“Who would dare to investigate this?”
They are all afraid…
of becoming the next Qin Yuqing.
He had been feeling proud at home, only to be shot dead.
…
…
Spring rain drifted softly down.
Inside the pavilion, the warmth from the furnace dispelled the chilly Spring air.
Shangguan Qinghong had removed her shoes and socks and was squatting on the Taishi Chair with her translucent feet exposed, snacking on sunflower seeds while reading a book.
Her beautiful eyebrows furrowed together, a look of thirst for knowledge evident on her pretty face. Her eyes unmoved, her fingers adeptly found the seeds. With a cracking sound and a nimble tongue, she skillfully separated the husk from the seed.
Li Che had entered the Qintian Observatory Treasure Building. The warm atmosphere made everyone feel lazily at ease.
His eyes narrowed slightly, with no trace of the tension and unease that had accompanied the assassination he had just carried out.
He sighed when he realized no one had come to receive him.
Hesitating slightly, he went directly to the private box and saw Shangguan Qinghong, who looked as if she were skimming through the water.
Her serious demeanor might have fooled Li Che into thinking she was studying some complex technical issue, had he not seen the romance novel on the book cover.
“Miss Shangguan.”
Li Che cleared his throat, disrupting her engagement.
Shangguan Qinghong’s eyebrows relaxed. Seeing Li Che, she showed no embarrassment at being caught slacking off.
As a government official who benefitted from a stable job provided by the state, this was basic behavior for her.
“You’re here?”
Shangguan Qinghong casually clapped her hands together and, in front of Li Che, began slipping her socks and shoes back on her radiant feet.
Li Che quietly waited for her. Once she was ready, the tightly suited Shangguan Qinghong led the way deeper into the Qintian Observatory.
“You’re quite early. The exam preparations are all set; I’ll take you upstairs. The examination room is on the third floor.”
“The examination for a third-class Guest Official at the Golden Light Prefecture Qintian Observatory is not personally conducted by the Chief Supervisor, but by two Minor Supervisors.”
“You need to gain the approval of both Minor Supervisors to secure the third-class Guest Official position,”
Shangguan Qinghong said with a smile.
They reached the second floor, which was also spacious and was filled with things like elixirs and Divine Wood Carvings displayed in transparent crystal cases.
“The items displayed on the second floor are either good spirit items from the Ten Cities or those of the Nine Luminaries level…”
“Since you were recommended by Elder Qingshan, the two Minor Supervisors specifically arranged a private assessment for you today. Normally, the examination for a third-class Guest Official… only occurs when there are enough candidates,”
Shangguan Qinghong chatted quite a bit, chirping non-stop.
Li Che nodded. In the Qintian Observatory, the positions were clearly differentiated, with the Chief Supervisor of a prefecture’s Qintian Observatory being the highest, followed by the Deputy Inspector, then the Minor Supervisors, the Imperial Celestial Deputies, and the officers.
The rank equivalent to a third-class Guest Official was that of an officer at the Qintian Observatory.
However, becoming a third-class Guest Official at the Qintian Observatory was something many Woodcarving Masters broke their heads over trying to achieve.
When they reached the private box inside on the second floor.
The private box was surprisingly large, filled with the rich scent of wood. Two figures in white robes were sitting upright, conversing with each other.
When Shangguan Qinghong and Li Che stepped inside, the two paused their conversation, their gazes sweeping over.
Li Che felt a formidable Divine Sense thunder down upon him.
His heart startled!
Divine Minister?!
The power of this Divine Sense was almost on par with the Divine Sense released by the elder of the Qin Family when the grey-faced spy shot Qin Yuqing yesterday.
However, Li Che soon thought otherwise, as neither Minor Supervisor exuded the kind of oppressive rank specific to a Divine Symbol Cultivator.
So, is it just a powerful Divine Sense that hasn’t yet reached Divinity?
Many thoughts flashed through Li Che’s mind, and he finally bowed with clasped hands: “Li Che greets the two Minor Supervisors.”
The two Minor Supervisors, a man and a woman both middle-aged, the woman still flaunting her charm and the man with a goatee and narrow eyes.
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“You were recommended by Li Qingshan of the Zheng Lei Peak branch of the Qian Yuan Divine Sect, and we have specifically arranged this third-class Guest Official examination for you…
“However, we will not grant you any leniency because of Li Qingshan’s recommendation, but will in fact be even more stringent.”
Li Che bowed: “It should be so.”
The two nodded. The charming middle-aged woman sized up Li Che and said, “Li Che, from Fei Lei City, took up Wood Carving three years ago, showed remarkable talent, and became a Woodcarving Master at the Xu Ji’s Wood Carving Shop in Fei Lei City…
The woman divulged Li Che’s background.
Li Che remained silent, waiting for the woman’s next words.
Shangguan Qinghong moved a stool to the corner, took out another handful of sunflower seeds from her pocket, and watched Li Che’s assessment while snacking.
“The background is very clean, now show us your vitality and Divine Cultivation.”
Another middle-aged man in a white robe spoke.
Li Che stood up, clenched his fist, and his vigor surged as he revealed his apparent Three Transfers of Blood Change Martial Cultivation.
Regarding Divinity, he displayed the Xu Family’s “Xuansi Liu Sword” Divine Art, at the Nature-nourishing Like a Stream level.
The middle-aged man held a fine brush, his brow slightly furrowed as he lightly wrote on white paper: “Three Transfers of Blood Change, Nature-nourishing Like a Stream… Cultivation is somewhat weak, barely qualifies for a third-class Guest Official examination.”
“Most third-class Guest Officials are of Divine Base Cultivation.”
“However, the guest official examination focuses more on skill, and there are indeed Guest Officials who are not of Divine Base but still qualify. Master Li, please prepare, the examination will begin.”
“You applied for the third-class Wood Carving Master Guest Official examination, which consists of only one part.”
The middle-aged man stroked his goatee, the Qiankun Jade at his waist guided with a swift motion, emitting a flickering light.