Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies

The middle-aged officer's voice rang out far and wide, resonating through the main hall.

After a while, a man sauntered in from the back of the main hall, belatedly arriving.

Yawning as he walked, he sat down behind the desk, moved his neck, relaxed his cervical spine, and said leisurely with his eyes closed, "So you are Shen Qing?"

Shen Qing stepped forward and replied, "That's me."

"I have looked over your identity documents. From now on, you'll be leading Lao Liu and the rest of the Sixth Group."

The Chief Officer of the Guardian Martial Department stopped shaking his head, opened his eyes, and said, "Lao Liu, you've been with the Guardian Martial Department for a long time, and you're quite experienced. Shen Chasi is new here and unfamiliar with many things; you should assist him, so he gets acquainted with our department's affairs quickly."

"Yes, Lord Chief Officer," replied Lao Liu.

"Alright, go get acquainted with everything," said the Chief Officer with a big belly, gesturing dismissively.

The officer Lao Liu respectfully bowed with his hands clasped and withdrew.

Shen Qing gave a glance at the desk before him, said nothing more, and followed suit, exiting the room.

After leaving the main hall, Lao Liu led Shen Qing to a side chamber and said, "Lord Shen Chasi, please show your official certificate to get our duty token. From now on, you must swap the duty token every morning at the Mao Hour and return again in the evening at the Xi Hour."

Isn't this just clocking in and out for work every day?

Shen Qing asked, "What happens if I forget to exchange the duty token?"

"Forgetting once a month doesn't matter much, but if you forget twice, your official salary for one day will start to be deducted; three times, and half will be deducted. If it's four or five times, then the entire salary will be forfeited, and in severe cases, you could be dismissed."

Shen Qing's expression suddenly turned solemn; dismissal was equivalent to being fired.

It seems being an official is not so easy after all.

Seeing Shen Qing take the duty token, Lao Liu continued, "Here in the county town, there are a total of six groups within the Guardian Martial Department. Our main responsibilities are dealing with the evil spirits and demons in the city's twelve districts and seventy-two villages. Occasionally, we also have to suppress traitors and help the Military Department maintain public order. In short, the work is diverse and plentiful; you just need to follow the orders of the Lord Chief Officer."

"So for maintaining public order, does that mean we also have to patrol and stand watch at night?" asked Shen Qing.

"That's generally the responsibility of the Military Department; we don't stand night duty."

"I see," replied Shen Qing.

"Lord Shen Chasi, let me introduce you to the people of the Sixth Group. We are all technically your subordinates. It just so happens everyone is here today, so it's a good time to get to know them," said Lao Liu.

"Alright," Shen Qing murmured thoughtfully before asking, "Lao Liu, there are six groups in our county's Guardian Martial Department. Is there any difference between these groups?"

"There is... well, there are differences..." Lao Liu began to hem and haw.

"Speak freely," encouraged Shen Qing.

Lao Liu sighed deeply and said, "The order of the groups within our Guardian Martial Department is actually determined by ranking according to strength."

Raising an eyebrow, Shen Qing asked, "Does that mean our Sixth Group is the weakest?"

"Yes..." Lao Liu replied, his old face looking somewhat embarrassed. "Lord Shen Chasi, you may not know, but the officers of the other five groups are all from high-ranking families in the county town. Although they're not closely related to the direct lineage, they all have some abilities, and the officers they lead have been carefully selected and are related to them, here to partake in the imperial grain."

"And our group's officers..." pursued Shen Qing.

Lao Liu answered honestly, "They are those who were not wanted by the other groups, kicked out, ordinary martial masters."

Shen Qing was left speechless: "Let's meet them first, shall we?"

Leading Shen Qing out of the side chamber, Lao Liu passed row upon row of houses and finally stopped outside a room at the corner: "Lord Shen Chasi, here we are."

"Let's go in."

Lao Liu pushed the door open and led him straight in.

"Everyone, be alert, the Lord officer is here."

As Shen Qing entered, two men and a woman who were conversing with their heads down around a square table immediately ceased their conversation and stood up.

Upon sizing up Shen Qing, they were surprised by his youth and appearance.

Stepping forward, Lao Liu made the introductions: "Lord Shen Chasi, these are Jiang Dacong, Guan Yunjian, and Uncle Shu, the officers of our Sixth Group."

"This is our new officer, Lord Shen Chasi Shen Qing."

Simultaneously, the three clasped their hands and greeted, "We've met Lord Shen Chasi."

"No need for formalities," Shen Qing replied, advancing to commit their faces and names to memory.

Jiang Dacong was a tall woman with somewhat yellowish skin and acne marks on her face; she was far from what one would call attractive.

Guan Yunjian and Uncle Shu appeared no longer young either, both around thirty years old, with faces weathered by the elements.

And these were to be his subordinates.

An officer differs from an officer in charge.

