With Su Xin's cultivation method,which could be considered wasteful,two Da Huan Dan pills were simply not enough for him to break through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Divinity realm.So,Su Xin searched through the various cultivation resources provided by the court to Jiangnan Road and found several bottles of pills that he could use now.
The pills distributed by the court to each road varied in grade,and naturally,the highest-grade pills were prepared for Su Xin,the Chief Catcher of Jiangnan Road,although the quantity was limited.Even with these bottles of pills,it still wasn't enough.Su Xin had to grit his teeth and exchange for another Da Huan Dan pill from the system space.
Last time,after the massacre in Jiannan Road,Su Xin's villain value had increased to 2600 points.This time,he exchanged for a three-and-a-half-star Da Huan Dan pill,which cost him 1000 points.
Once all the pills were gathered,Su Xin began to seclude himself for cultivation.For ordinary people,refining this many pills would probably take a year or even longer.However,Su Xin only extracted the essence from these pills,saving a lot of time.In three months,he had completely absorbed the medicinal power.
After emerging from seclusion,Huang Bingcheng immediately came to inform Su Xin,"Boss,Lord Tie Zhan is here."
Su Xin was taken aback.Tie Zhan was usually busy with official duties.If there were any tasks to be assigned to him,they could have been conveyed through spies.His personal visit likely meant something significant.
"How long has Lord Tie Zhan been here?"Su Xin asked.
Huang Bingcheng replied,"He arrived just three days ago.He heard that you were in seclusion,so he said not to disturb you and to wait until you emerged."
Su Xin nodded.Since Tie Zhan had said so,it probably wasn't urgent.
"Let's go,let's meet Lord Tie Zhan,"Su Xin said.
Huang Bingcheng led Su Xin to Tie Zhan's room and tactfully withdrew.
Su Xin bowed to Tie Zhan."Greetings,Lord."
Tie Zhan waved his hand."No need for formalities.To be honest,Su Xin,I underestimated you.When Tie Wuqing recommended you to me,I was merely trying you out.But I didn't expect you to stir up such a storm in Jiangnan Road."
Su Xin smiled but didn't speak.He didn't need to be modest about his achievements.They were evident.
Tie Zhan continued,"I came this time with a task for you.However,it's not a task from the Six Ministries,but rather from my Tie Family.I wonder if you're willing to take it."
"A task from the Tie Family,not the Six Ministries?"Su Xin narrowed his eyes."Please,go on."
Tie Zhan said solemnly,"Xin Xue should have told you the reason for Yin Ji's visit to Jiangnan Road.My eldest brother is seriously injured,and some people see it as an opportunity to cause trouble.Fortunately,you dealt with Liu Fengwu decisively,not only humiliating him but also leaving him too embarrassed to speak at the Six Ministries'meetings for several days."
At this point,a faint smile appeared on Tie Zhan's lips,and Su Xin followed suit.However,Su Xin wasn't laughing at Liu Fengwu but at the fact that Tie Zhan seemed to consider him as one of their own now.
When Tie Wuqing recommended Su Xin to the Six Ministries,it was merely a gesture.Although Tie Wuqing was influential within the Tie Family,he and Tie Ao wouldn't have confided in Su Xin completely.However,after the series of events in Jiangnan Road,Su Xin had demonstrated his strength and capabilities,finally earning the Tie Family's respect.
This time,Tie Zhan came personally to find Su Xin and openly discussed power struggles within the Six Ministries,indicating that Tie Zhan now truly acknowledged Su Xin and considered him one of their own.
Tie Zhan continued,"Liu Fengwu's plot cannot go unpunished.He tried to create trouble for us this time.So,this matter cannot be left as it is.Since he wanted to send an Inspector to pick peaches,we'll do the same.I'll appoint an Inspector to seize power elsewhere.And the person I have in mind for this Inspector position is you."
Su Xin pondered for a moment."Where?"
A glint of coldness flickered in Tie Zhan's eyes."It's the Six Ministries of Bashu Road.The Chief Catcher of the Six Ministries of Bashu Road,Qiu Baichuan,known as the'Life and Death Ring,'is Liu Fengwu's sworn brother.Moreover,Bashu Road is difficult to access,and the entire Six Ministries of Bashu Road has almost become an independent kingdom for some people!"
Tie Zhan looked at Su Xin."If you accept this task,I'll propose to my eldest brother and other members of the Tie Family that you become one of the Four Great Godcatchers in preparation and also serve as one of the judges at the Luoyang Challenge a year from now."
