"At last, it's here!"
Duanmu Ren stared at the brief six-word message for a long time before letting out a long breath.
Even though the message was sent by Li Jiabao, Duanmu Ren knew full well that the person who actually wanted to see him must be someone else.
Either Li Chengxuan or Hua Chunning.
As a victim of this recent storm, Duanmu Ren had every reason and justification to harbor grievances against Li Chengxuan and Hua Chunning.
However, Duanmu Ren was a deep, experienced career bureaucrat who had long trained himself in a logical framework entirely different from ordinary people.
Since it had already happened, dwelling on who was right, who was wrong, who was innocent, or who deserved it was completely meaningless.
He certainly didn't want Immortal Li to tap him from afar ever again.
To avoid investigation, he had resorted to extreme methods and offended quite a few people.
While highly effective in the short term, it left endless troubles for the long term; at the very least, his connections in the middle and upper echelons of the province and city were practically severed.
In the foreseeable future, it was impossible for him to be promoted or given important responsibilities again.
Unless...
"Unless a powerful third party steps onto the board and lifts me up!" Duanmu Ren's eyes shone brightly as he immediately stood up to set off.
As a bureaucrat who had climbed up from the bottom, Duanmu Ren understood the importance of backing and connections all too well.
Right now, the bureaucratic systems at both the provincial and municipal levels were rejecting him.
Then don't blame me for joining a new faction and coming back to crush you from a higher dimension!
...
...
Duanmu Ren drove toward Taixuan Villa.
On the way, Duanmu Ren kept rehearsing in his heart his posture and choice of words for the upcoming meeting.
If only Li Chengxuan was present, it wouldn't do to play petty mind games; he would have to offer his loyalty honestly. After all, that immortal seemed to have the ability to peer into human hearts and was extraordinarily ruthless in his actions.
If only Hua Chunning was there, he would have plenty of room for maneuver.
He could try all sorts of tactics like playing the pity card or ingratiating himself.
Taixuan Villa had suffered a death, was embroiled in allegations of government-business collusion and dark forces, and its reputation had completely collapsed, leaving it in a shut-down state.
Duanmu Ren entered through the side gate and walked toward the core area.
Along the way, the vegetation was withered and leaves had fallen.
Duanmu Ren had no time for distractions. After searching around without seeing any sign of Li Chengxuan or Hua Chunning, he had no choice but to send a message to Li Jiabao: "I've arrived."
Li Jiabao didn't reply.
Frowning, Duanmu Ren found a high point to look around, and far off by the eastern pond, he saw a person standing motionless like a sculpture.
Duanmu Ren walked over for a closer look and couldn't help but chuckle softly. "So it's just an angler."
Indeed, anglers could randomly spawn anywhere.
Duanmu Ren stopped and pulled out his phone to call Li Jiabao, when he saw the angler turn around and nod in greeting: "County Magistrate Duanmu."
After all, he had served in Shiling for many years; although he had embezzled a lot, he had also accomplished many practical things, so it was normal for someone to recognize him.
Duanmu Ren thought to himself, the fake smile of a mid-level bureaucrat receiving the masses surfacing almost instinctively on his face. Just as he was about to say a few polite words to show his approachability, his heart suddenly gave a sharp jolt, and he carefully sized up the angler.
He had come to Taixuan Villa by appointment. There was no one around, yet he happened to find an angler here.
It seemed... Immortal Li had a disciple who was an angler.
Duanmu Ren's mind raced, and he cautiously asked, "May I ask if your surname is Liu?"
"Hello, County Magistrate Duanmu." Liu Zhijian smiled and nodded. "I'm Liu Zhijian."
"So you are Immortal Li's esteemed disciple!" Duanmu Ren's heart stirred upon hearing this, and he probed, "How come I don't see Immortal Li or Fairy Hua?"
Liu Zhijian had a mild disposition and answered, "Master went to visit relatives. Junior Sister Hua is currently in secluded cultivation and has no time to come here."
"So that's how it is." Seeing that neither Li Chengxuan nor Junior Sister Hua was around, Duanmu Ren relaxed considerably and smiled to cozy up to him: "I heard from Immortal Li that... Immortal Liu is from Beihu Province? That's a fine place; I even attended a training program at Beihu University back in the day."
"That is indeed true." Liu Zhijian gave a soft chuckle and answered seriously, "Back then, I was fortunate enough to encounter Master here before I embarked on the path of cultivation."
Seeing that Liu Zhijian answered every question, Duanmu Ren's heart settled completely.
