Chapter 180: The Assertive Inspection Bureau

Chapter 180: The Assertive Inspection Bureau

At the Inspection Bureau.

On the tower.

"Big Brother Ye!" Jiang Ning greeted Ye Qiu with a smile as he approached.

"Younger Brother Jiang!" Ye Qiu chuckled.

Ye Qiu looked down below, "Younger Brother Jiang, do you know the ins and outs of the incident below?"

Jiang Ning shook his head, "Not very clear."

"Down there is a Patrol Guard who passed the assessment yesterday. After getting drunk, he became arrogant and killed a constable from the county hall who had offended him in the past. But he didn't do anything wrong."

"He didn't do anything wrong?" Jiang Ning was slightly taken aback.

"Yes, he didn't do anything wrong!" Ye Qiu nodded, "The Inspection Bureau has just been established, and it needs to assert its authority. Without this show of force, it will be difficult to carry out future tasks. This incident happened at the right time, regardless of right or wrong, it's an opportunity to assert our authority over the county hall."

"Isn't this a bit inappropriate?" Jiang Ning asked.

Ye Qiu shook his head, "There's nothing inappropriate about it!"

After saying this, he smiled at Jiang Ning and continued, "It's normal for you to have such thoughts, Younger Brother Jiang, after all, you used to be an ordinary commoner."

"But from now on, you need to change your perspective."

"For those who sit high above in the halls of power, the world is just a chessboard. Right and wrong, good and evil, are not important. What matters is the execution of their will."

"The establishment of the Inspection Bureau represents the will of certain people. Our primary task is to carry out the will of those people. In the face of this, it is considered righteousness, for it represents their interests."

"In the face of righteousness, the interests of the common people can be sacrificed."

"The constable who died last night was unfortunate; he became the sacrificial victim."

"And the sacrifice of that constable also happens to draw the county hall into the matter, which will become the target of our Inspection Bureau's show of force."

"For the Inspection Bureau, there's no need to maintain good relations with the local authorities; we just need to establish absolute authority."

"The mission of the Inspection Bureau is to suppress chaos with force!"

As he said the last sentence, Ye Qiu's gaze at Jiang Ning carried a profound meaning.

At this moment, Jiang Ning remained silent, quietly observing the fight between Liu Zhao Nan and Xu Zheng Nan below.

"As expected, the Inspection Bureau acts with such dominance!" Jiang Ning sighed inwardly.

Just then, below, Xu Zheng Nan was being beaten by Liu Zhao Nan, spitting out mouthfuls of blood.

"Stop!" A loud shout suddenly came from the crowd.

As the voice rang out, everyone's attention turned to the source."

A man dressed in civilian clothing stepped forward.

It was clear that this man, dressed in civilian attire, had been watching from the sidelines for a long time.

Only now, with Xu Zheng Nan unable to defend himself, did he step forward.

Upon seeing this person, Jiang Ning instantly recognized him.

He was Shan Xiang Xiong, the County Magistrate, holding the Eighth Rank.

In the county hall, he was second only to the County Magistrate himself.

"So it's County Magistrate Shan!" Liu Zhao Nan chuckled and stopped his attack.

Only now did Xu Zheng Nan have the chance to wipe away the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth.

"You're not qualified; let your superior come out!" Shan Xiang Xiong spoke.

As he spoke, his gaze shifted from Liu Zhao Nan to the tower where Jiang Ning and Ye Qiu were standing.

He had already noticed their presence in the crowd.

He was also aware that this matter was no longer a simple personal grudge but involved a dispute between the Inspection Bureau and the county hall.

On the tower.

"Let's go, Younger Brother Jiang. Let's head down!" Ye Qiu smiled and continued, "Marquis Hong has entrusted this matter to me. I can't mess it up!"

"Good!" Jiang Ning nodded.

The next moment, the two turned and walked down the stairs.

They exited through the main entrance of the Inspection Bureau.

"County Magistrate Shan!" Ye Qiu smiled.

"Commander Ye, Deputy Commander Jiang!" Shan Xiang Xiong glanced at the two of them and greeted them.

"How do you view this matter, County Magistrate Shan?"

Ye Qiu's face showed surprise, "County Magistrate Shan, with both witnesses and evidence present, what else is there to see?"

At this point, Ye Qiu's gaze suddenly sharpened, "Could it be that County Magistrate Shan intends to protect a member of the Evil Deity Sect?"

"Commander Ye, are you sure about this?" Shan Xiang Xiong's gaze turned sharp as he looked at Ye Qiu.

Despite Shan Xiang Xiong's intense gaze, Ye Qiu seemed to feel a gentle spring breeze caressed his face.

He smiled and lightly patted Shan Xiang Xiong's shoulder.

"County Magistrate Shan, don't make a mistake! This matter is not within my control!"

Shan Xiang Xiong's face turned crimson, and he looked at Ye Qiu with apprehension.

With just a few light pats, he knew he was no match for Ye Qiu.

Adding Ye Qiu's words, he instantly understood that this was the will of Marquis Hong.

With this realization, Shan Xiang Xiong took a deep breath.

