He thought he had misheard.
His wife's uncle had guaranteed it so confidently, and he had personally seen that written evaluation, along with that huge cross.
Yet Zhou Xun had still been accepted.
If his wife's uncle had taken the gift without doing the job, he did not believe it.
He was a son-in-law of the Wu Family, a young talisman master with a promising future, and considering the relationship between the two of them, there was no need for his uncle to deceive him.
No normal person could do such a thing!
Could it be that he truly was not normal?
Wei Shangli even began to harbor a trace of doubt.
In truth, he was not the only one.
When Warden Lin saw Zhou Xun's name, he himself found it somewhat unbelievable.
Yet he still read Zhou Xun's name aloud without betraying anything.
This was a list personally drawn up by Grandmaster Yun Ku. Though he was a member of the Lin family, he did not dare offend this Honored Guest Elder.
If he had not been accustomed to receiving and seeing off guests in grand settings, he might nearly have made a fool of himself.
His mouth mechanically read through the list, while his mind spun at high speed.
After the list had been submitted, only Lin Zhishan and Grandmaster Yun Ku had the ability to alter it.
Could this person be connected to Lin Zhishan or Grandmaster Yun Ku? the middle-aged man guessed.
Impossible!
Warden Lin quickly overturned that thought.
If Zhou Xun had such powerful connections, he would have joined Danbao Pavilion long ago. How could he have fallen so low as to be expelled by Mystic Talisman Pavilion?
It seemed that during this expansion of recruitment, Grandmaster Yun Ku had seen that the boy was from Red Leaf Square and thus given him a slot.
That had to be it.
But nothing in this world was absolute. In many matters, the most unlikely possibility was often the truth.
He could not take even the slightest risk in this matter!
The position of chief steward of Danbao Pavilion was a lucrative one, and countless people had their eyes fixed on it.
From now on, he could no longer make trouble for Zhou Xun. Instead, he had to find a way to befriend him.
Warden Lin carefully recalled his written evaluation.
"Expelled by Mystic Talisman Pavilion, not recommended for acceptance!"
"My reason for rejecting him was perfectly justifiable. No one would think I had deliberately targeted him. Even if Grandmaster Yun Ku learned of it, he would only think I handled matters impartially!"
"Other than the Wei Brothers, no one knows the truth. I'll return the spirit liquid and warn them again, and this matter will be over!"
After thinking it through, Warden Lin relaxed considerably, and even his voice carried more force as he announced the names.
Very soon, all thirty accepted apprentices and fifty accepted menial servants had been announced.
"All accepted candidates are to report to Danbao Pavilion in three days. Those who fail to arrive by then will be deemed to have forfeited their places!"
After saying the final sentence, Warden Lin stepped down from the platform.
Once the people from Danbao Pavilion had left, the people in the square gradually dispersed as well.
As the crowd returned, the list of those accepted at the recruitment assembly began spreading throughout Red Leaf Square.
The Pill Refinement Apprentices in particular were each the object of everyone's envy.
Many of them had their thresholds trampled by matchmakers that very day.
Yuexiang Restaurant, private room.
After the crowd dispersed, the Wei Brothers invited several familiar friends to celebrate together.
They had failed to reject Zhou Xun, but they could not neglect their third brother's joyous occasion because of that.
The relationship between brothers also needed to be nurtured.
Wei Shangli understood this well.
Among the banquet guests were talisman masters and apprentices from Mystic Talisman Pavilion, as well as Warden Lin, and even a newly accepted Pill Refinement Apprentice they had just met in the square.
Cups clinked, and laughter filled the room.
It was not until deep into the night that everyone finally dispersed.
As he was leaving, Warden Lin sought out Wei Shangli.
With a face full of guilt, he said,
"I'm truly ashamed, nephew. The matter was not handled. You should take this back!"
As he spoke, he took out the bottle of spirit liquid and handed it back.
