In a spacious, brightly lit office, Chen Ping'an met Fan Zhengheng, the Chief Envoy of the Wei River Town Pacification Office.
"Ping'an, welcome."
Fan Zhengheng had a square face and looked exceedingly upright. However, the small tuft of beard he kept lent him a trace of scholarly elegance.
"Lord Fan." Chen Ping'an smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.
He keenly noted how Fan Zhengheng addressed him. This was still his first formal meeting with Fan Zhengheng. Given Fan Zhengheng's status within the Wei River Town Pacification Office, there was no need for him to be so cordial toward Chen Ping'an.
"Ping'an, come, come, don't stand on ceremony. Sit!"
Fan Zhengheng beckoned with a smile, gesturing for them to sit. Every movement he made felt like a spring breeze washing over them. "Yuanhua, you sit too."
Fan Zhengheng's enthusiasm greatly exceeded Chen Ping'an's expectations.
Did the Gu Family truly wield such immense influence within the Town Pacification Office!?
Just one declaration was enough to make Fan Zhengheng, the head of the Wei River Town Pacification Office, act like this?
Though Chen Ping'an had some doubts in his heart, he still sat down at those words. Beside him, Liu Yuanhua thanked Fan Zhengheng and took his seat as well.
Before long, a dedicated servant poured tea for them.
"This is Moon Seal Flower Tea! Give it a taste." Fan Zhengheng said with a smile.
Liu Yuanhua glanced at Chen Ping'an and offered a timely bit of praise.
"Lord Chen, you may not know this, but this Moon Seal Flower Tea comes from the Southern Border Mist Lake, and its yearly yield is only that little. By the time it reaches us, there is scarcely any left. Even the Great Families of the provincial capital would not casually bring it out to entertain guests.
"To be fortunate enough to taste such fine tea today, I have Lord Chen to thank!"
Chen Ping'an had not expected Liu Yuanhua to have such a side to him. In his impression, Liu Yuanhua had always embodied majesty and authority. Yet before Fan Zhengheng, he seemed like an entirely different person.
Chen Ping'an lifted his teacup. Before it even reached his lips, the floral fragrance had already filled the air, intoxicating him. He took a sip. It was crisp and clear on the tongue, truly nourishing his lungs and inner organs—wonderful, exquisite.
Though Chen Ping'an's cultivation did not rely on external aids, at this moment, he still faintly sensed the true essence within his body becoming somewhat more active.
"Fine tea!" Chen Ping'an could not help praising it.
At this, a smile appeared on Fan Zhengheng's face.
With such an opening, their subsequent conversation proceeded with exceptional ease. During their exchange, Chen Ping'an thanked Fan Zhengheng for arranging the welcoming ceremony for him earlier.
Fan Zhengheng said it was only proper. If time had not been so rushed, the welcome should have been even grander. He frankly declared that Chen Ping'an was a rising star of the Town Pacification Office and the pride of their Wei River Town Pacification Office. Since he had made a glorious return, such treatment was only fitting.
Liu Yuanhua added a few words from the side, mainly emphasizing Fan Zhengheng's concern and care for Chen Ping'an.
During their conversation, Chen Ping'an learned a piece of news.
The Azure Dragon Province Town Pacification Office had recently issued an appointment, promoting him to Deputy Brigade Commander of the Wei River Town Pacification Office. His specific duties would be clarified after the Special Envoy from the Province Town Pacification Office arrived.
Deputy Brigade Commander!?
Though Chen Ping'an had not known of this in advance, his expression remained calm upon hearing the news.
He now understood why the two men had been so cordial toward him!
Chen Ping'an's composure only further confirmed Fan Zhengheng and Liu Yuanhua's thoughts. Chen Ping'an must have learned of this matter long ago, which was why he had rushed to Wei River County City ahead of time.
The Gu Family's regard for this young man was likely even greater than they had imagined.
Once this matter was made clear, the atmosphere in the field became even more harmonious.
Since he had the opportunity, Chen Ping'an also took the chance to learn about the campaign to suppress the Demonic Heretics.
