Chapter 260: Task Assignment
Hua Changxi did not know the purpose of the Heavenly Department Minister seeking her out to help her resolve her predicament. She watched coldly as Wei Zhenjie first met with Prince Shou’s group, and then with Xia Zhen’s group.
In less than an hour, Wei Zhenjie sent Huo Yunxiao to inform Hua Changxi that the matter had been resolved and that Prince Shou and the others would no longer deliberately target the Hua Family members.
Seeing Hua Changxi’s doubtful expression, Huo Yunxiao rolled his eyes: “Just put your mind at ease. If my Master personally intervenes, there’s nothing that can’t be accomplished.”
Hua Changxi looked at him: “The Heavenly Department is also under the jurisdiction of the Royal Family, right? Can your Master make the Royal Family listen to him?”
Huo Yunxiao smiled: “The Heavenly Department used to be a department of the Imperial Court. Now, the Heavenly Department represents the Central Sacred Land.”
“In the Central Continent, the Central Sacred Land is supreme.”
Hua Changxi looked at Huo Yunxiao, who appeared proud and self-satisfied, and her expression shifted as she probed: “Could it be that the current Heavenly Department is now above the Royal Family?”
Huo Yunxiao smiled without answering the question: “In short, you can rest assured. Do whatever you want, and no one will target your family anymore.”
Hua Changxi glanced at Huo Yunxiao: “I didn’t expect the Heavenly Department Minister’s words to be so effective.” Then, she changed the subject: “Does the Heavenly Department have the ability to suppress the top experts of the Royal Family and the Guardian Faction?”
Otherwise, why would Prince Shou, who considered himself superior to others, listen to Wei Zhenjie? Unless, he couldn’t win!
Such obvious probing made Huo Yunxiao somewhat speechless: “I don’t know about the matters of the higher-ups, so don’t try to test me anymore.”
She paused.
“My Master has already sent a message to the Heavenly Department. Soon, a batch of retired Demon Suppressing Army soldiers will come to join the Dan Yuan Secret Realm.”
Upon hearing this, Hua Changxi’s expression changed slightly.
If preventing the Hua Family from being coerced by the Royal Family and nobles was still something to be observed; then directly sending a batch of retired Demon Suppressing Army soldiers to join the Dan Yuan Secret Realm was a concrete show of support for her and opposition to Prince Shou and the others.
Hua Changxi couldn’t guess Wei Zhenjie’s intentions, but the current situation was beneficial to her, so she would take it one step at a time.
Immediately, Hua Changxi began to instruct Pharmacist Xu and the others to prepare for recruitment.
The Heavenly Department acted quickly. Before long, Department Head Gu personally led a team of disciplined and orderly wounded Demon Suppressing Army soldiers outside Number Thirteen Qihuang Hall.
Hua Changxi used the Four Diagnostic Methods to scan each of them.
Hmm, they were all cultivators and all had wood Spiritual Roots.
However, these people were either missing an arm or a leg, or their foundations were damaged and their vitality was depleted.
Fortunately, their ability to act was still intact, and they could still plant, clean, and prepare Spiritual Medicine.
“What a pity…”
Huo Yunxiao heard Hua Changxi sigh and mutter, and immediately asked: “What’s a pity?”
Hua Changxi: “Among these people, many could have been completely healed if they had received timely treatment, but it was delayed.”
Hearing this, Huo Yunxiao also showed regret on his face: “There are too few Physicians and Alchemists who can treat cultivators.”
The missions of the Demon Suppressing Army were heavy and dangerous. When something went wrong, a large number of people would be injured, and the Physicians and Alchemists of the Heavenly Department simply couldn’t treat them all.
Thinking of his comrades who died from untreatable conditions, Huo Yunxiao suddenly looked at Hua Changxi: “Hua Changxi, my Master thinks highly of you. You must cultivate more Physicians and Alchemists.”
Hua Changxi glanced at him and turned to find Pharmacist Xu and the others.
Soon, tables, chairs, stools, and brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were set up outside Number Thirteen Qihuang Hall.
“Come and fill out your resumes.”
Huo Yunxiao saw Pharmacist Xu and the others handing out items to the retired Demon Suppressing Army soldiers, so he went to get one. After reading it, he walked over to Hua Changxi.
“It’s just recruiting Apprentices, and you’re even investigating their background and life stories. Isn’t that too strict?”
Hua Changxi looked at him: “What? When others want to join the Demon Suppressing Army, don’t you investigate them? Can anyone join?”
Huo Yunxiao fell silent.
Hua Changxi, too lazy to bother with him, called over Pharmacist Xu: “Have those who have filled out their resumes enter Qihuang Hall. You will carefully explain to them the conditions and benefits of being an Apprentice, the Heart Demon Oath they must take when entering the Secret Realm, and the rules they must abide by once inside the Secret Realm.”
After Pharmacist Xu received the order and left, Eunuch Yu, Eunuch Jia, Eunuch Zhou, and Eunuch Zhao arrived.
“Master, you sent for us?”
Hua Changxi led the four into her Alchemy Room: “You four have been with me for some time, and I trust you all very much.”
Eunuch Yu and the other three listened and quickly pledged: “We will all swear to die for Master.”
Hua Changxi: “I don’t need you to die for me. I just need you to diligently complete the tasks I assign.”
Eunuch Yu and the other three listened, their expressions moved, and they said in unison again: “Master, rest assured, we will do our best.”
Hua Changxi returned to the main topic: “After this batch of retired Demon Suppressing Army soldiers fills out their resumes, I will take them into the Secret Realm.”
