In the courtyard, there were two osmanthus trees growing exceptionally well. Although it wasn't yet the flowering season in June, they were lush and verdant. A small sparrow hopped and chirped on the treetop, and in a flash, it flew to the windowsill of the bedroom, tilting its head to look at the full-length mirror inside the room, chirping incessantly.
Also looking at the full-length mirror was Xie An.
Yu He helped Xie An take off his original robe, leaving him in a white inner衬 (chen), then brought over the official uniform, putting it on Xie An piece by piece.
After the dressing was complete, Xie An looked at himself in the mirror, and his eyes brightened considerably.
The dark blue, tailored brocade robe had a round collar and was embroidered with three upward-facing silver pythons, lifelike, solemn, and stern, indicating his rank as a fifth-grade military officer of the Demon Suppression Division.
About a foot of the robe's hem revealed a pair of cloud-patterned boots. The belt was made of finely crafted leather, inlaid with jade pieces at intervals. On the left side of the belt was a loop for hanging a saber.
Wearing the official uniform, he looked noble and solemn, and the python patterns added a touch of severity. Even an ordinary farmer would exude an aura of imposing grandeur when wearing it.
Not to mention Xie An's strong and upright physique, he was simply a natural clothes hanger. Paired with this robe, he was tall, steadfast, and extraordinary.
Having transmigrated to this world for thirty-eight years, this was the finest garment Xie An had ever worn.
Also the most expensive…
"Master, should this identity token be hung on the waist?"
Xie An thought for a moment and shook his head, "Forget it, I'll just keep it in my inner pocket."
This outfit is enough to show my identity, hanging a token on the waist... it would seem a bit ostentatious.
On the way here, Xie An saw many Demon Suppression Guards who were accustomed to hanging their identity tokens on their waists. However, they did it for convenience of entry and exit. Xie An, as the only fifth-grade chief in Qingwu County, naturally had no need for that.
Yu He then took out a cyan jade pendant and hung it on Xie An, "I bought this yesterday when I was shopping for daily necessities. I saw a good jade pendant and bought it, just right for Master to wear."
Xie An was grateful and noticed that wearing the jade pendant indeed made his temperament more refined.
Yu He took a few steps back, looked Xie An up and down, and couldn't help but smile, "Master looks truly heroic and composed, dignified without being angry. He has much more presence than those high-ranking officials outside."
Although Xie An appeared calm on the surface, he felt comfortable in his heart.
Many people assume that when people get old, they no longer care about their image and appearance.
From Xie An's own experience, that's not really the case. The reason for this saying is simply that people know their image won't improve as they get older, so they gradually lose hope, leading to the misconception that old people don't care about their appearance.
However, his current appearance already made Xie An feel very comfortable.
"Master, your saber."
Yu He handed over the saber.
Xie An shook his head, "I'll still use my old Demon Suppression Saber."
Although the Qingwu Demon Suppression Division Chief's saber was also good, and newer, Xie An still preferred his old, familiar blade.
With the Demon Suppression Saber in hand, his image in the mirror became even more striking.
The more Xie An looked, the more he liked it, and he couldn't help but smile, while Yu He giggled in the distance.
"Go to the seventh-floor office."
Xie An turned and went out.
In fact, if Xie An's Bright Jade Skill hadn't reached the eighteenth stage, comparable to an eighth-level martial master... Xie An wouldn't have dared to wear this official robe.
Strength emboldens a person, that's absolutely right.
Moreover, although Xie An is only comparable to an eighth-level martial master now, when he breaks through to the nineteenth stage of the Bright Jade Skill in a year or so, he will be comparable to a Grandmaster of Martial Arts.
A prospective Grandmaster of Martial Arts, wearing a fifth-grade official robe... not excessive, right?
The sparrow on the windowsill chirped a few more times. Seeing Xie An leave, the sparrow also flew away.
…
After leaving the door.
Yu He only followed beside Xie An, no longer holding Xie An's arm.
After all, it wouldn't be appropriate in the Demon Suppression Division.
Along the way, many busy Demon Suppression Guards saw Xie An and stopped what they were doing, looking sideways at the three silver python embroideries on Xie An's brocade robe.
Three silver pythons, with their heads facing upwards.
A fifth-grade senior official of the Demon Suppression Division!
In Qingwu County, there was only one official position that matched – the Chief of the Qingwu Demon Suppression Division.
Perhaps it was the first time seeing this official robe, or perhaps because Xie An's face was unfamiliar, everyone didn't react for a moment and didn't dare to recognize him, instead whispering among themselves in groups of twos and threes.
"Is that our Demon Suppression Division's Chief?"
"Hasn't that position been vacant for four years?"
