I subdue demons and monsters, and cultivate immortality in hell to become a saint.

Zhong Jiu touched his waist; the Demon-Slaying Sword was still there, and a calligraphy brush had appeared beside it.

This is the Yin-Yang Brush that the system rewarded. The brush handle is black, and the tip has a faint silver sheen.

The empty panel displayed the description: [Yin-Yang Brush: A ritual implement of the underworld, capable of distinguishing between Yin and Yang, and determining life and death. All documents and decrees written with this brush possess the power of the underworld.]

Zhong Jiu played with the Yin-Yang Brush, his heart filled with joy. This brush was the standard equipment of the head of the Yin-Yang Division. The fact that he, an eighth-rank official, could use it showed the special nature of this position.

Using the information transmitted through the official seal, he finally figured out the operating procedures of the City God's Palace:

The Jifeng Hall members are "scouts," responsible for patrolling Guiling City, gathering intelligence, and reporting directly to the City God.

The Inspectorate is a "criminal police force" that investigates corrupt officials in the City God's Palace and catches evil spirits. Once caught, they are either killed or sent to the next level of the underworld for judgment.

The Department of Rewarding Good, the Department of Punishing Evil, the Department of Increasing Fortune, and the Department of Appreciating Sushi are essentially the "Performance Evaluation Departments." They reward good deeds by increasing lifespan and wealth, and punish evil deeds by decreasing blessings and bringing retribution, thus putting the principle of "punishing evil and promoting good" into practice.

His Yin-Yang Division was essentially the "cabinet" of the City God's Palace, equivalent to the City God's chief secretary!

If the City God is too busy to handle affairs, all official documents from various departments must first be sent to the Yin-Yang Department for the department head to make a decision.

Although the head of the Yin-Yang Division is a seventh-rank official like the other division heads, in terms of actual power, he can overpower the others.

"So, you're saying I'm the chief secretary's deputy, a high-ranking official of the eighth rank with real power?"

Zhong Jiu's thoughts were getting better and better, but looking at the empty Yin-Yang Division, he was a little worried. In the huge City God's Mansion, from the head of the division to the assistants, he was the only one in charge. How was he supposed to keep up with the work?

The images of Zhou Sheng and his men flashed through his mind, and he considered transferring these soul soldiers to help, but the thought was quickly dismissed: "No, no, if word gets out that I, Zhong Jiu, have no one else to rely on, and even have to borrow subordinates from the Censorate, we can't afford to lose face like that!"

He stroked the official seal, then suddenly laughed. "What's there to be afraid of if nobody's here?"

I am currently an eighth-rank official, and I have the authority to promote my subordinates!

Once the evil spirits of Guiling City are completely eradicated, there will be plenty of loyal soul soldiers waiting for him to promote them. At that time, the City God's Mansion will definitely become lively!

Zhong Jiu had barely warmed the official seal in his hand when a system notification sounded in his mind, three times more solemn than before: [Host has advanced to the eighth rank; the God-level Mission System is officially activated!]

Two gilded task panels instantly appeared before his eyes, making his eyes widen in disbelief.

【Task 1: Revitalize the City God Temple】

[Requirement: Repair the City God Temple in the mortal realm, restore the majesty of the underworld, and recapture its former glory as a place of flourishing incense offerings.]

[Reward: Randomly select elite ancient warriors to be incorporated into the City God's Guard]

"Ancient War Spirits?!"

Zhong Jiu slammed his hand on the table, almost knocking the official seal of the clerk off. This reward was like a pillow sent to someone who was sleepy!

The City God's Guards are the elite troops guarding the city. We can't let an eighth-rank official like him personally guard the gate, can we?

He was previously worried about not having enough manpower.

Once you complete the mission and receive the reward, you won't need to go looking for modern soul soldiers like Zhou Sheng anymore.

Otherwise, if the underworld's influence spreads out and all the ghosts are "modern ghosts" in training uniforms, the common people will still think that the underworld is a newly established "startup company," which would lower its status.

Even his own soul soldiers would whisper among themselves, "Besides the master, why haven't we seen any other colleagues from the underworld?"

So even if loyalty is maxed out, it will inevitably seem shabby.

The system has now given the answer directly, and the reward is an ancient elite battle spirit!

Imagine those Qin and Han soldiers and generals clad in heavy armor and wielding long spears, standing at the entrance of the City God's Mansion. That's what you call the grandeur of the "underworld," a perfect match for cold weapons and soul soldiers!

"Repairing the old City God Temple is simple; just find Li Wanqiu. She's a rich young lady."

Zhong Jiu flicked the cloud pattern on his brocade robe and laughed unkindly, "With the Li family's wealth, repairing a temple is a piece of cake, but to get the people to offer incense again and restore the City God's authority, that requires some careful planning."

His gaze shifted to the second task.

[Task 2: 100,000 Faith Points]

[Reward: Randomly unlock a complete Hall of Justice]

"Tch, it's not like I'm being promoted to Chief of the Department, how boring."

