Fantasy: Starting with a bowl, you can exchange it for endless cultivation.

Seeing this, Gu Chen was very satisfied.

"This isn't the first time we've met. Previously, He Teng, the former head of the Night Watch of Li Huo Prefecture, was a traitor who received a salary from the Divine Dynasty but colluded with Japanese pirates. I have already arrested him and taken him for trial. Now that I have come to Li Huo Prefecture to take up my post, I do not want such people to appear under my command. Otherwise, I will definitely execute him without mercy," Gu Chen said authoritatively.

Since we're here today, let's establish our authority first, so that we can manage things better in the future.

"Yes," the Night Watch personnel responded.

"Get up," Gu Chen waved to the crowd.

Everyone stood up.

Although Gu Chen was young, the sense of pressure he exerted on them was far greater than that of He Teng.

The scene of Gu Chen chasing He Teng and slashing him in this very square of the Night Watch was still vivid in his mind. Now, just by standing here, he could give people an invisible sense of oppression.

"Everyone, there's no need to be nervous. As long as you do your job diligently, I won't be harsh on you," Gu Chen said, seeing that everyone was a little nervous. "That's all, everyone can go back to their posts now."

Gu Chen dismissed everyone.

He then looked at the two deputy directors and said, "You two, stay here."

The two deputy directors of Li Huo Prefecture are named Mu Lei and Qian Fu.

"My lord." Seeing that Gu Chen had left them behind, the two men respectfully waited for his instructions.

"Since I'm new to this position, I'm not very familiar with the current situation of Li Huo Prefecture. Please give me a brief overview first," Gu Chen said to the two men.

"Yes." The two nodded.

The two led Gu Chen into the private government affairs hall where the director usually handled matters.

Gu Chen wanted to know about the situation of Li Huo Mansion.

It's hard to explain in a short time, let's bring him in and talk about it slowly.

Inside the government office.

Gu Chen took his seat in the main seat, and the two people in front of him began to explain the situation of Li Huo Mansion to him.

Mu Lei, one of the two deputy directors, spoke up: "Sir, before He Teng took office as director of Li Huo Prefecture, the previous director was transferred by Chen Lei before his term was over due to a minor mistake. Chen Lei deliberately made room for his disciple He Teng to take office."

Mu Lei told Gu Chen about the departure of the previous director.

Gu Chen could understand it too.

Chen Lei was transferred to Huangzhou with his disciples, and naturally he wanted to find a way to dismiss the officials of Huangzhou.

Only then can he make room for his disciples.

"The previous director, although not from a powerful background, was very capable in governing. Under his leadership, there were no major cases in Li Huo Prefecture, and we dealt with the occasional disturbances caused by evil spirits," Mu Lei continued.

"The situation in Li Huo Prefecture is similar to that in Hei Yan Prefecture. It is near the sea and does not border the Demon Mountain Range, so there are no land-based demons causing trouble. Only some fishing villages along the coast are occasionally harassed by sea monsters. We have personnel skilled in naval warfare, and over the years we have established a certain prestige, making the sea monsters dare not easily approach the shore to harm people."

"However, in recent years, the Japanese pirates from the island nation have been quite rampant, frequently harassing and robbing our Divine Dynasty's fishermen who go out to sea to fish. So in recent years, no fishermen have dared to go too far out of the Divine Dynasty's territory, and only dare to operate in the near seas," Mu Lei explained.

Qian Fu, who was standing to the side, also said, "In the past, those Japanese pirates from the island nation wouldn't have dared to be so presumptuous. It's only in recent years, with the forces in the north, west, and south of the Divine Dynasty starting to stir and showing signs of wanting to take over the Divine Dynasty, that these Japanese pirates dare to act rashly. They are certain that the Divine Dynasty won't dare to launch a large-scale counterattack against them at this time."

Gu Chen nodded upon hearing this.

Indeed, in the current Divine Dynasty, all the forces in the east, west, south, north, and south are stirring up trouble, so it is not advisable to start a war lightly.

That's why these Japanese pirates dared to become increasingly audacious.

then.

The two then explained to Gu Chen the specific situation of the various cities and counties under the jurisdiction of Li Huo Prefecture.

Let Gu Chen understand the current situation of Li Huo Mansion.

The security situation in Li Huo Prefecture itself is not a problem.

Even the salt industry was highly developed.

One-tenth of the salt in the Divine Dynasty comes from wholesalers here, and there are many salt merchants.

Many families prospered through salt production.

In addition to the occasional raids by Japanese pirates on the distant seas, the area was also a security risk.

There are basically no other bandits. The salt merchants, in conjunction with various powerful families, have wiped them out several times, and they are now virtually extinct.

Salt merchants distribute large quantities of salt to the interior of the Divine Dynasty. Merchants come here to purchase goods every day. If bandits are rampant in the territory of Li Huo Prefecture, the merchants will flee at the mere sight of them. If no one dares to come, it will affect their business.

Therefore, salt merchants and many other merchants had zero tolerance for bandits.

They frequently contributed money and effort to cooperate with the government in suppressing bandits, so they had very little to no control over banditry.

After understanding the current situation of Li Huo Mansion.

Qian Fu took Gu Chen to his private residence.