"…"
Some Demon Suppression Guards who knew how to handle things took the initiative to go up to Xie An, cupping their hands in salute, "Subordinate greets Chief."
With the first person taking the lead, the people behind followed suit, "Greetings, Chief."
"Greetings, Chief."
Xie An nodded in acknowledgment, not being too amiable, nor deliberately aloof, trying to appear as unsmiling as possible.
Being unfamiliar with the place and people, Xie An felt that being cautious was more appropriate.
If his subordinates were all acquaintances, he would naturally need to be more amiable and not put on airs. But coming to a strange place, there was no need to be deliberately aloof, but there was also no need to appear too easy to talk to.
Only after establishing himself as the Chief, would showing amiability be genuine amiability.
Coming to the seventh floor again, Xie An's state of mind was already different.
The previous two times he came here, he was an outsider.
The third time he came, he was already the master.
Zhao Qing'er, Wei Haoran, and Chen Tie were all standing, welcoming the arrival of the new master.
Chen Tie took the lead, cupping his hands and smiling, "Chief is like a lofty pine, with a vast and boundless spirit. Truly a man of outstanding talent, please come in and take a seat."
Xie An warmly exchanged greetings with the three of them.
Although he was their superior, Xie An had a very clear understanding in his heart: this was only temporary.
One was the daughter of a Prince Bao, one was the son of Duke Wei, and one was the son of a master craftsman…
Xie An was genuinely relying on this Chief position to work and obtain resources, while the others were here to gain experience. Before long, they would return to the capital… and become people he couldn't catch up with even if he tried.
In Xie An's eyes, they were not only subordinates, but also valuable resources overflowing with wealth.
After the greetings, Chen Tie took the initiative to explain the Chief's duties and precautions to Xie An.
The advantage was: there was no need to clock in, and it wasn't even necessary to come to the Demon Suppression Division. In principle, it was completely free.
There were also areas of pressure: the responsibilities of slaying demons, eliminating evil, and supervising officials were self-evident, but if major accidents or violations occurred in the Qingwu Demon Suppression Division, the Chief would have to bear certain responsibilities.
Xie An didn't find this surprising.
The leader has always been like this, the benefits are the greatest, and the responsibilities are also the greatest. Because of this, the leader often needs to manage his subordinates well, enforce orders, and ensure that no major problems arise.
After a detailed understanding, Xie An was shocked: the power of the Demon Suppression Division was frighteningly great, it seemed… it could manage everything?
Did that mean the county government was just a workhorse?
After understanding all the details, Xie An began to ask, "Brother Chen…"
Chen Tie quickly reminded him, "Never call me Brother Chen, just call me Chen Tie."
Xie An had no choice but to call him by his name, "What are the Chief's benefits?"
This was what Xie An was most concerned about.
Having become the Chief, and bearing the responsibilities and affairs of the Chief. But… the benefits also had to be clarified, right?
In the end, Xie An took this position because he valued the Demon Suppression Division as a huge platform.
Chen Tie smiled, took out a booklet, and showed it to Xie An, "The salary for a fifth-grade Chief is five hundred taels per year."
Hearing this number, Xie An was still surprised.
It wasn't even as good as being a hall master in the Tiger Wolf Sect.
However, Xie An was also mentally prepared for this.
He had already learned about it. The salary of a fifth-grade official in the Great Qian Dynasty, depending on the nature of the work and the degree of danger, was roughly between one hundred and two hundred taels. This was much higher than in ancient times in his previous life.
The Demon Suppression Division's fifth-grade Chief, with an annual salary of five hundred taels, was already much higher than ordinary officials of the same rank. This was mainly due to the high degree of danger in the Demon Suppression Division.
Slaying demons, eliminating evil, and supervising officials… which one was an easy job?
The salary looked small. But… which official made a fortune by eating salary?
Power is more valuable than wealth.
With power and influence, why worry about not having wealth?
Chen Tie turned to the next page of the booklet, "Although the salary is not high, the other benefits are very good. Anyone who can serve as Chief must be a martial master. Therefore, each month you can receive two Inner Strength Pills. Depending on the Chief's strength, you can receive Inner Strength Pills of different levels, without limit."
This was impressive!
Xie An knew that martial masters cultivated Inner Strength.
Ranging from the first level of Inner Strength to the ninth level of Inner Strength. The higher the level, the more vigorous the Inner Strength, and the stronger the strength. Correspondingly, Inner Strength Pills are also divided into first to ninth levels, the higher the level, the more precious the Inner Strength Pill.
It can be said that Inner Strength Pills are indispensable basic pills for martial masters to temper their Inner Strength.
Without it, progress would be ten or even dozens of times slower. It would be difficult to achieve much in a lifetime.
