The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

Chapter 360: Chapter 354: Entering the Palace

The night wind was a bit cold.

Bai Yuan stood alone in the cold wind.

His Master was long gone.

On a whim, Xu Dingchun had decided to test his Lightweight Technique, so the two of them had run a full ten laps around the Capital City.

The result was obvious: Bai Yuan had completely lost sight of Xu Dingchun. This Master of his ran with such incredible vigor that even though Bai Yuan hadn’t held back, he was still left completely in the dust.

Bai Yuan shook his head helplessly.

He turned, preparing to head back to Star-Picking Tower.

Xu Dingchun already knew of his decision, which would make things go much smoother tomorrow. Not that joining the Imperial Inspection Office would have faced much resistance anyway.

His reason for wanting to join the Imperial Inspection Office was very simple.

It was because being an Imperial Censor in the Imperial Inspection Office came with several benefits, two of which perfectly matched Bai Yuan’s needs.

First, the salary of an Imperial Censor was high.

And this salary wasn’t just about silver coins; that was a minor detail.

Those who could become officials in the Capital City were naturally high-level Martial Artists, so their salaries consisted of Spirit Pills, Divine Iron, and Cultivation Techniques.

The officials of Xuan Yang could be broadly divided into two categories: those with real power and those with noble but less influential positions.

Officials with real power were in Government Offices like the Six Ministries. The perks were plentiful. Although the Court-issued salary was not high, they could use other means to reap benefits and enrich their families. These positions were fiercely contested by the great clans.

Beyond these, there were also many noble but less powerful official posts in the Court.

The best of these positions was undoubtedly in the Wenyuan Pavilion. It was an excellent place to build connections. Despite having no real power or authority, it was a superb stepping stone.

After the Wenyuan Pavilion, there was the Imperial Inspection Office.

Although the Imperial Inspection Office wielded immense authority, there was almost no way to monetize it. If one were caught knowingly breaking the law, the Emperor would show no mercy—exterminating the entire clan was standard procedure.

But precisely because the Imperial Inspection Office offered no illicit perks, its official benefits were the most generous.

To begin with, the rank of an Imperial Censor in the Imperial Inspection Office was generally half a grade higher than in other Government Offices, and all their benefits were a full grade higher.

For example, an ordinary third-grade official would only get one chance to enter the Heaven-rank Two Inner Treasury to select a Cultivation Technique. But a third-grade official from the Imperial Inspection Office could directly enter the Heaven-rank One Chamber, equivalent to the privileges of a second-grade official.

Bai Yuan came from a common background and had no family backing, making the Imperial Inspection Office an excellent choice for him.

Moreover, as far as he knew, the Imperial Inspection Office’s Black Prison held quite a few Grandmaster-level experts.

The Imperial Inspection Office oversaw all officials, and those who committed crimes were thrown into the infamous Black Prison.

If the Ministry of Justice’s Water Prison held the most criminals, then the prisoners in the Imperial Inspection Office’s Black Prison were the most powerful.

After all, they were all Court officials; how could their cultivation levels be low?

For others, the Imperial Inspection Office was a clean but unlucrative post, but for Bai Yuan, it was a prime grinding spot.

’No matter how many perks there are, could they be better than enhancement points?’

’As for a career and authority... as long as I’m strong enough, even the Court will have to bend to my will.’

With his cheat, Bai Yuan wasn’t worried at all.

...

「The next morning.」

This time, Fang E was up very early. When Bai Yuan opened his door, she was already standing obediently outside.

"Master, are you really going to see the Emperor?"

The little girl’s eyes sparkled.

That was the true Emperor, the most important person in the world.

Back on Dan Mountain, he was an existence she wouldn’t even dare to imagine. And now, her master was actually going to meet the Emperor!

When Fang E heard the news, she had been too excited to sleep all night.

"Master, you can do it!"

"..."

Bai Yuan was speechless. He raised his right index finger and tapped Fang E on her little head.

