Chapter 260

Hua Changxi did not know what purpose the Head of the Heavenly Division had in approaching her to actively resolve her predicament; she watched with cold eyes as Wei Zhenjie first met with the group led by Prince Shou, and then went to see the group led by Xia Zhen.

In less than an hour, Wei Zhenjie sent Huo Yunxiao to inform Hua Changxi that the matter was resolved and that Prince Shou and his party would no longer deliberately target the Hua family.

Seeing the doubt on Hua Changxi's face, Huo Yunxiao rolled his eyes: "Just put your heart at ease; anything my Master personally handles never fails."

Hua Changxi looked at him: "Doesn't the Heavenly Division also fall under imperial jurisdiction? Can your Master actually make people from the imperial clan obey him?"

Huo Yunxiao smiled: "The Heavenly Division of the past was a department of the court; the Heavenly Division of now represents the Central Sacred Land."

"In the Central Continent, the Central Sacred Land is supreme."

Watching Huo Yunxiao, whose expression was proud and self-satisfied, Hua Changxi's features shifted slightly as she probed: "Could it be that the current Heavenly Division intends to stand above the imperial clan?"

Huo Yunxiao smiled but did not answer the question: "In short, just rest completely assured; do whatever you need to do, and no one will target your family anymore."

Hua Changxi glanced at Huo Yunxiao: "I didn't expect the words of the Head of the Heavenly Division to carry such weight." Then, changing the subject, she asked, "Does the Heavenly Division have the power to suppress the imperial clan and the peak experts of the Dao-Protecting families?"

Otherwise, why would Prince Shou, who prided himself on standing above others, listen to Wei Zhenjie? Unless he could not defeat him!

Such an obvious probe left Huo Yunxiao somewhat speechless: "I am not clear on matters from above, so stop probing me."

He paused.

"My Master has already sent a message to the Heavenly Division; shortly, a batch of retired Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers will arrive to join the Danyuan Secret Realm."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi's expression changed slightly.

If stopping the imperial nobles from coercing the Hua family still remained to be seen, then directly dispatching a batch of retired Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers to join the Danyuan Secret Realm was tangible support for her and opposition to Prince Shou and others.

Hua Changxi could not guess Wei Zhenjie's intentions, but since the current situation favored her, she would take it one step at a time.

Immediately, Hua Changxi began instructing Apothecary Xu and others to prepare for recruitment.

The Heavenly Division acted quickly; soon, Director Gu personally led a team of disciplined, neatly ranked wounded and disabled Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers to appear outside Qihuang Hall Number Thirteen.

Hua Changxi activated the Technique of Observation, Listening, Questioning, and Pulse-Taking, scanning each of these individuals one by one.

Hmm, they were all cultivators, and all possessed Wood Spiritual Roots.

However, these people had either lost arms, lost legs, or suffered damaged foundations and declining vital energy...

Fortunately, their manual capabilities remained intact, so they could still plant, clean, and process spiritual herbs.

"What a pity..."

Hearing Hua Changxi shake her head and mutter, Huo Yunxiao immediately asked: "What is a pity?"

Hua Changxi replied: "Among these people, many could have made a full recovery if they had received timely treatment; unfortunately, it was delayed."

Hearing this, regret also appeared on Huo Yunxiao's face: "There are too few physicians and alchemists capable of treating cultivators."

The duties of the Demon-Suppressing Army are heavy and dangerous; whenever an incident occurs, a large number of people are injured, and the physicians and alchemists of the Heavenly Division simply cannot treat them all.

Thinking of those comrades who had died without treatment, Huo Yunxiao suddenly looked at Hua Changxi: "Hua Changxi, my Master thinks highly of you; you must cultivate more physicians and alchemists."

Hua Changxi glanced at him, then turned to find Apothecary Xu and the others.

Soon, tables, chairs, stools, brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were arranged outside Qihuang Hall Number Thirteen.

"Everyone, come fill out your respective resume forms."

Seeing Apothecary Xu and the others distributing items to the retired Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers, Huo Yunxiao went over, took a form, read it, and then walked to Hua Changxi's side.

"It is merely recruiting apprentices, yet you even investigate their backgrounds and life histories; isn't that too harsh?"

Hua Changxi looked at him: "What, when others join the Demon-Suppressing Army, do you not investigate them? Can just anyone join?"

Huo Yunxiao fell silent.

Too lazy to bother with him, Hua Changxi summoned Apothecary Xu: "Have those who have filled out their resumes enter Qihuang Hall; explain to them carefully the conditions for becoming apprentices, the benefits and treatment, the Heart-Demon Oath to be sworn upon entering the secret realm, and the rules to be obeyed once inside."

After Apothecary Xu received his orders and departed, Eunuch Yu, Eunuch Jia, Eunuch Zhou, and Eunuch Zhao arrived.

"Master, you summoned us?"

Hua Changxi led the four into her alchemy room: "You four have followed me for some time now, and I trust you very much."

Hearing this, the four eunuchs quickly declared: "We all swear to serve our master unto death."

Hua Changxi said: "I do not need you to die for me; just seriously complete the tasks I assign."

Hearing this, the four eunuchs were somewhat moved and again spoke in unison: "Rest assured, Master; we will definitely do our utmost."

Hua Changxi returned to the main topic: "Once this batch of retired Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers has finished filling out their resumes, I will lead them into the secret realm."

"With so many people, we cannot be without managers."

