting out some things related to the distillery," Li Qingxian lied smoothly.
Zhou Chunfeng stared at Li Qingxian for a long moment before saying, "I have a good idea of what you’re planning. No matter. Every Fate Master in the Night Guard has done it. If you really do make a big enough mess to disgust Zhangg Fugui, every official in the Night Guard will thank you for it. Go on."
"I’m off, then. Goodbye, Uncle Zhou." Li Qingxian put the token away, picked up the washbasin, and left.
As he approached the main courtyard of the Street Patrol Room, he heard the voice of Hex Lei, the Room Leader, coming from inside.
"All of you, listen up and listen good! Don’t just believe any old rumor. The fact that Qingxian is a Fate Master is set in stone. Both the... Guard Commander and Lord Zhou admitted it themselves. He’s just a beginner, but even if he’s only half right, that kind of talent would be terrifying even in the Celestial Fate Sect. I won’t say more, but in short, Li Qingxian is our brother in the Street Patrol Room. If anyone says what they shouldn’t say, or does what they shouldn’t do, don’t blame me for serving up some family justice and smashing your brains out with one swing of my hammer."
Li Qingxian reached the courtyard gate and saw the men of the Street Patrol Room gathered under the large pagoda tree. A bearded Hex Lei was standing on a small platform, his large copper hammer resting on his shoulder, as he coldly swept his gaze over the crowd.
"Don’t worry, Lord Hex. We believe in Captain Li."
"That Divine Light yesterday wasn’t fake."
"I don’t care if anyone else believes it, I, Dong Ying, believe it! He saved my old mother, so he’s a Fate Master!"
Hex Lei caught sight of Li Qingxian out of the corner of his eye and turned to look, smiling. "Qingxian’s back."
His eyes fell on the washbasin and the fruit piled high inside it.
When the other Grade-Entering Officials and the older Night Guards saw the large, red, water-patterned basin, they fell into thought.
Han Anbo smiled in relief.
"Don’t you dare fight me for it!" Yur Ping shouted, pushing through the crowd and charging forward.
The young Night Guards paused for a second, then charged forward with a great yell.
The pack of wild wolves descended on the washbasin, and in the blink of an eye, it was completely empty.
Yur Ping and a dozen others ran off, eating as they went, with a whole group chasing after them.
"Those damn kids have no worldly experience, daring to snatch a reward from the Guard Commander himself..." Hex Lei cursed with a laugh.
Walking over to Li Qingxian, Hex Lei clapped him on the shoulder. "Don’t be discouraged. It’s no big deal. I don’t think that Ge Chao had any ill intent; he probably just thought you were too young and inexperienced to be reliable."
"Don’t worry, Room Leader Hex. I don’t have the mental energy to dwell on this. The Demon Hunting is about to start, so my mind is on Cultivation." Li Qingxian thought to himself, ’Ge Chao’s Fate Grid is as powerful as I expected. It’s even affecting a Senior Seventh Grade official.’
"Oh, right. I was just telling Dong Ying that we should postpone the celebratory dinner until after you return from Demon Hunting. That way we can celebrate two happy occasions at once."
"That would be great."
The two chatted for a few more moments before parting ways.
Li Qingxian found Han Anbo and Yur Ping by the well, the latter washing fruit juice off his face.
"Come with me to the Imperial Prison Department."
"Didn’t you say you were going to spend the next few days in Cultivation?" Yur Ping asked while wiping his face.
"Do you want to see a life-buying?"
"Yes!" Yur Ping nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Then let’s go."
As Li Qingxian spoke, he turned and headed for the Imperial Prison Department, Yur Ping’s face flushed red with excitement.
"I can’t believe I, Yur Ping, will get to see a life-buying."
Han Anbo ignored his hopeless friend and said in a low voice, "Security inside the Imperial Prison is tight. That clerk token of yours might not be very useful."
Li Qingxian pulled Zhou Chunfeng’s token from inside his clothes, flashed it, and put it away.
"HISS..." Yur Ping sucked in a sharp breath.
Even Han Anbo, who was worldly and knowledgeable, was speechless for a long moment.
Upon arriving at the entrance to the Imperial Prison Department, Li Qingxian flashed the token. The two Guards jumped in surprise and were still staring dumbly long after the three of them had walked away.
"Didn’t they say Lord Ge exposed him as a fake Fate Master?"
"Yeah, this is too weird. How is he walking around with the Director’s token? Should we report it?"
"Report what? The Great Xiezhi didn’t even react. It must be real."
"Looks like there’s going to be a good show at the Imperial Prison Department now."
Li Qingxian first went to check on the distillery. The Puppet Cultivators from the Ministry of Works were now completely obedient, doing exactly as he said.
Afterward, Li Qingxian chatted with the Eunuch on duty, Jingg Guan, before standing at a major intersection in the East Courtyard.
Under the bright sun, the dark, tightly packed buildings seemed to weigh down on one’s eyes, casting a gloomy pall over everything.
Li Qingxian asked, "What’s Fann Xing like?"
Han Anbo thought for a moment. "His previous backer fell from power, so he’s been out of favor for the past two years, but he’s still ambitious. The reason he was so enthusiastic toward you last time was because he saw your connection to Lord Zhou. But... after the incident at the Disciplinary Hall, it’s hard to say."
"We’ll ask him first. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll find someone else," Li Qingxian said.
"Alright, I’ll take you to him. He should be resting in the C Character Prison Guard Room right now."
The three of them arrived outside the C Character Prison Guard Room. Han Anbo went inside, and Li Qingxian frowned slightly when he heard Fann Xing address Han Anbo as "Younger Brother Han."
A moment later, Han Anbo and Fann Xing came out together.
Without a word, Li Qingxian grabbed the token and shoved it in Fann Xing’s face. "Let me put it simply: work with me, and you’ll eat well. Don’t, and I’ll find the next person on my list."
Fann Xing was lean and wiry, with dark circles under his eyes. He carefully examined the token, then looked down at the Junior Tenth-Grade Official’s Uniform he had worn for years, at its familiar stains and tears. He thought about his good-for-nothing children at home, gritted his teeth, and bowed ninety degrees.
"This humble subordinate, Fann Xing, will respectfully obey your command!"
"Let’s go somewhere private."
The four of them walked along the black stone path and came to the back of an empty prison cell.
"I want to buy a life," Li Qingxian said, getting straight to the point.
Fann Xing let out a soft sigh of relief, a look of joy on his face. "Fate Masters buying lives in the prison is something the higher-ups tacitly approve of. Rest assured, sir, I will cooperate with all my strength."
Li Qingxian glanced at Han Anbo, who took about one tael’s worth of broken silver from a leather pouch and offered it to Fann Xing.
Unexpectedly, Fann Xing said, "We can talk about payment after the job is done. I, Fann Xing, am not the kind of man whose eyes open wide at the sight of money."
Han Anbo nodded and put the broken silver away.
"Tell me about the people and matters under your management," said Li Qingxian.