Laozi Was Going to Become an Official!

"Hmm?!"

A sharp glint flashed through Prince Jiang's eyes as he abruptly asked:

"Who?!"

The old man did not answer at once. Instead, he struggled to regulate the spiritual energy coursing wildly through his body.

After a long while, he let out a long breath.

When he was looked at again, the pallor on his face had vanished.

His gaze was grave, his voice weak yet certain:

"After activating the formation, this subordinate suddenly sensed something within my heart."

"First came a flash of clear qi, so this person is quite young—around sixteen."

"Purple qi appeared briefly. This is the qi of nobility. Someone in his family must hold a high position, one no lower than Your Highness's."

"Then green qi flashed and vanished, proving that this person is very near us. He should still be within Two Rivers Prefecture at this very moment!"

After Mr. Qi finished speaking, his expression darkened as well.

In all of Two Rivers Prefecture, there was only one person whose status was not far below the Prince's.

Prince Jiang stared at the old man for a long time, then said word by word:

"Zeng. Shilin."

"But only one person fits the condition of being sixteen years old—his only son."

"Zeng Anmin!"

By this point, Prince Jiang's face was filled with killing intent, his expression as dark as still water:

"Sixteen years old, Eighth-rank Martial Arts."

"Didn't Zeng Shilin look down on Martial Artists the most? Why, then, did he indulge his only son in such vulgarity?"

As he spoke, an exceedingly mocking sneer appeared on Prince Jiang's face:

"In all of Two Rivers Prefecture, only Zeng Shilin would be willing to spend such resources to push his son into the Sheng Pin Realm at the age of sixteen."

"The affairs of the world are hard to predict."

Mr. Qi replied with only those four words.

Just as Prince Jiang was about to say more, one of his subordinates came to report:

"Your Highness, a secret letter from Shuidu Academy."

Prince Jiang slightly raised his eyelids, took the secret letter from the subordinate, and waved him away.

Yet the instant his gaze fell upon the letter—

The sneer on his face abruptly froze.

For a long while, he said nothing.

"What urgent matter is it?" Confusion flashed through Mr. Qi's eyes.

He rarely saw Prince Jiang lose his composure.

Prince Jiang's expression was exceedingly grim. He glanced at the remains of the formation on the ground without speaking.

Then he passed over the secret letter in his hand.

Mr. Qi reached out and took it. The moment he saw its contents, his entire body trembled slightly, and the old man's face turned deathly white with a swish.

Then, in disbelief, he lowered his head to look at the compass at his waist before swiftly shifting his gaze to the remains of the formation on the ground.

"This..."

Even his lips were trembling.

"Mr. Qi, it would be best if you used this harmful formation less often in the future."

Prince Jiang sneered, then turned and left at once.

Whether intentionally or not, his foot brushed against the spirit stone supporting the formation with a bang.

He kicked the spirit stone flying far away.

After Prince Jiang left, Mr. Qi's expression remained blank.

Then his withered face began to twist, and his voice was nearly dripping with blood:

"Old Thief Xu!! When you taught me this formation years ago, you truly harbored no good intentions!"

"Whoosh~"

The secret letter slipped from Mr. Qi's hand and drifted slowly to the ground in the wind.

The candlelight flickered, and the words upon the paper could vaguely be seen.

"Zeng Shilin's only son, Zeng Anmin, possesses peerless talent in the Confucian Path. Within five days, he entered the Seventh Rank Purple Mansion Realm."

Inside Father's study at the Governor's Mansion.

Zeng Anmin was currently toying with the Jade Thumb Ring from Father's desk. A trace of gravity showed on his face as those phoenix eyes rested on Father across from him.

Meanwhile, Zeng Shilin abruptly sat upright and asked in a deep voice:

"Prince Jiang's Estate?"

Zeng Anmin slowly nodded, his voice certain:

"Why would I lie to you? It was absolutely Prince Jiang's Estate."

"Hoo~"

A coldness suddenly appeared on Zeng Shilin's face, but he did not speak in haste. He merely pondered without shifting his gaze.

"Student Zhang Lun, a Xuanjing Division attendant, Prince Jiang's Estate, the Dragon Survey Map..."

Each name he uttered made his voice sink another degree.

After a long while, Father slowly raised his eyes:

"No one may learn of this matter."

"I will handle Prince Jiang's Estate myself."

"Understood."

