Chapter 98: Chapter 97: Villains Are Good Stuff
“As a loyal Guardian Knight of the Sanctuary, you have fulfilled your mission very well,” the thin man said at a leisurely pace, while the other two showed no intention of speaking.
“The Bishopric has reviewed Bishop Carl’s report, and you have performed admirably in the Dark Marsh. Not only did you uncover the conspiracy of the cultists in time, but you also promptly informed the Sanctuary, thwarting their plans to reopen the Gates of Hell. Not to mention the incident involved Bella…”
At this point, a barely perceptible calm surfaced in the thin man’s tone.
“…Everything you have done will forever be remembered by the Order.”
Upon hearing the thin man’s words, Fang Zheng inwardly chuckled. This was exactly the outcome he had hoped for. After all, reality wasn’t a game – you couldn’t simply click on a mission point and proceed. You had to consider your status. Politics are an inseparable part of human life, whether in a laboratory, an office, or a boardroom. Networking is key to climbing the ladder, and if you don’t have that ability, then exceptional talent must compensate.
Fang Zheng had opted not to directly attack using the Soulstone for several reasons – caution was one, but also considering factors within the Sanctuary was another. Although he was nominally affiliated with the Sanctuary, he had been missing for a long time. To return to the Sanctuary without being subject to investigation or suppression, he needed to win some people to his side. Shi Dong was, of course, a reliable support, but one should never put all their eggs in one basket.
This was another reason Fang Zheng had chosen to wait for reinforcements. He was acutely aware that the more perilous the mission, the more generous the rewards that followed. It was like a company tackling a key technology project – the task was inevitably difficult, but if you accomplished it, any competent leader would not overlook the significant contributions made by your department.
Moreover, from the tone of Fina and the other Sanctuary Warriors, Fang Zheng could deduce that reopening the Gates of Hell was, undoubtedly, a terrifying and significant affair. Logically, the Sanctuary should be the one to take charge of such a matter. That was another reason Fang Zheng refrained from a direct attack, choosing instead to wait for reinforcements.
As the saying goes, share the wealth in prosperous times and face difficulties together.
If Fang Zheng had gone ahead and handled everything without saying a word, though he would have naturally received credit for his Guardian Knight status, it would have been limited to him alone. Honestly, with Fang Zheng’s current status, he wasn’t yet in a position to act independently.
It’s like apprehending a criminal: if you’re a passerby who spots an escaped fugitive and decides to catch them, your heroism is acknowledged if you succeed, and if not, you’re forgiven given your civilian status. But if you’re a police officer, even a rookie, and you rashly jump into action, you’re bound to face scrutiny and criticism, successful or not.
Questions like why didn’t you contact your superiors, why did you act alone, why didn’t you consider the environment…
Fang Zheng’s current status at the Sanctuary was like that of the rookie officer: no matter what you do, you must first contact the organization and leave the decisions to them.
In this way, if you succeed, everyone is happy, and no one thinks you’re glory-hogging or acting solo. If it fails, you aren’t the one carrying the can alone.
Collective decision-making is a treasure; you heave the blame onto it. Otherwise, what’s the point of having a board of directors?
This is also why the Northern Temple’s attitude toward Fang Zheng is quite favorable now. Although, according to Bishop Carl’s report, Fang Zheng did the lion’s share, the Sanctuary also contributed to this brutal battle. Though the twenty-odd Pegasus Knights weren’t many, they effectively tied up the enemy’s air forces. Going by a 40-60 split of rewards, they should at least get a “forty,” right?
As a result, their scores for the annual evaluation would undoubtedly rise, and the Northern Temple made a name for itself amongst its peers.
But if Fang Zheng had done it alone, even if the Northern Temple wouldn’t openly complain, they would be discontent internally. If you handle everything solo, what are we – useless? Stepping out in the future, people would mock them saying, “Can’t believe the Northern Temple consists of incompetents, in the end, it took an apprentice Guardian Knight – oh, just an apprentice – to rescue you. Isn’t that shameful?”
Where would they put their faces then?
In doing so, Fang Zheng would gain no advantage and earn great enmity from the Northern Temple, a completely lose-lose situation.
As for now… his reputation within the Northern Temple was probably, if not respectful, at least friendly.
“I believe you’re aware, thanks to your prior actions, the Bishopric has already granted you the title of Grand Knight. And this time, in the Dark Marsh, you’ve defended the glory of the Order… um…”
As he spoke to this point, the skinny man paused for a moment, evidently at a loss for words. However, Fang Zheng also understood why the other party was having difficulty. Logically speaking, the out-of-turn promotion was already a reward for himself, but the problem was that the Bishopric had treated him as a martyr, which made this time’s reward somewhat tricky to handle. With his identity and strength, of course, he wasn’t qualified to become a Knight Captain, but Fang Zheng’s undeniable merit in defeating Bella, the Six-Armed Serpent Lord, and destroying the Gates of Hell Array in the Dark Marsh was clear for all to see—there were so many witnesses that if you didn’t award anything, it definitely would be hard to explain.
But this reward in itself was a difficult matter. Reward too little, and people would feel disheartened thinking that after fighting so hard for you, this meager reward is how you treat those in need. Give too much, and Fang Zheng’s age and experience would become awkward, possibly inciting dissatisfaction among many elders. So the best solution was…
“After the Bishopric’s discussion, we have decided that the Sanctuary can satisfy all your demands. Just state your request, and as the citizens of order and Guardians, we will definitely not be stingy with any reward,”
See, they’ve tossed the hot potato back.
Hearing this, Fang Zheng raised an eyebrow. MD, it seems bargaining is the same anywhere. Don’t be fooled by how open-handed they sound, saying any request can be made. But if Fang Zheng naively made some impractical demands, that would be problematic. Even if the Sanctuary agreed to his conditions, it would likely lower Fang Zheng’s reputation. But if the demands Fang Zheng made were simple and not much of a bother, then the Sanctuary naturally wouldn’t be stingy, and might even engage in a bit of mutual flattery publicly, letting others know about Fang Zheng’s understanding of propriety and frugality—subtext: it’s not that we didn’t give him better, it’s just that he only wants these, and we can’t help it.
They’ve shrugged off all responsibility.
MD, isn’t it just mutually beneficial flattery and bargaining? Magic I can’t do, swordsmanship I don’t yet understand, but this… this is my domain!
Thinking this, Fang Zheng’s face also revealed a complex and conflicted expression. Then he hesitated for a moment, raised his right hand to his chest, and gave a slight bow to the three men.
“Thank you for the Sanctuary’s grace. In truth, I only did a trivial task and feel quite ashamed. Even though it’s hard for me, there’s indeed something that I have to ask…”
As he spoke, Fang Zheng showed a somewhat troubled expression.
“If possible, I hope to obtain some Spirit Crystals…”
Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s request, the three Bishops were taken aback. They clearly hadn’t expected Fang Zheng to make such a demand. And Fang Zheng lowered his head, a faint smile emerging on his lips.
Good, the exchange of interests is a success. I’ve told you what I want, now how much you give depends on your own conscience.
After all, “some” is a very delicate word. A jin is some, a kilogram is also some, a ton is also some… Are you going to be generous?
“Of course, there’s no problem,”
And at that moment, finally, the fat round-faced man spoke. He still looked at Fang Zheng with a smile, but his tone was a bit strange.
“I am just curious, Knight Fang Zheng, what do you need the Spirit Crystals for? Don’t tell me you plan to learn magic?”
When Fang Zheng heard the sarcasm in the other man’s voice, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Indeed, without a villain to play the opposing role on a stage, the play simply can’t go on…