My Father Once Praised You

One official after another entered the Directors' Hall, and soon, three people sat in four rosewood armchairs.

Li Qingxian observed secretly.

The first armchair was empty; the Left Commander was out and had not yet returned.

On the second armchair sat Yang Xiangshu, the Right Commander, nicknamed Mouthless Yang thin, dark-skinned, and tall, with a blank expression. He sat upright the entire time, without uttering a word.

On the third armchair sat Song Yanxue, the Left Commander and Director of the Demon-Hunting Office. Dressed in a military officer's robe, she was dashing and heroic. Her large, bright, and clear eyes, in particular, shone with a spirit that could not be concealed even by her cold face.

On the fourth armchair Yu Xianhe, the Right Commander-in-Chief whom I had met before. He was a slightly plump old man, and he was very amiable.

Seeing this formation, Li Qingxian understood that his status as the first Fate Arts Master from the Night Guard was probably extraordinary.

"The Commander of the Guards has Daren!"

Splash...

The officials all stood up and looked towards the gate.

The blinding sunlight turned the ground white, and a huge hand chair appeared in the doorway.

The palanquin was larger than a regular sedan chair, and it slowly turned around.

The four porters were dressed in green robes embroidered with Seventh Rank, all of them robust and muscular.

A large red flat surface was laid out on top of the bar.

On a large red flat surface, there was a huge iron chair carved with ferocious beasts. Behind the chair, a bright blue imperial canopy stood, like a large umbrella shielding the sun.

This chair is over two meters long from side to side.

This chair is so big, yet it's crammed full of people.

On the fine iron chair sat a small giant, holding a large sandalwood fan and gently fanning himself.

The little giant, resembling a triangular mountain of flesh, sat on the chair, his enormous belly layered over his thick legs, which dangled at his feet.

The enormous head was completely hairless and gleaming.

When this person smiled, his eyes and mouth disappeared, disappearing into the layers of facial flesh and forming three large slits.

One floor, two floors, three floors, four floors, five floors...

His chin, a full five layers thick, resembled five steps laid out on his chest.

Even when sitting, the little giant was estimated to be nearly ten feet tall.

Li Qingxian suspected that if this man's big shorts were hung outside, no one would know what they were for; they might even be mistaken for a bed sheet.

The fair-skinned giant chuckled, his face kind and gentle, and said, "Please sit down, please sit down."

Everyone remained standing as they slowly carried in their chairs.

The little giant scanned the crowd, finally fixing his gaze on Li Qingxian.

"Could it be the newly appointed Fate Arts Master Li Qingxian?"

Li Qingxian bowed and said, "It is indeed I, your humble servant, greetings to the Daren of the Guards."

"Good, that's promising. Like father, like son."

"Daren flatter me, sir. I am but a nobody, though my father praised you before his death." Li Qingxian habitually seized the opportunity to climb the social ladder.

"Oh? How did Mr. Gangfeng praise me?" The gap opened, revealing two curious eyes.

Li Qingxian's heart skipped a beat. He casually flattered her, "Why are you asking so many questions? Everyone knows what kind of Coward King you are, right?"

Li Qingxian hurriedly racked his brains. This evaluation had to be something that wasn't plain and straightforward, otherwise it wouldn't sound like what Li Gangfeng had said. But it also had to fit the Commander of the Guards, be positive, make the other party happy, and preferably have a good reputation. Officials all like that.

Li Qingxian nearly went crazy, thinking to himself that he would never again speak recklessly in Li Gangfeng's name.

Everyone stared silently at Li Qingxian.

Seeing the atmosphere growing increasingly tense, Li Qingxian quickly came up with a plan and said, "My father is always cautious in his words and actions when he's out in public, but at home, after a few drinks, he speaks his mind freely. My father once praised the Daren of the Guards, saying, 'The sea accepts all rivers, its capacity is vast; a cliff stands tall, its strength lies in its lack of desire.'"

Pine King's eyes widened suddenly, then he chuckled, his layers of fat rippling rhythmically.

"A brilliant couplet!" Yu Xianhe, the Right Commander, couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Some Literary Cultivation praised it, and some even took off their hairpins to write it down.

