Fairy, don't be afraid, I, Wang Daqi, am truly an honest man.

"What, you don't want it?"

"No, no, I'm just an ordinary disciple, I can't accept rewards without merit..."

Wang Daqi said in a panic.

"Just keep it. I'm only giving it to you because you work so hard for me!"

Cheng Man smiled slightly.

Wang Daqi then accepted the jade slip with trembling hands.

He had seen similar techniques in the administrative office.

Even the most basic introduction to talismanic arts costs fifty spirit stones.

Therefore, the value of this jade slip is probably far beyond his imagination!

"Thank you very much, Elder Cheng!" Wang Daqi said gratefully.

Cheng Man waved her hand generously and continued, "However, I must warn you beforehand that the spiritual energy within this jade slip can only sustain two viewings. After you've finished reading it, the jade slip will shatter."

Wang Daqi's heart stirred. He thought of Xu Yan, who was also diligently cultivating at home, and cautiously asked, "Elder Cheng, this jade slip... may I let my Daoist partner study it as well?"

Cheng Man was slightly taken aback, then covered her mouth and chuckled, "You really dote on your wife. Since it's given to you, it's yours to do with as you please. As long as you two memorize the contents of the jade slip before its spiritual power runs out, how much you can comprehend depends entirely on your own destiny."

After speaking, Cheng Man gave a few more instructions on the details of the formation, then turned and gracefully left.

She has a good eye for people.

Although Wang Daqi was honest and simple-minded!

But first he married Xu Yan, a young female cultivator, and then he received the care of Shen Ruyan and Peak Master Nangong Ling!

Now, even Zhou Yongli, who disliked him, has been kicked out of this big job, causing him to lose a lot of money!

These events, when considered together, are probably not coincidences!

"Either Wang Daqi is a man of great fortune, or there's a secret behind him..."

"In short, it's never a bad thing to be on his good side beforehand!"

Cheng Man thought to herself.

…………

…………

Wang Daqi held the warm, smooth jade slip, standing there lost in thought.

Why would a Golden Core elder treat him so well for no apparent reason?

If Zhou Yongli's downfall last night was due to luck, then Cheng Man's gift of a treasure today cannot be explained simply by saying "I like you."

"Could it be Senior Sister Shen...?"

Wang Daqi sighed inwardly.

But Senior Sister Shen isn't around lately!

"Regardless, I, Wang Daqi, will remember this favor."

Wang Daqi carefully put away the jade slip.

He has already decided that after finishing work tonight and going home, he will study the "True Explanation of Talismanic Arts" with Xu Yan.

Once he mastered the skill of drawing talismans, Wang Daqi would no longer be that peasant who only knew how to farm and do manual labor.

"Daqi, what are you daydreaming about? What good news did Elder Cheng whisper to you about?" Li Dahu leaned over and asked with a wink.

"It's nothing. Elder Cheng saw that we had worked hard and gave us a few pointers."

Wang Daqi chuckled to cover it up, then shouted loudly, "Brothers, let's give it our all! Today, let's try to pave that open space in front of the main hall. Tonight, I'll have my wife cook two more pounds of cured meat for everyone!"

"Alright! Boss Wang is awesome!"

Cheers echoed on the north side of the Cold Jade Palace.

…………

…………

…………

Meanwhile, inside Zhao Feng's lavishly decorated cave dwelling, shrouded in spiritual energy, the atmosphere was oppressively chilling.

"Bang!!!"

A fine rosewood table was smashed to pieces by Zhou Yongli, with wood chips flying everywhere.

"He's insane! Nangong Ling is absolutely insane!"

Zhou Yongli's eyes were bloodshot, completely devoid of the dignified and otherworldly demeanor he usually possessed as an elder of formations. Instead, he resembled a gambler who had lost everything, roaring at the top of his lungs:

"I have no idea what I did wrong! How many days and nights did I spend designing the defensive formation for this Jade Palace? She just withdrew without even an explanation! That was a full 1,200 low-grade spirit stones as payment!"

Zhou Yongli was heartbroken.

In order to secure this lucrative position, he made considerable efforts in the early stages.

He even secretly gave a lot of benefits to several of Nangong Ling's favored disciples, hoping they would put in a good word for him with the peak master.

Now look what's happened! The job's gone, all the initial investment was wasted, and he's utterly humiliated.

Zhao Feng's lips twitched as he looked at his rosewood table.

He spent 2 spirit stones to buy this.

You just smashed it like that!

However, the other party is, after all, an elder of formations, and there will be places where he can be used in the future.

Zhao Feng held back for the time being.

"Brother, what on earth is going on??"

Zhao Dong, standing to the side, also joined in the cursing, "Elder Zhou made such a great contribution, and they just replace him like that? Could it really be that Wang Daqi pulling the strings?"

Zhao Feng sat on a large tiger-skin chair, his face ashen, his fingertips rhythmically tapping the armrest.

He was, after all, one of the best among the inner disciples, and his mind was far more profound than those two.

"First of all, we can rule out Wang Daqi as a factor!!"

