stonecrandall Chapter 1549 795: Meeting
Chapter 1549 795: Meeting
Dog barking?
Ji Jue couldn't care less, his eyes lowered.
Just like a civil servant in a meeting, holding a pen and notebook, looking as if he were fully focused on taking notes and grasping the spirit of the speech.
And just like that, he started drawing little turtles on the paper.
Diligent practice—one of these days I'm definitely going to compete with that salted-fish Ye Chun and see who's better!
As for the Heavenly Furnace…
Huh? Is that even a person?
In my eyes what's the difference between him and a dog?
It had never occurred to him that his first time at the highest floor of the Association, his first time attending a meeting in the Hall of Radiance, two dreamy, unreal pleasures stacked together like this, and he actually ended up drawing little turtles.
So what?
Draw more!
Just like the vast majority of institutional meetings—actually even more drawn-out and complicated than most official meetings—as if to make up for not passing the Empire civil service exam back in the day. Once the Heavenly Furnace started barking, it just went on and on, all long, convoluted sentences.
Recalling the past, looking to the future, explaining origins, seeking meaning…
Enough to make people drool with boredom.
"Young people really should concentrate more." A deep reminder sounded by his ear, making Ji Jue's eyelids twitch as he looked across the table.
At the old man leaning on his cane, as if he were fully absorbed in listening to the directives.
The last disciple of Grandmaster · Corpse Eater, the host of the Empire's largest workshop, the [bell tower]; he was the bell tower itself.
At this moment, when Ji Jue looked over, the bell tower's pupils moved slightly. He glanced back without leaving a trace—mainly because Ji Jue was way too focused on drawing his little turtles, and by the end he was outright using the old dog as a reference… a bit much, really.
Ji Jue's hand paused slightly and he nodded. "Thanks for the reminder. I still haven't thanked you for looking after me."
When he returned from the boundary between You Sui and Tianshu and arrived here, he had sensed a presence in Tianshu that flashed by and vanished.
From beginning to end, the bell tower had been observing from the side, keeping the craftsmen in You Sui in check, ready to step in at any moment if things went south.
"Just a handy favor, don't mind it." The bell tower shot him a look. "Your teacher didn't come?"
"He's at a critical stage of his research. If anything comes up, the disciple does the legwork."
"How nice, how nice."
The old man smiled faintly, with a kind of sighing emotion: For such a normal master–disciple relationship to appear in your line… that's a bit supernatural in itself.
"When you're free, come hang out with my kid more."
"Sure, sure."
"Oi, Old Deng, what are you chatting about?" The voice of the vet "Miss" Despina suddenly rang out in the hidden channel of communication. "Where's that will-o'-the-wisp you promised me last time? Remember to drop it downstairs at my place."
"Next time for sure, next time for sure." The old man instantly switched to perfunctory mode.
"Young man, don't always hang out with Old Deng, you'll catch the old-man smell." "Big Sis" Despina looked over at Ji Jue with a half-smile. "Little Aignu told me you're always messaging him. How come you never come ask big sister for advice? I'm the one who gave him his first lessons in Life Science, you know."
"Grandmaster Despina, that was how many… ahem, never mind." Aignu's voice cut in, as if he wanted to say more but held back. Despina smiled, just about to speak again, when another voice chimed in.
"Scamming kids again, you old auntie. Don't smile so hard, you'll crack your foundation."
"You'd better watch it, Zhao." Despina's gaze sharpened.
"Ew! Old Zhao, you've gone too far. Where do you see an old auntie? All I see is an eternally eighteen-year-old young lady."
"Damn, we've got a pro here?"
"…The Association really is too repressive."
"No, seriously, can you people not look at the occasion?"
"What occasion? Why don't you go and tell the Grandmaster to hurry up and get to the point? See if he gives a damn."
"That's enough."
[Sweating-soybean.jpg]
Ji Jue was at a loss for words.
Once the Old Dragon of Bell Tower started it off, more and more people logged into the hidden communication channel, and it got lively fast. Even though everyone around the conference table wore solemn faces and kept their mouths shut, the channel itself was noisy and rowdy.
Obviously they were long used to the Heavenly Furnace's style. The attending masters all sat there with pious expressions, but in private they were practically cracking sunflower seeds.
The leader was talking up on stage, and everyone was spamming the group chat. Anyone who could attend this meeting was a master, no exceptions. In just a few minutes, they had even developed reaction memes and an anonymous mode, and there were already trolls fanning the flames.
Ji Jue's face twitched again and again. He wanted to speak but held back.
Didn't dare say a word.
Head down, focused on drawing turtles.
Until a rousing table slap suddenly rang out.
"Good!"
The Heavenly Furnace's expression was solemn as he declared, "Since everyone has no objections, we'll decide it like this!"
[???]
For a moment, everyone froze in bewilderment.
Hold on, aren't we missing a few key plot points here?
You beast, what the hell did you just decide?!
The younger ones were still looking at each other, totally lost, while the Old Dengs could only let out a helpless sigh.
Fine, the old… Grandmaster has played us again.
And he really put in the effort too—put on a whole performance of democracy for everyone, called out people's names, gave the Association a little sense of participation.
Unlike the other Superior titles, the Heavenly Furnace, this generationally inherited honorific, can practically be called the spokesperson of Ember. Through generation after generation of transmission, this title has gotten infinitely close to the position of overall controller among the Superiors.
You could call him a hardcore permissions hog, no exaggeration.
Not only can he easily take over the Heavenly Furnace manifestations of Ember in the mortal world, he can even interfere with the connections between craftsmen and Ember, weaken them without limit, and outright stripping a title is well within his power.