The world is like a prison, my body is holy

Chapter 129 Demon-Suppressing General's Mansion

"Did Zhao Zhiling and the others tell you these tricks, or did you figure them out on your own?"

Wang Wen looked at Huang Xingde with great interest and asked.

"What a joke! Of course, I came up with it myself!"

Huang Xingde responded without hesitation, then casually stroked his beard and said, "Of course, Lord Zhao also gave us a few hints, both overt and covert."

Wang Wen smiled silently, not exposing the old man's vanity.

He turned his gaze to the dozens of name cards piled up like a small mountain on the table: "These scoundrels, aren't they after the official positions under my command? Who gave them the courage? Do they look down on me or the Demon Suppression Division?"

Previously, the Directorate of Astronomy only had the business of exorcising demons and monsters, and was also subject to the control of local officials. It was just a government office that did hard labor, and the lucrative job was not as good as that of the three shifts of yamen runners in charge of maintaining order.

The reorganized Demon Suppression Division has expanded its scope to include all extraordinary forces, including the Xuanmen (Taoist sect), the Buddhist sect, and many folk lineages. All of these are under the jurisdiction of the Demon Suppression Division. Not only is it no longer subject to the control of local governments, but it also has the power to supervise local governments. Its authority is now very close to that of the Imperial Guard in his memory... The potential profits in this area are enormous!

If even the Demon Suppression Division has such extensive authority, one can only imagine how domineering the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion, which is even above the Demon Suppression Division, must be!
No wonder these local tyrants and bullies who used to look down on the canal gang are now desperately trying to squeeze into Huang Laodeng's camp.

However, from this perspective, Wang Wen felt that the emperor's decision to elevate him to the throne this time, besides rewarding meritorious officials, also indirectly expressed a tendency to be close to Taoism.

However, this tendency is expressed very subtly, like a carrot dangling in front of a donkey's head...

Thinking about it this way, wouldn't the emperor be hoping that he would take office and cause as much trouble as he wanted?

After all, the more trouble he causes, the sweeter the carrot dangling in front of the donkey's head becomes, and the more people from the Xuanmen sect will be attracted to join the imperial court.

Hey, your major is actually quite relevant!

"What else could it be but money, of course?"

Huang Xingde chuckled and casually pulled out a book of calling cards, tossing it to Wang Wen: "Take a look yourself."

Wang Wen took the visiting card, opened it, and examined it closely. The card was from a wealthy family surnamed Wang. It stated that the father and son had accidentally left a box of gold while having a banquet at their Wang family's Louwailou restaurant a few days ago, and that they would be visiting soon to return the gold.

Wang Wen clicked his tongue in approval and commented, "They're practically making sure we can understand it! They've practically made the word 'gold' bigger, darker, and bolder!"

Huang Xingde also looked down on these last-minute rich guys, but he still said seriously, "You may look down on them, but you really need to pick a few out of your yamen to take in."

Wang Wen raised an eyebrow: "Why should I?"

Huang Xingde slowed his tone: "Just because we're both native Yangzhou people!"

Wang Wen replied without hesitation, "Not enough!"

Huang Xingde earnestly advised, "That's enough. No matter what you think or whether you admit it or not, in the eyes of outsiders, you are a capable person who came from Yangzhou."

"As the saying goes, 'When one attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.' This has been the case since ancient times. Anyone who does not respect this rule will be seen by outsiders as arrogant, heartless, and ungrateful. Even if they are praised verbally for being 'upright, incorruptible, and selfless,' they will still feel that such a person is not worth getting close to."

“We’ve already asked Lord Zhao. Your Demon-Slaying General’s Mansion has a whole military camp. When the time comes, select a few decent people from among them and put them in your camp to eat some imperial food. This won’t interfere with your main business, and it will also give this rich dog a loophole to lure them in and make them spare no effort to provide money and food for you to train a new army!”

"These kinds of people might find it difficult to accomplish something big in Huainan, but they could easily ruin something big."

"It's not worth offending these people for a few mouthfuls of imperial grain!"

After pondering for a moment, Wang Wen gave Huang Xingde a thumbs-up with heartfelt admiration: "As expected of Huang Tianba, he's really wicked!"

He didn't care whether he offended anyone or not.

However, if we can use a few minor official positions as bait to lure in most of the local tyrants and bullies in Yangzhou, and make them work tirelessly for us like donkeys in a production team, then this deal is definitely worthwhile!

The emperor offered a fourth-rank official position to lure the entire Xuanmen sect of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

He used several minor officials of the seventh or eighth rank to lure all the wealthy and powerful families in Yangzhou.

Everyone has a bright future!
"Stop talking nonsense!"

Huang Xingde's upturned lips were harder to suppress than an AK, yet he still feigned anger and scolded, "If it were anyone else, I wouldn't bother with these malicious tricks!"

