Chapter 203: Jiang Lin

Before you rise above all others, you will have superiors; how to deal with them is the most important lesson in officialdom—you, at ten years old, already understand this deeply, showing remarkable maturity by easing your superior's burdens and withdrawing gracefully, performing excellently!

Completing the task to ease your superior's burdens, reward calculation in progress.

Task rating: A.

Obtained 40 achievement points!

Name: Li Rui

Age: 10

Talent: Martial Bone, Extraordinary Comprehension, Insightful Eyes, Great Dream Immortal Travel

Technique: Long Chun Technique, Dragon Soaring Through Nine Skies Diagram

Achievement: 60/100

Li Rui gazed at the reward on the panel, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

If he could get one more "A," the reward would unlock.

Progress had already passed halfway.

"Seems like a good deal?"

This time, though dangerous, was entirely within Li Rui's control.

Actually getting killed?

Of course impossible.

At most, he'd be crippled.

Zhang Zongzhu of Huaqing Sect was merely in seclusion, not dead; he'd never allow an Anning Guard officer to die on Huaqing Sect grounds.

He merely exaggerated the danger to give Ning Zhongtian ample grounds to claim credit.

Since he'd taken the risk and accomplished the task, he must make it meaningful—like securing greater rewards.

The next day, at noon.

The Benhu Cavalry, traveling day and night without rest, finally returned to Anning Guard.

Upon returning to the guard post,

Ning Zhongtian rushed off excitedly to Jiang Lin to claim credit.

They had resolved a thorny problem for Jiang Lin, shouldered great risk, and deserved great reward.

If this weren't done,

who would ever work wholeheartedly again?

Besides, Jiang Lin had always been fair in rewards and punishments.

Li Rui returned home.

He saw Liang He and the other three gathered around Yang Yong, talking.

"Anning Guard has plenty of beautiful ladies—Commander Cao's first and third wives are stunning; Feng Yu's seventh wife outshines even the top courtesans of the Teaching Bureau."

"But if you're asking for the number one—"

Li Rui's hearing was exceptional; he heard their conversation from far away.

His lips twitched.

So these guys were rating the wives of Anning Guard officers?

Had the spirit of Meng De's indulgence reached his own doorstep?

He stood at the door and heard them urging:

"Uncle Yang, stop teasing—just tell us!"

Yang Yong chuckled proudly: "It's He Da's new wife, from the Ding-class armory—absolutely beautiful!"

"Really that beautiful?"

Liang He was stunned.

Yang Yong nodded: "Ask Tiezhu and Xiao Zhao if you don't believe me."

He glanced at the two, then rolled his eyes: "Never mind—they're not normal."

One loves hammers, the other loves horses.

Both love them more than women.

Irregulars.

Liang He felt regretful—he'd entered a minor enlightenment state that day, so Yang Yong had taken Tiezhu and Wang Zhao instead.

He remembered He Shan well.

A cold, world-weary-looking man, yet he'd married an incredibly beautiful wife.

Who'd have thought such a man had a restless heart?

At that moment, the four finally heard a light cough at the door.

They turned around.

"Master."

Though unsure if Li Rui had heard their earlier words, all three felt guilty and kept their heads down.

Li Rui had no interest in exposing them; he looked at Yang Yong:

"Old Yang, did you deliver He Shan's gifts?"

"Delivered. Set up three tables, one left empty—only seven or eight people came."

"With a beautiful wife at home, He Shan better watch out—might wake up one day with a green hat."

Li Rui didn't respond, but asked:

"Truly that beautiful?"

Yang Yong swore: "If I'm lying to you, Old Li, I'll lose ten years of my life!"

Hearing Li Rui ask this, Liang He and the others felt even more ashamed.

Li Rui smiled lightly: "Now that you've said that, I'll go see her someday."

He had no intention of actually visiting He Shan's new wife—he didn't have such a peculiar taste.

He'd simply missed the wedding banquet.

Though he had urgent matters, a post-event visit was still necessary—just to see her, not out of desire, but simple curiosity.

Heaven didn't grant his wishes.

Li Rui brought gifts to pay his respects, only to find He Shan, newly married and doting, had gone out of town for spring outings.

A gentle voice echoed in his mind:

"Spring has come, all things revive—it's breeding season again."

Aren't humans also animals?

Otherwise, why do scholars keep using "spring" in their phrases?

Three days passed.

That day,

in the evening,

the group had just finished dinner; Li Rui lay back in his recliner, pretending to nap.

Suddenly,

a knock came at the door.

Li Rui made no move; he heard the courtyard gate creak open, followed by Liang He's startled voice:

"Lord Jiang?"

He opened his eyes.

Sure enough, Jiang Lin stood at the door, with a young girl behind him—Jiang Yan.

Li Rui quickly rose:

"Lord Jiang, what brings you here today? My humble abode is honored! Truly honored!"

Jiang Lin smiled lightly:

"Old Brother Li, we're family—no need for such formalities."

Hiss!

Li Rui's smile remained on his face, but inside he drew a sharp breath.

Jiang Lin called him "Old Brother"? How bold!

If this got out, Wei Ming and the others would probably have to call him "Honorary Father."

"Lord Jiang, please come in."

