Investment

"Zhuang Jin, considering your physical condition, my suggestion is that next month, you should also focus your energy on improving your realm. Strive to break through to the Two Meridian Realm first. The Black Fiend Palm Martial Skill can be set aside for now," Ping Yongfeng said.

"I understand. Thank you, Master Ping!" Zhuang Jin nodded gratefully, then respectfully bowed to Ping Yongfeng once more.

Even if Ping Yongfeng had not said these things, he would have eventually discovered them through trial and error, though he might have taken many detours. Yet Ping Yongfeng's guidance had cleared away the clouds before his eyes, laying the road ahead fully open. He had to acknowledge this favor.

"No matter. It is only a small matter."

Though Ping Yongfeng said so, seeing Zhuang Jin's attitude still brought a satisfied smile to his face. He knew he had forged a bond of goodwill. As they neared the General Affairs Department, he introduced it to Zhuang Jin. "Our Shen Family has seven departments: the General Affairs Department, Pill Department, Skill Transmission Department, Supervision Department, Law Enforcement Division, Rites Department, and Tribute Department."

"The ones we deal with most often are the General Affairs Department, Pill Department, and Skill Transmission Department. The General Affairs Department is responsible for registering Martial Artists, entering them into the family rolls, distributing Monthly Stipends, assigning tasks, and so on. The Pill Department is where you purchase Cultivation Provisions, such as Black Essence Powder and the medicine packs for practicing the Black Fiend Palm. The Skill Transmission Department teaches cultivation arts and Martial Skills. Once you have been entered into the family rolls, you can take your identity token there today to receive the Quiet Cultivation Manual for the first three meridians of the Black Fiend Art, as well as the Black Fiend Palm Martial Skill."

"The Supervision Department is where you can report matters if an assigned task is dangerous and the compensation does not match. As for the Law Enforcement Division, Rites Department, and Tribute Department, you will basically have little contact with them."

As Ping Yongfeng spoke, he brought Zhuang Jin to the General Affairs Department. Recalling Overseer Chang's instructions from the previous night, Zhuang Jin asked one of the guiding maids, and soon found him.

After meeting Chang Hetong, Ping Yongfeng even put in quite a few good words for Zhuang Jin. Chang Hetong gave Zhuang Jin a look, visibly surprised.

Back when Ping Yongfeng had brought Xiang Qichen over for registration, he had not done anything like this.

Chang Hetong knew Ping Yongfeng well. He was not someone who engaged in crooked schemes, nor was he ill-intentioned. But neither was he some obliging old gentleman, endlessly amiable and easy to deal with. Ping Yongfeng usually left once the time it took to burn a stick of incense had passed. Sometimes, when Martial Students asked him questions while he was in a bad mood, not only would he refuse to answer, he would even berate them. His tongue was vicious and his words unpleasant; on the very first day, he had cursed Zhuang Jin until he was drenched in abuse... In short, he was rather difficult to approach. Yet he had broken character to admire Zhuang Jin so much, which made Chang Hetong all the more curious about him.

Once Ping Yongfeng left, Chang Hetong brought Zhuang Jin into a room, had him sit down, and began the registration.

"Overseer Chang, I..."

"Haha, no need to be so formal. You saved my nephew Bi Kai last night—you rendered a great service... How about this? I should be somewhat older than your father. If you do not mind, call me Uncle Chang," Chang Hetong said with a smile.

"Yes, Uncle Chang!" Zhuang Jin called out. Still maintaining his respectful posture of sitting with only half his backside on the chair, he recounted his family background and his conflicts with his original body's eldest uncle and younger uncle.

As he had said before, with the Shen Family's power, even if he did not mention these matters, they would not stay hidden once an investigation was conducted. It was better to reveal them proactively and show his sincerity.

"My family... Several months ago, that night... I was reduced to begging... That is how it happened."

Zhuang Jin had thought his background somewhat complicated. After finishing, he felt a little uneasy and had even prepared explanations in advance.

