The third day, early morning.

In the meditation room of the External Affairs Hall, the sandalwood incense seemed even more serene.

Elder Ma sat upright on a meditation cushion, eyes slightly closed as if in deep meditation.

Su Ming stood below with hands respectfully at his sides, holding something that seemed completely mismatched with his menial disciple status.

It was a booklet with a cover made of fine beast hide, neatly bound, its thickness far exceeding anyone’s expectations.

“Elder, these are the thoughts and considerations of this disciple after three days of contemplation.”

Su Ming did not make empty promises but respectfully presented the plan that had condensed the countless efforts of both master and disciple.

“A hastily prepared work, it must contain many oversights. I humbly request the Elder’s correction and guidance.”

Elder Ma slowly opened his eyes and took the booklet.

*Proposal for the Establishment of the Formation Lines Repair Hall.*

He opened to the first page, glanced at it only once, and for the first time, an expression of barely concealed astonishment appeared on his face, which was usually as still as an ancient well.

His turbid eyes grew brighter and brighter the more he read.

Even his withered fingers began to unconsciously tap lightly on the edge of the booklet, producing a rhythmic, faint sound.

“Look, look! The fish has taken the bait!” Lin Yu’s soul consciousness jumped up and down in Su Ming’s mind. “What do you call a dimensional strike? This is it!”

Su Ming held his breath and focused his spirit, seemingly oblivious to his master’s lively thoughts, quietly awaiting the final judgment.

Elder Ma had completely not expected that what Su Ming presented wasn’t just an idea or a notion.

It was a complete, meticulous, even revolutionary management system!

His gaze lingered for a long time on the sections titled “Standard Operating Procedures” and “Contribution Point Incentives and Assessment.”

Every word and sentence was like a sharp scalpel, precisely dissecting the core pain points of the sect’s current low-level management inefficiency!

After a long while, Elder Ma slowly raised his head, his deep eyes filled with complex emotions.

He pondered for a moment, then lightly tapped a spot on the booklet with his fingertip, pointing out the most central concern.

“This method… seems overly rigid.”

“In the long run, wouldn’t it stifle the disciples’ spiritual nature, making them too craftsman-like?”

Lin Yu’s soul consciousness instantly grew tense. “Here it comes! The pressure interview is here! Disciple, don’t panic, say what we rehearsed!”

Su Ming was already prepared with an answer. Upon hearing this, he bowed neither humbly nor arrogantly and responded.

“Reporting to the Elder, the original purpose of this hall is not to cultivate grandmasters of formations who can establish their own schools.”

His voice was calm and clear, echoing within the meditation room.

“It is to ensure the ‘foolproof’ stable operation of the sect’s thousands of low-level formation vessels.”

“Spiritual nature is for innovation and breaking new ground—that is the business of the geniuses on Formation Peak. For daily maintenance, what is needed is not spiritual nature, but ‘absolute reliability.'”

“The output of this hall must be qualified products every single time, not dependent on some disciple’s sudden ‘masterpiece’ from a spark of inspiration.”

These words were like a clear spring, instantly washing away the last trace of doubt in Elder Ma’s heart.

Right!

Reliability!

What the sect needed was precisely this kind of absolute reliability!

“What excellent phrases—’qualified products’ and ‘absolute reliability’!” A flash of sharp light passed through Elder Ma’s eyes.

Seeing this, Su Ming smoothly took out another prepared list from his robe and presented it again.

“Elder, this is a list of five candidates this disciple has boldly screened. I humbly request the Elder to review it.”

He explained the reasons for choosing each of the five individuals one by one.

“Steward Wang from the Accounting Office is meticulous in thought and steady in character. He can serve as the head of quality inspection.”

“Senior Brother Li from the Maintenance Department is experienced and down-to-earth. He can serve as the backbone of repairs.”

“Zhang Asheng from the Spiritual Plant Garden is patient, meticulous, and single-minded. He can be a talent for precision work.”

“In addition, there are Zhao Tiezhu and Qian Xiaofan. Their family backgrounds are clean, and they yearn for opportunity. They can serve as the foundation for apprentices.”

