Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

Chapter 139 A Mighty Figure in the North of the County (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

The sun sets in the west, and the rabbit rises in the east.

In just five or six days, Zhao Xian and his party had traveled to all six townships in the northwest of the county and dozens of villages.

The group of nine traveled day and night, slaying demonic beasts and annihilating bandits.

Wherever he went, he inspired awe and reverence in the hearts of all the people!

Shangbei Township.

At noon, there were very few pedestrians on the official road outside the village.

Outside the village house, two village soldiers stood tall and proud, their faces sharp and alert, a stark contrast to their usual lazy demeanor.

In the east courtyard of the country house, amidst the noise of people and the neighing of horses, a dozen or so figures stood in the courtyard, conversing in hushed tones.

Outside the main hall, four young men dressed in black stood with knives in hand, their eyes fixed straight ahead.

As the autumn wind blew, a faint smell of blood emanated from the young attendants.

"We pay our respects to Sergeant Bing!"

In the hall, all the officials of Shangbei Township, led by the village head, bowed deeply and shouted loudly.

"Please rise, gentlemen!"

At the head of the table, a young man wearing a bronze crown, a black robe, and an official seal at his waist raised his hand to help the officials in front of him, and smiled calmly.

"Ren Jun, we have traveled to several villages and are quite exhausted. We would like to rest here for a day!"

Zhao Xian showed a hint of weariness on his face, but he forced himself to stay awake and looked at Ren Shuo, the village headman in front of him, and smiled.

"Not to mention a day, even a year or two wouldn't matter!"

Upon hearing Zhao Xian's words, Ren Shuo, the village head of Shangbei Township, immediately gave a fawning smile.

"Since Your Excellency entered the northwestern villages, you have successively quelled several bandit groups and slew the rebellious monsters in the northern villages, rescuing the villagers from their suffering. We should certainly treat you with the utmost hospitality!"

Another official wearing a red turban standing next to Ren Shuo also spoke respectfully.

"Haha, in that case, we'll be staying here for a few more days!"

Zhao Xian chuckled lightly, glanced around at the people in front of him, and then fell into deep thought.

Seeing Zhao Xian deep in thought, all the officials remained silent and waited respectfully.

The power of a high-ranking official is evident!

"Ren Jun, there is one more matter that requires your assistance!"

After a moment, Zhao Xian looked at Ren Shuo and said with a smile.

"The sergeant will give the order!"

Ren Shuo immediately responded solemnly.

"It's not a big deal." Seeing Ren Shuo's serious expression, Zhao Xian smiled and said, "It has been more than half a month since I was appointed by the county magistrate. Now, all the bandits in the six villages have been wiped out, and dozens of monsters have also been killed."

"A message must be sent to the county government!"

"What the clerk says is quite right!" Ren Shuo immediately replied with a smile, "Such progress should certainly be shared with the county magistrate!"

"However, my officials and attendants are all exhausted, and the journey from Shangbei Township to the county seat is quite long. I have written this letter, and I would be grateful if you could send someone to deliver it to Liu Yuan, the county clerk, who will then present it to the county magistrate!"

Zhao Xian smiled slightly and stated his request.

"That's easy!" Ren Shuo immediately agreed with a smile. "Just tell me what you need, Sergeant!"

"Then thank you very much!"

"I inspected the six northwestern townships of the county, and of all the townships under your jurisdiction, Shangbei Township suffered the least from the monsters. I will commend you for your merits in this letter!"

Zhao Xian reciprocated, smiling calmly.

"Thank you, Sergeant!"

Upon hearing this, Ren Shuo's face lit up with joy, and he immediately bowed in greeting.

After Zhao Xian finished writing the report and affixed the military seal, he handed the silk to Ren Shuo.

Ren Shuo did not delay. He immediately found two capable clerks from among the officials behind him and instructed them to set off on horseback immediately to deliver the letter to the county!

After chatting for a while, Ren Shuo noticed that Zhao Xian looked very tired, so he wisely got up to take his leave.

After seeing off the officials, Zhao Xian, despite feeling weary, invited Zhao Hong and the others inside and arranged for several people to take turns on duty.

Although he was in the official residence, Zhao Xian did not dare to relax for a moment.

There's no other reason than that I'm unfamiliar with the place and the people there.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Xian got out of bed, feeling sore all over. With the slightest movement, his bones cracked and popped.

Since entering Yulin Township, six days have passed, and Zhao Xian has only had two good nights of sleep in those six days.

.

They had been racing day and night, fighting repeatedly, and were already exhausted both physically and mentally.

The reason I've been able to persevere until now is entirely due to my heart and mind.

After tidying up briefly, Zhao Xian walked out of the main hall, where two figures dressed in black stood.

Seeing Zhao Xian come out, the two of them called out in unison, "Elder brother!"

"Ah Duan, Ah Bing, how long have you two been guarding this place?"

Zhao Xian looked at the two of them with concern and asked.

"Brother, you've been sleeping for almost a day and a night!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Duan immediately smiled and said.

"It's been that long?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian also showed a hint of surprise on his face.

