Exiting the Secret Vault, Chen Xin turned and went to the Library to browse through public records such as the Record of Exotic Creatures and Sect Record.
An unwritten rule within the Divine Robe Guard dictated that upon returning from an outside mission, no further tasks would be assigned for the rest of the day, serving as a rest day.
However, Chen Xin also knew that working for the government meant there was no such thing as a guaranteed holiday. If an urgent matter arose, this brief rest day could vanish in an instant.
Generally speaking, when an Ordinary Divine Robe was promoted to Copper Order and gained access to the Secret Vault, they would spend this half-day mostly practicing Martial Arts.
Chen Xin originally planned to put on a show in the Secret Vault for a few hours, but on second thought, he felt it was unnecessary. It would be a waste of time. He figured he might as well spend it in the Library, checking to see what kind of turbulent changes had occurred in the Martial World in this lifetime.
By evening, the sky had grown dark.
It was time for the Prefecture Government to get off work, leaving only the Captains on duty. Chen Xin got up and left the Library, preparing to solve the problem of his dinner.
Just as he stepped out of the Government Office, he ran into Jiangg Hengchuan and Yan Chong, who had been waiting for a long time.
"Let’s go drink at the Songhe Building to celebrate!"
Jiangg Hengchuan winked at him. Yunzhang had just returned, so how could they not have a small gathering?
Yan Chong, however, knew that Jiangg Hengchuan just wanted to drink. Truth be told, he wanted to as well; he had been feeling a bit depressed lately.
Besides, drinking with close friends made the wine taste even better.
Before Chen Xin could speak, the two men, who had already planned this out, grabbed him by the arms and jogged all the way. They even used their Lightweight Skill, kicking up a gust of wind on the street.
The three of them booked a private room. Once a table of delicacies was fully served, Jiangg Hengchuan generously ordered a jar of Ten-Mile Fragrance.
The wine was mellow and its aroma spread for miles. It was said to be brewed with a few Eighth Grade Treasures of Heaven and Earth, possessing the effects of strengthening the body and clearing the meridians.
Although the wine was exquisite, the three did not get dead drunk. After all, they still had to report for duty the next morning. They needed to know when to stop so as not to delay their work.
"These damn Celestial Fragrance Sect evildoers!" Jiangg Hengchuan cursed angrily, riding on his alcohol-induced excitement.
Chen Xin looked over. The very people Jiangg Hengchuan and Yan Chong had been searching the whole city for recently were the cultists of the Celestial Fragrance Sect.
However, after slapping the table and cursing, Jiangg Hengchuan went back to drinking.
Yan Chong set down his wine bowl. With a slightly heavy tone, he explained, "The Celestial Fragrance Sect is an Evil Cult founded by the evildoer Wang Sen. This man claimed he once saved a fox, which severed its own tail and gifted it to him. The tail carried a Celestial Fragrance; smelling it could prolong one’s life and greatly advance their Martial Arts.
"Using this, Wang Sen rallied followers, amassing money and extorting wealth under the name of ’Fragrant Gold.’ Who knows how many believers have gone bankrupt because of this? Various local prefectures have repeatedly failed to crack down on them, and the cultists have spread widely across Jii, Luy, Jinn, and Yu.
"Now Wang Sen has grown even more audacious, personally entering the Capital City to preach and spread such twisted fallacies as the three teachings facing a tribulation! The Holy Emperor is furious. How could he allow an Evil Cult to run rampant? It’s just that despite our city-wide search, we’ve only managed to catch a few Ordinary followers..." Yan Chong spoke in detail, his words filled with frustration.
"Wang Sen, is there no intelligence on him?" Chen Xin asked calmly, pointing out the crux of the matter.
"His whereabouts are bizarre. Since entering the capital, he has vanished without a trace. Perhaps the Demon Sect is helping to cover for him; their shadow can also be seen behind the Celestial Fragrance Sect." Yan Chong finished speaking with a frown. He then let out a long breath and said, "The Northern Barbarians repeatedly invade, the Wokou run rampant, the Ming Sect is involved in the Qingzhou miners’ rebellion, and the Huizhou pacification also requires personnel. The Divine Robe Guard is now severely short-handed. Junzhang, Luoi Purple Gold thinks highly of you. In the future, if there are any changes with the Celestial Fragrance Sect, he might entrust this matter to you."
It turned out that Jiangg Hengchuan and Yan Chong hadn’t come solely to drink this time.
"Hmm," Chen Xin replied solemnly, only to realize that his two good friends had somehow put on miserable expressions.
That wouldn’t do; they were drinking.
Chen Xin shook his head and flicked his finger against the hilt of Unstoppable.
CLANG!
Unstoppable let out a long hum, and its sharp Sword Intent instantly jolted the two half-drunk Divine Robe Guards wide awake.
"This saber..."