The biggest reason he had hesitated to take Li Chengxuan as his master was his fear that it was a dark cultivation world where he would have his soul extracted, blood drained, and be refined into pills the moment he went there.
Now, Liu Zhijian, who had returned after cultivating, was the absolute best person to dispel his doubts.
Duanmu Ren was extremely cautious; three parts of his inquiries probed the cultivation world, while seven parts asked about Liu Zhijian's personal experiences.
Liu Zhijian chuckled secretly in his heart, answering the details about his hometown, childhood experiences, and so on one by one.
Regarding matters of the cultivation world, he spoke of what could be said, and simply smiled without speaking about what couldn't.
After a full hour, Duanmu Ren finally felt completely put at ease, confirming that the angler in front of him was indeed a fellow Earthling who had returned after cultivating, not some demon or monster disguised as him.
This immortal path could be cultivated, was worth cultivating, and must be cultivated!
If he could just learn a few immortal techniques, how could he have been so pathetic during the previous storm?
Duanmu Ren could already imagine how like a fish in water he would be in the officialdom after returning from cultivation.
Heh, we were colleagues to begin with. I didn't want to crush you from a higher dimension!
...
...
A moment later, Li Chengxuan approached with slow steps.
Liu Zhijian no longer paid attention to Duanmu Ren's enthusiastic probing and said respectfully, "Master."
"Mm." Li Chengxuan nodded slightly, then looked at Duanmu Ren. "County Magistrate Duanmu, long time no see."
Duanmu Ren took a deep breath, and with a heavy thud, he fell to his knees on both legs: "In the past, Duanmu Ren was blind and failed to respect the immortal. Now I have woken up to my errors and beg the immortal master to overlook past grievances and accept me as a disciple!"
Having said that, his forehead touched the ground to show respect.
Regarding whether he could successfully become a disciple, Duanmu Ren actually didn't have the slightest worry.
From the moment he saw Liu Zhijian, Duanmu Ren had already known that his attempt to become a disciple today was bound to succeed.
Liu Zhijian's appearance was like the best recruitment advertisement.
If Duanmu Ren still didn't become a disciple, it would instead be failing to appreciate the favor, leading to a grim end.
"Get up." Li Chengxuan let out a soft laugh and spoke, "For now, you count as a registered disciple of Mount Taixuan, ranked after Liu Zhijian and Hua Chunning."
Duanmu Ren came from the officialdom and was most sensitive to ranking and seniority. He sighed inwardly, regretting that he had been overly cautious and ended up ranked behind Hua Chunning. However, he didn't dare say more at the moment, standing up and bowing respectfully: "Disciple Duanmu Ren greets Master—"
"Silence!" Li Chengxuan interrupted and corrected him: "For now, you must address me as Sect Master. Only after you ingest qi and enter the Dao can you enter my name and be listed as a direct disciple."
Duanmu Ren was extremely docile and obedient: "Disciple Duanmu Ren greets the Sect Master!"
Li Chengxuan took a look at Duanmu Ren and sighed softly in secret.
Duanmu Ren had spent half his life in officialdom, long since tempered into someone cautious, deep, and ruthless.
He was particularly skilled at reading expressions, disguising himself, and concealing his motives.
If not for the impending changes in Nanya Province and Mount Taixuan's desperate shortage of usable people, Li Chengxuan would not have accepted Duanmu Ren into the sect so easily.
After all, before this, Li Chengxuan had been minded to give up on him.
However, this recent ordeal has actually made his High Shaman aura features grow even stronger.
Besides "Drinking People's Blood," he seems to have gained another aura feature: "Do Not Investigate Me."
Liu Zhijian also obtained a strand of "Resentful Qi of the Myriad People" from the High Shaman lineage, which happens to be perfect for him to enter the Dao with.
Is this a coincidence, or fate?
After lamenting inwardly, Li Chengxuan gave Duanmu Ren a general overview of the High Shaman lineage's cultivation method.
As for the specific details, Duanmu Ren would have to read the Dao scriptures himself.
Having been an official for half his life, Duanmu Ren still understood the principle of trusting the professionals, raising no objections whatsoever to Li Chengxuan's arrangements. It was just that his focus was rather strange: "Sect Master, is the first step in cultivating the High Shaman lineage carving shaman runes onto the body?"
Li Chengxuan nodded. "Indeed."
"Ah?!" Duanmu Ren's face fell in hesitation upon hearing this, and he said with great reluctance, "I'm a civil servant; I can't get tattoos!"
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