"Scholar?"
News of Fengqi City seeking talented individuals spread, and scholars visited daily. Since the official recruitment hadn't begun, Chen Yu arranged for them to stay in the city.
Accommodation was free, and he wasn't expecting to profit from it.
Scholars seeking refuge were numerous. If he had to personally meet every scholar who arrived, he'd have no time for anything else.
"Arrange for him to stay at the post station and await the city examination."
"That works. I'll have someone escort him there shortly," the black donkey said casually as it squatted on the ground. "I don't think that kid is any great talent. When he arrived, I wanted to test him for you, asked him a few questions, and he stammered so much, couldn't even manage a coherent response after half an hour."
Chen Yu smiled and remained silent.
Scholars of the underground world varied in their knowledge. The threshold for scholars here was quite low; a few days of schooling and the ability to read counted as being a scholar.
Fortunately, Chen Yu had many positions to fill and didn't have high requirements for them.
The ability to read was sufficient for basic administrative work in the city.
Military matters were handled by people like Yabo and the black donkey, freeing Chen Yu from worry.
"Hiss..."
Suddenly, Chen Yu frowned, gasping in a breath of cold air.
The squatting black donkey instinctively looked up.
"You said that scholar was being pursued? Is our Fengqi City territory not peaceful?" Chen Yu asked, his expression grave as he looked down.
This matter could not be ignored.
The scholars coming to Fengqi City for employment came from all directions. They braved hardships to reach Fengqi City, only to be plundered along the way.
This would greatly affect Fengqi City's reputation.
Chen Yu needed to ensure their safety!
"How is that possible!" The black donkey, however, immediately stood up, thumping its chest. "Boss, if you say that, you're doubting my old donkey's ability to handle things. You asked me to clear out the camps, and I left not a single camp uncleared. Within a hundred miles of our territory, let alone wandering bandits, even small-scale robbers have been completely eradicated. I can guarantee you with my chest that within a hundred miles of Fengqi City is the most peaceful place."
"If that's the case, how was he rescued? Monsters?"
"No!"
The black donkey shook its head, its eyes narrowing.
"He was indeed being chased, and his pursuers were not bandits, but rather looked like city soldiers. They charged into our Fengqi City's territory. My subordinates informed me, so I went over and dealt with all of them."
As it spoke, the black donkey dumped a pile of broken items onto the table with a clatter.
There were flags and waist tokens.
They all appeared to be spoils of war captured by the black donkey.
The black donkey rummaged through the pile of spoils, finally finding a black iron token.
"This is what I seized from their leader."
Taking the token, Chen Yu looked closely at it.
The back of the token was imprinted with a blue-crowned ice bird.
The front bore the number seven.
"Boss, do you recognize it?"
Noticing the change in Chen Yu's expression, the black donkey asked softly.
"Where is that scholar? Bring him to see me." Chen Yu clenched the token tightly. Sensing that the situation was not right, the black donkey quickly stood up. "Wait a moment."
While the black donkey went to bring the person, Chen Yu looked down at the token in his hand again.
Although Chen Yu didn't know what "seven" specifically meant, he knew that the blue-crowned ice bird represented the Tatu Kingdom, a symbol of the Tatu Kingdom.
Furthermore, even if he didn't recognize it, someone definitely would.
Opening the chat page on his wristband, Chen Yu found Liya's dialog box and sent a video invitation.
Half a minute later—
Liya accepted the video call.
"My Lord."
"Do you recognize this token?" Chen Yu placed the token flat on the table. Liya, in the projection, frowned. "This is a command token of a third-rank captain from the Tatu Kingdom. Looking at the detailed engraving of the ice bird, it should belong to a captain within the inner city of the royal capital. Most likely, it's held by a personal guard under a noble of the royal capital."
"What does 'seven' represent?"
"Old Seven?"
Liya's eyes widened, and he said solemnly.
"My Lord, where did you get this command token? This 'seven' represents a captain under the Seventh Prince. Could it be that he sent people to attack you? That's impossible, I've been keeping an eye on the inner city's movements."
"Relax."
Chen Yu put away the command token and leaned back in his chair.
"Old Seven didn't send anyone to attack me. He was preparing to kill someone and entered our Fengqi City's territory. He was killed by my people, and this was seized. Are you sure this is a command token belonging to the Seventh Prince's subordinates? Someone will be coming to see me shortly, and I'll need you to help me identify if you recognize them." In the projection, Liya's eyes narrowed. A few minutes later, the black donkey arrived with a scholar-like individual.
Seeing the newcomer, Chen Yu was somewhat surprised.
Fengqi City had seen many scholars during this period, and their ages varied. However, a scholar as young as the one before him was a rare sight.
The black donkey walked proudly ahead, while the young scholar, despite his disheveled clothes, had his hair meticulously styled.
Even when following the black donkey, his gaze was fixed forward.
His entire demeanor exuded confidence from within.
"He doesn't look like he's empty-headed," Chen Yu mused, leaning back in his rattan chair, forming a preliminary judgment about the young scholar.
From his confident eyes alone, he didn't seem as incompetent as the black donkey described.
"Can you see clearly?" Chen Yu whispered softly. Due to the projection, Liya couldn't see very clearly, but he still tried his best to discern. "I can't see particularly clearly, but he does look a bit familiar. I have a candidate in mind, but I don't think it's possible for him to be here."
"Oh?"
"The person I know is by the National Teacher's side, the National Teacher's only direct disciple. No matter what, Old Seven wouldn't dare send people to pursue the National Teacher's disciple, would he? He wouldn't dare, even with eighty times the courage."
Liya's words were indeed true.
Old Seven had lost the support of the chief financial officer. He would cling tightly to the National Teacher, making the possibility of assassinating the National Teacher's only direct disciple extremely low.
Just as Chen Yu and Liya were discussing, the black donkey had led the young scholar to within five meters of Chen Yu.
In the projection, Liya's eyes suddenly widened.
His pupils contracted intensely.
Liya's lips moved, but for a long time, he couldn't utter a sound. The black donkey also whispered to Chen Yu.
"Boss, I've brought him."
"You are the scholar who was assassinated and wishes to seek refuge in Fengqi City." Chen Yu slowly raised his eyes. The moment their eyes met, the young scholar also smiled. "Are you Lord Chen, the City Lord of Fengqi City? I didn't expect you to be so young."
"Genuine and without impostor."
Chen Yu spread his hands, a smile in his eyes.
"Throughout the entire underground, I doubt anyone would dare impersonate me. People with the same name as me would probably rack their brains to change their names. You know me, but I don't know you yet."
As he said this, the young scholar slowly stepped forward a few paces, stopping at a distance of less than two meters from Chen Yu.
He cupped his hands slightly.
"I am Luo Yu, and I have come for fame and fortune!"