’This world is a wonderful place. It would be magnificent if this scene of bustling prosperity could reach every corner of the Great Zhou Country.’

The man thought to himself, ’Unfortunately, Your Majesty is plagued by a persistent illness, and the various Dukes are growing restless. I wonder how long this golden age can truly last.’

A wine flask sat nearby. The middle-aged man picked it up and took a long drink.

Then, bathed in the moonlight, he returned to the nine-story tower.

He was the only one on this floor. Though spacious, it felt somewhat empty and desolate.

The middle-aged man walked to the largest table, his eyes on a folded report resting upon it. After another swallow of wine, he sat down and unfolded the report before him.

A line of text was written on it.

The middle-aged man read it carefully, savoring the words.

’Shen Bai, the fortune of the Great Zhou Country... What high praise. This is the highest evaluation His Majesty has ever given a member of the internal assessment since the founding of Great Zhou.’

After reading it over and over, the middle-aged man finally put the report down, lost in thought.

The wine beside him exuded a faint aroma.

Time trickled by as the man remained deep in contemplation.

After a while, the man emerged from his thoughts and tapped lightly on the tabletop.

Before long, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairwell.

A muscular man with a scar on his face came forward, cupped his fists, and said, "Your subordinate, Qian Wu, greets Lord Yin."

Qian Wu bowed, then let his hands fall to his sides, his posture one of utter deference.

The middle-aged man before him was one of the most powerful figures in the entire Great Zhou Country: the Director of the Observatory’s General Department.

All members of the Observatory were under Director Yin’s jurisdiction.

Director Yin was, without a doubt, one of the most powerful men in the country.

Director Yin looked at Qian Wu, then pushed the report toward him. "Take a close look."

Qian Wu was puzzled but didn’t let it show as he unfolded the report.

When he saw the words on the report, a look of astonishment crossed his face. "This evaluation from Your Majesty... it’s truly far too high."

Even Qian Wu, who served as Director Yin’s right-hand man, couldn’t help but be surprised by this assessment.

However, as Qian Wu turned to the following pages, the surprise in his eyes gradually subsided.

"Just for these four words—’Overcoming Adversity and Attacking Upward’—it’s not an exaggeration for this young man to receive such high praise," Qian Wu said.

Director Yin nodded. "You’re right, receiving such an evaluation isn’t an exaggeration. But how are we to interpret His Majesty’s intentions?"

For every internal assessment, the Saint Martial Emperor only ever issued evaluations for each member.

The specifics of how to grant the rewards were left to Director Yin and his subordinates to carry out.

The criteria for the rewards were also based on the Saint Martial Emperor’s evaluations.

Now, suddenly faced with such a momentous evaluation, not only Director Yin but even Qian Wu felt a headache coming on.

After thinking for a long time, Qian Wu still couldn’t come up with a concrete plan. He could only shake his head and say, "Lord Yin, I cannot think of anything."

This matter involved the complex nuances of personal relationships and court politics.

If he, Qian Wu, were to casually propose a reward and it fell short, it would only make his superior feel he had handled it poorly.

It would have been one thing for any other evaluation, but this young man named Shen Bai had received such high praise that Qian Wu absolutely dared not make a judgment.

Director Yin nodded. "Indeed. This is the most unique situation we’ve encountered since the founding of the country. Forget you, even I find it rather troublesome."

As he spoke, Director Yin took out a cup from the side and poured Qian Wu a drink.

A flicker of excitement appeared in Qian Wu’s eyes upon seeing the cup of wine, and he accepted it with extreme care.

Director Yin said, "Drink it slowly. The medicinal potency of this wine is too strong. I’m afraid if you drink too quickly, your meridians will be damaged."

Qian Wu immediately nodded, taking tiny sips as if what lay before him was not fine wine, but poison.

Yet it was a poison he cherished immensely, not even allowing a single drop to spill.

Director Yin was skilled in a particular Cultivation Technique, one that emphasized subduing others with force, and this wine was specially brewed to complement it.

It contained precious medicinal ingredients, and a single cup was enough to strengthen and condense a great deal of Qi.

Every day, Director Yin himself only drank a single flask; any more would be unbearable even for him.

Although it was a special brew, it was extremely precious to any other Cultivator.

Ordinarily, it was rare for Qian Wu to even get a single cup.

Director Yin watched Qian Wu sip slowly, saying nothing. He simply stared at the report on the table, once again lost in thought.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Qian Wu finally finished the wine in his cup. Feeling his Qi had condensed a little more, he carefully placed the cup on the table and pushed it back toward Director Yin.

Only then did Director Yin snap out of his reverie. He picked up a sheet of white paper, lifted a writing brush, and began to write on it.

Qian Wu didn’t dare to disturb him, standing to the side with his hands hanging down, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

Director Yin was extremely focused as he wrote. A long time passed before he finished, folded the paper, and handed it to Qian Wu.

"This is his reward. Take this paper and go personally to the Fenglin State Observatory."

Qian Wu was slightly taken aback but nodded in agreement.

According to protocol, he normally wouldn’t need to deliver such a reward in person. But since Director Yin had ordered it, it was clear that whatever was written on the paper was extremely important.

Director Yin smiled. "Aren’t you curious about what’s written on it?"

Qian Wu shook his head. "If Lord Yin does not say, I will not look. Lord Yin has taught me before: don’t look at things you’re not supposed to, or you’ll lose your eyes."

Director Yin shook his head. "You’re always so bound by the rules. Go on, open it. I’ll let you see."

Having received permission, Qian Wu carefully unfolded the paper.

His eyes widened as he took in the details of its contents.