Chapter 107: The Wrist

Yue Song took Zhuang Jin to the inner courtyard to meet Zou Qingfeng, the personal attendant, and explained the purpose of their visit.

"I have the heart to help with such matters, but I am truly powerless..." Zou Qingfeng replied, pushing back, as he did not wish to get involved.

He had heard of Zhuang Jin’s name; among the martial students recruited by the Shen family, he was the second to break through the Fourth Scripture and the first to break through the Fifth and Sixth Scriptures. He had not expected such a rapid breakthrough to the Seventh Scripture. With such potential, and out of respect for Yue Song, he might have helped if it were a minor matter. However, this issue was too significant, involving another Seventh Scripture practitioner, and he was unwilling to wade into such troubled waters.

Ultimately, Zou Qingfeng was not like Yue Song. He did not have a deep understanding of Zhuang Jin or a history of frequent dealings that would allow him to "overdraw his credit" to be repaid later. His relationship with the attendant had not reached that level.

Zhuang Jin, having anticipated this, took out the beast treasure.

"What? A beast treasure from a beast at the peak of the Skin-Refining stage?!"

After the initial shock, Zou Qingfeng’s gaze turned fervent. "If this is refined into a Meridian-Clearing Pill, the enhanced medicinal efficacy might even be effective for the bottleneck between the Sixth and Seventh Scriptures!"

The higher one’s cultivation, the more one understands the value of such an item. It was essentially half a ticket to the Seventh Scripture. That Miao Lun had been willing to resort to ruthless measures against Zhuang Jin for it showed just how great its attraction was.

In truth, even an "enhanced" Meridian-Clearing Pill containing the beast treasure could not compare to a true Meridian-Clearing Elixir. But even as the personal attendant to the Eighth Young Master, Shen Xuchen, such elixirs were rare, which was why he remained stuck at the Sixth Scripture. Now, an opportunity to reach the Seventh Scripture was right before him.

Upon seeing the beast treasure, Zou Qingfeng’s attitude shifted instantly: "Coming back to the matter, since Department Head Yue and Garrison Commander Zhuang have come to me, it shows they hold me in high regard. Even if I am powerless, I must think of a way, right?"

His previous refusal was not out of fear of Miao Shao, but because there was no benefit; the risks and rewards were not proportional. Now, the situation was different. With sufficient incentive, he no longer feared getting involved.

"I am already at the Seventh Scripture, so I have no use for this. If the matter we discussed..." Zhuang Jin trailed off, but Zou Qingfeng understood the implication.

Yue Song intervened at the right moment: "Once Attendant Zou obtains the Meridian-Clearing Pill enhanced by the beast treasure, he will break through to the Seventh Scripture. Once Garrison Commander Zhuang has the case settled and becomes a personal guard to the Eighth Young Master... it is a win-win situation for all, a joyful outcome!"

Having decided to bet on Zhuang Jin, Yue Song subconsciously treated him as one of his own, genuinely trying to secure the opportunity for him to become a personal guard. Each young master had two slots for personal guards upon reaching the Seventh Scripture. Becoming one meant not only safety within the Shen family headquarters but also access to skewed resources—a tremendous boon for someone at the guard level.

*So there is a chance to compete for a guard position,* Zhuang Jin realized. *I had suspected that if it were just that case, it would be a small matter for a large gift, which would have been unsettling!*

Understanding Zhuang Jin’s goal, Zou Qingfeng breathed a sigh of relief, though he was unsure if he could pull it off. After weighing his words, he said, "If I can persuade the Eighth Young Master to step in and ensure the case against you is handled fairly, then the beast treasure you hand over for the 'enhanced pill' shall be mine, and I will pay you the difference in silver at the exchange rate for merit points. If I manage to secure your position as a personal guard to the Eighth Young Master, then we shall say nothing of the silver... How does that sound to you, Garrison Commander Zhuang?"

What the object was, what the price was, what the extent of the service would be—everything was laid out clearly and explicitly.

He had seen too many promising situations collapse into resentment or even enmity because things were not clearly defined beforehand. This way of doing things—stating clearly how much work would be done and how much would be received—made Zhuang Jin feel comfortable and appreciative. He agreed decisively, "I leave it entirely to you, Attendant Zou!"

"Haha, good! Rest assured, Garrison Commander Zhuang, I will do my utmost to facilitate this."

...

In the inner courtyard, within a spacious, elegant room, a young master with a high forehead and eyes like polished lacquer sat by the window. He was handsome and refined, dressed in moon-white silk robes with a circular jade pendant hanging from his waist, flipping through some documents. This was the Eighth Young Master, Shen Xuchen, currently reviewing candidates for his personal guards.

