A Feast of Lies and Promotion

When Tuoba Danqing said this, Li Huowang’s spirits lifted immediately. After all the effort he had put in to join the Supervisory Heavenly Office, what was it for if not to gain trust within the Office and obtain intelligence on North Wind?

Since the pillow had already been placed beside his head, there was no reason not to lean on it. “Oh? Brother Tuoba, which location is it this time?”

A slip of paper was placed before Li Huowang. On it was recorded an incident that had occurred in a county town within the Great Liang Empire.

As he read the various absurd acts described on the paper, Li Huowang’s brow gradually furrowed. “This kind of thing… could it be the Zuowandao?”

The moment he thought this, Hongzhong, who was sitting nearby, immediately grew restless and said with disgust, “Hey hey hey, what do you mean, Zuowandao? Which item on this paper has anything to do with the Zuowandao?”

“So whenever something happens, it has to be the Zuowandao’s fault, is that it? You might as well say that the Heavenly Calamity, which only happens once every few decades, was also caused by the Zuowandao!”

Li Huowang couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. He quickly finished his examination, tucked the slip of paper away, and immediately turned to Tuoba Danqing, saying, “Brother Tuoba, rest assured. Leave this matter to me! Now that I’ve joined the Supervisory Heavenly Office, if the Office needs me, I naturally have no excuse to refuse!”

Seeing Li Huowang agree so readily, a glint of something unusual appeared in Tuoba Danqing’s eyes. “Brother Er, that was quick. Not even asking about the reward? Heh heh, aren’t you afraid I’ll skim off your lifespan?”

“Of course not. I trust you, Brother Tuoba. Besides, for the sake of our Supervisory Heavenly Office, what does a little reward matter?”

Hearing Li Huowang speak with such righteous fervor, Tuoba Danqing held his wine cup, regarding him with a half-smile.

Clink. He set the cup down on the table. “To be blunt, we couldn’t care less what that old emperor’s name is. The reason most of us join the Office is just to earn a living and have some backing.”

“Brother Er, I really do see you as a sworn brother. But your reason for joining the Office doesn’t seem to be the same as ours, does it?”

The moment he said this, the slightly relaxed atmosphere instantly turned cold.

“Watch your step. You agreed too fast. This guy’s getting suspicious.” Hongzhong’s timely reminder came from the side.

The tipsy Li Huowang quickly sobered up. He knew he had to answer correctly now. If he made a single misstep, this entire lead with the Supervisory Heavenly Office might be severed!

Various images flashed through Li Huowang’s mind, then suddenly settled on a single book: The Manual of Deception.

“Why did I join the Supervisory Heavenly Office?” As he spoke, Li Huowang’s breathing grew rapid. His eyes filled with hatred and murderous intent. “To deal with the Zuowandao!”

“They deceived me! They deceived everyone in a cross-shaped temple of our Ao-Jing Sect! In the end, everyone died except me!”

“I hate them! I heard the Office goes after the Zuowandao, so I joined! As long as the Zuowandao aren’t eliminated, my heart will never find peace!”

As he spoke, the ceramic wine cup in Li Huowang’s hand was suddenly crushed in his grip.

Even though the reason was a lie, the hatred was absolutely real.

Hearing Li Huowang’s fierce reaction, Tuoba Danqing sighed and set down his own cup. “So that’s how it is. I heard about what happened in Siqi. I didn’t realize it involved you, Brother Erjiu.”

“Ah, your big brother here has made you recall unpleasant memories. I was wrong. I’ll fine myself three cups.” With that, Tuoba Danqing raised his cup, tilted his head back, and downed it.

After three cups, the drunken Tuoba Danqing was back. “Brother, don’t you worry. Since you’ve got a score to settle with the Zuowandao, your big brother here will look out for you. From now on, anything concerning the Zuowandao, you’ll get first dibs. I wish you a swift revenge!”

But Li Huowang’s performance wasn’t just about getting through the moment. He had another goal.

He leaned forward slightly, his expression becoming intense. “Brother Tuoba, I’ve heard that the Office possesses secret records on the Zuowandao that outsiders can’t access. Now that I’m a member, could I possibly take a look?”

This was Li Huowang’s true aim. If he could strike while the iron was hot and obtain that material today, it would be ideal.

Upon hearing this request, a look of difficulty appeared on Tuoba Danqing’s face. “Ah, Brother Er, I understand you have a blood feud with the Zuowandao. But those are Celestial-Grade secrets. You’re only a Gui-Zu right now. Even if I put in a good word for you, you’d at least need to reach Geng-Qi yourself.”

“So… as long as my rank within the Office reaches Geng-Qi, I can access all the intelligence on the Zuowandao?”

“Naturally. The Ministry of Rites has stored records of thousands of years of dealings between the Office and the Zuowandao. They’re guarded so strictly precisely to prevent those madmen from sneaking in to alter them or burn the whole lot.”

Li Huowang nodded, his eyes firm. In that moment, he had found his objective: to rise to Geng-Qi within the Supervisory Heavenly Office as quickly as possible and obtain all information about the Zuowandao.

After committing this information to memory, Li Huowang asked again, “May I ask, Brother Tuoba, how is rank advancement calculated within the Office?”

Tuoba Danqing picked up a piece of tender chicken with his chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth, a chuckle escaping him. “Knew you’d ask that. Brother Er, I know you want revenge, but you have to eat your meal one bite at a time. Don’t rush.”

“Promotions within the Office are all reviewed by the Imperial Astronomer, who is the master of Grand Secretary Jixiang.”

“Generally speaking, the Office keeps a record of every task you take on and every job you do. When they decide you’re ready, they’ll move you up a rank.”

“But don’t you go thinking that promotion has anything to do with how strong you are. Unless you’ve risked your life for the Office, you can be as powerful as you like, you’ll still just be a lowly Gui-Zu.”

“It’s fast at first, then it slows down. You did well on that last job. Keep it up, and within six months at most, you should be promoted to Ren-Wu.”

“Hey, don’t underestimate each step! A different token means a different status, and different benefits from the Office. A lot of people join the Office for more than just the pay.”

“Six months?” Li Huowang couldn’t wait six months. Six months just to get to Ren-Wu—who knew how long it would take to reach Geng-Qi?

“Brother Tuoba, six months is too long. Is there any other way to speed things up? I don’t mind a smaller reward. I won’t rest easy until those Zuowandao are dealt with!”

“Hmm…” Tuoba Danqing held his wine cup, thinking.

“Alright. I’ll make an exception for you. There’s a thorny case here that I was supposed to handle myself. If you can resolve it, I’ll put in a good word with Grand Secretary Jixiang. That should be enough to get you promoted to Ren-Wu.”

As he spoke, a subtle smile crept onto Tuoba Danqing’s face. “Once you get back, I’ll show you the benefits that come with a higher rank!”

Seeing that his goal was achieved, a smile spread across Li Huowang’s face. He lowered his own cup slightly and tapped it against Tuoba Danqing’s. “Thank you for your help, Brother Tuoba. I’ll drink to you!”

The pleasantries were over, and the wine was soon finished. After about the time it takes two incense sticks to burn, Tuoba Danqing stood up, swaying, and headed for the door.

“Alright. Remember to go early. I’ve given you the address. Don’t miss the deadline. Oh, and that Blind Chen is currently holed up in a temple in Yinling City. If you want to return that mirror to him, you’ll have to find him yourself.”