"Good! Since Commander Ye has already investigated this matter, it seems that Tian Bo is indeed connected to the Evil Deity Sect!"

"County Magistrate!" Xu Zheng Nan exclaimed, his expression slightly displeased.

"Silence!" Shan Xiang Xiong turned to Xu Zheng Nan, the Chief Patrol Guard, and rebuked him.

Then he looked at Ye Qiu, "I, Shan, will remember this!"

Ye Qiu smiled, unconcerned.

Then, he waved his hand, "Take this old man away and send him to prison."

"Yes, Commander!" Zhao Hu, standing beside him, instantly beamed with excitement.

He raised his hand and grabbed the seventy-year-old elder's arm, his fingers clenching like tiger claws.

"Old thing, rest assured! Before long, you'll be on your way to meet your only son in the afterlife!" Zhao Hu grinned maliciously.

"The world is so unjust!!!" The seventy-year-old elder suddenly roared towards the sky, his eyes filled with despair.

Witnessing this scene, Jiang Ning's heart softened.

"Commander Ye, why not let this old man go? At his age, he's unlikely to be involved with the Evil Deity Sect."

Upon hearing Jiang Ning's words, Ye Qiu paused.

Then, he smiled and said, "Since Younger Brother Jiang has spoken, we'll do as he says."

Immediately, he turned to Zhao Hu, "Let him go!"

Hearing this, Zhao Hu reluctantly released his grip.

"Old thing, consider yourself lucky. You've escaped with your life and can give your son a proper burial."

The seventy-year-old elder glanced at the few people present, his face filled with despair as he picked up the straw mat with his son's body and walked towards the outside.

Even the County Magistrate couldn't seek justice for his son.

What could an old man like him do?

With difficulty, he carried his son's body and slowly walked out of the city.

He was going outside the city to find a propitious burial site for his son.

"Disperse! Disperse!" As Jiang Ning and Ye Qiu entered the Inspection Bureau, Zhao Hu finally dispersed the crowd at the entrance.

Inside the Inspection Bureau.

Jiang Ning spoke, "Big Brother Ye, I don't know if I have the authority to recruit someone to work in the Inspection Bureau?"

As soon as they stepped through the gates of the Inspection Bureau, Jiang Ning voiced the question on his mind.

Because he had previously promised Cheng Ran that he would find a way to promote Cheng Ran to the Inspection Bureau.

This was a good thing for Cheng Ran.

But it was also a good thing for himself.

This way, he would have another person he could trust and command.

This would be of great help to him when he was on duty in the Inspection Bureau.

As a Deputy Commander, it would be troublesome if he didn't have a few trusted individuals under his command.

Many things would require his personal attention.

Not only would this affect his efficiency in improving his martial arts, but it would also burden him with numerous unnecessary tasks.

Moreover, as a Deputy Commander, if he didn't have people to command, the position would be meaningless.

At this moment, Ye Qiu heard Jiang Ning's words and halted his steps.

Then he said, "As a Deputy Commander, Younger Brother Jiang naturally has the authority to recruit up to four people into the Inspection Bureau and appoint a captain."

"Of course, Younger Brother Jiang needs to be careful in selecting the captain, as all captains will undergo assessments. If their strength is insufficient, it will be difficult to pass the annual assessment."

"Understood!" Jiang Ning's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

A captain and four patrol guards, this was a significant amount of power.

Just like Liu Zhao Nan, who had just confronted Chief Inspector Xu Zheng Nan outside.

He was merely a captain as well.

Any captain held the rank of True Ninth Stage.

For ordinary people, this was akin to ascending to heaven in a single step.

But this choice must be made carefully, just as Ye Qiu had said.

Every captain would face an annual assessment.

If their strength was inadequate, even if appointed as a captain, they would still be removed from the position if they failed the annual assessment.

At this moment, Ye Qiu spoke again, "Since this is Younger Brother Jiang's first time in the Inspection Bureau, I'm free anyway, so I might as well show him around?"

"Then I'll trouble you, Big Brother Ye!" Jiang Ning clasped his hands respectfully.

Administrative Section.

Upon reaching this place, Ye Qiu finally left.

And Jiang Ning headed towards the Administrative Section.

The Administrative Section was the logistics department of the Inspection Bureau.

Here, there was something that everyone cared about deeply—the benefits of joining the Inspection Bureau.

The Inspection Bureau was where the Martial Sage resided, with the entire Great Xia as its logistics support.

Within the Inspection Bureau, one could obtain countless divine skill manuscripts and rare treasures.

According to Jiang Ning's previous knowledge, whether it was lower tier martial arts, intermediate tier martial arts, or upper tier martial arts, they could all be acquired in the Inspection Bureau.

Even higher-level martial arts could be obtained.

Additionally, the path to becoming a Master and even a Grand Master could be found here.

Furthermore, there was also the opportunity to personally meet the Martial Sage and receive his guidance.

These were the reasons why the Inspection Bureau attracted so many aspirants.

And all of this was handled by the Administrative Section.

Moreover, Jiang Ning had an important task at the Administrative Section.

