Starting as a stray dog, I embarked on a journey of cultivation.

Is this what it feels like to be in a high position?

The air is so fresh!

Sitting comfortably on the throne, Gou An felt completely at ease.

The Demon King Huangku continued to address the demons in the hall: "From this day forward, my Ten Thousand Demon City will be one of the Eight Great Protectors. I hope you will all remember this."

As soon as he finished speaking, he flipped his hand and a brand-new national protection order appeared in his hand, which he then handed to the white crane waiting beside him.

Bai He accepted the token with both hands, walked up to Gou An, and presented it with both hands: "Congratulations, Hall Master Gou... no, I mean, Protector Gou."

Gou An nodded, accepted the token, and felt its heavy weight.

With this national protection order, Gou An will no longer be restricted by the formation of the Ten Thousand Demon City, and will no longer need to enter or leave through the city gates; he can fly directly within the city.

"You're climbing pretty fast, Fellow Daoist Gou!" The Evil Bone Daoist beside him sneered, waving his fan.

"It's alright!" Gou An smiled slightly and didn't pay much attention.

"You've reached the Golden Core stage!" Xie Gu exclaimed, then asked with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, not only have you risen in status quickly, but your cultivation has also increased dramatically. What method did you use?"

"Just a mere Golden Core!" Gou An smiled awkwardly. "It's nothing to Fellow Daoist Evil Bone."

"Don't be modest!" Xie Gu continued, "I think with Fellow Daoist Gou's talent, breaking through to the Transcendent God Realm is just around the corner."

"Then I'll accept your kind words, fellow Daoist." Gou An nodded and said no more, as he really didn't want to get too close to this eccentric Daoist.

Just then, the Demon King suddenly shouted, "Gou Huguo!"

Upon hearing this, Gou An immediately stood up and bowed, saying, "Your subordinate is here."

"You've just been promoted to Protector of the Nation, and you need to prove your strength by achieving some merits," said Demon King Huang Ku. "It just so happens that some so-called Holy Lord has kidnapped our alchemists from Ten Thousand Demon City, so I've entrusted this matter to you."

Gou An's lips twitched.

Nine Furnaces True Man is a Golden Core cultivator. If he was kidnapped, the person behind it must be quite powerful, at least at the Divine Control stage.

Overlord Saint?

The Taoist name he chose sounds like he's not someone to be trifled with; he'll definitely be difficult to deal with.

Despite his worries, Gou An had no choice but to accept the position: "Your subordinate obeys."

The Demon King nodded, his gaze then falling on the Evil Bone beside him: "Just in case, this time you should cooperate with Gou Huguo and try to find out who is behind this, so that the outside world knows that the people of Ten Thousand Demon City are not so easy to mess with."

"Yes!" Xie Gu nodded in agreement.

Gou An was even more troubled upon hearing this.

How should I arrange for that troublesome guy, Evil Bones, to help me?

After taking his seat again, the Evil Bone Daoist waved his fan and said to Gou An in a meaningful tone, "Fellow Daoist, I hope you will take good care of me from now on!"

Although Gou An was somewhat displeased by his tone, he could only force a smile and say, "Thank you for your kind words. It is Fellow Daoist Xie Gu who should take good care of me."

"Alright!" The Demon King finished his cigar, suddenly stood up, waved his hand, and said, "That's enough for today, everyone disperse!"

He had just finished speaking when he waved his hand, conjured up a new portal, and stepped into the green space, disappearing from sight.

Immediately afterwards, the old fox, Venerable Cangxuan, stood up and emphasized again, "Disperse, disperse."

Upon hearing this, the demons began to leave.

"Congratulations!" Xuan Kongzi, controlling the blind tiger, walked over and cupped his hands to Gou An, saying, "I haven't prepared any congratulatory gifts, so I'll just wish you good luck in your promotion."

Gou An quickly nodded in return, "Thank you, Lord Mountain Lord. I will need your continued guidance in the future."

