“Han Li neglected his duties, causing the Bai Family’s morale to surge and wasting the family’s resources for nothing. Effective immediately, he is removed from the post of battle overseer and transferred back to the Level Four zone to await further orders.”
“Huo Gang incited his superiors and targeted his colleagues. The charges are substantiated. Effective immediately, thirty percent of his monthly stipend will be cut, he is stripped of his position as Workshop Master, and he is to serve at the front line to redeem himself through merit.”
After hearing the steward read out the transfer order, the room fell into dead silence.
The smile on Huo Gang’s face froze. He staggered backward several steps and nearly lost his footing.
Han Li’s face was ashen. His lips trembled, yet he could not force out a single word.
From outside the door came hushed murmurs.
“Have you heard? Battle Overseer Han is getting removed by the higher-ups.”
“Tsk, what Battle Overseer Han did really was underhanded. Workshop Master Xu had already warned him in advance, but he brushed it off. Then when something happened, he even transferred his men away and sent them out as cannon fodder. Who could put up with that?”
“Exactly. And now not only has Workshop Master Xu returned safely, he’s even become our battle overseer.”
“But Workshop Master Huo has always been at odds with him. He’ll probably be targeted in the future. Shouldn’t we maybe…”
The voices gradually faded into the distance. The rest could no longer be heard clearly, but the meaning was obvious enough.
Han Li suddenly found it all a little laughable. Those were the kinds of things people used to whisper behind other people’s backs. Now they were saying them about him.
The two stewards seemed long accustomed to scenes like this. With calm expressions, they added one more sentence.
“If there is nothing else, then carry out the transfer order accordingly. The Affairs Hall will send someone to handle the handover.”
Then the two of them cupped their hands, turned, and left.
Han Li slowly raised his head and stared at the door as it gradually swung shut, his eyes filled with unwillingness and bewilderment.
He had merely made some “normal” arrangements within the limits of his authority, so how had things ended up like this?
That subordinate whom he had once pushed around at will, a man with no backing whatsoever, had somehow suddenly stepped over his head.
Seven-meridian…
Han Li had fought and clawed his way through the Level Four zone for years before he had barely managed to climb to seven-meridian. How many years had he endured to win that position of battle overseer?
And that young man, not even twenty yet, had risen from the ranks of menial workers and, in the span of a single short year, accomplished what had taken him more than ten years.
He could not understand it.
At the side, Huo Gang looked even more stricken, like a man whose parents had just died, his face full of helpless panic.
No matter what, Han Li was still seven-meridian. He could simply walk away, and once he got back to the Level Four zone, he would still be able to get by.
But what about him? He still had to remain in the Level Three zone.
If he ended up under Xu Yuan from now on, who knew how he would be targeted?
The more Huo Gang thought about it, the more frightened he became. He quickly moved closer to Han Li and lowered his voice. “Sir Han, about this matter… has there been any word from the Third Young Master’s side?”
Han Li came back to himself and shot him a gloomy look, saying nothing.
Huo Gang’s heart sank.
The order had been issued directly from above, yet no one from Third Young Master’s side had come to notify them.
That clearly meant he had already made concessions to the family, which meant this matter was irreversible.
If Huo Gang still wanted to become Workshop Master again and obtain the resources needed to push toward seven-meridian, then he could only depend on Xu Yuan’s mood.
At that thought, a wave of regret rose in Huo Gang’s heart.
Who could have imagined that some mud-legged nobody would cultivate at such an outrageous pace?
He had broken through to seven-meridian just like that.
Huo Gang suddenly remembered what he had said back at the restaurant: “A man born from menial work who manages to climb this far must have burned through no small amount of his potential. If you ask me, he won’t go far.”
Now, looking back on it, those words felt like slap after slap landing viciously across his own face.
…
By the time the news reached Changlin Ward, dusk was already drawing near.