Previously, the five Inner Strength Pills that Tang Zhengyang gave Xie An were all First Level Inner Strength Pills, enough to help Xie An break through to a First Level Martial Master.
This was already very rare.
But the Demon Suppression Division was generous... Based on the strength of the main division, each member could receive two Inner Strength Pills of equal strength every month.
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If Xie An were a Ninth Level Martial Master, he could receive two Ninth Level Inner Strength Pills every month!
One Inner Strength Pill couldn't be bought for a thousand taels of silver on the market... People wouldn't sell them. Not to mention a Ninth Level Inner Strength Pill?
This was already a level of treatment that Xie An dared not imagine.
Zhao Qing'er came closer at this moment and continued to explain to Xie An, "Inner Strength Pills are just the basic benefits of the main division. Besides that, there are also Golden Healing Pills for treating injuries, and Qi and Blood Pills for restoring vitality. If you are exhausted during battle, taking a Qi and Blood Pill can immediately restore seventy to eighty percent of your strength. These are precious medicines that are very difficult to buy outside."
"In addition to that, there are also pills for activating muscles and bones, and for maintaining youthful appearance..."
Zhao Qing'er introduced seven or eight kinds of rare pills from the booklet. As the Chief of the main division, Xie An could receive one or two of these every month.
This truly delighted Xie An.
Martial cultivators are most afraid of being injured in battle, and the Demon Suppression Division's benefits... mainly focus on taking care of this aspect. It's very reasonable.
No wonder so many martial masters risk their lives to join the Demon Suppression Division.
A large platform, the benefits are great!
Finally, Chen Tie said, "Our Demon Suppression Division is different from other government offices. The Demon Suppression Division is jointly established by the Daoist sect and the imperial court. Promotion of official positions doesn't focus too much on seniority, but mainly on merit."
Xie An knew that the highlight he was looking forward to had arrived, "Please explain in detail."
Chen Tie turned to the next page of the booklet, "The merits of our Demon Suppression Division are divided into four levels: small merit, medium merit, large merit, and heavenly merit. Different merits correspond to different rewards. These rewards include cultivation techniques, secret manuals, weapons, precious medicines, precious plants, and demon beast materials. In addition, the promotion of officials in the Demon Suppression Division is also based on the size of the merit..."
Xie An stared at the merit booklet while listening to Chen Tie's explanation, and finally had a general understanding of the merits:
For example, resolving a crisis in a county is probably a small merit. For example, if a demon beast or a gang threatens a certain county, and Xie An single-handedly takes down the gang, that is a small merit.
Don't underestimate this small merit, but the rewards are quite generous. Including Blood Pine Fruit for enhancing qi and blood, White Ginseng Fruit for prolonging life, and many cultivation techniques comparable to the Ninth Level Heavy Mountain Blade, and some cultivation techniques even surpass the Heavy Mountain Blade.
Xie An's heart beat faster as he read.
Brother Tang was right.
The Demon Suppression Division is really a large platform.
Just these things, even if the Tiger Wolf Gate emptied its coffers, it wouldn't be able to take them out. And if Xie An relied on fighting alone outside, he probably wouldn't have the opportunity to obtain these good things in his lifetime.
The resources accumulated by the imperial court, which has stood for a hundred years, are truly not to be underestimated.
Coming here to be the Chief, Xie An felt that he had made the right move.
Xie An's attention was focused on the White Ginseng Fruit, "Can this White Ginseng Fruit really prolong life?"
Zhao Qing'er said, "Of course. As long as they are not close to the limit of their lifespan, elderly people can extend their lives by three to five years after taking it."
The figure of Madam Li appeared in Xie An's mind.
Since hearing He Chunli and Han Li mention that Madam Li didn't have much time left, Xie An had the idea of visiting Madam Li. It was just delayed by the Demon Suppression Division.
Now that he saw this White Ginseng Fruit, Xie An thought of Madam Li.
Although Xie An hadn't seen Madam Li for many years, Xie An wouldn't forget the kindness that Madam Li showed him when he was a servant in the Li residence.
When people are poor, receiving a kindness from others is better than receiving thousands of gold and silver from others when they are successful.
Xie An pondered for a moment, "Are there any restrictions on personnel for this merit?"
Zhao Qing'er shook her head, "No. The merit booklet is open to anyone in the Demon Suppression Division fairly. For example, last time Chief Xie helped Princess Chang break the Great Bronze Bell, that was equivalent to a medium merit. It's a pity that Chief Xie was not a member of our Demon Suppression Division at the time, so he couldn't receive the merit. However, the reward given by Princess Chang... far exceeded the reward for a medium merit."
Xie An awkwardly rubbed his forehead, also feeling that Princess Chang was very good.
Next, Xie An looked at the rewards for medium merit, and became more and more surprised as he read.
