Chapter 651: The Nine-Yuan Spirit Ginseng Owes a Mountain of Debt

"Young Master,"

Several days later, the attending Foundation Establishment peak maid arrived before him, hand on her sword hilt, bowing slightly in greeting: "Kong Kong Yuling and Bai Bai Hualing, the two candidate maids, have been re-investigated."

In fact, every candidate maid undergoes this process, especially these two with sensitive backgrounds— they had long since been thoroughly investigated from top to bottom, with no suspicious traces, which is why they appear in the report.

At this time, personnel from the same relevant agency personally led the re-inspection.

"Back then, under your strike, the Three-Tailed Fox Clan and the Five-Color Peacock Clan were nearly exterminated; the Peacock King and the Hundred Flowers Demon King, among other direct heirs of the demon kingdom, were Top Priority, closely watched by many— their direct descendants were long ago wiped out."

"Kong Kong Yuling and Bai Bai Hualing both descend from collateral bloodlines of the former demon kingdom's royal house; they have no direct grudge against you, and those who shared ties with them are already at least three generations removed."

"They were both born during General General Heishi's rule, with their lineage lost."

"After multiple Heart-Testing examinations, no signs of resentment were found; politically qualified."

As for indirect grudges,

the entire demon race holds a grudge against the ancient Tushan Patriarch— that goes without saying, it's a given, something that has always existed.

"Then let it be so— train them as usual, show no discrimination, but also no special favor."

Jiang Ding said coolly, letting the matter drop.

Tushan maids are reliable, but their abilities are limited, confined to the Foundation Establishment realm.

Yet he had no intention of spending vast amounts of time conducting a Jin Dan-level or Nascent Soul-level investigation to eliminate a one-in-ten-thousand possibility.

Not needed.

Cultivators wield power within themselves; even if they harbor disloyalty, a mere flick of the wrist can crush them— the oaths binding the Dao Soldiers impose severe constraints; they cannot rise up.

"Yes."

The attending maid bowed and withdrew, her figure gradually vanishing.

Jiang Ding's spiritual sense swept across— the candidate maid academy was already in session; Gong Gong Caiyu, Dong Cang, and other Foundation Establishment peak maids were teaching naive human and demon girl students the cultivation knowledge they needed, preparing them to later train in the Tushan maid lineage Gong Fa, "The Heavenly Light Shining Sun Sword Scripture."

He himself also gave a lesson once every few months.

It wasn't that he couldn't teach more— it would accelerate the maids' growth.

It was just— laziness.

He didn't know whether this laziness came from his original body or was inherent to this fragment of his soul— either way, the result was the same.

As for the quasi-third-rank Dao Soldier flying swords required to grant official Tushan maid status, he could simply entrust a celestial sect's alchemy master to forge them— guaranteed quality at low cost, still made by ancient methods.

The cost was negligible to him now.

"The Dao Soldiers of the Three Kingdoms are handled this way— next is political affairs..."

Jiang Ding rubbed his temples.

This was his first time handling political affairs in six years, and only because he had faintly sensed his original body's gaze— normally he just spaced out, letting the Tushan maid corps handle everything themselves, letting matters pile up.

"There's a Foundation Establishment elder from the Li family of Fang Zhishan... hmm, the ancestral elder, about to break through to Jin Dan— he has the capability to trigger a heavenly tribulation, and he has some fortune— should we handle him like the Xiang Qiyu Sect or Xuetudian?"

"No need."

Jiang Ding annotated: "Let him break through, then issue a warning: no permission granted, no establishment of any power within the Three Kingdoms. If he oversteps and evidence is solid, announce it to the world, then exterminate him."

"Handle all future cases this way."

On this matter, Jiang Ding was generous.

But he wouldn't let anyone take money from his pocket— working for Tushan Xiancheng to earn money was fine.

