Upon hearing Ji Nian mention that Jiang Ming was a Xiucai, Zhang Gang immediately realized he'd messed up.
As a Baihu in the Demon-Slaying Division and a 7th rank martial artist, Zhang Gang usually wouldn't care if someone was a Xiucai. In the wilderness, he could have easily killed someone like Ji Nian without a second thought.
But the court had its own rules, rules that a 7th rank martial officer like him couldn't just ignore. Ji Nian was a representative of the Bureau of Education, deeply connected with the imperial court. If a censor were to report this, Zhang Gang might not only lose his chance for promotion but also end up in serious trouble.
So, he quickly tried to appease the situation: "Please calm down, Lord Ji. There might be some misunderstanding here. Niu Tiedan, hurry and bring Xiucai Jiang here!"
Niu Tiedan responded hastily, rushing to the jail. When he reached the cell holding Jiang Ming and his companion, he ordered it to be unlocked. With a smile, he said, "Ah, my apologies, young master Jiang. This was all a misunderstanding. Why didn't you mention you were a Xiucai? We even had to trouble Lord Ji to come personally."
As he spoke, he unlocked their chains. Chong Heihu was about to flare up, but Jiang Ming stopped him.
Jiang Ming smiled calmly, saying, "Since it's a misunderstanding, it's good that it's cleared up."
Even though Jiang Ming knew he was fortunate to be released, he understood he wasn't yet strong enough to confront them directly. Throwing threats around would only make his enemies more alert, perhaps even provoke them into waiting for the perfect moment to strike back. As the saying goes, when you strike a snake, it's best to kill it in one blow.
After being allowed to wash up and change into clean clothes, Jiang Ming and Chong Heihu were taken to the main hall.
Jiang Ming quickly spotted Ji Nian. His memories of his former teacher were vague, mostly that he was strict and rigid. Jiang Ming never really enjoyed studying and had only joined Ji Nian's private school because his father forced him to. Despite not putting much effort in, his natural talent had allowed him to pass the Xiucai exam.
Now, here he was, being rescued by the very teacher he barely remembered. Jiang Ming quickly knelt and offered a deep bow of gratitude.
"Thank you, teacher, for saving me."
Ji Nian merely nodded slightly and asked, "What's this about the confession?"
Jiang Ming glanced at Zhang Gang, whose face remained impassive, before replying, "At the time, I encountered a headless ghost child wearing a red bellyband. Several passersby were killed by it. My guard and I tried to capture it, but it escaped. Then the Demon-Slaying Division arrived, and a misunderstanding arose."
Zhang Gang added, "What Xiucai Jiang said is true. We didn't see the headless ghost child, though, and instead found Jiang disrupting our operations. But thinking back now, there was indeed something strange going on. If what he says is true, justice will be done."
Both sides claimed it was a misunderstanding, so Ji Nian didn't press further. After a brief exchange of formalities with Zhang Gang, he prepared to leave.
Suddenly, Jiang Ming spoke up, "What about my white gourd…?"
"Oh, of course! Xiucai Jiang, wait a moment. I'll fetch it for you right away."
In no time, Niu Tiedan returned with the large gourd and handed it over.
"Thank you."
"No, no, it's nothing."
Jiang Ming and his companions left the Demon-Slaying Division. As expected, Uncle Fu was waiting for them at the street corner. He rushed over the moment he saw them.
"Young master, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Uncle Fu."
Uncle Fu nodded and greeted Ji Nian respectfully, "Thank you for your help, Sir Ji."
He then glanced curiously at Chong Heihu, standing beside Jiang Ming.
Ji Nian waved it off. "It's nothing. Jiang Ming is sixteen this year, right?"
Both Jiang Ming and Uncle Fu nodded, unsure where this was going.
"That means it's time to cleanse his body of impurities. Since he's also a Xiucai now, it's the perfect opportunity to nominate him for an official post."
Ji Nian held Jiang Ming in high regard. Though being a Xiucai was only the lowest level of academic achievement, passing at the age of sixteen showed great promise.
If it had been a day earlier, Jiang Ming might have hesitated. But after today, his thoughts had shifted.
A man cannot go a single day without power.