Seeing Chen Ping'an ask about it, Fan Zhengheng did not hide anything and told him quite a few details.
With the Province Town Pacification Office providing support at any cost, the suppression campaign had gone exceptionally smoothly. Quite a number of strongholds and halls had already been wiped out. Within the province territory, the net of encirclement had been cast. Now, all fronts were preparing to tighten, striving to haul out a few big fish.
Under everyone's watchful gazes, a tall, spacious carriage, entirely black, drove away from the Wei River Town Pacification Office.
"It seems the Town Pacification Office will be making major moves in the coming days!"
Inside the carriage, Chen Ping'an half-closed his eyes and quietly considered what Fan Zhengheng had just told him.
The North Azure Rebellion had enraged the Province Town Pacification Office. Working with various forces, it had mobilized on a grand scale to organize an enormous suppression campaign.
This campaign differed from those of the past. Its emphasis on results far outweighed considerations of profit. No expense was spared in the process; clearly, they meant business this time.
Countless schemes were involved, deduced layer upon layer and coordinated with precision, ultimately yielding impressive battle results! The suppression had now reached its white-hot stage. The encirclement net laid down over such a long period had already taken shape, with one encirclement ring after another, linked together and working in tacit coordination, spread throughout Azure Dragon Province Territory.
Before the encirclement net took shape, some Demonic Heretics had luckily run away. But the greater half remained within the rings of encirclement. As all fronts tightened, the encirclement rings contracted, and sweeping patrols were carried out, those Demonic Heretics would surely suffer a devastating blow.
During his exchange with Chen Ping'an, Fan Zhengheng had subtly mentioned that, based on the clues currently available, the Ten Thousand Demons Sect Branch Helm was most likely also within the encirclement net. Though they had yet to locate the branch helm's true position, as long as the intelligence was reliable, finding the Ten Thousand Demons Sect Branch Helm would only be a matter of time as the encirclement tightened bit by bit.
The Ten Thousand Demons Sect Branch Helm absolutely had a Top Expert stationed within it! There might even be a Pseudo-Grandmaster!
If they could successfully wipe it out, it would count as quite a feast for the Town Pacification Office!
Chen Ping'an considered the Ten Thousand Demons Sect only briefly. To him, the most important matter right now was still picking up the Little Girl from school.
Fortunately, he had not been delayed at the Wei River Town Pacification Office for long. If he hurried over now, he should still make it in time!
"A little faster!" Chen Ping'an's voice carried out from the carriage, immediately drawing a respectful acknowledgment from the guard driving it.
"Yes, my lord!"
Zhang Xinda was a gatekeeper at Wei River School. Though he had plenty of troubles each day dealing with people coming and going, this job had earned him considerable face among his relatives and friends.
Wei River School had quite a reputation. As an official gatekeeper directly contracted by the academy, it was already a respectable job that guaranteed food and shelter through flood and drought alike, in most people's eyes.
"Have you heard? That little prodigy from the Outer Dormitory has already finished all the Outer Dormitory coursework ahead of schedule and is preparing to enter the Inner Dormitory!"
"Really? How long has she even been here? She finished all the Outer Dormitory lessons already!?"
"I heard it straight from Instructor Han! How could it be false!?"
"That's too outrageous! The Outer Dormitory has six years of coursework. Ordinary people study steadily for six years, and quite a few still remain in the Outer Dormitory, unable to advance to the Inner Dormitory. She has studied for less than a year, and she's advancing early already?"
"Why else would they call her a prodigy? Let me tell you, I asked around in private. If not for the assessment and review process, she would have entered the Inner Dormitory to study a month ago!"
"If you ask me, once she finishes all six years of Inner Dormitory coursework, she might directly stay at the academy as a teaching assistant. Maybe she could even become an instructor someday!"
"."
Apart from the clan schools within the Great Families, Wei River School was the foremost academy in Wei River County City. Becoming a teaching assistant there was already a top-tier job in ordinary people's eyes. If one could become an instructor, one would have half a foot through the doors of the upper class.
In the alley where Wei River School was located, even constables did not dare casually provoke a single instructor within the academy. Some of the most famous instructors could speak with the City Chief Constable, or even candidate commanders and Deputy Commanders above them!
