Steady Cultivation: Starting With the Perk “Work Hard, Rest Hard” - Chapter 675: Understanding the Situation

The two of them swaggered out.

As they passed by those artificers, they couldn’t see Su Yuan and his companion at all.

Qi Bai had already figured out the reason. It was because Su Yuan was the Director of the Military Artifactory Headquarters—this massive tower was actually under Su Yuan’s control!

Here, Su Yuan was the master of the rules, the maker of the order. If he didn’t want others to see him, they naturally wouldn’t see him!

This made Qi Bai inwardly astonished. In other words, one must never play any tricks here, because everything was being watched.

The two arrived at the entrance, reappearing at a spot extremely far from the giant tower, then slowly walked toward it.

Before they even got close to the tower, a group of artificers rushed out to greet Su Yuan and his companion.

The one leading the group warmly clasped his hands toward Su Yuan: “I am Cao Dehou, former Hall Master of the Artifactory Hall. Dare I ask if you are Director Seven Stars in person? We have come specially to welcome you to your post!”

Su Yuan showed a surprised expression: “This humble Daoist is Seven Stars, just arrived at the military camp. Are all of you from the Military Artifactory Headquarters?”

Cao Dehou smiled: “Exactly. We were all previously members of the Artifactory Hall under the Logistics Department of Qingfeng City, including over three hundred master-level artifact crafters and numerous Artifact Refining Masters. We’re currently still handling some closing matters in the Artifactory Hall.”

Su Yuan said with surprise: “I heard about the calamity that befell the artificers, but I didn’t expect there to be so many master-level artifact crafters in our military camp.”

“At the time of that great disaster, it truly swept across the entire front line. But since we were all within the military camp, protected by the camp’s grand formation and surrounded by many powerful experts, we were much safer than the artificers outside!” Cao Dehou explained.

Su Yuan nodded in realization.

No wonder. Under the big tree, you enjoy the shade; leave the big tree, and you have to bear the scorching sun yourself.

“Let’s all go inside and talk. Don’t stand around at the entrance!” Su Yuan said calmly.

“Yes, yes, yes!”

Cao Dehou slapped his head as if suddenly enlightened.

Qi Bai snickered beside him. He knew very well the temperament of the artificers in the Artifactory Hall—usually arrogant and dismissive of everything, throwing around their seniority and honors when dealing with new artificers.

For them to be this well-mannered, it had to be because of Master Seven Stars.

The group entered the giant tower.

Su Yuan said, “Does this giant tower have a name?”

Cao Dehou paused, glanced at the others, and then replied, “We discussed it earlier and tentatively named it the Eight Directions Pavilion.”

“Not appropriate!” Su Yuan shook his head. “Call it the Seven Radiance Starry Tower. Seven Stars Pagoda for short.”

“But this has eight floors…” Cao Dehou instinctively wanted to object.

Su Yuan waved his hand: “Isn’t it perfectly reasonable for a Seven Stars Pagoda to have eight floors? Just like how a department can have two people in charge.”

Su Yuan looked at Cao Dehou with a half-smile.

Cao Dehou’s expression changed.

His mind was quick, and he immediately understood what had happened before.

He lowered his head and said, “I was unaware that the Director was about to assume his post. I thought it would still be some time before your arrival, so I took the liberty of convening a meeting. I beg the Director’s punishment.”

Su Yuan waved his hand: “You did the right thing. How about this—since the positions in the Military Artifactory Headquarters haven’t been decided yet, you’ll serve as the Deputy Director. From now on, if anything comes up, I’ll have you handle it. As for the arrangement of other positions, draft a proposal for me, and I’ll review it.”

Cao Dehou’s expression shifted, and his face lit up with overwhelming joy.

But before he could revel in it too long, Su Yuan added, “This gentleman beside me is named Qi Bai. He will also be a Deputy Director, specifically responsible for administrative matters, including material requisitions, personnel salaries, promotion evaluations, and so on. Meanwhile, you will be in charge of the main artifacting affairs.”

Cao Dehou felt displeased inside but still put on a smile: “I will follow the Director’s instructions!”

Qi Bai was startled but quickly responded, “Yes, Director. I will certainly complete my work diligently!”

In Su Yuan’s hand, a starry seal condensed, and then he formed two starry sheets of paper.

Lines of text emerged on them.

They were the appointment letters for the two of them.

Su Yuan stamped each one with a crisp slap.

The two appointment letters took effect on the spot and flew toward the two men on their own.

This scene fell into the eyes of the many artificers, proclaiming the authority of Su Yuan’s power!

Proving that everything in the Military Artifactory Headquarters was under Su Yuan’s control.

Afterward, Su Yuan took the entire top floor of the Seven Stars Pagoda as his office.

Inside the room.

Only Su Yuan and Cao Dehou remained.

Su Yuan looked at the list in his hand and furrowed his brows slightly.

Among the over three hundred master-level artifact crafters, most were actually low-level ones at rank forty to forty-nine.

There were only thirty intermediate master-level artifact crafters at rank fifty to fifty-nine.

And as for high-level master-level artifact crafters at rank sixty and above, there was only Cao Dehou.

“Why are there so few high-level artificers?” Su Yuan asked.

“Well, actually, there were originally high-level master-level artifact crafters in the camp. But they felt that the military camp had too many restrictions, the compensation wasn’t high enough, and there was almost nothing new to learn, so many of them left the military and became civilian master-level artifact crafters,” Cao Dehou explained. “Some of the low- and intermediate-level master-level artifact crafters were also assassinated when they were outside the camp. That’s especially true for the intermediate ones, which is why their numbers are also relatively low.”

Su Yuan nodded in understanding.

“This won’t do. Without high-level master-level artifact crafters, many tasks at the Military Artifactory Headquarters can’t be completed.”

Cao Dehou said awkwardly, “That was the same situation with the Artifactory Hall. That’s why we sent out quite a few artifacting tasks.”

Su Yuan alone could match ten thousand people, but he couldn’t turn himself into an artifacting machine. The quantity side was already sufficient for now; he needed to forge more advanced Dominator Artifacts and improve quality. So, the quantity side still needed other master-level artifact crafters to fill in.

Even if he could do it himself, he couldn’t—because it would draw too much attention, and the recent assassination attempt was still fresh in everyone’s memory.

“How about this—I’ll teach you the way of artifacting to improve your skills. Let’s produce a few more high-level master-level artifact crafters to boost work efficiency. I see that many artificers have already reached rank sixty and above, meeting the basic requirements for becoming high-level master-level artifact crafters.”

“Director, generally speaking, an artificer’s crafting ability is a few ranks lower than their cultivation realm! That’s common knowledge.”

Su Yuan shook his head: “That understanding is wrong. An artificer’s ability should be able to exceed the limits of their cultivation realm.”

Cao Dehou fell silent and kept his mouth shut, feeling that this Director’s brain must be scrambled.

It was only then that Cao Dehou remembered to ask about Su Yuan’s artifacting level.

“May I ask, Director, what rank of high-level master-level artifact crafter are you?”

He believed that anyone who could be parachuted into the Military Artifactory Headquarters must be a high-level master-level artifact crafter. After seeing Seven Stars’ task submission records back then, he had already confirmed that this was a high-level master-level artifact crafter, which was why his earlier opposition hadn’t been too fierce.

“Mmm, I’m a low-level divine-grade artifact master.”