The next day, Mo Chuan woke up feeling inexplicably refreshed, though his waist was a bit sore.
"Perhaps I slept in a strange position last night… but at least I rested…" Mo Chuan yawned, got out of bed, and saw his clothes neatly folded.
It was then that Mo Chuan realized he had been moved from the living room to a side room.
"Sigh… I came to take care of Fei'er… but I ended up being taken care of…"
Mo Chuan shook his head with a wry smile, made some breakfast, left a note, and hurried to find Tea Pig to ask him to take him to the Forbidden City.
But what Mo Chuan didn't know was that Mo Fei had been watching his figure gradually disappear from the window of her room.
"How about it? Why not turn him into your personal plaything? Then you can have your fun every night," Ying Sha floated up beside Mo Fei, seducing her in a slightly sinister female voice.
"Shut up," Mo Fei frowned, but her mind was on other things.
"Hee hee hee…" Ying Sha clearly disagreed and continued, "All men in this world are fickle. I've seen too many who abandon their wives and children. How does that saying go… Ah… home-cooked meals are never as good as wild grass."
"Silence!" Mo Fei was clearly even more enraged. She waved her hand, and Ying Sha immediately retreated into her sword heart, but purple demonic energy began to seep from her body, indicating that Mo Fei's inner demons were acting up.
"Tang Jing Jing, and that Abe Haruko…" Mo Fei's eyes narrowed, completely oblivious to the abnormality of her own body.
"Mo Fei, guard your heart and clear your selfish thoughts."
Yi Tian Xing's voice came from the great hall on the mountaintop. Upon hearing it, Mo Fei immediately sat cross-legged on the bed and cleared her mind.
…
Meanwhile, in the Forbidden City, the Supervisory Division.
Fu Xi sat cross-legged on the Xuan Huang Bagua platform, shaking the turtle shell in his hand.
*Rustle…*
A few copper coins scattered on the ground. Fu Xi added a sprig of yarrow to the nearby copper furnace, then began to observe the divination of the coins.
Xin Lei watched from the side, remaining silent.
After a moment, Fu Xi asked, "King Yama has escaped?"
Xin Lei nodded.
Fu Xi chuckled and said to Xin Lei, "Xin Lei, you don't need to worry about Mo Chuan. He did a great job this time. Mo Chuan has basically cleared out the network of contacts and followers that King Yama had established in Qing, Yan, and San states. Without his influence and his own not-so-high strength, King Yama will likely be dealt with by the cult itself before long."
"I summoned Mo Chuan to meet with the Li Hui so that we can discuss how to reward him, and other minor matters."
Xin Lei clearly didn't quite believe Fu Xi's words, but he couldn't express his doubts. He could only bow his head in a salute and then exit the hall.
Fu Xi counted on his fingers a few times and murmured to himself, "Judging by the time… he should be here soon…"
…
Mo Chuan followed Tea Pig as they slowly walked along the path paved with white marble bricks. Red walls and jade trees lined both sides, with green tiles and white stones, embodying the ancient power and majesty of the Dragon Country.
Before them stood the main hall of the Forbidden City, the Tai Heng Hall.
All the policies of the Dragon Country, the operations of power, all took place here. It was no exaggeration to call this the brain of the Dragon Country.
As they approached the hall and ascended the jade steps, Mo Chuan saw six men and women dressed in bright red official robes and wearing black gauze caps entering the Tai Heng Hall.
Mo Chuan softly asked, "Senior, who are those people…"
Tea Pig picked his ear and took a sip of wine, saying, "Those are the Six Ministers. They've all arrived, so they're probably here to discuss some important matters."
Before Tea Pig finished speaking, a woman holding a palace lantern and wearing a white porcelain mask lightly bowed to them and said, "Lord Tea Pig, is this Mr. Mo Chuan? Please wait outside the hall for a moment. Lord Tea Pig, you may go report for duty now."
Tea Pig took another sip of wine and said to Mo Chuan, "Then I'll be going. If you have any questions, ask this lantern bearer. Be respectful when you meet the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors later. After it's all done, come find me at the Abilities Administration Bureau."
Mo Chuan nodded, then waited by the entrance. After Tea Pig left, the lantern bearer told Mo Chuan some rules and etiquette before returning to the great hall.
Mo Chuan stood outside the hall, feeling the intense sun of mid-August – *a curse word for Qingzhou*, it was truly scorching.
Fortunately, he was under the eaves, enjoying the shade.
Bored, Mo Chuan surveyed his surroundings and noticed something interesting – there seemed to be no guards, only squads of five lantern bearers moving along the small paths within the city.
Shortly after, the same lantern bearer reappeared and bowed to Mo Chuan, saying, "Mr. Mo, please come in."
Mo Chuan nodded and walked into the great hall step by step.
The vast Tai Heng Hall gave off a sense of emptiness and solemnity.
Mo Chuan looked straight ahead. In the center of the great hall was a high platform made of sandalwood, upon which sat two old men and one old woman. Behind them was an ink wash screen, on which hung a plaque inscribed with "Justice and Brightness."
To their sides stood the Six Ministers whom Mo Chuan had just seen, the Heavenly Stem members (excluding Ding Yang) including Senior Xin Lei, and five young men and women.
Mo Chuan walked to the center of the two rows of officials and bowed to the elders on the platform. He said, "I am Mo Chuan. I greet the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the Heavenly Stem members, and the Six Ministers."
The central old man, dressed in luxurious attire, put down his pipe and said to Mo Chuan, "You are dismissed."
"I announce the third agenda item of the Li Hui, concerning our young friend Mo Chuan," the old man said. "You must have all heard that the cult of King Yama's Five Officials has been largely eradicated. Young Mo Chuan played a major role. What do you all think about rewarding him?"
The Heavenly Stem members exchanged glances, clearly not intending to speak first.
A kind-faced old man in a red robe stepped forward and bowed to the elder in ornate robes, saying, "Your Majesty, the Human Emperor, I believe it would be appropriate to grant the bounty offered for King Yama to this young friend, along with a residence in the capital, and to send the young friend to study at the Dragon Country National Defense Academy after graduation."
This old man clearly knew the news beforehand but was merely going through the motions, stating the result that the Human Emperor or the Six Ministers had discussed.
The Human Emperor nodded in agreement upon hearing this, exchanged glances with the Heavenly Emperor and the Earthly Emperor, and finally spoke kindly to Mo Chuan, "Mo Chuan, do you have any other desires?"
Mo Chuan thought that asking for anything casually at this moment would only alienate these people. So, he bowed to the Human Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, the Human Emperor, I wish to go to the Eastern War Zone and fight on the front lines after graduation."
Upon hearing this, everyone began to whisper amongst themselves. Then, the old woman asked, "Good child, why do you want to go to the front lines?"
"Because my parents died on the front lines fighting the demons. I cannot rest until I avenge them," Mo Chuan said, bowing even lower.
The old woman nodded approvingly and said, "Minister Fang, Minister Li, the two of you will discuss this later. The Ministries of Personnel and War will make arrangements to assign a position to Mo Chuan after his graduation."
The Ministers of Personnel and War immediately stepped forward and saluted, "Yes."
"Alright," said Fu Xi, who had been silent until now, "Next is the third matter."
"Mo Chuan, do you remember the accident that occurred during your special recruitment exam?"