From the Carp that Brings Children to the Celestial Officials

Chapter 433 The storm is coming
Under You Ming's arrangement, everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

In the past month or so, several more groups of disaster victims have arrived, but the Yuanling County government already has experience in disaster relief. There were occasional minor incidents, but they did not cause any major trouble.

Those who were confirmed not to be carrying the disease and who wished to stay were gradually dispersed to various villages.

Furthermore, the Niangniang Temple sent people to the village to appeal to the villagers to help the disaster victims rebuild their houses.

Over the years, because the Niangniang Temple has been very efficacious, the temple keepers have enjoyed great prestige in the local area, especially in the villages. Even the words of the county magistrate are not as influential as those of the people from the Niangniang Temple.

Therefore, in recent years, the county government has cooperated with the temple of the goddess, and every county magistrate has been invited to offer incense and prayers at Yuanling Mountain before taking office.

There were also those who were stubborn and wanted to show off the power of the imperial court, but in the end, reality would teach them a lesson.

You Ming was stationed in the Yin City Dharma Realm of Yuanling County. His divine power surged, filling the entire Yin City with brilliant light, illuminating all directions and dispelling all gloom and coldness.

A massive [Divine Contract of Fetal Light] enveloped him like the sun.

As he infused his divine power, a warm radiance quickly spread out.

Although rich, it is not scorching, like the first rays of dawn, gentle and all-encompassing. Silently nourishing, it covers every inch of Yuanling County.

At this moment, all life in Yuanling County seemed to sense a subtle change.

The anxious disaster victims felt a long-lost warmth and peace.

Many people's previously anxious and distressed faces gradually relaxed, as if the heavy burden in their hearts had been gently lifted.

The dim gray aura that had been permeating Yuanling County gradually dissipated under the influence of the Youming Divine Office.

This means that although the disaster had some impact on Yuanling County, it did not cause serious consequences under You Ming's well-organized arrangements.

A smile appeared on You Ming's face.

If more than a month has passed since the disaster, the imperial court should have caught up with the situation, and various regions should be carrying out disaster relief and aid programs. Everything should be developing in a positive direction.

Just as You Ming was about to relinquish his divine office, the gray mist, which had almost dissipated, suddenly became denser, covering the entire Yuanling County like dark clouds.

Even at its deepest point, one can glimpse a wisp of black mist and blood.

"Unexpected disaster... How could this happen?"

You Ming was startled when he saw the red and black intertwined aura before him.

In order to minimize the impact of the disaster, Yuanling County has made many preparations. It was just about time for the rain to stop and the sun to shine. How could a disaster suddenly occur?
"The calamity is stained with blood; this is a calamity of war."

You Ming frowned, as he suddenly remembered something.

He remembered that in the document Wu Mo had sent a few days ago, it was mentioned that among the disaster victims in the south, a group of people had gradually gained power and even dared to kill government soldiers.

Could these mutinous soldiers eventually reach Yuanling County?

"Wu Mo, come to the palace to see me!"

You Ming took a deep look at the calamity in the sky, and then directly transmitted his voice to Wu Mo.

A short while later, Wu Mo strode in from outside.

These days, he has been almost the busiest he has ever been.

You Ming was the chief officer, and he only needed to be responsible for the directional work, but he had to keep an eye on every step and dare not make the slightest mistake.

Seeing that Wu Mo was about to bow, You Ming immediately reached out to stop him.

"No need for so many formalities. How many people are there in the Yuanling County government office now?" You Ming was most concerned about the turmoil in the human world.

He has been running his business in Yuanling County for so many years, and he absolutely will not allow it to be destroyed like this.

"The yamen has 300 constables and originally had 1,200 patrol inspectors. Recently, due to the possibility of disaster relief unrest, 1,000 able-bodied men have been temporarily conscripted from the people."

"There is also a group of people from our Niangniang Temple, about two hundred people."

After a moment's thought, Wu Mo quickly spoke.

Although Yuanling County was only a county town, its population was comparable to that of some smaller prefectural cities. Therefore, in addition to the yamen runners, there was also a [Patrol and Inspection Office].

The so-called patrol and inspection office was actually similar to the militia, and it did not have an official staff.

Most of the inspectors spend their time farming at home, and they are only called up when there is a shortage of manpower.

There was very little training. Basically, they would only practice formations and coordination a little in the first few days after recruitment. Otherwise, they were no different from ordinary farmers.

Here, neither the patrol officers nor the yamen runners have much fighting ability.

If we're talking about who's really good at fighting, it has to be the group from the Niangniang Temple.

The imperial court prohibited civilians from raising private armies, so this force was scattered among the temples in various villages of Yuanling County, disguised as temple servants or cleaning helpers.

In reality, these people were young and strong men carefully selected from the schools in Yuanling County.

They practice martial arts and strengthen their bodies in their daily lives, and even secretly practice formations and coordination. Once they put on their armor, they become an elite force.

Don't underestimate these two hundred men; if they are equipped with iron armor and steel swords, they can easily defeat even a force of thousands.

"You should send a dream to the temple keeper and ask him to communicate with the government and recruit some young men from the people, saying that war is imminent and that we must be careful."

You Ming shook his head. This force was enough to maintain order in Yuanling County, but it was probably far from sufficient to deal with the chaotic troops from outside.

Otherwise, what was revealed above Yuanling County would not have been just the red and black aura of calamity.

It seems that the situation outside is even worse than I imagined.

Wu Mo was stunned when he heard You Ming's words. Was Yuanling County about to be embroiled in war?
"Yes, I'll go and prepare right away."

But he reacted quickly, knowing that if the adults said that, it must be true, and it was best to prepare as soon as possible.

In recent years, thanks to You Ming's deliberate efforts, the temple keeper's words have carried considerable weight in Yuanling County.

Especially now that the county magistrate is a gentle person, he takes everything that happens at the Niangniang Temple very seriously.

After hearing the divine warning from the carp god who grants children, they quickly got to work.

The temple also sent people to recruit young men from various parts of the city and villages, promising them a monthly stipend of two taels of silver.

This money was also jointly funded by the government, the temple, and local wealthy families.

Over the years, the Niangniang Temple has been very efficacious, and many people are grateful for the Niangniang's blessing of granting children. Whenever the Niangniang Temple makes a statement, most people will respond positively.

Especially in villages across the country, because the Niangniang Temple established free schools, allowing children to study and practice martial arts, many people, even those with only one son in their families, eagerly signed up.

In a short time, the number of applicants exceeded ten thousand.

However, the patrol and inspection department can only recruit a maximum of three thousand people this time. If the number is too large, they cannot afford to support them.

(End of this chapter)