Soon, everyone in the county yamen knew that two men had gotten their jobs as constables through backdoor connections.
The entire yamen was guessing about their identities.
"The county magistrate came from Ask Dao Sect and is an impartial, iron-faced official who won't give anyone special treatment. For him to pull strings, these guys must have some serious connections."
"Do you think they might be from Ask Dao Sect?"
"Impossible. Everyone at Ask Dao Sect is a heaven-blessed prodigy. Why would they come here to be miserable constables?"
To ordinary people, constables were imposing figures whom everyone feared. But those who actually took the job soon learned the truth: the work meant endless day and night shifts, and they might even be called back in on their days off. When a major case came up, forget about getting any rest. They also needed to know how to fight, lest some villain stab them to death.
The deputy clerk declared with certainty, "In my view, those two are probably barbarians."
"Barbarians?"
"Of course. Think about it. Our Quyi County is in Huang Province, and the barbarians are in Huang Province too. They're probably the magistrate's relatives."
"But neither of them has the surname Man."
"Distant relatives. Barbarians with a different surname."
"That makes sense."
This theory was quickly accepted by everyone in the yamen. Since the two had gotten in through backdoor connections, the yamen's rules didn't apply to them. As long as they didn't do anything too outrageous, everyone would turn a blind eye.
Huang Province was rich in ore. The cultivators there had long made use of the local resources to forge metal, and over time, the province had become a gathering place for blacksmiths. Quyi County alone had over a hundred forges, large and small.
The Wang