An eyesore

The next morning.

Feng Bao took the remaining Selected Maidens into the palace, while Cao Jinxing led his team back to the Pacification Commission to report the mission's completion.

Liu Zhenyuan was unavailable then and did not summon him until evening. The moment they met, he tossed Cao Jinxing a bottle of pills and added:

"Quite the operator, Hundred-household Commander Cao!"

"..."

Was that praise or sarcasm? Why did it sound so awkward? Cao Jinxing wondered.

"Don't overthink it. I am praising you."

Liu Zhenyuan studied him. "First you beat up Zhang Ying, then you took over his assignment, and in just one day, you made friends with Eunuch Feng from the palace... He's put in quite a few good words for you with Eunuch Lu. You've got talent, boy!"

"It was just a coincidence."

Cao Jinxing was speechless. Why make it sound like I was after Feng Bao and Lu Fu all along?

"I know."

Liu Zhenyuan wore a faint, knowing smile. "Otherwise, your head would have parted company with your body long ago! Take a look. Those are the pills Eunuch Lu bestowed on you: fifth-rank [Fortune Creation Pills]. They not only counter a hundred poisons, but also regenerate flesh, mend bones, and treat illnesses and injuries. They're extremely precious, so use them sparingly."

"My thanks to Eunuch Lu, and to you, sir."

Cao Jinxing hurriedly put them away. There was no such thing as having too many lifesaving supplies.

"You, boy..."

Seeing how carefully he treasured them, so different from his usual lofty arrogance, Liu Zhenyuan felt a headache coming on. "Do you know you've already become an eyesore to a great many people?"

Cao Jinxing froze, looking utterly baffled. "Who have I offended? I won't claim to be tireless and devoted, but I've at least done my work properly. I do whatever you tell me to do. Even that makes me an eyesore?"

His expression darkened.

Damn it! Can't a man just live?

Liu Zhenyuan shook his head helplessly. "Does jealousy need a reason? Never mind what happened before. Since returning from Crouching Tiger Ridge, you've beaten up Zhang Ying, which was bound to upset the other hundred-household commanders. With that precedent set, they'll all have to think twice before assigning missions, lest someone settle accounts afterward. Now you've earned great merit, befriended the Judicial Review Office's punishment administrator, and even received spirit medicine personally bestowed by Eunuch Lu. How many days has it been? At this rate, you'll be lording it over everyone before long. How could they not find you an eyesore?"

"Doesn't matter."

Cao Jinxing understood now. "I've already reached Xiantian. Anyone who can beat me probably wouldn't stoop to picking a fight with me, and I don't mind the ones who can't muttering behind my back. At worst, I'll put them in bed first! Then do their work for them, one by one!"

"You!"

Now Liu Zhenyuan was speechless. He had meant to persuade Cao Jinxing to keep a lower profile and blend in a little. Being too proud and aloof was no good.

But Cao Jinxing was not wrong, either.

He simply would not tolerate people messing with him. Anyone who dared could look to Zhang Ying as an example!

He did not bother with honeyed words masking malice or knives concealed behind smiles. He struck directly!

He would neither bow his head nor yield. Open attacks or covert schemes, he would take them all on!

A hint of admiration crept into Liu Zhenyuan's expression. He saw his younger self in Cao Jinxing.

As the saying went, only mediocrities escaped envy.

Cao Jinxing, however, acted with even greater abandon and swagger. He never went out of his way to befriend anyone, and ignored, even scorned, his opponents. Every last one of them!

"Very well."

Liu Zhenyuan asked, "How have those two men I found for you been working out?"

"Not bad."

"Then I'll formally transfer them to your command. The Hehuan Sect remnants abducted the Selected Maidens, and the Directorate of Ceremonial is furious. They've ordered the Pacification Commission to pursue them with everything we have! I originally intended to put a thousand-household commander on it, but Eunuch Feng strongly recommended you. Since you don't seem to care what anyone else thinks, the assignment is yours. I'll give you five days to find their hideout. Can you do it?"

