They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 159 My fire didn't start, but your show of force has arrived?

The next morning, in the Imperial Horse Stables, officials of all ranks, strongmen and grooms were busy feeding the horses, cleaning, and checking the fodder. Everything was in good order, as if the ripples of the new official taking office had been smoothed out.

But a sense of unease lingered among them.

Everyone knew that the newly appointed Bi Ma Wen, Lord Chen Guangrui, had arrived at the Imperial Horse Stable. Everyone had seen him that day, but after that day, there was no further news of him.

The time for roll call has passed, but the door to the guardhouse belonging to the stable master remains tightly closed, and there is no sound from inside; the master has not appeared.

As the young constables brushed the horses, they couldn't help but whisper among themselves, their eyes frequently drifting towards the door.

"That's strange. The adults have been here for several days, why haven't they come out to reprimand anyone yet?"

"Yeah, even if he needs a break to adjust, he should at least show up for roll call today, right? A new broom sweeps clean, he should at least show up for us and let us know his face, shouldn't he?"

"Could it be... that our new leader has no intention of getting involved at all?"

"Well, that's hard to say. Ding Tou'er and Ji Tou'er both said that we should continue as before. Maybe the master is just a figurehead?"

The murmurs hummed softly, like a swarm of restless horseflies. Just then, Ding Chou and Ji Yong strolled over from the other end of the stable, their faces calm, but their eyes gleaming with a knowing light.

A more experienced groom, rubbing a pitchfork, approached and asked, half with concern and half tentatively,

“Ding Tou’er, Ji Tou’er, is the new magistrate… going to roll call today? It’s already past the appointed time, and the brothers are all unsure.”

Ding Chou stood tall and thin in the morning light, a familiar, enigmatic smile playing on his lips. He raised his hand and pressed it down lightly, his voice neither hurried nor slow.
"Please don't be impatient, everyone. The Lord has only been here for a few days, and he probably doesn't know much about our Imperial Horse Administration yet. He's also just taken charge of important matters, and he has a lot on his mind. He needs some time to calm down and think things through. Let's not disturb him."

He glanced at the fleeting look of confusion on everyone's faces, and then said,
"As for the tasks, do them as they are, maintain the old rules, and do them as before. Everyone should do their jobs well and avoid mistakes. That is the best way to share the burden with the adults and to fulfill our responsibilities."

His words were perfectly watertight, both saving face for the new boss and implying the principle of not disturbing him unnecessarily.

Ji Yong, with his sturdy build, took half a step forward, a good-natured smile plastered on his face like a peacemaker, and continued in a loud voice.
“Brother Ding is right. The lord has his own plans. We men below should just follow the rules and do our jobs properly. Feeding the horses well, preparing enough fodder, and doing our jobs well are our duty and how we save the lord a lot of trouble! If we don’t even understand these rules and the lord has to personally intervene in everything, then we are really just causing trouble for the lord.”

His tone was relaxed, with a hint of self-deprecation and admonition, as if he were stating a simple truth. His words, however, sounded like a reassurance to everyone, yet also like a subtle warning.

Some people breathed a sigh of relief and muttered to themselves, "So that's how it is. The adults are thinking about important matters, and we really shouldn't bother them."

"Keep it as it is, keep it as it is, so as not to displease the new official."

"That's true. As long as the work is done neatly and without mistakes, there are superiors to take care of things."

The atmosphere in the crowd visibly relaxed, and the discussion gradually subsided.

But some quick-witted people, or those who are usually a bit lazy, have something different in their eyes.

The new official needs to calm down and think things through, but he doesn't get involved in anything, and everything remains the same... This doesn't mean that as long as he doesn't cause a huge uproar, the old-fashioned practices of being lazy in attendance, skimping on fodder, and not taking such meticulous care of the horses can still be done.

How they handled their duties before is how they handle them now. Anyway, if the sky falls, that new stable boy will hold it up.

Ding Chou calmly called aside several slick and opportunistic bailiffs who usually relied on him. He didn't say much, but whispered a few instructions about the important hay delivery. Finally, he glanced at a corner deep inside the stable. The bailiffs understood and bowed as they withdrew.

But inside the tightly closed duty room, the atmosphere was completely different.

A single couch and a futon lay bare, nothing else of value. Chen Guangrui sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor, surrounded by a thin, almost invisible, warm glow. His eyes were closed, his mind focused, and his inner energy circulated.

The powerful yet gentle energy of the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir was being guided, thread by thread, by the unique method taught by Sun Wukong, sinking into the deepest, most subtle parts of the body.

No longer the violent, hole-filling impact of the first golden elixir, this second golden elixir transformed into a gentle, warm current, like spring rain nourishing the previously neglected or untouchable fundamental source.

Each breath seemed to send a soft hum through the depths of my bones. Each heartbeat seemed to pump forth a purer and more resilient vitality.

The stagnation and weakness caused by congenital deficiencies that had plagued him for many years were being gradually cleansed and repaired by this power of creation. His meridians were becoming wider and stronger, and his bones were emitting a faint, crisp sound like jade.

It was an indescribable feeling of exhilaration and stability. Chen Guangrui could clearly see his body transforming, like a piece of raw jade being meticulously carved by a master craftsman, impurities removed, and divine light shining within.

The monkey's methods complement the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir perfectly, bringing not only an increase in power but also a sublimation and reshaping of the essence of life. Given time, the potential of this body will be completely different from what it was before.

He was immersed in this miraculous process of transformation, completely oblivious to his surroundings, his breath long and deep, as if he were isolated from the passage of time in the quiet room and even from the outside world.

How long this went on, I don't know; perhaps only half a day, yet it felt like three days had passed. The light in the room changed several times between bright and dim.

"Dangdang!"

A piercing thud of heavy metal hitting the ground, accompanied by panicked shouts, suddenly pierced through the door panel, like a thunderclap in the silence.

"No, something terrible has happened!"

The sharp, distorted sound, filled with intense fear, instantly shattered the tranquility of the duty room. Immediately following, a flurry of hurried footsteps rushed toward the tightly closed door.

That scream, like a cold awl, pierced through Chen Guangrui's state of complete absorption.

The gentle radiance surrounding him suddenly vanished, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. The instant his eyes opened, a murderous intent seemed to emanate from them.

The second golden core was almost completely used up, but this last bit was precisely what would perfect his foundation. Who on earth would disturb his cultivation at this time?

Chen Guangrui slowly stood up, his eyes red. He stepped forward steadily and, without hesitation, opened the door that had kept the inside and outside isolated for many days.

(End of this chapter)