With a longsword at his hip, Shen Bai stepped into the core room.
The mont he entered, he felt nurous gazes sweep over him, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
’They’re all experts.’
The gazes felt much stronger than that of the Dark Venerable Envoy he had encountered in Shengyun County, and there were a lot of them.
But the owners of these gazes seed to know who he was. Their scrutiny held no hostility, and after a mont, they all returned to their own business.
Shen Bai rubbed his chin and took the stairs in the corner up to the second floor.
There were only a dozen or so rooms on the second floor. The door to the largest one stood wide open.
Shen Bai saw a tall figure bent over a desk, writing.
As if sensing Shen Bai’s gaze, the tall figure looked up.
"Shen Bai. Please, co in."
Inside the room, a tall, middle-aged man looked directly at Shen Bai, his expression surprisingly gentle.
The man had a square face, thick brows, and large eyes, giving him an air of righteousness.
His black hair was casually strewn, streaked with strands of white.
He wore black robes with faint, shimring gold patterns.
Simply by sitting there, he exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure.
After a mont of thought, Shen Bai entered the room and cupped his hands. "Greetings, Lord Liu."
The man sitting before Shen Bai was Liu Wufeng, the State Governor of the Observatory and one of the most powerful n in all of Fenglin State.
Liu Wufeng smiled and pointed to a seat nearby. "There’s no need for such ceremony here," he said warmly. "I ca up through the Jianghu myself and only joined the Observatory later on. I have little patience for excessive formalities."
Shen Bai confidently took a seat.
Liu Wufeng slowly rose. He walked with the powerful stride of a master and sat down next to Shen Bai, pouring him a cup of tea. "I’m aware of what happened in Shengyun County," he said. "You did well."
Shen Bai took a sip of his tea. "I just did what needed to be done."
Liu Wufeng poured a cup for himself. "The Five-Heart Sect, the Locust Tree Borrowing Life, Magistrate Li’s deeds... and you dealt with twelve Venerable Envoys from the Upper Evil Sect."
"Any one of those accomplishnts would be enough to make a na for you across all of Fenglin State and make countless prodigies green with envy. Yet for you, it was just sothing you did along the way. You’re being too modest."
"Do you know why I’ve summoned you, aside from inviting you to join the Observatory?"
Shen Bai set down his cup. Gazing at the wisps of steam still rising from it, he shook his head. "I do not."
Liu Wufeng t Shen Bai’s gaze. "I hold you in high regard."
Shen Bai was about to refill his cup. Hearing this, he chuckled. "Lord Liu, perhaps you should just speak plainly."
Liu Wufeng’s expression turned serious. "Accomplished at a young age, yet not arrogant. Ruthless, yet principled. Powerful, yet you don’t bully the weak. I ant every word."
Shen Bai looked into Liu Wufeng’s eyes and saw not a flicker of evasion. He couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath.
’I thought Lord Liu was just flattering , but... it seems he’s actually serious.’
"I simply wanted to et you. I make a point of eting everyone who joins the Observatory, but you are different."
Liu Wufeng said slowly, "I have a special discretionary slot for recruitnt, and I’m using it on you. Shen Bai, I hope you will continue to hold fast to your principles. Do not waver."
"Does being ruthless count as one of them?" Shen Bai chuckled.
Liu Wufeng nodded. "I have no respect for those so-called prodigies from the great factions. They’re all just coddled flowers, utterly useless for their rigid adherence to convention. Only soone like you, who has fought their way up from nothing, truly embodies the principle of survival of the fittest."
"You thought I summoned you here as part of so sche or conspiracy, didn’t you? You’re mistaken."
"The Observatory has a single, straightforward purpose: accept missions and complete them. There is no room for internal strife."
"I can’t speak for other states, but here in Fenglin State, infighting and discord among colleagues are forbidden."
Shen Bai nodded. "I understand. I prefer things to be simple as well."
’If it’s truly as Lord Liu says, then I have no objections.’
Liu Wufeng asked, "Since you don’t have a residence in Fenglin State, will you be staying here at the Observatory, or will you rent a place?"
Shen Bai considered it for a mont. "I’ll buy a house."
"That makes sense," Liu Wufeng nodded. "You made quite a haul from that pawnshop in Shengyun County."
Shen Bai coughed. "A slight correction. It was a business transaction."
Liu Wufeng chuckled. "Alright, now that we’ve t, you can go get registered and then collect your allotted resources."
Just as Liu Wufeng had said, the eting involved no sches or conspiracies. It was simply a chance to et face-to-face.
Shen Bai didn’t linger. He turned, took his leave, and headed for the registration room.
The registrar was a mature, alluring woman whose eyes were filled with flirtatious interest as she looked at Shen Bai.
Shen Bai found this perfectly normal. After all, thanks to his practice of the Blood Sword Dance, the vital energy of his qi and blood had beco incredibly potent.
Once registered, Shen Bai collected two sets of uniforms and headed to the resource room alone.
The two sets were Observatory uniforms, and they ca with a waist token—all symbols of his new status.
Shen Bai wasn’t in a hurry to change into them. His longsword was simply too worn-out.
As his Blood Sword Dance grew stronger, Shen Bai desperately needed a weapon that suited his abilities.
There was no alluring woman in the resource room. Instead, a skinny old man sat at a desk, seemingly dozing.
The room was mostly empty. After all, people only ca here to collect their monthly resources and stipend, or when a new mber joined.
And since new mbers joined infrequently, the place saw little traffic.
As Shen Bai stepped inside, however, his expression grew solemn. ’The Observatory truly lives up to its na. Experts are everywhere.’
Though the skinny old man appeared to be napping, Shen Bai could sense an aura emanating from him, as deep and unfathomable as an abyss.
The mont Shen Bai entered, that aura had locked onto him like a viper.
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