Nine Netherworld Demon Subduing Record

"Young man, you go register first. I won't stay here any longer." The burly man patted Fu Qing on the back, led him to the registration area, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and left.

A line had already formed at the registration desk, with about a dozen people. Fu Qing noticed that these people came from all ethnic groups and were of different ages.

"Didn't you see the documents when you came? You need at least ten people to recommend you. All ten of them must have been residents here for more than a year, and at least three of them must have been residents for more than five years. They cannot have any criminal records."

"I...I..."

"Go away, next one!" The official in charge of registration impatiently chased the person away.

"I'm looking for people under 35. Look at your gray hair, next!"

"..."

"Look at you, you're so weak you could be blown away by the wind, let alone this armor. Don't delay things, go away."

The official chased away the thin, stick-like young man in front of him, and then a person in a white robe sat down in front of him.

"Here you go, the letter of recommendation and identification documents." The young man placed a dozen pages of papers in front of the constable, who picked them up and examined them carefully before saying, "Are these letters of recommendation genuine? If we find any deception during our verification process, it's a serious crime."

"It's true, absolutely true." The man in the white robe nodded.

"Then fill this out. If you can't read, ask him to help you fill it out." He pointed to the lean old man next to him.

"it is good."

"Next!"

Fu Qing sat down in the chair, and saw the constable repeat what he had said before.

"Um... I don't have a letter of recommendation..."

But the official waved his hand impatiently: "Go away, you can do it without a letter of recommendation..."

His words came to an abrupt halt. Upon seeing the token in Fu Qing's hand, his expression changed slightly, and then he smiled and said, "So it was Steward Chen who recommended you. Alright, fill out the form."

Fu Qing was quite surprised to see how well Chen Xing'an had played his hand.

He picked up the paper, walked to the side, took a pen, and began to fill it out carefully.

As before, it was nothing more than some personal information and what kind of path one cultivated.

After the form was filled out, the official said, "The exam is tomorrow at 9:00 AM. I suggest you don't overexert yourself tonight and recover your strength before coming back."

Upon hearing this, Fu Qing felt that the exam might be related to martial arts or something similar, since in ancient times, county magistrates would ask their constables to demonstrate their skills in court.

He couldn't help but wonder if his impulsive decision was the right one, since he wasn't particularly skilled in anything other than Taoist magic.

But having thought this way, he wouldn't regret it. If he continued to waste time in the library without making any progress, he wouldn't mind taking another path.

-

As Fu Qing stepped out of the Tanyou Pavilion and gazed at the clear blue lake, he felt a pang of sadness. He didn't know how long it would take to walk this entire distance.

"I wonder if the concept of hitchhiking even exists in this world, otherwise I could hitch a ride."

Walking along the lake, from this vantage point, one can see most of the layout of Cloud Boat City.

The terraced, fan-shaped lake flows downwards, following the river into the sea. At the end of the lake, it splits into two distinct areas. On the left is a small hillside with more vegetation, where wealthy local merchants from Qingzhou live.

To the right was a cluster of even lower houses, mostly two stories high, with few buildings taller than three. People had built connecting corridors on the second floor, making the street seem cramped. It was dark and deep, devoid of sunlight.

This area is mostly residential area built by locals and outsiders from Qingzhou. The library is located between the two. Further into the back street where he often eats, you can reach those cramped bungalows.

Fu Qing couldn't help but imagine that if he became an official, he would inevitably have to go there often. Usually, such places are the most prone to public security incidents, and those secluded alleys are the breeding ground for crime.

He shook his head, forcing himself not to think about these things, and instead focused on the scenery before him.

Just then, bubbles began to rise from the lake beside him, which aroused Fu Qing's curiosity. He slowed down and saw that the bubbles were getting bigger and bigger and more intense.

Then, a huge shadow surged up the waves and shot straight into the sky from the lake. Fu Qing looked at the huge, cloud-like thing and recognized it at a glance as the spirit ray he had seen on the first day.

"Isn't it said that these stingrays take off from the sea? This is quite a sight."

The stingray flew silently across the sky, leaving a trail of water in its wake. Its shadow blocked out the sun. Fu Qing put his hand over his eyes and stared blankly at the scene.

"If these places were to develop like they are today, wouldn't they be able to be turned into tourist attractions or something?"

At this moment, he probably understood the origin of the name Yunzhou City.

"Cloud boat, cloud boat, flying boat on the clouds! This spirit ray travels among the clouds, isn't it just like a small boat?"

Just then, a bicycle bell rang behind them and stopped beside Fu Qing. Fu Qing looked at the bicycle with curiosity in her heart, only to see the curtain of the carriage being lifted.

He was taken aback because he still remembered the person sitting in the car.

It was that young man in the beige robe.

With a warm smile, he looked at Fu Qing and said, "Young man, I think the journey across the lake is quite long. Why don't you get in the carriage and I'll give you a ride?"

Fu Qing looked at the man's face, pondered for a moment, and nodded, saying, "Okay."

If someone is willing to let him hitch a ride, he can't possibly pass up such a free opportunity.

Upon entering the carriage, Fu Qing noticed its simplicity; the frame was covered only with burlap, and the floor inside was covered with scratches and stains, as were the sides of the seats.

He immediately recognized that this was probably a cargo wagon temporarily requisitioned. He had seen many such wagons on the street, which were mainly used for hauling goods, but when it was time for passengers to sit, they would put down wooden stools.

"Thank you. May I ask your honorable name, brother?" Fu Qing said, cupping his hands in greeting.

The young man in white robes also cupped his hands in greeting, displaying a scholarly air: "My surname is Bai, and my given name is Jing."

Seeing that he gave his full name directly, Fu Qing replied, "My name is Fu Qing."

"So it's Brother Fu. I just saw you registering for a service at the Exploration Pavilion. I didn't expect to run into you here again. It's fate that we meet."

"It's really fate. I was just going to register my identity, but I ran into you asking about this constable registration. On a whim, I registered too."

"But Brother Fu, I see you're wearing the official uniform of the Imperial Household Department, why are you here to register for a corvée service?"

Fu Qing's mind raced. He couldn't tell anyone the specific reason why he signed up for the constable job, so he chuckled and said, "I only heard that the salary and benefits for constables are good, so I thought I'd give it a try. I didn't expect the application process to be so simple. Judging from your demeanor, Brother Bai, your family must be well-off. Why did you also apply for the constable job? It's not an easy job."

Bai Jing said helplessly, "I came to Yunzhou City to seek refuge with relatives who do business because my family was not doing well. But living under someone else's roof is not a solution. I thought I would try my luck at Tanyou Pavilion and survive in Yunzhou City on my own."

He slapped his thigh: "It's all because of the pressures of making a living."