Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng immediately bowed and clasped his hands in greeting, awaiting orders: "Yes, sir!"

Butler Qiu looked at him with affection and appreciation: "Madam bestows upon you the Thunderfire Refining Hall, ranked first among the Turbid-level physical techniques."

"The innate divine power of this physical technique can be summarized in fourteen characters."

"The body is like thunder that shatters all laws, and the fire of karma engulfs the body and burns the evil world."

"This physical technique is undoubtedly the number one among the turbid-level physical techniques."

"His physical strength and supernatural powers are renowned throughout the world!"

Those present gasped upon hearing this.

The highest level of physical technique at the Turbid level!

My body is like a thunderbolt, shattering all laws; karmic fire engulfs me, burning away the evil world.

These fourteen characters are enough to imagine how powerful this physical skill is.

What kind of invincible body, quicksand, or burning blood are all no match for the Thunderfire Refining Hall.

In an instant, their eyes turned red with envy and jealousy, and they wished they could kill Zhou Qingfeng and take his place.

Holding the Gathering Sands technique manual, Xiao Hongyun suddenly felt it wasn't so appealing anymore. He looked at Zhou Qingfeng's back with a complex mix of envy and admiration, and sighed inwardly. Falling behind by one step meant falling behind by every step, and catching up would be even more difficult.

Ye Tingxiu was indeed envious and jealous, but he wasn't greedy. He felt that Zhou Qingfeng was right; what was suitable was the best, and what suited him best was the path of the sword.

Then the Sword-wielding Overlord Body is the most suitable for him. Of course, he wouldn't be foolish enough to refuse if he could refine the Thunderfire Refining Palace. The key is that he can't refine it now and can only watch helplessly.

On the surface, Zhou Qingfeng remained calm and composed, with a faint smile, but inwardly he was overjoyed. He bent down and accepted the martial arts manual with both hands, saying, "Thank you, Madam, for bestowing this technique upon me. Thank you, Steward Qiu, for bestowing this technique upon me."

Butler Qiu said, "This is what you deserve. Madam is never stingy with those who have done good deeds."

"In addition to physical skills, the lady bestows upon you a mansion, 100,000 coins, two bottles of Blood-Increasing and Bone-Strengthening Pills, two bottles of Heart-Nourishing Pills, 100 catties of fine wine, and 10 bolts of silk. Effective immediately, you are promoted to a member of the Council of Ministers."

The Blood-Increasing and Bone-Strengthening Pill is a turbid-grade elixir, but it is specifically designed to strengthen the physical body and stimulate the development of innate supernatural powers. It sells for 30,000 yuan a bottle, with 30 pills in a bottle, making it as expensive as the Heart-Nourishing Pill.

The position of Councillor was merely a nominal one, but it was of great significance because from then on, Zhou Qingfeng would be qualified to listen to all the important matters concerning the Sword Tower and to offer suggestions.

This means that Zhou Qingfeng will have a voice in the core circle of the Sword Tower's upper echelons.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng was stunned. He hadn't expected his wife to be so generous. The first physical technique was already a generous reward, but the subsequent series of rewards left him speechless.

This can be attributed to the fact that Zhou Qingfeng's contributions were indeed quite significant.

If it weren't for the fact that Zhou Qingfeng's cultivation level was too low and he was still in the probationary period, the reward would have been much greater. However, the honor and privilege of being a member of the council chamber already represented the lady's attitude of making great use of Zhou Qingfeng.

"Wow!!!" Everyone croaked in unison, their eyes red with envy and jealousy: "Are you kidding me?!"

Butler Qiu ignored him, thinking to himself that it was their own fault for being so useless. He gave them opportunities but they were ineffective, unlike Zhou Qingfeng, who was able to seize opportunities and was able to rise to prominence and transform from a carp into a dragon.

Butler Qiu looked at Zhou Qingfeng, smiled slightly, and dropped another bombshell: "Finally, Madam also said that from today onwards, I will teach you cultivation. If you have any questions in the future, you can come to me directly."

