Chapter 266 - 123: I, Yang Mo, Will Slap the Demon Monarch’s Mouth to a Pulp

Chapter 266: Chapter 123: I, Yang Mo, Will Slap the Demon Monarch’s Mouth to a Pulp

After all, those low-level missions were just as troublesome.

For example, there was a mission worth one merit point to help build a bridge. A large-scale armed brawl had broken out between two villages over the bridge’s location, and the mission’s objective was to choose a site that satisfied both sides.

Damn... that was the kind of thing you could make a three-episode TV drama about, starring a rural mediator.

It had to be said, this was purely to train the Mansion Officials’ abilities to work at the grassroots level.

The danger was minimal, but it was a huge pain, so many mansions wouldn’t touch them.

But for the Tenth Prince’s Mansion, this was their natural advantage.

Because the conflicts among the common folk, and between the officials and the people, were most concentrated in the Northern Three Prefectures. And as it happened, Kan Luotang had an extremely solid base of popular support there. Many missions that would give others a splitting headache, she could complete just by saying a few words.

Moreover, after that incident, all the old scoundrels in the Northern Three Prefectures were like birds startled by the twang of a bowstring, and the grassroots Junior Officials also benefited.

Even if there was real trouble, she could resolve it with her Junior Ninth Grade official rank. Plus, with three assistants, they would become a ruthless mission-completing machine. Their efficiency would probably be terrifying.

Zhu Li strongly agreed with this view, but...

’I go around calling myself the Chief Mansion Official of the Tenth Prince’s Mansion every day.’

’But now I’m just a Junior Official.’

’Even though the highest-ranking official is my good sister.’

’But if word of this gets out...’

’Don’t I have any dignity?’

"Shallow!"

Zhao Ci’s eyes widened. "Are you really going to measure an official’s importance by such a shallow standard as rank? Shouldn’t it be about who brings the most benefit to the common people?"

Zhu Li was at a loss for words. His argument sounded very reasonable, yet she felt something was off. "But I feel like what Luotang is doing seems to bring more benefit to the common people..."

"Short-sighted!"

Zhao Ci frowned. "Luotang’s work is confined to the Northern Three Prefectures. You, on the other hand, haven’t left Lingge, yet you’re able to suppress the market price of Qi Cultivation Pills, benefiting the people of the entire Great Yu."

"Besides, the only reason Luotang is confident she can succeed in the Northern Three Prefectures is because she’s relying on the Qi Cultivation Pills from the Xingyu Pill Association. Don’t you have a hand in that?"

"Huh?"

Zhu Li’s eyes lit up. Still finding it a bit hard to believe, she pointed to herself. "So you’re saying... I’m the one with the most merit?"

Zhao Ci looked solemn. "Of course! Count it on your fingers—how much merit can the pills you refine earn for us? Not to mention you now hold a high-ranking junior official position and the title of Chief Alchemist of the Xingyu Pill Association. Even if you had no titles at all, who would dare say you haven’t made outstanding contributions to the Great Yu?"

Zhu Li’s unhappiness completely vanished.

Her eyes glazed over, and she felt as if she were floating on air.

"Okay! I’ll stay in Lingge and continue with my alchemy!"

"Of course! We’re all counting on you!"

Zhao Ci smiled and patted her hair bun, sighing in relief inwardly.

The Tenth Prince’s Mansion’s current strategy was to split into two groups to complete missions. Zhu Li would stay in Lingge and churn out pills. Although the young lady agreed, she was clearly a little unhappy about it.

Fortunately, the little lady was easy to coax.

As long as you buttered her up, everything was negotiable.

As for now, once the others were ready, it would be his turn to set off.

The mission he had taken on was not an easy one to complete; you could even call it quite aggressive.

「North City Gate.」

Many Mansion Officials were coming and going, clearly heading out of the city for missions. The mansion competition had only officially started its first day, and it was already absurdly competitive.

Zhao Ci shook his head and turned to go back to his mansion to prepare his things. This farewell had been rather business-like. He and his fiancée had only shared a brief moment of intimacy when she was injured the other day. But now, she was once again consumed by her career ambitions, and that atmosphere was impossible to recreate.

Just as he was about to return to his mansion, he saw another group of people arriving on horseback.

It was none other than the group from Prince Lie’s Mansion, looking like they were about to team up to grind missions.

"Tenth Prince!"

Zhao Qian leaped directly off his horse and bowed with a broad smile. "After we leave, we probably won’t be back until March. Don’t miss me too much over the next six months."

Zhao Ci curled his lip. "Who the hell would miss you?"

[Zhao Qian’s Current Wish]: I must repay the favor for the Imperial Extreme Pill Zhao Ci gave me. Wish Fulfillment Reward: Insight +1000, Top-Grade Imperial Extreme Pill x1.

Zhao Ci: "???"

