Promotion to Acting Centurion

Luoshui City, Town Pacification Department.

A man clad in a crimson, gold-woven Flying Fish Robe stood silently before a map of Yongning Commandery, radiating authority without a trace of anger.

He was Qin Chuan, the Pacification Commissioner of the Imperial Guards in Yongning Commandery.

At his side stood a Battalion Commander wearing a Flying Fish Robe of scarlet with blue patterns. He was Lu Tong, Battalion Commander of the Luoshui Town Pacification Department.

Qin Chuan's expression was calm, betraying neither joy nor anger, and his voice was equally placid.

"Lu Tong, what are your thoughts?"

Lu Tong had a pair of narrow phoenix eyes and rather handsome features. He shook his head.

"I will follow your orders in all things, my lord."

"Good. Then it is decided. We will venture deep into Bailu Marsh and make certain Wei Jiong is brought to justice."

"Lu Tong, make the arrangements. We depart in half an hour."

Ever since the Inspector had taken up residence in Luoshui City, Lu Tong had summoned all Imperial Guards back to the city for urgent heart-questioning.

Over a hundred Imperial Guards underwent testing every day.

Everything had been going smoothly, until midnight two days ago.

Someone discovered that Centurion Wei Jiong had vanished without a trace, killing two Imperial Guards along the way.

The matter was obvious. Wei Jiong was a spy planted within the Imperial Guards.

This was a grave dereliction of duty on Lu Tong's part. What was more, Wei Jiong was a veteran centurion who had occupied that post for at least twenty years.

Over those twenty years, who knew how much information he had passed outside? If someone chose to make a mountain out of this molehill, dismissal would be the least of Lu Tong's worries. At worst, he would be thrown into prison.

The only solution now was to capture Wei Jiong and interrogate him about how he had evaded the annual heart-questioning tests.

If they failed to catch him, things would become troublesome.

Lu Tong pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed, then composed himself.

"Guards!"

"Summon the centurions for discussion."

Within Baiyun County's General's Office, Shen Qing was drinking pine nut wine and gnawing on roast chicken, leisurely enjoying the afternoon.

Baiyun County had been peaceful these past few days, with no fiends causing trouble.

He had visited the pleasure houses to listen to songs a few times, but only once or twice. After that, he stopped going.

The performers simply were not good enough. They could not compare to the celebrities of his past life, much less the songstresses of the Capital City.

They were truly hard to listen to.

Shen Qing reclined sideways in a grand chair while Scholar stood beside him, fanning him with a palm-leaf fan.

"Scholar, why do you insist on fanning me? I'm in the Xiantian Realm. I'm not afraid of heat."

"Aren't you tired?"

Scholar gave a chuckle. "It is this lowly one's blessing to fan my lord. I'm not tired, not tired at all."

"Then keep fanning. If you get tired, go rest."

Shen Qing did not say much else. With a few capable underlings who knew how to read the room, he did not need to handle every little matter himself.

He could simply promote them properly in the future.

Just then, Black Dog hurried into the courtyard.

"My lord, someone has come from Luoshui City again."

"Luoshui City?" Shen Qing did not rise, merely saying blandly, "Who is it?"

He had not done anything lately, had he? Why had they come again?

"It's a General. He says his name is Li Sanshui and that he has urgent business with you, my lord."

"Let them in."

Before long, a General in his thirties strode inside. The moment he entered, his gaze locked onto Shen Qing.

He bowed in greeting.

"Congratulations, my lord! Congratulations!"

"The Luoshui Town Pacification Department has issued an order transferring you to Luoshui City, where you will be promoted to Acting Centurion!"

"From now on, you shall be called Centurion Shen, Lord Shen."

Li Sanshui quickly explained the entire sequence of events.

The moment Wei Jiong defected, Pacification Commissioner Qin Chuan and Battalion Commander Lu Tong had charged into Bailu Marsh with five centurions.

Including the defected Wei Jiong, the Luoshui Town Pacification Department only had four centurions left who could work. It was nowhere near enough.

That was why Shen Qing had gained the opportunity for promotion.

In the end, Shen Qing had seized this opportunity himself. He had caught two spies in succession, directly drawing in the Censorate.

Scholar, standing nearby, was quick-witted. He hurriedly pulled Black Dog beside him into a bow.

"Greetings, Centurion Shen!"

Li Sanshui also clasped his hands with a smile. He answered directly to Battalion Commander Lu Tong, and in theory, he stood on equal footing with a centurion.

But circumstances mattered. Shen Qing was only twenty and already an Acting Centurion. In terms of prospects, he stood far above those old hands in the Town Pacification Department.

Naturally, Li Sanshui had to treat him differently.

"Congratulations, Centurion Shen! Is there anything else you need to prepare? When may you depart?"

Shen Qing did not have much luggage: one saber, one flask of wine, and several hundred silver notes.

There was no need to bring clothes. He could buy them after arriving in Luoshui City.

"No need. We depart at once."

Then he turned to Scholar and Black Dog. "What are you standing around for? Go pack your things."

Scholar hurriedly pulled Black Dog toward Shen Qing's room.

Shen Qing stopped them. "Hey, hey, hey, where are you going? I told you to pack your own things."

Scholar and Black Dog both froze. "My lord... this..."

"What? You don't plan on coming to Luoshui City with me?"

"Yes! We do!" Scholar immediately came to his senses, bowing and clasping his hands repeatedly. "This lowly one is willing to serve my lord like a dog or horse!"

Shen Qing waved a hand. "Then hurry and pack up. Oh, and tell Old Li and Lin Zikai as well. Have them pack too. In two hours, meet here again. Anyone late will be left behind."

Scholar pulled Black Dog away and hurried out.

Old Li did not react much when he heard the news. Wherever Shen Qing told him to fight, that was where he would fight. After speaking a few words to his family at home, he headed straight for the General's Office.

Lin Zikai, however, was stunned and shouted, "What? I'm included too?"

Then he ran off at lightning speed. He had joined later, and only became Shen Qing's subordinate after getting beaten up by him. Being taken along was an enormous surprise.

Scholar was the most ostentatious of them all. In the span of two short hours, he informed every aunt and uncle in his family and even set off two strings of firecrackers.

Black Dog was the quietest. He had no family or friends in Baiyun County. He brought two sets of clothes and a saber, then waited at the General's Office.

Two hours later, the Imperial Guards mounted their tall horses and followed Shen Qing out of Baiyun County.

Dozens more Imperial Guards remained at the city gates, watching Shen Qing respectfully from behind.

Their gazes occasionally drifted toward Scholar, Black Dog, and the others, their eyes revealing both envy and regret.

They regretted that, on the day Shen Qing had ordered Sun Jin restrained, they had not stepped forward.