Chapter 254: The Mover of Eras
The announcement regarding the Dan Yuan Secret Realm’s recruitment of apprentices spread through the entire Medical Affairs Department at lightning speed.
Neither the Royal Family nor the various nobles expected Hua Changxi’s conditions for recruiting apprentices to be so simple, nor did they expect the welfare and benefits she offered to apprentices to be so generous.
Hua Changxi once again exceeded everyone’s expectations.
“Does this Hua Changxi even understand business management?”
The minds of the Secret Realm Masters had already been somewhat shattered by the Oath Tablet Hua Changxi erected. Now, upon seeing Hua Changxi’s announcement for recruiting apprentices, their minds were shattered once more.
“The Hua Family is just a small household. Hua Changxi probably hasn’t even managed a single shop on her own. How could she understand business management?”
“Exactly. If she had managed even one shop, she would know the importance of strictly controlling expenditure.”
The resources Hua Changxi was investing in apprentices were too generous. Compared to her, they, the Secret Realm Masters, were too stingy.
People are prone to comparison. Over time, those who join their secret realms will inevitably develop dissatisfaction.
This Hua Changxi is truly going against them at every turn.
The Royal Family and the nobles were also put in a very passive position by Hua Changxi’s apprentice recruitment announcement.
They had just issued the order to boycott Hua Changxi’s recruitment, and then Hua Changxi pulled off something like this.
Prince Fu and Prince Shou could no longer smile. Boycotting Hua Changxi’s apprentice recruitment was not an order they had issued rashly out of anger.
They did so for two reasons: firstly, Hua Changxi had touched upon the interests of the Secret Realm Masters and the nobles, so various parties would surely respond positively.
Secondly, taking a Heart Demon Oath to enter and exit a secret realm was something most cultivators who wished to enter the secret realm would hesitate about.
According to their predictions, Hua Changxi’s conditions for recruiting apprentices would be extremely harsh, and most people wouldn’t be able to enter the secret realm.
‘If I can’t enter the secret realm, then no one else should either.’ If they could just slightly stir this sentiment among the cultivators, their plan to boycott Hua Changxi’s recruitment would proceed very smoothly.
But who would have thought that Hua Changxi would do the complete opposite of what he predicted, offering benefits and treatment to apprentices that far exceeded his expectations, catching them completely off guard.
They didn’t even need to send people to investigate; they could imagine that even with the Heart Demon Oath, countless cultivators would now want to join Hua Changxi’s Dan Yuan Secret Realm.
Chu Junhao looked at the grim-faced Prince Fu and Prince Shou, hesitated for a moment, and then walked over: “Uncle Fu, Uncle Shou, perhaps we should withdraw the order?”
As soon as he said this, Prince Shou’s icy gaze shot towards Chu Junhao: “Seventh Prince, do you know what you are saying?”
Chu Junhao felt his scalp tingle under Prince Shou’s gaze. He opened his mouth, but couldn’t say anything.
Prince Shou snorted coldly: “After the Spiritual Energy Revival, the influence of the nobles in the Capital City and local magnates has been constantly growing. They are increasingly disregarding the Royal Family’s orders.”
“Over the years, your Father Emperor and the clan elders have tried every means to stabilize the overall situation, preventing others from acting recklessly.”
“Now, you are actually asking us to retract the order to boycott Hua Changxi. Do you know what that means?”
“It means the Royal Family is bowing down to a little girl! It means that from now on, anyone can trample on the Royal Family!”
Prince Shou became more and more angry as he spoke, and by the end, he was shouting.
Chu Junhao was so chastised that he knelt on the ground with a thud: “Uncle Shou, Junhao has thought too simplistically about this matter. Please punish me, Uncle Shou.”
Seeing that Prince Shou was quite angry, Prince Fu did not tell Chu Junhao to get up: “The Royal Family’s order has been issued and cannot be changed.” With a wave of his hand, he summoned the Department Assistant of the Medical Affairs Department.
“Go and dismantle the registration point Hua Changxi set up at the entrance of the Medical Affairs Department for me.”
“The Medical Affairs Department is a court department. Without the court’s consent, no one is allowed to recruit people at the entrance of the Medical Affairs Department!”
He paused.
