Chapter 639 - 202: Red Makeup Evolves Again

"Your Majesty, besides these rewards, there must be something else, right?"

He saw the Saint Martial Emperor still sitting upright on his chair, his gaze fixed on him, and knew at once that there was more to this.

After Shen Bai said this, the Saint Martial Emperor nodded and spoke.

"Correct. I have another reward to give you."

After saying this, the Saint Martial Emperor handed a sealed letter to Shen Bai.

The envelope was smooth and bore no name, but judging by the seal, it was clear that the letter had only passed through the Saint Martial Emperor’s hands.

Shen Bai saw that the Saint Martial Emperor’s expression seemed particularly solemn. He was a bit puzzled, wondering what else awaited him.

He then opened the letter in front of the Saint Martial Emperor and Eunuch Chen.

Inside the letter were lines of text, written in a flourishing, cursive script—far more elegant than the Academy Dean’s handwriting.

After Shen Bai finished reading all the text on the page, he was completely stunned.

’They want me to go to Lingyun Dao and serve as the Daoist Si there?’

"Your Majesty, I haven’t been in Nanxing Prefecture for very long. It might not be convenient."

Shen Bai said, "Think about it, I’ve only been in Nanxing Prefecture for such a short time. Everything is still waiting to be rebuilt from the ground up, so I really can’t leave right now."

He began to haggle.

In truth, at that moment, Shen Bai really did want to bargain.

There was no other reason than the fact that it would be a huge hassle for him to run off to another High Level city.

Nanxing Prefecture was not in a state of disrepair as he claimed.

In fact, Shen Bai had already forged the entire Nanxing Prefecture into an iron-clad fortress.

All he had to do was go back and be a lazy, do-nothing salted fish.

’In this day and age, who would choose to join the rat race when they could just be a salted fish?’

’Isn’t it better to just honestly grind my Skill Level? Why would I want anything else?’

Shen Bai had no desire to be the king of the rat race.

Hearing Shen Bai try to bargain with him, the Saint Martial Emperor couldn’t help but press his forehead in exasperation. "Shen Bai, oh, Shen Bai," he said, "you really are as cunning as they say in the Jianghu."

Shen Bai immediately put on a serious face. "Your Majesty, those are strong words. I’m not cunning at all. Everything I’ve said is the truth."

The Saint Martial Emperor lowered his hand and revealed a smile. "If anyone else dared to speak to me like that, I would have them dragged out and given several dozen strokes of the paddle before being brought back. You are the only one who can speak to me this way, because, after all, I greatly admire you."

"You don’t have to lie to me. What ’state of disrepair’? Take a look at this memorial."

Shen Bai took the memorial from the Saint Martial Emperor’s hand, glanced at it, then placed it very seriously on the table. "Slander! This is pure slander! What’s this about Nanxing Prefecture having no more Demonic Forces? And that it’s now the most stable of all the Prefecture-level Cities? It’s all fake."

"Your Majesty, someone is definitely trying to frame me."

Eunuch Chen coughed from the side.

Shen Bai turned his head in surprise, a look of confusion on his face. "Eunuch Chen, that can’t be right. At your level of cultivation, there should be no need to cough. Could it be that you’re injured?"

The corner of Eunuch Chen’s mouth twitched slightly. "This one is not injured. This one was simply angered into this state by you, you little rascal."

Shen Bai said, looking puzzled, "I haven’t done anything to offend you, Eunuch Chen. What’s this all about?"

Eunuch Chen chuckled. "The contents of that memorial were compiled by this one, step by step. If you’re saying someone slandered you, then you’re saying this one slandered you."

Shen Bai froze for a moment, then waved his hand. "Impossible, how could Eunuch Chen possibly slander me? But Nanxing Prefecture really can’t do without me."

The Saint Martial Emperor said, exasperated, "It’s decided. You will go and be the Daoist Si. Don’t argue with me about it any further."

"I find it strange. A promotion, with greater power and a stronger backing, is something everyone dreams of. How is it that when it comes to you, you refuse it every which way?"

Shen Bai looked left and right.

Seeing the situation, it seemed the matter was truly settled. There was no getting out of it.

"Your Majesty, there must be another reason you want me to be this so-called Daoist Si, right?"

Since he couldn’t refuse, there was no point in trying anymore.

After all, he was in the Great Zhou Country, and the Saint Martial Emperor treated him well.

He had given him ten Deceitful Objects just like that and offered him a great deal of protection.

Shen Bai had always been a man of principle.

Fair trade was one of his highest principles.

So, he wanted to hear what the Saint Martial Emperor’s plans truly were.

If the matter was too difficult, Shen Bai absolutely would not do it.

Even if it meant feigning compliance while secretly disobeying, he would just completely slack off.

The Saint Martial Emperor pondered for a moment, organized his thoughts, and said, "Lingyun Dao is a very special city. It is near the Great Yue Country, a Daoist-level Border City."

As he spoke of this place, a faint trace of sadness appeared in the Saint Martial Emperor’s eyes.

From the first time Shen Bai had met the Saint Martial Emperor until now, he had only ever seen calmness in him.

But at this moment, for the very first time, he sensed sadness from the Saint Martial Emperor.

Shen Bai didn’t speak, but waited patiently.

He knew that the Saint Martial Emperor surely had more important news to share.

Sure enough, the Saint Martial Emperor took a deep breath, calming his turbulent emotions before he continued.

"It is located in the Border Region and should be treated with the utmost seriousness, yet a Duke is garrisoned there."

’A Duke?’

Shen Bai was slightly surprised. "The major cities of the Great Zhou Country are already unstable as it is. To have a Duke causing trouble in a Border City, isn’t that incredibly dangerous?"

He knew the current situation of the Great Zhou Country: the dynasty was in some turmoil, and the Dukes were restless.