READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 94: Removing the "Deputy" Character, Promoted to Chief Officer
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The officers and the dispatch office recruited by the Guardian Martial Department recently were mostly picked by Shen Qing from respectable families within the neighborhood, as well as fringe members connected to the Thirteen Lines.
These individuals were very clean, without any background, and were easy to control.
Moreover, these people were chosen by Shen Qing himself after careful selection, which was entirely different from those who had come in relying on personal connections in the past.
To put it bluntly, Shen Qing was their common sponsor, and the path they took was all through Shen Qing.
They had a relationship with Shen Qing where they prospered together or suffered together.
Furthermore, Shen Qing did not have the undesirable habits of Zheng Yuanqiu, never withholding others' official salaries, and occasionally offering rewards.
For a while, the past undesirable atmosphere of the Guardian Martial Department was swept away, with everyone striving to excel.
Inside and outside Yongzhou City, the demons that had been raising their heads were once again suppressed by Shen Qing, and outside Yongzhou City became calm and peaceful.
Such achievements also caught the attention of many officials in the county office.
Military Department.
Summoned, Shen Qing, dressed in a neat official uniform, walked steadily into the main hall, bowed, and saluted, his voice clear and powerful, "Greetings, Lord Jia, Greetings, Lord Huangfu."
In the main hall, Jia Zhiping sat at the head, his demeanor radiating an aura of natural authority without anger.
Huang Furo, wearing a plain white attire, stood by Jia Zhiping's side with her hands clasped.
Commander Jia Zhiping examined Shen Qing, nodding with satisfaction. He gently raised his hand, signaling Shen Qing to dispense with formalities.
"Vice Chief Shen, do you know why we summoned you here?"
"Subordinate is dull and does not know."
"Haha, Vice Chief Shen, your recent performance in governance has been clearly seen by both me and Lord Huangfu." Jia Zhiping's voice was steady and powerful, revealing a high evaluation of Shen Qing, "Today, I have decided to officially promote you to the Chief Officer of the Guardian Martial Department."
The admiration in Commander Jia Zhiping's eyes was undisguised.
Standing by, Huang Furo also nodded in agreement and said, "Chief Officer Shen is both wise and courageous, repeatedly achieving great success. Today's promotion to Chief Officer of the Guardian Martial Department is well deserved."
The difference between Chief Officer and Deputy Chief Officer was only one character, but the nature was completely different.
With the "Deputy" character removed from the position title, it was somewhat considered as entering the ranks of the Yongzhou elite.
Even children from those high-ranking families could not speak loudly in front of him.
Shen Qing realized that his actions in recent months had gained recognition from his superiors.
But he did not become arrogant or insensible, speaking modestly and calmly, "Thank you, Commander Jia, and Lord Huangfu, for your favor. I, Shen, will certainly live up to expectations, continue to be diligent and responsible, and exert all efforts for the Military Department and the people."
"Good, there's no need for these polite words." Commander Jia Zhiping stood up from his high position and said, "Tomorrow marks the day when the Lord Governor recovers from his injuries and emerges from seclusion. It's a good opportunity for you to also go with us to meet the Lord Governor."
"Humbly obey the order." Shen Qing clasped his fists respectfully and said.
Commander Jia Zhiping nodded. After explaining all matters, he quickly walked into the back hall.
Huang Furo remained in place and did not leave.
After Jia Zhiping's figure disappeared in the main hall, she took two steps toward Shen Qing and reminded him, "The Lord Governor failed to slay the Snake Demon before and was injured, losing face. With his temperament, he certainly won't swallow this humiliation easily. Tomorrow, besides our people from the county office, the Lord Governor has also summoned the heads of the Thirteen Lines to jointly discuss the grand plan to slay demons."
"The things you did before did not escape the eyes of the Dong Family. They just turned a blind eye and did not dwell on them with you, so don't provoke them when you see them tomorrow."
Shen Qing's heart tightened. He nodded and said, "Thank you, Lord Huangfu, for the reminder. This subordinate will remember."
"Yes, besides this, there is one more thing."
Huang Furo looked at Shen Qing with a serious expression and said, "Regarding your previous statement about the Zhou Family being in collusion with demons, I secretly investigated and found some suspicious elements."
"What do you mean?" Shen Qing asked eagerly.
The day he had slain the Cat Demon, there seemed to be a Great Demon standing behind it.
Now the opponent was in the dark, while he was out in the open.
The lack of clarity on this matter left a knot in his heart, difficult to untangle.
Huang Furo explained gently, "I investigated and found that throughout the past year, the Zhou Family has taken in many servants, far more than in previous years. Among them, there were quite a few martial masters, but strangely, after recruiting so many, the Zhou Family Mansion remained as it was, with no changes in terms of food and clothing or living appearance."
"Logically, with more people, food and expenses should increase, but they have not. These people seem to have disappeared into thin air."
Shen Qing's face darkened as he said, "So these people should have been eaten by demons, right?"
Huang Furo silently nodded.
It was well known that demons had a taste for humans.
If the Zhou Family was in collusion with demons, they would certainly provide some people as food, and the disappearance of people would rightly confirm this point.
Huang Furo said, "The Zhou Family should be in league with demons, and this demon's cultivation is likely not low, possibly already transformed."
Shen Qing's expression froze.
If transformed, it would at least be comparable to the Dan Realm or even Innate Realm existence.
Such a demon, lurking in the shadows, would have little hope of defeating him if it came to kill him.
"My Lord, what do you think?" Shen Qing gathered his thoughts and asked.
Huang Furo said, "Such a transformed demon already possesses intelligence no different from humans, with its own preferences, and even if it eats people, it wouldn't do so indiscriminately like other demons. The demon lurking in the Zhou Family only needs its desire suppressed to not reveal itself, making it hard for outsiders to detect."
"So a transformed demon lurking in the busy city, within a prestigious family, wouldn't do so just for some mere food supplies. The Zhou Family's cooperation must have other purposes."
"The urgent task is to find out what they are really after. Otherwise, we will forever guess blindly without an answer."
After listening to Huang Furo's analysis, Shen Qing was thoughtful.
At this moment, he suddenly thought of the same Zhou Family in Changqiao Town and the same collusion with demons.
Could this be a coincidence?!
Shen Qing felt it was unlikely. His intuition told him there was some vague connection here.
He thought for a moment and asked, "Lord Huangfu, do you know about the Spirit Mechanism Land?"
"Spirit Mechanism Land?"
Huang Furo frowned, pondering, "I've heard a bit about it. It is said that the Spirit Mechanism Land contains the Supreme Spiritual Mechanism, which can elevate beings beyond the ordinary, and there are even rumors of the Secret of Longevity."
"But this is the heretical talk of the Huang Tian Sect, which is strictly banned for dissemination and discussion by the court. Where did you hear about it?"
Shen Qing looked directly into Huang Furo's eyes and said, "I suspect that the Zhou Family's collusion with demons has something to do with the Spirit Mechanism Land!"
...
Upon leaving the Military Department, Shen Qing felt a growing heaviness in his heart.
After communicating with Huang Furo, he felt that a dark cloud was looming over Yongzhou's sky, gradually spreading out without anyone noticing.
This was not good news.
People who do not plan for the future will be troubled by present worries.
With a thought, Shen Qing brought the information on the Water Ink Panel to the surface...
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