Chương 16: A Strange Tea

"Not exactly." The Prefect glanced at Yang Fan, a hint of helplessness crossing his face. He spoke slowly.

"To be precise, I did not have a guard at all. I came alone to take office."

"Alone? Just you?" Yang Fan blurted out, his face full of disbelief. The Prefect sighed and explained quietly, "Do you know that the current emperor's grandfather is the head of the Qi Clan in the Western Province? For the sake of appearances, the emperor only sent me alone. He did not send any guards."

"What? The Qi Clan is related to the imperial family?" Yang Fan was stunned. He never expected the Qi Clan to have such a prominent background.

"Hmph." The Prefect let out a cold snort, his gentle expression replaced by a resolute seriousness. He straightened his back and looked into the distance, his voice firm and unwavering.

"So what if the Qi Clan is related to the emperor's family? This empire still belongs to the Ji clan. Even royal relatives cannot defy the law or meddle in imperial affairs and seize control of the throne..." Yang Fan watched the Prefect's impassioned speech and felt a wave of frustration. This was the so-called imperial faction? Where was the powerful backing he had been promised? He had been unlucky to end up following a commander with no army.

And the Prefect's words hinted at power struggles and imperial succession conflicts. Having watched too many palace dramas, Yang Fan realized he had once again stumbled into a dangerous political game. He had no intention of getting involved. In such struggles, the most vulnerable were always low-level pawns like him. He decided to change the subject and asked the Prefect for a letter of recommendation to complete his guild entry quest.

"Set Sail, Hundred Commander, are you planning to leave?" The Prefect looked at him with concern.

"I know the situation is dangerous, but do not worry. I have already reported the situation to the emperor. Help will arrive soon. Once we get through this period, everything will be fine." Yang Fan understood. The Prefect thought he was trying to escape. He had considered leaving, but now he could not until he completed the bronze armguard quest. He could also surrender the armguards to the Qi Clan and pledge loyalty to them, but he was not ready to do that yet.

Based on what he had learned, the owner of the armguards belonged to an extraordinary faction. He decided to wait and choose the strongest ally carefully. For now, he needed to keep the Prefect happy and get that letter of recommendation.

"Prefect, do not worry. I will not leave. I will stand with you and eliminate those who dare to defy the imperial authority and destabilize the nation!" Yang Fan declared passionately.

"Those who try to overthrow our empire will get what they deserve!" The Prefect was moved. He gripped Yang Fan's hands and said, "Set Sail, Hundred Commander. I knew I was right about you. I promise you, as long as you stay loyal to the empire, you will be rewarded." Seeing that his performance had worked, Yang Fan pressed his advantage.

"Prefect, a good friend of mine has established a guild in Guiyang Prefecture. He wants me to take a nominal position there, just to help build his reputation. It will only be an honorary role. I will not interfere with their affairs." The Prefect nodded, wrote the letter of recommendation, and handed it over with a warning.

"Be careful. Do not draw too much attention in Guiyang Prefecture. The Prefect there is a Qi Clan appointee." Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Yang Fan was shocked. One in nine chance, and he had to pick the one that was controlled by the Qi Clan. He was starting to think he would never escape their influence. Relying on the Prefect seemed hopeless. The man could barely protect himself. Yang Fan needed to find Ying Yao quickly and seek protection through him.

He asked, "Prefect, do you know about the Divine Minister at the White Tiger Temple in this prefecture?" The Prefect nodded.

"Usually, branch temples are managed by Divine Officers. But this Divine Minister chose to take charge of a prefecture branch, which suggests there is a special reason. I do not know much about it. Imperial officials are not supposed to interfere with temple affairs."

"What are the ranks within the temples?" Yang Fan asked, a question that had been bothering him. The Prefect explained, "The four temples have five ranks, from lowest to highest: Scholar, Officer, Master, Minister, and Duke. Scholars and Officers usually serve at branch temples. Once promoted to Master, they can go to the main temple. The most outstanding Masters are selected as Ministers, and among the Ministers, only one becomes a Duke, the head of the temple."

"So the Divine Minister is basically the candidate for temple head? What about the Chief Officer? Is that the same as Divine Officer?" Yang Fan pressed. The Prefect answered, "Chief Officer was an older title. When the temples were first established, there were only four Chief Officers: Wood Chief, Metal Chief, Water Chief, and Fire Chief, overseeing the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and Vermilion Bird Temples." Yang Fan laughed inwardly. The owner of the bronze armguards was no ordinary figure.

He had been the head of the White Tiger Temple. His disciple Ying Yao was certainly not ordinary either. Yang Fan asked further, "Prefect, do you know where Ying Yao is?"

"Ying Yao? I have never heard of him. Is he from the White Tiger Temple? He is certainly not an imperial official," the Prefect replied with a shake of his head. Yang Fan was puzzled. The disciple of a temple head, and no one knew who he was? He would not get answers from the Prefect. He needed to see the Divine Minister. He bade farewell to the Prefect and headed to the White Tiger Temple in Longxi Prefecture to meet the legendary Divine Minister.... The Spirit Officer Hall in Longxi Prefecture was different.

It was a quiet, elegant chamber deep within the temple, away from the solemn main hall. The entire building was constructed from warm sandalwood, its walls clean and unadorned except for a few hanging landscape scrolls. The windows were open, letting in a gentle breeze carrying faint spiritual mist. The light was soft and soothing. A thin wool carpet covered the floor, absorbing all sound, and the air was perpetually filled with the subtle fragrance of tea.

Inside, a refined middle-aged man sat quietly on a wooden chair. He wore an immaculate white robe, simple and elegant, with no excess ornamentation. The fabric was smooth and carried a faint spiritual glow. His face was like polished jade, his features gentle and refined. He appeared to be around forty, with neatly combed black hair and a serene expression. His presence exuded a calm, transcendent aura, that of a man of high rank who had long since found peace. This was the Divine Minister.

He wore a warm, approachable smile. On the table before him, a small stove brewed tea, its fragrance filling the entire hall. He picked up the kettle, poured a cup, and handed it to Yang Fan.

"Please, sit, young friend Set Sail. Try some tea I brought from Mount Xuanyan. It has some special properties." Yang Fan was surprised by the Divine Minister's hospitality. He thanked him and took the cup, drinking deeply. The tea was warm and gentle as it entered his mouth. The vapor inside spread through his body like an explosion, reaching every organ. Every part of him felt incredibly comfortable, as if he were ascending to immortality.

He opened his character panel and was stunned to see that his Talent stat had risen from 0 to 5. This tea was incredible. His Talent had jumped from 0 to 5 in one go. Yang Fan knew that Talent was a hidden attribute that greatly enhanced physical and magical attack, and this improvement did not even show on the main panel. Why would the Divine Minister give him something so valuable? Was he trying to buy his loyalty?

If so, Yang Fan would gladly accept a thousand more cups, boost his Talent to 9999, and become invincible.