Chapter 26 p1
With almost half of the officials gone from the Celestial Feather Ministry, the incessant chatter and noise subsided, bringing Feng Chiyue some peace and quiet.
In the following days, Bi Feng didn’t try to make things difficult for Feng Chiyue, wisely steering clear of the storm she had created.
While Feng Chiyue reveled in her newfound tranquility, the dismissed officials seethed with anger. Being humiliated on the Chaos Mirror was a minor inconvenience, but losing their positions and income was a major blow. Both the emissaries and attendants had certain authority, which they used to gain benefits far exceeding their official salaries. Feng Chiyue’s actions had cut off their source of wealth, making her their sworn enemy.
“I’ve already informed our fellow Daoists to slow down their work. Once the Celestial Feather Ministry grinds to a halt, she’ll have to beg us to come back,” one of them said.
“But what if she recruits from other lineages?”
“Which lineage would dare oppose us?!” another official snapped. The one who had asked the question fell silent. Smaller lineages wouldn’t dare, but the problem was that there might be a traitorous fool within their own ranks!
With almost half of its officials gone, the Celestial Feather Ministry did encounter some problems. However, it wasn’t Feng Chiyue who suffered. It was Que Chen Yi, who was now working from dawn till dusk, exhausted and overwhelmed. The only consolation was that Feng Chiyue didn’t deduct her salary and even approved several bonuses. But could Cinnabar Jade compensate for lost time? She started to question her decision to join the Celestial Feather Ministry. Wouldn’t it have been better to remain a free and carefree titmouse? Being an official sounded impressive, but that was about it.
“Minister,” she called out weakly, “the numbers for the various lineages of the feathered race don’t add up. We don’t have enough people to send to their territories to verify the counts.”
“Why do we need to send people?” Feng Chiyue asked, looking up.
Que Chen Yi: “…” How did this person even become the Celestial Feather Minister? She forced a smile and explained, “The lineages have to provide laborers. The Celestial Feather Hall needs to confirm their population numbers. In the past, the Celestial Feather Emissaries or attendants would handle this, but now, they say they’re too busy.”
Feng Chiyue raised an eyebrow. “Can’t the lineages report their own numbers?”
Que Chen Yi massaged her forehead and sighed. “The numbers aren’t accurate.”
Feng Chiyue chuckled coldly. “And you think the numbers would be accurate if a Celestial Feather Emissary went there?” Everyone knew that officials were easily bribed. She didn’t want to listen to Que Chen Yi’s lengthy explanation. “Tell them to report their numbers. We’ll randomly select some lineages for inspection. If any lineage has more members than reported, kill them all!” Her voice was filled with killing intent, leaving no room for doubt.
Que Chen Yi remained silent for a moment, then nodded stiffly. “Alright,” she said. Then, she brought up another problem. Seeing Feng Chiyue’s darkening expression, she felt a surge of fear, worried that Undefeated would slice her in half. But despite her fear, she had to speak.
Her words, initially hesitant, became increasingly fluent. Finally, she sighed. “The Carriage Hall provides transportation for immortals, but now, we have immortals requesting rides, but no one to pull the carriages. We’ve inquired with the lineages, but they’re all passing the buck. The emissaries who had good relationships with the lineages have been dismissed, and the remaining ones have no connections.”
Feng Chiyue knew that the Celestial Feather Ministry had a Carriage Hall, but she hadn’t paid much attention to it. After hearing Que Chen Yi’s explanation, she finally understood its purpose. “Humans are asking our feathered race to be their beasts of burden?” she asked, puzzled.
“It’s not just humans. All races need transportation. And it’s not just the feathered race who provide it. There are other beast spirits as well. They prefer cranes, phoenixes, dragons, tigers, lions, and elephants,” Que Chen Yi replied.
“Why doesn’t anyone crawl on the ground and offer themselves as beasts of burden? Don’t they like it?” Feng Chiyue asked.
Que Chen Yi didn’t know how to answer. This was how it had always been for the past thousand years.
“How much Cinnabar Jade do they earn for being beasts of burden?” Feng Chiyue asked.
Que Chen Yi thought for a moment. “It depends on the generosity of the immortals.” An elder from her clan had once served as a beast of burden and received five hundred Cinnabar Jade from a wealthy immortal. She had heard that some lucky ones even received tens of thousands. But receiving Cinnabar Jade wasn’t the greatest fortune. If an immortal took a liking to them and accepted them as a servant or even a direct disciple, they wouldn’t have to wait for selection and could become an attendant directly. If the immortal they served was high-ranking, their path to advancement would be smooth, and their lives would be much more glamorous than those stuck in the Celestial Feather Ministry.
“And you’re proud of this, aren’t you?” Feng Chiyue said mockingly. She didn’t care about those people. “From now on, the minimum price for a beast of burden from the Carriage Hall is fifty Cinnabar Jade per hour. The price can be set by the beasts of burden themselves. The Celestial Feather Ministry will take a tenth of their earnings, and the rest belongs to them.” Those immortals were getting transportation from her ministry for free. It was too cheap.
Que Chen Yi: “…” She hadn’t expected this one to have a knack for making money. “If we do that, the immortals will just go to the Four Seas Ministry or the White Tiger Ministry,” she said, concerned.
Feng Chiyue chuckled. “Good riddance. Less noise for us.”