"What are you saying, Uncle? This spirit liquid was merely this junior's filial gift to an elder. How could I possibly take it back? Please accept it without concern!"
Wei Shangli was no fool. If he accepted it now, would he not be offending his uncle? His third brother would still need to rely on him for care in the future.
"Uncle has accepted the thought, but you should still take this spirit liquid back!" Warden Lin was determined to return it.
"My third brother, Shangyi, will soon be heading to Danbao Pavilion. I ask Uncle to look after him well. How about treating this spirit liquid as payment for that matter?"
Seeing this, Wei Shangli said helplessly.
Warden Lin's heart stirred at those words. He was also extremely reluctant to part with the spirit liquid.
After weighing the matter, he stepped forward and lowered his voice.
"That previous matter was rather strange. I advise you to reconcile with that person."
"Also, I accepted this spirit liquid solely in exchange for looking after your third brother. It must have absolutely nothing to do with that person. And regarding the previous matter, you must keep your mouths sealed tight. Otherwise, I absolutely would not dare accept this spirit liquid!"
"Rest assured, Uncle. Shangli knows the gravity of this matter. I have already warned my second and third brothers to let this matter rot in their bellies!"
"Then I can rest easy!" Warden Lin nodded in satisfaction and accepted the bottle of spirit liquid again.
"Oh, right. For the time being, you and I should have less contact, lest it arouse unnecessary suspicions in others!" Remembering something, Warden Lin turned back to warn him.
"Shangli understands!" Wei Shangli nodded and cupped his hands.
After Warden Lin left, his expression became somewhat grave.
For the chief steward of Danbao Pavilion to act with such caution, something beyond his expectations must have happened. It might even involve the upper echelons of Danbao Pavilion.
"Big Brother, I have a way to deal with Zhou Xun!"
As he pondered, Wei Shangren's voice rang out.
Wei Shangren had held those words in for a long time. There had been too many people at the banquet for him to speak openly.
Looking at his second brother, Wei Shangli's expression was filled with complicated emotions. After thinking for a moment, he finally spoke.
"Second Brother, is there still any possibility of reconciliation between us and Zhou Xun? Though we made a move against him, he himself does not know about it."
"Reconciliation?" Wei Shangren was like a rabbit whose tail had been stepped on, and his voice immediately rose.
"Absolutely impossible! Besides, I already told him personally that we made a move against him!" Wei Shangren said resentfully.
"You—"
Wei Shangli hated that iron could not become steel. At this moment, he had a feeling that this younger brother of his was the greatest obstacle to reviving their Lineage!
"Big Brother, why reconcile? There are still three days until reporting. As long as we make him unable to report, he won't be able to turn the heavens upside down!"
Wei Shangli glanced at his foolish younger brother, took a deep breath, and only then spoke.
"I will handle this matter myself. You should focus on learning talisman crafting and become a talisman master as soon as possible!"
Wei Shangren both feared and respected his elder brother. Seeing him give such instructions, he could only agree awkwardly.
After learning that he had been accepted, Zhou Xun returned home.
He opened the spirit rice jar and scooped out three heaping ladles. Today, he was going to eat his fill.
He had already decided that he would report to Danbao Pavilion in three days.
"Even if the chief steward of Danbao Pavilion makes things difficult for me, at worst I will merely be expelled. My circumstances cannot become worse than they already are!"
"Besides, today's change shows that Warden Lin is not someone who can cover the sky with one hand in Danbao Pavilion. I have a good chance of gaining a foothold there."
"A Pill Refinement Apprentice at Danbao Pavilion—this is my most legitimate opportunity, and also my best opportunity, to come into contact with all kinds of spirit herbs!"
"The risks and rewards are completely proportional. I cannot miss it!"
Having thought everything through, Zhou Xun began enjoying his Spirit Rice.
"Brother Zhou! Brother Zhou!"
Before he had finished eating, waves of knocking and calling came from outside the door.
Zhou Xun tidied up briefly, then opened the front gate.
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