"The ocean embraces all rivers, embodying the essence of the Pine King; its capacity for tolerance is its heart; its towering cliffs stand tall, representing its Pine King; its lack of desire breeds strength, embodying its spirit. This perfectly aligns with the sentiments of Mr. Gangfeng, who is worthy of being called a Pine King Bole."

"Not only does it fit perfectly, but this couplet is also exceptionally exquisite. Its form is majestic, and its meaning profound; it is a rare and fine line."

"The saying 'Greatness lies in tolerance' and 'Integrity lies in being free from desires' are both words of sages. Such absolute truths are rare in this world!"

"This sentence is enough to be remembered for generations!"

All the officials praised him, but Zhou Chunfeng looked at Li Qingxian with suspicion.

Pine King stroked his bald head and laughed heartily, "Good! Good! Good! Spring Breeze, go back today and write this couplet down, and hang it in my study. No, write two, and hang them at my door... Write several more, and I'll hang them in several places. To receive such praise from Mr. Gangfeng is truly an honor. Mr. Gangfeng's scholarship and ability to judge people are unparalleled in this world! Nephew Qingxian, if you've hunted any demons, change your clothes tomorrow."

Li Qingxian said, "Your Highness Pine King Song, I have just been promoted to the Tenth Rank and have not yet hunted any demons."

Pine King laughed, "I see you are a man of great talent and learning, and a Fate Arts Master; it would be a real pity if you weren't in the main ranks. Don't delay any longer, my niece Yan Xue, the next round of demon hunting will be much easier."

"Yes," Song Yanxue replied.

The officials looked at Li Qingxian with immense envy.

This couplet was practically the key to unlocking the door to the Guardian's household.

The Coward King was patient and unassuming, not fond of fame, and would not be so happy no matter who praised him. But the phrase "He who has no desires is invincible" was a stroke of genius, hitting the nail on the head.

As for the position of Commander of the Guards, the Coward King was unwilling to take it and only wanted a sinecure. But it was precisely this kind of personality that made Emperor Taining feel at ease. Emperor Taining forced him to take the position and replace the deceased third prince.

Li Qingxian breathed a sigh of relief seeing the positive reaction. As for the so-called words of a sage, he couldn't understand them at all.

Amidst the murmurs and praises of the crowd, the chair was carried deeper into the space, slowly turned, and landed on the platform.

"Sit down, everyone, sit down. I'm very happy today," Coward King.

Everyone then sat down.

Wei Yong looked at Ye Han again and noticed that Ye Han's expression was strange. He smiled slightly, regained his composure, and glanced at Li Qingxian.

Li Qingxian sat in the chair, head slightly bowed, looking obedient.

Having unexpectedly become the first to stick his neck out twice, that's enough. If he sticks his neck out again, he'll probably get a beating.

Thus, Li Qingxian listened to the discussion of the Middle Rank officials as if he had forgotten his mouth.

The only important matter at this Directors' Assembly Hall was the upcoming demon hunt. After discussing this, the Coward King closed his eyes to rest.

As the meeting drew to a close, Cao Ming, the Divine Capital Office Bureau, rose, first bowing to the Coward King, and then said, "Now that Li Qingxian has been promoted to Fate Arts Master, according to custom, should we grant him a minor post or petition for a noble title?"

Many people nodded slightly.

These nominal positions, with salaries but no real power, were a means of winning over non-official officials.

A Seventh Rank official in green robes stood up and said, "Daren Cao, if the Fate Arts Master is not registered with the Directorate of Celestial Observations and is not from the Great Fate Sect, it may be impossible to verify his identity. It would be better to wait until we have evidence before bestowing a title upon him. Moreover, he is one of our own Night Guard and already holds a regular position; bestowing a minor title upon him would be inappropriate."

The ocean embraces all rivers, its vastness lies in its inclusiveness; a towering cliff stands firm, its strength lies in its lack of desire.

The couplet written by the famous official Lin Zexu: "Great tolerance leads to greatness," adapted from the Book of Documents; "Without desires, one is invincible," adapted from the Analects.