Shulong Daojun

Bei Chen was slightly taken aback.

"...Brother Jiang?"

"grown ups......?"

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of surprise and confusion in each other's eyes.

Fortunately, after a short explanation, the two realized they had misunderstood each other and couldn't help but smile awkwardly.

"Ha ha ha ha--"

After a brief pause, Bei Chen composed himself, pondered for a moment, and looked at Jiang Heng, saying, "I understand what Brother Jiang is worried about."

The world is bustling with activity, all for profit; the world is in turmoil, all for gain. This is human nature.

Although the county magistrate and the local earth god are the righteous gods of heaven and earth, they are also human beings and naturally cannot escape this principle.

We protect the land and the people; everything we do is for the sake of the word "incense and fire".

Therefore, we should start from here.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Heng's heart stirred, as if he had understood something.

Before he could speak, Bei Chen changed the subject, asking, "Brother Jiang, do you know how much a county magistrate like myself earns per month?"

As soon as he finished speaking, seeing Jiang Heng's puzzled expression, he added, "That is, after completing one month of duties, how many strands of pure incense will Heaven and Earth distribute?"

"More than a hundred strands?" Jiang Heng pondered for a moment, then asked tentatively.

Bei Chen glanced at it: "Not yet, but there are only ninety, and it's not certain whether we can get them all."

Brother Jiang, why don't you guess how much the landowner's monthly salary is?

Jiang Heng estimated a number: "Twenty?"

Bei Chen swallowed, paused, and said, "It's not entirely wrong."

Although it was a small amount, they could still condense anywhere from ten to thirty offerings from the people's incense offerings each month, and they lived a decent life.

However, after the refugees arrived, the situation changed drastically.

Taking myself as an example, thanks to helping refugees and receiving their worship, the pure incense I receive each month has increased several times over, and I imagine that the lands are the same.

Several times the profit is enough to tempt people; ten times the profit, and people flock to it; as for a hundred times... they will do anything.

After saying that, he smiled slightly, raised his eyelids slightly, and continued meaningfully:

The higher the rank of a deity, the more incense offerings they receive. County deities typically receive more offerings than local deities, and local deities receive more offerings than mountain patrol gods. This is the norm.

However, the addition of refugees has now created another variable.

Brother Jiang, after you have won the hearts of the people in a county, you can, in the name of gratitude, build a temple for the local people and guide them to worship there every day, so that they may receive more incense offerings.

In time, other lands will be tempted and come to you on their own initiative.

Then you can use the temple as leverage to negotiate with those landowners one by one, hoping they'll turn a blind eye.

Jiang Heng was taken aback.

The image of the true god described by Beichen was completely different from what he had imagined.

Would they really go to such lengths for their own selfish desires?

Jiang Heng had neither thought of it nor anticipated it.

However, this is actually a good thing, as it makes it easier for him to make plans.

Having found a way to silence the land, he breathed a sigh of relief. Then, a thought struck him, and after a moment's hesitation, he said:

"I wonder if this method would be effective against a county magistrate like you, sir?"

Bei Chen pondered for a moment, shook his head, and said softly, "The county god is not as profit-driven as the local god, and he also has a good relationship with the city god. This method may or may not work, it's hard to say."

However, this is not the key to success; Brother Jiang, you seem to be missing the point.

Jiang Heng was startled. After reflecting on himself, he still didn't understand why Bei Chen had said such a thing, so he hurriedly said respectfully, "Please enlighten me, sir."

Bei Chen's gaze sharpened, and he pointed out, "No matter how big the matter of seizing the county becomes, it is ultimately caused by people and is a man-made disaster."

Unless there is a natural disaster or an upheaval, or unless there is evil spirits causing trouble, the righteous gods of a city have no reason to take action, let alone the righteous gods of a county.

When they become aware of the situation, they will at most inform the local official, who will then handle the matter.

If you can devise a way to appease the local official beforehand, making him "hold his ground," then the matter will naturally succeed.

Jiang Heng was stunned, then his pupils contracted slightly, his eyes suddenly brightened, and he became fully awake.

The matter of seizing a county is essentially a struggle between people. All the gods can do is to transmit messages faster so that the local officials can issue orders more quickly.

But what if this official unexpectedly falls into a coma?

Or they may remain silent and delay responding...

In an instant, various ideas popped into Jiang Heng's mind, and his expression grew increasingly joyful.

Before long, he suppressed his excitement, cupped his hands in greeting to Beichen, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your guidance, sir."

I am confident about seizing the county. I have also resolved seven or eight of the various disputes among the refugees in Mangshan County, and they will be settled in a few more days.

At that time, I hope that you will grant me permission, as you previously stated, to travel to various cities and counties in both regions to assist in improving people's livelihoods.

"Brother Jiang, you're too kind. It's only right." Bei Chen laughed loudly.

Then, as if remembering something, he asked, "Do you need any help?"

Talismans and magical artifacts are things that cultivators can use, and it is not appropriate for us to personally handle them.

However, items like hidden blades, daggers, and gold ingots—things ordinary people use to protect themselves—could be provided, and these were all of the highest quality.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Heng pondered for a moment, explained what was needed, and then hurried off to the place where the refugees were located, citing the need to set off as soon as possible.

Standing there, Bei Chen's expression was strange, and he couldn't help but mutter, "Strange, why does it always require these..."

Although he had not yet figured it out, he still sent a message, entrusting a junior disciple from a miscellaneous lineage who was involved in alchemy to prepare a considerable amount.

Suddenly, time flies, and several days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Heng arrived lightly, carrying only a small bundle, and left in the same way.

The only difference was that there were some aphrodisiacs in the bundle.

It has remarkable medicinal effects, but it is also easy to become addicted.

After bidding farewell to Beichen, he put on the long robe and, seeing himself looking like a scholar, nodded in satisfaction.

Afterwards, he set off with a disciple of a miscellaneous lineage and headed towards a nearby town or county.

This trip was not truly to help people's livelihoods, but rather, under the guise of being a disciple of the Miscellaneous Learning lineage, to meet with local officials, make initial acquaintances, and understand their temperaments.

He then sought out local residents and took the opportunity to inquire about the local official's reputation, secretly noting it down.

After further examining the surrounding terrain of the city and county, determine whether it is suitable to seize the initiative.

Despite Jiang Heng's best efforts to compress the time, it would still take several hours to complete the three tasks. Even with his best efforts, he could only visit two or three places in a day.

After visiting another place, he paused and muttered to himself, "This is still too slow."

How many cities and counties are there in both regions?

If this method continues, it will probably take several months to visit all of them.

By then, those refugees who sought peace and stability would have settled down, and those who were able to seize land and establish power might have already become kings of the mountains. With territory in hand, what use would I have then?

This matter cannot be done entirely by myself; I need someone's help.

As Jiang Heng pondered, he glanced at the disciples of the Miscellaneous School of Dharma waiting beside him. A flash of inspiration struck him, and he thought of a method, whispering:

"Could you please contact the righteous god of Mangshan County for me? I need his help with something."

Upon hearing this, the disciple dared not delay and quickly took out a communication jade talisman, sending a divine thought message to Beichen.

Three or four breaths later, a reply arrived, containing only one sentence: "Brother Jiang, please speak freely, and I will certainly do my best to help as appropriate."