Infinite Professions

Chapter 357 - 187: Mountain God

After a night of silence, the next morning, the group dared not linger, said farewell to the guest monk, and hastily departed from the Red Lotus Ancient Temple with their carriage.

Shen Hex also rode a white horse alongside them. After traveling dozens of miles, he looked back and saw a faint golden-red Buddhist glow, which was the Divine Realm of the Venerable Red Lotus.

He did not see the Venerable Red Lotus, but the latter surely knew of his presence, as nothing within the Divine Realm could be hidden from the eyes of the deities.

In fact, it was the deity who intentionally opened the realm last night, allowing Shen Hex, as a foreign god, to enter.

As for why after opening the realm, the monk soldiers were sent to inquire, the deity could only perceive what’s within the realm, not past or future. Hence, it was unclear to them where the corpse on the carriage came from, so they allowed Shen Hex entry first, then sent monk soldiers to question.

As for the matters of the divine beings, that is a subject to set aside for the moment. Song Wu and his companion led a dozen strongmen, driving the carriage along the official road. Many horse-drawn carriages and travelers came from the opposite direction, including esteemed figures with ornate carriages and numerous escorts.

"These people..."

"Could they all be going to the Red Lotus Temple for incense?"

The crowd was amazed and felt the Buddhist Sect’s incense flourish, but as it didn’t concern them, they quickly pushed it aside and continued their journey.

After days of traveling through dust, they finally reached Jinyang Prefecture City after half a month.

As the administrative center of a prefecture and the land of the highest virtue, the scenery was outstanding with towering walls, a flow of carriages and horses within, pavilions, and shops of all kinds, dazzling the eyes.

Song Wu and Song Ying were born in Dongping and, due to lack of literary talent and lack of official achievements, had never been to a prefecture city, making this their first grand trip to the capital, dazzling them with its splendor and leaving them feeling unfamiliar and helpless.

Fortunately, Shen Hex had already instructed them not to wander recklessly. They first found an inn outside the city to stay in, and then entered the city to visit the Prefecture Government Office, preparing to submit their documents.

Though they called it a document, it was actually just a personal letter from Song Wen, with no official weight, as the village chief did not have an official position, only being a low-ranking clerk.

They should not have entered the prefecture at all, as this was a leapfrogging report.

Normally, such matters should first be reported to the County Government Office, which would then submit it to the Prefecture Government Office, following this step-by-step reporting process.

Crossing counties into the prefecture was a taboo in the bureaucracy!

Song Wen did not understand this either, but as Shen Hex instructed, he could only comply.

Song Wu and Song Ying handed over their letter at the Prefecture Government Office, and as expected...

"Village chief?"

"Are you two pulling a prank?"

"Go, go, go, don’t cause trouble here!"

"This is a serious place; you two yokels expect to just waltz in?"

"Do you want to end up in jail?"

"Get lost!"

Unsurprisingly, the two were given cold shoulders and almost hit by the constables’ sticks.

But the two weren’t bothered, as this outcome was anticipated. They quietly left the city and returned to the inn.

The next morning, they drove their carriage into the city again, carrying the bodies and a few hundred severed heads to the Prefecture Government Office.

Elsewhere...

Still at a Prefecture Government Office, but in the Underworld, Shen Hex put away the paper horse, revealed his divine dao golden light, and stepped towards the main gate, only to be stopped.

Two yin emissaries stood with their staffs before him: "Who goes there?"

Shen Hex clasped his hands and smiled lightly: "I am Song Xiang, the Village Land God of Little Huang Village in Qinghe County, here at the command of the Civil Judge to report, I ask the two Upper Emissaries to pass on the message!"

"Qinghe County?"

"Little Huang Village?"

The two yin emissaries heard this and showed contempt in their eyes, but seeing the divine dao golden light on him, did not directly chase him away, merely saying: "Wait here then!"

With that, they did not enter the office to deliver the message, but remained on guard at the gate.

Shen Hex did not mind, and stood outside waiting.

