Chapter 137: Fame and Rank

The director's two apprentices needed to use the No. 6 Qihuang Hall for their lectures, and Hua Changxi naturally didn't want to give it up, but as a handyman in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, she didn't have the right to say no.

Although Mu Qingying and Yuan Tianchou's attitudes were still tolerable, the two of them had only come to inform her, not to ask for her opinion.

Moreover, she had lost the wooden token.

Feeling frustrated, Hua Changxi left the Qihuang Hall. As she walked, she reached the square and, seeing the old courtyard with its gate wide open, she thought for a moment and then entered.

Seeing Hua Changxi, Gu Xing was somewhat surprised. His place had become quite lively now, with people coming and going every day, looking like they were on a treasure hunt. But this girl, except for the time she came to get the wooden token, had hardly visited since.

"Judging by your expression, have you run into trouble?"

Hua Changxi stood before the wall where the wooden tokens had once hung in the courtyard and asked in confusion, "I clearly paired up the nine Qihuang Halls and the nine wooden tokens of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall. Why do Mu Qingying and the others' tokens still react?"

Gu Xing roughly knew what she was talking about and said with a smile, "You only unlocked the teaching content of the nine Qihuang Halls. Except for No. 1 Qihuang Hall, you probably didn't bind the other Qihuang Halls with the wooden tokens."

At these words, Hua Changxi's spirits lifted: "What you call binding—does it mean fitting the small sword on the wooden token into the sword slot on the stone pillar at the entrance of the Qihuang Hall?"

Gu Xing smiled but said nothing.

Hua Changxi regretfully covered her forehead with her hand. Earlier, because she was worried about causing a big commotion that would attract others' attention, besides No. 1 Qihuang Hall, she hadn't fitted the three-dimensional small sword on the wooden token into the sword slot on the stone pillar for the other Qihuang Halls.

"Then if a small sword condenses on someone else's wooden token, can they also bind a Qihuang Hall?"

Gu Xing smiled and said nothing, which was taken as tacit consent.

Hua Changxi thought of Gu Jinfan and Yuan Tianchou's influence and immediately felt a headache. With so many people attending their lectures, they would be able to condense sword patterns in no time.

Seeing her expression shift uncertainly, Gu Xing thought for a moment and then asked, "Why haven't you been giving lectures recently?"

Hua Changxi: "I have limited time, I need to take care of other things."

Gu Xing: "The Qihuang Hall is originally a place for imparting teachings. Since you don't have the energy to give lectures, it's perfectly normal to let others teach."

Hua Changxi didn't say anything. Not to mention the nine Qihuang Halls of the Apprentice Hall, the nine Qihuang Halls of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall were originally claimed by her. Now that she had to give them up, how could she be willing?

Gu Xing looked at her: "Are you angry that others are teaching in the Qihuang Hall, or that you can't hold on to the Qihuang Hall yourself?"

Hua Changxi: "Is there a difference?"

Gu Xing smiled: "A huge difference."

Hua Changxi frowned, was silent for a long moment, then walked to the stone table and sat down: "I just feel stifled. Why, even now, do I still have to be controlled by others?"

Gu Xing listened to her tone, raised an eyebrow, and asked with a smile: "Do you dare to kill?"

Hua Changxi glanced at him: "Of course."

Gu Xing asked again: "You dare to kill, but are you willing to turn yourself into a murderous fiend?"

Hua Changxi said nothing.

Gu Xing smiled: "If you're unwilling, then even if you possess extraordinary martial power, it won't be much of a deterrent to others, especially to official institutions like the Medical Department."

"Do you know why many martial arts masters travel the world alone?"

Hua Changxi: "Because they love freedom."

Gu Xing laughed out loud: "Then do you think, why do many masters live in poverty?"

Hua Changxi: "Because they are not good at managing finances."

Gu Xing laughed, then sighed: "Girl, there is still much for you to learn."

