Chapter 98 : Chapter 98
Chapter 98. The Meeting
After washing away the sweat from his body, Xu Yuan changed into a fresh robe, fastened his duty captain token at his waist, and headed for the Chief Guard’s courtyard.
The courtyard lay at the center of the nine medicinal fields. Its buildings were far more imposing than the guard stations of the individual fields, with blue brick, gray tiles, and a deep, layered compound.
When Xu Yuan stepped through the courtyard gate, six or seven duty captains were already present in the main hall, conversing with one another in low voices.
At the sight of him entering, quite a few of them broke off their conversations and cast curious looks his way. Some nodded in greeting, while others cupped their hands in salute.
The feat of killing an Ironhide Bull of the Fifth Transformation head-on was more than enough to make these colleagues put away their superficial disdain and give him the respect he was due.
Xu Yuan’s expression remained calm. He returned each greeting in turn, then swept his gaze across the hall. The seat of honor at the front was still empty, and Yang Caiyu had not yet arrived either.
“Brother Xu.”
Zhang Cheng’s voice sounded from the side as he walked over slowly. Glancing around, he lowered his voice and said,
“Before the Chief Guard left, he handed authority to preside over today’s discussion to Yang Caiyu.”
Xu Yuan was taken aback.
An end-of-month summary meeting might not be the most important matter, but neither was it trivial. By convention, it should have been temporarily presided over by the person with the greatest seniority, as a sign of fairness.
How had it ended up in Yang Caiyu’s hands?
Noticing his confusion, Zhang Cheng gave a light cough and lowered his voice even further.
“The Chief Guard has some family ties with Yang Caiyu. I’ve heard that… they’re uncle and niece. A few years ago, it was also the Chief Guard who arranged for her to enter the medicinal fields.”
So that was it.
Xu Yuan understood at once. That explained everything.
No wonder Yang Caiyu acted with such arrogance and high-handedness.
With a backer that strong, naturally her way of doing things would be different.
Zhang Cheng continued with a reminder:
“I know you and she have had some friction. Today, do your best not to stand out. Don’t give her anything she can seize on and make an issue of.”
Xu Yuan cupped his hands. “Thank you for the warning, Brother Zhang. I know how to weigh the situation.”
Zhang Cheng nodded, patted him on the shoulder, and then strolled back toward his own seat.
Xu Yuan found a seat toward the rear and sat down quietly to await the start of the meeting.
Two more people arrived one after another. Of the nine duty captains, eight were now present. Only Yang Caiyu was still nowhere to be seen.
As time passed bit by bit, several of the more senior duty captains began to show faint signs of impatience, though out of regard for the Chief Guard, none of them found it easy to voice their displeasure.
After about the time it took to burn a stick of incense, a burst of hurried footsteps finally came from outside—quick, yet carrying an air of deliberate composure.
Yang Caiyu entered in a brand-new black brocade dress. Her hair was coiled high and pinned with a green jade hairpin. Chin slightly raised, she swept into the hall with a forceful stride.
Her gaze passed over the room. When it brushed across Xu Yuan, it paused for the slightest instant, and a strange smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. She walked straight to the seat of honor, yet did not sit down immediately.
“My apologies for keeping everyone waiting.”
Her voice was clear, carrying a measured, almost official tone.
“Before departing, the Chief Guard entrusted me with temporarily presiding over this end-of-month discussion, so let us begin at once.”
Only after speaking did she settle herself gracefully into the seat, her posture elegant, though the obvious air of superiority about her was impossible to miss.
The expressions in the hall varied, but no one spoke up to question her.
The meeting proceeded in order from Field Jia to Field Ren.
The duty captains began, one by one, to report on the condition of their medicinal fields for the month, the growth of the medicinal treasures, the number of spirit beast attacks, and the extent of the losses.
Most of it was routine business, with nothing particularly new to speak of.
Seated in the place of honor, Yang Caiyu barely even lifted her eyelids. At the end of each report, she merely gave a faint “Mm,” or a brief, “Understood.”