But after hearing him out, Chang Hetong merely waved a hand dismissively. "As long as you are not entangled with the Medicine King Gang, it is all a small matter. In fact, if not for the deep enmity between you and that younger uncle of yours in the Medicine King Gang, he might have been a source of trouble..."

Zhuang Jin understood. Having a younger uncle in the Medicine King Gang whom he hated to the death was actually a point in his favor within the Shen Family.

Perhaps after I avenge myself in the future, sacrifice my original body's younger uncle Zhuang Yuyong, and deepen my enmity with the Medicine King Gang, the Shen Family will see my background as even more pure and proper. They will be more at ease using me.

"As for your eldest uncle, a Third-Class Clerk at the yamen who does not even hold a rank..." Chang Hetong said, his face showing contempt. "He is no great figure. The Shen Family will naturally shield you. Do not worry—he would not dare do anything openly. You only need to remain careful yourself."

The so-called "clerks" were in fact a collective term for civil administrative positions. In a sense, even the registrar of Diannan City could be called a clerk, though nobody would address him that way.

To return to the point, the registrar of Diannan City was a Seventh Rank official, with six bureau clerks under his authority. Those six were Eighth Rank officials, commonly called chief scribes, or First-Class Clerks. Beneath the six bureau clerks were many more clerks who assisted them in handling affairs. They were Ninth Rank officials, called middle clerks, or Second-Class Clerks. Below them came the Third-Class Clerks, also called minor clerks. They handled the miscellaneous work that Second-Class Clerks could not finish and passed down to them. These Third-Class Clerks were somewhat special: they held no official rank, yet they were still formally employed by the yamen, roughly equivalent to administrative functionaries.

Still, one should not underestimate a Third-Class Clerk because of this. In the eyes of ordinary families, they were already formidable figures, capable of destroying households and exterminating clans. After the original body's father died, he had left behind a few connections. Yet the original body's eldest uncle and younger uncle had suppressed the backlash, swallowed the property without a ripple, and this status had played a major role.

Of course, the power of a Third-Class Clerk depended on whom they faced. Before the Shen Family... well, not even before the Shen Family—Chang Hetong himself did not think much of such a person.

Seeing Chang Hetong's attitude, Zhuang Jin knew his prediction had been correct. He had only just become a Formal Martial Artist, and his standing in the Shen Family was still light. It was impossible to use the Shen Family's power to immediately eliminate Zhuang Yutang and Zhuang Yuyong. But by joining the Shen Family and draping himself in its tiger skin, he could protect himself. At the very least, even if Zhuang Yutang and Zhuang Yuyong learned of this now, they would not dare attack him openly.

After a pause, he made another request. When they investigated and verified his family background, he hoped they would not alert his original body's eldest uncle and younger uncle.

Chang Hetong frowned at this, pondering for a moment before his expression relaxed. "This is somewhat troublesome. However, I can still speak with some weight in the Shen Family Outer Courtyard, so I will put in some extra effort... Mm, I will decide this matter for you. We will secretly investigate and verify your background."

"Thank you, Uncle Chang." Zhuang Jin respectfully thanked him, rose, and bowed.

He understood that this matter might not truly be as difficult as Chang Hetong made it sound. Chang Hetong had likely said so to make him owe a favor. But it was indeed a favor he had to accept.

At the same time, with Ping Yongfeng and Chang Hetong both taking the initiative to offer him favors today, he deeply realized something different. Sure enough, once you are strong and valuable, everyone around you is a good person. If I were still a Martial Student, I probably would not even be qualified to have others offer me favors. So in the end, when all is said and done, the iron must be hard before it can be forged!

"Mm!" Seeing that Zhuang Jin knew what was what, Chang Hetong nodded in satisfaction, and the atmosphere became even more harmonious.

Aside from the bond of goodwill from Bi Kai's affair the previous night, Chang Hetong had agreed to Zhuang Jin's request and shown him kindness because Zhuang Jin had broken through to become a Formal Martial Artist in just seventeen days. It was a small investment in that talent.