Taking Office (Part 1)

Jade Bell Road, Qingchuan Prefecture.

The sprawling Qingchuan Prefecture is the largest city in the entire Ze Province.

Since Great Ling abolished the city walls of most cities, this uniquely situated capital city has experienced explosive growth.

Centered around Qingchuan Lake, the area radiates outwards in all directions, including Jade Horse Forest, Wine Pot Slope, Chen San Temple, and Bright Phoenix Garden.

The bustling yet tranquil streets, gardens, and residential areas all feature the unique gray-tiled and gray-walled style of Qingchuan Prefecture.

The buildings belonging to the entire Ze Province Magistrate Office are located within Chen San Temple.

Chen San Temple originally expanded from a Daoist Daoist Temple that was once very popular.

It was named after the person who initially established it Chen San, and has now developed into a very large and prosperous urban area.

At this time, people and vehicles entered this urban area.

A lavishly decorated carriage, but one that had been bumping along the road with almost no shock absorption, was slowly making its way toward the Prefectural Office.

Around the carriage, there were similar horse-drawn carriages, ox-drawn carriages, and even donkey carts coming and going.

Many vehicles were carrying vegetables, fruits, grains, and even wine jars.

On both sides of the road, pedestrians come and go, their clothes are colorful, except for yellow and gold, you can see all kinds of colors.

Zhang Rongfang even saw some wealthy young women with their breasts half-exposed, their clothes colorful like peacocks, and the silver and gold ornaments they wore on their heads, shoulders, and necks weighed at least several kilograms.

"Women here consider large breasts and heavy jewelry to be beautiful. So you can see a lot of women dressed like that on the street."

Ding Rui explained with a smile inside the car.

"Of course, those who are qualified to dress like this must be from very wealthy families."

He glanced at a street sign he passed by outside, which clearly read "Wutong Street".

"Alright, that's enough. I'll stop here. From now on, it's all up to you, Junior Brother," Ding Rui said softly.

"The situation in Qingchuan Prefecture is complicated, but I believe that with your skills, Junior Brother, you are more than capable. This is actually a small test."

"A test? Is it Grandmaster Uncle?" Zhang Rongfang was taken aback.

"Naturally. Your role here is mainly to manage and operate local industries. As for the Rebel Army, you don't need to worry about the military aspects; our experts will handle that."

Furthermore, while this place is safe and secure, don't assume it's easier to manage than Citong. Because it's the most prosperous area in the entire Ze Province, randomly hitting a wealthy person on the street could uncover a whole host of connections, potentially involving the powerful Jade Void Palace Great Clans.

How you handle it then will be on everyone's watchful eyes. So, how you handle and present yourself is entirely up to you.

"Remember, never resort to violence lightly," Ding Rui said meaningfully.

After listening, Zhang Rongfang understood that things were completely different here compared to those in Citong.

If over there, it's a real, head-on, all-out attack.

So here, you can't just fight your own people directly, can you? The Twelve Clan Estates of the Jade Void Palace must have many people who have set up businesses in the province, so they are not completely isolated from the world.

That's the real problem. They're all family; you can't just kill everyone and their entire family at the drop of a hat, can you? After all, ordinary financial disputes don't warrant that.

"I understand." Zhang Rongfang nodded after a moment's thought.

It seems that no matter what happens here, everything can only be done after his own people and his own power group arrive.

Even if one is confident in handling and resolving the situation, it is impossible to create a safe zone that is entirely one's own.

So, no rush. The carriage slowly pulled over to the side of the road and stopped.

Ding Rui got out of the car and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhang Rongfang.

"Junior brother, if anything concerning your safety arises on your journey, you may come to the Ding Family to find me. However, please try not to come for other minor matters. It might affect the Palace Master's assessment and regard for you."

"Be very careful. If you pay enough attention, even if you don't become one of our Daozi, you can still gain considerable support from the sects, which is equivalent to achieving your goal indirectly."

He was clearly on Yue Dewen's side, so his advice and suggestions to Zhang Rongfang were sincere and genuine.

Zhang Rongfang also sensed this. He returned the greeting with a cupped hand.