"Hahaha!" Xuan Kongzi nodded and said, "I'll treat you to drinks again sometime!"

After offering his congratulations, Xuan Kongzi strode out of the main hall.

Immediately afterward, the esteemed hermit Zhenyue and the dragon king Canghai passed by. Since they were not acquainted, they merely exchanged polite greetings and hurriedly departed.

The Blood-Drinking True Lord and the Hundred Poisons Hermit exchanged a brief greeting.

As the Evil Bone Taoist passed by Gou An, he added, "Guardian Gou, I will investigate the matter the King entrusted to me and inform you as soon as I have any news."

After saying this, he left directly.

In the blink of an eye, only the old fox was left.

Since becoming the head of the hall, Gou An and the old fox have had little interaction other than business dealings.

The old fox walked up to Gou An and said with a smile, "Not bad. You've only been in Wan Yao City for a few years, and you've already become one of the protectors of the country. Congratulations!"

Knowing that the old fox held a high position of power in the city, Gou An immediately cupped his hands and said politely, "It is all thanks to the esteemed master's guidance that I would not have had this opportunity."

"Don't be modest," the old fox said with a smile. "You cured the princess's illness, which is a great achievement. The position of protector of the country is rightfully yours."

"Thank you for your praise, Master." Gou An nodded.

"Also!" The old fox glanced around the main hall; by now, almost everyone had left. "Becoming a Protector of the Nation won't be as leisurely as when you were just a hall master. Be prepared."

"I will heed your teachings." Gou An nodded again.

The old fox patted Gou An on the shoulder from behind, smiled faintly, and then walked towards the door.

Just as Gou An was about to leave, Bai He suddenly appeared from behind: "Gou Huguo, wait!"

Gou An stopped and turned back, puzzled. "I wonder if the messenger has something to discuss?"

"Gou Huguo." Bai He said with a grin, "The cigar spirit smoke you made for the King is excellent. If it were mass-produced, it would surely be sold far and wide, earning even more spirit stones."

"Now that you are in charge of protecting the country, you have access to more resources. We can expand the spiritual fields outside the city and increase production."

"Alright!" Gou An did not refuse, but said, "Leave this matter to the messenger for now, and I will come to help you after I finish what I have to do."

"Alright, alright!" Bai He nodded quickly after hearing enough. "Then I'll go first and wait for Huguo to give me some pointers."

After dealing with everything, Gou An finally left the main hall.

Gou An thought all the monsters had left, but to his surprise, there were still quite a few monsters waiting for him outside the door.

Upon seeing Gou An appear, they all stepped forward to congratulate him and presented him with various gifts, each wanting to get to know him.

"Your subordinate, Poison Fang, commander of the Blackstone Mine, congratulates Protector Gou on his promotion!"

"Your subordinate, the Windless Taoist, who is on patrol in the Southern Ridge, has come to offer his congratulations to Your Excellency the Protector of the Nation!"

"I am the captain of the Imperial Guard, Ling Niu Zi. Congratulations to Master Gou for becoming the Protector of the Nation."

The demon cultivators introduced themselves one by one, their tone extremely respectful. Their usual casual attitude of treating each other as equals was completely abandoned, and their eyes were full of awe and obsequiousness.

The demons offered their congratulations and presented the gifts they had prepared.

There were spirit stones of good quality, magical artifacts made from the cores of high-level demonic beasts, various kinds of spiritual materials of good quality, as well as various protective magic items and cultivation manuals, all piled up in front of him.

Gou An stood on the steps, initially taken aback, clearly not expecting such a thing to happen.

However, he quickly regained his composure amidst the flattery, accepting all the gifts and congratulations from various parties, his heart already overflowing with joy.

Promotion indeed brings countless benefits; you don't have to do anything, and people will come chasing after you to curry favor.

After the demon cultivators finished presenting their gifts, they exchanged a few polite words to become acquainted. Not daring to disturb them any longer, they tactfully dispersed.

