Chronicles of Celestial Origins

"That Corey thing?"

"After you go to Qiyuan Island, Junior Brother Zhang will be transferred back and let him take over your position to manage internal affairs."

Lu Guang nodded: "When should I set off?"

"I will arrange this matter for tomorrow's meeting. Just in time, the new inspector of our department is about to take office." Lu Xingxian said

Lu Guang's expression changed: "Who is it?"

"Junior Brother Qin Gang from the Supervision Department."

"Him?" Lu Guang frowned. Inspector Qin Gang was a member of the Luo family. He was the great-nephew of Qin Xuefeng, Luo Qingshui's fellow disciple in the Xuande Palace. Qin Xuefeng had reached the late stage of foundation building and had never crossed that threshold. Finally passed away.

"It's the same for everyone. As long as I'm still in charge, they won't be able to make any trouble. After you go to Qiyuan Island, if there are suitable elixirs or herbs that can help you break through the cultivation realm, take them if you can. Regarding spiritual stones, , the department can pay for you first.”

"Thank you, Senior Brother Lu."

…………

Tangning was sitting cross-legged in the cave, with the storage bag around his waist shaking. He opened his eyes, took out the array plate, and with a slight tap, took a photo of the talisman floating in the thick fog.

After the spiritual consciousness was injected, a voice sounded in his mind. It was a disciple named Xue Yan from the Supervision Department who came to visit, saying that he had been ordered by Zhu Xu.

Tang Ning was confused, who was this Xue Yan? Why did Zhu Xu send him?

He put away the fairy mother-of-pearl clam on the stone table and fiddled with it a few times. The thick fog billowed outside the cave and cleared a path.

A fair-faced man walked into his room and bowed: "Disciple Xue Yan pays homage to Uncle Tang."

Tangning responded softly: "Senior Brother Zhu asked you to come? What can you do?"

"My master wanted to invite Master Tang to come over and have a chat. Since I had never covered my face before, I pretended to be Master Zhu Xu and found Master Zhu playing chess in my master's cave," Xue Yan said.

"I wonder who the commander is?"

"My master's name is Qin Gang. He used to serve in the Supervision Department. Now he is appointed to the Intelligence Section under the order of Xuande Palace."

When he said this, Tang Ning understood. It turned out to be the new inspector who replaced Kong Fanxing. It had been eight or nine years since Kong Fanxing's death. Due to the tight war ahead, many people in the sect were assigned to garrison the camp, resulting in a shortage of manpower in various departments. Therefore, no new inspector has been assigned.

Now that the Corpse Puppet Sect and the sect have tacitly agreed to rule by changing the boundary, the camp has also withdrawn, and all the disciples stationed there have returned to the sect, and Xuande Hall has sent a new inspector.

"Let's go!"

The two of them left the cave, and after a short walk, they came to a cave in the northwest corner of the third knuckle of Zhongzhi Peak.

Xue Yan led him to the auxiliary room, where a fair-faced and elegant-looking man sat opposite Zhu Xu, playing chess.

"Master, Uncle Tang is here." Xue Yan bowed and saluted.

Qin Gang stood up to greet him and looked very enthusiastic: "Junior Brother Tang, I have heard of his name for a long time, but I have never met him. I am deeply sorry that I have finally seen his true face today."

Tang Ning smiled and said, "Senior Brother Qin is so ridiculous. How can I be so famous when I am a nobody?"

"Hey." Qin Gang smiled and waved his hand: "Who in Xuande Hall doesn't know that even Uncle Luo admires you very much. Back then, he strongly recommended you to join the Intelligence Department, and the sect selected elite disciples to form a team. It was Luo again. Uncle Master personally selected you into the team. He has high hopes for you. This time I was transferred to the Intelligence Section and went to visit him, and he even mentioned you!"

"Oh?" Tangning was a little surprised to hear what he said. Although she came to the Intelligence Department because of Luo Qingshui's recommendation, she had never had the opportunity to visit him alone in so many years.

"I wonder how Uncle Luo mentioned me?"

Zhu Xu also looked sideways, obviously very interested in Luo Qingshui's mention of Tang Ning.

"Uncle Luo, he said that Tang Ning from the Intelligence Department is a young talent who is looking forward to the younger generation of the sect and may become a useful person in the future."

"Uncle Luo is ridiculous. My qualifications are low and the sect is so eager to take the lead. Senior brothers Zhuang and Jiang are worthy of their reputation. How can I compare with them?"

"Junior Brother Tang, there is no need to belittle yourself. Junior Brother Zhuang and Junior Brother Jiang are indeed proud men of the generation, and you have not given up too much, and your cultivation realm has been advancing rapidly. I heard from Senior Brother Zhu that you broke through to the middle stage of foundation building yesterday, and your lifespan has been extended by another fifty years. It's really It's gratifying, if Uncle Luo knew about it, he would definitely praise it again."

"Ashamed, to be honest, I have never paid a visit to Uncle Luo."

"This is very easy. Next time I have a chance, I will take you to visit his old man. Come on, please take a seat."

The two of them took their seats one by one. Qin Gang and Zhu Xu continued to play chess. Tang Ning watched from the sidelines. After a long time, Zhu Xu won with a slight advantage. He smiled slightly and said, "Junior brother Qin, your chess skills are not as good as those of junior brother Kong. I always lose a lot in games with junior brother Kong." Win less.”

Qin Gang said with a smile: "Senior Brother Kong is a well-known chess player in the Supervision Department. He has few opponents. I have played against him several times and I have always lost to him. How is your chess skills, Junior Brother Tang? Why don't you also play a game?"

Tang Ning smiled slightly and said, "I have a reputation for being a loser but never a winner."