Just as Shen Xuchen frowned and set aside one person’s profile, Zou Qingfeng, who had been waiting nearby, spoke up. "Young Master, I heard an interesting story today. It seems that among the martial students recruited by our Shen family, someone has actually broken through to the Seventh Scripture!"

This was clearly intended to pique his master's interest and handle both of Zhuang Jin's requests at once: settling the case with Miao Lun and securing the guard position.

"The first recruitment was last September. It has been a little over a year, and someone has already reached the Seventh Scripture... Among the shifting sands, there truly are hidden pearls." Shen Xuchen was intrigued.

"Indeed. His name is Zhuang Jin, from the third recruitment. Compared to him, at my age, I feel I’ve lived in vain!" Zou Qingfeng lowered himself to elevate Zhuang Jin, doing his best to ensure success.

"Oh, from the third recruitment?" Shen Xuchen was surprised. "That means he broke through to the Seventh Scripture in barely a year? Such aptitude is top-tier, even among the elite!"

Seeing this, Zou Qingfeng immediately handed over the dossier he had prepared. Shen Xuchen took it and skimmed through it, impressed internally but showing nothing on his face. He set it down and looked at Zou Qingfeng. "How did this person manage to reach you?"

Zou Qingfeng did not dare to hide anything and told him exactly how Yue Song had brought Zhuang Jin to him and the request regarding the Miao Lun case. This was his own bit of cunning: first, by being transparent, he left no room for future trouble and demonstrated his loyalty; second, it served as a safeguard—if he succeeded and Zhuang Jin tried to default on the deal, Zhuang Jin would be the one trapped.

Shen Xuchen did not speak, looking into Zou Qingfeng’s eyes as if he could see through every one of his thoughts.

One breath! Three breaths! Ten breaths!

"Old servant... old servant acted without authorization. I deserve to die..." Under the weight of that silent, invisible pressure, cold sweat beaded on Zou Qingfeng’s forehead. Finally, he collapsed to his knees, kowtowing repeatedly.

Only after Zou Qingfeng’s forehead was red and slightly bloodied did Shen Xuchen signal for him to stop. He walked over, helped him up, and held his wrist. "Uncle Zou, you have been with me for many years. You know I am not someone who cannot tolerate a grain of sand in my eyes. Water that is too clear has no fish; I understand that. But this time... you saw the beast treasure, agreed immediately, put in the effort to guide me, and arranged for someone to be by my side. If someone offered you a greater benefit in the future, what would you do? Sell me out?"

Terrified, Zou Qingfeng fell to his knees again. "The old servant and the Young Master are one. I would never do anything to harm you. It was just that I saw Zhuang Jin had potential, a true talent... and I became obsessed, acting on my own... Young Master, I will go and refuse him right now..."

In his usual state of shrewdness, he would never have agreed so quickly. This time, he had been stuck at the Sixth Scripture bottleneck for too long, and seeing a glimmer of hope made him overly fixated, leading to his foolish actions.

"If you know you were wrong and have learned your lesson, that is enough. There is no need for that... If you hadn't agreed immediately, but had come to ask me first, or had not tried to be clever by guiding me, but simply told me the truth, why would I have been angry? Very well, for the sake of your dignity, I will handle the case. You shall go later. As for Zhuang Jin’s reward, consider it a bonus for discovering talent."

"Thank you, Young Master!" Zou Qingfeng was overcome with gratitude.

Shen Xuchen nodded slightly. By making him kowtow until he bled, he ensured a lasting lesson; by offering a reward, he maintained incentive. With this push and pull, he demonstrated the art of governance perfectly.

Familiar with the Law Enforcement Department's procedures, he knew there was still time. He did not rush, but lowered his head to continue reviewing the dossier, occasionally nodding or pausing to tap his fingers on the desk in thought.

Zou Qingfeng, knowing his master's habits, realized this was a sign that he was truly interested. Zhuang Jin's chances of becoming a personal guard had just increased significantly. He thought to himself that Zhuang Jin had truly hit the jackpot.

A moment later, Shen Xuchen stood up. "It has been a long time since I found someone this interesting. Let us go meet this Zhuang Jin. It will be the perfect opportunity to settle the matter you promised."

"This old servant is ashamed. Thank you, Young Master."

"Hmph."

Shen Xuchen waved his hand and walked out, pondering: *Going there to settle the matter for my attendant is the first step. Zhuang Jin is a talent, and showing him grace while he is in distress is the second. As for the third... who knows what else this might lead to?*