Jiang Lin had politely called him "Old Brother," so he couldn't treat his superior like a junior—he must address him properly.

He must use the correct title.

As he spoke, he led Jiang Lin into the main reception hall.

He gave Liang He a glance.

Liang He instantly understood: "Master's pulling out his best tea cake."

He hurried to Li Rui's room and took out a small piece of tea cake from a small box.

He brewed a pot of tea.

Wisps of white steam rose, filling the room with a soothing, fragrant aroma.

=9+book_bar

Jiang Lin sipped his tea, then spoke: "You've done me a great favor this time. I know Ning Zhongtian doesn't have the wit to pull this off so neatly—speak up, what reward do you want?"

Li Rui laughed heartily.

'Of course.'

When he saw Jiang Yan appear in Anning Guard from thousands of miles away at Huaqing Sect, he knew Jiang Lin had come because of the Jiang family matter.

He hadn't expected Jiang Lin would come personally to reward him.

It seemed Jiang Lin was very pleased that Li Rui had indirectly killed his cousin.

No wonder—anyone would choose a million gold over a cousin.

Cousins are plentiful; gold, once gone, is gone forever.

"Serving Head Jiang is my duty."

Jiang Lin had expected Li Rui to say that:

"I know you're all resentful, thinking I deliberately hid the truth and put you in a bind."

"Even a clean official finds family affairs hard to judge; some things, I simply couldn't act on."

"My cousin—if he'd only embezzled family wealth, that would've been one thing. But he was entangled with the Duke Prefecture."

'So he had to die.'

Li Rui silently murmured—he understood Jiang Lin's meaning.

He suddenly grasped the full chain of events.

No wonder Jiang Lin insisted on killing Jiang Baichuan. To bow before the Duke Prefecture as a great Buddha, one must first weigh whether one is worthy—if trouble arose, not just the Jiang family but the entire Huaqing Sect would collapse overnight.

"This is a private matter. Since Brother Li helped handle it, you deserve thanks."

"Brother Li has broken through—this might help."

Li Rui's face froze.

Jiang Yan's face froze too.

Her beautiful, large eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at her father, Jiang Lin, shaking her head frantically.

'I didn't say a word.'

Though she said nothing, Li Rui understood what Jiang Yan meant.

Jiang Lin: "Xiao Yan didn't tell me that fourth-rank Primordial Qi can perceive others' realms."

Fourth-rank Primordial Qi!

Li Rui sucked in a sharp breath.

Generally, a martial officer's rank matches his realm.

Jiang Lin is an Assistant Regional Commander; outsiders all assume he's at the peak of fifth-rank. Who would guess he's already entered Primordial Qi?

"He's hidden his realm too."

No wonder Jiang Lin kills everyone with a single sword.

Though there are three higher realms above fourth-rank, there are few martial artists in the world stronger than Jiang Lin.

The third-rank after Primordial Qi is also called Great Third-Rank.

In the Yu Kingdom's martial world, there's another term: Earth Immortal Three Stages.

What is an Earth Immortal?

A terrestrial immortal!

Just one step away from ascension—a true divine being.

Naturally, their numbers are few.

Jiang Lin smiled faintly: "Brother Li, rest assured—I won't tell anyone. When you're ready to reveal it yourself, I'll go petition for you to become a Garrison Commander."

Li Rui took a deep breath: "Thank you, Head Jiang."

The power of a Primordial Qi martial artist is incalculable.

He'd always thought he'd hidden himself well enough.

He hadn't expected—

That in the eyes of a Primordial Qi martial artist, he'd been seen through all along.

And luckily Jiang Lin revealed it himself—if another Primordial Qi martial artist had discovered it, trouble would've followed.

Jiang Lin smiled warmly at Li Rui:

"So, did you kill the Four-Armed Demon Ghost?"

Killing the Four-Armed Demon Ghost isn't like killing Gao Zhen—no need to hide it.

"Head Jiang is impressive."

Jiang Lin chuckled: "No, Brother Li is impressive."

The bounty on the Four-Armed Demon Ghost still hangs on the Yu Kingdom's official notices—but Li Rui already killed him.

Good.

Jiang Lin despised the Twelve Blood Disciples.

As for Li Rui hiding his cultivation, it didn't matter.

In Anning Guard, many conceal their realms—like Ning Zhongtian, who outwardly still appears in Dragon Gate stage, but has long begun attempting Qi Condensation.

Concealing one's strength? The more seasoned the martialist, the more they prefer it.

Something slid from Jiang Lin's sleeve.

A delicate wooden box.

"Brother Li, I'm certain you'll love this."

Li Rui raised an eyebrow.

Clearly, the object inside the box was Jiang Lin's reward for his mission to Huaqing Sect.

"Thank you, Head Jiang."

Li Rui tucked the wooden box away, showing no intention to open it.

A superior's gift? Just accept it.

If you opened it right there—what?

Did you really think you had the chance to pick and choose?

Unexpectedly, Jiang Lin said: "Brother Li, open it."

Li Rui frowned in confusion.

He pulled the box back out from his sleeve and slowly opened it.

The instant he saw what lay inside—

His heart stopped.

"Spiritual Qi!"

(End of Chapter)