Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

Chapter 153: The Demon-Slaying Concludes (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

After chatting with Song Que for most of the hour, Zhao Xian finally gave up his idea of ​​recruiting officials from among the students of the county school.

For himself, he should first take the scholars of Wohu Township as his foundation.

This is what is meant by "fellow villagers".

After bidding farewell to Song Que, Zhao Xian, along with Zhao Hong and Huang Zhong, prepared to return to Pinghe Township.

I wonder how my fourth brother Zhao Cheng's injuries are.

With such concerns in their hearts, Zhao Xian and the other two hurriedly headed towards Pinghe Township.

Around noon, the three of them returned to Pinghe Township.

Inside a side courtyard.

Zhao Xian put down the reins and strode towards the left wing.

When the people of the Dao saw Zhao Xian return, they all made way for him.

"Fourth brother!"

When Zhao Xian entered the room, he saw that Zhao Cheng had already woken up and was leaning against the bed, chatting with Zhao Yi, Zhao Li and others.

"Kuro's here!"

Upon seeing Zhao Xian return, Zhao Cheng immediately greeted him with a smile.

"Has everything been handled properly with the county magistrate?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room looked at Zhao Xian.

"It was handled properly!" Zhao Xian replied with a smile, then looked around at everyone in the room. "Not only did it gain the county magistrate's approval, but she also bestowed upon it a reward!"

"From this day forward, by order of the County Magistrate, I will lead you all to inspect the villages and towns within the county, deal with evil spirits and bandits, and safeguard the peace of the county!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was overjoyed, naturally understanding that Zhao Xian's position as military officer was secure!

"Ah Xian, if you patrol the village every day, how will we manage our household chores?"

"Do we receive monthly salaries?"

Suddenly, Zhao Li came to his senses, looked at Zhao Xian, and asked with a surprised expression.

"There is no salary; their food, clothing, and other necessities are provided by the local villages!"

Zhao Xian hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth.

"If that's the case, I'm afraid some of the Daoists will be unwilling to agree to this."

Zhao Yi, standing to the side, also frowned slightly and sighed.

"Besides that, the food, clothing, and daily necessities for fifty people cost several hundred talismans every day. That adds up to tens of thousands of talismans a month, a burden that even some villages might not be willing to bear!"

Zhao Zheng, having been a thief before and possessing considerable knowledge, immediately added.

"Brother, I feel very uneasy that you have resigned from your position as a thief. I still have a clerk position available, so please give it to me!"

Zhao Xian suddenly looked at his elder brother Zhao Zheng and said with great sincerity.

"You have recruited two of the five subordinate officials under the Military Commander. It seems that the County Magistrate will also give you the remaining three positions."

""

Upon hearing Zhao Xian's words, Zhao Zheng did not respond, but instead pressed for an answer.

"Indeed! I intend to give the position of Military Advisor to Song Ming, and the remaining position of Assistant Clerk to a nephew of Liu Yuan, the Chief Clerk."

"I intend to give this last one to my eldest brother!"

Zhao Xian nodded and explained.

"I don't need this spot. With your return to Wohu Township, you'll likely be inundated with banquet invitations. This spot is negotiable!"

Zhao Zheng waved his hand and refused.

"Alright, we'll see when the time comes!"

Zhao Xian did not continue to decline, and simply nodded.

"Fourth brother, now that you and your second brother are returning to Wohu Township, please bid farewell to Lord Chen!"

"I really need more people here!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Cheng and Zhao Ji did not refuse and immediately nodded in agreement.

"In that case, we will return to Crouching Tiger Village tomorrow!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of relief appeared on everyone's faces.

After being away from home for so long, I'm finally going home!

In the main hall of the side courtyard, Zhao Xian sat in the main seat, with Zhao Hong and Huang Zhong standing on either side.

Those seated below are naturally the three young scholars who have now pledged their allegiance to Zhao Xian.

"Lord Song, I have already informed the county magistrate of your achievements and recommended you to Liu Yuan, the chief clerk, for the position of assistant military officer!"

"The county appointments should be issued soon!"

Zhao Xian first looked at Song Ming on his left and immediately said with a smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Zhao!"

Upon hearing this, Song Ming bowed to Zhao Xian, but his face showed no joy and remained quite calm.

"Lord Cao, Lord Liu, I have also reported your merits to the County Magistrate, and Clerk Liu Yuan has already requested commendations for you both!"

"Thank you, Mr. Zhao!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Quan and Liu Ping both beamed with joy and bowed in unison.

For the two newly appointed officials, this act of quelling the demonic calamity is a great achievement!

With this great achievement, not to mention Liu Ping, just considering Cao Quan, if the Cao family behind him puts in a good effort, they might be able to secure him a position as a low-ranking official next year!

"When I visited the county magistrate, she granted me the authority to recruit officials myself!"

"Aside from Song Jun's position as military advisor, there was another official post given to the son or nephew of Liu Yuan, the merit officer."

"In a few days, that person will travel to Crouching Tiger Village to meet us!"

After hearing this, the others nodded slightly, clearly having anticipated it as well.