"You two should go and rest. I don't need you two to keep watch here anymore!"

He quickly concealed his surprise and looked at Zhao Duan and Zhao Bing with a smile, saying...

"Okay!"

Without any hesitation, the two headed towards the west wing.

After leaving the side courtyard, Zhao Xian headed towards the west side courtyard opposite.

Upon entering the west wing, one sees that the stables and courtyard are already packed with strong horses.

Zhao Xian inspected everything and was quite satisfied to see that the saddle and bridle had been removed.

He rolled up his sleeves, took out spirit rice from his storage bag, and added some spirit rice to the feeding troughs of the strong horses.

"Oh, sir! How could you trouble yourself with such a menial task as tending to horses!"

An old soldier happened to be carrying a bundle of straw into the courtyard. When he saw Zhao Xian's extraordinary bearing and the official seal hanging at his waist, he was immediately startled and quickly stepped forward, saying in a trembling voice.

"Haha, it's alright. I should check on my own horse before I can feel at ease!"

Seeing the old soldier arrive, Zhao Xian stopped and placed the half-bag of spirit rice on the ground.

"These horses have accompanied us in slaying demons and bandits; they have worked very hard!"

"From this day forward, each horse shall receive one pound of spirit rice and ten eggs daily!"

Zhao Xian looked at the old soldier and took out three low-grade spirit stones from his sleeve, tossing them to the old soldier.

"Yes, sir!"

The old soldier held the spirit stone in his hands, unsure whether to accept it or not, and didn't know what to do!

"If Ren Shuo asks, just say that Qiang told you to accept it!"

After saying that, Zhao Xian walked out of the courtyard.

As soon as I stepped out of the courtyard, I saw the village head of Shangbei Township hurrying to greet me, followed by two servants.

"Lord Hyouso~"

The village chief smiled knowingly and called out.

"Lord Song, please don't be so polite!"

Zhao Xian immediately raised his hand to interrupt the village official's words and said with a smile.

"Knowing you've been fighting for five or six days straight and are quite exhausted, I specially brought some food from home. I hope you won't refuse!"

Seeing that Zhao Xian was very kind and approachable, the village official immediately changed his tune.

"Thank you, Lord Song!"

Zhao Xianzheng was hungry, so he naturally didn't refuse and immediately agreed with a smile.

Immediately, Zhao Xian headed towards the side courtyard, followed closely by the three people behind him.

After setting down the food box, the village official led his two servants away.

Zhao Xian naturally did not invite him to dine with him.

It wasn't that Zhao Xian was arrogant, but rather that the village official was acting on the orders of the village magistrate to prepare meals for Zhao Xian.

After the meal, the village magistrate, Ren Shuo, happened to come to visit.

After the servants cleared away the tableware, the two men took their seats.

"Mr. Zhao, the Song family, a prominent family in the village, has invited you to a banquet. I dare not make the decision on my own, so I have come to ask for your opinion."

Ren Shuo bowed respectfully to Zhao Xian and asked in a respectful voice.

"The Song family?" Zhao Xian pondered for a moment, then immediately realized what was going on and asked with a smile, "Is the village official Song Jun from this Song family?"

"Exactly!"

Ren Shuo immediately smiled and said.

"Shangbei Township is poor and sparsely populated. Although it administers seven villages, only the Song family can be considered a major clan in the township!"

"The Song family has lived in Shangbei Township for a hundred years, and members of the clan have served as officials for generations. The current head of the Song family, Song Qing, served as the township assistant for twenty years. He was fair and honest in his dealings and had a very high reputation in the village!"

Seeing that Zhao Xian seemed hesitant and unwilling to go, Ren Shuo immediately spoke up and explained in a low voice.

"Very well, since that's the case, Zhao Xian cannot disappoint the Song family's hospitality!"

Zhao Xian thought for a moment, then immediately agreed.

After chatting with Ren Shuo for a while, Ren Shuo got up to say goodbye.

After nightfall, Zhao Xian, along with Zhao Hong and Zhao Duan, accompanied Ren Shuo to the Song family for a banquet.

As for Zhao Cheng, Zhao Ji, and the others who remained in the village, Zhao Xian also sent a village official to buy some wine and meat so that everyone could rest well.

The Song family lived in Xiangting, which was only two or three miles away from the village house.

Before long, the group arrived at the Song family's residence.

Zhao Xian dismounted and looked around the courtyard in front of him, beginning to believe Ren Shuo's words to some extent.

The mansion in front of him, though covering a large area, was quite simple and far inferior to the mansions of the Yan and Cao families in Wohu Township that Zhao Xian had seen before.

"This old man, Song Qing, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

An elderly man with white hair, leaning on a cane, stood respectfully outside the door to greet us.

"How could I trouble Lord Song to come out and greet me!"

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xian immediately stepped forward and quickly took a few steps to help the head of the Song family.

"Your Majesty has quelled several bandit groups and slain dozens of demonic beasts in just a few days, safeguarding peace in this region. Naturally, it is only right that this old man comes out to welcome you."

""

Upon hearing this, Song Qing immediately looked at Zhao Xian and said with a smile.