"I might be back late. Have the inn send food up; just put it on my tab."

"Oh."

Fang E held her head pitifully and let out an "oh."

Bai Yuan chuckled and went downstairs. ’Teasing this little girl really is fun,’ he thought.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, a horse-drawn carriage was already parked at the entrance of Star-Picking Tower.

When the driver saw Bai Yuan appear, he quickly called out, "Lord Bai, please, get in the carriage."

Bai Yuan was a little surprised.

Upon asking, he learned that the carriage had been arranged by the Ministry of Personnel’s Senior Vice Minister, Guo Yingru.

’How thoughtful of him.’

Since the carriage was already here, there was no reason not to take it.

Bai Yuan stepped straight into the carriage.

With a clear "Giddy-up!" from the driver, the carriage slowly started to move.

He didn’t need to guess that this carriage would attract a lot of attention. In the Capital City, only officials of the third grade or higher were permitted to ride in a carriage through the streets.

...

"Lord Bai."

Seeing Bai Yuan step out of the carriage, the Senior Vice Minister approached him with a beaming smile.

The Ministry of Personnel had an unwritten rule: anyone you personally brought into the Imperial Palace could be considered one of your own.

This rule was common knowledge in the official circles of the Capital City.

The little cliques in the Capital City had all sorts of bizarre ways of defining who was "one of their own."

Guo Yingru said, "Let’s go. It’s almost time for the morning court session."

Bai Yuan nodded and followed Guo Yingru into the Imperial City.

Bai Yuan’s impression of the Xuanyang Imperial Palace was that it was big.

The walls were big, the halls were big, and even the stone lions in front of the palaces were a full ten feet tall.

Everywhere, there was an oppressive, suffocating air of dominance. An ordinary person would probably be so scared by this royal majesty that they’d piss themselves before even laying eyes on the Emperor.

Guo Yingru led Bai Yuan through one palace gate after another, finally stopping before a gate from which a corner of Taihe Hall was visible.

An old eunuch and three little eunuchs were already waiting there.

When the old eunuch saw Bai Yuan and Guo Yingru appear, he stepped forward to greet them.

"Lord Bai, we meet again."

This old eunuch was none other than Eunuch Chang, who had previously traveled to Ling Province.

"Eunuch Chang."

Bai Yuan returned the bow.

As the saying goes, even a doorkeeper at the Prime Minister’s gate is a seventh-grade official. One certainly couldn’t afford to offend the eunuchs who served the Emperor.

Seeing this young official, who was currently the rising star of Xuan Yang, treat him with such courtesy, Eunuch Chang’s smile widened.

"Lord Bai, I must trouble you to wait here patiently. His Majesty will summon you when the time comes."

Bai Yuan nodded.

The morning court session was the most important event in Xuan Yang; naturally, it couldn’t be just about Bai Yuan.

That was why Guo Yingru had led him here.

Guo Yingru chuckled. "Lord Bai, I shall take my leave first."

"Thank you, Lord Guo."

Xuan Yang’s court sessions had numerous rules, but they were a significant improvement over the previous dynasty’s.

It was said that during the previous dynasty, all officials of the sixth grade and above in the capital had to attend court. The sessions lasted the entire day, and attendance was mandatory every single day, rain or shine.

This caused the officials’ Martial Dao cultivation progress to plummet, eventually leading to the bizarre situation where Capital Officials were weaker than provincial ones.

Grand Ancestor Emperor Xuanyang revered the Martial Dao, so he made bold and sweeping reforms to the court assembly.

Not only were sessions held just once a week, but only high-ranking ministers of the third grade and above were required to attend. This was how he broke the previously awkward stalemate.

As the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Guo Yingru held a proper third-grade rank, which was just high enough to qualify for the morning court session.

Bai Yuan stood outside the palace gate, making small talk with the old eunuch.

He waited until noon, when he finally heard a loud cry.

"Summon Bai Yuan to the hall!"

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