"I understand. Thank you for your support along the way, senior brother."

"Polite."

Ding Rui smiled nonchalantly, turned and disappeared into the crowd, quickly entering an alleyway and vanishing from sight.

Zhang Rongfang watched him leave, and looking at the street with its completely different clothing styles, a new sense of unfamiliarity and alienation welled up in his heart.

The men here like to wear off-the-shoulder shirts that expose one shoulder, and most of them are short and stocky with dark skin.

In addition to the women's attire we just saw, even ordinary women wear a lot of jewelry, and even inexpensive jewelry makes them sparkly from head to toe.

This is clearly the custom here.

"Let's go," Zhang Rongfang said, closing the carriage door.

He needs to consider how to handle the situations that Ding Rui just mentioned.

If you want to cultivate in peace here, the first thing you need to do is figure out how to make money and acquire resources.

*** Qingchuan Prefecture.

First Squad of officials, accompanied by constables, Official Messenger, and temporary servants, lined up to await the arrival of the new Magistrate.

Among a group of people.

Two people stood out the most.

The man standing at the front was tall and broad-shouldered, with a handsome beard on his chin. He had a refined and scholarly appearance, fair skin, and a high nose bridge, and seemed to have some Hu Xi People ancestry.

This person is Jin Yonghe, the Assistant Prefect of Qingchuan Prefecture. He comes from the Great Clans Jin Family Ze Province.

Beside him was another man, who was tall and burly, with arms as strong as an average person's thighs, and dark skin, clearly a person of great strength.

This man had round eyes, flared nostrils, and a head of messy brown hair that resembled a lion's mane, making him particularly conspicuous.

He was Shangguan Zhi Prefect commanded the Garrison around Qingchuan.

Similarly, he also came from the Shangguan Family Great Clans, the largest family in Ze Province.

"Brother Jin, I heard that the new Magistrate is a Daozi of the one recognized by the Heavenly Treasure Palace? Do you have any news on your end?" Shangguan Zhi picked his nose with some dissatisfaction.

Early in the morning, he was made to wait here to receive the new, damned Magistrate.

If the other party weren't so famous, he probably wouldn't have bothered with them at all.

Wouldn't it be better to stay home, cuddling your beautiful wife and concubines, and taking a nap? Why are you standing here like a bunch of idiots, waiting foolishly?

"I know him a bit; he's not someone to be trifled with," Jin Yonghe a smile. "But so what if he's shrewd? He's all alone here, and we have to cooperate for everything to get the orders across. The best approach is for everyone to work together and compromise."

"That's true. We're all family anyway, so it's best if we can all get along. We'll see if we can become friends sometime."

"This guy comes from the Heavenly Treasure Palace, so he probably doesn't know much martial arts. We'll see if he's sensible. If he is, we'll give him some benefits. If he isn't, we'll cripple him and make him a quiet, reclusive Magistrate," Shangguan Zhi said nonchalantly.

"Indeed." Jin Yonghe nodded.

This is the current state of Qingchuan Prefecture.

No matter how capable the newcomer Zhang Ying Daozi, the key point is that one of them represents the Shangguan Family the First Sect, and they are from Spirit Noble.

The other is the Jin Family, the current Palace Master of the Jade Void Palace. Although they are distant relatives, even if they are only slightly related, they are still quite remarkable.

Given this background, no one dares to provoke either of them.

The entire Qingchuan Prefecture was divided into two factions based on their interests.

The two were talking quietly when suddenly a white carriage slowly approached them from the street in the distance, following the flow of traffic and people.

Soon, the carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the Prefectural Office.

The carriage door slid open, and a burly, tall, and strong man slowly stepped out.

The newcomer was dressed in a white Daoist robe and wore a Qinghua Daoist crown. His body was muscular and showed no signs of any connection with the frail Tianbao Palace.

After getting off the car, the man clasped his hands in a respectful gesture towards the waiting crowd.

"My name is Zhang Ying. What merit or ability do I have to make my colleagues wait for so long?"