Then she would signal for the next person to continue, and the atmosphere in the hall grew somewhat heavy and oppressive.
It was only when the turn came to Field Ding that the mood changed a little.
Xu Yuan rose slowly and gave a concise summary of Field Ding’s condition that month. He placed special emphasis on repelling the midmonth spirit beast assault, especially the matter of the Ironhide Bull. Then, at the end, he said:
“Overall, the situation has been relatively stable. The medicinal treasures are growing well, and the portion to be handed in at month’s end has already been prepared.”
Having finished his report, he was about to sit down, and the next duty captain had already prepared to speak.
“Captain Xu, one moment.”
Yang Caiyu suddenly spoke, interrupting the person who was just about to begin.
A slight hush fell over the hall, and everyone’s attention turned to her at once.
Yang Caiyu raised her eyes and looked at Xu Yuan, her face carrying a scrutinizing expression as she said slowly:
“Captain Xu, I have recently heard certain rumors. Since taking up your post, you have spent much of your time in closed-door cultivation, and seem to have been somewhat… neglectful of the affairs of the medicinal fields.”
She paused, and her tone grew stern.
“As a result, the injuries among the herb farmers and martial artists under your command have recently been somewhat higher than in the other fields. Is that true, or is it not?”
The moment those words were spoken, the hall became so quiet that a pin could have been heard dropping.
All eyes flicked back and forth between Xu Yuan and Yang Caiyu.
Some looked amused, clearly enjoying the spectacle, while others quietly shook their heads. This attempt to make things difficult for him was just a little too blatant.
At this, Xu Yuan frowned.
The position of duty captain carried high status and great responsibility. By nature, it did not require one to handle every single matter personally.
Ordinary daily affairs were dealt with by the field overseers and guard squads. A duty captain’s responsibility lay more in holding the center, responding to sudden powerful enemies, and coordinating the broader situation.
As for herb farmers and martial artists getting injured…
Guarding the medicinal fields and battling spirit beasts was a job lived on the edge of a blade. How could injuries possibly be avoided?
So long as there were no major casualties caused by dereliction of duty, such things were entirely within reason.
Yang Caiyu’s remarks were plainly an exercise in picking bones out of an egg—deliberately looking for a pretext to target him.
Seeing that Xu Yuan remained silent, a trace of satisfaction flashed through Yang Caiyu’s eyes. Her finger tapped lightly against the smooth tabletop, and when she spoke again, her voice rose slightly, taking on the tone of a reprimand:
“Captain Xu, you must understand that this is the medicinal fields, where the family has invested heavily. The rules here are strict. This is not one of those loose, disorderly places outside.”
“As a duty captain, your foremost responsibility is to ensure the safety of the medicinal fields and to urge your subordinates to be diligent in carrying out their duties. You must never lose sight of one thing while focusing on another. If some major matter is truly delayed or ruined, neither you nor I will be able to bear the responsibility.”
Those words were practically the equivalent of pointing at his face and accusing him of neglecting his duties and disregarding his responsibilities.
Even several duty captains who held no grudge against Xu Yuan frowned slightly upon hearing it, feeling that Yang Caiyu had gone too far.
What a petty, vindictive woman, Xu Yuan thought to himself.
Yet his face remained calm, revealing neither anger nor joy. Meeting Yang Caiyu’s pressing gaze head-on, he said blandly:
“I have taken Captain Yang’s words to heart. From now on, I will naturally be even more diligent and will not fail in my responsibilities.”
He did not argue, nor did he show anger. He simply accepted the “charge” she had placed on his head in a flat, indifferent manner.
That reaction instead left Yang Caiyu, who had clearly been gathering force for a heavy blow, with the stifling feeling of having punched into cotton.
She let out a soft snort through her nose, lifted her neck slightly like a proud peacock, and said:
“See that you conduct yourself properly. Let the meeting continue.”
…