As a subordinate official of the Ministry of War, how could Zhao Xian be allowed to recruit at will? He had to provide at least one person.

"Cao Jun and Liu Jun, you two have accompanied the entire demon hunt, recording the spoils and the kills of others. Now, please draft a list of rewards!"

"Once I have examined it, and if there are no errors, I will distribute the rewards today!"

"Tomorrow, we will return to Crouching Tiger Village!"

"I will obey Lord Zhao's command!"

Upon hearing this, both men stood up, bowed respectfully, and agreed to the matter.

Then, the two turned and left.

In the blink of an eye, only Zhao Xian, Song Ming, Zhao Hong, and Huang Zhong remained in the hall.

"I have already delivered those letters to the county magistrate!"

Suddenly, Zhao Xian looked at Song Ming and said in a deep voice.

"Does the county magistrate not believe it?"

Upon hearing this, Song Ming immediately asked in a solemn voice.

"It's not that I don't believe it, but a few letters alone are insufficient to convict a high-ranking official!"

Zhao Xian gave a wry smile and said in a low voice.

"If we accept what the military officer says, the county magistrate probably wants him to gather more evidence of Wu De's crimes!"

"Ideally, there should be both witness testimony and physical evidence!"

Upon hearing this, Song Ming pondered for a few breaths before straightening his expression and revealing the county magistrate's thoughts.

"That's exactly right!" Zhao Xian nodded, then looked at Song Ming, "Does Lord Song have any good ideas?"

"For now, we can only maintain a facade of inaction while secretly sending people to monitor Wu De's every move!"

After pondering for a few moments, Song Ming said helplessly.

"This is the only way!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian smiled wryly and said.

"Brother, why not just arrest a member of the Wu family and interrogate him?"

Suddenly, Zhao Hong asked.

"Under severe torture, something will inevitably be revealed!"

Huang Zhong, who was standing to the side, also chimed in.

Upon hearing their words, Zhao Xian and Song Ming exchanged a glance and both smiled.

"To administer punishment privately is against the law!"

"Furthermore, there are also penal monks in the county who will conduct a second interrogation of the prisoner's confession. If there are discrepancies in the prisoner's statements then..."

"At that time, it will be me, your elder brother, who will be in trouble!"

Knowing that Zhao Hong and Zhao Xian were unfamiliar with the law, Zhao Xian immediately explained it to them.

"Let's think about it some more!"

Zhao Xian rubbed his temples and said helplessly.

As night fell, a bonfire was lit, and the courtyard was filled with the rich aroma of roasted meat.

After a hearty meal, Zhao Xian stood on the steps, looking down at the Daoist people below.

"Since January, we have quelled the demonic calamity in six villages, slain nearly a hundred rampaging demonic beasts, and wiped out bandits in four other areas!"

"I know how hard you have worked, so today I will distribute this month's rewards!"

"Thank you, Mr. Zhao!"

"Thank you, Sergeant!"

Upon hearing Zhao Xian's words, the people of the Dao naturally cheered loudly.

"Liu Ping, please come up on stage and read out the rewards bestowed upon you all!"

Zhao Xianfu then looked at Liu Ping beside him and said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Liu Ping did not refuse and immediately strode onto the stage.

Looking around at the people below, Liu Ping's face also flushed slightly!

A month ago, I was just a country scholar, but now I am a subordinate official under the military commander!

This change also captivated him greatly!

"Zhao Li, leader of the demon-hunting team, slew six demonic beasts. Together with the others, he killed eighteen more. He is rewarded with one mid-grade spirit stone!"

"Squad Leader Zhao Yi, slayed two demonic beasts, and together with the others, slayed twenty-two more. Reward: fifty low-grade spirit stones!"

"

""

A moment later, Liu Ping finished reading out the rewards that everyone deserved, and Zhao Hong and Huang Zhong, who were standing to the side, each carried a tray of spirit stones.

At Zhao Li's invitation, the people of the Dao lined up one by one and stepped forward to receive their rewards.

After all the people had received their rewards, Zhao Xian then truthfully relayed the county magistrate's orders.

"Gentlemen, this mission cannot be completed overnight; it requires a long period of patrolling the various villages and towns within the county!"

"Those who do not wish to stay may speak privately with their squad leaders, leave their weapons behind, and go home!"

Upon hearing Zhao Xian's words, the Daoist people also fell into deep thought.

"Now that you've had your fill of food and drink, go back and get some rest. Tomorrow we'll set off back to Wohu Township!"

"We thank Lord Zhao!"

The people bowed again and then dispersed.

"Brother, after distributing these rewards, there won't be many spirit stones left!"

After Daomin left, Zhao Hong leaned close to Zhao Xian and whispered something.

"How much is left?"

Zhao Xian was slightly taken aback, then asked in a solemn voice.

"Right now, we only have four mid-grade spirit stones and thirty-six low-grade spirit stones!"

"Besides that, there are over six thousand talisman coins!"

Zhao Hong, who had always been in charge of Zhao Xian's finances, smiled wryly when he heard Zhao Xian's question.

"That's enough!"

"They've all been distributed!"

"They're all from the same village, fighting alongside us to the death; they should get something out of it!"

