In the private room of the two-story building, Liu Wufeng finished speaking and fell silent. He simply slid the letter in his hand across the table to Shen Bai, his expression inscrutable.

Shen Bai picked up the letter. As Liu Wufeng watched him with a calm gaze, Shen Bai, his face etched with confusion, opened the envelope.

He, too, was curious about what was written inside.

The envelope was blank, bearing no name. It was fastened with a Wax Seal, ensuring the letter had not been previously opened.

This was the traditional way to seal a confidential letter.

Though Shen Bai was confused, he still opened the letter in front of Liu Wufeng after hearing what he’d said.

Inside was a sheet of paper covered in small, densely packed characters. The handwriting was forceful and vigorous, revealing at a glance that the author was a person of unwavering integrity.

When Shen Bai had finished reading the entire letter, he placed it back on the table, stroking his chin as he sank into thought.

The letter’s contents were actually quite simple. The entire document described only one thing: the Observatory assessment.

Every year, the Observatory conducts various assessments of the cities under its jurisdiction.

Cities of five different Levels are assessed in batches, and the content of the assessment concerns new recruits.

As is widely known, every year the Observatory selects the most formidable individuals from the Government Offices in each city to join its ranks.

The selection criteria are extremely strict.

For the Observatory, the initial trials consist of various assessments, including background checks going back three generations.

Constables who pass the trials and join the Observatory become one of its members.

After that comes the Observatory’s internal assessment.

In truth, this assessment holds no disadvantages for the new members.

The assessment method is also quite simple: the most outstanding and exceptional new recruits from each Observatory branch are chosen to travel to a specific location and compete in a series of trials.

The goal is simple as well: to discover the most exceptional talent within the Observatory.

After all, just being admitted to the Observatory means one is already one in ten thousand. Then, from these elite few, the most outstanding are selected to participate in the assessment. Finally, from this group—each already the best of tens of thousands—the absolute finest is chosen.

Once chosen, that person will receive the Observatory’s full-fledged support and cultivation.

For members of the Observatory, this assessment is extremely important, as it determines their future development.

Liu Wufeng waited for Shen Bai to finish reading before taking the letter back. His expression was solemn as he put it away, carefully placing it in a special box for safekeeping.

The box contained all sorts of letters, all of them correspondence from previous assessments.

These were all records and files that had to be strictly preserved, ready to be retrieved at a moment’s notice.

Shen Bai was still lost in thought. Liu Wufeng watched him, his expression somewhat conflicted.

Truth be told, he didn’t actually want Shen Bai to participate in this internal assessment.

In his life, Liu Wufeng had met all kinds of people.

He had risen up from the Jianghu, a man who could be said to have come from the very bottom.

The trials and tribulations he had endured to reach his current position had earned him the silent admiration of the people of the Jianghu.

And it was precisely because he had experienced so much that Liu Wufeng cherished a talent like Shen Bai all the more.

In his eyes, the so-called prodigies of the younger generation were like mere ants compared to Shen Bai.

This time, if Shen Bai were to participate in the assessment, he would inevitably be a dazzling success, distinguishing himself greatly.

And to distinguish himself so greatly meant that Shen Bai would attract the attention of those in the higher echelons of the Observatory.

At that point, perhaps Shen Bai would no longer belong solely to Fenglin State.

Precisely because of this, for a fleeting moment, Liu Wufeng had the urge to prevent Shen Bai’s talent from being exposed.

Of course, the thought lasted only a moment before Liu Wufeng pushed it down.

’A fledgling has grown. The sky belongs to him, not the shelter of my wings.’

Such was Liu Wufeng’s thought.

Ultimately, Shen Bai had his own path to walk, and Liu Wufeng would not be the one to stand in his way.

Seeing that Shen Bai was still contemplating, Liu Wufeng interrupted his thoughts. "Shen Bai, this mission is very important. While it won’t be dangerous, it’s a great opportunity for you."

Shen Bai roused from his thoughts and asked, "An opportunity? How great of one?"

Liu Wufeng thought for a moment. "Resources, power, wealth, and an increase in your strength—those are just the basics. What’s most important is that you can earn the trust of those above."

"The trust of those above?" Shen Bai stroked Amber, who was nestled in his robes. He waited until Amber let out a few meows before continuing, "That would mean if I really do earn their trust, I might not be staying in Fenglin State for very long."

Liu Wufeng nodded. "Correct. At that point, you might reach a height that even I cannot match. For you, that would be an excellent thing."

Shen Bai mused, "But the dangers I’d face would also increase."

There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world; Shen Bai had always known that.

That was why, in response to Liu Wufeng’s words, Shen Bai had considered another aspect of the situation.

Liu Wufeng smiled. "Danger is everywhere. With your strength, dealing with these so-called dangers will be a simple matter. And the rewards you gain will be that much greater."

Shen Bai nodded, acknowledging that Liu Wufeng had a point.

’Behind the danger lay immense benefits.’

’Going to a more prosperous place, obtaining more Deceitful Objects and Evil Qi... For him, the benefits truly did outweigh the risks.’