Zhong Jiu rolled his eyes. He was now an eighth-rank official, so what use was an empty palace?

But when the word "complete" jumped into his eyes, he instantly sat up straight. The complete Sitang Palace?

I checked the information again casually.

Discover that "completeness" is not just something to be displayed!

Take the Gale Hall for example. Its complete setup includes not only the Chief Steward and the Chief Clerk, but also the Day Wanderer and Night Wanderer as "scouts" who can gather information day and night, making them a hundred times more efficient than him running around aimlessly.

He'll take the position of City God sooner or later; he can't be a commander without any troops then, can he?

The system directly gifted a fully staffed Hall of the Directorate, which was incredibly tempting!

Scrolling down, the next advancement requirement made him gasp in horror: [Consume 400,000 Faith Points to advance to the Rank 7 Division Master]

"Goodness, if we include the 100,000 from Mission 2, we'll need to accumulate 500,000 Faith Points!"

Zhong Jiu was astonished. Guiling City only has a total population of over 500,000. Does he want the entire city to worship him?

But instead of panicking, he rubbed his hands together, eager to get started: "This mission is a series of interconnected events! Repairing temples increases faith, increasing faith opens up chapels, opening chapels increases faith again—a perfect closed loop!"

He had already prepared to "harvest faith" when he unlocked the incense system. Now that the mission has come, it's just a matter of putting his plan into practice.

Zhong Jiu took a deep breath, and with a thought, his coarse cloth clothes instantly changed into the official robes of an eighth-rank official. No longer was it a monotonous black robe, but a brocade robe embroidered with "Red Clouds Chasing the Moon". The fabric shimmered with a faint golden light, and his official aura was more than ten times stronger than before!

He took a step forward, his body as light as a feather, and soared into the air, surrounded by clouds and mist, looking every bit like an immortal descending to earth.

"This is how an eighth-rank official should behave!"

Zhong Jiu laughed loudly in the wind, his divine eyes suddenly opened, and wherever his gaze fell, all demons and monsters had nowhere to hide, even the yin energy hidden three feet underground could be seen clearly.

"Hmm? There are three rat demons hiding in the sewers?"

Two golden beams shot from his eyes, piercing the ground like searchlights. "Get out here!"

The three evil spirits screamed as they were pulled into the air by the golden light. They shrank their necks and dared not even lift their heads. All they could see were Zhong Jiu's official boots embroidered with cloud patterns. The official authority emanating from him made their souls tremble.

"Your Excellency, spare us! We'll never harm anyone again!"

The three evil spirits kowtowed repeatedly, drawing black blood from their kowtows.

"You've committed so many murders, you still expect to be spared?"

Zhong Jiu casually waved his hand, and a golden light flashed. The three evil spirits turned into black smoke. "How boring. They didn't even bother to draw their swords."

In the past, he would have had to take dealing with such evil spirits seriously, but now it's as easy as swatting a fly.

The authority of an eighth-rank underworld official is something that such a lowly ghost cannot bear. His current status is no longer that of a "grassroots cadre" who personally catches ghosts.

Chung Kau walked on air, heading straight for the Inspectorate outside the city.

More than thirty soul soldiers were lined up and waiting for orders. When they felt the overwhelming pressure, they all knelt down with a "whoosh" and did not dare to raise their heads.

"I have entered the City God's Palace and have been appointed as an eighth-rank Yin-Yang Division Chief Clerk."

Zhong Jiu's voice came from the air, authoritative and clear, "From this day forward, Zhou Sheng will assume the position of Inspector of Guiling City!"

A new official seal fell from the sky, and Zhou Sheng quickly caught it with both hands. The words "Zhou, Inspector under the Jifeng Hall of the City God's Mansion of Guiling City" on the seal were so hot that his palms went numb.

He looked up sharply to express his gratitude, but Zhong Jiu's figure had already disappeared from the sky, leaving only a faint golden light.

The appointment of Zhou Sheng was something Chung Kau had planned long ago. Zhou Sheng was capable and prestigious, so he felt at ease entrusting the Censorate to him.

Little did he know that Zhou Sheng, holding the official seal, felt a mix of emotions, and his joy vanished in less than three seconds.

"I've been promoted, but I'm getting further and further away from being an adult..."

Zhou Sheng muttered to himself, looking lost and dejected.

Becoming a ninth-rank inspector is an incredible stroke of luck, but he would rather follow Zhong Jiu. This official is clearly a powerful figure with connections to the highest levels, and only by following him can he have a future!

He was convinced that Chung Kau would take him away, since the master had no other capable assistants, so who else would he use if not him?

Reality slapped him hard in the face. Zhong Jiu not only didn't take him with him, but didn't even mention the other soul soldiers. He left cleanly and decisively, as if he had completed a simple handover.

"I was too narrow-minded. How could I possibly understand someone like you?"

Zhou Sheng gripped the official seal tightly, his eyes hardening once more. "Work hard, and I'll prove my abilities to the higher-ups!"