The Storm Gathers

After the executive martial arts competition, Xia Qi'an became famous overnight, his name resounding throughout Jinling.

His impressive record of defeating twelve Bone Forging Realm experts in a row spread like wildfire throughout Jinling City.

For a time, the teahouses in Jinling City were packed to capacity, with not a single seat empty.

The storytellers in the teahouses even turned the competition into a legendary epic, dividing it into three chapters: beginning, middle, and end.

They would perform three to five shows daily, interspersed with some romantic tales of fallen scholars and mountain spirits.

In just two or three days, they could earn enough silver to last them for months.

To make the stories more captivating, these storytellers also bestowed upon Xia Qi'an the title of "Wrathful Vajra."

Meanwhile, at this very moment, Xia Qi'an was in Si Nan Manor, respectfully listening to Si Nanyue's instructions.

Si Nanyue had summoned Xia Qi'an to present him with his executive uniform and official seal.

They were also there to discuss future related matters.

Although the Hound Guard executive was a newly established position, it was still a leadership role.

In the government's yamen, it was akin to being promoted to head constable, naturally requiring a distinction from ordinary Hound Guards.

Perhaps to save trouble, the Wei Dao Si headquarters had not custom-made uniforms for the executives. Instead, they were provided with a set of black iron plates.

These plates could be worn over their existing uniforms, including a pair of shoulder guards, a chest plate, a waist plate, and a pair of leg guards.

These plates protected the vital areas of the body and gleamed with a deep, heavy black light.

Complementing their existing black standard uniforms, they added a touch of chilling aura.

"Lord Sinan! Regarding the personnel assigned to me..."

"Could you reconsider?"

Xia Qi'an accepted the iron plates and the seal, a hint of hesitation in his heart, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

According to regulations, each original Hound Guard executive would be assigned a number of Hound Guards to assist them.

This number was not fixed and also fully respected the personal wishes of each Hound Guard.

In other words, each Hound Guard could choose to serve under whichever executive they wished.

Currently, the four executive positions had been filled: Jiang Feng, Lin Beihai, Xia Qi'an, and Wang Xie.

Jiang Feng and Lin Beihai were, of course, well-established and highly regarded among the Hound Guards, naturally attracting many who wished to join their ranks.

As for Wang Xie, the Hound Guards from aristocratic families had largely pledged their allegiance to him.

In contrast, Xia Qi'an's situation was somewhat awkward. He had not been in the Wei Dao Si for long.

Most of the seasoned and capable individuals were his seniors, and it felt somewhat strange to have them serve under him. Moreover, most of these people had already joined Jiang Feng and Lin Beihai.

The remaining personnel were mostly spoiled brats from aristocratic families.

They disliked undertaking missions and would scatter like startled birds at the mere mention of demon rampages.

Xia Qi'an, naturally, did not wish to work with these individuals either.

As a result, Xia Qi'an had no subordinates under him to this day.

He was currently discussing this matter with Si Nanyue.

"Do you have any good ideas about the personnel under your command?" Si Nanyue asked curiously, wondering what new scheme Xia Qi'an was concocting.

Xia Qi'an organized his thoughts and slowly said, "I propose recruiting experts from the martial arts world to serve as my subordinates!"

"These individuals would be considered auxiliary members of the Wei Dao Si and would be registered with the Snake Guards."

"However, their daily treatment and privileges, similar to those enjoyed by official Wei Dao Si members, should be the same."

"Only the merit points they earn from completing missions would be credited to my name."

"If they wish to exchange merit points for cultivation methods or other resources in the future, they would report it to the Wei Dao Si under my name. Once the items are delivered from headquarters, I will then transfer them to them!"

"My lady, do you think this plan is feasible?"

"The relationship between the martial arts sects and the Wei Dao Si has always been like a taut string. Aren't you afraid those people might act against you?" Si Nanyue asked with concern.

Xia Qi'an shook his head. "Not all martial artists in the jianghu are wicked! Most of them, like myself, are simply seeking silver and resources to improve their martial arts cultivation."

"If they are offered a good prospect, they have no reason to cause trouble for me!"

Si Nanyue nodded after listening. "Your idea is somewhat similar to Madam Hanshuang's policy!"

"I never expected you, at such a young age, to have such insight. It's truly rare!"

Si Nanyue rarely praised others to their face, but on this occasion, she was unsparing in her compliments to Xia Qi'an.

Xia Qi'an, puzzled, asked without thinking, "And who is Madam Hanshuang?"

Si Nanyue's expression faltered slightly at his question. She slowly said, "You are now a Hound Guard executive! There are some things you should know!"

"In You Province, the Kirin Guard is named Baili Shouyi."

"Lord Baili is getting on in years and will retire in a few more years."

"And the successor for the You Province Kirin Guard has not yet been decided."

"Lord Baili has a son named Baili Shouyi, and an adopted daughter named Baili Hanshuang."

"These two are strong contenders for the next Kirin Guard!"

"Of course, other Tiger Guards in the Wei Dao Si are also eligible to compete for the Kirin Guard. But let's put that aside for now."

"Lord Baili Hanshuang intends to implement reforms, aiming to strip the influence of aristocratic families from within the Wei Dao Si."

"At the very least, we cannot allow the major aristocratic families to continue controlling the selection channels for the Wei Dao Si's lower-ranking martial artists."

"This is also to prevent the Wei Dao Si from becoming a stagnant pool in the future!"

"Your idea just now might offer Lord Hanshuang's reforms a different perspective!"

Xia Qi'an nodded, "So that's how it is!"

Xia Qi'an had mentioned it casually, purely because he didn't trust those aristocratic disciples.

He wanted to recruit some powerful martial artists from the jianghu who were willing to join the Wei Dao Si for a future.

He hadn't expected it to be related to the successor of the Kirin Guard.

"Um... I, your subordinate, dare to ask, what is the relationship between Lord Sinan and Lord Hanshuang?"

"Lord Hanshuang... is my master..." Si Nanyue blurted out.

"This family background is really solid!..." Xia Qi'an couldn't help but scratch his head and mutter softly after hearing this.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing... I said Lord Hanshuang is tall and tough!"

Si Nanyue frowned, "What do you mean?"

Xia Qi'an scratched his head and explained, "I mean Lord Hanshuang is skilled and has a strong character!"

"Mmm!..." Si Nanyue nodded slightly, clearly agreeing with this statement.

"Then, regarding the matter of recruiting experts from the jianghu...?" Xia Qi'an returned to the main topic and asked.

"This matter is no small feat. I need to report it to Lord Hanshuang. After she replies, I will send someone to notify you!"

After leaving Si Nan Manor, Xia Qi'an immediately arranged to meet Liu Qing.

Entrusting the recruitment of martial artists from the jianghu to the Snake Guards was the most reliable option.

However, recruiting martial artists couldn't be done carelessly; they needed to be chosen carefully.

The martial artists' martial talent, temperament, and background all needed to be thoroughly investigated.

If any utterly wicked individuals managed to sneak in under assumed names or disguised identities, it would be troublesome.

Therefore, Xia Qi'an immediately went to find Liu Qing for help, asking him to look for suitable candidates and to screen them!