Black Iron Essence Mine

The usually bustling Internal Affairs Hall had grown much quieter with the sect war. Only some Outer Sect Disciples remained, searching for suitable assignments.

As Zheng Yi made his way along, the Outer Sect Disciples who saw his Inner Sect Disciple robes instinctively stepped aside, lowering their heads and bowing in respect.

There were even fewer Inner Sect Disciples. Along the way, Zheng Yi saw only two or three, all unfamiliar faces.

Each of them hurried along without lingering, much less exchanging any pleasantries with him.

After passing through the outer hall and entering the inner hall, he was received by an elderly attendant with a gaunt frame.

"Senior, this junior has newly become an Inner Sect Disciple and has come to receive an Inner Sect assignment..."

"There are many things this junior does not understand. I hope you will not begrudge me your guidance, Attendant, and offer me a few pointers."

As he spoke, Zheng Yi flipped his right hand, producing a bag filled with Spirit Stones and silently passing it into the man's hand.

"Mm..."

This elderly attendant had clearly seen such things many times before, and his face showed not the slightest change.

With movements even more practiced than Zheng Yi's, he quietly put away the bag.

At the same time, his divine sense probed into the completely unguarded bag. A warm smile immediately appeared on his face, and Zheng Yi became far more pleasing to his eye.

Though he had only given it a casual scan, the weight and quantity inside delighted him greatly.

He could tell the moment he took it that there were no fewer than thirty Low-Grade Spirit Stones inside.

"Mm? Not bad, not bad!"

Tucking the bag into his robes, the old man's smile deepened as he repeatedly nodded at Zheng Yi.

Whether that "not bad, not bad" was praise for Zheng Yi himself or for his offering of Spirit Stones, however, was impossible to say.

"My surname is Zhang. I am an attendant of the Internal Affairs Hall, and I am responsible for assignment arrangements for the next half month."

"What is your name?"

Attendant Zhang's attitude underwent a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree change as he asked with a smile.

"Reporting to Attendant Zhang, this junior is Zheng Yi."

Zheng Yi took out his Inner Sect Disciple Token and handed it over. Attendant Zhang touched the token with the assignment register in his hand, and all of Zheng Yi's information immediately appeared on it.

After giving it a brief look, Attendant Zhang's eyes lit up. Smiling, he said, "So you are a junior of Elder Gongsun."

"You have not been in the sect long, yet you already wish to devote yourself to the sect. Truly worthy of being a disciple of an old senior."

"Which assignment have you taken a fancy to this time?"

Attendant Zhang did not waste any words. Take someone's money, ward off their disaster.

Zheng Yi had come to the Internal Affairs Hall and casually presented him with such a substantial gift. Attendant Zhang would never believe Zheng Yi had no purpose in mind.

Those of the demonic path placed even greater emphasis on the law of the jungle, where the fittest survived. Their manner of doing things was therefore exceedingly decisive and outwardly straightforward.

Since Attendant Zhang had accepted the gift, he did not hide anything and directly allowed Zheng Yi to choose for himself.

"This disciple's strength is modest. I hope to obtain a relatively safe garrison assignment. I hope Attendant Zhang will grant my request."

Naturally, Zheng Yi had no intention of choosing an assignment himself. Instead, he explained his own needs.

If he truly were Elder Gongsun's junior, he could have pushed his luck and demanded more. Unfortunately, he was not.

The more he draped himself in Elder Gongsun's tiger skin and waved it like a great banner, the more trouble it would bring him later. If someone happened to remember and personally ask Elder Gongsun about it, the loss would outweigh the gain.

At the very least, he would not escape the charge of using Elder Gongsun's name to profit himself.

As for Attendant Zhang making his own assumptions and connecting Zheng Yi to Elder Gongsun through information in the Inner Sect Disciple Token, that had nothing whatsoever to do with Zheng Yi.

Sometimes, borrowing strength and using a fox's might beneath a tiger's shadow also required skill.

"Mm? A garrison assignment? A safe one?"

Attendant Zhang did not think too deeply about it. Following Zheng Yi's wishes, he examined the assignment register and selected for quite some time before finally settling on a garrison assignment at a small mine.

It was a small Black Iron Essence Mine three hundred li from the sect. The disciples stationed there had completed their term this month and needed to be replaced. Normally, at least an Inner Sect Disciple at Qi Refining Stage Five or Six had to be sent there.

But the sect was now desperately short on manpower, and many outstanding Inner Sect Disciples had been dispatched to the front lines. With Zheng Yi's current cultivation level, he could barely fill the vacancy.

After all, circumstances changed constantly, and adapting measures to the times was not a problem.

With Attendant Zhang's authority, he could still make such a decision.

He then showed Zheng Yi the assignment details and explained the requirements and key points to note when guarding the Black Iron Essence Mine.

Then, looking at Zheng Yi, he said with complete certainty.

"Though the place is desolate, there are no powerful forces nearby. There is only a small family affiliated with the Soul Devouring Sect, along with scattered Rogue Cultivators. It is absolutely safe."

Zheng Yi accepted the information Attendant Zhang handed him and examined it carefully.

This was a small Black Iron Essence Mine with limited reserves, enough to be mined for only fifty or sixty years.

After many years of mining, this Black Iron Essence Mine had already reached its later stage and would be abandoned in ten years at most.

There was only one Qi Refining family nearby: the Qi Family.

In its early years, the Qi Family had several Qi Refining Late Stage experts. Then, an upheaval occurred ten years ago. Internal strife broke out within the family, and several Qi Refining Late Stage family cultivators died unexpectedly. From then on, the family declined.

Now, the Qi Family had been badly weakened. Its strongest member was the current family head, who was at Qi Refining Stage Six. The entire family was affiliated with the Soul Devouring Sect and served as the guardian family of that small Black Iron Essence Mine.

There were also a small number of Rogue Cultivators in the surrounding area. Their strengths varied greatly, and there was nothing worth paying attention to.

All of them were peripheral forces of the Soul Devouring Sect.

An Inner Sect Disciple at the Qi Refining Middle Stage would be more than enough to hold the fort. As long as the mining pace of the Black Iron Essence remained stable and no trouble arose, that would suffice.

"That will do."

Zheng Yi's expression remained calm on the surface, but inwardly, he rejoiced. The information shown here was precisely the environment he had hoped for.

A remote corner far from the notice of high-level cultivators was perfect for concealing his secrets, keeping his head down while developing and growing, and staying away from the sect's complicated relationships.

This Black Iron Essence Mine was the extremely small kind, making it truly difficult to draw attention. The surrounding environment was simple, with no particularly troublesome opponents, much less high-level cultivators willing to go to such a godforsaken corner.

On top of that, it was neither too near nor too far from the sect. It was already a mine on the verge of abandonment, and there were no powerful forces nearby, so he did not need to worry about his own safety.

It completely met Zheng Yi's needs and requirements.

"Very good. So long as you are satisfied."

"This assignment has already been recorded in your Inner Sect Disciple Token..."

"Since you have accepted the assignment, according to the Internal Affairs Hall's rules, you must reach the Black Iron Essence Mine garrison within ten days."

"This garrison term will last two years. As for whether it will need to be extended or rotated afterward, that will depend on the circumstances."

Attendant Zhang was also very satisfied. He had merely assigned out a garrison task, yet several dozen Low-Grade Spirit Stones had fallen into his hands.

Thus, Zheng Yi looked increasingly pleasing to his eye, and his attitude grew ever more warm and amiable.