“Also, issue an order for everyone to keep their mouths shut and try not to let the announcement of Hua Changxi’s apprentice recruitment spread beyond the Medical Affairs Department.”
Although they couldn’t prevent well-informed powers from obtaining the announcement’s content, it was enough to prevent ordinary people from knowing the news.
As for the others within the Medical Affairs Department, they were either from the Royal Family or from the noble families. They wouldn’t dare to openly oppose the Royal Family.
Upon receiving Prince Fu’s order, the Department Assistant of the Medical Affairs Department personally led a team to the main entrance. He watched as his subordinates dismantled the registration point set up by Pharmacist Xu and others, and smashed the recruitment wooden token.
At the same time, the Department Assistant sternly warned Pharmacist Xu and the others.
“Without the court’s consent, who allowed you to recruit people at the main entrance?”
“Get back to Number Thirteen Qihuang Hall. If you violate this again, you will be expelled from the Medical Affairs Department.”
Watching Pharmacist Xu and the others leave dejectedly, the cultivators from the Guardian Families watched as a spectacle, while the nobles of the Capital City added fuel to the fire.
They knew this was the Royal Family pressuring Hua Changxi. If she wanted to recruit apprentices, she had to remove the Oath Tablet.
The reason various factions were focused on the Dan Yuan Secret Realm was to use the resources within the secret realm to cultivate their own forces, not to give away their personnel to the Dan Sheng Hall for free.
The higher-ups had their own schemes, while the ordinary cultivators within the Medical Affairs Department, upon learning that Prince Shou had issued an order forbidding them from joining the Dan Yuan Secret Realm, could not hide the look of disappointment on their faces.
However, they dared not stand up and resist, so they could only remain silently.
Hua Changxi was unaware that immediately after she erected the Oath Tablet and published the apprentice recruitment announcement, she was jointly boycotted by the Royal Family and various factions.
However, even if she knew, she wouldn’t care too much.
The main force for her apprentice recruitment was not in the Capital City. While the Royal Family and nobles could prevent some people from joining the Dan Yuan Secret Realm, they couldn’t stop the vast populace across the land.
After giving the apprentice recruitment announcement to Pharmacist Xu, Hua Changxi left the Medical Affairs Department.
At this moment, she was in Feng’an Ward, at the Shen Nong Hall Apothecary Shop, setting up a Teleportation Array.
Once the Teleportation Array was set up, she immediately tested its effect. As soon as she activated the formation, she was teleported to the fourth level of the Dan Yuan Secret Realm in the blink of an eye.
Then, she teleported back from the fourth level of the Dan Yuan Secret Realm to the Shen Nong Hall Secret Realm.
Instant teleportation, instant return!
Hua Changxi was very satisfied with the effect of the Teleportation Array. She then immediately left the Capital City and headed straight for Lingguang Hall. After setting up a Teleportation Array at Lingguang Hall, she went to Five Finger Mountain.
She was enthusiastically setting up Teleportation Arrays, completely unaware of the brewing storm in the Capital City.
Dingyuan Earl’s Mansion.
Earl Hua summoned the Clan Elders and outstanding juniors of the Hua clan to the Earl’s Mansion for a clan leader meeting.
At this moment, the faces of the Hua clan members were quite expressive.
The thought that the Altar of Alchemy had appeared because of Hua Changxi made the Hua clan members overjoyed. This meant that with the revival of the Dan Sheng Hall in the future, Hua Changxi’s status would definitely not be low.
The Dan Sheng Hall was one of the Five Great Sacred Lands of the Four Spirit Realm, with a noble status. For the Hua clan members to hold a position in the Dan Sheng Hall and have a certain degree of influence would be a great opportunity for the Hua clan.
However, upon thinking that Hua Changxi had offended various nobles due to the Oath Tablet she erected and the apprentice recruitment announcement, the Hua clan elders couldn’t help but sigh.
Earl Hua looked at Hua Bin’s family, who were silent, with a complicated expression.
He never expected that Hua Bin, who had grown up relying on the charity of others, would be the clan member with the best luck after the Spiritual Energy Revival.
Thinking of the twin sisters Hua Changxin and Hua Changxi, he couldn’t help but envy Hua Bin.
