A World Worth Protecting

1

“Although our Phoenix City is small, it’s a place with quite an abundance of treasures such as its local products. Head Prefect, I wasn’t acquainted with you in the past, but for the vacation this time, you have to give me a chance to shine,” Liu Daobin said immediately. In fact, he had no intention of taking up the career of an official, but ever since Wang Baole promoted him in the Dao College, he realized that being an inspector seemed to suit him even more.

Especially with him now having realized that whatever he had seen and learned from his father from a young age was bearing fruit ever since he became inspector.

Wang Baole was very pleased hearing what Liu Daobin had to say. He smiled slightly and asked him more about the College Discipline Department before raising his tea cup.

This motion of lifting his tea was something he learned from his high officials’ autobiographies. In it, Wang Baole discovered that many high officials seemed to enjoy drinking tea. From time to time, they would lift their tea cup, and a lot of knowledge could be gained in between the time the tea cup was lifted and placed down.

Although he did not understand it completely, he felt that such an action brought out his stature; therefore, he began mimicking it.

When Liu Daobin noticed Wang Baole lifting the tea cup, he was taken aback. He recalled the actions his father took when he was with his subordinates. He immediately understood that Wang Baole was done with exchanging pleasantries with him. Wang Baole was waiting for him to explain the reason for his appearance here. Therefore, he took out a package from his bag. He placed Spirit Stones, pills, and some daggers, which were not Dharmic artifacts, to the side.

“Head Prefect, after I became an inspector, many students came to gift me items. Some of these gifts are very valuable. In my fluster, I was unsure whether I should accept them or not. Accepting them makes me a little disturbed, but not accepting them makes me afraid that I’ll disappoint their sincerity.” Liu Daobin smiled wryly as he looked at Wang Baole, his eyes looking very candid.

A hint of surprise flashed in Wang Baole’s eyes. He had recently heard people at the College Discipline Department snitching about Liu Daobin accepting bribes. However, all Wang Baole did was take mental note of it and not question his subordinate. Now that he was seeing these items, Wang Baole’s attitude toward Liu Daobin was that of satisfaction and approval.

“They’re not overly valuable items. You should not disappoint the students given how sincere they are. Keep them.” Wang Baole smiled as he lifted the tea cup and placed it down again.

Liu Daobin was observing Wang Baole’s expression from the very beginning. When he saw Wang Baole’s smile looking warmer than before, he immediately heaved a sigh of relief. He knew that he had taken the right course of action. Hence, he cupped his fists and thanked Wang Baole.

He took back half the items he had taken out, leaving behind two of the most valuable pills as he said, “Head Prefect, you aren’t lacking in anything. I’m just offering a gift to you at the expense of others to show my sincerity as your subordinate. I will never forget how you saved me during the Hallucination Nexus test.”

He cupped his fists again. He raised the issue about the test once again since it was this matter that was the intrinsic reason for having a better relationship with Wang Baole than others!

“Oh?” Wang Baole’s eyes lit up. He felt that Liu Daobin seemed to be much wiser with his choice of words. Furthermore, he could learn things him. He felt that Liu Daobin’s words especially comforted him, and he could tell the intent from them. He beamed even more as he raised his hand and pointed at Liu Daobin.

“Sigh, you can stop with your probes. Take them for yourself.”

Liu Daobin gave an embarrassed look but did not store away the items. He stood there and chatted with Wang Baole. As for Wang Baole, he did not tell to him to take away the gifts again either. After asking about Liu Daobin’s studies and giving him a few words of encouragement, Wang Baole picked up his tea cup again and sipped it.

This time, it was a way to politely ask Liu Daobin to leave. Wang Baole felt that Liu Daobin must have learned the knowledge from his father and would likely know his intention. He was also very pleased with his ability at handling official situations.

“Head Prefect, I do have a presumptuous request. I hope you can agree to something on account of my diligent hard work.” Liu Daobin took a deep breath, as though he did not notice Wang Baole’s intentions. He cupped his fists and gave a deep bow to Wang Baole. He picked up an empty Ice Spirit Water and looked extremely earnest.

“Head Prefect, can you give me this bottle?”

“What did you say?” Wang Baole frowned immediately when he realized that Liu Daobin did not seem to have understood his intentions. But when he heard his request, he was also taken aback. He nearly spewed out the mouthful of tea while looking at Liu Daobin in a daze. Wang Baole never expected that Liu Daobin’s serious request would be for an empty bottle.

Liu Daobin quickly went forward to pat Wang Baole on the back as he spoke with a very earnest tone.

“Head Prefect, don’t belittle this bottle. You might not be aware, but currently in Head Prefect Pavilion, and even in the Dharmic Armament faculty, there are too many students who revere you greatly. After all, you are not only a talented person who managed to become Head Prefect in less than a year. More importantly, with the connivance of Jiang Lin, the inspectors abused their power, causing many of the students to fear them and not speak a word despite their anger. Furthermore, with you reforming the College Discipline Department, everyone appreciates it.

