After finishing the roast goose, the chubby Wang Mu returned to the academy.
Gu Lin found a nearby bookshop, spent three wen, and took a book into a quiet chamber.
Of course, he wasn't there to read, but to ponder.
Only in a quiet environment could he truly focus his thoughts!
Gu Lin gently rubbed the corner of the table, murmuring to himself:
"The Ten Seeds quota—I must have it."
"The chance to join one of the Four Great Holy Lands—I cannot let it slip by."
He yearned too greatly to enter one of the four seats of power.
The Yuhua Divine Dynasty was extremely rigid in its hierarchy; the Noble Clans were all divided into nine ranks, and the top of the pyramid controlled the channels of resources.
And the Four Great Holy Lands stood at the very top of that pyramid, directly under the Yuhua Imperial Authority—their oppressive might spread across all Twenty-Eight States of the World!
"For me, having a protective umbrella and the legal right to execute Evildoers is of utmost importance. With a single official document demanding their lives, where could they flee from a vast web of power that spans the world?"
"The higher up the pyramid one stands, the more one encounters all manner of utterly wicked villains—one might even strike down demons. The speed of cultivation progress would be unimaginable!"
"Besides, heroes under heaven are as numerous as carp crossing a river. Why wouldn't I want to become a glittering existence? When all under heaven knows your name, a single word from you commands the world's respect!"
Gu Lin's emotions surged, his will firm.
This was his absolute goal!
And the greatest challenge before him now was the ten quotas of Shiyang Academy.
If he couldn't even pass the preliminary selection, he wouldn't even have the qualifications to go to Chuwei Commandery—joining one of the Four Great Holy Lands would remain nothing but a dream.
Gu Lin muttered in a low voice:
"In ten days, I must at least break through to Qi Condensation Fourth Layer."
From what the chubby one had mentioned, Li Qingwu could barely squeeze into the top ten, but it wasn't guaranteed. If there were any hidden dark horses, she might not even secure a Seed Quota.
Because he hadn't personally fought in battle, Gu Lin still wasn't certain of the power of the Xuanming Divine Palm and the Wave-Treading Microstep. To be safe, he needed at least the strength of the Fourth Stage of Qi Condensation Realm!
If anyone else had such a thought, the world would likely mock them. Even Heaven's Chosen who cultivated for three or four years might not achieve such progress—a mere ten days was sheer fantasy!
But for Gu Lin, as long as there were enough Evildoers, it wasn't impossible for him to create a miracle!
After pondering for a long time, Gu Lin set aside the book and made his decision—
Bounty Hunter.
He would walk the path his father once walked!
Go to the County Office to take on a Bounty Notice.
There was risk, of course. He had no combat experience—what if he died at the hands of a fugitive?
If he didn't even dare face this little risk, how could he ever talk of becoming strong?
Besides, taking down a bounty notice was also legal killing—no need to bear responsibility!
No sooner said than done—Gu Lin headed to Shiyang County Office.
......
One hour later.
The County Office was grand and solemn, but at this moment it buzzed with voices. Many Martial Artists and common folk crowded the bluestone-paved avenue.
On the platform base lay a corpse, wrapped in a bamboo mat, dripping with fresh blood. A pungent fragrance mixed with the stench of death spread rapidly.
Gu Lin took one glance and his heart pounded with shock.
This corpse—he was all too familiar with it!
The wicked woman who had taken his first time and humiliated him!
To avoid arousing suspicion, Gu Lin kept his expression calm and stood watching.
After a moment, a dozen or so County Office clerks and Constables emerged from the Yamen, surrounding a young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight.
The young man was refined and upright, with an extraordinary bearing. He wore an orange long robe, and what drew the eye was that the robe was embroidered with several lotus seeds. At his waist hung a bronze-colored token shaped like a Wolf Hair Brush.
Not only did the County Office clerks treat him with utmost respect, even the County Registrar and the Scribe personally came out to welcome him—these were the third and fourth in command of Shiyang County!
"Who is he?" the common folk wondered.
A scholar exclaimed:
"Lotus Seed Robe, Wolf Hair token—could he be a Knife Catcher from the Wendao Academy?"
Knife Catcher?!
The onlookers exchanged glances, then looked at the young man with eyes full of reverence.
At this moment, the County Office Scribe stepped forward and said with a smile:
"Let me introduce to the elders and fellow villagers of Shiyang—this is Cao Zhuodao, a Knife Catcher of the Knife-Catcher Office under the Chuzhou branch of the Wendao Academy Holy Land of the Yuhua Divine Dynasty!"
As soon as the words fell, all the onlookers were filled with solemn respect. They cupped their fists in salute, and the scholars' eyes lit with excitement as they bowed deeply.
So it was the Knife-Catcher Office under the Wendao Academy!
The Wendao Academy—Lotus Robe and golden Wolf Hair Brush token!
And the subordinate Knife-Catcher Office—Lotus Seed Robe and bronze Wolf Hair Brush token!
