Chapter 86: Fire Boils in Oil, Vice Chief Li

“Li Fuzhua, from now on, you’ll oversee the Tianyi Hall, the Pharmacy Hall, and the Black Market.”

Dao Xiong handled affairs with great efficiency.

He settled the vice-chief’s duties that very day.

Of course, with Tang Fuquanyi still around, he had to put on a good show.

“Thank you, Dao Chief.”

Li Rui took from Dao Xiong the waist token inscribed with the number “6.”

Dao Xiong was relieved.

After Zhao Wei’s death, all the tokens belonging to the vice-chief had been replaced—except this one, the number “6.”

Due to the Ghost Ming Cult incident, it had been overlooked.

Now it saved him considerable trouble; relocating positions was a major matter in the branch, requiring much effort.

He saw Dao Xiong off.

Li Rui gazed at the number “6” token in his hand, a faint smile curling his lips.

At first glance, his role as vice-chief seemed merely to add oversight of the Pharmacy Hall.

But in truth, it was worlds apart.

Simply put, he would soon have two Hall Masters and one Director serving him, and all personnel appointments for the two halls and the Black Market rested solely in his hands.

Moreover, as vice-chief of the Qinghe Branch of the Heaven-Earth Alliance, he had entered Qinghe’s upper echelons.

Information asymmetry was the key to making a superior inscrutable.

There were many matters Li Rui, as a Hall Master, could never have accessed.

Just as Li Rui closed his door—

【Congratulations, host! Achievement completed: “Fame and Fortune — Rising to Prominence 2.”】

【To thrive in the Jianghu, reputation and status are both essential. You have successfully entered the upper ranks and gradually gained renown.】

【Task “Rising to Prominence 2” completed. Reward calculation in progress.】

【Task rating: C.】

【Obtained 20 Achievement Points!】

【Name: Li Rui】

【Age: 71】

【Talent: Martial Bone, Exceptional Comprehension, Spiritual Eye】

【Martial Art: White Ape’s Cloak Blade】

【Achievements: 70/100】

Lines of small text appeared.

“Of course.”

Li Rui grew even more certain of his decision.

As long as his status rose, he would earn Achievement Points.

“On the first day as vice-chief, Zhou Rui and money came to congratulate him, inviting him to Hua Yelou for an entire night of drinking.”

“On the second day, Ge Hong came to congratulate him; they spent the night listening to music at the Jiaofangsi—just like Zhang Yang.”

“On the third day, the Zhu and Liu families came to offer congratulations; they went to Hua Yelou.”

“On the fourth day, Ma Jail Warden came to congratulate him; they went to...”

Li Rui carried himself with the air of a newly appointed official, radiant with success.

He stayed drunk for six days straight.

Of course, it was all an act.

Some formalities still had to be observed—they might prove useful someday.

Not everyone had the qualification to invite him for drinks, and not every invitation meant he would accept.

Alcohol and lust harm the body.

Li Rui understood this well; indulgence in pleasure was a grave taboo for martial cultivators.

Know what to take, know what to refuse.

Blend with the world, yet remain above it.

Li Rui judged he had done quite well.

Soon, Qinghe accepted him as vice-chief; otherwise, a solitary, proud man trying to break into the upper ranks would have faced countless rebuffs.

Gradually,

Li Rui began declining many drinking invitations, citing his advancing age.

This was the advantage of being old.

He didn’t even need to think of excuses—others found them perfectly reasonable.

Cultivate martial arts. Read books.

Li Rui never slackened; he trained daily without fail.

Human relations were for show; true strength was the real foundation.

Fire boils in oil.

Though the scene now blooms with splendor, only those who endure to the end are true victors.

If anyone resented Li Rui’s rise to vice-chief the most, Jiang Cheng was certainly one.

“We agreed on seven days—how can you change it now?”

When he heard Li Rui wanted to extend it to ten days and demanded he set aside an hour daily to brew a single batch, he was utterly displeased.

Li Rui smiled slightly:

“Little Jiang, this is training you. If, ten days from now, I see your alchemy has improved, I’ll come every day.”

Blowing smoke.

This was a mandatory skill for every superior.

But the flavor of the smoke mattered: some sought power, some wealth; Jiang Cheng was the hardest to handle.

Fortunately, Li Rui had the Spiritual Eye.

As a rarer resource than alchemy, controlling Jiang Cheng was effortless.

Jiang Cheng, hearing this, had no choice but to comply.

Originally, Dao Xiong had intended for him to oversee the Zhongyi Hall, since it was easier to manage—but Li Rui swapped it for the Pharmacy Hall.

To others, Jiang Cheng might be a thorn.

But to him, Jiang Cheng was a private alchemist beyond finding—even one who loved to study technique.

Rare and irreplaceable.

With the Black Market and Pharmacy Hall, Li Rui had achieved full self-sufficiency in spirit elixir production.

He used his Spiritual Eye to buy spirit herbs cheaply from the Black Market, then had Jiang Cheng, as free labor, refine them into spirit elixirs.

One spirit elixir sold for five hundred taels in the Pharmacy Hall.

In Li Rui’s hands, it cost only fifty taels.

Tenfold—the difference was ten times over, enough to drive anyone mad.

These were all things only a vice-chief could fully control.

Li Fu zhua had excellent relations—this was nearly the consensus of the Qinghe Branch.

Not merely because he understood human relations, but because of Li Fu zhua’s age.

Seventy-one.

An age so advanced that even if seized, it held little use—in fact, Li Fu zhua had always acted accordingly.

“Brother Li, please come in.”

Ge Hong smiled warmly, leading Li Rui into his courtyard.

Unlike the other vice-chiefs,

Ge Hong had already built a vast fortune in Qinghe before joining the Heaven-Earth Alliance; though he abandoned his position as Wushu Hall Master, he had not moved into the branch like the others.

Wow!

As soon as Li Rui stepped inside, he saw many young women in Ge Hong’s courtyard.

From thirty-eight down to eighteen.

Ge Hong always appeared upright and stern—yet privately, he was quite the playboy.

Ge Hong cleared his throat:

“They were gifts from friends; I couldn’t refuse. But I haven’t been with women in a long time.”

Li Rui nodded with a faint, knowing smile.

“I understand.”

Some ascetics, to test their willpower, slept beside beautiful women but never touched them.

Ge Hong’s method was strikingly similar.

Seeing Li Rui’s expression,

Ge Hong knew he didn’t believe him, so he stopped explaining.

Exchanging maidservants was perfectly normal among Qinghe’s upper ranks.

Li Rui and Ge Hong entered a pavilion.

Ge Hong had no wife or children, living alone, yet he had seven disciples—a common situation in the martial arts school world.

Traveling thejianghu, one inevitably makes enemies.

With attachments, should enemies come knocking and watch your wife and children die before your eyes, it’s better to have started clean and unburdened.

Thus, most martial arts masters treat their disciples as sons.

Disciples also have the duty to care for their master in old age and see him through to his death, wearing mourning clothes and grieving.

The two sat down.

The maid brought seasonal fruits and melons, and a pot of tea.

Ge Hong and Li Rui were in similar positions, both newly appointed deputy helmsmen, so their relationship naturally grew closer.

Although Li Rui rose from Zhang Yang’s faction, now that both were deputy helmsmen, he couldn’t possibly tie himself to one tree alone.

In casual conversation,

Li Rui asked: “Master Ge, I am a man of humble origins, never had a good teacher, and wish to ask about the Qi Flow Diagram.”

Ge Hong raised an eyebrow.

For the Qi Flow Diagram is something used only after reaching the Sinew Strengthening stage.

(End of Chapter)