"Zhao Xian was merely following the orders of the county magistrate; it was simply his duty!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian responded with a humble remark.

"The autumn wind is quite chilly outside, Lord Song, please come inside!"

Zhao Xian helped Song Qing up the steps and walked into the courtyard.

Seeing Zhao Xian's approachable manner, Song Qing was very satisfied and nodded in response.

Seeing this, Ren Shuo, the village head, and Song Zheng, the village assistant, smiled knowingly and followed closely behind the two.

A moment later, in the main hall, everyone politely declined each other's seats before taking their places.

As an elder and the master of this place, Song Qing naturally occupied the highest position.

Ren Shuo is the first person on the left, while Zhao Xian is the first person on the right.

After a brief chat, servants served fine wine and delicacies, and the banquet officially began.

With Ren Shuo accompanying them, the atmosphere at the banquet was naturally very lively.

Zhao Xian accepted all the toasts offered by the guests and drank them all in one gulp.

This straightforwardness won him a lot of goodwill.

The banquet also allowed Zhao Xian to glimpse the Song family's circumstances; although they were a prominent family, their actual financial situation was quite ordinary.

Judging from Song Qing and others' diet and clothing alone, they were similar to some wealthy households in Wohu Township.

This surprised Zhao Xian greatly.

However, Zhao Xian did not reside here permanently, so he naturally didn't bother to pay attention to this.

The banquet had just ended when the moon was high in the sky.

Zhao Xian and his entourage also got up to say goodbye and returned to their village.

After Zhao Xian and the others left, the servants cleaned up the leftover food in the hall, served a pot of hot tea, and then quietly withdrew.

In the hall, only Song Qing, his son, the current village official Song Zheng, and his grandson Song Ming remained.

"Ah Zheng, what do you think of this sergeant?"

"His talent is average, and his appearance is mediocre!"

Upon hearing his father's question, Song Zheng pondered for a few moments before replying solemnly.

"Given his average looks, how could he be wearing an official seal before the age of twenty?"

Song Qing smiled calmly, then asked a question in return.

"This..." Song hesitated for a moment, then could only smile wryly, "Although I am a village official, I have been confined to Shangbei Township for more than ten years. News is scarce, and based on only a few rumors, I really don't know why this sergeant has risen to prominence so quickly!"

"Big Brother, what about you?"

Song Qing nodded slightly, then looked at the young scholar beside him and asked with a smile.

"Grandfather, I do not agree with Father's assessment!"

Upon hearing this, Song Ming immediately bowed to Song Qing and then said solemnly.

"I once studied in the county, and this is not the first time I have heard of this sergeant."

"He repeatedly quelled bandits, displaying both bravery and diligence, yet also meticulousness and shrewdness. He was quick to act but slow to speak, truly capable of undertaking great responsibilities!"

At this point, Song Ming sighed deeply and remarked, "Such talent, given time, will surely amount to great things!"

"Would the grandson be interested in serving as a subordinate under the rank of Military Officer?"

Song Qing nodded slightly, then looked at Song Ming and asked with a smile.

"Grandfather, this—"

Upon hearing this, Song Ming hesitated for a moment, unsure how to respond.

"It's alright. The sergeant is quite exhausted from fighting the bandits this time, and he needs to rest for at least three to five days."

Seeing that his grandson seemed a little lost, Song Qing immediately smiled and said...

The following day, just as Song Qing had predicted, Zhao Xian felt sore all over and did not move around much, instead resting in the country house.

On the third day, at noon, two riders came galloping in.

Inside the country house, in the main hall of the side courtyard, Zhao Xian looked at the two travel-worn village officials below with great concern on his face.

"I am deeply grateful for your valiant efforts in traveling through the night!"

After saying this, Zhao Xian stood up and bowed.

"You flatter me, Lord Zhao. It is our honor to be able to do so for you!"

One of the local officials immediately straightened his expression and returned the greeting.

"Please, both of you, sit down and rest for a while!"

"Ah Hong! Serve tea!"

Zhao Xian then invited the two to sit down.

The two did not refuse; after bowing and thanking him, they sat down below Ren Shuo.

"Lord Zhao, we two are following your orders and will rush to the county to pay our respects to Liu Gong, the clerk, and present you with Lord Zhao's letter."

After carefully reading the letter, Lord Liu was overjoyed. After questioning us for a moment, he immediately took Zhao Jun's letter to report the good news to the county magistrate!

One of the local officials took a sip of hot tea, let out a long sigh, and then bowed and replied.

About half an hour later, Lord Liu returned to the yamen and summoned the two of us.

"The county magistrate was very pleased to learn that the military officer had wiped out bandits from six villages and slain dozens of demonic beasts in a few days!"

"Zhao Jun is hereby specially ordered to completely quell the demonic disturbances in the northwest of the county within one month, and to travel to the county seat to pay his respects!"

Upon hearing this, Ren Shuo immediately looked at Zhao Xian, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and said, "Congratulations, Lord Zhao!"

"Having been summoned by the county magistrate, Zhao Jun's position as military officer is now completely secure!"