While Xu Susu went to pass the message, Shen Xiuhan took the opportunity to look around the hall.
The first floor of the Star-Plucking Tower was spacious. Red sandalwood shelves lined the four walls, neatly categorizing pill bottles, weapon blanks, and beast bones, with price tags tucked under each item.
A few well-dressed customers were browsing under the guidance of several beautiful young women, their voices kept extremely low.
These women were mostly outer sect disciples of the Star-Plucking Sect who had taken on missions from the Logistics Hall, working as shop attendants here to earn some money.
As for the inner sect disciples, they naturally held higher positions, such as supervisors or managers.
“Junior Brother Shen!”
Footsteps echoed from the stairs. Before Xu Susu could even descend, a round-faced young man in his early twenties strode down.
It was indeed Liu Chong.
Liu Chong's eyes lit up, and he hurried over in a few quick strides, complaining with mock displeasure:
“When I heard Susu say you were here, I thought my ears were playing tricks on me! Why didn't you send someone ahead with a message? I could have prepared a feast to welcome you!”
Shen Xiuhan smiled slightly and cupped his hands in greeting.
“It was a sudden decision. I just have some matters to ask you about, Senior Brother. There's no need to go to any trouble.”
“What nonsense is that!”
Liu Chong waved his wide sleeve and instructed Xu Susu, who was following behind him:
“Go, dig up my jar of Pear Blossom Brew, and have the kitchen whip up a few of their best dishes.”
Xu Susu complied and left.
Liu Chong pulled Shen Xiuhan upstairs without giving him a chance to object, chattering as they walked:
“Junior Brother, you're a famous hero now!”
“The Moonlight Sword! Slayer of the Five Demons!”
“Over the past few days, I've spent quite a bit of time at the pleasure houses, and every single time, I hear storytellers reciting your tales!”
“Lines like ‘His sword-glow was like frost, and heads rolled like tumbleweeds.’ It made my blood boil with excitement just listening to it!”
“Haha, you came at the perfect time today. Come, let me introduce you to a friend of mine. I met him while listening to music…”
Following Liu Chong up to the second floor, they walked through a short corridor lined with bamboo mats and entered a carved wooden door.
The private room was small but elegantly furnished.
A tea table sat by the window, with agarwood smoke curling gently from a Boshan incense burner.
Beside the table sat a sharp-looking young man with a slick, subtle smile, enjoying his tea alone.
Seeing the door open, he set down his teacup and stood up unhurriedly.
“Junior Brother, this is Brother Hou Yulin.”
Liu Chong stepped aside to introduce him, his tone carrying a hint of boasting:
“Brother Hou comes from the Qi Lineage of Bixia Villa. He's currently a manager at the Wind-and-Cloud Pavilion, a man with incredible connections in the prefecture capital.”
“Have you heard of the Chronicles of the Nanxiang Wind and Clouds? That publication is an enterprise under their Wind-and-Cloud Pavilion.”
“Even the ‘Four Prodigies and Seven Elegances’ who shake Nanxiang Prefecture were selected and ranked entirely by the Wind-and-Cloud Pavilion.”
“Your sudden rise to fame over the last few days has quite a lot to do with his Wind-and-Cloud Pavilion!”
Shen Xiuhan's heart stirred slightly.
He had originally thought the Chronicles of the Nanxiang Wind and Clouds was merely a newsletter compiled by some local intelligence brokers.
He hadn't expected a large-scale organization to be operating behind the scenes.
To be able to rank the geniuses of an entire prefecture and have all factions accept it... It seemed this Wind-and-Cloud Pavilion possessed significant capability!
Hou Yulin's eyes flashed as he quickly sized up Shen Xiuhan, then smiled and cupped his hands.
“I have long heard of the Moonlight Sword's fame. It is an honor to meet Core Disciple Shen today. Greetings.”
“You are too polite, Manager,” Shen Xiuhan returned the greeting.
The three exchanged pleasantries for a moment before taking their respective seats as host and guests.
Liu Chong picked up the teapot to pour tea, starting the conversation with a smile:
“Junior Brother, Brother Hou was just telling me that the Wind-and-Cloud Pavilion usually only focuses on Huajin Rank geniuses. But this time, inspired by you, they've decided to create a separate list specifically for Anjin Rank geniuses!”
Hearing this, Hou Yulin set his teacup back on the table, his slick smile turning slightly more serious.
“Indeed. Core Disciple Shen, your feat of slaying five of the Cangwu Demons with your sword while still in the Anjin Rank has shaken even our Wind-and-Cloud Pavilion.”
