Chen Yi woke up early and saw that Yin Tingxue was still fast asleep.
He got up, placed the clothes Yin Tingxue needed to change into at the foot of the bed, then went to wash up before heading directly to the West Factory.
As soon as he stepped through the door, someone familiar came running up to him quickly—it was Zeng Yichang.
"Hundred Household Chen, the Supervisor is looking for you."
Chen Yi frowned slightly.
Could it be… something's been exposed?
After all, in the fallout between the Eastern Factory and the Demon Sect, his actions behind the scenes weren't insignificant, so it was only natural for suspicion to stir in his heart.
But after some contemplation, Chen Yi still walked up the stairs with measured steps.
If something had truly been exposed, he likely would have been seized the moment he stepped into the door, without all this unnecessary roundabout business.
Upon entering the reception hall, Chen Yi immediately noticed a familiar face.
The second young master of the Lin household, Lin Yan. When Lin Yan saw Chen Yi, he merely nodded and did not rise.
"Greetings, Young Master Lin."
Chen Yi, maintaining an air of calm, cupped his fists and said:
"May I ask what the Supervisor needs from me today?"
Wu Qingsheng wasted no time, stating directly:
"You're not just here for me. Second Young Master Lin is also involved, and both of us are addressing the same matter."
Chen Yi narrowed his eyes slightly.
At the start of his time in the Capital City, in order to maximize his own interests, he had aligned himself with Grand Secretary Lin.
And what sort of man was Lin, the Grand Secretary? In the second year of Qingchu, he had become a jinshi and entered the Hanlin Academy for scholarly revision. Later, as an esteemed disciple of successive emperors, his fortunes skyrocketed as he ascended each rung of the imperial ladder. Lin eventually earned the title of Grand Secretary and now stands as the Prime Minister under the Empress Dowager's regency.
In the context of "Heavenly Realm," Lin was notorious for his cunning and scheming ways, earning him the moniker "The Immortal Turtle." Ever since his grand sixtieth birthday, Lin had become obsessed with cultivating immortality, a fact widely known across the streets of the Capital.
Regardless of the political upheaval in Great Yu's Capital City, Lin remains steadfast and unyielding—much like an evergreen tree, though one which constantly drained the kingdom of its vitality.
Among the scholar-officials and conspirators, Lin's disciples are collectively referred to as the Lin Party and are infamous for their misdeeds. Corruption runs rampant under them, as do bribery and a disregard for proper governance. Their notoriety pervades from the streets all the way up to the imperial court. And yet, despite universal disdain, little can be done against them.
Why, you ask? Because Lin, the Grand Secretary, is affiliated by marriage to the An family—the powerful kin of the Empress Dowager. Together the external family ties and the grand political coalition leave few forces within the palace able to challenge their dominance.
"May I inquire, Second Young Master Lin, what brings you here today?"
Chen Yi asked directly.
"The temporary candidate for the position of Eastern Factory Supervisor,"
Wu Qingsheng replied unhurriedly, closely observing Chen Yi's expression.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi immediately understood what this entailed.
Though the Lin Party holds great power and faces little opposition in the imperial arena, that does not mean they are completely unchecked.
The Empress Dowager, skilled in the art of governing ministers, has allowed the rise of the Ding'an Party, a faction closely tied to Prince Jing. Over recent years, this faction has steadily eroded the Lin Party's influence.
Everyone in the Capital knows this: Xue Youge was once a staunch ally of Lin, and the Eastern Factory also belonged to the Lin Party's sphere of influence. But now, Xue Youge is dead, and the position of Eastern Factory Supervisor lies vacant—a leaderless power vacuum. Though neither the Lin Party nor the Ding'an Party can outright decide who shall occupy this seat, both can manipulate the Directorate of Ceremonial to vie for control behind closed doors.
In order to seize the upper hand, the Lin Party would undoubtedly move quickly to petition for one of their own—Chen Yi—to temporarily assume the role of Eastern Factory Supervisor.
If this had occurred before Chen Yi's transmigration, he might've accepted this opportunity without hesitation.
But now…
He wants to sever ties.
Forget about the Lin Party—he's unfamiliar with them.
He refuses to be the first pawn sacrificed.
Even though "Heavenly Realm" offers a path of rising through the ranks via exams and political scheming, Chen Yi has never had any interest in factional struggles. He knows all too well the treacherous twists of court politics—that one wrong move could spell disaster.
In fact, neither of his two saved 'game files' in previous playthroughs involved dabbling in imperial intrigues.