"I accept the assignment."

A good assignment meant great merit, great merit meant great rewards, and great rewards brought all kinds of resources.

Cao Jinxing turned nothing down.

Liu Zhenyuan said, "This matter shouldn't be publicized, so I won't assign you any more men. That should also keep someone from sabotaging your work and getting beaten into bed by you."

Cao Jinxing said, "..."

Liu Zhenyuan laughed. "Off you go."

"I'll take my leave."

Cao Jinxing saluted with clasped fists, turned, and strode away.

"This Hundred-household Commander Cao certainly is different..."

A handsome young man in a silver-gray Flying Fish Uniform emerged from behind the screen in the inner hall. Watching Cao Jinxing's retreating figure thoughtfully, he smiled. "Cao Jinxing. Careful speech, cautious conduct. Heh, he certainly lives up to that, yet in some respects he's the exact opposite. Interesting."

Liu Zhenyuan nodded. "Indeed. He doesn't seem like a commoner. He seems more like someone from a major sect, supremely confident and with the ability to justify it. Just like you."

Shen Xiang raised an eyebrow. "Like me? Isn't it a little early to say that?"

"Five days ago, he was still at the fifth level of Houtian," Liu Zhenyuan said quietly.

Shen Xiang said, "...Fair enough."

That progress really was outrageous.

Shen Xiang himself was a once-in-a-century genius of the Shushan Sword Sect, but even he could not have broken through realm after realm in five days, much less advanced from Houtian to Xiantian.

Liu Zhenyuan asked, "Do you think he could fill Thirteen's position?"

"You think that highly of him?"

Shen Xiang frowned in thought. "Let's watch him a little longer. It's been too little time, and he's shown us too little."

"As you wish."

Liu Zhenyuan was unconcerned. "I've recommended a candidate. What happens next is up to you."

"Big brother, it's only been a day, and you already trust this fellow whose temperament has changed so drastically? That's not like you."

"This is the latest intelligence report. Take a look."

Liu Zhenyuan tossed him a sheet of paper.

Shen Xiang caught it and glanced over it. It listed everything Cao Jinxing had done since returning to the capital.

Rescuing Spirit Cat Snow Glaze, saving Zhang Dajing, killing the Hehuan Sect criminals-every detail was there!

Liu Zhenyuan said, "Eunuch Feng went out of the palace once and suddenly came back with a trusted friend. Eunuch Lu took a greater interest than anyone. This intelligence was gathered by palace agents. Even if there are discrepancies, they shouldn't be significant. Notice anything?"

Shen Xiang looked stunned. "His character and aptitude are both exceptional... In just one day, he actually learned the Three Great Sixth-Rank Spirit Arms! And he learned Tyrant Saber after just one glance. This..."

Even he could not do that!

"Would the demonic sects, or any other restless faction, let someone with that aptitude out of their hands?"

"Impossible!"

Cao Jinxing had no family or ties, leaving no leverage over him. Without enough time to cultivate his loyalty, releasing him would only strengthen their enemies!

"Exactly!"

Liu Zhenyuan said, "I originally thought an expert had passed on their power, but even that couldn't change his comprehension or innate talent. His situation looks more like Buddhist 'Empowerment' or the Daoist 'Heaven-Opening Eye.' But techniques of that caliber would inevitably alter the heavens, and the hundreds of eyes on Crouching Tiger Mountain saw nothing unusual. That leaves only one possibility-that remote backwater really did produce an extraordinary spiritual treasure that awakened his understanding! His background is clean, and he attained sudden enlightenment. What reason do you have to doubt him? Otherwise, why would Eunuch Lu give him fifth-rank spirit pills?"

Shen Xiang sucked in a sharp breath!

His scalp tingled. "I'll have to think this over carefully..."

"There's no hurry."

Liu Zhenyuan picked up an official document and resumed reviewing it. "It's still early. You have plenty of time."

"Sir."

The moment Cao Jinxing left the inner hall, Company Commanders Su Yunsheng and Sun Lang came up to him. Both had already been transferred directly under his command. His successes and failures would be theirs as well.