Chen Sanli practically rolled and crawled into the workshop master’s rear courtyard, his face full of excitement as he shouted, “Brother Xu, Brother Xu! Enormous news!”
Xu Yuan had just returned from the Residence and was currently practicing his fist technique in the courtyard. At the sound, he drew his stance to a halt, took the transfer order Chen Sanli handed him, and glanced over it.
Then he smiled faintly and handed it back.
He had already learned of this news earlier from Zhao Yan.
He knew very well that the Shangyang Residence would not lightly move against those two, so the fact that they had gone this far already showed considerable sincerity.
“I know.”
Chen Sanli froze. “You… already know? Brother Xu, you’ve been promoted to battle overseer! Han Li has been removed, Huo Gang has been stripped of his post too, and you’re not excited?”
Xu Yuan glanced at him and said nothing.
Excited?
His original intention had been to lie low in the rear and cultivate in peace.
Although becoming battle overseer meant a larger share of the benefits, it also meant heavier responsibilities, which ran counter to what he wanted.
Still, the Shangyang Residence had already shown him this much respect. If he tried to refuse now, he would only be showing ingratitude.
Since that was the case, he might as well take the compensation first.
Once he finished digesting this wave of battle merits and resources and broke through to eight-meridian, or even the Extraordinary Meridians, then he would have all the time in the world to have some fun with these people.
When Chen Sanli saw that Xu Yuan still was not speaking, he himself turned red with excitement.
He knew that this time, he had gambled right yet again.
Xu Yuan had become a seven-meridian battle overseer. His future was boundless.
And as Xu Yuan’s number-one supporter, he too would enjoy endless benefits when the time came.
With that thought, Chen Sanli turned to look at the figure before him, his eyes filled with reverence and yearning.
That young man who had once walked out of the menial workers’ compound together with him had now risen to a height he could no longer even look up to.
At that moment, Xu Yuan suddenly spoke in a calm tone.
“I heard that while I was gone, certain people weren’t behaving themselves?”
Chen Sanli froze for a moment. He knew Xu Yuan was about to settle accounts. Alongside his relief, there was also a hint of gloating in his heart.
“There were, Brother Xu, there were. Just listen, and I’ll tell you everything in detail…”
Xu Yuan listened, nodding from time to time, as if none of it surprised him in the slightest.
He had always adhered to one principle: in an unfamiliar environment, the first thing to do was distinguish who was an enemy, who was a friend, and who was merely a passerby.
In this matter, the ones who had stood on his side were Chen Sanli, Gao Yuan, Xiao Han, Hong Qianshan, and the others.
Everyone else, including his old friend Qin Yang, had chosen without hesitation to throw in their lot elsewhere.
Xu Yuan could understand their desire to protect themselves wisely, but he had no intention of forgiving them.
‘I’m not some sage preaching kindness in return for resentment. As far as I’m concerned, if you choose the wrong side, then you’re my enemy. There’s nothing more to say.’
“Sanli, take these.”
Xu Yuan pulled out a stack of silver notes from his sleeve and instructed, “Buy some things and deliver them to them…”
This was both an acknowledgment that he had seen and remembered those people standing by his side, and a declaration that he had returned, one meant to steady morale.
“Got it.”
Chen Sanli answered crisply, then added with some hesitation, “Brother Xu, then what should we do about Qin Yang?”
Xu Yuan waved a hand. “Since he chose to switch allegiance elsewhere, then let him be… By the way, whose banner did he join?”
After hearing that, Chen Sanli’s expression turned a little strange. “It seems… it was Qunlong Ward.”
Xu Yuan was so irritated that he laughed.
Of all places to go, Qin Yang had chosen to go to his rival’s side?
But now that Huo Gang had been stripped of his position as Workshop Master, the Qunlong Ward under him was temporarily being managed by Xu Yuan, which meant Qin Yang had gone in circles only to end up right back under him again.
‘That man really is something.’
Xu Yuan shook his head and stopped thinking about all that rotten business.