I run a casino in the immortal realm.

"My lord, people die for wealth, birds die for food. When the profit is great enough, let alone a seventh-rank inspector, even a fourth-rank prefect will be targeted by people who want to kill him."

Xu Qian gave a wry smile and began to analyze the pros and cons in detail.

"Our patrol office's primary power is to combat smuggling. The imperial court monopolizes the production and sale of salt, minerals, and high-grade spiritual medicines and pills. These things are extremely profitable. Yuanyang Prefecture is located near the Yuan River, with waterways in all directions, making smuggling extremely rampant."

Xu Qian's voice grew lower and lower: "Anyone who dares to do smuggling is an ordinary person."

Most of them are aristocratic families with a history of over a thousand years, such as the Wang, Zhao, and Lin families in the city. They keep a large number of outlaws and even have patriarchs at the Void Refinement stage in their families.

Even more frightening is that these families have intricate connections with certain high-ranking officials in the government, and even prominent figures in the capital, involving the transfer of benefits.

"The previous inspectors who were assassinated were either too upright, or ignorant of the rules, or greedy. They seized goods they shouldn't have, thus offending these powerful families and the big shots behind them. In the end, they were beheaded and had no one to reason with."

Zheng Yifei was secretly alarmed upon hearing this.

He originally thought that the three major families in Liuhua County were already domineering enough, but he didn't expect that in this prefectural city, the powerful families had become so arrogant that they dared to slaughter imperial officials like pigs and dogs.

"What about investigating the murder case? That's a hot potato too?"

"It's not just hot to the touch, it's a death sentence."

Xu Qian sighed: "All the murder cases reported by the county police stations that require the intervention of the Inspectorate are invariably committed by murderers with extremely high skill levels or very powerful backgrounds. Going to arrest such people could easily result in us being killed by them."

"Even if you, sir, possess extraordinary cultivation and manage to capture the person, what if the murderer is a direct descendant of a powerful family or the illegitimate son of a high-ranking official? Would you kill him or release him?"

"Kill him, and you'll offend powerful families and high-ranking officials, facing endless open and covert attacks; release him, and if the higher-ups investigate, you'll be accused of favoritism and bending the law, losing your position at best, and possibly even your head. Either way, it's a dead end."

Xu Qian paused here, looking at Zheng Yifei with a complicated expression: "Sir, if I may presume to speak, although your statement at the dinner table today has appeased Tang Ning and the others, please don't assume they are your people."

"The four deputy inspectors in this patrol office are all formidable. They have been here for many years and are deeply entrenched in the system. Their backgrounds are also very complicated."

Take Tang Ning, who greeted you today, for example. Although he is only a seventh-rank official, his younger sister is the daughter-in-law of the current head of the Lin family in the prefectural city. The Lin family's influence in Yuanyang Prefecture is such that even the prefect has to give them some face.

"The other three deputy inspectors who are stationed outside also have unclear and ambiguous relationships with the Wang family, the Zhao family, and the largest gang in the city, the 'Grain Transport Gang.' They act as a protective umbrella for these forces within the Inspection Division."

Xu Qian had already revealed his true intentions by speaking to this extent.

He looked at Zheng Yifei, trying to see panic or anger on his new boss's face.

However, Zheng Yifei's reaction was beyond his expectations.

Zheng Yifei showed no panic whatsoever. Instead, he picked up the slightly cooled tea, took a slow sip, and even a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Master Xu, thank you for your honesty."

Zheng Yifei put down his teacup and looked at Xu Qian with a deep gaze: "Are you telling me all this because you're afraid I'll be reckless and crash into a brick wall, dragging you down with me?"

Xu Qian's expression changed, and he quickly stood up: "This subordinate wouldn't dare! This subordinate simply couldn't bear to see Your Excellency repeat the mistakes of your predecessor..."

"Alright, sit down. I'm not blaming you."

Zheng Yifei waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down, his tone becoming calm and firm: "I was actually prepared for the risks you mentioned. There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world."

With greater power comes greater risk.

Zheng Yifei stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the dark night outside.

Xu Qian thought Zheng Yifei was a reckless and ignorant young man, but he was wrong.

Zheng Yifei worked his way up from the bottom, and he understands the law of the jungle best.

