Chapter 493

Chapter 493: Going with the Flow

No sooner had Kou Shihai left than a group of visitors arrived.

It was Xi Manyun, accompanied by seven other chief stewards!

The Xun district, governed by the Xun Celestial Guardian’s pavilion, is divided into seven workshops and thirty-nine streets, overseen by twelve stewards.

Each month, they submit tributes to the celestial guardians.

When Wang Chen assumed control of the Xun Celestial Guardian’s pavilion, the power was largely in the hands of chief steward Wu Jingwei, with eleven of the twelve stewards bowing to his will.

The previous celestial guardian had been rendered powerless by this group, accomplishing little during his three-year tenure.

However, Wang Chen swiftly asserted his authority by delivering a stern warning to Wu Jingwei, quickly consolidating his control over the pavilion.

To maintain stability, Wang Chen chose not to disturb any stewards except for Xiang Yingzhe.

These stewards proved to be quite compliant; although they did not fully align themselves with Wang Chen, they consistently paid their monthly tributes.

They avoided entering the pavilion unless absolutely necessary.

Wang Chen paid them little mind; as long as they did not cause trouble, he allowed them to go about their business.

The situation in the Xun Celestial Guardian’s pavilion was peculiarly strange, yet it managed to maintain a delicate balance.

Thus, Wang Chen was somewhat surprised.

It was entirely expected for Xi Manyun to visit him, as the Xi family now fully supported him.

The head of the Xi family, Xi Wanhai, was currently acting as Wang Chen’s deputy in the celestial pavilion.

But these seven chief stewards were indeed rare visitors.

“Congratulations, Master Celestial Guardian, for defeating the barbarian sorcerer and upholding the prestige of Daying!”

Today, Xi Manyun was dressed exquisitely, looking particularly radiant, her large eyes sparkling with genuine joy.

She, along with many members of the Xi family, had witnessed Wang Chen slay Tuqi.

They were all overjoyed!

In Daying City, the Xi family was undoubtedly the most concerned about this battle.

Now, the Xi family and Wang Chen were deeply intertwined; if Wang Chen had lost, the Xi family would have not only lost their current glory but also faced retaliation from other families.

Now that Wang Chen had won so decisively, his reputation in Daying City soared, bringing immense positive influence to the Xi family!

Thus, Xi Manyun not only brought this month’s tribute but also prepared a generous gift to celebrate Wang Chen’s victory on behalf of the Xi family!

Wang Chen calmly accepted the gift, then turned his gaze to the seven stewards following behind. Without hesitation, he asked, “What brings you here?”

One steward quickly put on a smile, bowed, and said, “Master Celestial Guardian, we are here just like Steward Xi…”

This steward had thick skin, flattering Wang Chen with a torrent of praise without a hint of embarrassment.

His expression was sycophantic, and his eyes sincere; he was a master in the art of flattery!

Xi Manyun couldn’t help but roll her eyes at his remarks.

Wang Chen listened expressionlessly to the lengthy stream of empty words, then lightly said, “Very well, I’ve accepted the gift. You may all return to your duties.”

The steward nodded and bowed, "Yes, yes, yes."

Inside, he breathed a huge sigh of relief.

After this battle, Wang Chen’s reputation spread throughout Daying City. Once he finished his rotation and returned to the Xun Celestial Guardian’s pavilion, it would be a piece of cake for him to handle these minor stewards under such majestic circumstances.

Even Grand Celestial Guardian Luo Han would have to give him some respect!

Although these seven stewards had previously followed Wu Jingwei closely, now that Wu Jingwei had lost his standing in the celestial pavilion, his representative powers had been passed on to outsiders by Wang Chen. If they had any brains at all, they could not align themselves completely with him.

The most important thing was that these stewards represented different families and were not loyal die-hards of Wu Jingwei.

So, they quietly discussed among themselves and decided to curry favor with Wang Chen while making their monthly tribute.

They were simply hedging their bets on both sides.

Having suffered some losses, they felt satisfied with just a few words from Wang Chen.

After all, the Xun district’s seven workshops and thirty-nine streets had a population of hundreds of thousands, involving significant interests and profits.

For any family, losing a steward position would be a huge loss.

The seven stewards left, feeling jubilant.

Xi Manyun stayed behind.

Wang Chen didn’t have any romantic thoughts about the beautiful female cultivator; he was simply inquiring about the recent situation with Meng Fei and the younger siblings.

Meng Fei and his group of younger siblings had been placed in the celestial pavilion by Wang Chen, initially taught by him, then rotated to the Sand Guard, with Xi Wanhai now taking care of them.

Wang Chen paid considerable attention to this child of fortune.

When mentioning Meng Fei, Xi Manyun’s expression became quite unusual.

Meng Fei hadn’t created any trouble, but his talent in cultivation had shocked Xi Wanhai deeply.

If Meng Fei hadn’t been personally recruited by Wang Chen, Xi Wanhai would have wanted him in his own fold.

"He’s very dedicated to his cultivation…"

Xi Manyun sincerely remarked, “He is now at the second level of Qi Training, breaking into the third level.”

Wang Chen felt a bit speechless.

Although he knew Meng Fei had extraordinary talent, such rapid progress was truly astonishing.

He fully deserved the title of “genius”!

After thinking for a moment, Wang Chen instructed Xi Manyun a few things before sending her back.

He glanced at the gifts presented by the Xi family and the seven stewards, feeling his previously deflated storage bag had swelled back up quite a bit.

They really had good sense.

Wang Chen was very satisfied.

But more than these gifts, he was more interested in the golden silver staff he obtained from his opponent.

In the quiet room, Wang Chen took it out again and tried to refine it.

This nine-ringed golden silver staff did not contain a refinement method within it, so Wang Chen could only use the traditional methods for refining tools.

He found that only by using the Heavenly Dragon’s strength could he unleash the full power of this top-tier spirit tool.

And it synergized perfectly!

This was clearly not an issue, given that Wang Chen had reached a high level in this technique.

He had even surpassed his primary focus, the Preheaven Five Element Technique.

With the support of the Heavenly Dragon’s power, the weight of the nine-ringed golden silver staff would increase dramatically, and it could emit a brilliant Buddhist light—definitely a super weapon for close combat.

The only problem was that its appearance was too flashy and eye-catching.

It could easily be recognized by others.

Wang Chen pondered for a moment and took out the Life Creation Cauldron.

"Master, what do you want to do with the Little Cauldron?"

The little cauldron, with its red lips and white teeth, poked its head out with a grin, playfully trying to charm Wang Chen.

But Wang Chen wouldn’t be fooled by its appearance—after all, it was a thousand-year-old fox, so what was it trying to pretend?

He pointed directly at the nine-ringed golden silver staff and asked, "Can you modify its appearance?"

The little cauldron tilted its head and glanced at the golden silver staff, "Master, what kind of appearance do you want?"

"A long stick!"

Wang Chen replied without thinking, "The simpler, the better!"

"That’s simple."

The little cauldron’s eyes sparkled as it said, "I guarantee I’ll make it to your satisfaction!"