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He then said:
"Uncle Master, don’t be in a hurry. Summon Lou Yi and the others here now, and also call over several Division Masters."
"Call them over?"
Ma Shengxu was slightly taken aback but, having great trust in Wang Ba, immediately gave the order to the long-faced cultivator.
Wang Ba then stood in front of the desk, quickly flipping through the documents.
Before long, by the time Lou Yi and the others had arrived at Diwu Hall, Wang Ba had already classified the documents on the desk into different categories, forming several piles.
"Chief Division Master!"
"You’ve come out of seclusion?"
Lou Yi, Li Yingfu, Tao Ruyi, Zhou Lve, Zhen Boen, and others were both surprised and delighted to see Wang Ba.
Wang Ba nodded with a smile:
"You’ve worked hard. As usual, organize these materials."
"Yes!"
The group responded and then busied themselves with the task.
They often dealt with various materials and were extremely sensitive to the numbers and key information therein.
With the further categorization by Wang Ba, progress was swift, and it did not take long to list the important information one by one.
A large stack of documents was quickly summarized into a thin booklet.
Ma Shengxu couldn’t help but reveal a look of amazement.
He then couldn’t help but regretfully say:
"You little rascal, if I had known they were so capable, I wouldn’t have given it to you."
Wang Ba laughed:
"Uncle Master is certainly not the kind to covet what others love."
Ma Shengxu hummed twice, then asked with curiosity:
"Aren’t those few sufficient? Why did you call for the Division Masters to come over?"
"Heh, it’s also a good opportunity to have them report their work over the past ten years to you, the Vice Hall Master."
Wang Ba said with a smile.
"You can just call me Uncle Master in private, hearing you call me Vice Hall Master feels a bit strange."
Ma Shengxu muttered.
Shortly after, Water Division Master Zhou Tianqi unexpectedly arrived first.
Seeing Wang Ba, he was clearly surprised but still greeted Ma Shengxu with a bow, then showed respect towards Wang Ba with another bow.
"Water Division Master Zhou Tianqi, greets the Chief Division Master."
Wang Ba smiled slightly and held Zhou Tianqi.
"Division Master Zhou is too polite, we are of the same generation, and you are also a personal disciple, there’s no need for such formality in private. You may call me Wang Ba or Junior Brother Wang."
Zhou Tianqi was slightly surprised, but then a smile slowly appeared on his face:
"Understood, Chief Division Master."
While they were talking, another figure strode in.
Seeing Wang Ba, he too was startled.
His face showed a mix of embarrassment, unease, gratitude, and other emotions, but he still stiffened his resolve to approach Wang Ba and greeted him with the respect due to a subordinate:
"Fire Division’s Chi Liequan greets the Chief Division Master… I thank the Chief Division Master for overlooking past grievances."
As he spoke, he suddenly took out a jade slip from his sleeve and presented it with both hands to Wang Ba.
Wang Ba, however, did not accept it immediately, instead quietly observing the man until Chi Liequan’s embarrassment was evident on his face. Only then did Wang Ba suddenly brighten up with a smile:
"Division Master Chi, what are you saying? It was just a little misunderstanding."
He extended one hand and then held the jade slip in his grasp.
Seeing this, Chi Liequan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
A smile involuntarily appeared on his face, as he quickly explained:
"This contains the Taiyi True Fire cultivation method’s essential points for reaching the Fulfillment-stage Nascent Soul as well as realizations from past peak masters of Fire Cloud Peak. I hope it can be of some assistance to the Chief Division Master."
Wang Ba was slightly taken aback.
He then nodded:
"Division Master Chi is thoughtful. Thank you."
After having a brief conversation about the Fire Style cultivation method, Chi Liequan showed considerable dedication.
However, listening to the insights periodically expressed by Wang Ba, he was greatly surprised.
He discovered that while Wang Ba’s understanding of the Fire Style cultivation method wasn’t as profound as his own, the gap was not large, and some of the perspectives were quite unique, even ones he had never considered.
"Could it be that this Chief Division Master is truly a once-in-a-lifetime genius?"
Such a thought involuntarily arose in Chi Liequan’s mind.
As he realized this, he couldn’t help but recall the time when he was unwilling to teach Wang Ba the cultivation method.
His face became even more flustered.
He also couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret:
"If I hadn’t been so arrogant back then... maybe I wouldn’t be in such an awkward position today."
Before long, Gold Division’s Qi Rulian and Earth Division’s Qian Chun also arrived.
Both men were somewhat surprised to see Wang Ba.
But Wang Ba gave them no opportunity for formalities and, as soon as they arrived, immediately nodded:
"All four Division Masters are here, perfect. You can start reporting to the Vice Hall Master about the recent years."
The position of Wood Division Master was eagerly awaiting Ling Weizi. However, due to his continued absence and the ability of Lou Yi and the others to manage affairs, the position remained temporarily vacant.
The four were somewhat astonished to hear this.
But, long before the establishment of the Five Elements Division, and after Wang Ba had reorganized the twenty-five departments, all data became transparent and processes clear, so they were able to give a straightforward account.
Ma Shengxu listened and nodded, while Wang Ba also listened carefully at the side.
It wasn’t long before he roughly understood the situation at Five Elements Division during his absence.
He had a figure in his mind.
So when he returned to work at the All-divisions Hall, he wouldn’t be utterly confused.
This was the reason he asked Ma Shengxu to summon them to report.
"However, it seems that whether I am present or not doesn’t make much difference... I guess I can continue to slack off in secret."
Wang Ba mused to himself.
After the four had finished reporting, they left.
Meanwhile, Lou Yi and the others had successfully organized the various documents in the hall once more.
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