“Everyone wishes to rub off a bit of your otherworldly aura. If this bottle is taken out by me, everyone will go nuts for it!

“My trip here was actually due to a request from everyone. They wish for you will sell them the empty bottles and snack bags on account of how diligent they have been.” Liu Daobin looked gingerly at Wang Baole after he finished his sentence.

Wang Baole slowed down his breathing. He had seen many gift rejection instances from the high officials’ autobiographies. All sorts of gifting methods had been used, but what Liu Daobin had done was a first. His expression could not help but turn odd as he pondered if it was something Liu Daobin had learned from his father.

With this thought in mind, Wang Baole came to a greater realization that Liu Daobin’s father was someone rather extraordinary.

“Head Prefect, please be sympathetic toward them and give them a chance!” Liu Daobin had a look as if he was bemoaning the fate of all mankind. He bowed once again, looking as though he would not get up if he did not receive Wang Baole’s agreement.

Finally, under Liu Daobin’s repeated pleas, Wang Baole finally sighed reluctantly.

“Fine, fine. It’s true I should not disappoint everyone. However, be sure not to make this a precedent. Also, Daobin, you must not disappoint everyone with matters in the College Discipline Department. Remember this well.”

Liu Daobin immediately turned excited as he quickly thanked and gave his confirmation. He thought to himself how useful the trick his father had taught him was. Next, he picked up the empty bottles and snack bags from the ground as though they were treasures before leaving gratefully.

Only when he left did Wang Baole suddenly stand up. He circled his cave abode a few times before taking out his tiny notebook, recording everything that Liu Daobin had used today.

“A talent, Liu Daobin is a talent. His father’s abilities are even greater. He might one day become City Lord!”

Wang Baole gave great approbation, feeling that he had widen his knowledge. Deep down, he enjoyed the feeling of being fawned upon, especially when the flattery was so ingeniously executed. It left Wang Baole even more satisfied.

Three days quickly passed. When Liu Daobin came again, he brought more than ten pill bottles with him.

These pills were meant to supplement one’s memory. Although the effects were inferior to those that Zheng Liang had gifted, Wang Baole eagerly needed them. Wang Baole could not help but sigh once again upon seeing this. Liu Daobin was indeed a talent.

His belief was that he could not disappoint such a talent, so a reward was needed. After some thought, Wang Baole suddenly spoke up just before Liu Daobin was about to leave.

“Daobin, investigate Sun Qifang’s case.”

Wang Baole had previously read about Sun Qifang’s case when he took over the College Discipline Department. It had contained detailed information and background of the person in question from when he was young, much of which was unknown to outsiders. His family ran an artifact refinement shop, and he came from an honest family. He had once been a student of the Dharmic Armament faculty, but he had violated the Dao College’s rules by stealing a recipe from the Dharmic Armament faculty’s Treasure Repository. This secret recipe contained the creation method of a particular Spirit Kernel.

He had planned on handing over the recipe to his family clan after stealing it.

After all, nearly all the artifact refinement recipes in the Federation were in the hands of the four great Dao Colleges. Ethereal Dao College’s Dharmic Armament lineage was the best among the four great Dao Colleges, so it contained an extremely huge number of recipes. Furthermore, there was a very strict confidentiality about them. Students that failed to reach a particular level had little chance of coming into contact with them. Even if they did, the knowledge was not to be spread externally.

Although Sun Qifang had stolen the recipe because he had some skill, he had not been fast enough to take it away before being discovered by the Spirit Stones Head Prefect Pavilion’s inspectors. He had been remanded to the Spirit Stones College Discipline Department, awaiting Wang Baole’s final decision.

As the recipe that was stolen was not particularly important, the matter’s importance was variable.

Back when Wang Baole read the case, he had immediately sensed that something was odd about it. However, his mind had not been with it, so he had paid no attention to it. He planned on getting his men to investigate the matter before fairly handling it.

Now, with Liu Daobin being so sensible, he decided to hand the case to him. Handling such a case in the College Discipline Department represented power itself.

“When investigating Sun Qifang, make sure to have a sense of propriety.” Wang Baole gave Liu Daobin a look before lifting his tea cup again. This time, he did not immediately place it down.

Liu Daobin was pondering over Sun Qifang’s case that Wang Baole had mentioned when he noticed Wang Baole lift up his tea cup. He immediately understood that Wang Baole was politely signaling for him to leave. He bade farewell and left.

Wang Baole smiled smugly when he saw Liu Daobin’s departing back. He felt that he had learned a lot from Liu Daobin. By fusing it with the high officials’ autobiographies, he was already very adept in the art of handling subordinates.

He took another look at the pills as he took them out one by one. After carefully studying to confirm that they had not been unsealed before and that there were no problems with them, he swallowed the pills with glee.

In a good mood, he continued his memorization of Inscriptions.

Meanwhile, Liu Daobin, who had walked out of Wang Baole’s cave abode, quickly contacted his father on the way back to his dormitory. His eyes lit up when his father pointed out the crux of the matter.

<em>So, the crux of what Head Prefect said was in his last sentence… have a sense of propriety!</em>

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