A person sacrifices himself to become a saint in a chaotic world of martial arts.

Chapter 145 Taking Office

Su Bai put away his waist token, nodded, and stepped into the doorway.

The quick-witted constable behind him had already taken off running inside, shouting as he went, "The Chief Constable has arrived!"

The sound traveled in, startling several sparrows perched under the eaves and alerting the people in the various offices.

Lights came on one by one, and shadows flickered on the window paper.

As Su Bai stepped across the threshold, he saw several taxi drivers rushing out in the distance. Some were still fastening their belts, their fingers trembling with anxiety, while others had their hats askew, but they didn't bother to straighten them.

Without stopping, he walked into the gate of the Qingyuan County Zhenfusi, facing faces that were filled with awe, curiosity, or nervousness.

Behind him, Sun Hou followed at a leisurely pace.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and a thin layer of frost covered the bluestone street.

The main gate of the Zhenfu Division's yamen was wide open, with a red carpet stretching from the gate all the way to the main hall. Two rows of constables stood with their swords in hand, their armor gleaming coldly in the morning light. The copper ornaments on the scabbards occasionally clinked together, making a soft "ding" sound before being quickly blown away by the wind.

At 3:45 AM, a blue-curtained carriage stopped in front of the gate.

The driver jumped off the shaft, knelt on one knee, and straightened his back like a bridge.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Su Bai stepped onto the back to land—the tip of his boot touched the ground first, then paused before pressing down with his full weight.

He glanced up and swept his eyes over the lintel of the Zhenfu Division.

"Welcome, Chief Envoy!"

A huge crowd knelt on the ground.

On both sides of the red carpet, the heads and deputy heads of each office bowed their heads to the ground, their foreheads almost brushing against the cool floor tiles.

Behind them stood several rows of low-ranking constables, their heads almost buried in their chests, their necks exposed, and their veins bulging taut.

Su Bai didn't rush to take a step.

He stood outside the threshold, his gaze sweeping over the heads of the crowd.

The carved screen in the main hall was half-open, and the interior was dark, so the furnishings could not be seen clearly.

The vermilion paint on the pillars had been newly applied, and the color was a bit darker than the old paint, like an glaring scar. The person who painted it was not skilled, and several lines seeped out at the edges, turning into dark red tear stains after it dried.

No need for formalities.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was clear enough.

Everyone stood up, their knees rustling softly.

Only then did he dare to look up and examine the newly appointed chief inspector.

Then he froze.

That face looked so young.

His eyebrows hadn't fully developed yet, retaining the soft curve characteristic of a young man; although his jawline was already defined, it still retained a touch of youthful roundness.

The morning light shone on his face, making even his pores invisible, let alone his stubble, which was completely clean, as if it had never grown there before.

Judging from his bone age, he's probably not even twenty yet.

But it is a genuine True Qi Realm!

The words "True Qi Realm" popped into everyone's minds, pressing down heavily before rising again, carrying an indescribable feeling.

Some people's Adam's apples bobbed, some people's fingers curled into their palms, and some people's eyelids twitched, but they forcefully suppressed them.

Wang Muzhi, the head of the Personnel Department, stood in the front row. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the expressions of his colleagues. The head of the Military Affairs Department was surnamed Zhou, in his forties, with a square face and his cheeks taut.

He lowered his eyelids, his Adam's apple bobbed twice, as if he had swallowed something choking, or as if he had something to say but dared not speak.

Qian Liangcai, the head of the criminal investigation department, squinted and forced a smile, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

His eyelids were deeply creased, and when he squinted, his eyes were hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to see what thoughts were swirling within them.

The deputy managers standing further back had even more complicated expressions in their eyes.

Wang Muzhi sneered inwardly.

These people were so impassioned in the tea room yesterday—"A greenhorn, just out of his teens, dares to come and take charge of Qingyuan because he has connections? I'd like to see how long he can last!"

Today is a different story.

They all bent over lower than shrimp, their faces beaming with smiles like chrysanthemums, their wrinkles full of flattery, as if afraid their new boss wouldn't remember their old faces.

"You've all worked hard." Su Bai stepped over the threshold with a composed gait, his boots landing silently as if he hadn't noticed the stares. "Managers, please register."

Wang Muzhi reacted the fastest, stepping forward half a step, cupping his hands and bowing slightly, his posture just right, showing respect without being overly so: "This humble official, Wang Muzhi, head of the Office of Personnel, greets Your Excellency."

His movement jolted the others awake, and they rushed forward, shouting, "This humble officer is Zhou Dachuan, the head of the Military Affairs Department!" Zhou Dachuan was so eager that his sleeve flipped the hand of the person next to him. The person glared at him, but he didn't care at all.

"This humble official is Qian Liangcai, the head of the Criminal Division—" Qian Liangcai's tone was drawn out, with the last syllable rising slightly, like a question, or perhaps just a habit.

"Head of the Household Affairs Office"

"The Underlings' Workshop"

Several voices overlapped, then awkwardly separated, each giving way to the other, and it was a chaotic mess before they finally finished speaking.