Wang Wen also suppressed his laughter, fearing that the old man would get angry, and pulled out a rolling pin: "Father, you just said a military camp, how many soldiers are there exactly?"

Huang Xingde: "See, I told you that you can't become useful without studying. The military system of the Great Zhou Dynasty is that one hundred men form a 'du', five 'du' form a 'ying', five 'ying' form a 'jun', and ten 'jun' form a 'xiang'. Your 'jun' camp has a full complement of two thousand five hundred soldiers."

"Wow, that's quite a lot..."

Wang Wen exclaimed with delight, then pressed on, "What about the headquarters? Did they say anything?"

Huang Xingde pondered for a few moments before speaking, "There is a theory, but you decide for yourself, don't ask us."

This situation is exactly the same as how the father and son dealt with Zhao Zhiling before.

The Chief Astronomical Observatory, which had only one hundred members of the Canal Gang, was Zhao Zhiling's Chief Astronomical Observatory.

The Chief Astronomical Observatory, which had eight hundred members of the Canal Transport Gang, was their Chief Astronomical Observatory.

The same applies to the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion. By filling the mansion with readily available Canal Gang disciples, the mansion can be put up with a high standard in the shortest time. However, the large proportion of Canal Gang disciples in the mansion will inevitably cause many unnecessary troubles in the future.

For example, when the interests of the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion and the interests of the Canal Gang conflict, should the Demon-Suppressing Guards under the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion listen to Wang Wen or the Canal Gang?
Of course, it's more likely that the Canal Gang was using the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion as a front to do shady things...

There aren't many honest people in the canal gangs!
After pondering for a moment, Wang Wen said hesitantly, "My problem isn't too big, but I'm afraid that if things get out of hand later, you'll be caught in the middle and won't be a good person either way."

He's the god of Huangshan, why would he be afraid of the tricks the Canal Gang is up to?

No matter how cunning the Grand Canal Gang is, can they have as many spies as he has under his command?

Once he has enough merit, he can even assign each of his Demon-Suppressing Guards a ghost messenger as a partner for 24-hour risk control!
Upon hearing this, Huang Xingde replied without hesitation, "As long as you are confident, do whatever you want without worrying too much..."

He paused, then said bluntly, "To put it bluntly, my position as the head of this hall is not worth your title of Demon-Slaying General!" Wang Wen was moved and also spoke frankly, "You know me. I'm not the kind of scoundrel who would renege on his promises. As long as the headquarters is loyal to me, I will definitely be loyal to the headquarters. But if the headquarters treats me like a sucker, then don't blame me for turning my back on you!"

The words may not have been very pleasant to hear, but the underlying meaning was very moral.

Huang Xingde was deeply moved upon hearing this and nodded, saying, "Then let's continue this bond!"

Wang Wen: "Done!"

……

With Huang Xingde in charge of the preparations, Wang Wen's Demon-Slaying General's Mansion was transformed from a mere scrap of paper into a tangible reality in less than half a month.

The location chosen by the father and son for the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion was right at Guangji Bridge in Yangzhou, the site of the former Qinghe Gang's headquarters.

The choice of Guangji Bridge was not solely due to it being the place where the father and son made their fortune.

Furthermore, Yangzhou was originally the seat of Huainan Circuit during the previous dynasty. However, due to the lessons learned from the fragmentation and chaos caused by the military governors at the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Great Zhou Dynasty abolished the "circuit" level local government offices. However, the four circuit-level offices—the Transport Office, the Judicial Commissioner Office, the Grain Commissioner Office, and the Pacification Commissioner Office—were still located in Yangzhou City.

As a provincial-level government office, it was perfectly appropriate for the General of Demon Suppression's Mansion to be located in Yangzhou.

Guangji Bridge is located in the central area of ​​Yangzhou City and is adjacent to the Grand Canal. It is very convenient for both land and water transportation, making it a perfect fit for a government office like the General of Demon Suppression's Mansion, which is bound to frequently travel on official business.

Huang Xingde spent a lot of money to buy all the residential land in the surrounding area that had not yet been restored, and together with the original Qinghe Gang headquarters, he transformed it into a magnificent government office covering nearly 30 acres.

This government office is planned along a central axis from south to north, with functional areas such as the main gate, drill ground, main hall, second hall, and rear hall. It can house nearly 500 demon-suppressing guards and 50 general's office officials for daily office and living quarters.

The reason why only 500 Demon-Suppressing Guards could be accommodated was because Wang Wen felt that a large number of troops stationed in the city would easily cause trouble, so he deliberately placed the military camp near Qiling Temple outside the West Gate... mainly because that place was good and had good feng shui.

After selecting the office of the Demon Suppressing General's Mansion, Wang Wen returned to the Demon Suppressing Division and obtained seven close associates, led by Xu Wu, from the Demon Suppressing Division.