The extraordinary Cao Zhuodao remained expressionless, clearly indifferent to the flattery. He gave a slight wave of his hand.
The County Office Scribe continued:
"Leng Mei, the Third Elder of the Hehuan Sect in Luling Commandery, caused trouble. Cao Zhuodao detected her trail and fought a great battle with her, gravely wounding her. Leng Mei then fled in a frenzy and actually escaped to our Shiyang County."
"Fortunately, this official, upholding my duty to protect the realm and pacify the people, was on routine patrol with Constables last night and happened to discover Leng Mei's trail. I struck her dead, eliminating a scourge for the people and making a small contribution to the Wendao Academy Holy Land."
Yan the Clerk looked smug.
Thunderous applause erupted around him.
Gu Lin's eye corners lifted slightly—this fellow really knew how to grab credit and gild his own face.
Yan the Clerk paused briefly, then said with fervor:
"You should know that Leng Mei was an expert at the Sixth Layer of Dongxuan, yet she was no match for Cao Zhuodao. Just how powerful must Cao Zhuodao be?!"
While he boasted, Cao Zhuodao remained unruffled. He gave a few perfunctory words, then bade farewell to everyone at the County Office.
Gazing at his elegant departing figure, the crowd burst into praise again—things like "a true man should be like this," and "if a son becomes a Knife Catcher, the ancestral grave must be smoking with green smoke."
Once you enter the Knife-Catcher Office, you truly are glorious!
Gu Lin was lost in thought.
Tsk tsk, that wicked woman was at the Sixth Layer of Dongxuan?
From what he knew, Martial Dao Cultivation was divided into Meridian Opening, Qi Condensation, Dongxuan, Knowing Fate, Mountain-Sea Realm...
Killing a Dongxuan Sixth Layer only earned that little reward?
Of course, Gu Lin knew well that the wicked woman's death had basically nothing to do with him—he hadn't even lifted a finger.
Watching Cao Zhuodao depart into the distance, Gu Lin organized his thoughts.
First, the County Office's third and fourth in command personally saw off Cao Zhuodao—this showed how high the status of a Knife Catcher was!
Even a errand-running Yamen was so lofty—then the Wendao Academy, one of the Four Great Holy Lands, was even more transcendent.
Second, Cao Zhuodao was only twenty-seven or twenty-eight, yet could gravely wound the wicked woman—his strength was no lower than Dongxuan Sixth Layer!
Was Cao Zhuodao extraordinarily talented?
No, he definitely wasn't among the very top, otherwise he wouldn't have failed in the Holy Land Selection Tournament!
If he could enter the Wendao Academy, how could he possibly go to an errand-running government office as a Knife Catcher?
It seemed the world was full of countless Heaven's Chosen. Just in Chuzhou alone, there were far too many astonishingly talented people!
As for Cao Zhuodao's high cultivation at such a young age, that was easy to explain—besides talent, there were also resources.
As the saying goes, the closer a residence is to the center of Shiyang County, the more expensive it is; the closer to the center of power, the more resources gather!!
Serving the Chuzhou Literature Dao Academy Holy Land naturally meant no lack of opportunities.
Third, when Yan the Clerk was making the introduction, upon hearing the words "Wendao Academy Holy Land," Cao Zhuodao's calm expression visibly shifted for a moment.
In Gu Lin's interpretation, it was dejection and loss.
Having suffered a setback in the Selection Tournament, his future development would be worlds apart. Being unable to join the Wendao Academy was likely Cao Zhuodao's greatest regret. The rules couldn't be broken—no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't enter the Wendao Academy.
Gu Lin murmured to himself:
"I must succeed in one fell swoop. Without the Knife Catcher as a fallback, I am bound to become someone of the Holy Land!!"
.....
After the time of one incense stick, the surrounding crowd dispersed, and Gu Lin headed to the notice board.
To his disappointment, there were no bounty notices on the notice board.
To avoid the Constables' attention, he didn't linger or loiter, and headed to the Tongxing Escort Agency.
At the Escort Agency, he found his father and probed indirectly.
Having witnessed his son no longer being cowardly that morning, Gu Changchuan's attitude had improved considerably. He explained warmly:
"Where would there be so many bounty notices? Shiyang County has fairly good public order. If bandits really ran rampant without restraint, the County Magistrate and County Deputy would have been removed long ago."
"Maybe a dozen or so bounty notices come each month, but you have to use connections and slip in silver to get them. Don't think Bounty Hunters risk their lives for nothing—for the sake of silver and livelihood, plenty of Martial Artists would break their heads trying to get a bounty notice."
"Your father also earned the Chief Escort's trust. The Chief Escort is close with the County Office's Criminal Division Constable, so occasionally the Chief Escort gives me a bounty notice, allowing me to earn some extra income."
Hearing this, Gu Lin's heart sank halfway.
This path was cut off!
Not to mention that he had no connections to get a bounty notice at all—even if he borrowed his father's help to get one, given how scarce they were, he couldn't afford to wait.