The head of the Night Watch of a prefecture naturally has his own residence in the prefectural city.

Previously, this mansion was inhabited by He Teng.

After he was arrested, all his belongings were taken away.

Leave the mansion empty.

Awaiting the arrival of the new director.

Qian Fu led Gu Chen all the way there.

Upon arriving at the mansion.

Qian Fu said, "Sir, this is the place. He Teng's belongings have all been cleared away and thrown away. The bedding and daily necessities are all new. The guards and maids who used to work here have been dismissed and replaced with new ones. They will probably arrive later."

"There's no need for guards or maids." Gu Chen shook his head. "I prefer peace and quiet. This is fine as it is. You can go back and get back to work. I'll have someone let you know if I need anything."

"Yes, sir." Qian Fu left.

Gu Chen entered it.

This mansion was very grand, two or three times larger than the mansion he lived in when he served as the head of the Night Watch of Nine Bays City.

It's very spacious for him to live alone.

However, he had a copper bowl.

Copper bowls are often needed, but it's not good if there are too many people living in the same place.

His cultivation level is getting higher and higher, and the commotion he causes when he breaks through will be huge.

It is easier for people to spot.

Waiting for the Cheng family to arrive.

It would be good if Wei Zhong arrived.

With Wei Zhong by his side during the day to help him refine pills, he wasn't bored.

Wei Zhong can go back to the Cheng family home by himself tonight.

Once things settle down here, and you get used to things normally for a day or two...

Then he can go out and sell the three rewards he has obtained so far, and exchange them for silver.

Furthermore, with the improvement of his strength, he can now refine higher-grade pills for sale.

Previously, he was weak, and the Cheng family was small in size.

Selling only pills within the fifth level of the Innate Realm will steal business from external forces, but not by much.

However, if it is selling pills for those above the True Essence Realm and those in the fourth stage of the Traveler Realm.

This would attract the attention of those top powers.

For example, the only sects selling high-grade pills in county-level cities today are Buddhism, Taoism, and the Alchemy Sect.

These forces won't bother with you over trivial matters, but if you really threaten their interests...

If things get serious, neither I nor the Cheng family will be in a good position.

Now that he has reached the rank of Director of the Night Watch Division of a prefecture, if he only deals with seventh-grade True Yuan Realm pills within the territory of Li Huo Prefecture.

should be no problem.

He can control it.

It all depends on where we can get the prescription.

If you can get your hands on it, you can refine it.

Refining seventh-grade True Essence Pills is naturally much more profitable than refining pills for the fifth stage of the Innate Realm.

He has only been in office for two days.

There must be quite a few dinner parties.

In other words, when a new official takes office, the outside world will want to socialize with him, but it won't affect him for long, and he doesn't intend to refuse.

Normal social interactions and expanding one's social circle can also improve his network.

evening.

Mu Lei and Qian Fu came to invite them.

Qian Fu said, "My lord, the Lord of Li Huo Prefecture, having learned that you have arrived today to assume your post, has set up a welcome banquet at a restaurant in the prefecture city with the general of the Divine Guard Army and the two directors of the Divine Garment Division and the Surveillance Division, and invites you to attend."

"Is the Lord of the Manor hosting a banquet and inviting me?" Gu Chen murmured to himself.

"Yes, besides the Lord of the Prefecture, the other three officials from the Divine Dynasty's other institutions are also here," Qian Fu replied.

"When He Teng came to take office, did they prepare a welcome banquet for him?" Gu Chen asked.

"No." Qian Fu shook his head and said, "The Lord of the Prefecture and several other officials know that He Teng was able to take up the post of Director of the Night Watch of Li Huo Prefecture because Chen Lei used a despicable excuse to remove the previous director from office and transfer him away, so that He Teng could take up the post."

"The Lord of the Prefecture and the officials of other government agencies had a good relationship with our former Chief of the Night Watch. Seeing his situation, and that He Teng, a good-for-nothing with no achievements, had taken over his post, they were displeased and simply ignored He Teng," Qian Fu explained.

"Alright, let's go then." Gu Chen got up and left the mansion with him to attend the banquet.

This kind of social interaction is something you should attend.

Since it was the Lord of the Prefecture who directly invited him, and He Teng hadn't received this treatment before, it means that they don't invite every Director of the Night Watch.

It's not that they'll invite someone just because they have a background; they'll only invite someone if they value your potential, appreciate you, and want to get to know you.

This is considered a gesture of goodwill from them, so naturally I have to go.

One of the reasons Chen Lei was directly dismissed from his position as the chief of the Wilderness Guard was that after arriving, he acted recklessly, relying on his status as the Crown Prince's man.

They disregarded the officials of the other divine dynasties in the desolate state.

Through their maneuvering, the Wen family offended personnel from four other official institutions of the Divine Dynasty, besides the Night Watch.

Only when his master, Shangguan Wuqing, targeted him did officials from other institutions come to his aid.

I have just arrived at Li Huo Prefecture to take up my post.

The Lord of the Prefecture and the heads of several other major official institutions of the Divine Dynasty personally hosted a banquet to welcome him back.

The sincerity is enough.

Of course, if one acts arrogantly, it would be somewhat ungrateful.

The key to being an official is to have many friends and few enemies.

That is the way of being an official.