How could others possibly imagine such honor and glory!
Listening to his colleagues chatting idly, Zhang Xinda felt somewhat emotional. He knew the little prodigy they were talking about. She was fair and clean-looking, and at a glance, one could tell she was the clever, lively type. She often wore a smile and was polite to everyone, including gatekeepers like them.
Zhang Xinda quite liked this little girl. But he had heard that there was no one in her family to support her. She went to and from school alone, and he had never seen anyone come pick her up.
However, in their impression, the little girl ought to have an older brother. He remembered that on the day she registered, he had accompanied her there. But after that, they had never seen him again.
Wei River School's tuition and school fees were not cheap; they could even be called exorbitant. To support the little girl's schooling, her older brother was likely busy making a living, worn out from running himself ragged.
"Nothing comes easy!" Zhang Xinda could not help sighing.
But if he had such a younger sister, then even if it meant hardship and exhaustion, he would work hard to support her schooling and strive to let her make something of herself in the future.
Come to think of it, no one would originally have thought the little girl's family circumstances ordinary. It was simply that her name, Chen Er'ya, did not sound like a name a wealthy family would choose. There was even a story widely circulated throughout the academy about this matter, which he had once heard as amusing gossip.
When the little girl had first enrolled, the academy felt that Er Ya was not a pleasant name, not something a scholar should be called. An instructor had said he would give her a new name. Those who could serve as instructors at Wei River School were all great scholars. Upon hearing that an instructor would bestow a name, countless people would have begged for such an opportunity.
Yet the little girl had said that the name was personally bestowed by her father and could not be changed lightly.
The instructor asked whether she intended to use that name forever.
The little girl said that when she was older, she would naturally ask her older brother to rename her! She also asked the instructor to understand that elegance lay in the person, not the name. If one obtained a beautiful name but was himself crude and vulgar, what then?
Upon hearing this, the instructor flew into a towering rage and flung his sleeves as he left, declaring, "This child cannot be taught!"
"Refuting an instructor at such a young age—she truly deserves to be called the academy's famed prodigy!"
Hmm, speaking of which, that instructor seemed to have resigned not long after! Could it have been because he was angered beyond endurance? Surely not to that extent!
Zhang Xinda thought this to himself.
At this time, with the end of classes approaching, quite a few people had gathered nearby. Most had come to pick up their children from school. Some extremely wealthy families had carriages waiting, with servants and maids standing attentively beside them.
"Being born human, people truly differ as vastly as heaven and earth!" Having just thought of the little prodigy's circumstances and then seeing these scenes before his eyes, the clashing emotions made Zhang Xinda feel somewhat reflective.
As more and more people came outside the academy to collect their children, gatekeepers like them no longer had time to slack off and had to go out to maintain order.
With a melodious bell, Wei River School finally reached the time to dismiss classes.
Students wearing academy uniforms emerged from the academy in pairs and groups of three or five.
"After holding it in all day, school's finally over!"
"Yeah, school's over. My head hurts after studying all day!"
"Same here. Everything I learned was a blur!"
"Hahaha, time to go back and relax!"
"Mm, relax!"
"Ahhh, the good times are here! I'm going home to kick a cuju ball and play!"
"Wait! Did you forget something? The instructor assigned homework! It'll be checked tomorrow!"
"Ah! Five thunderbolts crashing down on my head! No, I need to go home and cry to Mother, get her to give me more spending money!"
"."
One by one, the noisy voices brimmed with youthful vitality. For them, this was the most beautiful time of their lives!
"Er Ya, we'll be classmates in the Inner Dormitory from now on. Let's talk more when we have time!"
"Sure, let's talk more."
"Er Ya, the instructor only taught it once, yet you remembered everything! I wish I had a brain like yours~"
"Study with care, and you can do it too~"
"Wuwu, I really did study carefully! I recited it three times and still can't remember!"
Amid the crowd, two youthful, beautiful girls walked out of Wei River School side by side.