"Thank you, teacher," Jiang Ming said, bowing deeply to show his acceptance.
Ji Nian's face showed a rare smile. "Good. Once your cleansing is successful, I'll give you your courtesy name."
In the Jin Dynasty, not everyone was given a courtesy name. It was a sign of being a true scholar with a lineage of learning. Ji Nian's courtesy name was Sui'an, given to him by his own teacher. Only once Jiang Ming received his own would he be officially considered Ji Nian's disciple.
After parting ways, Jiang Ming offered to host a banquet in Ji Nian's honor, but his teacher declined, so Jiang Ming didn't insist.
"Young master, who is this?" Uncle Fu asked, eyeing Chong Heihu.
"This is Chong Heihu, my new guard," Jiang Ming replied. "He saved my life when we encountered that ghost child."
Upon hearing this, Uncle Fu immediately bowed in thanks, and Chong Heihu was soon comfortably settled into the Taihe Teahouse.
After washing up and treating their whip wounds with some effective medicinal wine Uncle Fu brought, the pain and swelling subsided quickly.
"Young master, you should rest at home. I still need to go out and take care of some matters," Uncle Fu said.
They had asked many people for help today, and though it hadn't amounted to much because their opponent was from the Demon-Slaying Division, proper thanks still had to be given. That's how you maintain relationships.
"Alright, Uncle Fu. Go ahead."
Once Uncle Fu left, Jiang Ming sat down at his desk and began writing.
The first thing he noted was the Demon-Slaying Division, followed by the titles of Baihu and Zongqi, along with their ranks. Then he wrote the words "civil officials" and, after much contemplation, circled them heavily.
With a plan forming in his mind, Jiang Ming had also decided which path he would take in the future.
"Master, do you plan to conquer the world?" Chong Heihu asked excitedly.
Jiang Ming smirked. "Let's not aim too high just yet. We'll take it step by step."
After all, Jiang Ming still didn't fully understand this world, so it was far too early to entertain such grand ambitions. For now, he just wanted to rise through the ranks, and maybe take down that nuisance Niu Tiedan while he was at it.
"I'm not skilled in politics, but there are two people from *Investiture of the Gods* who would be perfect for this!"
Jiang Ming flipped through the ancient book by his bedside. Though he hadn't summoned any characters in the past few days, the people's wishes continued to flow into him. Initially, he'd planned to save up for something big, but circumstances had changed.
Turning to a certain page, he smiled as he looked at the names. He pricked his finger and let two drops of blood fall onto the page.
Two gusts of wind blew, and out from the ancient book stepped two men.
"Where are we? Hey, Fei Dafu!"
"Yóu Dafu?"
The two men were well-dressed, each wearing a tall hat and flowing robes, with long beards that gave them an air of dignity. Who would have guessed they were two of history's most infamous villains?
Fei Zhong and Yóu Hun, treacherous ministers of King Zhou!
Though notorious as wicked schemers, their talents couldn't be denied. In the political arena, they were unmatched. Jiang Ming was about to step into the court of the Jin Dynasty, and these two could be valuable allies.
"Surprised, aren't you, gentlemen?" Jiang Ming asked with a grin.
Fei Zhong and Yóu Hun finally looked up. They didn't recognize Jiang Ming, but the large man beside him was all too familiar. "C-Chong Heihu?!"
Chong Heihu laughed as he grabbed them by the collars. "You two are lucky indeed to have been resurrected by the young master."
He threw them to the ground in front of Jiang Ming, where they knelt, trembling. They remembered dying in the cold at Qishan and being posthumously enshrined as minor deities by Jiang Ziya. How had they ended up here?
Jiang Ming briefly explained the situation, and as men who were always eager to cling to power, they quickly kowtowed and pledged their allegiance.
Their forms transformed into two cards that slipped into Jiang Ming's hand.
Although they were mere mortals with no magical abilities, Jiang Ming was surprised to find that he still acquired two skills from them:
**Discerning Eye**: Able to instantly tell whether a woman is still a virgin.
**Silver Tongue**: Masterful at using flattering words to persuade others.
True to their reputation as scheming ministers, neither of these abilities seemed the least bit noble!