Chapter 162

“`

It could also disrupt the Crown Prince’s plans.

No matter the process, his goal had at least been achieved.

Cheng Guang cared little for the process.

After taking the token from Cheng Zhihai’s hand, he left the hall directly.

He was somewhat reluctant to talk to a Cheng Zhihai who did not trust him.

This old man had become inexplicably unlovable.

Sigh.

Cheng Guang shook his head with a sigh.

After he left the hall,

Cheng Zhihai also withdrew his gaze from Cheng Guang.

He picked up the teacup, gently swirled the clear tea inside, blew the mist from the rim, took a sip, and moistened his throat.

He appeared contemplative, a mysterious glimmer in his eyes.

“Yes, why didn’t I think of that? If I could uncover the whereabouts of the Crown Prince, it would be a great achievement. If I could transfer the credit for finding the Crown Prince to Guanger, just with this merit alone, he could be directly promoted to Silver Lantern Catcher.”

“I will strive some more, and direct promotion to Gold Lantern Catcher isn’t out of the question.”

“Heh! In one fell swoop, with some more effort, it’s not impossible for Guanger to be promoted to my position within two or three years.”

“At that time, I will hand over the Bureau of the Lamp to Guanger, and I will go elsewhere to shine and heat for Guang’er.”

Saying this, Cheng Zhihai’s face revealed a hint of a smile, which gradually became more intense.

As he smiled, he began to go through the intelligence information reported from various branches of the Bureau of the Lamp across the land.

To find the Crown Prince who had not appeared for decades within the vast territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty was almost like finding a needle in a haystack.

Now, Cheng Zhihai could only put his earnest efforts into searching and seeking.

He refused to believe that a Crown Prince could hide anywhere that he wouldn’t be able to find, even if it was the ends of the earth; he would unearth the Crown Prince.

Cheng Zhihai flipped through the books rapidly, time swiftly passing as he browsed through the intelligence from various places, periodically taking a sip from his teacup.

A cup of tea.

A whole day.

— “The Striving Father”

…

Cheng Guang knew nothing about Cheng Zhihai’s actions; he too had begun his own moves.

With his new identity as a Black Lantern Catcher, Cheng Guang first went to the Bureau of the Lamp’s registration office to collect a uniform.

The clothes of the Bureau of the Lamp were exquisite, mainly in dark tones, made from rare silks and unique fabrics, embroidered with intricate patterns that emitted a faint light at night, as if stars were shining in the darkness, faint and elusive.

The detailing on the clothes was meticulous, each piece crafted by hand with care.

The collar was trimmed with silver satin, the cuffs were edged with gold thread, and a broad leather belt was tied around the waist, featuring a lantern-shaped buckle with a black border, which was the symbol of the Bureau of the Lamp.

The Black Lantern Catcher’s buckle had a black border, the White Lantern Catcher’s a white one, and so forth, according to the type of lantern.

The highest rank of Director and Deputy Director wore the understated yet noble color of white gold flame.

Cheng Guang found a place to change into the uniform, and after sizing himself up, he thought he looked quite handsome.

Already handsomely featured, he looked good in any attire, but wearing the clothes of the Bureau of the Lamp added an indescribable air of temperament to him.

“`

It’s worth mentioning that although Cheng Guang was just a Black Lantern Catcher, even the occasional White Lantern Soldier Catcher or a Silver Lantern Catcher didn’t look down on him or show any disdain.

This wasn’t because Cheng Guang was the Princely Heir; rather, it was because within the Bureau of the Lamp, people didn’t scorn or belittle anyone else based on their position.

Cheng Guang thought this was pretty good.

Though the Bureau of the Lamp was a small bureaucracy, it was somehow distinctly different from the Court’s bureaucracy.

There wasn’t any struggle for power. In the Bureau of the Lamp, if you wanted to get promoted, move up in ranks, and obtain more resources and power, you had to work hard to complete tasks and gather more intelligence.

Everything was determined by your efforts.

So everyone was busy with tasks, without any time to look down on one another.

Today you might be a White Lantern, and I a Black Lantern, but perhaps tomorrow I’ll be a White Lantern, and the day after, even a Silver Lantern.

It changed every day.

This was in stark contrast to the internal factional struggles and nepotism within the Great Zhou Court.

In the Bureau of the Lamp, such things were nonexistent.

Cheng Guang made his way to the main hall of the Bureau of the Lamp where tasks were assigned and entered the hall filled with various mission briefs; the one at the forefront was to locate the whereabouts of the Crown Prince.

Moreover, this task was placed at the highest level, in the most prominent position.

Anyone could take it on.

As long as you could provide information about the Crown Prince’s whereabouts, even if it was vague and not specific, that would be acceptable.

You could still obtain a great number of merits for it.

Therefore, most of the Bureau’s constables had taken on this task and received some intelligence related to the Crown Prince.

Even if it wasn’t completed later, it wasn’t a big deal—it was good to chase a dream.

What if by chance?

If by chance you did learn about the Crown Prince’s location, you could be the first to submit this information and gain a great amount of merits.

Merit was quite important in the Bureau of the Lamp.

It could not only be used to improve one’s rank but could also be exchanged for resources.

Cheng Guang approached the counter and looked at an exhausted old clerk, and before he even had a chance to speak, the old man tossed a scroll to Cheng Guang.

“Alright, no need to say anything, old man knows you’re here to take on the Crown Prince’s task.”

“Sigh, young people these days, one more rash than the next. Is the Crown Prince that easy to find?”

“The Director released the task more in the hopes of a ‘needle in a haystack’ approach; he never really expected you Black Lantern lads to find him. You’d do better to focus on other tasks and leave this one to Gold or Silver Lantern Catchers.”

The old clerk didn’t even lift his head, and after he finished speaking, he waved his hand, signaling he wanted to dismiss Cheng Guang.

Seeing this, Cheng Guang couldn’t help but chuckle wryly, “Old man, I want to ask, where should a Black Lantern Catcher like me go if I need assistance with manpower?”

As soon as the old clerk heard Cheng Guang call him ‘old man,’ he got annoyed.

“Hey! You young person, where are your manners? Even though I’m old, that doesn’t mean you can just call me ‘old man.’ At the very least, you should address me as ‘elder uncle’ or something of the like, got it?”

After the old clerk said this and lifted his head wanting to say more, he caught a glimpse of Cheng Guang’s face and his expression instantly froze.

His eyes widened, and a choking sound of “uh uh” came from his throat.

He was rendered speechless.