CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 40: UNLOCKING A NEW PROFESSION

Chen Chun lowered his head, silent. Even as blood dripped down his chin to the ground, he seemed indifferent to the pain.

The state official stood to the side. Seeing Chen Chun in such a state, he kicked him in the back: "Shameless creature, what’s the point of making complaints?"

Assaulted on the back, Chen Chun fell to the ground, exclaiming painfully, "I risked my life to break through Ding County’s heavy blockade, nearly losing my life several times—this is what I deserve!"

"You shared your achievements with the Lin Family to climb higher by leveraging Lin Family’s daughter. You’re a parasite in the Evil Extermination Bureau!"

"I refuse to accept this!"

Zhou Mo’s gaze gradually grew cold, his fingers tracing circles on the wine jug: "In consideration of his years of service as a covert agent, throw him out of the Evil Extermination Bureau and send him to work in the yamen. If it happens again, execute him."

The state official promptly nodded.

Chen Chun was still cursing, his words extremely agitated.

Especially upon hearing he would be sent to work in the yamen, he struggled vigorously.

Seeing this, the state official stuffed Chen Chun’s mouth with a rag and called two colleagues to escort Chen Chun outside.

Only when the noise gradually faded did the state official wipe the cold sweat off his forehead.

Zhou Mo cast a sidelong glance at his subordinate: "Did I handle this correctly?"

The state official quickly cupped his fist: "I believe my lord handled it correctly."

Zhou Mo sneered: "I distributed my achievements, making my own promotion impossible, and elevated the Lin Family’s people beneath me—this is causality."

"Blame only that he had no backing, it has nothing to do with me."

The state official bowed his head in agreement, though inwardly he was full of complaints.

Promotion?

All of them knew, Zhou Mo had no chance of promotion.

After serving as a Copper State’s Captain for so long, he was still far from achieving any noteworthy achievements.

This was merely an opportunistic move.

This affair was handled very discreetly, a seamless operation.

Even if the higher-ups found out, what could they do?

To erase a Copper State’s Captain who had killed many monsters for the sake of a covert agent who hadn’t even reached the Body Storage Realm?

Though it might chill the hearts of some covert agents, this matter wouldn’t be exposed.

With the complexity involved, the state official knew his rank was too low to dare say a word.

"It’s said Chen Chun has connections with Qin An," the state official added after some thought.

Zhou Mo replied indifferently: "He’s merely a newly appointed Copper State’s Captain, with neither background nor strength, nothing but a loner. What use are connections?"

"Moreover, even if he knew, he wouldn’t stand up for Chen Chun. Logically and emotionally, the reason lies with me."

"No need to concern ourselves with him."

The state official knew these words weren’t false.

As a Copper State’s Captain, why would one offend another Copper State’s Captain for a covert agent?

Soon, silence fell upon the room.

Zhou Mo drank tea while pondering which brothel to visit next.

...

The next day.

Qin An left early in the morning, walking on the streets of Lingzhou.

Lingzhou was bustling, far beyond anything Ding County could compare with.

The surrounding hubbub, even on just one street, could rival the entire prosperity of Ding County.

Following the street and making a few inquiries, Qin An arrived in front of a medicinal hall.

Above the hall hung a plaque inscribed with the words "East Dawn Hall."

Inside were dozens of patients, forming a long queue.

The reversal of Gang Qi states that one needs to use the Qi Condensing Needle, like a medical practitioner, to pierce major acupuncture points around the body.

Qin An planned to take up the medical profession, perhaps relying on his medical talent to comprehend the reversal of Gang Qi.

Upon entering East Dawn Hall, he was immediately hit by the heavy scent of medicine.

A medicine hall having the scent of medicine is normal, but the number of people in line made Qin An frown.

Seeing a doctor isn’t a short affair; dozens of people might seem few, but if each person took the duration of one incense stick, the day would soon be over.

Qin An felt he might have arrived early today.

As this thought occurred, the queue ahead spontaneously cleared a path.

Qin An raised an eyebrow, noticing the patients looked at him with anxious and uncertain eyes.

Upon thinking carefully, Qin An understood the reason.

Today, he wore dark robes, a copper badge, and a black knife at his waist, making his identity evident.

Civilians fear officials—this has been true through the ages.

After some thought, Qin An stepped forward.

He wouldn’t take much time; he only needed to learn to become a practitioner, after which he could hone his skills at home.

Sitting at the table before him was not an elder, but a young man dressed in plain clothes.

The young man was diagnosing a commoner when, sensing something was off, he looked up and saw Qin An approaching.

"I have something to discuss."

Qin An spoke succinctly: "I won’t take much of your time. Could you grant me a convenience?"

At these words, the surrounding commoners showed expressions of astonishment.

Ordinarily, these officials dressed in dark robes exuded an unapproachable aura, so why was this one so courteous today?

The young man hesitated slightly and then called a nearby attendant: "You maintain order first, the lord will follow me."

Qin An nodded and followed the young man in plain clothes to the inner courtyard.

The inner courtyard was spacious, with half-person-high shelves lined with herbs.

"I am Cheng Sufeng. May I ask the lord’s honorable name and the matter at hand?" The young man in plain clothes gave a slight bow.

Qin An said indifferently, "I have some silver coins and wish to learn medicine—not anything profound, just the basics will do."

Cheng Sufeng pondered: "Why does the lord wish to study medicine?"

Qin An raised an eyebrow: "Interest."

Cheng Sufeng: "..."

Qin An continued, "If this won’t work, I’ll find another place."

He didn’t want to waste time; if it worked, it worked; if not, so be it.

The Evil Extermination Bureau’s affairs were busy, with possible new tasks at any time. Before that, he wanted to practice medicine for extra self-preservation skills.

After thinking for a moment, Cheng Sufeng walked into a room: "My lord, please wait."

Shortly, Cheng Sufeng returned, holding a book, which he handed to Qin An.

"To get started, just need to memorize this book."

Qin An took the book.

The book cover had small characters, titled "Initial Understanding of Herbs."

"Just memorize it?" Qin An frowned.

In his past life, he knew that memorizing was basic in Chinese medicine.

But now Cheng Sufeng said memorization was enough to get started, which seemed somewhat careless.

Cheng Sufeng smiled: "Memorize to get a general idea, then getting started is no problem. Later, you’ll need to personally identify various herbs and much more, and that becomes complex."

Qin An didn’t understand, perhaps Daqian’s medical practice differed from his previous life.

Since he had traveled here, he thought there was no need to delve into entry methods, as that would only make things difficult for himself.

"How much?" Qin An asked.

Cheng Sufeng waved his hand: "Just a few sheets of paper."

Qin An took out some silver coins from his money pouch and placed them in Cheng Sufeng’s hand, then turned to leave: "Take it."

Cheng Sufeng was slightly stunned, watching Qin An’s departing figure with a hint of interest in his eyes.

At this moment, footsteps sounded in the courtyard.

A middle-aged man, exuding Evil Qi, entered the inner courtyard.

As soon as he entered, the man handed over a dark robe to Cheng Sufeng: "Master, it’s been washed clean."

On the dark robe, a silver badge gleamed coldly.