From the Carp that Brings Children to the Celestial Officials

Chapter 82 Deepening Cooperation (Please read on!)
“The fertility department governs the pivot of creation and upholds the principles of human relations. Now there is Youming, who was originally a messenger of a joyful pregnancy. After countless eons of cultivation, his merits have been perfected. He is in harmony with the virtues of Heaven above and in accordance with the wishes of Earth below.”

"By special imperial decree: the Eighth Rank Envoy for Harmony and Preservation of Twins, bestowed with a crown of blue phoenix and a stone of Mount Tai, in charge of the patrolling affairs of the Nine Heavens' Department of Fertility. Furthermore, granted the Red Phoenix Star Pivot Order, which allows one to guide the Red Phoenix Star's light and enter the Heavenly Realm on the day the Red Phoenix Star moves each year..."

"When Heaven and Earth unite, Yin and Yang harmonize. You must strictly abide by the laws of Heaven and not indulge your selfish desires. All things, whether born from eggs, moisture, or transformation, are under your protection!"

The red-faced figure loudly recited the words of the imperial edict, and layers of golden light rippled among the clouds.

After the imperial decree was completed, You Ming led a group of underworld officials and clerks in loudly kowtowing in gratitude.

A beam of light descended from the void, and in an instant, it transformed into a silver crown above You Ming's head. A red token appeared at his waist, and an ancient blue stone seal hung on the other side.

You Ming's rank instantly rose from the ninth rank to the eighth rank, and there seemed to be clouds above him, their white color tinged with red light.

Upgrade your rank, and your luck will soar!
He could sense that his authority had expanded further, not only strengthening his original responsibilities of marriage, bestowing children, and procreation, but also adding the responsibility of "health preservation".

He is responsible for the health of all children in the area before the age of ten.

This is certainly a good thing for You Ming, as it means he has another source of income from offerings.

However, the area under his jurisdiction remains the same. This is the awkward aspect of the celestial official hierarchy.

The celestial officials are high above, but detached from reality. To spread their influence among the people, they must rely on the power of the local deities. If you are powerful enough and have a wide enough network of connections, the local gods will naturally give you face.

Take the Kitchen God lineage, for example. Their God of Fate is notoriously domineering. He has set up Kitchen Gods in every county, and every household worships them, receiving an enormous amount of incense every day.

However, the lineage of procreation is different, mainly because this position is too important; it is practically the foundation of the divine way.

Many powerful deities and departments wanted a share of the pie. Bixia Yuanjun, Zhusheng Niangniang, Jiutian Jiansheng Si, and even going back further, some ancient gods who were almost extinct had similar duties. After all, there has been fertility worship since the birth of mankind.

The inability to form a united force and the lack of a unified voice to lead this responsibility have led many local forces to try to seize this authority.

If You Ming hadn't been granted seven more villages by the City God because of his exceptional ability to father children, even with his rising rank and position, the area under his jurisdiction would probably still be quite small.

"Thank you, angels. Why don't you go to the mountains and have a cup of tea?"

Although this was the first time he had received such a grand imperial decree, he still had to be mindful of the proper etiquette.

He cupped his hands towards the sky and said loudly.

"No, we still need to return to the headquarters to report. You just need to do your job diligently."

The divine being merely glanced at You Ming and spoke in a deep voice.

However, before he could finish speaking, he turned around, revealing the woman behind him who appeared to be pregnant.

"Carp, don't listen to that person's hypocritical words. The Golden Boy God asked me to pass on a message to you."

"The Red Phoenix Star shines only once a year. You must seize the opportunity to enter the Heavenly Realm, and you're guaranteed to benefit from it."

The woman looked at You Ming with a gentle smile.

You Ming nodded quickly. He was about to say a few more words when a bell rang in the void.

When the time came, all the gods disappeared.

……

I got promoted!
Promotion is always a happy thing. Although the Golden Boy God still has no intention of summoning him to the Heavenly Realm, You Ming believes that day is not far away! This time, his responsibilities are relatively clear.

Although he was not granted a divine office, he was given several treasures.

The "Azure Phoenix Carrying a Ganoderma Crown" symbolizes unwavering loyalty and can strengthen the stability of the marriage line. It also represents the vitality of the fire element, which can protect the fetus from external evils.

The Taishan Town Stone can suppress the five evil spirits—blood demons, fetal fright, premature death, foul air, and vengeful spirits—in the delivery room, ensuring a smooth delivery for the baby. It can also dispel plagues affecting children under ten years old.

As for the [Red Phoenix Star Decree], it's even easier to understand. The Red Phoenix Star brings joy and early marriage, making it a treasure that promotes union. Furthermore, when the Red Phoenix Star moves, it can send down a ray of starlight to guide Youming into the celestial realm.

This treatment is comparable to that of the Kitchen God in a county town.

The Red Phoenix Star shines approximately once a year, without a fixed time, while the Kitchen God can only ascend to heaven once a year.

The news of You Ming's promotion quickly spread to Changning County.

Although everyone was amazed by the speed of the Koi Spirit God's promotion, they also knew it was only a matter of time.

The City God sent a special gift, and the other deities also made their own gestures to varying degrees.

This made You Ming quite embarrassed, so he spent nearly half a month visiting each of the gods.

He wasn't part of the Changning County Shinto system after all, but he still had to deal with local forces, so he couldn't appear so aloof.

"Is the Empress Dowager at home to ensure the safety and health of the twins?"

You Ming had finally finished a series of social activities and was just about to go into seclusion to cultivate for a while when he saw the Night Wanderer Zhu Xin floating over.

"But what news has come from the City God?"

Upon seeing Zhu Xin approach, You Ming immediately stopped his cultivation and ordered someone to usher him into the yamen.

"Your Excellency is wise. The City God has promised to transfer the duties of bestowing children, marriage, and childcare to Your Excellency in thirteen villages, including Dingjia, Chonggu, Jinyang, and Nanbang."

Zhu Xin spoke loudly, his face beaming with undisguised joy.

The closer the relationship between this carp spirit and the City God's office, the more secure his position as a liaison.

Although he has only ever acted as a middleman, the City God has been giving him much better evaluations lately, which means that if a position becomes available, he will likely be the first choice.

He has been in this position for a century.

Although gods have long lifespans, the lower their rank, the shorter their lifespan. For a minor god like him, who is only a ninth-rank deity, his lifespan is only between one hundred and eighty and two hundred and twenty years.

If one cannot continue to advance, one may be corrupted by incense offerings, and then one will have to be reincarnated.

"Okay, okay."

"Thank you for your trust, City God. I will do my best to ensure the prosperity of our Changning County and the health of its people."

Actually, when the City God gave gifts last time, he revealed the news of wanting to deepen cooperation.

Now that he had received confirmation, You Ming finally felt relieved.

(End of this chapter)