Meanwhile, in the Mortal World, before the Prefecture Government Office.

"This..."

"Quick, go report!"

Seeing the carriage’s load of bodies and boxes of lime-coated heads, the guards at the office gate were shocked, rushing inside to report.

A moment later, inside the Prefecture Government Office, at the Funeral Room.

Two middle-aged men, with their hands clasped behind them, looked at the dozen or so bodies of the Five Immortals Gang’s magicians, especially Wang Po among them, with expressions of surprise and doubt.

"Evil technique tempered body, undead after death!"

One middle-aged man, cold-eyed, wore a Deputy Governor’s official robe: "Indeed, these must be remnants of the Five Immortals Gang."

"And this woman..."

The other, dressed in a Magistrate’s official robe, looked at Wang Po’s body, then waved away the forensic doctor and assistants: "Could it really be that bandit leader from years ago?"

"We still need Mr. Nine Abysses to come confirm."

The Deputy Governor shook his head: "But it should be correct, considering they truly are remnants of the Five Immortals Gang."

The Magistrate frowned: "Such a remarkable person in a small rural village, able to slay this Five Immortals bandit leader. Even back then, the prefecture dispatched a large force and enlisted Mr. Nine Abysses to intervene, but couldn’t eliminate her."

"Back then, Mr. Nine Abysses severely injured her, and now, over fifty years later, even with an evil technique, she couldn’t withstand the passing of time. This attack on Little Huang Village was likely a desperate last assault before her life was completely extinguished, trying to convert people to ghosts, transforming into an evil demon."

The Deputy Governor remained unchanged in expression, concluding: "Her failure and death this time seem to be due to her depleted state, benefiting the well-prepared Little Huang Village."

"That seems reasonable!"

The Magistrate nodded, then asked: "How should this matter be handled then?"

"..."

The Deputy Governor remained silent, only revealing a flicker of expression in his eyes.

The Five Immortals bandit leader had long been officially proclaimed dead, everyone knew it,

Yet public knowledge aside, some matters can deceive others but not oneself; Wang Po was an ongoing threat, causing stress for many.

Now that this threat has been eliminated, many can breathe a sigh of relief.

In that case, what kind of reward should be given?

The Deputy Governor pondered for a long time before finally speaking: "What about that document?"

"Here it is!"

The Magistrate took out a letter.

The Deputy Governor took it, opened it, and looked at it, then spoke: "This Song Family is ambitious, wanting a military official position."

Song Wen’s letter wasn’t straightforward, only strongly praising the martial prowess and accomplishments of Song Wu and Song Ying in slaying Wang Po.

But in the bureaucracy, everyone is astute, and from this step-over complaint, as well as the letter’s praise of the two, it’s easy to discern their intentions.

Do they want an official position, or a military official?

The Deputy Governor’s expression was indifferent, his attitude cold.

Though historically, civil officials have been valued over military ones, the value depends on the place and circumstances.

In towns plagued with banditry and evil spirits, a military official is worth much more than an ordinary civil servant, at least enough to support a powerful local family.

"In theory, since they eliminated the Five Immortals Gang leader, awarding them an eighth or ninth-grade scattered official like a Captain is not excessive."

Looking at the letter in hand, the Deputy Governor changed his tone slightly, speaking coldly: "But for them to bypass the county and directly report to the prefecture is overly ambitious."

"Indeed!"

The Magistrate nodded in agreement: "This Song Family is quite ambitious. If we let them have their way this time, they might cause a lot of trouble in the future."

The intention was clear in the words.

Overstepping is a major taboo in the bureaucracy.

Both had been involved in officialdom for decades as a Fifth-Grade Deputy Magistrate and a Sixth-Grade Magistrate, and instinctively disliked those who overstepped.

When the superiors are displeased, the outcome is obvious.

Seeing that both had the same intention, the Deputy Governor was straightforward: "In that case, let’s just give them some silver coins as per the bounty for the Five Immortals Gang remnants, and be done with it."

The Magistrate’s eyes sharpened: "If they are unwise and make a fuss..."

"Hmph!"

The Deputy Governor snorted coldly: "Then we’ll make them understand reason!"

His cold words settled the matter.

Little did they know...

In the Yin Department Office, within the Civil Judge Department Hall.

"Boyu, you have truly amazed me!"

Lu Ji, the Civil Judge of Jinyang Prefecture, looked playfully at Shen Hex: "I thought you were steady and astute, able to rebuild Little Huang Village step by step, but who knew that in just a few years, you achieved such results, and now you’ve even eliminated the Five Immortal Evil Gods, truly unexpected."

Shen Hex smiled and bowed: "All thanks to your guidance, Master!"

Lu Ji looked at him and also smiled: "I purposefully had the constable leave you waiting outside earlier. Are you resentful?"

Shen Hex’s expression remained unchanged: "To be evaluated by you, Master, is an honor!"

"Haha!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Ji clapped his hands in laughter, looking at him with satisfaction: "You are neither arrogant nor rash, neither servile nor overbearing. Indeed, a fine talent. I never thought I would find such a gem, wonderful, wonderful!"

Having said that, he got straight to the point: "With such great achievements, what kind of reward do you desire?"

Shen Hex bowed again: "It is up to you, Master, to decide!"

"Hmm!"

Lu Ji nodded, observing him from head to toe: "I see your aura is full of green energy, and your divine power seems to be at the Tenth Class. This time, you also eradicated the Five Immortal Evil Worship, surely earning you great merit, ample for an entry-level official position. However, with Little Huang Village managed so well by you, it wouldn’t be appropriate for you to leave this position, and there are no other Divine Positions available nearby..."

After these words, Lu Ji’s gaze turned inscrutable: "The position of Little Yellow Mountain God, do you dare accept it?"

"Little Yellow Mountain God!"

Although he had anticipated it, Shen Hex still showed a focused demeanor.

Little Yellow Mountain is an extension of Huangshan, spanning over a hundred miles, with many ghosts lurking within, mostly fierce ones.

Although Jinyang Prefecture has a position for Little Yellow Mountain God, an entry-level local Divine Official who can oversee the incense and faith of towns and villages around Little Yellow Mountain, holding authority no less than that of an ordinary County City God, few Divine Beings dared to take it.

The reason is simple: the mountain is full of fierce ghosts, and banditry is difficult to eradicate. This Mountain God’s duties are challenging, not only fighting the evil spirits but also protecting the mountain residents and villagers, gaining their faith and worship.

This raises a problem: in the bandit-ridden, ghost-infested Little Yellow Mountain, how to make the mountain residents and villagers loyal to you?

Empty words won’t work.

Substantial effort and sufficient means are necessary; otherwise, not only faith won’t be gained, but divine power might also be lost.

Therefore, although the position of Little Yellow Mountain God is an official one, few deities are willing to take it, being a thankless and arduous task, at least for now.

But Shen Hex hesitated little, directly bowing to Lu Ji: "With your responsibility, Master, I would die a thousand times without complaint!"

"Good, good, good!"

Lu Ji was even more satisfied upon hearing this: "I will write to the Lord of the Mansion, officially appointing you as the Little Yellow Mountain God."

"Thank you, Master, for your guidance!"

Shen Hex responded, then his words turned sharply: "However, I boldly have one more request."

"Oh?"

Lu Ji looked at him: "What is it?"

Shen Hex spoke frankly: "This time, after annihilating the bandits in Little Huang Village, I ordered the village chief to send the corpses and heads to the prefecture office, hoping to secure an official position for it, conveniently operating in the Mortal World. Now, receiving the position of Little Yellow Mountain God, to combat the banditry and eradicate the mountain’s evil spirits, I would need the support of military power. Therefore, I boldly ask for your assistance, Master."

"So that’s the issue."

Lu Ji looked at him with even more appreciation: "What you say is very reasonable. Fine, I will walk this path for you, clearing the way in the Mortal World!"

His words were lighthearted and relaxed.