Chapter 1749: Xuanwu Great Avenue

Knock knock knock——

The night was deep, and a burst of knocking sounded from the main door of the Repair Shop.

Li Shangfeng, who had just returned home with Li Wanhua, flashed a trace of confusion in his eyes, looking toward the direction of the main door.

"Did Boss Chen return?" Li Wanhua asked.

"Probably not, I gave him the key to the main door." Li Shangfeng shrugged. "Most likely someone's car broke down on the road again... I'll go take a look."

"Then you go, I'm taking a shower and going to sleep... there's still a midterm exam tomorrow."

Li Wanhua lazily yawned and walked toward the bathroom.

Li Shangfeng walked straight to the main door. After skillfully opening it, he saw a gray-haired young man standing outside the door, wearing a retro shirt with a pair of silver glasses on the bridge of his nose, looking gentle and refined.

"You are..." Li Shangfeng felt this person looked a bit familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere.

"Oh oh oh, I remember now, you're the one beside Lord Brand... It's so late, is there something the matter?"

"Mr. Li, Lord Brand invites you."

"...Now?"

"That's right." He Jing nodded. "Mr. Li doesn't need to worry, it's a great matter."

"Oh?"

Hearing the words "great matter", Li Shangfeng's eyes instantly lit up. Could it be that the Taishi Division was going to give him some big job again? The kind with considerably rich remuneration?

"Then let's go."

Li Shangfeng was somewhat expectant. Following He Jing, he walked toward the Taishi Division under the night sky.

...

This wasn't Li Shangfeng's first time coming to the Taishi Division.

But every time he stood on Xuanwu Great Avenue and saw the brilliantly illuminated vermilion palace walls standing tall in the night sky in the distance, it was still hard to avoid feeling emotional in his heart...

Just what kind of person could live in such a magnificent and solemn imperial palace?

The core of the Chengtian Domain was precisely this Chengtian Imperial Palace. Centered on the imperial palace, there were four main thoroughfares extending to the outer city areas respectively, like blood vessels connecting imperial power and all living beings, named Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise respectively.

These four main thoroughfares, each of them could accommodate eighteen carriages moving in parallel, and the shops on both sides were extremely prosperous. The wealthiest and most powerful merchant guilds in the entire Chengtian Domain, and even princes and nobles, all had a place here. Various magnificent commercial districts were brilliantly illuminated, reflecting the entire street as bright as daytime.

Geographically speaking, Li Shangfeng's Repair Shop was considered the fringe area of the Chengtian Domain. The number of times he came to Xuanwu Great Avenue could be counted on one's fingers. He heard that there was almost no night on this avenue, it was flowing with brilliant colors all night long, with an endless stream of pedestrians.

"Xuanwu Great Avenue, truly intoxicatingly luxurious..." Li Shangfeng couldn't help sighing with emotion.

He Jing chuckled lightly, opening his mouth with profound meaning: "Mr. Li doesn't need to be envious, perhaps it won't be long before you also have a place here."

Li Shangfeng froze for a moment, then laughed heartily: "Me? If I reincarnate well in my next life, perhaps I'll have a chance."

Li Shangfeng followed He Jing, walking past Xuanwu Great Avenue, continuously approaching that vermilion palace wall filled with a sense of oppression... At the very front of Xuanwu Great Avenue, at the boundary with the vermilion palace wall, a tall and mysterious black-purple building stood towering, like a terrifying giant beast guarding the dynasty.

The Chengtian Imperial Palace was the Emperor's residence. All other administrative departments could only surround the outside of the palace walls. Although the Taishi Division's status in the entire Chengtian Dynasty couldn't be considered of vital importance, it wasn't considered too low either, so it was situated on Xuanwu Great Avenue. Whenever pedestrians passed by the door of the Taishi Division, they would always be intimidated by the mysterious aura emanating from here, their heartbeats unconsciously accelerating.

When Li Shangfeng stood in front of the Taishi Division's door once again, that feeling became even stronger... He frowned, looking at that towering black-purple building. He kept feeling like the other party was staring at him like staring at prey, as if it would swallow him in one bite in the next moment.

"Mr. Li, please." He Jing smiled and led the way for Li Shangfeng.

Li Shangfeng shook his head, throwing the strange thought out of his mind, and followed He Jing inside.

He Jing didn't take Li Shangfeng through the main door, but vigilantly circled the surroundings. After confirming no one was paying attention, he quietly walked in from the back.

Very quickly, Li Shangfeng met Lord Brand of the Taishi Division. Although Li Shangfeng didn't quite understand these twists and turns of officialdom, he also knew that there were only two people who truly called the shots in the Taishi Division... One was the head, Lord Chong, and the other was Brand, who he had personally trained.

As soon as Brand saw Li Shangfeng, a faint smile hung on the corners of his mouth, and he said straightforwardly:

"Mr. Li, Lord Chong has already seen your masterpiece... I'll just say it straight, Lord Chong and I admire you very much, and plan to arrange for you to work under us, what do you think?"

Li Shangfeng was instantly dumbfounded.

Before coming, he had thought of countless possibilities for a "great matter", but he absolutely didn't expect that the other party would unexpectedly directly want him to enter the Taishi Division?

He opened his mouth, temporarily not knowing what to say.

"Ever since His Majesty established the Taishi Division, the Taishi Division has always been doing things for the Chengtian Domain with all its heart and effort... The alchemy high walls used by the nine great prisons to resist the monster tides, the domain trains shuttling between domains, and even the Alchemy Arrays on the palace walls of this Chengtian Imperial Palace, those were all accumulated bit by bit by successive heads expending all their blood and sweat."

"The Taishi Division spent over three hundred years to forge the most solid fortress for the dynasty. And now, Lord Chong and I have an even grander, more world-subverting plan... In this plan, your power is indispensable."

Brand's rhetoric made Li Shangfeng somewhat baffled. Although he could be somewhat arrogant, he wasn't stupid. What kind of plan would need the power of a low-rank Path of the Artisan like him?

Moreover, that Emperor had long issued a decree that the Chengtian Dynasty recruiting talents must go through layers of screening. Even if you had ability, you still had to go through the process. How could you just enter just by saying so?

What's more, the meeting between the Taishi Division and him was specially chosen to be in the middle of the night, conducted sneakily... not even taking the main door.

The words Brand just said seemingly kept emphasizing the Taishi Division's contributions to the dynasty, but actually, every time he mentioned the plan and Li Shangfeng, he said "He and Lord Chong", not the Chengtian Dynasty's Taishi Division.

A burst of vigilance instantly rose in Li Shangfeng's heart.

"What plan?" He asked tentatively.

"This, I can't tell you yet." Brand shook his head. "When the time is ripe, you will naturally know..."

"Then what do I need to do?"

"What you need to do is very simple. Right now, your strength is still insufficient to meet our requirements... After entering, just focus on raising your rank with peace of mind, and don't casually make contact with the outside world." Brand opened his mouth brimming with confidence,

"Of course, we also won't treat you unfairly. During this period, we will guarantee your food, clothing, and daily expenses, and give you triple the salary every month... I believe you should be able to feel our sincerity."