"The Four Great Godcatchers in preparation?"Su Xin's eyes showed a hint of puzzlement.He seemed not to have heard of this position.However,he was familiar with the Luoyang Challenge.It was similar in nature to the Jiangnan Conference,where the Xiao Family recruited young martial artists from the rivers and lakes,while the Luoyang Challenge was used by the court to recruit wandering martial artists who wanted to join the court.Compared to the Jiangnan Conference,the Luoyang Challenge didn't care about background or age;it only cared about strength.As long as you weren't one of the rebels wanted by the court,almost everyone had the opportunity to participate and become a member of the court.
Tie Zhan said,"There are only four Great Godcatchers within the Six Ministries,all of them possessing the strength of the Nascent Divinity realm.However,among the total catchers within the Six Ministries,there are more than just the four of us with Nascent Divinity strength.The positions of the Four Great Godcatchers are not fixed;if something were to happen to one of us and a new Great Godcatcher needed to be chosen,we would have to select from the pool of reserve Great Godcatchers.You can think of this position as a qualification,a step forward for you.Although the grade doesn't change,the qualification of being a reserve Great Godcatcher is practically higher than that of other catchers of the same level.And being a judge at the Luoyang Challenge serves the same purpose—it's essentially a way to boost your reputation.So,what do you say?Are you willing to take on this task?"
This time,Su Xin didn't hesitate and simply nodded in agreement.There was another task in the system for him to advance to the level of the Four Great Godcatchers within the Six Ministries within three years.Initially,Su Xin thought that as long as his strength was sufficient,advancing to the rank of the Four Great Godcatchers would be straightforward.However,it seemed he had underestimated the situation.
As the leader beneath Tie Ao,known as the"Divine Eagle,"in the Six Ministries,the Great Godcatchers couldn't just be brute fighters.They needed to have the necessary cunning,skills,and experience to handle their roles.The position of reserve Great Godcatcher was established to select the successors of the Great Godcatchers.
Seeing Su Xin's agreement,Tie Zhan's face lit up with a smile.He could tell that Su Xin was ambitious,but he didn't mind.Ambition was what drove people further.As for whether Tie Zhan would harbor any suspicions or concerns about Su Xin,that was impossible.The Tie Family wouldn't harbor such feelings towards any of the catchers within the Six Ministries because they were unworthy!
Tie Ao had fought alongside the Grand Zhou Emperor Ji Haodian to establish dominance,and he was the one who founded the Six Ministries.It could be said that Tie Ao's prestige within the Six Ministries had reached its peak.If it weren't for the support of other forces behind Liu Fengwu and his group,Tie Ao could easily slap them down,and there would be no doubts among the other catchers within the Six Ministries.However,the court had its own rules of play,which is why the Tie Family had to engage in political maneuvers within the Six Ministries,but Tie Ao couldn't directly intervene.
Su Xin tapped the table and asked,"I can go to Bashu Road to seize power,but can I kill?"
Tie Zhan sneered,"Of course,killing is allowed,but you know the rules of the Six Ministries.At the very least,you need to have solid excuses to kill someone;otherwise,it wouldn't look good to others."
Su Xin nodded."That's not a problem.When do I leave?"
Tie Zhan handed Su Xin an official order."This is a document from the Six Ministries.I'll arrange for it to be sent to Bashu Road.You've sorted things out here in Jiangnan Road.The timing of your departure is up to you."
Su Xin nodded in agreement.It was good this way.He needed to make arrangements in Jiangnan Road,and he also needed to gather information about the Six Ministries in Bashu Road and the region as a whole.As the saying goes,knowing oneself and knowing the enemy ensures victory in every battle.Su Xin had always valued intelligence.
After seeing Tie Zhan off,Su Xin called Huang Bingcheng and the others,instructing them that he would be leaving for some time,leaving Jiangnan Road in their hands.After obtaining information about Bashu Road from the spies of the Six Ministries,Su Xin set out.
The journey to Bashu Road was arduous.Even with Su Xin's speed and a fast horse,it took nearly two months to arrive.Bashu was less connected to the Central Plains martial arts community,relatively closed-off,and even more remote than Xiangnan.However,martial arts were flourishing there.
The Bashu Sword Pavilion,one of the five major sword sects,was renowned in Bashu,which was also the founding place of the ancient Ba people.Although the ancient Ba kingdoms had long fallen,their martial arts had been passed down to this day.Even now,many people could find ancient Ba sword manuals in Bashu.Some of the sword techniques might be outdated,but there were still some significant techniques that were considered treasures even in modern times.
Moreover,Bashu was considered a paradise for swordsmiths.While other master craftsmen might be scattered throughout the martial arts world,almost all swordsmiths were in Bashu.Therefore,it was common to see wandering martial artists or members of other sects seeking swords in Bashu.
However,the power of the court in Bashu was much weaker.Apart from the Six Ministries,the most potent force of the court was the military.But due to the difficult roads,the supplies that the court could provide to the military were much fewer.After all,the military relied on quantity to win,unlike the elite path taken by the Six Ministries.