The crowd gradually dispersed, leaving only one person huddled in a corner, at a loss, hesitant to step forward.

It was the same Black Horned Immortal who had just made those outrageous remarks in the hall, threatening to make things difficult for the newly appointed Protector of the Nation.

He looked embarrassed and had lost all his arrogance.

The thought of himself muttering and mocking the new Protector of the State while standing next to Gou An, and even threatening to deliberately make things difficult for him, sent chills down Black Horn's spine. He was filled with unease and didn't even have the courage to look Gou An in the eye.

Gou An's gaze swept across the area, immediately spotting the rhinoceros demon huddled in the corner. A playful smile flickered in his eyes as he called out, "Little Black, what are you doing standing there? Why don't you come over?"

When Gou An called out his name, Hei Jiao froze, and could only bite the bullet and quickly step forward, forcing an extremely awkward smile on his face.

He used to call me "fellow Daoist," but after being promoted, he started calling himself "Little Black." He really changes his tune quickly.

Blackhorn felt bitter inside, but dared not say it, so he could only step forward and apologize.

"Protector... Protector of the Nation!" Black Horn's tone was restrained, no longer daring to be as casual as before. He hurriedly took out a natural spiritual pearl from his bosom, which was smooth and shimmering with spiritual light, and respectfully presented it with both hands.

"I was unaware of your promotion, Protector General, and thus spoke without restraint, uttering many nonsensical words. I hope you will be magnanimous and not take offense!"

"This spirit pearl is a small gift from your subordinate to congratulate you on your ascension to the position of Protector of the Nation!"

This spirit pearl is of excellent quality, with a rich and refined spiritual energy. It is a treasure for cultivation, naturally nurtured with pure spiritual energy, and its value is even more precious than a top-grade spirit stone.

Gou An raised his hand and took the spirit pearl, his fingertips caressing its warm and smooth surface. His smile deepened, but he pretended to be magnanimous.

He laughed and said, "You and I are old acquaintances, having worked together for a long time. It was just a few casual words; why would I take it to heart?"

After saying that, he deliberately held the spirit pearl up to his eyes to admire it closely. It seemed like a casual remark, but in fact it was a pointed remark: "Moreover, you have given me such a treasure. It is of excellent quality and full of spiritual energy. It is truly rare."

"It's a pity there's only one. If there were a pair, you could hold them in your hand, play with them, and concentrate your mind. That would be the only way to enjoy them."

The unspoken meaning in his words was straightforward and obvious.

Blackhorn was incredibly shrewd; he instantly understood Gou An's implication. His heart clenched, and his lips twitched with pain.

This natural spiritual pearl is a rare treasure unearthed from the mine. He had kept it for many years and was reluctant to use it. Now, in order to apologize and make amends, he had no choice but to part with it.

Without hesitation, Black Horn gritted his teeth and reached into his robes again, carefully taking out another identical spirit pearl. Holding it with both hands, he respectfully presented it to Gou An: "This humble servant is foolish and has not considered things thoroughly! Here is another one; I present it as a pair to the Protector of the Nation. I hope the Protector will accept it with pleasure!"

Gou An took the second spirit pearl and held it in his hand like a walnut, feeling its smooth texture and finding it even more comfortable to hold.

Gou An nodded in satisfaction, then smiled sheepishly, patted Hei Jiao on the shoulder, and said gently, "Oh dear, I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry, I'm not one to hold grudges, why would I make things difficult for a friend?"

Black Horn quickly bowed and thanked him, "Thank you, Protector of the Nation! If there is ever a need for my help in the future, just ask someone to put in a good word for me."

Gou An smiled slightly, said no more, put away the two spirit beads, then stepped on the ground and immediately took off and flew away.

Only Black Horn Master remained on the ground, looking up at Gou An's vanished figure, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Gou An quickly flew back to his residence, in high spirits.

No wonder so many people want to be officials. Once you have power, things you could never get before will just come to you on their own.