"From today onward, Eunuch Yu shall be the Logistics Manager of the Danyuan Secret Realm; you will be responsible for the apprentices' food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, as well as the distribution of pills."

"Eunuch Jia will be responsible for affairs in the Mission Hall, assigning tasks to the apprentices and following up on task completion."

"Eunuch Zhou will be responsible for affairs in the Law Enforcement Hall, maintaining order within the secret realm and regulating the apprentices' conduct."

"Eunuch Zhao will be responsible for affairs in the Merit Hall, auditing and exchanging the contribution points of the apprentices."

Seeing that Hua Changxi valued them so highly and entrusted them with such important duties, the four eunuchs felt immense excitement in their hearts: "We will definitely not fail our master's heavy trust."

Hua Changxi said: "I believe in you; now that you have accepted your duties, go down immediately and draft regulations for your respective departments; I want to know how you plan to begin managing the affairs in your hands."

The four eunuchs possessed rich grassroots management experience, so Hua Changxi felt quite assured letting them draft the management details for the Danyuan Secret Realm.

Meanwhile, as Qihuang Hall Number Thirteen was enthusiastically recruiting retired Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers, the atmosphere among the noble faction led by the imperial clan and the Dao-Protecting faction led by the Xia family was far from good.

Neither side had expected Wei Zhenjie to openly step forward to help Hua Changxi.

In the Spirit Realm Pavilion, Xia Zhen sighed with emotion: "This move by Wei Zhenjie is indeed clever."

Sending a batch of eliminated Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers into the Danyuan Secret Realm means that even if their hearts eventually lean toward the Sacred Land, the Heavenly Division suffers no great loss, as these were people the Heavenly Division no longer wanted anyway.

But if these people still retain some sentiment for their former comrades in the Demon-Suppressing Army and offer some convenience in their future actions, then the Heavenly Division stands to gain purely.

Xia Ziyang looked at Xia Zhen: "Should we also arrange for a batch of people to enter the Danyuan Secret Realm?"

Xia Zhen was silent for a moment: "The people we hold are not like those disabled soldiers who were eliminated; they are all excellent talents carefully cultivated and cannot be easily used as gambling chips."

"Let us wait and see for now; first, let us see how the imperial clan proceeds."

On the other side, in the deliberation hall of the Medical Bureau building, Prince Shou was fuming: "Wei Zhenjie's wings have truly hardened; he actually dares to command this Prince!"

Prince Fu, sitting to the side with an equally gloomy expression, said, "Enough, a few words will suffice."

Prince Shou could not endure the fact that someone who once had to smile ingratiatingly at him had suddenly turned the tables and now lorded over him: "Twelfth Brother, I truly cannot swallow this insult. Wei Zhenjie's attitude today showed absolutely no respect for the imperial family; I must teach him a lesson."

Hearing this, Prince Fu frowned and looked angrily at Prince Shou: "Thirteenth, Father Emperor issued a strict order forbidding us from provoking the Heavenly Department; you had best calm down."

Prince Shou grew even more furious: "I simply cannot understand why Father Emperor should fear the Heavenly Department. What is there to fear in Wei Zhenjie?"

Prince Fu rubbed his temples: "Wei Zhenjie himself is not fearsome, but the person behind him cannot be underestimated." That was the successor of the Central Sacred Land!

"Thirteenth, the decline of the imperial house is irreversible; there are some people we cannot afford to offend. Do not lose your composure and bring great trouble upon the imperial family."

Prince Shou became even more incensed: "Jun Ling has been in the Demon-Suppressing Army for quite some time now; has he still not caught the eye of the Central Sacred Land's successor?"

Prince Fu shook his head, then paused: "I hear that Chu Junyi is highly valued by Wei Zhenjie, who often takes him into the forbidden grounds of the Heavenly Department."

Prince Shou's brows knitted together as he snorted coldly: "That brat Chu Junyi is harboring malicious intentions; whether his loyalty truly lies with the imperial family remains uncertain, yet Father Emperor still favors him so greatly."

Prince Fu replied: "Regardless, the blood flowing in his veins is that of the Chu imperial clan."

Unwilling to discuss Chu Junyi further, Prince Shou decisively changed the subject: "Are we simply to stand by and watch Hua Changxi recruit apprentices on such a grand scale?"

Prince Fu fell silent for a moment: "If Wei Zhenjie wishes to elevate Hua Changxi, there is nothing we can do to stop it, but our joint boycott with the others still stands."

"Since Hua Changxi is willing to accept even those eliminated from the Demon-Suppressing Army, let her be forced to recruit only the crippled remnants and defeated soldiers of that force in the future."

"I want to see, when all the apprentices in the Danyuan Secret Realm come from the Demon-Suppressing Army, whether the Danyuan Secret Realm will still be under her control."

Prince Shou frowned: "But if we do this, won't the Danyuan Secret Realm fall into Wei Zhenjie's hands? That would be far too advantageous for him."

Prince Fu narrowed his eyes: "Even so, it is better than leaving it in Hua Changxi's hands."

It looked far better for the imperial family to bow its head to Wei Zhenjie, representing the Central Sacred Land, than to bow to Hua Changxi, who came from humble origins.

Prince Fu summoned his subordinate: "Spread the word that the Heavenly Department has taken an interest in the Danyuan Secret Realm; since the imperial family is willing to grant the Heavenly Department face, all parties should refrain from interfering recklessly."

This explanation eased Prince Shou's anger somewhat.