NOVPUBIn the sky.
Ling Weizi and Hu Zaixi, while observing the scene within the Spirit Mineral Department below, couldn’t help but exchange glances.
Both saw a trace of surprise in each other’s eyes.
Hu Zaixi was even more unable to suppress his astonishment as he said,
"Qi Rulian is so easy to talk to now?"
Ling Weizi slightly furrowed his brow before relaxing it, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes,
"Of course Qi Rulian isn’t that easy to talk to."
"It seems we have somewhat underestimated Martial Nephew Wang."
"With Song Dongyang choosing Martial Nephew Wang to be the scapegoat, it seems it wasn’t entirely about setting him up."
Hu Zaixi, hearing this, shook his head slightly,
"Whether he’s being set up or not, that’s hard to say. We’ve both spent time in the Five Elements Division, don’t we know? Out of the twenty-five departments, which one isn’t dripping with fat? When times were better, the Sect turned a blind eye, but now the Sect wants to hold the Five Elements Division in its grip to face the great calamity. Most fellow disciples dare not oppose, and it can’t be guaranteed that no one will be reluctant to let go."
Ling Weizi spoke with a calm expression,
"That’s also why I called you here, to make sure no one really thinks Wang Ba is easy to bully."
Hu Zaixi nodded, his eyes suddenly revealing a hint of curiosity,
"I’m really curious as to what exactly Martial Nephew Wang said to Qi Rulian earlier."
Upon hearing Hu Zaixi’s words, Ling Weizi’s face also showed a touch of eagerness.
"Who knows? But since Martial Nephew Wang dares to take over, it looks like he has some confidence… Do you have any matters to attend to? If not, just stay here with me."
Hu Zaixi pondered for a moment and shook his head,
"Not much really, but I did borrow quite a lot of Merit from the Sect when I went to the Dungeon to comprehend the Dao Secret a few years back. I want to find some tasks to earn Merits, but at my age, competing with a bunch of youths for Merit is a bit embarrassing…"
"Then just endure it. Our peak master also gets a few hundred Merit points every year. How much do you owe?"
Ling Weizi casually asked.
"About forty or fifty thousand, it’ll take a few decades to pay it all off,"
Hu Zaixi replied helplessly.
Hearing this, Ling Weizi couldn’t help but frown, giving Hu Zaixi a look and speaking earnestly,
"It’s better to pay it off sooner rather than later. Otherwise, if it weighs on your mind, it might even affect your Cultivation."
Hu Zaixi nodded slightly, then as though he remembered something, furrowed his brow and said,
"Yao Wudi has already stepped into Immortal Ascension. Logically, the position of peak master should be passed on to Wang Ba…"
"They say he’s still consolidating his realm, we’ll have to wait until he leaves seclusion."
Ling Weizi also furrowed his brow. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝔲𝔟.𝔠𝖔𝖒
Dissatisfaction flashed across Hu Zaixi’s face,
"This guy doesn’t know how to cherish such a precious disciple and just holds him back! It’s really unjust—such a person not only achieves Immortal Ascension but also has such a disciple."
Ling Weizi’s face unexpectedly showed agreement with Hu Zaixi’s sentiment.
...
"Right Enforcer, how exactly did you convince Minister Qi?"
In the vast storeroom of the Spirit Mineral Department, piles of various spirit materials and ore stones formed mountain-like heaps.
Dust filled the air.
Messy yet with a vague sense of order.
Wang Ba looked at the warehouse, which far exceeded his expectations, and was truly astonished by the size of the Spirit Mineral Department’s storeroom.
Tao Ruyi and others behind him were equally shocked as they surveyed the surroundings.
Only Li Yingfu, following behind Wang Ba, couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked via transmission.
Hearing Li Yingfu’s question, Wang Ba merely smiled and casually replied through transmission,
"Minister Qi is very reasonable."
Hearing Wang Ba’s words, Li Yingfu was momentarily speechless.
He glanced at Qi Rulian, who stood not far ahead.
Is he easy to talk to? I’ve been in Diwu Hall for many years, don’t I know?
This Right Enforcer really knows how to play his cards close to his chest!
Li Yingfu was itching with curiosity, but looking at Wang Ba, his gaze couldn’t help but take on a more grave respect.
Even if Wang Ba’s Cultivation Realm was not as advanced as his, being able to handle a tough personality like Qi Rulian, regardless of the method, was a skill.
"This storeroom really is huge, much larger than the Spirit Food Department’s."
Wang Ba commented as his gaze swept around the area.
In the Spirit Food Department, spirit food is generally refined and immediately handed over to the storage of Diwu Hall every month.
Thus, the department’s own storage is merely for keeping some spirit beast carcasses and spirit plant materials.
A lot of materials are also stored in Storage Treasures.
Which naturally means the space needed is less.
"Hehe, Martial Nephew, what you don’t know is that many of the ores here, after being mined, still need to be refined, which can take months, years, or even longer. And in order for the Spiritual Energy to fully permeate these spirit materials, they’re generally not stored within Storage Treasures, so the storeroom just keeps getting bigger,"
Qi Rulian explained with a hint of warmth as he stood to the side.
With a wave of Mana, he carelessly tossed a pile of ore stones that blocked the path to the side, a tinge of embarrassment on his face.
He also shot a reproachful look at a nearby Deacon of the Spirit Mineral Department who wasn’t being very attentive.
That Deacon of the Spirit Mineral Department hastily made a path through a pile of ore stones using Mana.
There was no helping it—the Spirit Mineral Department was full of rough, straightforward men. Since they were all familiar with various spirit mines, they didn’t care much about how they arranged them.
Hearing Qi Rulian’s explanation, enlightenment dawned on Wang Ba.
"I see,"
As they talked, he had more or less completed a sweep of the entire storage area.
"Martial Uncle Qi, I heard our Spirit Mineral Department has other storage rooms as well…"
Wang Ba inquired with curiosity.
"Martial Uncle Qi?"
Li Yingfu looked puzzled.
With a side glance, he swept a doubting gaze over the two of them.
Using such familiar terms of address in this setting... their relationship… seemed anything but simple, didn’t it?