Zhao Xian waved his hand and said with a smile.

"But Cao Quan and Liu Ping didn't take a single talisman coin!"

Zhao Hong leaned closer and whispered.

"Um?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian paused slightly, then a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

"I can only make it up to them later!"

After a few breaths, Zhao Xian could only say this helplessly.

A moment later, the campfire went out, and there was no sound in the courtyard.

The next morning, after breakfast, Zhao Xian and his party left the country house.

Unexpectedly, Yuan Wei and a group of village officials were already waiting there!

"Lord Zhao, you have slain the evil dragon for our Pinghe Township, restoring peace to the area. We are eternally grateful!"

After saying that, Yuan Wei bowed deeply!

"Please rise quickly, my lord!"

"Please rise, gentlemen!"

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xian immediately stepped forward and helped everyone up.

Beside Yuan Wei, an elderly scholar with white hair, leaning on a cane, tremblingly bowed to Zhao Xian.

"We, the three elders of this village, along with the people of our village, thank you, Sir, for your service!"

The white-haired old scholar was about to bow, but Zhao Xian couldn't let him do so and quickly raised his hand to help him up.

"How dare I accept such a grand gesture from the three elders! It's truly too much for Zhao Xian!"

Zhao Xian's expression turned solemn. He bowed respectfully to the white-haired old scholar and said...

"Tens of thousands of people have regained peace under Lord Bingcao's rule. What is a mere bow from an old man like me!"

Upon hearing this, the white-haired old scholar stroked his beard and smiled, quite pleased with Zhao Xian's respectful attitude.

"This is a small token of appreciation from a wealthy family in the village; we hope you will accept it, sir!"

After he finished speaking, several middle-aged scholars stepped out from behind the old scholar and respectfully presented him with an exquisite wooden box!

"This~"

"Zhao Xian was merely acting on the orders of the county magistrate to quell the demonic disturbance; how dare he accept gifts from the villagers!"

Zhao Xian immediately declined.

"A few wild animals from the countryside, nothing to worry about!"

"Zhao Jun, please accept it!"

Yuan Wei, who was standing to the side, also spoke up to offer advice.

"In that case, it would be impolite for Zhao Xian to accept such a gift!"

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xian showed a hint of embarrassment, while Zhao Hong behind him immediately stepped forward and took the exquisite wooden box.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with everyone, Zhao Xian mounted his horse and led his troops away.

"Brother! Brother!"

After traveling several miles, Zhao Hong suddenly spurred his horse forward and called out in a low voice.

"What is it?"

Zhao Xian glanced at Song Ming beside him and immediately asked with a smile.

"Hehe, ten mid-grade spirit stones!"

Knowing that Song Ming was highly regarded by Zhao Xian, Zhao Hong made no attempt to hide it. He patted the wooden box in his arms and chuckled softly.

"That's all?"

"Pinghe Township claims to be the best township in the county, but I think that's undeserved!"

Song Ming, who was standing to the side, immediately laughed and joked.

"It was simply what Zhao Xian should do; it was all out of the goodwill of the people of Pinghe Township!"

Zhao Xian chuckled lightly and said dismissively.

"Giddy up! Giddy up! Giddy up!"

With a few soft shouts, Zhao Xian spurred his horse and galloped away.

Zhao Hong and the others behind him quickly followed.

They set off at dawn and arrived at Wohu Village just as the sun was setting.

The journey was delayed for a moment because we needed to pick up the injured Taoist priests from Shahe Township.

With ample spiritual rice and sufficient talisman money, the injuries of these Taoist practitioners have stopped worsening and are gradually improving!

Of course, some of the minor injuries have also fully recovered!

Upon arriving at Wohu Village, Zhao Xian naturally ordered his troops to set up camp there.

After all, it was already late, and there was no way to get back to Shanghuting in time.

Chen Yuancheng and Xu Dekun, along with other village officials, were also very pleased to see Zhao Xian arrive.

They immediately set out a banquet to entertain Zhao Xian and his entourage.

Qi Lian, Yan Su, and others also attended the banquet.

The group drank and celebrated until late at night before finally parting ways.

Zhao Xian also mentioned bringing Zhao Cheng and Zhao Ji to his side, and Chen Yuancheng naturally agreed readily.

After all, Zhao Xian and the two of them were brothers from the same clan!

Chen Yuancheng also generously gifted Zhao Cheng and Zhao Ji their sturdy horses, powerful bows, and swords.

This saved Zhao Xian a sum of money on talismans.

The following morning, as Zhao Xian and the others were about to leave, Zhao Xian also specifically told Chen Yuancheng about Wu De's collusion with bandits.

Chen Yuancheng was also shocked when he heard this, and then he understood why Zhao Xian had told him!

"Let me think this over carefully!"

After helping Zhao Xian mount his horse, Chen Yuancheng replied telepathically.

The two exchanged a glance, and everything was understood without a word.

Around noon, the group finally returned to Shanghu Pavilion.

At Zhao Xian's command, the people of the various regions prepared to return home.

"Those who wish to continue hunting demons with me in three days, please meet me in Yangping Village!"

"We will obey Lord Zhao's command!"

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