Su Bai nodded to each of them, his gaze sweeping over each face as if trying to remember something.

After the last report was finished, he suddenly asked, "Where is Deputy Inspector Feng?"

The crowd fell silent for a moment.

Wang Muzhi caught a glimpse of several supervisors exchanging quick glances.

Zhou Dachuan tilted his chin slightly toward Qian Liangcai, causing Qian Liangcai's eyelids to droop and his lips to purse into a thin line.

A deputy manager behind him moved his lips, but was nudged by the elbow of the person next to him, and swallowed his words back.

He lowered his eyes and said calmly, "Reporting to Your Excellency, Deputy Commissioner Feng went out to inspect the outskirts of the trade routes half a month ago, and is expected to return in another ten days to half a month."

Did you give any instructions before you left?

"Never."

Su Bai nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

He turned and walked toward the main hall, and the crowd behind him quickly followed.

Wang Muzhi lagged half a step behind, his gaze fixed on his new boss's back.

His back was straight, his stride was neither too big nor too small, neither too fast nor too slow, as if he were walking to the beat of a drum—with each step, the hem of his robe would rise and fall, without a single hair out of place.

A thought popped into Wang Muzhi's mind: This person is not easy to fool.

Su Bai sat down behind the desk and glanced at the chairs on either side.

"sit."

After thanking them, everyone sat down, taking the fall on one side of their bottoms.

Wang Muzhi was sitting in the first seat on the left, so he could see Su Bai's face clearly.

The lamplight shone from the side, casting a faint shadow on the young face.

Her eyebrows and eyes were beautiful, her nose was straight, and her jawline was well-defined, but what Wang Muzhi noticed most were her eyes. They were so still, like a deep pool of water.

"Tell me about the official business of the Garrison Command," Su Bai said, leaning back in his chair. "Just get to the important parts."

The supervisors exchanged glances, and Qian Liangcai from the criminal investigation department spoke first, reporting on several major cases that had recently occurred in their jurisdiction—which family had lost their oxen, which family had someone die, and which business had its signboard smashed.

Next was Zhou Dachuan from the Military Affairs Department, who reported on the allocation of conscripts and the stockpiling of weapons in various urban areas.

The head of the household affairs office held up the ledger and talked about last month's income and expenditure.

Wang Muzhi was the last to speak. He finished recounting a few routine matters of the Bureau of Personnel and then fell silent.

After listening, Su Bai nodded, then suddenly asked, "Does Deputy Inspector Feng usually take this long when inspecting the trade routes?"

The hall fell silent for a moment.

The former chief inspector just died on the official road outside the city, with a bloody hole in his chest, and the murder weapon has not been found yet.

The fact that Feng Jingshan, the only deputy officer at the late stage of the True Qi Realm, didn't stay in the Zhenfu Division to stabilize the situation but instead went away for half a month seemed strange to everyone. But no one dared to say anything.

"Reporting to you, sir," Wang Muzhi carefully chose his words, "bandits often roam the outskirts of the trade routes, and patrols do take time. In the past—it would take more than a month."

Su Bai glanced at him. The gaze wasn't intense, but Wang Mu suddenly broke out in a thin layer of sweat on his back.

"Hmm." Su Bai withdrew his gaze. "Everyone, please continue with your work. This afternoon, summon the chief and deputy chief inspectors of each district. I'd like to meet them."

Everyone rose and took their leave.

Wang Muzhi was the last to leave, and as he stepped over the threshold, he couldn't help but look back.

Su Bai was looking down at the files on the table, his profile softly outlined by the lamplight.

too young.

He's so young it's unbelievable; he's already at the True Qi Realm.

He looked away and stepped out the door.

A thought suddenly popped into my head—was that Wind God Kick incident just a trick arranged by the higher-ups?

Is this for this guy to boost his stats?

But as soon as the thought popped into his head, he realized something was wrong.

True Qi Realm cannot be faked.

A True Qi Realm cultivator who hasn't even reached adulthood —

Wang Muzhi shivered and quickly walked towards the office of officials.

In the afternoon, the chief and deputy chief inspectors from each district arrived one after another.

The back hall of the Zhenfu Division was packed with more than a dozen people.

There weren't enough chairs, so some people stood and some leaned against the wall.

Su Bai sat at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping over each face. To his left were the chief officers of the East, West, South, and North cities.

On the right are four deputy chief inspectors. All four deputy chief inspectors are at the True Qi Realm—two in the early stage and two in the middle stage.

The two initial ones had weak auras, as if they had only recently broken through.

The two in the middle stage are more composed, but they are also mature individuals who have reached a bottleneck in their cultivation and can no longer make any further progress.

Normally, the newly arrived chief inspector should be given a hard time upon arrival.

but no.

The four people stood properly, their smiles perfectly timed, and their waists bowed lower than anyone else's when they bowed.

Su Bai smiled inwardly.

These people are either too cunning, or they're waiting for something.

He remembered Deputy Commissioner Feng, who was "out on patrol".

