"It was given to me by an elder."
Wang Chen answered without changing expression, though inwardly he felt thoroughly disgusted.
As the saying went, the King of Hell was easy to meet, but the little devils were hard to deal with. The little devils at a government office gate were the hardest of all; this man's attitude clearly meant he wanted something.
Wang Chen knew perfectly well that if he stuffed a large red envelope into the man's hands now, the matter would most likely be settled.
But while he could afford to give it, he feared the other man did not have the fate to accept it!
"Tell me the name."
Seeing that Wang Chen did not know how to take a hint, the gatekeeper's expression darkened further. "Maybe I know him!"
Wang Chen said, "Zhang Weiran."
"Zhang Weiran?"
The gatekeeper clearly knew the name. He froze for a moment, then sneered. "He's just a Banner Captain..."
"What is your relationship with Zhang Weiran?"
Just then, a rough voice rang out from nearby.
Wang Chen turned and saw a brawny man in a Flying-Fish uniform standing at the entrance, staring at him with bright, piercing eyes.
The gatekeeper's face immediately drained of color. He hurriedly bowed. "My lord Centurion..."
The brawny man held out his hand to him. "Give it here."
The gatekeeper did not dare delay. He hastily placed the bronze plaque into the other man's hand, then trembled as he retreated to one side.
The brawny man glanced at the bronze plaque, then looked at Wang Chen.
Wang Chen clasped his fists in salute. "This junior is Ling Zhiyuan. Greetings, Lord Centurion!"
He explained, "Zhang Weiran is an old family friend of my father's. He recommended that I come to Jiangyuan to enlist in the Blood-Clad Guard."