Medium merit included top-level health cultivation techniques like the Tendon Transformation Classic. There were also some longevity pills, cultivation techniques, and treasures such as spiritual weapons... It also included a promotion of one level for a Fifth Rank official, reaching the Fourth Rank.
The Fourth Rank of the Demon Suppression Division was completely equal to the Prefect.
The more Xie An looked, the more he liked the Demon Suppression Division.
Although the Demon Suppression Division also belonged to the officialdom and needed connections to get along well, it provided a fair platform for the poor: as long as your ability is strong enough, you can go up.
This was undoubtedly Xie An's opportunity.
Medium merit was so powerful?
What about large merit?
Xie An turned to the next page and found it was blank, "Hey, why is it gone?"
Chen Tie explained with a smile: "Our Qingwu Demon Suppression Division's level is Fifth Rank, generally not enough for large merit, so it is not included in the merit booklet. But if someone has made a great contribution, it can be reported. It doesn't affect it."
Xie An felt it was reasonable, but still couldn't help but ask: "Large merit is equivalent to?"
Chen Tie thought for a while and said: "Resolving the life-and-death crisis of several million people in a prefecture is almost a large merit. Or killing a Martial Dao Grandmaster who poses a threat to Great Qian, or a demon beast that has been graded, is also a large merit."
Xie An: "..."
Killing a Martial Dao Grandmaster is only a large merit.
Then there's really no need to look at it.
This was something Xie An couldn't reach no matter what now.
Closing the merit booklet, Xie An reviewed the information on the booklet in his mind, so that he had a general understanding of it.
Chen Tie suddenly changed the subject, "But right now we have a great merit, if we can capture or kill the former dynasty's Immortal Queen, Jin Xiaotang, that would be a great merit. Discovering Jin Xiaotang's whereabouts and assisting Princess Chang in capturing her is considered a medium merit."
Xie An's pupils shrank, and then he felt discouraged.
This former dynasty's Immortal Queen was definitely a super dangerous person, and it was not easy to earn large merit.
But discovering her whereabouts and assisting in the capture... taking a medium merit was still something to think about.
Zhao Qing'er added, "Killing Li Changchun is also a medium merit."
Xie An was discouraged again.
People's Bright Jade Skill has nineteen sections, and he can't afford to provoke him at the moment. This medium merit is not reliable.
Next, Chen Tie discussed with Xie An the staffing of the Demon Suppression Division, various expenses, etc. Some documents also needed Xie An to sign and stamp the official seal.
After carefully checking, Xie An didn't find anything wrong, so he didn't put on any official airs, nor did he say any polite words. He directly stamped the official seal and entrusted Chen Tie to take care of it.
When he left the main building, it was already close to noon.
The daily trivial matters of the Chief were numerous, although Xie An's mentality was calm and meticulous, he could handle it. But Xie An didn't want to spend too much time on it, so he thought of a way to let Yu He interact with Chen Tie and the others more, understand the details, and classify and summarize them.
There were no secretaries in ancient times, so he would cultivate one.
Wouldn't that be much easier?
What's more, Yu He was not an ordinary person, her young lady was Princess Chang. When communicating with Chen Tie and the others, Chen Tie wouldn't dare not take it seriously. Nor would he be contemptuous because Yu He was a woman.
Xie An was still more interested in longevity, precious plants, spiritual weapons, and so on.
What's more, Xie An brought the thoughts of his previous life, and didn't want Yu He to be his maid for the rest of her life. He also hoped that Yu He would have a larger platform.
After dispatching Yu He to work, Xie An returned to the southeast courtyard, changed out of his official uniform, and comfortably lay on the Drunken Weng chair to bask in the sun.
Feeling the warm sunshine and the chirping of sparrows, Xie An felt that this was what life should be like.
It was lunchtime before Xie An left the courtyard and went out to the street to buy some pastries that Yu He liked. He planned to reward Yu He, worried that Yu He was tired.
He came to the seventh floor of the main building and saw Chen Tie and Yu He sitting at the tea table discussing various details, very engrossed.
And Yu He's eyes were bright and energetic, obviously very good at these things, and very interested, without any signs of fatigue.
Xie An was very pleased to see this: it seemed that Yu He was suitable for this, everyone has their own stage to shine, this was very good.
Xie An put the pastries wrapped in mulberry paper at the door, and then silently left.
Just as he returned to the Xie residence, Xie An saw Han Li sitting on the steps with red eyes.
Xie An felt that the situation was not right, "Where is Xiao He?"
Han Li drooped his head, "He Zi won't let me say."
Xie An's eyes suddenly sank, instinctively feeling that something had happened to He Chunli, so he asked seriously: "I am your master, I'm telling you to speak!"