Zeng Anmin nodded in acknowledgment, then looked at Father again with a beaming smile:

"There's one more matter."

"Speak."

Seeing Zeng Anmin smile like a little fox, Father lightly furrowed his brow.

"I'm not going to the academy. I want to get myself an official post."

Zeng Anmin scratched his head, looked at Father, and said with an utterly serious expression:

"I wouldn't dare dream of first or second rank. How about getting me a third-rank post?"

The moment those words came out, Father nearly choked on his saliva.

"Become an official?! And third rank?!"

Zeng Shilin glared with raised brows. "Did you knock your head?!"

"Listen to yourself! I'm a Confucian genius who entered the Seventh Rank Purple Mansion Realm in five days. What's wrong with becoming a third-rank official? Aunt Lin even said yesterday that I have the bearing of a Grand Chancellor!"

Zeng Anmin looked thoroughly pleased with himself.

"This is absolutely impossible!"

Father could not even be bothered to indulge this foolish son. He slowly rose and said impatiently:

"Stay home and study properly."

With that, he rose and started walking outside.

"Father!"

Naturally, Zeng Anmin was unwilling to let Zeng Shilin go. He grabbed Father's sleeve, his expression calm as he said:

"I'm not joking with you anymore. Your son plans to join the Xuanjing Division. Whatever rank you can give me is fine."

Zeng Anmin had never been one to sit passively and wait.

Now that he knew his current enemy was Prince Jiang's Estate—

He had to take the initiative and strike first.

Joining the Xuanjing Division was the first step of his plan.

He was merely an unfavored Prince, after all. If Zeng Anmin wanted to bring him down, he had at least ten ways to do it.

This was absolutely not empty boasting. Who told him his father was the Governor of Fengqi Road, a Grand Governor who held military power?!

"Why do you wish to enter officialdom so badly?"

Father could also tell that his son was sincere and not joking.

"I want to help you."

Before his own father, Zeng Anmin never spoke falsehoods. He met his gaze frankly:

"Brother Tongyu's death made your son realize that there is far too much darkness and filth in this world. We cannot govern other places, but if we still let those scum wreak havoc within Two Rivers Prefecture, would that not tarnish Father's prestige?!"

He spoke with utmost solemnity, and these words had naturally been carefully considered.

Given Father's temperament, after hearing this, even if he said nothing aloud, he would surely be deeply gratified inside!

Who would have thought Father's voice would become so stern:

"How can the dangers of officialdom be treated so childishly?"

"No matter the office, no matter where one serves, an official serves the people and serves the sovereign! Not this old man!!"

Zeng Anmin had not expected Father's reaction to be so intense.

He fell silent for a while, then looked out the window, his voice heavy:

"In the Zhang Lun Case, we were fortunate to have the Black Cat Martial Artist. Otherwise, would that murderer not still be roaming free?"

Aside from being spoken sincerely, these words also carried the intent of probing him.

"Preposterous!!"

Upon hearing this, Father directly slammed his hand down hard on the desk with a bang.

"The chivalrous violate the law with martial arts!"

"That Black Cat Martial Artist is merely a man who disregards King's Law and presumptuously administers private punishment! If everyone were like him, would the realm not descend into chaos?!"

Father grew even sterner. He stared directly at Zeng Anmin, his voice icy. With disappointment on his face, he pointed toward the door:

"Get out."

"Father..."

"Get out."

"Oh."

Zeng Anmin curled his lips and casually slipped the Jade thumb ring from Father's desk into his robes:

Leaving Father only the back of his head.

"Bang~"

The study door shut, leaving Zeng Shilin alone.

After Zeng Anmin left, Zeng Shilin sat silently in his chair.

He seriously considered what he had just said to his son.

"Alas~"

After a long while, he let out a long sigh.

Father gave a bitter smile and slowly rose, muttering dissatisfiedly:

"When a son grows up, even his father cannot control him."

Then came the rustling sound of brush against paper.

"Qi Wei."

"Master." Outside the study, Uncle Qi respectfully entered.

"Deliver this letter of appointment to the Xuanjing Division."

"Yes."

Sunlight streamed through the window and shone upon the appointment letter as it flashed past.

"Zeng Anmin, student of Shuidu Academy, has entered the Seventh Rank in the Confucian Path. He is therefore exceptionally admitted as a Left Clerk of the Xuanjing Division."