“With so many people, there must be a Steward.”
“From today onwards, Eunuch Yu will be the Logistics Steward of the Dan Yuan Secret Realm. You will be responsible for the Apprentices’ food, clothing, housing, transportation, and the distribution of Pills.”
“Eunuch Jia will be responsible for the affairs of the Mission Hall, responsible for assigning tasks to the Apprentices and tracking their completion.”
“Eunuch Zhou will be responsible for the affairs of the Law Enforcement Hall, responsible for maintaining order within the Secret Realm and the conduct of the Apprentices.”
“Eunuch Zhao will be responsible for the affairs of the Merit Hall, responsible for auditing and exchanging the Apprentices’ Contribution Points.”
Eunuch Yu and the other three saw how much Hua Changxi valued them and gave them such important tasks, their hearts burned with passion: “We will not fail Master’s trust.”
Hua Changxi: “I believe in you. Now that you have taken on these responsibilities, go down and draft the regulations for your respective departments. I want to know how you plan to manage the affairs under your charge.”
Eunuch Yu and the other three had extensive grassroots management experience, so Hua Changxi was confident in letting them draft the management details for the Dan Yuan Secret Realm.
At the same time, while Number Thirteen Qihuang Hall was enthusiastically recruiting retired Demon Suppressing Army soldiers, the atmosphere in the Power and Wealth Faction, led by the Royal Family, and the Guardian Faction, led by the Xia Family, was not good.
Neither side expected Wei Zhenjie to openly stand up and help Hua Changxi.
In the Spiritual Realm Pavilion, Xia Zhen sighed with emotion: “Wei Zhenjie’s move is quite clever.”
By sending a batch of discarded Demon Suppressing Army soldiers into the Dan Yuan Secret Realm, even if these people’s hearts eventually turned towards the Sacred Land, the Heavenly Department would not suffer any significant loss, as they were people the Heavenly Department no longer wanted.
However, if these people still remembered the incense of the Demon Suppressing Army and provided some convenience in their future actions, then the Heavenly Department would have made a pure profit.
Xia Ziyang looked at Xia Zhen: “Then should we also arrange for a batch of people to enter the Dan Yuan Secret Realm?”
Xia Zhen was silent for a moment: “The people we have are not like those discarded remnants of the army. They are all carefully cultivated outstanding talents and cannot be easily used as a gamble.”
“Let’s wait and see, and first see what the Royal Family does.”
On the other side, in the Council Hall of the Medical Affairs Department Building, Prince Shou was furious: “Wei Zhenjie’s wings have really grown strong, daring to order me around!”
Prince Fu sat to the side, also with a grim expression: “Alright, a few words are enough.”
Prince Shou could not tolerate someone who used to fawn over him now riding on his head: “Twelfth Brother, I really can’t stand it. Wei Zhenjie’s attitude today is as if he doesn’t put the Royal Family in his eyes. I must teach him a lesson.”
Hearing this, Prince Fu frowned and looked at Prince Shou angrily: “Thirteenth, Father Emperor gave a strict order that we are not to provoke the Heavenly Department. You had better behave yourself.”
Prince Shou became even angrier: “I just don’t understand why Father Emperor is wary of the Heavenly Department. What is so terrifying about Wei Zhenjie?”
Prince Fu rubbed his forehead: “Wei Zhenjie is not terrifying, but the person behind him is not to be underestimated.” That is the successor of the Central Sacred Land!
“Thirteenth, the decline of the Royal Family is irreversible. There are some people we cannot afford to offend. You must not lose your composure and bring great trouble to the Royal Family.”
Prince Shou became even more annoyed: “Jun Ling has been in the Demon Suppressing Army for quite some time. Has he not caught the eye of the successor of the Central Sacred Land yet?”
Prince Fu shook his head and paused: “I heard that Chu Junyi is highly valued by Wei Zhenjie and is often taken into the Heavenly Department’s Forbidden Area with him.”
Prince Shou’s brows furrowed, and he snorted: “That Chu Junyi is plotting something. It’s still unknown whether his heart is with the Royal Family, yet Father Emperor values him so highly.”
Prince Fu: “Regardless, he still carries the blood of the Chu Imperial Family.”
Prince Shou did not want to mention Chu Junyi and decisively changed the subject: “Are we just going to stand by and watch Hua Changxi recruit Apprentices on a large scale?”
Prince Fu was silent for a moment: “Wei Zhenjie wants to promote Hua Changxi, and we can’t stop that. However, our united boycott with others still stands.”
“Since Hua Changxi even wants the discarded Demon Suppressing Army, then let her only recruit the remnants of the Demon Suppressing Army in the future.”
“I’d like to see, when all the Apprentices in the Dan Yuan Secret Realm come from the Demon Suppressing Army, whether the Dan Yuan Secret Realm will still be under her control.”
Prince Shou frowned: “But if that’s the case, won’t the Dan Yuan Secret Realm fall into Wei Zhenjie’s hands? That’s too easy for him.”
Prince Fu’s eyes narrowed: “That’s still better than it being in Hua Changxi’s hands.”
It was more presentable for the Royal Family to bow to Wei Zhenjie, who represented the Central Sacred Land, than to bow to Hua Changxi, who had a humble background.
Prince Fu summoned his subordinate: “Spread the word that the Heavenly Department has taken a liking to the Dan Yuan Secret Realm. The Royal Family is willing to give face to the Heavenly Department, so other parties should not interfere.”
This explanation made Prince Shou feel a little better.