He needed to add his insignia to his Deputy Commander token and collect a captain's token and four patrol guard tokens.

These five tokens could be given to anyone, and the recipients only needed to present them at the Administrative Section to register and receive their respective official positions.

An elderly woman with silver sparkles in her eyes took the tokens from Jiang Ning.

"Are you Jiang Ning?"

An elderly woman spoke up, "I am Jiang Ning!" Jiang Ning slightly cupped his hands in greeting.

Although he didn't know who this elderly woman was, Jiang Ning was aware that to be in charge of the Administrative Section, she must be more than she seemed.

"Then I'll give you a 'Ning' character. Is that okay?" the old woman asked.

"Sure!" Jiang Ning nodded.

The old woman took Jiang Ning's token and immediately got to work.

In just half a tea break, she was done.

"Here you go!" The old woman placed the golden token on Jiang Ning's table.

Jiang Ning took the token and saw that the back of the token had a freshly engraved character, 'Ning', representing him.

From now on, anyone holding this token would represent his personal emissary.

Jiang Ning promptly kept the token and said to the old woman, "Senior, I need a silver token and four black tokens."

Clang!

The old woman took out five tokens from the cabinet behind her and tossed them onto the table in front of Jiang Ning.

"Keep them safe! Theoretically, anyone can pick up these unclaimed tokens and come here to register and become a member of the Inspection Bureau. Don't lose them."

"Understood!" Jiang Ning nodded.

After that, Jiang Ning stayed in the Administrative Section for another half an hour.

During this time, he also learned some general information.

In the Inspection Bureau, the salary he received was not in silver or gold.

Instead, it was in contribution points.

Contribution points could be obtained in various ways.

One way was through completing tasks, and the other was through salary and the exchange of gold and silver.

As a Deputy Commander, an Eighth Rank official, he could receive one hundred contribution points per month.

What did one hundred contribution points represent?

According to the information from the old woman in the Administrative Section, if one were to donate silver for contribution points, the exchange rate was two taels of silver for one contribution point.

In other words, one hundred contribution points would require two hundred taels of silver.

Conversely, if one wanted to exchange contribution points for silver, the rate was one contribution point for one tael of silver.

In other words, his current salary was equivalent to one hundred taels of silver per month.

This might not seem like much.

But in reality, it was an incredibly high salary.

Based on his knowledge, the current market prices dictated that one tael of silver was equivalent to one thousand yuan from his previous life.

One hundred taels of silver meant a monthly salary of ten thousand yuan.

A monthly salary of ten thousand yuan was a significant income, even for the elite in his previous life.

In the official system, such a salary was unheard of.

Therefore, his current salary was undoubtedly high.

However, Jiang Ning knew that this salary of one hundred taels was just the tip of the iceberg.

With his current identity, if he wanted to make money, it wouldn't be difficult to earn a hundred times his monthly salary.

But there was no need.

Because he didn't lack money at the moment.

Previously, he had sold a shipload of iron ore to the Weapon Smithy for over ten thousand taels of silver.

Additionally, he had sold other spoils of war to the Wan Hua Tower and received another five thousand five hundred taels in silver notes.

With all the silver and gold leaves he had accumulated, he now had nearly twenty thousand taels of silver.

Twenty thousand taels of silver might not seem like much to someone like Lin Qingyi, but for Jiang Ning, it was a considerable fortune.

With this wealth, he didn't need to worry about money for the time being.

However, he didn't plan to donate this money to the Inspection Bureau to exchange for contribution points, as the two-to-one exchange rate was too much of a loss.

He had also looked at the list the old woman had given him, detailing the items he was authorized to access in the Inspection Bureau.

Although the list was comprehensive and varied, Jiang Ning's access allowed him to exchange not only for lower-tier martial arts but also for intermediate-level martial arts.

As for upper-tier martial arts, he currently had no authority to exchange for them.

But Jiang Ning didn't have a strong desire for martial arts.

What he truly wanted was a treasure that could accelerate the tempering of his physical body.

Before reaching the Fifth Rank, the focus was on tempering the physical body.

At this stage, many treasures could have a significant effect.

That was exactly what he was looking for.

He saw a wide variety of such treasures on the list the old woman had given him, all of which required contribution points.

However, these items could also be purchased at the Wan Hua Tower, as long as one had the money.

Aside from these items, Jiang Ning also noticed on the list a Seventh Rank method for refining tendons and a Sixth Rank method for refining bones.

He even saw a Fifth Rank method for cultivating inner strength.

The Five Qi Converging Breath Control Technique.

A medium-tier internal cultivation technique.

It was also the only internal cultivation technique he was qualified to access.

It required fifty thousand contribution points to exchange.

According to the list, a normal medium-tier martial art only required ten thousand contribution points.

This showed the rarity of internal cultivation techniques.

According to the old woman, this was a special benefit provided by the higher-ups.

Otherwise, this internal cultivation technique wouldn't even appear on the list.

It certainly wouldn't be available for just fifty thousand contribution points.

Internal cultivation techniques were much rarer than Jiang Ning had imagined.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end