Blind Spot
Chapter 454 - 415 study one

Chapter 454: 415 study one

Fearful little deer?

As expected from a martial arts technique originating from a great medical clan, even if it’s Grade Black, what’s the use? It lacks any lethality and can only serve for a medical officer.

After completing the transformation, Li Chengyi stood up, pushed open the door, and stepped into the courtyard.

From here, one could see the city’s black fortresses rising like giant trees, casting enormous shadows that almost entirely blocked the sunlight.

Now that the deer king energy is transformed, all that is left is to shape my body according to the silhouette of the True Seal spirit to complete the fusion. The only question is how to carry out this transformation... to achieve harmony...

Yes, the transformation must harmoniously follow nature to successfully attract the spirit of the True Seal.

This is also where the difficulty lies in this step of the martial arts process.

Standing in the courtyard, Li Chengyi gazed at the tiny dots of martial practitioners flying to and from a distant fortress, losing himself in thought.

Thump thump thump.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

His senses stirred, and he instantly realized that a martial practitioner was standing outside the door, one with considerable strength at that— a True Qi Martial Practitioner.

This True Qi Martial Practitioner had an immense amount of True Qi, about one third of his own. In terms of aura, the purity was even higher, apparently one of the top experts in the city.

"Please come in," Li Chengyi motioned with his hand; his True Qi turned into threads lifting the latch.

The courtyard door swung open, and a tall woman with long hair over her shoulders, a bewitching face with a hint of arrogance, clad in tight brown leather armor, with a short dagger hanging from her waist, walked in.

The woman had a slender build, but her exposed arms and thighs showcased her wheat-colored skin and the raised blocks of solid muscle.

On her left breast, she wore a silver badge from the Divine Martial Office, a simple circular plaque with the characters for ’Divine Martial’ engraved on it.

"Wang Yichen? The deputy commander of the Wang camp?" She greeted Li Chengyi with a smile, "I’m Zhang Shuxiang, currently in charge of the third division and the first-ranked camp commander."

"So it’s Commander Zhang, Lady Zhang!" Li Chengyi quickly stepped forward with clasped fists, his expression turning serious.

"I wanted to visit you a few days ago but unfortunately couldn’t find the place. I never expected Lady Zhang to personally come to see me, it’s really..."

"We’re all martial practitioners; why bother with so many pleasantries? Come, come, I’ve heard you’re a famous martial arts prodigy who made great contributions in Cangshi County before coming over. Let’s sit down and talk."

Zhang Shuxiang entered, waved her hand behind her, and with precise use of True Qi, locked the door latch back in place.

She made herself at home, walked to the living room, sat at the wooden table, grabbed Li Chengyi’s teapot, and poured herself a cup.

"You’re straightforward," Li Chengyi, picking up on her personality, didn’t beat around the bush either and sat down to pour tea and raise his cup.

After downing a drink in one gulp, Zhang Shuxiang put down her cup and scrutinized Li Chengyi intently.

"I came over because you should have a clear understanding of the situation by now. This Quling Mansion isn’t like other places. Here, you must abide by the rules here; it’s entirely different from those in the county you were before."

"Rules? What rules?" Li Chengyi was taken aback.

"Actually, it’s quite simple," Zhang Shuxiang smiled, "You’ve been here for a while now; haven’t you wondered why you haven’t recruited a single subordinate? After looking through the camp, did you find that the roster is full of connections and you haven’t seen a single person?"

"Yes. I would be deeply grateful if Lady Zhang could enlighten me," Li Chengyi nodded repeatedly.

Quling Mansion was much larger than Cangshi County, yet upon his arrival, he, a deputy commander, had become a commander without troops?

That certainly didn’t seem normal.

"The reason is quite simple. In this place, you must pledge allegiance. Quling Mansion, especially the Divine Martial Office area, is mainly led by the Ouyang Family, the Huang Family, and the Qi Family. You must choose one of these three forces to have a foothold in this mansion city," Zhang Shuxiang explained.

"Pledge allegiance?" Li Chengyi frowned slightly. He didn’t have the time to go around pledging allegiance. He could have practiced his True Qi to more than two hundred years if he had time to spare forging these connections and relations.

"Of course, you don’t have to pledge allegiance. Just don’t expect others to cooperate with you or give you face when you’re carrying out official duties. Often, it’s not whether you’re right that gets things done, but whether you can implement what you want to do. This requires strength, relationships, and whether others are willing to help or stand with you," Zhang Shuxiang said with a smile.

"Are the backgrounds of these three families that deep?" Li Chengyi asked doubtfully.

"Hmm, the three families essentially serve Lord Tiancan, one of the Four Great Yin Gods. In this city, there are many forces affiliated with the Four Great Yin Gods, and in reality, everyone is nominally listed, but the Four Great Yin Gods can’t be bothered to care about you— they probably haven’t even heard your name, so don’t mind it," she continued.

She paused and then continued.

"Whom you pledge allegiance to is your choice. Raven House has detailed information for sale; I won’t say more. Now, it’s up to you to find your own people."

"...I, a deputy commander, have to find my own people?" Li Chengyi was at a loss for words.

"Yes, if you have official duties and no subordinates, you’ll just have to do everything yourself. Wouldn’t that be exhausting? Would you still have time to cultivate your True Qi?" Zhang Shuxiang shook her head with a laugh, "Therefore, you need manpower, you need subordinates, and this is what we refer to as external hiring."

She poured herself another cup of tea as she spoke.