His "villain route" had already ended poorly—with him struck down by the same Demon Sect Saintess whom he himself had nurtured into power. In this life, even though Yin Tingxue is bound to him, Chen Yi has no desire to tread the same deadly path again.
"Supervisor Wu, I'm afraid this matter… requires additional careful deliberation."
Chen Yi took a deep breath and replied.
Wu Qingsheng gave Chen Yi a sideways glance.
Meanwhile, Lin Yan smiled faintly—a smile devoid of warmth—and said:
"Looks like the title of Hundred Household is outdated. We should start calling you Thousand Household now."
Chen Yi didn't deny this and replied:
"Everyone knows of my affiliation with your Lin family, just like Xue Supervisor before me. However… I must respectfully decline this position."
Wu Qingsheng remained silent, as if still evaluating Chen Yi's every word and gesture.
Lin Yan picked up a letter of invitation from the desk and remarked:
"If that's the case, you won't earn Father's favor. Still, here's an invitation requesting your presence at our residence for further discussion."
"Thousand Household Chen, you are the ideal candidate. Rising in rank and wealth is a natural desire, and countless officials dream of such opportunities."
"Operating by the rules, you managing the Eastern Factory would allow Father to focus solely on his cultivation."
Chen Yi frowned deeply.
The Lin Party is determined to bind him even tighter to their cause.
While the Lin Party's influence may seem insurmountable now—with Lin, the Grand Secretary, either shielding or mentoring them—there's no such thing as an eternal force. When Lin passes away in the aftermath of the praying ritual, his faction will inevitably collapse as well.
"I'm afraid my abilities are insufficient to shoulder such a major responsibility."
Chen Yi declined once more.
Lin Yan's eyes flashed with impatience, his tone hardening:
"Chen Yi, my father has always shown you great kindness.
I fail to understand—this opportunity is beneficial to my father, to you, and to the Lin family. Why would you repeatedly refuse? Don't forget, everything you've eaten and used has come from us Lin family!"
After saying this, Lin Yan pressed the invitation onto the desk without handing it to Chen Yi directly, then got up and walked out.
Once Lin Yan had left, Wu Qingsheng, who had been silently observing all this while, seemed to make up his mind. He picked up the invitation and pressed it into Chen Yi's hand.
"Thousand Household Chen, don't act impulsively.
I know you've endured for a long time, so why not endure just a little longer?"
Upon hearing these words, Chen Yi was momentarily taken aback.
He turned his gaze toward Wu Supervisor, only to find a sincerity that surprised him.
Could it be… he's mistaken all of Chen Yi's questionable, self-serving actions in his early days as acts of patience and restraint?
What kind of logic…
Chen Yi couldn't help but mock inwardly.
Still, outwardly, he remained polite, taking the invitation with a forced smile.
"It seems I can't escape this time."
Wu Qingsheng quietly sighed in his heart.
Without further ado, Wu Qingsheng turned around, moved to a corner, and pressed against something. A hidden compartment slid open.
Chen Yi looked over with curiosity.
From the hidden compartment, Wu Qingsheng pulled out a worn-looking manual.
"Thousand Household Chen, take this.
Consider it my attempt to advise you."
Wu Qingsheng handed the manual to Chen Yi. Upon seeing it, Chen Yi was momentarily stunned. The title was emblazoned in bold characters: "Cangshan Fist."
Even having completed the game once before, Chen Yi found himself momentarily speechless at the sight of this cultivation technique.
Cangshan Fist… wasn't this one of the two equally famed mid-game martial arts in "Heavenly Realm," alongside Tai Shi Fist?
Moreover, it was deemed a must-have cultivation technique for any martial artist specializing in fist techniques. According to the in-game lore, the creator of Cangshan Fist had once slain celestial beings with his bare hands.
Following the standard progression, this manual was supposed to emerge during the mid-game event "Martial Chaos Across the Realm." During that time, a martial artist named Xu Deng would rise to prominence, fighting his way up from tenth place on the warrior rankings, defeating those in sixth, fifth, and fourth places, until finally challenging the second-ranked Wei Gang. Xu Deng would ultimately settle at third place, but his rise was nothing short of legendary.
To obtain this manual, players needed to rescue Xu Deng during three moments of dire peril and earn his gratitude each time—only then would Xu Deng entrust this family heirloom to them.
Of course, if you played as a female character, there was a less challenging method...
Chen Yi secretly ridiculed this.
"Where did this fist manual come from?"
Chen Yi restrained his excitement and asked.