Late stage of True Qi Realm. The only person in the late stage of True Qi Realm in the Zhenfu Division of Qingyuan County.

"Please be seated." Su Bai pulled himself out of his thoughts. "This is the first time we've met. I'm new here, and I'll be relying on you all in the future."

Everyone quickly offered polite words of deference before taking their seats.

Next came the formalities: each district's chief inspector reported on the situation in their jurisdiction, the four deputy chief inspectors provided supplementary explanations, and Su Bai would occasionally ask a few questions, mostly about minor details.

"How many of the twelve oxen stolen from Dongcheng last month have been recovered?"

"Did the coroner examine the body of the person who died in the fight at that gambling den in the west of the city?"

"Which route did the tax silver transport in the southern part of the city take?"

Everyone's answers were impeccable.

Su Bai wasn't in a hurry. He slowly sipped his tea, matching each face with the name on the dossier.

Tang Dingzhen, the deputy chief clerk of the West District. This man was in his early forties, with a shrewd face and a pair of lively eyes.

He wore a worn-out blue cloth robe, faded from washing, but the cuffs were starched and crisp.

He listened quietly when others were giving reports, but every time Su Bai looked up, he would meet the gaze of that person who was smiling at him.

After the report concluded, everyone rose to take their leave. Tang Dingzhen was the last to arrive. As he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, turned back, and smiled, "My lord, if I may be so bold as to ask—having just arrived in Qingyuan, have you found your lodgings?"

He spoke with his back slightly bent and his hands tucked into his sleeves.

Su Bai looked up at him.

Tang Dingzhen met that gaze with an unchanged smile: "I have a five-courtyard house in the south of the city, which has been empty all along. If you don't mind, sir, you are welcome to move in. There are plenty of maids and servants available."

The chief officers who hadn't yet left paused, some turning their heads to look, others pursing their lips.

Su Bai looked at Tang Dingzhen for a while, then slowly said, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness."

Tang Dingzhen was overjoyed and quickly bowed, "You're too kind, sir! If you have the time, I'll take you to see the house anytime!"

Su Bai nodded.

Tang Dingzhen retreated with a forced smile, only to be met with several colleagues' resentful and envious glares as she passed the doorway.

You're so good at social maneuvering; you even fawned over Shangguan so openly.

It's truly despicable.

Tang Dingzhen pretended not to see it and walked away briskly.

After everyone had left, Su Bai sat alone in the back room, picked up his teacup and took a sip.

Tang Dingzhen.

At the early stage of the True Qi Realm, he worked as the deputy chief clerk in the West District for seven years without ever moving.

The file says "diligent in handling affairs," but such comments are best taken with a grain of salt.

Su Bai put down his teacup.

From that one glance, he could tell that Tang Dingzhen's foundation was damaged, there was a hidden injury in his dantian, and his true qi was clearly blocked when circulating.

There's no hope for advancement in martial arts; maintaining the status quo is good enough.

No wonder.

For someone whose path in martial arts has been cut off, the only way forward is to climb upwards.

Su Bai continued to learn about things in Qingyuan County.

As dusk fell, Wang Muzhi appeared at the courtyard gate.

"My lord," Wang Muzhi said, walking quickly closer and bowing through the window, "Deputy Chief Constable Tang is waiting outside, saying he'll take you to see the house."

Su Bai turned around, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Walk."

The house in the south of the city is indeed quite nice.

The mansion has five courtyards and faces south. The two stone lions at the entrance are as tall as a person.

The brick carvings on the lintel depict lotus flowers in intertwined branches.

Stepping inside, you are greeted by a feng shui stone. Passing the feng shui stone, you see a screen wall made of blue bricks carved with pine trees and cranes symbolizing longevity.

Passing through the hanging flower gate, you'll find pavilions, terraces, rockeries, and flowing water inside.

Tang Dingzhen followed behind Su Bai: "This house belonged to a salt merchant from the previous dynasty. Later, his property was confiscated, and the house came under the jurisdiction of the Zhenfu Division. It has been empty for a long time. I send people to clean it every few days, so it can be lived in at any time."

Su Bai nodded, walked through the water garden, passed through the hall, and entered the main courtyard.

The main courtyard is spacious, with three rooms each in the east and west wings, and five rooms in the main house.

"The maids and servants are all ready," Tang Dingzhen said, pointing to the dozen or so people standing at their sides in the courtyard. "There are two managers, six servants, and eight maids. They are all well-trained and ready to serve you, sir."

When Su Bai looked over, all of them knelt down in unison.

The two stewards kneeling at the front were one fat and one thin. The fat man had a smile plastered on his face, while the thin man had a stern expression, but his eyes rolled upwards as he secretly sized up his new master.

Su Bai nodded, turned around, and looked at Tang Dingzhen.

"Excellent, I am very satisfied with this house. Master Tang has done a good job."

Upon hearing this, Tang Dingzhen put on a fawning smile and lowered his head: "I'm glad you like it, Lord Su. This is just a small token of my appreciation."

"