It was already a great blessing for other families to produce one prodigy, but Hua Bin had produced two remarkable granddaughters at once.
Hua Changxin was the direct disciple of the Sect Leader of Taisu Palace, and many things were beyond their reach, so they wouldn’t mention it for now.
But Hua Changxi had always been in the Capital City, and her actions were relatively easy to investigate.
This girl’s current prominence in the Medical Affairs Department had even overshadowed Meng Qingyao, who was recommended by the Guardian Family, and this was solely through her own efforts, which was truly astonishing.
Having such a remarkable junior in the family was undoubtedly a blessing and an opportunity for the Hua clan, a sign of the family’s prosperity and development.
But who would have thought that Hua Bin couldn’t even win over his own granddaughter.
The relationship between such close blood relatives was so distant, which left him speechless.
Now, Hua Changxi was not close to the clan, and even though she held such abundant resources, the clan members couldn’t get any benefits.
What troubled Earl Hua the most was that Hua Changxi’s personality was too headstrong and too good at attracting hatred.
The interests of the Royal Family and the various nobles were complex and intertwined. It was actually very difficult to unite them to jointly boycott a certain matter or person. Even some rising noble families had never managed to unite them, yet Hua Changxi had managed to achieve a united front, which was truly remarkable.
She alone was equivalent to a clan!
She hadn’t gained any benefits, and might even bring trouble because of Hua Changxi. Earl Hua didn’t know whether to be happy or worried.
Seeing that the Earl and the others were silent, Hua Minghe couldn’t help but speak: “Earl, Jiu Niang’s secret realm needs manpower. If the clan members can support her at this time, she will definitely repay the clan in the future.”
Earl Hua had not concealed the matter of the Royal Family and nobles boycotting Hua Changxi. As soon as he learned of it, he informed the clan members.
Hua Minghe knew that his daughter was being pressured by the nobles and felt anxious.
Jiu Niang was not close to her family, and was even more indifferent to the clan. He also wanted to use this matter to let his daughter know that her family and clan were her backing.
The Second Elder snorted: “The Royal Family has already issued an order forbidding people from joining the Dan Yuan Secret Realm. If the clan intervenes at this time, it would be directly opposing the Royal Family.”
“Even top noble families like the Tang Family dare not fall out with the Royal Family. Can our Hua clan bear the wrath of the Royal Family?”
Hearing this, Hua Minghe fell silent.
Earl Hua glanced at the Great Elder.
Upon receiving the look, the Great Elder smiled and said: “We do not have the ability to resist opposing the Royal Family; however, Changxi is a junior of the clan, and we cannot simply ignore her. Why don’t we observe the situation first and see if we can find a solution that benefits both sides?”
Hua Bin immediately expressed his stance upon hearing this: “The Great Elder is right. My Jiu Niang’s matter is not urgent. The secret realm will always be there, so it’s fine if she can’t recruit people for a while.”
Hua Minghe glanced at Old Master Hua. He knew that the Old Master was afraid that the clan members would be implicated by Jiu Niang. However, Jiu Niang was not close to the clan, and if the clan did not show their stance at this time, it would be even more difficult for Jiu Niang to accept the clan in the future.
He understood Jiu Niang’s personality. She would not be stingy with those who had helped her.
Hua Minghe wanted to say something more, but was firmly held back by Old Master Hua.
Earl Hua looked at Hua Minghe and Hua Bin and said, “The situation in the Capital City is changing rapidly. Let’s not rush to make a decision.”
Saying this, he said to Hua Minghe, “Minghe, you can go and ask Changxi first to see if she has any thoughts about the clan.”
“In the past two years, the strength of the noble families has been increasing, but our clan is still stagnating. Without strength, we have to be cautious when major events occur. You must explain these situations to Changxi.”
“No matter what, the Hua clan is Changxi’s backing. The clan will definitely not stand by if they can support her.”
Hua Minghe’s eyes flickered upon hearing this.
He knew that the clan was dissatisfied that Jiu Niang treated the Hua clan members the same as others in recruiting apprentices, and that the clan members wanted preferential treatment in the Dan Yuan Secret Realm.
The Earl was hinting at him with his words. If Jiu Niang didn’t show sincerity first, the clan might not arrange for people to join the Dan Yuan Secret Realm.