"Mm."

Cao Jinxing had a reasonably good impression of the pair. "Let's go to the imperial prison and interrogate that Hehuan Sect remnant."

"Yes, sir."

The three strode toward the imperial prison.

Along the way, quite a few hundred-household commanders watched them with unreadable expressions, envy mingled with caution.

Cao Jinxing paid them no mind at all. Look all you want. Try any snide remarks, and I'll send you to a clinic to lie facedown for ten days or half a month!

Su Yunsheng and Sun Lang already understood his temperament. Their superior might be a man of few words, but he was a powder keg that exploded at the slightest spark.

They, too, ignored everyone around them.

"Hundred-household Commander Cao! Wait!"

They had just reached the moon gate when someone hurried up from behind-a young hundred-household commander.

Everyone nearby immediately looked eager for a show.

Cao Jinxing turned. "What is it?"

The commander smiled shyly. "I'm Liu Sanjin. I hear you have a spirit medicine that counters poison, Commander Cao. I have a presumptuous request..."

"If it's presumptuous, there's no need to say it. I still have official business. Goodbye."

"Wait, wait, wait!"

Liu Sanjin hurried forward to stop him. I was just being polite. Why aren't you following the script? "You may not know, Commander Cao, but Thousand-household Commander Yan Shaoting was poisoned while suppressing rebels in Huizhou a few days ago. I was hoping..."

"To use my medicine to earn yourself a favor?" Cao Jinxing cut him off.

Liu Sanjin froze. "Commander Cao..."

Cao Jinxing looked thoroughly irritated. "You name some superior officer, and I'm supposed to hand over my belongings? Why not just have him collect my reward himself?"

That was far too grave an accusation.

Liu Sanjin hurriedly said, "No, no, no! You misunderstand, Commander Cao. That's not what I meant..."

"I don't care what you meant. If you want to give a gift, buy it yourself! I'm not your father, and I'm under no obligation to indulge you! Move!"

Cao Jinxing's sharp shout echoed through the entire courtyard.

Everyone was dumbfounded. They knew he was tough, but they had not expected him to be this tough.

Under everyone's gaze, Liu Sanjin flushed crimson. Unable to back down, he said coldly, "You've only just taken office, Commander Cao. Perhaps you don't know who Thousand-household Commander Yan is!"

"What does knowing who he is have to do with me telling you to get the hell out of my way? If a dog on the roadside bites me and I want to kick it, do I need to ask its owner's permission?"

"You!!!"

Liu Sanjin's face turned red with fury, and the hand he pointed at Cao Jinxing shook uncontrollably.

This was a naked slap in the face.

Cao Jinxing had all but pointed at him and called him a dog.

The surrounding commanders were stunned. Cao Jinxing's tongue was so sharp that Liu Sanjin could not fend him off at all.

"Are you moving or not?"

Cao Jinxing lost patience and gripped his saber's hilt. In an instant, icy, domineering saber energy filled the courtyard.

He really was prepared to strike to kill!

Zhang Ying was still bedridden!

"Calm down, Commander Cao. We're all colleagues. There's no need to draw weapons."

"Pull Commander Liu aside! Don't let him obstruct official business!"

Several commanders hurried forward to separate them, but Cao Jinxing's forbidding aura was too powerful. They could only pull Liu Sanjin away.

Surrounded by the others, Liu Sanjin regained some courage and was about to issue a threat when Cao Jinxing cast him a cold glance. "Waste one more word, and I'll send you to join Zhang Ying."

Liu Sanjin said, "..."

"Let's go!"

Cao Jinxing strode away.

Behind him, Su Yunsheng and Sun Lang were both stunned. They stood frozen for a moment before hurrying after him, leaving their dumbfounded colleagues and a teeth-grinding Liu Sanjin behind.

"Hahaha."

Not far behind them, beneath a high wall, Shen Xiang had overheard their exchange. He could not help laughing. "What a man, this Cao Jinxing!"