’Are you trying to abuse a bug with me?’

’Give one, get one as a reward, then give that one away to get another? Is that it?’

’Ridiculous!’

"Why are you being such a stranger?"

Zhao Qian grinned, slinging an arm around Zhao Ci’s neck, showing none of the disdain from a few days ago. He cheerfully guided him to a corner of the city wall and lowered his voice. "I heard from Uncle Xiang that you’re looking for a Profound Turtle Shell, right?"

Zhao Ci raised an eyebrow. "You can get one?"

Zhao Qian chuckled. "The timeline was shortened by half a year. The Northern Domain has a lot of missions, but the travel time is significant. So we can only go to the East Sea to deal with Sea Demons. There are plenty of black markets over there, so maybe we’ll get lucky and find one. If I get one for you, would you say that repays half the favor?"

"It would!"

"Then I’ll think about the other half..."

"No need to think about the other half. Just take good care of my cousin. My uncle only has this one daughter."

Zhao Ci glanced at Xiang Zeren, who was on her horse. She shook the long spear in her hand and raised her eyebrows.

Zhao Qian patted his chest. "Don’t worry! I’ll definitely take good care of her. Uncle Xiang’s bloodline will be perfectly safe with us."

[Zhao Qian’s Current Wish]: There’s even hope for the bloodline to branch and sprout, but I hope I can take credit for it. Wish Fulfillment Reward: Insight +1000, Branching and Sprouting Talisman x1.

Zhao Ci: "???"

He turned his head to look.

[Tan Yu’s Current Wish]: There’s even hope for the bloodline to branch and sprout, but I hope I can take credit for it. Wish Fulfillment Reward: Insight +1000, Branching and Sprouting Talisman x1.

[Yang Ling’s Current Wish]: There’s even hope for the bloodline to branch and sprout, but I hope I can take credit for it. Wish Fulfillment Reward: Insight +1000, Branching and Sprouting Talisman x1.

...

[Xiang Zeren’s Current Wish]: I hope these awful virgins will turn to the love of men, so they’ll stop bothering me. Wish Fulfillment Reward: Insight +1000, Male Charm x1.

Zhao Ci: "..."

...

「Yang’s Medicine Shop.」

Yang Mo was trembling all over. He didn’t understand why. It felt as if the whole world was against him.

He had finally managed to cultivate the Celestial Demon Body Refining Secret Technique. If he could just play it safe and steady for another year, he could have secured a high-to-mid-tier position in this mansion competition.

But...

The War God Tower event was moved up by half a year!

Forget about developing his physical body to its limit; he might not even reach the Bone Forging Stage, causing him to miss this hard-won opportunity.

At that moment, a war raged in his mind. The thought of using the Demon Sect’s resources to break through had already taken root.

But he was also fiercely resistant to this idea, because cooperating with the Demon Sect was no different from asking a tiger for its skin.

Although he didn’t know about the factions within the Demon Sect.

But it didn’t take a genius to figure out that there were two possibilities within the Demon Sect.

Either they were the Demon Monarch’s enemies, in which case they would surely kill him while he was weak.

Or they were the Demon Monarch’s supporters. They would certainly protect him, but they would probably want him to turn back into the original Demon Monarch. Forcing him to become someone else was no different from killing him.

At least one of these two factions had to exist; they might even coexist.

’Could he bear the consequences of revealing himself voluntarily?’

’But if he didn’t reveal himself...’

’Could he bear the consequences of missing the War God Tower?’

He was extremely resistant to being assimilated by the Demon Monarch.

Yet he was also terrified of continuing to be a weakling.

’What should he choose?’

He was so conflicted his head was about to split open.

But then, unexpectedly, a mission worth one thousand merit points appeared in the mission ledger.

The Court was trying to capture the Demon Monarch!

He wasn’t afraid. The Demon Monarch had left him with very few memories. Other than the Celestial Demon Pattern, he had nothing that could expose his identity, so there was no need to be scared.

But...

This mission from the Imperial Clan Court had undoubtedly snuffed out his chance to choose!

The feeling of conflict was gone.

A feeling of suffocation took its place!

"Imperial Clan Court, you deserve to die!"

Yang Mo’s heart was filled with vicious anger. Before he knew it, he had returned home and was preparing to pack his bags and leave.

As he was about to leave, Yang Fang asked, "Oh, right! What’s your mission?"

Yang Mo answered succinctly, "A boat of Child Scholars went missing on the Hanling Waterway on their way to the academy examinations. We have to go search for them..."

Yang Fang sneered, "A bunch of bumpkins from the mountains. Even if you save them, what will they ever achieve? The Imperial Clan Court really has too much time on its hands."

"That..."

Yang Mo felt as if he had plunged into an icy cavern. ’Do people without a future not deserve to live?’

’In that case... me...’

’Am I the same?’