Upon hearing this, another chorus of "Wow!!!" erupted: "Wow!!! That's outrageous!"

Everyone is struggling to study on their own, which is fine.

But now, suddenly, they have a master to guide them, and he teaches them one-on-one, step by step.

This isn't a reward; it's utter double standards!

The ten people who had already been assigned to other posts have completely withdrawn from this competition. However, they are not convinced, including Ye Tingxiu and Xiao Hongyun, who also feel a great sense of unfairness.

Ye Tingxiu, being outspoken, was the first to speak up: "I'm not convinced! Why should I? Butler Qiu, you're personally taking care of Old Zhou. I definitely can't compete with you. You might as well just announce that Old Zhou will stay. What's the point of competing?"

After saying that, Ye Tingxiu glanced at Zhou Qingfeng and said with a forced smile, "Old Zhou, I'm not targeting you. We have nothing to say to each other. We're brothers in our hearts, but I just can't accept this. It's not fair!"

Zhou Qingfeng: "..."

Seeing this, Xiao Hongyun also stood up: "Yes, I am not convinced either. Old Zhou has made great contributions and has already received the reward he deserves. He should have a master while I don't. This gap will only widen."

"Yes, yes, we want a master to guide us too!" Ten people from the outlying areas came out to join in the fun. Even if they were sent out of the city, it wasn't said that they couldn't have a master to guide them. Of course, they should try to get one if they could.

Butler Qiu had anticipated this scene and was naturally prepared. He immediately shouted, "What's all the noise about!"

Everyone immediately fell silent, and no one dared to cause any more trouble.

Seeing this, Butler Qiu said coldly, "What's the rush? You will all arrange for a master to guide your cultivation, but Zhou Qingfeng will be personally taught by me. This is Madam's designation and cannot be changed. Do you understand?"

"Then I'm fine." Ye Tingxiu chuckled.

The group exchanged glances and remained silent.

Seeing this, Butler Qiu snorted coldly, but when he looked at Zhou Qingfeng, a smile appeared on his face, as if he were looking at a treasure. After all, anyone would be overjoyed to have such a talented disciple.

He grabbed Zhou Qingfeng's arm and raised it high, as if proudly announcing to the world that he had a disciple of unparalleled genius: "I declare that Zhou Qingfeng is first in this performance evaluation. Do you have any objections?!"

"..." Everyone remained silent. What objection could there be? The achievements were undeniable; no one could take the top spot from him, especially since he was now his apprentice, and he would never get it again.

Seeing this, Butler Qiu released Zhou Qingfeng's arm and then pointed to the ten eliminated people: "The rest is none of your business. You can leave now. A carriage has been arranged outside. Let's depart now."

Upon hearing this, the ten men couldn't help but feel a little flustered. Although they had been under a lot of pressure during their time in the city, it was still a blessing compared to the dangers outside the city.

Scattering them across the estate to join the guard team means that tonight they might encounter wild monsters and demons while protecting the estate, and their fate will be uncertain.

"Go!" Butler Qiu suddenly raised his voice a notch when he saw they didn't move, urging them to leave.

The ten men shuddered in fright and dragged their injured bodies away from the council chamber.

Steward Qiu never shows mercy or courtesy to useless people, because useless people have no value to the first family, and sending these ten useless people to the manor is at most a way to reuse them.

Of the nineteen people, some left and some died, leaving only Zhou Qingfeng, Ye Tingxiu, and Xiao Hongyun.

Butler Qiu said, "Ye Tingxiu and Xiao Hongyun, starting today, you don't need to return to the Night Patrol Division. Go to your small courtyards and rooms and wait quietly for a few days. Your masters will come to find you."

Xiao Hongyun and Ye Tingxiu exchanged a glance, gave each other a forced bow, and then the two unfortunate brothers shuffled out of the council hall on crutches. They had no choice, as both of their legs had been broken and walking was difficult.

Seeing that no one was around, Zhou Qingfeng clasped his hands and changed his address: "Uncle De, may I go to the Night Patrol Division to handle the aftermath, because I still have some things to finish up?"