He went to great lengths and spent ten million gold coins to buy this official position. Was it so that he could become Bao Qingtian in Yuanyang Prefecture, uphold justice, and fight against evil?

of course not.

Zheng Yifei took this official position not for the meager salary, nor to investigate smuggling and make a fortune.

He controls the Duobao Pavilion and the Southern Region Gambling House, and possesses unpredictable gambling skills; money is just a number to him.

What he wanted was the "legitimacy" and "authority" that came with this official position!

In the Tianlong Dynasty, the social hierarchy in the cultivation world was extremely rigid. High-level cultivation techniques, powerful spells and supernatural abilities, top-level array diagrams, and even higher-level alchemy techniques—all things that could truly enhance personal power—were monopolized by the imperial court and top aristocratic families and were simply unavailable on the market.

Only those who become powerful officials in the imperial court are qualified to enter the official library and exchange their merits or money for martial arts techniques that cannot be bought on the market.

Although Zheng Yifei's current team members have all reached the Nascent Soul stage, the cultivation techniques they practice are all of a very low level. They need to constantly update their cultivation with high-level, top-tier techniques to improve their cultivation.

Besides martial arts techniques, official status is also the best form of protection.

As long as he doesn't deliberately court death or touch the core interests of those powerful families, who would be so foolish as to risk the charge of rebellion to assassinate a high-ranking official of the imperial court?

"Master Xu, listen carefully."

Zheng Yifei turned around and looked intently at Xu Qian: "I, Zheng Yifei, came to Yuanyang Prefecture not to seek death, nor to cut off other people's source of income. There is no amount of money in this world that one person can earn all of it."

"Starting tomorrow, all smuggling cases involving those big players, or those that have received instructions from higher-ups, will be handled according to the old rules. We will turn a blind eye when necessary and let them pass through without any obstruction."

"As for supervising murder cases, just pick on those weaklings with no background or backing, and arrest a few rogue cultivators to get by."

If you encounter a tough opponent, stall for time! Use excuses like insufficient evidence or the killer's cunning to drag things out. If anything goes wrong, I'll take the blame.

Xu Qian was dumbfounded by Zheng Yifei's words. He had served so many inspectors, and he had never seen anyone speak of "being afraid of death and holding a position without doing anything" so confidently and elegantly.

But this is precisely the survival philosophy that allows one to survive the longest in officialdom!

"As long as no one holds a knife to my throat or threatens my personal interests, I don't care what they smuggle."

Xu Qian looked at the young inspector in front of him, his heart filled with turmoil.

He suddenly realized that this Lord Zheng was definitely not a fat sheep to be slaughtered, but a hungry wolf in sheep's clothing, who did not play by the rules, had no bottom line, and was also very good at scheming.

In the chaotic world of Yuanyang Prefecture, perhaps only people like this can truly survive, and even thrive better than anyone else.

"Your subordinate... understands."

Xu Qian took a deep breath and solemnly clasped his hands in a salute.

This time, he was truly convinced. With a superior who knew how to blend in and didn't risk his subordinates' lives for political achievements, he, the advisor, no longer needed to live in fear.

"Good. Take good care of the daily affairs of the yamen from now on. If you have any questions, come and report to me. It's late, go back and rest."

After Xu Qian left, Zheng Yifei sat alone in the study, took out the brass seal representing the inspector's authority from his storage bag, and examined it carefully in his hand.

"High risk? Heh..."

Zheng Yifei's lips curled into a mocking smile.

He wasn't afraid of those powerful families making underhanded moves. On the surface, he was the amiable and timid Inspector Zheng; but in the shadows, he still had Li Jianfeng and Night Owl as two sharp hidden blades, as well as the fifth-order killing formation set up by Wang Changsheng.

Anyone who thinks Zheng Yifei is a pushover and tries to take advantage of him will be taught a lesson: he is a ruthless and merciless killer.

"The most urgent task is to go to the library in the prefectural city and get a few high-level cultivation techniques."

Zheng Yifei carefully put away the seal, his eyes gleaming with ambition for the future.

With enough money, there's no official position or destiny you can't buy in this world.

Ten million can buy a seventh-rank inspector, so what about one hundred million? Or one billion?

Zheng Yifei's path to immortality and officialdom has only just begun.