The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

Chapter 358: Chapter 352: Imperial Audience

The first rays of dawn shone into the room.

Bai Yuan stretched comfortably.

’Who says the ancients didn’t know how to live?’

’This room, this bed, that little missy at the front desk... They’re all way better than those grand hotels from my past life!’

That was a truly comfortable sleep.

Bai Yuan rolled out of bed and got dressed.

First, he went to check on Fang E’s room.

That little slip of a girl was in the room next door. She must have been exhausted from playing yesterday, as she was still sleeping even though the sun was high in the sky.

Just as Bai Yuan was heading downstairs, he saw a familiar figure—Yue Xiaobai.

Yue Xiaobai had the same icy expression as always.

He was sitting in a corner on the first floor of the Star-Picking Tower, a pot of tea and a few small dishes on the table.

Although he didn’t spare Bai Yuan a glance, Bai Yuan was absolutely certain the man was there for him.

Unlike in Ling Province, Yue Xiaobai’s reputation in the Capital City was immense.

His mere presence drew the attention of everyone around. The tables within a ten-meter radius of him were all empty.

Bai Yuan smiled faintly and, ignoring the stares, sat down opposite Yue Xiaobai.

"Xiaobai, I thought you were going to Xiyue?"

As he spoke, he deftly picked up a pair of chopsticks, plucked a morsel from the dishes, and poured himself a cup of tea.

The patrons of the Star-Picking Tower stared wide-eyed at this scene.

Everyone in the Capital City knew that the Xiyue Divine Sword, Yue Xiaobai, was an unapproachable figure. Anyone who dared act so arrogantly in his presence would have been cut down by his sword long ago. Yet today, Yue Xiaobai was being exceptionally tolerant toward this man, showing no intention of drawing his weapon.

Murmurs broke out as the surrounding crowd began to speculate about the man’s identity.

The people of the Capital City loved to gossip about the major affairs of the Imperial Court and the Jianghu, but not a single one of them knew who Bai Yuan was.

This only made the diners all the more curious.

Yue Xiaobai spoke up. "After all these fights, it’s still you who can best nurture my sword."

’No pretense, straight to the point. He really is the same old Xiaobai.’

Bai Yuan chuckled.

Apparently, Yue Xiaobai hadn’t just arrived in the Capital City; he had been waiting here for him all along.

"How did you find me?"

Bai Yuan was a little curious.

He had never told anyone he was coming to the Capital City, so how did Yue Xiaobai know?

Yue Xiaobai maintained his stony expression, only willing to say a few more words when facing Bai Yuan. "I checked with the Ministry of Personnel."

"..."

Bai Yuan was speechless.

He had shown his official documents to the city gate guards when he entered. The Ministry of Personnel must have been notified of his arrival then.

’No secrets in the Capital City... It’s really true.’

Bai Yuan smiled faintly. He hadn’t intended to hide his whereabouts anyway. Since the Ministry of Personnel already knew he was here, he would have to pay them a visit. He couldn’t afford to completely embarrass them, after all.

"Xiaobai, why don’t you come with me to the Ministry of Personnel?"

"Spar with me."

"Deal."

Bai Yuan agreed readily.

Since achieving the initial stage of mastery with his Divine Mansion Technique, he had yet to cross swords with anyone. Yue Xiaobai would be an excellent opponent.

He went upstairs again to say a few words to Fang E.

The little girl was sound asleep. She just gave a drowsy "mmph" before rolling over and falling back asleep.

Bai Yuan and Yue Xiaobai left the Star-Picking Tower.

He wasn’t too worried about leaving Fang E alone at the Star-Picking Tower.

The Star-Picking Tower didn’t become the number one inn in the Capital City just because its rooms were large and its beds were soft.

Bai Yuan wasn’t familiar with the Capital City, but luckily, he had Yue Xiaobai, who knew his way around.

He quickly followed Yue Xiaobai to the Capital City’s central axis—the Black Tortoise Great Path.

Bai Yuan swore it was the widest street he had ever seen in his life. The ten-lane, twelve-lane highways of his past life were nothing compared to the Black Tortoise Great Path.

