Chapter 39: Purchasing an Official Title

At night, Wang Jingyuan swaggered into Yue Buqun’s room, catching him just as he was sharing a private conversation with Ning Zhongze. Seeing Wang arrive, the couple did not take offense; instead, they invited him to sit at the table.

Yue Buqun’s greatest stroke of luck lately was seizing the opportunity presented by Wang Jingyuan. It had not even been half a year since Wang "joined" the Huashan Sect, yet he had already accomplished a great deal for them.

The trip to Fuzhou City was particularly delightful for Yue. His original focus had been on the *Bixie Sword Manual*. Although he never explicitly stated it, everyone understood that by sending someone so far away to hinder the Qingcheng Sect’s pursuit of the manual, he had harbored some hope of scavenging the prize for himself.

In the current martial arts world, everyone knew that the *Bixie Sword Manual* had been voluntarily handed over to the Huashan Sect by the Fuwei Escort Agency as a form of tuition. While the sword technique had significant drawbacks, it served as a viable backup plan.

Since discovering that Wang Jingyuan valued the Fuwei Escort Agency itself even more than the manual, Yue Buqun and his wife had spent the last few days carefully studying the business proposal Wang had drafted. As a scholar, Yue possessed basic arithmetic skills.

He hadn't realized the potential until he crunched the numbers, and the result was startling. It was no wonder Wang attached such importance to the partnership. If executed according to the plan, the Fuwei Escort Agency would see unprecedented growth, and as the largest shareholder, the Huashan Sect would effectively be acquiring a golden goose.

In this era, a sect's martial prowess was certainly important, but once wealth reached a certain level, it became a force not to be underestimated. Although Yue Buqun had initially been skeptical of Wang, he was now sincerely grateful to him. Thus, Yue asked about Wang’s intentions with a pleasant demeanor, while Ning Zhongze began peeling fruit for him.

Wang did not beat around the bush and asked about Yue’s visit to the Liu residence earlier that day: "When you saw Liu Zhengfeng today, did he say anything?"

Yue replied truthfully, "There was nothing unusual. We exchanged simple pleasantries, and he kept us for lunch. He forced himself to play the host, but he said nothing out of the ordinary."

Wang nodded. It seemed Old Liu was indeed a decent man, and his discretion was flawless. Wang then revealed the truth: "Do you remember me saying that the Songshan Sect would come to disrupt Liu Zhengfeng’s hand-washing ceremony, aiming to suppress the Hengshan Sect and intimidate the other three mountains?"

Yue nodded. "That is indeed the case. In recent years, the Songshan Sect has habitually branded their rivals with the charge of colluding with the Demonic Cult. But after what you... well, if anyone tries to use rumors of Liu Zhengfeng colluding with the cult to make trouble, it would only be a laughingstock."

Wang shook his head. "The Songshan Sect might have been making false accusations in the past, but the fact that Liu Zhengfeng is colluding with Qu Yang is true."

Yue was shocked. "This..."

Wang continued, "I ran into Qu Yang when I entered Hengyang City. Xinyi is Qu Yang’s granddaughter."

Yue and Ning gasped.

"Don't be nervous. They truly want to retire from the martial arts world; there is no conspiracy. After the hand-washing ceremony, those two people will effectively cease to exist in the world of martial arts. Besides, it doesn't matter if there is a conspiracy. My primary goal in helping them is to thwart the Songshan Sect’s plans and strike a blow to their prestige. After all, your quest is to 'Revitalize Huashan.' I’ve thought about it for a long time, and the most obvious obstacle on that path is the Songshan Sect. Striking at them is never the wrong move."

As Yue weighed Wang’s words, a knock sounded at the door. Wang glanced toward the entrance and saw Yue Lingshan’s nameplate. Yue recognized his daughter’s footsteps and called out, "Come in."

"Dad, you have to discipline Junior Brother Wang! Do you have any idea what he..." Yue Lingshan pushed the door open, ready to complain. Huashan already had a drunkard; it couldn't afford a constant visitor to brothels. Plus, every time she saw Wang head to those places, she felt a strange sense of distress.

But she stopped mid-sentence, seeing her parents sitting with Wang, her mother even handing him a peeled pear.

Fearing that Lingshan might say something offensive, Yue interrupted her before she could finish: "I still have matters to discuss with Jingyuan. You should head back first."

"But I..." Lingshan felt aggrieved, but was cut off again: "Enough, go back."

She pouted, looking back every few steps. Seeing the three of them getting along so well inside, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow. *We were the ones who were supposed to be a family of three...*

Once she left, Wang continued, "Liu Zhengfeng has actually made some preparations. As far as I know, he paid to purchase an official title."

Yue stroked his beard and nodded. "That is certainly a good approach."

"He purchased the title of Assistant Commander."

Yue nodded again. "A military official, I see."

Wang frowned, emphasizing, "He purchased the title of *Assistant Commander*."

Seeing Wang’s insistence, Yue asked, "Is there some significance to this?"

Wang slapped his own forehead and muttered, "You’re a scholar, for heaven's sake! Don't you know that an Assistant Commander is a third-rank official? Even if he remains under the jurisdiction of civil officials, that is a third-rank position with actual authority! People usually buy minor honorary titles or sinecures. It’s not impossible to buy an actual office, but it would cost a fortune to secure a position as a student at the Imperial Academy or a battalion commander at the border. Buying a third-rank official post with real authority? Maybe in another hundred years. But right now, if you could just throw money at a third-rank military post, the Great Ming would have been controlled by wealthy merchants long ago!"

"Ah?!" Realizing the issue through Wang’s explanation, Yue was stunned.

Wang continued, "Buying an official title is a semi-public matter that requires no concealment. Anyone interested can verify it. And yet, the Songshan Sect still dares to send people to monitor the Liu residence. Either the channel Liu used to buy the title is a fake, arranged by the Songshan Sect themselves, or Liu didn't buy a title at all. He likely intends to hire actors for the day of the ceremony to fool you simpletons. After all, out of the Five Great Sword Sects, you are the most cultured. If even you can't see anything wrong, fooling the others is even easier."

Yue frowned. "If, as you say, the Songshan Sect has not held back, then Brother Liu’s plan will likely fail."

"Not necessarily," Wang shook his head. "I asked Liu for money, which should arrive soon. I will handle the matter and make it legitimate. Even if someone finds out halfway through, they will only suspect I am helping you buy an official position. If the Songshan Sect is indeed behind this, they are in deep trouble. Buying titles is the Imperial Court’s business; if they dare to sell counterfeit goods, they’re just asking for an early grave. And even if it isn't them, once Liu Zhengfeng’s official title becomes real, let’s see the Songshan Sect try to touch them. The hand-washing ceremony should be quite lively."