Longevity Martial Arts: Obtain Golden Affixes at the Start

Tang Chen lay on the bed, her body limp as a pool of spring water.

Hong Lang pulled the blanket over her and then turned and left.

Upon arriving in the county town, Hong Lang found a restaurant with a view of the county government office, ordered a jar of wine and five catties of cooked beef, and began to eat.

The sun rises in the east and gradually sets in the west.

Hong Lang wasn't in a hurry. He tried every dish in the restaurant and deliberately chose a seat on the outside so that the people from the county government could see him.

It wasn't until the sun was setting that Hong Lang slowly walked to the entrance of the county government office.

Before long, Mo Qiushui's personal maid, Huang Li, came out: "County Commandant Hong, the lord summons you."

In the back hall of the county government office, Mo Qiushui, dressed in a black robe, sat on a chair with her long hair loose.

"Your humble servant Hong Lang greets Magistrate Mo." Hong Lang bowed and handed over the documents.

Mo Qiushui unfolded the letter and glanced at it, reading it very slowly, as if she were looking at some extraordinary secret letter.

Hong Lang stood below the hall, waiting patiently.

Mo Qiushui put down the documents and stood up: "County Commandant Hong, do you know what the duties of a county commandant are?"

"To apprehend thieves, pacify the people, assist the magistrate, and maintain order in the region," Hong Lang answered fluently.

"That's well said." Mo Qiushui nodded, then changed the subject, "But your cultivation is only so-so. If you really encounter a major case, how will you apprehend the perpetrators? How will you maintain order?"

These words were spoken without any politeness, and even carried a hint of harshness.

Hong Lang knew this woman was trying to make things difficult for him, but his expression remained unchanged, and his voice was calm: "This humble official will diligently practice and live up to your expectations, sir."

Mo Qiushui stared at him for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "Diligent practice? If that's how you improve your cultivation, wouldn't everyone be a Martial Saint?"

She walked back behind her desk and sat down, saying calmly, "Your job as a county constable starts tomorrow. You'll receive your monthly salary on the first day of each month: one hundred taels of silver plus three Blood Essence Pills. There are no constables in the yamen right now, so you'll have to figure it out yourself."

"Yes!" Hong Lang was overjoyed. He would receive one hundred taels of silver and three Blood Essence Pills every month.

The silver was easy to obtain; the county magistrate could easily pocket more than a hundred taels of silver from the county town. The real problem was those three Blood Essence Pills, which were very difficult to buy even with money!

Mo Qiushui is indeed good at winning people's hearts. Most county magistrates would not be willing to give Blood Essence Pills as monthly wages to their subordinates, and would only give them a few as a reward at the end of the year.

As for the constables, they can be found quickly as long as there is money.

Mo Qiushui waved her hand, indicating that he could leave.

……

Back in the village, Hong Lang found Wang Zhen and Wang Bao, the two brothers chopping firewood in the yard.

"Xiao Lang, what brings you here? I heard you disappeared for several days." Wang Zhen wiped her sweat, looking somewhat surprised.

Hong Lang got straight to the point: "I am now the county magistrate of Hengjiang County, and there are no constables in the county government right now. We need manpower."

Wait a minute, the county constable??

Wang Zhen was stunned.

What rank is a county lieutenant? In the entire county, there is no official higher than him except for the county magistrate.

He almost dropped the axe in his hand, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly, like a fish that had been thrown ashore.

His eyes widened like saucers, staring intently at Hong Lang, before he finally managed to stammer, "You... what did you say? County Lieutenant? Little Lang, don't make fun of me!"

Wang Bao, who was standing next to him, was also dumbfounded. He didn't even notice when the wood chopping block was kicked over with a "bang".

Hong Lang nodded: "Call all the hunters in the village to the old locust tree at the village entrance. I have something to say to them."

"Oh……"

The two brothers responded and went their separate ways.

Within fifteen minutes, the news had spread throughout the village.

Eight men, all of them strong and robust, gathered under the old locust tree at the village entrance.

