"Mr. Zhao, his name is Yue Lingzhi, originally an Eighth Grade Divine Weapon Forger. Due to a mistake in forging armor and weapons, he was punished by Lord Lu to sweep the floor in the Divine Weapon Hall. He can resume his duties once he finishes sweeping," the reception official whispered.
"How long has he been ?"
Zhao Xing furrowed his brow, then activated his clear sight to observe Yue Lingzhi.
He discovered that the broom Yue Lingzhi held, which appeared ordinary, was actually filled with complex mechanisms and weighed at least a thousand pounds.
Holding such a heavy object was already very strenuous.
And once the broom touched the ground or left the ground for more than two breaths, thunder would emanate from the handle and shock Yue Lingzhi.
In other words, Yue Lingzhi could not stop; he had to keep sweeping to avoid being electrocuted.
As for why the immaculate Divine Weapon Hall still required sweeping?
It was simply a punishment; what other reason was needed?
Even stepping with the left foot first into the threshold could be an excuse.
"Lu Tingzhi’s narrow-mindedness and tendency to mistreat his subordinates are now revealed," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "Damn it, in my past life, I embezzled ten thousand taels, and he took away nine thousand; this dog."
The Divine Weapon Hall was busy with officials of various ranks coming and going to exchange items.
Such a punishment clearly had a sense of humiliation.
The Transportation Department’s jurisdiction mainly included artisans. It also oversaw various other departments like Agriculture, Priests, Weavers, and Martial Artists.
Lu Tingzhi had great authority; to punish a mere Eighth Grade Forger was as easy as pie.
"Thank you, brother, for the information." Zhao Xing cupped his hands towards the reception official and walked out of the hall.
He wanted to meet Lu Tingzhi and take this person away.
Because this was a future Divine Craftsman, someone like Wang Ji, adept in various skills such as forging, city building, and array formation.
But Yue Lingzhi specialized in the Dao of forging. This person’s future held a unique opportunity; he would learn the "Heavenly Sect Sword Casting Method" from ancient times.
The divine weapons he forged were three times more powerful than those of others.
Later, Yue Lingzhi also became the imperial craftsman for Emperor Wu, with free access to the royal family’s inner treasury.
This angel investor, Zhao Xing was determined to secure!
He first got off a boat and prepared before heading to the Transportation Department’s office to request a meeting. Lu Tingzhi immediately made time to meet Zhao Xing.
"Greetings, Lord Lu," Zhao Xing cupped his hands.
"Minister Zhao, have you completed your prayers?" Lu Tingzhi asked with a smile.
"It is done," Zhao Xing replied. "I have come specifically to thank you for making the journey."
Lu Tingzhi raised an eyebrow, as he noticed Zhao Xing was carrying a box.
"Minister Zhao, what do you mean by this?" Lu Tingzhi asked. "Coming to Fire Dragon Pass is part of my duty."
"My Lord," Zhao Xing said with a smile, "this is a trophy I obtained from Fire Dragon Pass, a personal item belonging to me. Although it consists mostly of things used by barbarians and is not valuable, it is unique, and it represents my heartfelt token."
"Put it away..." Lu Tingzhi initially intended to ask Zhao Xing to put it away, as he had not yet become the corrupt official he would later be and still cherished his reputation. Given that this was their first meeting, he was reluctant to accept a gift.
But Zhao Xing had already opened the box, so Lu Tingzhi swallowed his words.
"Since it represents Minister Zhao’s heartfelt token, I will accept it."
Zhao Xing smirked inwardly.
I still don’t know what that son of a bitch likes?
Lu Tingzhi had a hobby of collecting and especially liked bizarre items.
After the previous defender of Fire Dragon Pass, Yue Hai Sheng, fled, he had no time to take the wealth he had amassed there.
All of it was left to three armies for the taking. Zhao Xing took a round inside the Divine Might Army’s inner treasury, randomly picked a box, and gave it to Lu Tingzhi, hitting his sweet spot.
"Minister Zhao, please sit," Lu Tingzhi’s attitude became a bit more hospitable.
Zhao Xing placed the box in front of Lu Tingzhi before taking a seat.
He waited until Lu Tingzhi had finished admiring the items.
"I didn’t expect you to have a penchant for collecting as well?" Lu Tingzhi examined a pair of ox horn cups from the box, satisfied after scrutinizing them closely, and looked at Zhao Xing more favorably.
Zhao Xing had no such interest, but outwardly, he pretended to like it very much: "I dabble a little, but as a rough person, I cannot compare to you, my Lord, in discerning quality."
"Haha, then we should meet more often in the future," Lu Tingzhi laughed.
"As long as you don’t find it troublesome," Zhao Xing smiled along, though inside, he was cursing. This bastard was already hinting that he should send more things in the future, truly shameless!
After a few more exchanges, Lu Tingzhi took the initiative: "It would be impolite not to reciprocate. Zhao Xing, you have achieved outstanding military success in this expedition, the trophies must be plentiful. Is there any treasure you want to exchange? If you have special requests, even if not on the Military Realm’s list, you can tell me."
Although Lu Tingzhi was greedy, he had one redeeming trait: he did his job once he got the money.
The Transportation Department allocated resources sometimes based on the Military Realm’s list and sometimes procured from various places.
When resources were scarce, they might not be supplied in time.
Whether to prioritize the Divine Might Army or other troops depended on the words of the transmission envoy. A slight timing difference could delay many things.
With great power came widespread currying of favor.
Lu Tingzhi had slowly developed the habit of accepting bribes; it started harmlessly but later grew insatiable.
"Indeed, there is a matter to trouble Lord Lu," Zhao Xing said. "Although my Divine Might Army broke through Fire Dragon Pass, the losses were significant."
"Especially the need for Forging Masters and Mechanical Masters is great. I wonder if Lord Lu could temporarily loan some personnel to assist."