CHAPTER 580: CHAPTER 590: THE SPY TAKES ACTION

Chu Feng dares to challenge even Inner Sect Disciples, would he be afraid of a mere Mountain Master?

Moreover, it wasn’t Mao Wu Mountain Master in person who came, but merely Administrative Officer Cheng, a Chief Clerk at Mao Wu’s side.

"Manager Chu Feng, are you threatening me, Administrative Officer Cheng?" Cheng The Third’s withered old face revealed a sinister expression, resembling a ferocious badger.

"It’s not a threat, just arguing based on reason! I advise Administrative Officer Cheng to take this seriously; otherwise, you’ll not only bring trouble upon yourself, but also possibly bring disaster to the master behind you."

Chu Feng’s words were extremely sharp; despite seeming arrogant, they carried undeniable weight.

His underlings, both big chiefs and small leaders alike, all looked at Chu Feng with admiration.

They just felt their Lord of Housekeeper was too dashing.

This Administrative Officer Cheng had been throwing his weight around in front of them, oppressing them willfully. Now, he was being counter-threatened by Chu Feng. And in public, Chu Feng undermined Cheng’s authority.

"You old fool, don’t forget your place. You are just a Chief Clerk under the Mountain Master. To put it unpleasantly, that’s just a servant. What right do you have to strut around here?"

Fang Zhengda and the others felt extremely gratified.

Administrative Officer Cheng’s face turned green, his pen-holding hand trembled intensely.

"You, you are truly insolent! I want to see what kind of disaster you’re inviting, what trouble you’re stirring up?"

"Hmph! Don’t think too highly of yourself; aren’t you just someone who passed the third level of the Qiankun Sword Formation? You are still not an Inner Sect Disciple yet. When you get promoted to the Inner Sect in the future, then come and talk about seniority in front of me."

"Current authority is more potent than official rank. If I, Administrative Officer Cheng, say these Medicinal Herbs don’t meet the standards, then they don’t meet the standards. You want to make a fuss? Feel free to do so, I’ll handle it all."

Administrative Officer Cheng was imperious, wielding considerable authority in Medicine Field No. 106.

Especially with the authority accumulated over the years, he felt like a big shot. Aside from Mao Wu Mountain Master, he paid no one any mind.

Wherever he went on usual days, he was always impressive, with countless people fawning over him.

"In that case, leave these Medicinal Herbs behind!"

Without saying much more, Chu Feng immediately ordered his men to withhold the dozen or so Medicinal Herbs that were deliberately underrated in age.

If Administrative Officer Cheng had just slightly suppressed them, that would have been fine. However, he took these obviously standard-meeting Medicinal Herbs to make a case; Chu Feng was definitely going to retaliate severely.

...

With such a disturbance, the relationship between the two parties had become extremely tense, with swords drawn and bows bent, replete with the smoke of gunpowder.

After such a commotion, Administrative Officer Cheng toned down his haughty comments a bit during the subsequent inspection of the Medicinal Herbs. At least he didn’t play any more tricks with those sufficiently aged Medicinal Herbs. However, it was inevitable that he would deliberately find faults to depreciate the value of the Medicinal Herbs.

"Move on to the next Big Chief’s Medicine Field!" Administrative Officer Cheng coldly shouted. "Chu Feng, you better hope the remaining Medicinal Herbs meet the lowest standards. Otherwise, there’s no need for you to continue being the manager."

By now, Administrative Officer Cheng seemed to have also calmed down.

This person was deeply cunning and very sly. Presumably, he had also realized that deliberately reducing the age of those sufficiently aged Medicinal Herbs could easily give people leverage against him.

He wanted to rectify this in disguise.

Forcing Chu Feng to hand over the withheld Medicinal Herbs.

"Heh heh, now realizing you’re scared? Want me to hand over those Medicinal Herbs whose ages were intentionally downplayed? Not a chance."

Immediately, Chu Feng, accompanied by Master Cheng The Third, proceeded to Boss Zhong Hong’s Medicine Field.