When he saw Zhao Zhiling and the others again, the scene wasn't as awkward as he had imagined.

Wang Wen addressed Zhao as "Lord Zhao," and Zhao Zhiling addressed Wang as "Lord Wang." The two bowed to each other with their hands clasped... At least on the surface, they were quite amicable.

As for behind the scenes...

Wang Wen felt that Zhao Zhiling was very magnanimous, as long as he didn't secretly stab him with a spittle or steel needles!

There was no other way. An office like the Demon Suppression General's Mansion, whose authority superseded that of all the Demon Suppression Divisions in Huainan Province, would have absolute suppression over any of the Demon Suppression Divisions in any prefecture.

But Wang Wen couldn't just move his office to another location just because Zhao Zhiling was unhappy, could he?

He's the real Yangzhou native!
Therefore, he was quite satisfied as long as he could maintain a superficial harmony with Zhao Zhiling.

His only regret was that when he saw Cheng Xian again, this burly Northwestern man, whom he considered a friend, had lost his former cheerful and generous nature. No matter how he gestured, Cheng Xian remained respectful with his hands clasped, addressing him as "Lord Wang" repeatedly...

He knew that a pitiful, thick barrier had already separated them!

Xu Wu and the others happily returned to the Sanhe Gang's headquarters that very evening.

Xu Wu was alright; he was used to being shameless with Wang Wen. On the very night Wang Wen returned from Kuaiji, he had already come back to see Wang Wen and obtained a promise from him.

The others weren't as close to him as Wang Wen, and they'd been quite worried lately, fearing that once their older brother became successful, he wouldn't include them anymore.

Of the three or four hundred members of the Qinghe Gang, the rest of them called Wang Wen "Brother Tiger," but only the seven of them, along with that dead bastard Chen Sandao, called Wang Wen "Big Brother."

A word difference is a world of difference!

Wang Wen sent Xu Wu and others to the military camp outside the city, instructing them to oversee the construction of the camp while receiving the arriving Canal Gang disciples in batches and conducting initial reorganization and training.

Time flew by, and before we knew it, it was December.

The end of the year is approaching...

On this day, Wang Wen was inspecting the construction site of the General's Mansion when a faint, distant sound, as soft as a mosquito's buzz, suddenly echoed in his mind.

"Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, the revered god of Huangshan, please manifest your divine power... Disciple Liu Hunkang respectfully invites the divine might of the revered god of Huangshan, Wu Yanzu, to descend!"

Wang Wen looked around, then immediately found a secluded spot, made hand seals, and chanted in a low voice: "Heaven and Earth are boundless, Huangshan borrows the power... emerge!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a wisp of divine thought traveled across mountains and rivers in an instant along that mysterious connection, appearing in a dark space where magical power shone like light pollution, transforming into the divine body of Huangshan, draped in sleeves of both civil and military officials and wielding a twelve-foot-long spear.

He glanced around and immediately locked his gaze on the terrifying figure in front of him, whose body was as tall as a mountain, with a colorful animal skin around his waist, a pale, thin leg bone in his hand, and whose whole body seemed to be a pollution machine, constantly radiating evil thoughts. He also saw the three sect leaders jumping around this terrifying figure like fleas.

The Hunkun Master's summoning of the gods was rushed, and he did not perform any rituals. As a result, the connection between them was very weak, and they could be severed at any time by the turbulent fluctuations of the heaven and earth's energy.

Therefore, Wang Wen dared not think too much. After locking onto his target, he began to perform the incantation for summoning the gods, silently chanting in his heart: 'Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, the Great Lord of Heaven, manifest your mighty power, with majestic heavenly might, summoned by thunder… Heavenly Venerable of Universal Thunder of the Nine Heavens, vanquish the demon!'

The Hunkun Zhenren begged the Venerable God of Huangshan to save his life.

But what does the thirty-something-year-old Huangshan deity know?

We have no choice but to ask the Heavenly Lord for help!
The instant he finished chanting the incantation, he swung his precious spear at the terrifying figure from afar.

Then, relying on the slightest weakness between him and Hunkun Zhenren, he was shattered by a huge wave of primordial energy.

Before his Dharma body dissipated, he clearly saw the words "Merit-500" flash before his eyes, and he also saw a magnificent purple lightning bolt cleave through the darkness and illuminate the sky.

The fleeting light illuminated countless, layered, and hideous figures beneath the sky, a scene remarkably similar to the millions of wronged souls and vengeful ghosts floating and sinking in the legendary River of Oblivion.

Wang Wen only glanced at it before feeling a chill run down his spine: 'Senior brother, this is all I can do to help you…'

The next second, he felt a blur before his eyes, and when he looked again, he found himself inside the construction site of the General's Mansion of Guangji Bridge.

(End of this chapter)