Chapter 3: Open Competition and Hidden Conflict (Seeking Recommendations and Collections!)

"Military Rank Hall.

When Shen Zhui and Zhao Hu walked into this imposing hall, they saw that it was crowded with almost a hundred people.

Secretary Liu and a robust man stood high in the hall.

Shen Zhui parted the crowd, walked to the front, and bowed with his fists clasped.

"Subordinate Shen Zhui salutes Secretary Liu and salutes Captain Wang!"

The middle-aged man turned around upon hearing these words. It was none other than Wang Long, the top martial artist in the military rank office and a martial artist at the Innate Realm!

Wang Long was wearing a white gauze shirt. Although he was over fifty years old, he looked younger than he really was. His face had a rosy glow, which made him look quite handsome.

Despite being a martial artist, his overall demeanor was elegant and graceful, resembling more a scholarly figure rather than an ordinary martial artist.

Wang Long gave a slight smile, "Hmm, no need for such formalities."

"The reason for gathering you brothers today is to announce an important matter."

Wang Long looked around and proclaimed loudly, "Inspector Shen Zhui, with his heart loyal to the country, dutiful to the court…"

"He enforces the law equitably and always acts prudently."

"He holds martial virtues in high esteem and upholds his duty with loyalty."

"…"

"Therefore, today, he is promoted to the Ninth Rank of law enforcement, bestowed with one steel ruler, a silver armored vest, and a law enforcement badge…"

By the time Wang Long finished announcing the reward, everyone below was astonished.

Especially Yang Wu, whose heart was instantly filled with anger.

"This Shen Zhui, he actually got promoted to Ninth Rank!"

"And he was bestowed an additional steel ruler and silver armor! I've been doing this for eight years, but I haven't even achieved what he did in three years."

The rest of the people also were abuzz with discussion.

"Oh my, there are only five Ninth Rank badges in our military rank office in total, and Shen Zhui actually got one!"

"Shen Zhui, even though he is only at the Innate Seventh Rank, can fight against those at the Innate Eighth Rank. Moreover, he's only seventeen years old. With such talent, it's natural for the county nobleman to value him!"

"......"

The discussions were quickly suppressed.

Shen Zhui stepped forward, half-kneeling and said solemnly, "Shen Zhui thanks the county nobleman, thanks Captain Wang, and thanks to Secretary Liu."

Secretary Liu then stepped forward with a new badge in hand, "Shen Zhui, originally, the county nobleman should have conferred this badge upon you personally. However, due to a sudden matter, he instructed me to do it in his place. I hope you will not let down the nobleman's good intentions."

Shen Zhui took over the badge and respectfully responded, "Thank you to the county nobleman. I will do my best to fulfill my duties!"

After the procedure was finished, Wang Long and Secretary Liu left, leaving the crowded hall filled with discussions.

"Shen Zhui, congratulations."

"Shen Zhui, well done."

"…"

Many came over to offer their congratulations. As colleagues who often worked together on cases, the people in the military rank office generally got along well.

Especially since Shen Zhui was young and had exceptional combat skills. Moreover, gaining the eyes of the county nobleman, a lot of people were trying to curry favor with him.

"Well done, Shen Zhui, you must really treat us this time! You were promoted to Ninth Rank all at once, while I'm still at Eighth..." Zhao Hu said with a sour tone.

"Brother Hu, definitely, definitely." Shen Zhui also smiled and responded to everyone.

Looking at his shiny new Ninth Rank badge, he couldn't help but sigh.

In the innate realm of martial arts, each level corresponds to a rank.

Now that he was promoted to the Ninth Rank Inspector, he only needed to take orders from Wang Long of the Military Rank Office and the county nobleman.

Even the Eighth Rank Inspector, