Chapter 416 - 296: Progress

That night, in Hua Guangcan’s study.

The burly Hua Guangcan sat at his desk, brush and ink laid beside him. He read through some papers, occasionally jotting something down in a small booklet.

This was part of his daily routine: compiling the evaluation reports from each Skill Transmission Disciple on the disciples under their supervision. He would then combine these with his own observations to briefly score, summarize, and categorize each disciple’s performance.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Suddenly, a soft knock came at his study door.

"Come in,"

Hua Guangcan said without looking up.

A middle-aged man with his hair tied high in a crown and dressed in a plain robe walked into the study. He gave Hua Guangcan a slight bow with cupped hands before speaking. "Hua, I’ve come on Elder Qiu’s orders. I’m here to inquire about the New Disciples’ training progress."

Hearing this, Hua Guangcan frowned slightly. He put down his brush and paper, looked at the man, and said irritably, "It’s only been a few days. What progress could there be? We’ve only just finished teaching the Techniques, and no one has managed to activate their Blood Qi yet. What’s the matter? Does Elder Qiu think we’re too slow? Why doesn’t he come and teach them himself if he’s so concerned?"

The man in the plain robe looked helpless. "Hua, you of all people should know how short-staffed we are. The City God Statue in Guming County is broken. Given the current state of the world, it will take at least half a year for the imperial court to remake and deliver a new one. While the main Evil Cultivation has been dealt with, there are still many derivative Evil Spirits. Without the City God Statue to suppress them, their movements are unpredictable. Strange incidents are popping up all over Guming County and the surrounding areas, and we’re simply too short-handed to cope."

"Moreover, you know the court is already furious with us. The Evil Cultivation incident happened in the city because of our oversight. With the political situation at court so unstable, our sect can’t afford another major incident. After some discussion, the Elders are hoping you can speed things up. Finish teaching what you need to, and get the New Disciples involved in practical matters. It would be a huge help to us."

Hua Guangcan’s brow furrowed even deeper.

"These New Disciples haven’t even developed their Blood Qi yet. How can they go on missions? That’s ridiculous!"

Hua Guangcan said angrily.

"Just daytime patrols and visits. Recording and registration work. They’ll be accompanied by senior disciples, so there won’t be any problems. Missions and training can be done concurrently. This will also get the New Disciples up to speed on practical matters much faster,"

the man in the plain robe said hastily.

’They’re just going to work them like animals.’

But when he thought about the Red Heart Sect’s current situation, Hua Guangcan couldn’t bring himself to argue. The losses from the recent Evil Cultivation incident had been too great. Even the Sect Leader had been forced into seclusion to recover. They had lost nearly thirty percent of their Elders, and others were still wounded. As for the regular disciples, casualties were between thirty and forty percent. It was a truly devastating blow to the sect.

On top of that, with the ongoing factional struggles at court, the Red Heart Sect’s political standing was precarious. Plenty of eyes were watching their every move.

To outsiders, the Red Heart Sect might still seem powerful and prestigious, but anyone in the know understood they were just putting up a brave front. They couldn’t afford another mistake.

After all, they had faced an evil that had formed its own "Realm," a calamity that surpassed Grade A and reached the level of "Red Resentment." The entire Guming County and the Red Heart Sect had been on the verge of annihilation.

"Alright, I understand. I’ll speed things up as much as I can,"

Hua Guangcan said with a sigh.

"How long will you need, Hua?"

the man in the plain robe asked.

"It will take a month, at least,"

Hua Guangcan estimated.

"How about... we prepare a courtyard for you in Guming County and you can move there?"

After a moment of silence, the man in the plain robe rubbed his hands together, an awkward smile on his face.

Hearing this, Hua Guangcan’s face darkened. "Seven days! Seven days is the absolute minimum! They’ll just get in the way if they go there knowing nothing."

"Great! Seven days it is. Thank you for your understanding, Hua. I’ll treat you to a drink when this is all over."

The man in the plain robe beamed, saluted Hua Guangcan, and left the room.

After seeing the man off, Hua Guangcan rubbed his aching brow.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Just then, another knock came at the door, making Hua Guangcan’s eye twitch. However, the person who entered wasn’t the man in the plain robe, but one of his own Skill Transmission Disciples.

The disciple bowed with cupped hands, then approached his side and recounted what Zhao Xuanqi had done earlier.

"Oh?"

Despite his deep frown, Hua Guangcan couldn’t help but crack a smile.

’This kid is getting more and more interesting.’

...

...

Meanwhile, Zhao Xuanqi was oblivious to the impending changes. He paid no mind to the other New Disciples’ reactions as he returned to his room and took out the day’s spoils from his pockets.

Four vials and a small black box.

Each vial contained a single Blood Strengthening Pill. After subduing Zuo Dongrui and four others, Zhao Xuanqi had taken all their Elixir Pills. He tossed two vials to Sun Jiajin, repaying the favor for a previous gift of pills. Including his own, he now had four vials in total.

He opened one of the vials. Inside was a dark-red pill, about the size of his pinky nail, that gave off a rich, medicinal aroma.

He tipped the pill out, tossed it into his mouth, and swallowed it whole. Then, he focused his Intent, urging his digestive system to rapidly break down the pill’s nutrients.

In an instant, a flood of nutrients entered his bloodstream. The flow of Qi and Blood in his body quickened on its own. A faint red glow enveloped him, and fine beads of sweat broke out on his skin, bringing with them a feeling of extreme comfort.