Zhao Feng spoke decisively, his voice icy, "I've investigated this kid. He's been a low-level disciple for five years since joining the sect. If he truly had a powerful background, he wouldn't be in this situation now. Therefore, Peak Master Nangong's replacement of Elder Zhou could not possibly be to avenge him."

This analysis made Zhou Yongli and Zhao Dong nod slightly, and their unease subsided somewhat.

In their view, Wang Daqi really didn't have that kind of power.

Zhao Feng continued, squinting, "As for Shen Ruyan, that's impossible too. She hasn't been on the peak recently; she's been out training with the sect's hunting team. It's said she's preparing for the inner disciple assessment! She's been killing monsters day and night to gain practical experience; she wouldn't have time to worry about things here!"

"What happened? Could it be that I was just unlucky and ran into the Peak Master because he was in a bad mood that day?" Zhou Yongli asked through gritted teeth.

Zhao Feng remained silent for a moment, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "Elder Zhou, could it be... that there really is some flaw in your array diagram that you didn't notice, and the Peak Master saw through it?"

"Impossible!" Zhou Yongli jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Don't you know my array formation skills? They're foolproof! Unless... unless someone slanders me to the Peak Master, deliberately trying to smear my reputation!"

Zhao Feng sighed. Things had come to this point; dwelling on the reasons was pointless now.

"Elder Zhou, don't be discouraged. If you lose your job, you can find another one. But right now, I do have a solution that benefits both of you: it will give you a chance to get back to your post, and it will also ensure that Wang Daqi dies a horrible death!"

As Zhao Feng spoke, a cruel smile curled at the corner of his lips, and he lowered his voice:

"The most crucial aspect of repairing the Cold Jade Palace is the compatibility of materials and formations. Aren't Wang Daqi's bunch of peasants working feverishly right now? Heh, if we could tamper with these Cold Jade floor tiles and Cold Iron roof tiles..."

Zhou Yongli's eyes lit up. As a formation master, he instantly understood Zhao Feng's meaning: "You mean, you've mixed 'Spirit-Eating Powder' into it?"

"good!"

Zhao Feng sneered, "The Spirit-Eating Powder is colorless and odorless, and its effects are usually undetectable. But once that woman Cheng Man starts inscribing array runes on the tiles, the spiritual energy will circulate, causing extremely tiny cracks to appear inside the material. When the array is activated, due to its unstable foundation, the entire array will collapse instantly, and may even trigger a backlash of cold energy!"

"At that time, not only will the construction of the Cold Jade Palace be destroyed, but Wang Daqi, the person in charge of processing the materials, will be primarily responsible! When the Peak Master is enraged, he wouldn't be able to pay for it even with a hundred lives!"

Zhao Feng paused, his eyes revealing a confident, strategic brilliance: "Given the chaos, Cheng Man couldn't clean up the mess. Besides Elder Zhou, who else could shoulder this responsibility?"

Zhou Yongli's heart pounded! He immediately became excited.

But soon, he seemed to realize something, and frowned, saying, "No, if this is discovered, it's a capital offense! Peak Master Nangong has been living in the Cold Jade Palace, it's easy for him to be discovered! No, absolutely not..."

Although he wanted to get a big job, it involved Nangong Ling.

That person is a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Once the matter is exposed, not only Zhao Feng, but even he, as an elder, will lose his head!

"Elder Zhou, rest assured, leave this matter to me." Zhao Feng said confidently, "Not to mention Nascent Soul cultivators, even Deity Transformation cultivators would not be able to detect it."

Zhou Yongli stared at him and said solemnly, "I don't know what you're talking about. This has nothing to do with me. I'm leaving now."

He thought Zhao Feng had really gone mad.

How dare they cause trouble right under the nose of a Nascent Soul cultivator!

After he left, Zhao Dong also felt that it was a bit risky.

"Brother, although he hit me, I'm fine. We don't need to take such a risk, do we?" Zhao Dong asked nervously.

He felt that teaching Wang Daqi a lesson was enough; there was no need to take the risk!

"Hmph, what do you know? Wang Daqi has suddenly risen to prominence these days. I suspect he has a secret!"

"What? Bro, you mean, a stroke of luck??"

"Not bad!" Zhao Feng sneered, "Back then, we were both outer disciples. Do you still remember how I rose to power?"

"I know, there was that poor kid who joined the sect with you back then, we were all just getting by, when suddenly he learned how to make talismans, and in just half a year he became a mid-grade first-level talisman maker!! You said he must have a secret, so we tricked him into going out, and then killed him in the forest..."

"Yes, and then I obtained the talismanic inheritance of a Nascent Soul cultivator from him! And this Wang Daqi, he's been a good-for-nothing for five years since joining the sect! Tell me, how did he suddenly change?"

The more Zhao Dong thought about it, the more convinced he became that it was true.

"Big brother, I understand! This kid has some kind of destiny!"

"Shh, this is between you and me, don't tell anyone! Once the formation in the Cold Jade Palace malfunctions, I, as the enforcement disciple, will have a legitimate reason to arrest him and throw him in the dungeon. Then, he'll be completely at my mercy!!"

Zhao Dong slapped his thigh: "Big brother, you're really amazing."