The Black Tortoise Great Path was a full half-li wide, flanked on both sides by the Six Ministries and other important departments of the Court.

The vast Black Tortoise Great Path was nearly devoid of people.

No commoner would dare to walk here casually. If they were to accidentally bump into a court official, they would be in serious trouble.

At the far end of the Black Tortoise Great Path stood a towering wall with vermilion ramparts and golden roofs, a picture of ultimate splendor. That was the Imperial City.

Yue Xiaobai, familiar with the route, led Bai Yuan to the Government Office of the Ministry of Personnel.

The Ministry of Personnel was extremely close to the Imperial Palace, practically at the foot of its walls.

It occupied a position in the second row of buildings along the Black Tortoise Great Path, a testament to the Ministry of Personnel’s standing among the Six Ministries.

The Minister of the Ministry of Personnel had always been considered the head of the Six Ministers, second in rank only to the Three Ducal Ministers.

Yue Xiaobai led Bai Yuan straight through the main gate of the Ministry of Personnel. The two guards standing outside seemed to know Yue Xiaobai and made no move to stop them.

If Bai Yuan had come alone, he would have likely faced layers of questioning.

The Ministry of Personnel was huge. A rough estimate suggested it had at least ten courtyards, like a maze.

The front courtyard was large, surrounded by more than a dozen rooms. Officials in uniform periodically hurried out, their rushed footsteps reminding him of corporate drones.

Yue Xiaobai led Bai Yuan into the rear courtyard and finally into a room.

"Old man, I brought you the person."

After speaking, he found a seat and sat down without another word.

Bai Yuan was a little surprised.

In the room was a refined-looking elder who appeared to be about sixty. But for a Martial Artist of a high realm, age was impossible to tell from appearance. It was entirely possible this old man was already two hundred years old.

The Capital City was full of hidden masters, to say nothing of the Ministry of Personnel, the head of the Six Ministries.

When the elder saw Bai Yuan and Yue Xiaobai, he chuckled. "You must be Lord Bai. Please, have a seat. This old one is Guo Yingru, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. It is currently the year of the capital inspection, and Minister Chu is away. Before he left, he instructed this old one to receive you, Lord Bai."

Bai Yuan cupped his fist. "So it is Vice Minister Guo. I have long heard of you."

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was a figure of absolute authority. Although they were both third-grade officials—himself being of the junior third grade, and the Vice Minister of the senior third grade.

But their political statuses were worlds apart.

Setting aside the rule that local officials had to drop half a rank upon entering the capital, as a mere Lingzhou General from a remote province, he would be hard-pressed to even be considered a fourth-grade official in the Capital City.

If that wasn’t the case, how could an idle official from Jiangnan like Chen Danian have secured a position as important as a Provincial Vice Prefect?

It was all because Ling Province was considered a backwater in the eyes of the Central Plains.

If a Jiedu Envoy hadn’t been established in Ling Province, and if Grand Protector Yan Shao’an hadn’t been personally stationed there later, Kong Sen would never have been able to go from the Guanglu Temple to Ling Province to serve as Prefect.

Of course, Bai Yuan himself was an exception.

A genius from the Hidden Dragon list was a hot commodity no matter where they went.

Guo Yingru was experienced and handled matters with impeccable etiquette.

Bai Yuan had only just sat down, and Guo Yingru had already arranged all the necessary affairs.

Although Bai Yuan’s new official post had not yet been determined, the Ministry of Personnel still allocated him resources befitting a third-grade official, not daring to shortchange him in the slightest.

Bai Yuan gazed at the listing in the register for an eight-courtyard mansion in the Capital City... ’A dream I couldn’t achieve in my past life has actually come true in Xuan Yang.’

To obtain such a residence in a core district of the Capital City, status was even more important than money.

Guo Yingru noticed Bai Yuan’s satisfaction and smiled faintly.

"Lord Bai, His Majesty has long been eager to meet you. This old man will take the liberty of arranging for you to enter the palace for an audience tomorrow. How does that sound?"

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