Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 152 - 152 0160 Are You Qualified - Part 2

Chapter 152: Chapter 0160: Are You Qualified? – Part 2 Chapter 152: Chapter 0160: Are You Qualified? – Part 2 …

“I am sorry, dear fellow apprentices, I have reached the Half-step Golden Core Stage now. My master says I will definitely be able to advance further into the Gold Core Stage within three years.”

Chen Wenbo arguably had no idea what modesty was. He directly revealed his current cultivation realm, shocking those Imperial Master Mansion’s elders and hall masters who were discussing about him. They thought it was absurd that he reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage at the age of thirty, but they underestimated Chen Wenbo. He had already set foot on the threshold of the Golden Core Stage. How were these elders who were still struggling in the Foundation Establishment Stage supposed to compete?

Contempt was clear in Chen Wenbo’s eyes. The Imperial Master Mansion was full of inept fools—a fact he knew before setting foot there. He turned again to look at Xiao Xiaowu, who was still busy writing decrees. “Master, please stop. These decrees of yours will be of no use in the end. They will just get torn up. What’s the point?”

Xiao Xiaowu had just finished writing the three decrees. He put down his brush lightly, looked up at his arrogant nephew, and calmly asked, “Torn up? Who will tear them? You?”

Xiao Xiaowu was calm, but Chen Wenbo dared not be presumptuous. Although he did not respect Xiao Xiaowu, and even though the Guardian National Master Wu Tie was standing behind him as a towering support, he was not foolhardy enough to face Xiao Xiaowu directly. Awkwardly, he said, “Master, where is this coming from? I came here this time simply to deliver my master’s decrees. I am merely a messenger, why give me a hard time?”

“Oh, what did my elder brother say?”

The three National Master Mansions of Great Zhao—whether the first-ranked National Master Yu Ting, the second-ranked Guardian National Master Wu Tie, or the last-ranked Imperial Master Xiao Xiaowu—all came from the same sect; in terms of seniority, Yu Ting was the eldest senior among the three, Wu Tie the second, and Xiao Xiaowu the youngest. However, the three of them did not have the same master, and their relationships were not exactly harmonious.

“My master hopes that the Imperial Master Mansion can give one of its three County Master quotas to our Guardian National Master Mansion this time,” Chen Wenbo stated directly without any reservations. “By the way, my master also wrote a letter to you. Please read it.”

Chen Wenbo handed a letter to Xiao Xiaowu.

Xiao Xiaowu read the letter from beginning to end, a cold smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “My elder brother is really not greedy, only asking for one quota. To offer 10,000 taels of silver is a substantial compensiation indeed.”

Chen Wenbo’s expression remained unchanged. In his view, giving 10,000 taels of silver to the Imperial Master Mansion was already too generous. If he had his way, not to mention 10,000 taels, he would not even give them a single copper coin.

Xiao Xiaowu casually placed the letter on the table, then asked, “So, which county do you want? Jinling County or Shuibei County?”

“No, we don’t want either of these counties. We want Lubei County,” Chen Wenbo replied.

“Hmm, this is like the sun rising from the west. My elder brother has always been insatiable, but this time he is leaving the fattest pieces of meat untouched and instead choosing the toughest one. How peculiar,” Xiao Xiaowu commented sarcastically.

Chen Wenbo replied, “Master, you jest. My master knows that Lubei County is a mere chicken rib to your esteemed mansion. Therefore, he thought of buying this place from you. Isn’t this also a way to unburden your mansion?”

Xiao Xiaowu sniffed coldly. He was no fool. If they were giving up the relatively better two counties and insisting on Lubei County, it only meant that Lubei County had a higher value than Jinling County and Shuibei County. The only thing was he was yet to find out what it was.

“Lubei County may not have much value, but no matter how little it’s worth, it could still give our Imperial Master Mansion another County Master. Nephew, it’s a pity you came a step too late. Had you come half a day earlier and told me Wu Tie’s request, I would have forfeited the position for you without any issue. But now, I’ve already written the decree. Anything you say now is too late,” Xiao Xiaowu calmly stated.

Chen Wenbo knew these were all excuses. He said unruffled, “It’s fine, you’ve only written the decree. It hasn’t been sealed yet, so it could be torn up at any time. Uncle, Lubei County is just an impoverished place, ruining our brotherly relationship over such a worthless place is unnecessary.”

“Not sealed?” Xiao Xiaowu seemed to ignore Chen Wenbo’s veiled threat. He calmly took out a large seal and stamped it directly onto the appointment letter bearing Qi Tian’s name. “There, isn’t it a complete decree?”

Chen Wenbo’s face darkened, “Uncle, it’s pointless to do this. If I return and report everything that happened here to the Master, I won’t be able to stop him when he gets angry.”

Xiao Xiaowu’s face also soured. “Are you threatening me? You think mentioning Wu Tie means I will tear up the decree that I wrote myself?”

“How dare I, but uncle, as far as I know, things haven’t been going well for your mansion for years now. The emperor intends to reduce the three National Master Mansions to two. If our Guardian National Master Manor and National Master Manor were to join forces, and propose this to the emperor, can you imagine the consequences?” Chen Wenbo showed no fear in front of Xiao Xiaowu.

Xiao Xiaowu’s face became more gloomy. He was well aware of the Imperial Master Mansion’s plight. If the emperor did decide to decrease one Master Mansion, it would very likely be his. Especially if the National Master Manor and Guardian National Master Manor were to conspire against him, his Mansion would be in more dire straits.

“What do you propose?” Xiao Xiaowu asked with a grim face.

Chen Wenbo replied, “It’s quite simple. As long as you give the County Master position of Lubei County to us, I can put in some good words for you with my Master. Maybe I can change his mind. At the very least, I can buy you some time.”

Xiao Xiaowu closed his eyes. He knew that Chen Wenbo was essentially offering empty promises that might not be met in the future. Still, he couldn’t dismiss the possibility that they might be fulfilled.

“What do you plan to do with Lubei County?” Xiao Xiaowu asked.

“It’s a secret, part of our strategy. However, I can introduce you to the person we’ve chosen to be the Master of Lubei County. Gao Han, come and greet our uncle.”

A young man in his twenties stepped forward. He didn’t kneel down to greet Xiao Xiaowu. Instead, he copied Chen Wenbo’s casual salute, a simple bow and an emotionless, “Greetings, respected uncle.”

Xiao Xiaowu assessed Gao Han, “You’re pretty good.”

Indeed, Gao Han was impressive. His cultivation had already reached the Half-step Foundation Establishment Stage. Among his peers, he was exceptional. In the Imperial Master Mansion, there were others at Half-step Foundation Establishment Stage, like Chu Yang, but Chu Yang was already twenty-eight, eight years older than Gao Han. Moreover, Gao Han’s foundation was much more solid than Chu Yang’s and closer to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Gao Han showed no delight at Xiao Xiaowu’s praise. His lack of reaction only confirmed that he had often received similar commendations before, likely from those of higher status than Xiao Xiaowu. It was clear he didn’t think much of Xiao Xiaowu’s appraisal.

Chen Wenbo gestured dismissively, asking, “Uncle, given your position and experience, do you think Gao Han is qualified to be the County Master of Lubei County?”