He was absolutely confident that even without those dozen hundred-year-old and thousand-year-old Medicinal Herbs, he would meet the standards.

Not just meeting the minimum requirements but far more. Chu Feng even had the confidence to achieve first place on Medicine Mountain.

Chu Feng had personally inspected the Medicine Fields under the jurisdiction of the three Big Chiefs not long ago.

The growth of the Medicinal Herbs was very impressive.

Upon arriving at Boss Zhong Hong’s Medicine Field, Chu Feng saw Zhong Hong with a mournful face, fiercely scolding his subordinates, the small leaders and Medicine Farmers.

"Zhong Hong, what happened?"

Chu Feng had an ominous premonition that something must have gone wrong here.

"Ah... Manager Chu, I’ve let down your cultivation and trust... Just half a day ago, a sudden rodent infestation erupted in the Medicine Field, destroying a large number of Medicinal Herbs."

Zhong Hong beat his chest and stomped his feet in a continuous lament, wearing an expression of extreme self-reproach and dejection.

"It’s all Boss Zhong’s fault for insisting that we leave our own Medicine Fields to come here for a welcoming ceremony rehearsal. If we hadn’t left our Medicine Fields, the rats wouldn’t have found the opportunity to destroy a year of hard work."

A bold Medicine Farmer revealed the truth.

Zhong Hong’s face changed as he glared fiercely at the Medicine Farmer. Frightened, the young Medicine Farmer in his twenties shivered, stepping back in terror and daring not to make another sound.

"Manager Chu, it’s all my fault. I was thinking, since Administrative Officer Cheng only comes around once a year, I wanted to organize a welcoming ceremony to give you some face... but the result, ah..."

Zhong Hong was full of self-blame.

Master Cheng The Third had a cold smile on his face.

Chu Feng keenly sensed that there was more than meets the eye.

If it were just a coincidence, that would be one thing. However, when too many coincidences happen together, it must be someone’s deliberate doing.

It’s normal for Medicine Mountain to have rodents.

On a regular basis, even if rodents came out to nibble on the Medicinal Herbs, at most, they would gnaw on two or three plants. How could it be such a coincidence that just as all Medicine Farmers were here rehearsing, in just half a day, the Medicinal Herbs in the field were heavily gnawed upon and severely damaged?

The situation was too peculiar.

There’s something abnormal at play.

Chu Feng had always wanted to root out the spy Mao Wu Mountain Master had placed by his side, but unfortunately, the spy was deeply concealed, and even with Chu Feng’s wisdom and experience, he had not been able to find them.

Mainly because his time and energy were limited, and also because Li Shishi was not by his side.

Otherwise, he would definitely have been able to root out the spy.

Now, there’s no need to search anymore, as the spy has revealed himself.

It was none other than Boss Zhong Hong.

You can know a person’s face, but not their heart. It turned out that despite Zhong Hong always appearing so loyal, he was in fact a spy planted by Mao Wu Mountain Master.

Chu Feng had not been without suspicion of this man. However, the man was too cunning and deeply hidden.

Thus, Chu Feng had dismissed his doubts about him.

He had even suspected Fang Zhengda and Wu Ming at one point.

"Little Chu, you see, no wonder people say you’re too young and simply unfit to be the Manager. This incident proves that you’re really unsuitable for the position of Manager. With a large batch of Medicinal Herbs destroyed, you as the Manager cannot shirk the responsibility. Prepare to be demoted."

Administrative Officer Cheng gleefully kicked a man when he was down, stepping forward to shame Chu Feng severely.

Zhong Hong, even at this point, still showed no intention of coming clean. Instead, he threw himself on his knees in front of Chu Feng, "Manager Chu, it’s all my fault... If there really must be a punishment from above, I am willing to bear it with you!"

"Zhong Hong, you can’t be blamed for this. Get up, your loyalty to this Manager is indeed profound!"

"First, let’s harvest what Medicinal Herbs we can from the field before anything else."

Chu Feng wore a gentle smile.