Shulong Daojun

He explained that a close friend, Ren Chengzheng, had come to visit and heard about the situation in Mangshan County. He wished to offer some assistance and asked if he could lend a hand.

Lin Shu stood quietly with his hands behind his back, patiently waiting.

Overstepping one's bounds is unacceptable, otherwise one will incur the wrath of another city god.

Although he was not afraid, he thought it was better to avoid trouble.

The more I look at those lands that come and go, the more pleasing the sight of the writings becomes.

They are all good and righteous gods who have sent you treasures.

Judging from their comings and goings, there seem to be quite a few of these snake-scaled creatures. We should send a county magistrate to handle this matter and transport them all back to Qingwu City.

Qi Yannian? Xiong Shan? Or Xu Su?

As he pondered the matter, Bei Chen approached with light steps, a hint of joy in his eyes, and said, "Senior Brother Lin, I have informed you."

Cheng Zhengshen said that he was grateful for his colleagues' help and that he should come to thank them in person.

However, I am currently hosting a banquet and cannot visit you now, but I will definitely pay you a visit another day.

"Okay," Lin Shu replied casually.

He immediately glanced around, raised his hand, and with a slight flick of his sleeve, collected all the snake-scaled items in the hall.

He nodded in satisfaction and said softly to Bei Chen, "Thank you for your trouble, Junior Brother."

Knowing this, Beichen instructed Jiang Heng to wait inside the temple, then moved swiftly and led the way towards a place in the county.

The Scale Book followed closely behind.

They arrived shortly afterward.

All that could be seen was a grayish-white ground, devoid of grass, trees, or insects. Scattered everywhere were snake-scale-like objects, some in chunks, some in flakes, and some in columns, spreading out into an irregular frosty expanse.

Above, a biting wind howled, sometimes blowing snow, sometimes hailing, which crashed onto the ground, leaving craters.

Bei Chen glanced at it with a complicated expression and said, "Senior Brother Lin, this is the place of death."

It was left behind by the former county magistrate, a real headache.

Lin Shu nodded, glanced around, and after understanding the situation, took down the storage bag hanging from his waist and gestured with his hand.

Suddenly, the snake-scaled creature on the ground rose up and coiled into a long dragon in the sky, neatly soaring into the bag.

A short while later, only a pitted and uneven open space remained.

With his worries resolved, Bei Chen breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to Lin Shu gratefully, saying, "Thank you very much for your help, Senior Brother."

Lin Shu waved his hand politely and said with a smile, "It's just a small matter, not worth mentioning."

As for Jiang Heng, we'll need you to keep a close eye on him and offer him some assistance.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother." Bei Chen breathed a sigh of relief and said confidently, "I have already made arrangements with him. Later, I will take him to the place in the county where refugees are settled and put him in charge of handling interpersonal relationships."

Seeing this, Lin Shu said no more.

Upon reaching the rear hall of the temple, he gave Jiang Heng a few words of advice, then bid farewell to the two and returned to his own territory.

Clearly, amidst a flurry of activity, the people and the righteous gods were busy traveling between Qingwu City and the new city, each contributing their strengths to compensate for the other's weaknesses.

Within the jurisdiction of Qingwu City, the three counties and eighteen townships have abundant grain, but the busy farming season often results in a shortage of manpower.

The new city has a large population and often lacks food, but has a surplus of labor.

Therefore, at the suggestion of the officials of Qingwu City, the people of Xincheng went to work in the three counties and eighteen villages to exchange their labor for food, thus meeting their respective needs.

As for the true gods, they were examining the two locations, considering where and how to hold the divine assembly.

Lin Shu glanced at it, and after gaining a slight understanding, went straight back to the back hall, rolling up the snake scales inside his sleeve.

He immediately exercised his divine authority, searched the land within his jurisdiction, found a desolate and uninhabited place, and used the earth's veins to disappear.

In a short while, they arrived.

He glanced around, took out all the snake scales, arranged them into a nest shape, and then carefully placed the piece with a faint black color inside.

Of all the snake scales in the three cities, this piece is unique. It is unknown which part of the white python it fell from, which is why it has such an unusual shape.

After finishing his business, Lin Shu had a thought and unleashed the power of his divine position, transforming the earth into a shield to completely cover the area, leaving only one entrance.

Then, with a stomp of his foot, he summoned the local earth deity to guard the place properly, and hurriedly headed towards where Mu Qiushui was.

As the days passed and spring deepened, the snake scales melted away faster. The only way to nurture the dragon embryo was to find the other eight spiritual items before then.

Otherwise, all previous efforts will be in vain.

I wonder if it's feasible to use the Five Elements Elixir as a substitute?

......

Jiang Heng arrived in Mangshan County and spent his days with the refugees.

While helping them resolve various conflicts and disputes, he also carefully observed who was not yet numb and who was still resentful.

As his reputation grew, he also pondered how to seize a piece of land as a base to gain momentum.

First of all, conquering a city is nothing short of a pipe dream.

Leaving aside how strong the city's defenses are, it's still unknown how many men they can muster.

Dozens? Hundreds? Or thousands?

Before gaining momentum, no matter how popular it is or how eloquent its words are, there will still be many people who are watching and waiting.

Before reaching a desperate situation, most people only ask for peace and stability, and with the help of the righteous gods, a stable situation has gradually taken shape.

Therefore, with a small population, the only way to succeed is to capture a county.

As for how to seize it...

During this time, Jiang Heng was entrusted with an assistant position by the magistrate of Mangshan County. After having many contacts with the magistrate, he had already made up his mind.

The True God of Manifestation is right.

The most skillful way to seize power is not through violence, but through trust and management.

He only needs to choose a county he likes, honestly help the local officials deal with the refugees, and when the time is right, he will be able to take over the county.

Subsequently, he built high walls, stockpiled grain, and delayed declaring himself king.

A tall tree catches the wind, and a person with great fame will be brought down by it.

When it comes to seizing power and establishing a dynasty, it's best not to be the first to act.

Jiang Heng naturally understood this principle.

However, there is a problem that urgently needs to be solved: once an incident occurs, the county magistrate and his subordinate local deities will surely notice it and report it to the city magistrate.

Although righteous gods cannot interfere too much in mortal affairs, it is still permissible to reveal this information to the local officials.

By then, before they can even enjoy the counties they've captured, they'll likely be wiped out as bandits.

How can this be good?

Jiang Heng became increasingly distressed, unable to eat or sleep, and his expression gradually became somewhat dazed.

Bei Chen naturally noticed his unusual behavior.

On this day, Bei Chen came to Jiang Heng's residence and asked curiously, "Brother Jiang, what troubles you lately?"

Are you troubled by dealing with the refugees? Or are you facing difficulties regarding the previously discussed new dynasty?

Upon hearing this, Jiang Heng did not hesitate and asked directly, "Does Your Excellency have a way to control the righteous god and the local deities of a county without anyone noticing?"

Or... shut them up?

Bei Chen frowned, sensing that something was amiss.

He looked at Jiang Heng's bloodshot, ghost-like eyes, hesitated for a moment, and then, after organizing his thoughts, said:

"We are not members of the demonic sect. If we can avoid harming the righteous gods, it is best not to. We must not commit murder."

Jiang Heng was taken aback and asked, puzzled, "What do you mean by that, sir?"