The dispatch office is a small ninth-rank official position, part of the bureaucracy, while the officers can only be regarded as "temporary workers" for the government office.

If nothing unexpected happens, they will spend their lives as officers, biding their time at the bottom.

Even if they didn't speak of it, Shen Qing could sense it from their demeanor.

Shen Qing, having lived twice as a human, did not have any stage fright. His gaze swept over the faces of the several men in turn and he said, "Gentlemen, I am new here and still have much to learn. I will need your guidance in the future…"

Just then, Guan Yunjian and Uncle Shu exchanged a glance, and Guan Yunjian stepped forward to interrupt, "Lord Shen Chasi!"

Suddenly, the gaze of everyone in the room converged on Guan Yunjian.

Shen Qing frowned, somewhat displeased, "What is it?"

With his head lowered and hands clasped, Guan Yunjian said, "I've heard that Lord Shen Chasi hails from Taiping County and now possesses the cultivation of the Qi Cultivation Realm. I wonder if that is true or false?"

Shen Qing detected a hint of malice in Guan Yunjian's words.

Narrowing his eyes, he replied, "What of it if it's true?"

"Not to conceal from Lord Shen Chasi, we three are also of the Qi Cultivation Realm, and we've managed the affairs of the Sixth Group well in the absence of a Chief Officer. You do not come from a high-ranking family, and your cultivation is not higher than ours. If Lord Shen Chasi carelessly meddles in the future, causing trouble that leads to punishment for us all, it would be bad for the Sixth Group."

Uncle Shu chimed in, "Lord Shen Chasi, at such a young age you have become an officer, you surely have your own means; how could you allow him to intrude here?"

Standing by the door, Lao Liu's face turned sour as he intended to step forward and reprimand, but was stopped by Shen Qing's gesture.

He could tell that these people were just not convinced by this outsider.

And, seeing his youth, they also thought he was easy to manipulate.

They really take me for a sick cat, huh.

Since that's the case…

Shen Qing was not angered at all, smiling and saying, "I'm just an ordinary person, what kind of means could I have? Yunjian makes sense. What do you think I should do then?"

"This is not difficult. As long as Lord Shen Chasi doesn't command randomly in the future and follows our arrangements, that would be fine. I'm sure Lord Shen Chasi is a wise man, who knows how to make the right choice."

After pondering for a while, Shen Qing shook his head and said, "Sorry, I'm rather slow, and I have never liked multiple-choice questions."

"Usually, when I encounter a problem I can't solve, I tend to deal with the person who posed the problem first."

"Hmm?"

Boom!

In an instant, as Shen Qing's robes fluttered, he rushed towards Uncle Shu and Guan Yunjian, striking fiercely with both hands.

Their pupils dilated in shock, and in their haste, they waved their hands quickly, trying to block Shen Qing's sudden onslaught.

However, Shen Qing's speed was far superior to theirs.

The Wind Defying Finger, carrying an air of supremacy, thudded against their chests.

The moment it touched their garments, the third transformation of the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Skill activated

A scorching breath and rampant Qi erupted between them, causing a deafening explosion.

In the face of such terrifying force, Uncle Shu and Guan Yunjian were struck as if by a heavy hammer, their bodies staggering backward until they finally hit the wall, barely managing to stop.

Ultimately unable to hold on, they coughed up blood uncontrollably from their mouths, collapsing onto one knee on the ground, their faces as pale as paper.

Lao Liu and Jiang Dacong's faces changed dramatically upon seeing this; they had not expected Shen Qing to be so ruthless, to strike without warning.

"You…"

Uncle Shu and Guan Yunjian managed to tremble out.

The earlier mockery and carelessness were gone, replaced by unmistakable terror and unease.

Shen Qing's lips curled into a faint smile, "Have your issues been resolved now?"

Uncle Shu and Guan Yunjian's bodies tensed up to the extreme, sweat pouring down like drizzle, yet they didn't dare make a sound.

After a moment, they could no longer keep up, lying flat on the ground, they submitted to Shen Qing, saying, "We were blind to not recognize Taiping, we hope Lord Shen Chasi will forgive our petty offenses. From now on, we will follow your lead."

"If you had known this, why bother in the first place?" Shen Qing reined in his killing intent and settled into the main seat. He silently poured himself a cup of tea and said, "Stand up, the Sixth Group's work still requires your effort."

Chapter Stay:

"Yes."

At this moment, the way everyone in the room looked at Shen Qing had changed; there was no longer any frivolity.

Uncle Shu and Guan Yunjian couldn't even withstand a single move from Shen Chasi; his strength was probably far from merely that of the Qi Cultivation Realm.

Shen Qing knew that, being new here and with no one under his command to rely on, these people couldn't yet be killed; they had to be kept for the time being.

He drank a bowl of tea, feeling somewhat displeased.

Damn, this tea is bitter.