Chen Er'ya wore an academy uniform and simply carried a bag on her back. Beside her stood a tall, glamorous girl who appeared several years older. Though the girl also wore an academy uniform, she had many accessories adorning her, making her stand out even more.
Yet most gazes in the crowd were drawn to Chen Er'ya. Her early completion of the Outer Dormitory studies and entry into the Inner Dormitory had drawn her considerable attention.
"Look! That's Chen Er'ya!"
"She looks so young! And she's an Inner Dormitory student already!"
"The academy prodigy!"
"."
The voices from the crowd made no effort to avoid her. Chen Er'ya naturally heard them, but her expression did not change, and she remained as serene as ever.
Fu Chunli, standing Before her eyes, instead revealed a trace of envy.
"Miss!" A pretty maid ran over from not far away, panting as she said, "Master came personally today to pick you up after school!"
"Father came!" Fu Chunli's eyes lit up. She looked toward the carriage in the distance and indeed saw her father's figure.
"Er Ya, my family has come to pick me up! See you tomorrow~"
Chen Er'ya nodded. "Mm, see you tomorrow!"
Fu Chunli waved, turned, and was just about to leave when she suddenly turned back. "Oh, right, Er Ya. Remember to come play at my house when you have time!"
"Mm, I'll go when I have time." Chen Er'ya said with a smile.
"Mm! You have to come!" Fu Chunli waved again, then turned and walked toward the carriage in the distance. The maid hurried after her.
Chen Er'ya watched Fu Chunli board the carriage. Seeing the other girl wave to her, she smiled and waved back. Only after the carriage curtain fell and she could no longer see her did Chen Er'ya turn around, preparing to head home.
When two people bid farewell, they watched one another leave until the figure vanished from sight. That was courtesy!
Fu Chunli sat in the carriage and waved goodbye to Chen Er'ya until the curtain fell.
Seeing Chen Er'ya walking home alone while she herself sat in a carriage, Fu Chunli faintly felt a trace of superiority arise in her heart.
"Chunli, was that person just now your classmate?" Fu Shenghua had struggled for most of his life to reach his current position of wealth over one side, and he even had business dealings with some people in the county city.
Compared to the strictness he showed his son, he cared deeply for his daughter, whom he had fathered late in life. Otherwise, he would not have taken time out of his busy schedule to personally pick her up when school was dismissed.
"Mm-hm, she's a classmate who just advanced to the Inner Dormitory today. She's a famed prodigy at the academy!" Fu Chunli excitedly introduced this new friend of hers to her father.
"Oh? Little Chunli has even made friends with a prodigy?" Seeing his daughter so excited, Fu Shenghua did not pour cold water on her.
"Yes! Father, let me tell you! She finished the Outer Dormitory's six years of coursework in less than one year! Isn't that speed astonishing? It's really so exaggerated!" Fu Chunli spoke with a hint of childish pride.
Superiority was superiority, but being able to become friends with such a prodigy still made her feel somewhat honored.
"Truly impressive! Little Chunli is quite something, having a friend like that!" Fu Shenghua praised with a chuckle.
His daughter, who still thought like a student, naturally did not know that at his current status, whether someone was a prodigy or not was completely irrelevant. Let alone a prodigy still attending school—even those highly renowned instructors at Wei River School would have to be respectful before him, for the greater half of them.
There was naturally no need to explain such logic to his daughter.
With her father giving her ample emotional affirmation, Fu Chunli was very happy. She asked curiously, "By the way, Father, how come you had time to pick me up today~"
"There was a dinner engagement tonight, but it was canceled at the last minute, so I happened to have some free time." Fu Shenghua said with a smile, though a faint gloom lingered in his eyes.
His business had encountered a bit of trouble. He had expended great effort, called in connections and resources, and found a middleman. After much difficulty, he had arranged to meet Lord Zhao Lianzhi of the Wei River Town Pacification Office.
As long as he could establish a connection with that lord, this little trouble in his business would be a trivial matter.
He had carefully prepared for the dinner engagement for several days. Yet near the afternoon, the middleman had suddenly informed him that Lord Zhao had urgent business and the dinner was canceled, to be rescheduled another day.
As for what exactly had happened, he still had not figured it out.
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