Both men stared at the Unstoppable Treasure Blade, their eyes shining.
"Can it slay the Celestial Fragrance Sect Leader?" Chen Xin asked with a soft chuckle.
"It definitely can!" Jiangg Hengchuan said resolutely. As a saber user himself, he naturally recognized how magnificent this blade was. His mind was completely fixated on the saber, and he didn’t even spare a glance at the Ten-Mile Fragrant Wine he had just treated as a treasure.
"Junzhang... no, Brother Chen, Brother Chen! Can you let me take a look at it?" Jiangg Hengchuan, who loved sabers as much as his own life, practically slid onto his knees.
"Unstoppable!"
Yan Chong didn’t specialize in Saber Skills and wasn’t as obsessed with Treasure Sabers as Jiangg Hengchuan, but even his jaw dropped at the sight of this blade.
"Although this blade is only rated as Sixth Grade, I heard from my seniors that it’s just because very few people have gained its approval. There are extremely few related records, and one can only catch a glimpse of its power from a handful of battle achievements, which caused its Grade to be inaccurately assessed."
"In terms of true Grade... Fifth Grade, or even Fourth Grade is possible..." Yan Chong clicked his tongue. "That is one of the Divine Soldiers that Silver Order Divine Robes and Gold Order Divine Robes dream of."
Chen Xin didn’t care what Grade the saber was; what mattered was its compatibility with him. He laid the blade flat on the table and said, "Old Jiangg, don’t touch it too excessively. It will get angry."
The blade of Unstoppable vibrated slightly. If it were anyone else daring to lay a finger on it, it would have already slashed at them with its Sword Qi. However, since the person before it was its master’s comrade-in-arms... then it was fine. The comrade should also be able to chop down Jin people.
"I want to examine it closely too," Yan Chong immediately said. He didn’t love sabers, but there was no reason to ignore such Divine Soldiers.
"Suit yourselves."
Chen Xin said, using his Divine Illumination Internal Power to levitate and support from afar. He brought back the bowls and chopsticks that were about to fall due to the vibration of the Unstoppable saber, returning them to their original spots without a hair’s breadth of deviation.
Catching a glimpse of this from the corner of his eye, Yan Chong marveled inwardly. Junzhang had improved again. Such Microscopic means of manipulating Inner Strength were simply beyond his reach.
Inside the Songhe Building, the gloomy atmosphere from earlier was swept away by the appearance of the Divine Soldiers.
Martial Arts, Divine Soldiers, and beauties were topics that could always arouse the interest of Jianghu people.
Having eaten and drunk their fill, the three bid their farewells, talking and laughing.
Chen Xin returned to the small courtyard left by his father, used his Divine Illumination Internal Power to sober up, and then bathed before going to sleep.
The next morning.
Chen Xin went to the Northern Office to report for duty. Wearing a brand-new official uniform, with Unstoppable by his side and his order token hanging from his waist, he made his appearance as a heroic, proud, and spirited young Divine Robe.
Upon arriving at the Government Office, a Junior Commander rushed over in a hurry, relaying an order that Purple Gold summoned him.
Chen Xin went straight into the Inner Hall. He saw Luoi Yangyi sitting high up with a solemn expression. To his left and right, Jiangg Hengchuan and Yan Chong stood respectfully, waiting for their assignments.
"A Wind Catcher has reported that the Changfeng Escort Agency was suspected to have been wiped out by the Celestial Fragrance Sect last night. Out of forty-seven people from top to bottom—including the Escort Chief, Escort Masters, and servants—only the Escort Chief’s eldest son survived.
"Under the Emperor’s Feet, how can an Evil Cult be allowed to run rampant? Copper Order Chen Xin, Senior Commanders Yan Chong and Jiangg Hengchuan, you are hereby ordered to lead your men and thoroughly investigate this matter. Regardless of whether it was the doing of the Celestial Fragrance Sect, I am giving you seven days. After seven days, I want to see the truth brought to light!" Luoi Yangyi’s tone was sonorous and left no room for doubt.
"Your subordinates accept the order!"
The three of them spoke in unison, clasping their fists.
Afterward, the three left the Inner Hall and prepared to gather their troops.
On the way, Jiangg Hengchuan said resentfully, "There was so much pressure just now. I didn’t even dare to breathe loudly."
"Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives," Yan Chong smiled bitterly. "Just yesterday I mentioned it to you, Junzhang, and today Purple Gold handed down a mission—and a massive one at that."
Chen Xin flicked the hilt of his saber, telling his two friends not to feel so pressured. He said, "A massive mission means great merit, great merit means great rewards, and great rewards mean Divine Soldiers and peerless ultimate skills."
Hearing this, Jiangg Hengchuan and Yan Chong looked at each other and smiled. "Alright, we’ll tag along with you, Junzhang. A massive mission will definitely be accomplished, and a great reward will definitely be ours."