"A group of Foundation Establishment peak cultivators from Tushan Xiancheng seek the method to break through to Jin Dan... if they have sufficient merit, give it to them, process normally— as long as they don't violate the Xiancheng's laws, no restrictions needed."

"A Jin Dan from the Spirit Treasure Guild requests an audience..."

"The first through third batches of Tushan maids have departed for the Northern Plains, planning to join the Wang Ting War to seek the Dao..."

"The Agricultural Hall's Councillor, Nine-Yuan Spirit Ginseng Chun Chun Sanwa, wants to see me? After being turned away, he applies once a year..."

Jiang Ding thought for a moment and said: "This fellow must be seen— after all, he's a top-tier third-rank spirit ginseng, more valuable than most fourth-rank spirit herbs, capable of aiding breakthroughs to Nascent Soul."

"I don't need him, but my Fleet Chief of Staff An Siyan and Fleet Deputy Commander Jin Jin Lingfeng seem to."

The order was sent out, and not long after—

Shhh!

A streak of earth-yellow cultivation light skimmed the ground, dashing forward in earth-traveling technique, revealing the palm-sized form of Nine-Yuan Spirit Ginseng Chun Chun Sanwa.

He was still small, but his aura had matured considerably; he wore a solemn Dao robe, genuinely exuding the aura of long-standing authority.

Of course, that was the truth.

As Agricultural Hall Councillor, if he gave orders, thousands upon thousands of spirit farmers would obey without a hint of negligence, rushing to till spirit fields across the land.

Tushan Xiancheng's financial returns have recovered so swiftly these past years, surging from thirty million lower-grade spirit stones to sixty million— he played a part in that.

"Pay me!"

Chun Chun Sanwa said bluntly.

"What money?"

Jiang Ding countered: "I've always had your annual salary delivered on time— don't slander my reputation. I'm not someone who withholds salaries."

"But that's not right!"

"I'm a top-tier third-rank spirit ginseng, comparable to fourth-rank!"

Chun Chun Sanwa fumed: "You only give me second-rank spirit fertilizer— is that appropriate? Why don't you give Gong Gong Caiyu first-rank spiritual treasures? She's only Foundation Establishment!"

Over the years, he'd interacted with many maids and had inquired about their salaries— now he felt deeply unjust.

"You're not like them."

"You owe me money, and you're working to pay it off."

Jiang Ding smiled: "Remember the rent? Go ask around— who else in the region has someone who owes money, works to pay it off, yet still receives a monthly salary?"

"I remember."

"You're stronger than me— I admit that."

The anger on Chun Chun Sanwa's face vanished in an instant, and he said with an ingratiating smile, "Master, just say it, what do I have to do to get third-rank and fourth-rank spirit fertilizer? Maybe after I break through to fourth rank, I can work for you even better and faster."

The dignity on him vanished, utterly fawning.

In truth, in his heart he was cursing that damned skinflint, waiting for Laozi to break through to fourth rank, then slip away in a blink, leaving you, brat, with neither the person nor the money, weeping in regret.

Jiang Ding said nothing.

An IOU drifted over faintly, with an annual interest rate of thirty-six percent.

"You get it, right?"

"I get it, I get it, how could I not get it."

Nine-Yuan Spirit Ginseng Chun Chun Sanwa's face showed bitterness as he signed his name on it: "Isn't it just that you've taken a fancy to Laozi's body and want to do as you please? As long as I can break through to fourth rank, everything's negotiable."

"Don't be like that."

"It's a deal between consenting adults, don't make it sound so vulgar."

Jiang Ding rolled his eyes, waved his hand, and a pile of third-rank spirit fertilizer fell to the ground, mixed in with two bags of valuable fourth-rank ginseng spirit fertilizer—clearly prepared long ago.

"Not bad."

Chun Chun Sanwa paid no attention to anything else, hugged a bag of fourth-rank spirit fertilizer, took a deep breath, and revealed a look of intoxication.

"The goods, very legit."

(End of chapter)