Every person he selected was precisely the kind of ordinary character who would disappear into a crowd—no background, no innate talent. Their only common points were steadiness, attentiveness, and reliability.

“Additionally, this disciple requests that the Repair Hall be established in a secluded courtyard in the back mountains.”

“Firstly, it can avoid interference from the comings and goings of the various peaks, allowing focus on the work.”

“Secondly, it can also… avoid prying eyes and reduce unnecessary disputes.”

This last sentence was spoken extremely cleverly.

It considered the needs of the Repair Hall while also responding to the previous incident with Sun Quan, indicating his desire to work steadily and avoid further trouble.

Elder Ma closed the thick proposal. His turbid eyes fixed on Su Ming for a long time.

That gaze contained scrutiny, appreciation, and finally transformed into a hint of decisive resolve.

“Good!”

“Your requests are approved!”

He took out a simple, ancient Mystic Iron token from his robe. On the token was only a single, imposing character: “Ma.”

He handed the token to Su Ming.

“With this token, within three days, you may requisition the people you need, the location you need, and all basic materials and supplies.”

The token felt cool to the touch, yet its weight was as heavy as a mountain.

“Su Ming.”

Elder Ma’s voice carried an unprecedented gravity.

“Do not disappoint this old man’s expectations.”

“This disciple will certainly not fail the trust placed in me!” Su Ming bowed deeply, tightly gripping the token in his palm. Its cool sensation slightly calmed his boiling blood, yet made his resolve even more firm.

Exiting the meditation room, the afternoon sunlight was somewhat glaring. Su Ming did not delay for a moment. Clutching that token, which seemed to still carry Elder Ma’s residual warmth, as if holding a freshly unsheathed Imperial Sword, he walked directly toward the stewards’ office of the External Affairs Hall.

He did not seek out any familiar stewards. Instead, he directly presented the token and found the steward on duty responsible for personnel assignments and material distribution.

Seeing the token, the steward’s pupils contracted slightly. The arrogance on his face instantly transformed into respect, even carrying a trace of barely detectable fear.

“Su Ming… no, Senior Brother Su, what are your instructions?”

“Transfer five people.” Su Ming handed over the list, his tone calm yet leaving no room for doubt. “Wang Ming from the Accounting Office, Li Hou from the Formation Peak Maintenance Department, Zhang Asheng from the Spiritual Plant Garden, Zhao Tiezhu and Qian Xiaofan from the menial disciples’ courtyard. Effective immediately, they are reassigned to the newly established ‘Formation Lines Repair Hall.'”

“Also, approve Back Mountain Courtyard Bing-Seven for use by the Repair Hall. According to this list, allocate the first batch of basic tools and materials. Everything must be in place before sunset.”

The steward took the list and the materials list, glanced at them, and nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, yes, Senior Brother, rest assured, I will handle it immediately!”

Inside the Xuantian ring, Lin Yu watched the steward’s shift from arrogance to deference with amazement. *See that, disciple? This is called power! Even if it’s only temporary, using it feels really good! Can we consider this starting a business with imperial sanction?*

“Master, this is just the beginning.” Su Ming responded in his heart, his gaze sweeping over the bustling crowd in the External Affairs Hall. “What comes next is the real key.”

Half an hour later.

Inside the Accounting Office, Old Wang was frowning bitterly over a stubbornly unbalanced entry in his ledger when a rough hand pressed down on his account book.

He looked up and saw Su Ming’s calm face.

“Senior Brother Wang,” Su Ming’s voice was not loud but clearly reached his ears. “By order of the External Affairs Hall, effective immediately, you are transferred to the newly established ‘Formation Lines Repair Hall.’ Pack your things and come with me.”

Old Wang was stunned. He looked at Su Ming, then at the shocked and doubtful glances from his colleagues around him. His lips moved slightly as if he wanted to say something.

Su Ming did not give him a chance to ask. He simply added one sentence. “It’s an order personally given by Elder Ma.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep