The entire venue fell silent.
Everyone looked at Lu Li with expressions of disbelief, bewilderment, suspicion, and mockery. A myriad of emotions played across their faces, creating a rather striking scene.
The four disciples who had previously followed Sun Zi'an widened their eyes even further, their hearts pounding wildly because they saw Wen Hong actually smiling and nodding at Lu Li.
Instantly, all four felt as if the sky were collapsing.
Although they had not directly participated in bullying Lu Li and his companions, they were well aware of the deep enmity between Lu Li and Sun Zi'an. If Lu Li intended to settle old scores, they would be doomed.
Lu Li straightened his back and swept his gaze over the crowd, entirely free of the servile posture Sun Zi'an had once displayed.
Wen Hong showed no displeasure on his face; instead, he felt Lu Li stood apart from the rest. He cleared his throat and shouted to the assembled disciples in a booming voice:
"Listen up, everyone! From this day forward, Lu Li is the assistant supervisor of our Miscellaneous Hall. He speaks with my full authority. If anyone dares to defy his arrangements, don't blame me for being merciless!"
Seeing everyone standing there in stunned silence, Wen Hong's face darkened, and he roared, "Did you bastards hear me?!"
"Understood!"
Startled, the crowd finally snapped back to their senses and answered in unison.
Assistant supervisor.
The title left many puzzled. In the past, Wen Hong's followers held no official positions, and Wen Hong had never publicly stated that Sun Zi'an could act in his stead.
Even Lu Li cast a surprised glance at Wen Hong, who offered no explanation, simply expecting everyone to use the title.
After delivering his brief address, Wen Hong had Lu Li sit at the task distribution desk to begin handling assignments, while he strode away without looking back.
"What kind of bullshit assistant supervisor? Just another lackey," a slender man muttered discontentedly under his breath.
"Who the hell are you calling a lackey?!"
Chen Zhong glared fiercely, stepping forward to stare the man down.
"What? He's a lackey, isn't he? Can't people speak the truth?"
The man was named Shi Yanze. Having spent a full nine years in the Miscellaneous Hall, he was one of the more senior laborers. Currently at the second level of Qi Refining, he had expected Wen Hong to choose him, only for the position to go to a newcomer. Bitterness filled his heart.
"That's right. If you act like a dog, you should expect to be called one."
"Exactly, exactly."
Encouraged by Shi Yanze, several other senior disciples at the second level of Qi Refining stepped forward.
"You're courting death."
Furious, Chen Zhong struck without hesitation, throwing a heavy punch straight into the chest of a gray-robed youth who had been sneering at him.
Bang!
Caught entirely off guard, the youth was sent flying through the air, crashing heavily onto the stone plaza three zhang away. His head slumped to the side, and he lost consciousness instantly.
"Such audacity! A mere newcomer dares raise a hand against us? If I don't teach you a lesson today, my name isn't Shi Yanze!"
Intent on escalating the conflict, Shi Yanze barked an order to two companions beside him, "Beat him to death!"
At his command, the two men began circulating their True Qi to attack.
Before they could move, a heavy thud echoed across the stones. Shi Yanze stumbled forward in an ungainly tumble, landing three zhang away. In his place now stood a youth clad in dark green martial attire.
Lu Li swept a cold gaze across the two men, raised his hand, and delivered two sharp slaps that sent them spinning in place. With two swift kicks, he knocked both to the ground.
Dusting off his hands, he spoke coldly, "If you have grievances, come find me whenever you like. But whoever touches my brothers will wish they were dead."
What terrifying strength!
He's already at the second level of Qi Refining, and he didn't even cast a technique?
Staring at Lu Li, the surrounding disciples wore expressions of utter shock.
Off to the side, Chu Qingfeng managed a bitter smile. The youth who had once been relentlessly bullied now possessed power far exceeding his own.
Seeing that the crowd had quieted down, Lu Li walked up the stone steps and spoke in a calm, measured tone, "There are a few rules I want you all to remember.
"First, you may hold grievances against me, but you will not display them in my presence. Otherwise, I will not show mercy."
So arrogant!
Resentment flickered across the faces of the disciples below, though none dared voice it.
"Second, under my management, there is no favoritism. All tasks will be clearly priced. Anyone can take the lighter duties, but... under the usual rules, I take a sixty percent cut of the contribution points."
Sixty percent?
Anyone can take them?
Murmurs of surprise rippled through the crowd. Back when Sun Zi'an managed the tasks, those lucrative assignments were strictly reserved for his inner circle-and he took a seventy-percent cut.
Ignoring their reactions, Lu Li continued, "Third, as long as you complete your assigned work on time and in full, I will never deliberately make things difficult for you. Of course, should anyone choose to cross me... that will be treated differently."
As his words settled, the disciples began whispering among themselves, their attitudes toward Lu Li softening considerably.
Sun Zi'an had gone to every length to force their compliance, frequently sabotaging tasks so they failed, which was why everyone despised him as a mere lackey.
If Lu Li honored his word, he could practically be considered a benefactor.
"I... I'd like to take the fishing assignment if possible. My health isn't very good," a small, thin man ventured nervously from the front.
The fishing assignment was notoriously easy and offered respectable monthly contribution points, something ordinary disciples could never secure without connections.
"Of course. As I said, so long as the task is available and you accept my terms, it's yours." Lu Li gestured to Chen Zhong. "Fatty, stop taking tasks for now. Come over and handle the registration."
Chen Zhong grinned widely. "You got it!"
He seated himself behind the long table while Lu Li stood to the side, sorting through the task ledgers and categorizing the assignments.
As he reviewed the records, Lu Li noticed an inefficiency: certain tasks were exceptionally light and required very little time-such as fishing, laundering robes, or chopping vegetables-taking only an hour or two. Yet previously, these had been locked down as primary full-time duties.
Because these chores yielded fewer contribution points than heavy labor, taking them as primary duties left the workers with very little after the supervisor's cut.
After some thought, Lu Li decided to reclassify such tasks as part-time duties, open to everyone during their free time. This way, disciples could earn extra points, and his own total cut would increase.
Calculating the figures, Lu Li realized that if all these tasks were completed, they could generate up to fifty thousand contribution points. After handing over the required seventy percent to Wen Hong, his own share would amount to fifteen thousand.
An ironic expression crossed Lu Li's face. That bastard Wen Hong sat around doing nothing and walked away with thirty-five thousand for free.
Still, his own share wasn't bad either; merely handling registrations for fifteen thousand points a month far exceeded what ordinary formal disciples could earn.
Lu Li promptly announced the change to the crowd: all light duties were now classified as part-time work, available to anyone who completed their primary duties first.
Excitement swept through the disciples upon hearing they could earn extra points, and they began showering Lu Li with praise.
More importantly, knowing Lu Li would not sabotage their primary work gave them the confidence to pursue these secondary tasks.
After reiterating the commission rules, Lu Li handed the task ledger back to Chen Zhong and turned to leave.
His time was too valuable to waste. He needed to head to the Alchemy Hall to exchange for True Essence Pills and push through to the third level of Qi Refining to become a formal disciple as soon as possible.
Watching Lu Li depart with the crowd's complete submission, Shi Yanze was consumed by bitter regret. Since Wen Hong had finalized the arrangement, there was no turning back. He had simply wanted to vent his frustration.
Now, not only had he offended Lu Li, but he had alienated himself from the rest of the disciples.
"Brother Shi... perhaps we should find a time to apologize," a companion whispered quietly. "It's foolish to cut ourselves off from contribution points over pride."
...