Qin Gang put away the chessboard and put the drinks on the table: "I am newly transferred to the Intelligence Department and am not very familiar with the situation. I would like to ask for your help and guidance from Senior Brother Zhu and Junior Brother Tang."

Zhu Xu said: "Senior Brother Lu has been in the Intelligence Department for many years and has great prestige. He has the final say on the finance and dispatching of the department. The two of us are only responsible for handling some chores."

Qin Gang said: "Senior Brother Lu, as the deacon of the Information Section, of course has the right to handle the scheduling, appointments and financial allocation of the disciples in the department, but if it does not comply with the sect's regulations, we still have to raise our opinions. After I come, I am going to make some adjustments to the things that were inappropriate and in violation of the sect's regulations in the past. I will change what needs to be changed and throw away what needs to be changed. I hope you two can support me."

As soon as he said these words, Zhu Xu and Tang Ning couldn't help but look at each other. These words were obviously an open confrontation with Lu Xingxian. When Kong Fanxing was the inspector before, although the two sides had some secret rivalries, they were both openly competing. Maintain a relatively peaceful and unified state.

Lu Xingxian and Kong Fanxing each performed their own duties, and the division of labor was clear. Who was responsible for the management, and there was rarely any conflict.

Now that Qin Gang has been so strong as soon as he took office, I'm afraid he won't be favored. After all, Lu Xingxian is a deacon. He holds great power and prestige in the Intelligence Department. It would not be good for anyone if he fell out.

Tang Ning muttered, "It's better to consider this matter in the long term and take things slowly. Don't act too hastily."

Qin Gang said: "I know the importance, and I will tell you the truth. This time I was transferred to the Intelligence Department with a mission. The situation of our sect is no longer the same as before. The Demon Sect has gained momentum and occupied the western part of the Chu Kingdom. The sect's tax revenue has been greatly reduced." ”

"The sect's finances have always been tight, and now they are stretched thin. The Secret Academy receives 1.1 million spiritual stones every year, and the intelligence department is allocated 150,000, which is the most among the subordinate departments. But even so, it still exceeds the standard every year. , applying for additional funds from the sect under various names.”

"The sect's finances are already beyond its means. Before I came here, I visited Uncle Luo. He specifically told me to keep an eye on the finances and not to add any more burden to the sect."

"No matter who was in charge of the ministry's finances before, every expenditure must be clearly recorded in the future. If someone insists on his own way and wants to cover up the sky with one hand, I will not agree and I am not afraid of falling out with anyone. I hope that Senior Brother Zhu and Junior Brother Tang will support me at that time. I."

Both of them were silent. All the disciples of the Foundation Establishment and above in the disciplines under the Secret Secret Academy received their salaries from the Secret Secret Academy. Only the salaries of Qi Refining disciples were paid by the headquarters.

The Secret Academy allocates 150,000 spirit stones to the Intelligence Department every year, of which 50,000 are used as salaries for the disciples under the department, and the other 100,000 are used as mission rewards. Every time a disciple goes out to perform a mission, he will receive a spiritual stone subsidy, otherwise no one would be willing to serve.

It is necessary to tighten finances and reduce expenditures, but it may be difficult to implement.

"Since it is Uncle Luo's order, I shall serve myself." Zhu Xu said slowly

Tang Ning also nodded slightly.

"Okay, thank you very much." Qin Gang said, picking up the wine glass and drinking it down in one gulp.

The three of them chatted for a long time before they dispersed. Tangning left her cave and turned into an escaping light, and went straight to Xiuyuan Peak. She landed in front of a wooden house and walked into the inner room.

The room was not big, only a few feet in diameter. There were several cabinets arranged in it. It was very simple. A man with thick eyebrows and big eyes was sitting cross-legged on a futon. When he noticed someone entering the room, he opened his eyes and blurted out when he saw the person coming: " Downing."

This person is none other than Mu Pingbo, who went up the mountain with him. He successfully built the foundation thirteen years ago and is now one of the managers of the Alchemy Department.

He shouted, then his expression changed slightly, and he said in surprise: "You have broken through to the middle stage of foundation building."

Tangning smiled and said, "Pingbo, long time no see. Why are you here guarding the store? I've never seen you before!"

Xiuyuan Peak has a nickname, "Qianyi Zongfang City". It is a place for transactions within the sect. Different from Laogu Peak, Xiuyuan Peak is a place specially opened for transactions by Foundation-Building monks.

There are several shops here, and the elixirs, spiritual weapons, spiritual talismans, and formations required by the foundation-building monks can be purchased here. If they are not available, they can be "customized."

This wooden house is the elixir department's shop, which only sells the second-level elixirs used by foundation-building monks. Tang Ning has been buying and selling elixirs here before.

"This is the shop of our Alchemy Department. It is guarded by the foundation-building monks of our department in turns every three months. You have never seen me, but I have heard of you. I heard that you can also make alchemy yourself. In the past few years, you have been Sold us a lot of magic pills."

Tang Ning smiled slightly: "You know I was once transferred to Jingbei. When I had nothing to do, I learned alchemy from a monk there. When I returned to the sect, I would go to the alchemy room to make alchemy when I had nothing to do. Over time, I became proficient in my skills. Quite a few of them made the magic elixir by mistake."

Mu Pingbo smiled and said: "Don't be modest. You can't master the elixir by just knocking it out. You need hard work and a lot of refining experience to get a glimpse of it. I heard that you have refined two pills in the past three years. Hundred Bottles of Wanling Pill, with your current skills, you are much better than many of our disciples. Are you here to sell pills?"

"I accidentally broke through the bottleneck of my practice yesterday. I had been using the Vitality Pill before. Now that I have advanced to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, the Vitality Pill is no longer suitable. I came here to buy a few bottles of Strengthening Pills."