“The pavilion held an emergency meeting overnight and finally made the decision. Following the precedent of the Four Prodigies and Seven Elegances, we will establish a separate list dedicated solely to rising geniuses with terrifying potential in the Anjin Rank!”
He paused, taking a sip of his tea before continuing:
“For this newly established list, the pavilion has drafted the name ‘Young Tiger,’ symbolizing a newborn tiger roaring and dominating the mountain forests.”
“The first batch of rankings shouldn't be too crowded, so we've temporarily capped it at ten people.”
At this point, he looked at Shen Xiuhan with a smile, his tone turning somewhat persuasive.
“With Core Disciple Shen slaying five demons single-handedly with a single sword, in terms of both battle achievements and talent, you are naturally qualified to claim the top spot on this Young Tiger List...”
Before he could finish and before Shen Xiuhan could speak, Liu Chong couldn't help but slap his thigh, his face lighting up with joy:
“First place! Outstanding!”
“Brother Hou really knows how to look out for us! I knew I didn't misjudge you! Brother Hou, don't rush off later; you must properly taste my jar of Pear Blossom Brew...”
“Ahem... Of course, of course!”
Hou Yulin coughed lightly and rubbed his nose. His slick smile remained, but his tone became slightly subtle:
“However...”
“Brother Liu, Core Disciple Shen, as you both know, establishing a new list requires the Wind-and-Cloud Pavilion to mobilize manpower to gather battle records, verify their authenticity, and print newsletters to distribute across all the counties. Every single step burns silver.”
“Therefore...”
He dragged out his words before adding with a beaming smile:
“The pavilion has set a rule. The ten people on the inaugural list must each pay a small sum of money according to their rank, to serve as a contribution for printing and promotion costs.”
The smile on Liu Chong's face instantly froze.
He set down the teapot and instinctively asked:
“This... Brother Hou, how much is this contribution fee?”
“Not much!”
Hou Yulin's smile didn't fade in the slightest. He waved his sleeve, speaking as if it were a trivial matter.
“It is distributed according to rank. The tenth place only needs to pay five hundred taels of silver.”
“With Core Disciple Shen's capabilities, you naturally deserve the top spot to justify your prestige.”
“Normally, the top spot requires one thousand taels of silver...”
At this point, Hou Yulin laughed and patted Liu Chong's shoulder, whose smile was gradually turning stiff, acting like they were close:
“But given my friendship with Brother Liu, I must offer Core Disciple Shen a discount.”
“Hmm, how about this? A flat rate of eight hundred and eighty-eight taels, just for good luck. What do you say?”
“Eight... eight hundred and eighty-eight taels?”
Liu Chong took a deep breath, gritting his teeth.
Hou Yulin naturally noticed the change in his expression, but his smile remained unchanged, as if this amount was nothing but pocket change.
“Does Brother Liu think it is too expensive?”
“Well, it might sound like a lot, but this silver won't be spent in vain. Core Disciple Shen, let me list the benefits of being on the list for you.”
He raised a single finger:
“First, once the Young Tiger List is published, it will spread to all eighty-odd counties of Nanxiang within a month.”
“By then, whether inside or outside the prefecture capital or in any of the subordinate counties, whenever anyone needs to hire a bounty hunter for trouble, a martial arts instructor for important matters, or an influential family wants to invite a guest retainer, the first people they think of will be those on the list.”
He raised a second finger:
“Second, the Wind-and-Cloud Pavilion will prioritize sending the latest bounties and commissions to the talents on the list every ten days. These commissions are mostly private, confidential matters that wealthy and influential families do not want to publicize. The rewards are handsome, and there are often generous bonuses afterward.”
“If Core Disciple Shen makes the list, these channels will be readily available. Why worry about not earning the silver back?”
A third finger:
“Third—”
Shen Xiuhan held his teacup, his expression unchanged, but the more he listened, the stranger he felt.
Hou Yulin was speaking with extravagant praise, his words flowing like a torrent...
What load of nonsense about bounty hunters, instructors, or guest retainers...
The Logistics Hall of the Star-Plucking Sect had countless missions of this type!
The people in the lower counties might have humble origins, but they weren't stupid.
Why would they pass messages through your Wind-and-Cloud Pavilion instead of directly posting missions with the Four Great Sects?
And what was this "private, confidential matters that wealthy and influential families do not want to publicize" garbage...
Which wealthy family?
Did those families even know they had confidential matters?
Spreading one's name everywhere, priority commissions... when broken down and analyzed, wasn't it just paying for reputation?
Once the money was paid and the name was placed on the list, the Wind-and-Cloud Pavilion earned their commission fee, and the listed person gained hollow fame.
Spouting all this nonsense, wasn't this just an ancient version of a marketing account?
What a joke!
Rate on N.U.
