Whoosh! Whoosh!
Jiang Yi lay against the crane's back, feeling only the fierce wind pouring into his ears, unable to hear anything clearly.
His Daoist robe snapped in the wind, and streams of air cut at his face like blades. He had to circulate his True Qi to withstand them.
Holding his breath, he plucked up his courage and leaned over to look down. The Outer Sect's Four Peaks rose in overlapping ridges, their buildings neatly arranged. He could faintly make out antlike Mortal Laborers hurrying between workshops of every kind.
"So this is what the scenery looks like from the sky."
High in the air, Jiang Yi felt an exhilarating freedom well up in his chest.
It was as though he had broken free of his shackles and looked down upon the mortal world, filled with a soaring, unrestrained spirit!
"So this is 'riding the wind and soaring through the air'! No wonder those promising cultivators from superior Daoist lineages see Mortal Laborers as ants, as dust... they really do stand high enough."
His thoughts surging, Jiang Yi clung tightly to the flying crane with both hands, terrified of falling and being smashed to pieces.
He had heard that upon reaching the tenth level of Qi Refining, one could ride clouds and mist, leaving the ground to fly.
But even in the Qianji Sect, there were probably only a handful of such formidable figures.
Jiang Yi thought to himself:
One day, I'll cross the sky without relying on any outside help... and become a true cultivator above the clouds.
The flying crane gave a clear cry. Its wings stirred fiercer gusts as it abruptly climbed, leaving the outer sect peaks behind.
A short while later, a refreshing mist washed over his face. The pores all over Jiang Yi's body quietly opened, and even the True Qi within him grew somewhat livelier.
He experienced a fresh, pure taste of nature, similar to the comfort he felt when drinking moonlight Flowing Essence.
This must be why entering the Inner Peaks makes cultivation easier.
Clearly, the outer sect is like a barren field, lacking the nourishment of spiritual vitality. How could fine seedlings grow there, and how could they become material fit for the Dao?
As Jiang Yi rode the crane through the thick clouds, the scenery before him suddenly changed!
The mist parted like a barrier struck open. Several peaks thrust up from the earth, their rugged slopes towering to distant, precipitous heights.
Though this was not the immortal scenery of storybooks, with billowing clouds, radiant mists, and ten thousand auspicious rays, it still possessed something extraordinary.
The flying crane carrying Jiang Yi circled several times before descending toward a bluestone plaza below.
"I've finally set foot in the Inner Peaks."
Filled with anticipation, he wondered whether this sum of Talisman Money would prove well spent.
"Only yesterday, you said you'd put that Jiang brat in his place, sir. Why are you being so generous to him today?"
Inside the Forging Room, a horse-faced man knelt bent over, carefully wiping Zhou Guang's boots.
Duty Officer Zhou loved cleanliness above all else and could not tolerate the slightest stain or speck of mud on himself, so someone always had to clean him.
"That brat killed Dong Ba, costing me a talented man. It certainly left me displeased..."
Zhou Guang raised a leg and rested it on a Mortal Laborer's back, making it easier for the horse-faced man to polish his boot, then leaned back.
Two more men attended him on either side, one washing his face and shaving him, the other holding a basin and fetching water.
Had Jiang Yi seen this, he would have sighed that his bargain god-grandfather really did not know how to enjoy himself.
Zhou Guang continued with a chuckle:
"But who would turn down money? All told, Dong Ba was only worth seventeen or eighteen thousand in Talisman Money. He offered twenty thousand. That's enough to pay for Dong Ba's life."
The horse-faced man seemed to rank above the other attending Mortal Laborers; he alone dared to speak.
"Duty Officer Yang has never promoted anyone in all these years. Who would have expected him to put so much effort into nurturing a young fellow at the very end?"
Zhou Guang gave a comfortable hum and scoffed:
"What do you know? The closer you get to stepping down, the more you need to find yourself a way forward.
"Otherwise, once you lose your duty officer's post, the tea goes cold when the man leaves. How good could your remaining days possibly be?
"As I see it, Old Man Yang has had some luck. He really did pick up a talented one!"
Zhou Guang had a keen eye. He had seen that Jiang Yi was already at the third level of Qi Refining and had practiced the Lesser Forging Origin Fire-Control Art.
Otherwise, with Dong Ba's martial skills, there was no reason he should have died so quietly.
"Tsk. At his age, his cultivation hasn't fallen behind, and he's mastered a Daoist technique too. He must be aiming for a seat in the Inner Peaks."
It was precisely because Zhou Guang had realized this that he abandoned the idea of making trouble for Jiang Yi. Why make an enemy of a promising seedling for no reason?
The horse-faced man looked surprised.
"A seat in the Inner Peaks... didn't you accept Luo Tong's Talisman Money and agree to recommend him, sir? Now that Jiang Yi has ridden the crane to the Inner Peaks, might he gain an edge over Luo Tong?"
Displeasure flashed through Zhou Guang's eyes, and he said flatly:
"I took Luo Tong's payment and only promised him a nomination. I never guaranteed he would get in!