"Here at Quling Mansion, externally hired personnel constitute over eighty percent and are indispensable for the operation of the entire mansion city."

"...Then, the cost of this external hiring..."

"You’ll cover it," Zhang Shuxiang blinked.

"I have to pay out of my own pocket?" Li Chengyi felt this place was quite absurd. Completing official duties required him to spend his own money?

"If you fail to complete them, you will be demoted and called to account. If you can stay here, if you want to stay, that’s the rule."

"Then this position seems a bit pointless," Li Chengyi shook his head, somewhat disappointed.

"Hey, after mentioning the unpleasant aspects, let’s talk about the good ones, the benefits," said Zhang Shuxiang with a smile, clearly having used this strategy numerous times before.

And it worked again.

"I would like to hear more," Li Chengyi steadied himself, waiting for the details.

"First off, it’s about housing. The courtyard you’re living in, as long as you hold your position for three years, the house will be yours. According to the current land prices in Quling Mansion, a courtyard like this, in this location, is worth at least several million coins," she made a gesture with her hand.

"Next, all of the merchants in your jurisdiction need to pay you an ’anjin’ fee every month. This is not tax and doesn’t go on the books, but everyone makes the payment. A battalion deputy earns at least over a million coins a month in profits, and the percentage of the turnover is terrifyingly high."

"Lastly, as a battalion deputy, you are eligible to listen in on the Tian Ju Pavilion lectures by Yin Yue Zhenren every five years. Yin Yue Zhenren is ranked seventh on the ’Feng Tian Bang,’ extremely powerful. Just a bit of casual advice from him could greatly increase our understanding and skills. Even though he is a follower of the Blood Essence Martial Path, there are many commonalities in terms of the True Seal."

Seeing Li Chengyi’s seemingly unimpressed expression, Zhang Shuxiang continued to explain.

"Aside from the lectures, the Jade Leaf Wine supplied to everyone on the Daoist platform can at least make you stronger, more self-healing, and prepare you for fusing with the True Seal in the future. Those who drink it for the first time even receive a slight life-extending benefit."

After these benefits were laid out, Li Chengyi understood why Zhang Shuxiang said that many people, despite facing so many troubles and difficulties, still didn’t want to leave.

If one could make money safely and steadily for a few years in Quling Mansion, then afterwards, wherever you go, you could live a carefree and prosperous life.

"Of course, the main purpose of my visit is not for this, but to see for myself how talented this famous martial artist is," Zhang Shuxiang said.

"Now that you’ve seen me, I’m just an ordinary person. I don’t have an extra nose or extra eyes," Li Chengyi said with a wry smile.

"I see your record states ’unmarried’? Is that true?" Zhang Shuxiang asked, seemingly with a bit of expectation in her eyes.

"Yes, I haven’t established my career yet, how dare I start a family?" Li Chengyi sighed.

"At your age, to have reached this level, you’re already stronger than many scions of great families. What more do you need? Why not find a good match, borrow strength and strive for greater achievements? Your future might even be much brighter than mine," Zhang Shuxiang hinted meaningfully.

A genius, young, decent-looking, with a clean background, such a newcomer was quite welcomed by the families within the city.

"This..." Li Chengyi realized at once—was this a matchmaking visit?

What kind of figure was able to have the battalion head personally come to court him?

As Zhang Shuxiang continued to insinuate, the real backer finally came into the picture.

"Ouyang Family’s Miss Qing Er, Ouyang Qing, is currently at the prime age of nineteen, in the bloom of youth, with a beautiful appearance and an elegant figure. The family’s background is illustrious, perfectly fitting to aid your ascent to greater heights. She is indeed a good match for you."

"Uh..."

"Actually, with Miss Qing Er’s background and as a Blood Essence Martial Artist, if it weren’t for a fortuitous coincidence, she wouldn’t come your way.

It’s a pity... three months ago, she was deceived, heartbroken, and the medical officer advised that she needed to marry soon. A stable married life could dilute her past sorrows. In the short term, you are the most suitable candidate, and that’s why they came to you," Zhang Shuxiang explained convincingly, and finally took out a portrait of Miss Qing Er from her bosom.

Li Chengyi took it and looked.

Indeed, she wasn’t lying. A slender beauty in a red dress, with a figure far superior to the present battalion head, would score at least eighty points even in the era of internet and information.

However...

This woman somehow exuded...

An indescribable quality.

Li Chengyi instinctively felt there was a problem.

Soon enough, surely, Zhang Shuxiang added more details.

"As long as you marry into the Ouyang Family, your future rise is guaranteed. Here in Quling Mansion, it might not take long for you to surpass me," she said, looking envious herself.

"Marry into the family?" Li Chengyi immediately understood.

So the trap was waiting for him here.

"Don’t look down on marrying into a family. Given Miss Qing Er’s conditions, countless young talents in the city dream about it, lining up for the opportunity," Zhang Shuxiang persuaded.

But seeing that Li Chengyi still looked unconvinced, she felt a sudden apprehension, aware that her attempt was failing.

"The conditions are indeed good, but I’m afraid I’m not fortunate enough to enjoy them. Since there are so many talents in the city eagerly waiting, I shouldn’t take away their dream. Better leave this chance to someone else," Li Chengyi sighed.

"Ah... this is your fastest way to secure a foothold here. It’s rare for the Ouyang Family to appreciate you..." Zhang Shuxiang wanted to press on.

"Battalion Head, let’s talk about the actual work to be done by the Divine Martial Office on a daily basis, shall we? Let’s discuss official matters," Li Chengyi declined tactfully.