Regardless of Que Chen Yi’s thoughts, she could only follow Feng Chiyue’s orders. The announcement was posted outside the hall and also on the Chaos Mirror. This angered some immortals who enjoyed showing off their wealth. It wasn’t that they were unwilling to pay, but giving willingly and being forced to pay were two different things. “Why should we pay them Cinnabar Jade?” one immortal commented.
However, his comment received little support and was met with a barrage of insults. It wasn’t just the feathered race, but also the aquatic race and the beast race who were dissatisfied with the current rules. Yes, some lucky ones were chosen by immortals, but those were a minority. The announcement from the Celestial Feather Ministry clearly benefited those who served as “beasts of burden.” Besides, would the immortals who valued them really give up just because they became more expensive?
In any case, after the announcement, the lineages that had been persuaded by those with ulterior motives immediately sent their fastest fliers, those with elegant true forms and beautiful feathers, to the Carriage Hall to wait. If they were late, they might miss their chance.
The problem was half-solved, but Feng Chiyue wasn’t happy. Que Chen Yi’s occasional complaints about the inefficiency of the officials fueled her anger. Why couldn’t those incompetent fools do anything right? Since Ming Jian Su’s disappearance, her troubles had only multiplied, becoming increasingly difficult to manage.
Undefeated, seeing Feng Chiyue’s gloomy mood, spun around the hall, emanating sharp sword intent, as if wanting to slay all those who weren’t working. However, Feng Chiyue didn’t command it. Even if she killed one batch, another would appear. The troubles would be endless.
She sighed and contacted Chang Huai, an unremarkable refining attendant from the Dragon Cauldron Palace in the Heavenly Prosperity Department, through the Chaos Mirror.
Without any backing, no matter how skilled she was, it was difficult to gain a foothold in the Dragon Cauldron Palace. Chang Huai had long understood this, but she had discovered that without status or connections, she couldn’t get promoted and couldn’t even receive any other orders. She had posted several messages on the Chaos Mirror, but they had quickly sunk without a trace, ignored by everyone.
Just as she was about to give up, a message from Feng Chiyue pulled her out of her despair. Without hesitation, she abandoned the menial task she had been working on, excused herself, and rushed to the Celestial Feather Ministry.
The emissaries in the Dragon Cauldron Palace had initially intended to stop her, but upon hearing the words “Celestial Feather Ministry,” they immediately abandoned the idea. After all, with the Supreme Palace, the West Sea, and the Morning Sun Assembly as precedents, they didn’t want to provoke that fiend.
“I need an artifact,” Feng Chiyue said as soon as Chang Huai arrived at the Celestial Feather Hall. Chang Huai glanced at her and saw resentment and coldness in her eyes. She quickly lowered her head and said respectfully, “Tell me what you need.”
“I want it to encompass the entire Carriage Hall. Immortals who come to the Carriage Hall can select their desired beasts of burden directly through the artifact, and the information will be transmitted to the corresponding beasts of burden. It needs to be able to track time, plan routes, issue alerts, calculate Cinnabar Jade… let me think.”
The joy of receiving a major order gradually faded, and Chang Huai’s face stiffened. She couldn’t even force a smile.
Perhaps she should just continue working her meaningless job at the Dragon Cauldron Palace.
After listing her requirements, Feng Chiyue finally noticed Chang Huai’s expression. She sighed dramatically. “You can’t do it? I suppose I shouldn’t expect anything from the officials of the Dragon Cauldron Palace. If only my Elder Sister were here, I wouldn’t need you.”
Her gaze was filled with disdain, instantly triggering Chang Huai’s competitive spirit. She had boasted about her skills back at Dong’e Mountain. If she couldn’t even fulfill this request, it would be even harder to get any jobs and earn Cinnabar Jade in the future. “I can do it!” she declared, afraid that Feng Chiyue would find someone else.
“How many days will it take?” Feng Chiyue asked.
Chang Huai: “…” Was it measured in “days”?
Feng Chiyue smiled at her. “I need a few more artifacts refined. If you’re too busy, I’ll post a request on the Chaos Mirror and hire other skilled refiners.”
How could she possibly give up the food she had already snatched? Chang Huai immediately said confidently, “I can do it! Ten days, no, five days! Give me five days, and I’ll refine this artifact for you!”
Feng Chiyue’s smile widened. She fiddled with the jade ornament on her waist and said, “You should be the one leading the Dragon Cauldron Palace.”
Chang Huai nodded repeatedly, leaving the Celestial Feather Hall in a daze. The wind snapped her out of it. Refining an artifact in five days? That meant working day and night without eating or sleeping. Even then, she might not be able to finish it. How had a few sweet words made her lose her mind? She returned to the Dragon Cauldron Palace, her face etched with worry. Her dejected demeanor attracted curious glances from several attendants. One of them, who had also ascended from the mortal realm, pulled her aside and asked with concern, “Did she give you a hard time?”
“No,” Chang Huai mumbled. She searched the Chaos Mirror for posts about the other unlucky souls who had been summoned by Feng Chiyue. Seeing their misfortune from beginning to end, she sighed in relief. Compared to those who had been beaten or killed, she was lucky. Feng Chiyue had invited her this time. Last time, she had been abducted. It seemed her treatment had improved slightly.
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