Hua Changxi was baffled: "Senior Gu, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Gu Xing said seriously: "From your tone, your cultivation is probably not low. However, this strength only acts on yourself—that is, it only gives you a certain ability to protect yourself. You have not gained the ability to influence others because of it."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi was stunned for a moment.

Gu Xing continued: "The imperial court established the Medical Department several hundred years ago. Over these hundreds of years, the Medical Department has long formed a set of effective and smoothly operating rules and regulations."

"Under these rules and regulations, every department in the Medical Department has its own position, and every person in each department has their own position."

"Girl, have you found your own position? Do you think you have a place in the Medical Department now?"

Hua Changxi opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out.

Where in the Medical Department did she have any place? Not to mention the director—even if a sixth-rank department head came, they could find any excuse to make her pack up and leave.

Gu Xing said, "Actually, you teaching the menial workers at Qihuang Hall is a very good method to gain fame."

"After gaining fame, you will obtain a certain amount of reputation. With reputation, you will have a certain status in the Miscellaneous Labor Hall."

"However, the Miscellaneous Labor Hall is the lowest department in the Medical Affairs Bureau. Your reputation hasn't spread beyond the Miscellaneous Labor Hall. Even if it spreads, it hasn't reached the point of influencing others. Therefore, to the Apprentice Hall, Disciple Hall, and the Nine Streets Pharmacy outside the Miscellaneous Labor Hall, you are nothing."

"If you truly want a foothold in the Medical Affairs Bureau, you need to find a way to become famous throughout the entire bureau. Only then can you have a place in the Medical Affairs Bureau and possess the ability to make others wary."

"Right now, you neither have enough reputation to influence others nor anything that makes people fear you, so you can only be casually handled and manipulated by others."

Gu Xing's words deeply shocked Hua Changxi. These were things she had never considered.

Everything she had done before was only to improve her strength. She only thought about not being bullied, and what she wanted was only to have control over her own life. She had never thought about influencing others.

After a long while, Hua Changxi finally spoke, "Can't I just keep to myself? Must I compete for fame and position?"

Gu Xing said, "Of course you can. There have been many examples throughout history of solitary masters roaming the world. However, if you want to stay in the Medical Affairs Bureau and interact with people, you have to consider how to establish yourself and secure a living."

Hua Changxi thought for a moment and then said, "You said it yourself—the Medical Affairs Bureau has been established for hundreds of years, and the rules have long been set. Every position is held by people with connections. Under these circumstances, how can I establish myself?"

Gu Xing smiled, "It's not that rules cannot be broken."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi was startled and looked at Gu Xing in surprise.

Gu Xing's smile did not fade, "You can follow the rules, or you can break the rules."

Hua Changxi was silent for a moment, "...Senior, I feel that you are guiding me to do something."

Gu Xing laughed, "If you are truly being guided by me, it's because you want to be guided. The choice has always been in your hands, hasn't it?"

Hua Changxi looked at him, "Senior, you really know how to influence people. You should go teach at Qihuang Hall."

Gu Xing shook his head with a smile, "I'm just a gatekeeper. I can't teach any classes."

Hua Changxi said, "Making you a gatekeeper is truly a waste of talent." With her emotions somewhat stirred, she didn't want to stay long in the old courtyard. "Senior, I've disturbed you today. Please rest well."

When she left the old courtyard, the sky had already darkened.

On the way back to her own courtyard, Hua Changxi's mind was full of the words Gu Xing had just said.

She had to admit that many of his words were correct.

She indeed had no standing in the Medical Affairs Bureau, so when Mu Qingying and Yuan Tianchou wanted to come teach at Qihuang Hall No. 6, they only needed to inform her.

Their status in the Medical Affairs Bureau was above hers, not because of their alchemy skills, but simply because they had the backing of the Bureau Director.

What does the Bureau Director represent?

Power!

Hua Changxi sighed. She was already cultivating immortality, yet why couldn't she avoid the struggle for power and profit?