"Lord Zhang Ying, you must be tired from your journey. A welcome-home feast has been prepared. We are all family and from the same sect. Since you are here, please don't be shy. Make yourself at home. Qingchuan is a warm and hospitable place with plenty of beautiful women and fine wine! You will understand once you stay longer."

Jin Yonghe stepped forward and spoke with a smile.

"This humble official Assistant Prefect Jin Yonghe, the Assistant Magistrate. This is Prefect Shangguan Zhi."

Zhang Rongfang's eyes swept over the two of them.

"Greetings, Your Excellencies. The future peace and stability of Qingchuan Prefecture will depend entirely on your support!"

He bowed respectfully to the two of them.

After exchanging pleasantries and insincere compliments, the two entered the Prefectural Office together.

Then came a brief introduction to the structure of the Prefectural Office and its main staff.

Zhang Rongfang glanced at it casually and didn't listen carefully; he figured he'd have to change it sooner or later anyway.

After dinner, and dealing with the many local wealthy businessmen Great Clans representatives who came up to ingratiate themselves at the banquet.

The Assistant Prefect named Jin Yonghe, representing a prominent local Great Clans, presented a grand gift—a vast Mansion belonging to the Magistrate.

The location is at the foot of Kaoshan Mountain, just a few miles away from the Prefectural Office.

Zhang Rongfang accepted the gift without hesitation, deciding to use it as his lodging.

That night, he rested at the yamen (government office), staying inside all night and immediately began to rest and meditate.

In the stillness of the night.

Outside, a night watchman was banging his clapper on the street.

"The weather is dry, so be careful with fire."

Inside the bedroom, Zhang Rongfang suddenly opened his eyes.

Looking out the open window, the moon was bright and the stars were few, the shadows of the trees swayed, and the wind was quite strong.

"It seems this place will be my base for many years to come."

He got up, changed his clothes, and put on a mask.

Everything was done in a dark corner to avoid being discovered or seen.

Before long, he reverted to his black mask state.

Even his body shape was slightly altered using a minor technique called "Bone Transformation," changing his outline a bit.

To avoid being recognized by one's figure.

Having done everything, Zhang Rongfang lightly touched the ground with his foot and suddenly rushed out of the window from inside the room.

With his current speed and agility, he has long surpassed the limits of ordinary people and reached the lower limit of Worship God Grandmaster.

With such physical attributes and special martial arts skills, it wouldn't be difficult for him to avoid being seen.

He dared not act rashly in Great Capital.

He was still a weakling in the Jade Void Palace, unable to move.

But here.

Zhang Rongfang felt he was back to his old self.

Qingchuan Prefecture is very large, even larger and more prosperous than Wushan Prefecture back then.

One Jade Horse Forest was equivalent to one Tanyang City back then.

Not to mention there are several other districts.

With such a vast area, the conflicts of interest within it are naturally even more complicated.

But once it's cleared up, it will also bring huge benefits.

Therefore, figuring out how to sort things out and how to handle them requires skill and wisdom.

Bang!

The walls of Jin Yonghe's bedroom had collapsed.

Zhang Rongfang smashed open the wall and entered, looking at the Assistant Prefect inside who was carrying a quilt to cover his body.

This man is certainly having a lot of fun; there are three beautiful women lying on the bed, all completely naked.

Looking at Jin Yonghe, who had a completely bewildered expression.

Zhang Rongfang suddenly felt a sense of boredom, like punching a nursing home and kicking a kindergarten.

"Who are you!? How dare you trespass!" Before Jin Yonghe could finish speaking, a figure flashed before his eyes, and he was immediately terrified. He rolled over, wrapped the blanket around his body, and stumbled forward, falling to the ground.

His movements were strange, like a threadworm moving across the ground. He swiftly dodged Zhang Rongfang's stomp, then leaped off the ground and took a heavy Black Blade from the wall.

In an instant, Jin Yonghe and qi surged, his body swelled, his skin turned slightly black, and Silver Patterns appeared on his skin.

"No matter who you are, since you dare to come and cause trouble for me today, you deserve to be humiliated!!"

Jin Yonghe let out a low roar, gripped the knife in both arms, his muscles bulging and surging, and a Shadow of blade light flashed overhead, slashing towards Zhang Rongfang.