"If Luo Tong can't compete with Jiang Yi, let his sister Luo Qian'er whisper into her bedmate's ear some more and have Zhou Can of Sewing Peak put in some effort!"
Realizing Zhou Guang was displeased, the horse-faced man hurriedly lowered his head and quickened his hands.
Before long, the auspicious-cloud-patterned boots, wound with gold-thread braid and edged in blue satin, had been wiped spotless.
"Of everyone in the Forging Room, your work pleases me most."
Thoroughly satisfied, Zhou Guang examined the spotless uppers of his boots, then touched his rounded, smoothly shaved cheeks.
"Dong Ba is dead, leaving the Inspection Officer's post vacant. Tell me, who should fill it?"
The horse-faced man's bowed body trembled as he struggled to suppress his excitement.
"Your discerning eye misses nothing, sir, and you know how to put men to good use. I'm sure you have already made your decision!"
Zhou Guang smiled.
"Raise your head."
The horse-faced man flushed red. After enduring so long, he was finally going to win the duty officer's appreciation!
He lifted his head to look at Zhou Guang, his eyes full of anticipation, only to meet a rapidly enlarging boot sole!
Bam!
Blood burst from the horse-faced man's mouth and nose in streams. Like a kite with its string cut, he flew several yards away!
"Please calm your anger, sir..."
Stars swam before the horse-faced man's eyes as he rolled outside like a dead dog. Though he did not know what he had done wrong, if he had provoked Zhou Guang into kicking him, he must have been at fault.
Zhou Guang stepped out of the Forging Room, his clean boots treading the muddy ground as he approached the horse-faced man.
The man shakily pushed himself up and repeatedly smashed his forehead against the ground. In moments, it was a bloody mess.
Zhou Guang asked coldly:
"How much Talisman Money did Luo Tong give you?"
The horse-faced man replied in a trembling voice:
"I truly never took so much as half a note of Talisman Money from him, sir! I only drank with Luo Tong a few times!"
Zhou Guang raised his boot and planted it on the horse-faced man's head, pressing his face into the mud.
"Then you're an utter fool! You took nothing from him, yet still went to the trouble of speaking up for him!
"Do I need you to teach me how to do things? Huh?"
After stamping down hard several times to teach the horse-faced man a lesson, Zhou Guang turned and returned to the Forging Room.
He had not struck to kill. Spend ten thousand of his own Talisman Money on such a worthless life? Not worth it!
Before he could call, a Mortal Laborer who had been working diligently scrambled over, throwing himself before Zhou Guang as swiftly as a feral dog snatching food.
He deftly stripped off his cotton Daoist robe and carefully wiped clean the duty officer's auspicious-cloud-patterned boots, now covered in grime again.
He had wanted this job for ages!
The horse-faced man had been "hogging" it before. Now that he had angered the duty officer, it was his turn!
Zhou Guang narrowed his eyes and asked:
"What's your name?"
The Mortal Laborer smiled ingratiatingly.
"Qi Wei, sir. I've been a Mortal Laborer for ten years."
Zhou Guang nodded.
"From now on, you'll clean my boots."
The Mortal Laborer named Qi Wei was overjoyed and polished the boots even harder.
"Luo Tong is here. He says he'd like to borrow the flying crane to attend a lecture in the Inner Sect."
Once the boots looked as good as new, an attending Mortal Laborer leaned closer and spoke.
Zhou Guang raised his eyelids, his tone indifferent.
"There's only one flying crane. Jiang Yi from the Quenching Room borrowed it. Where would we find another?
"Tell Luo Tong to wait until next time. The Inner Peaks elders' lectures don't have much substance anyway."
The Mortal Laborer nodded and went to relay the message.
Outside the Forging Room stood a valiant-looking young man in his early twenties. He happened to notice the horse-faced man lying on the ground, ignored by everyone. His narrow eyes flickered, but he did not walk over.
Compared with Crimson Flame Peak's many Mortal Laborers in drab gray Daoist robes, this man in his sky-blue scholar's gown stood out like a crane among chickens.
"The Quenching Room borrowed the flying crane... Jiang Yi? That name sounds very familiar."
Hearing the reply, the valiant-looking young man frowned deeply. The Inner Peaks' instruction elder gave a lecture once every ten days.
If he missed today, he would have another agonizing wait!
The young man glanced at the horse-faced man he had drunk with. Knowing that Duty Officer Zhou might be displeased, he did not persist or disturb him.
He merely asked casually:
"Senior brother, may I ask how he offended the duty officer?"
The messenger replied:
"The duty officer thought he talked too much and meddled too much. In case you didn't know, Young Master Luo, Duty Officer Zhou of our workshop dislikes troublemakers who make work for him most of all!"
Luo Tong's face twitched, then returned to normal.
"Then he brought it on himself. He deserved it!"
Luo Tong cupped his hands toward the Forging Room, then strode away.
He did not so much as glance at the horse-faced man lying helpless on the ground.
Jiang Yi? I think I heard my sister mention him. Isn't he some worthless Mortal Laborer with no real ability?
Puzzled, Luo Tong pondered for a while, then headed straight for Sewing Peak.
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