"What is Hong Lang trying to do?"

"I heard he's been promoted to county magistrate now and is looking for a few people to be constables..."

"Really? A county constable is such a high-ranking official?"

The murmurs rose and fell until Hong Lang reached the tree, at which point the noise gradually subsided.

Without any unnecessary formalities, Hong Lang said directly, "Gentlemen, I, Hong Lang, am honored by the Prefect's high regard and have now assumed the post of County Commandant."

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in an uproar.

"What?! County Commandant?!"

"My goodness, our village has produced a county magistrate?"

The group of people looked at each other, their eyes practically popping out of their sockets, their mouths agape enough to fit fists.

A cacophony of exclamations and gasps filled the air, startling several sparrows from the trees into flying away.

Hong Lang raised his hand: "There are no constables in the county government right now, and I need manpower. I called you all here today to ask you one question: would you be willing to come with me as constables?"

The area under the old locust tree fell silent instantly.

Eight pairs of eyes widened in disbelief, and their mouths gaped open.

Catch fast?

That was a government-funded job. Although it couldn't compare to the wealth of the rich and powerful, for hunters like them who risked their lives, it was like a windfall.

"Xiao Lang, are you... telling the truth?" A hunter named Yuan Lang's voice trembled.

"When have I ever lied to you?"

"I do!" Yuan Lang shouted first, wishing he could kneel down and kowtow on the spot.

"I'd like to too!"

Count me in!

In an instant, three or five voices rang out at the same time, and the others also reacted and began to echo them.

Hong Lang nodded at their excited expressions. These people were all from the village. Although they didn't have much martial arts skill, they were honest, hardworking, and trustworthy.

"Don't rush, one at a time," Hong Lang said with a smile. "Tomorrow morning, everyone gather at the county government office. I'll register you all. But let me make this clear: once you become a constable, you have to follow the rules. If anyone breaks the law, I'll be the first to not let them off the hook."

"Don't worry, Xiao Lang, we'll definitely do a great job!"

The men patted their chests and assured him, their faces full of excitement.

Wang Zhen squeezed next to Hong Lang and asked in a low voice, "Xiao Lang, can the two of us go too?"

Hong Lang glanced at him: "If you two take the lead, of course you can go!"

The two brothers laughed, their laughter was exceptionally bright.

……

Back home, Hong Lang saw Qin Jiuzhen and her daughter cooking, while Pu Xi squatted outside the door.

It seems that Pu Xi, this witch of the Yin Cult, still cannot get used to this kind of daily life.

After the group finished eating, Hong Lang arranged for Pu Xi to stay in his room, where he slept on a makeshift bed on the floor.

Qin Jiuzhen and Li Tao'er both looked like they wanted to say something but hesitated. After all, it was normal for men in this world to have multiple wives and concubines, especially martial artists like Hong Lang who had a certain status.

Hong Lang explained several times that Pu Xi was just an ordinary friend and would leave after staying for a while.

As night deepened, only an oil lamp was lit in the room.

Hong Lang lay on the floor, unable to fall asleep for the time being.

"Miss Pu".

"Mmm." The sound from the bed was as soft as a wisp of smoke.

"I have something I want to ask you. Since you've lost all your cultivation, why didn't you stay in the sect? Why did you run away alone? Isn't that very dangerous?"

There was silence for a moment.

Pu Xi's voice drifted over: "The sect leader has disappeared. The Yin Sect is in chaos right now. Someone wants to kill me."

The flame of the oil lamp flickered, casting her shadow on the wall as a blurry blob, like a cloud that could be blown away by the wind at any moment.

Hong Lang lowered his voice and said, "Then you can stay in Hengjiang County for now. I'm the county magistrate now, and no one will dare to make things difficult for you."

There was no response from the bed.

After a long time, so long that Hong Lang thought she had fallen asleep, he heard a very soft "hmm".

The night breeze blew in, and Hong Lang turned over and closed his eyes.

The floor mat was hard, but he slept soundly.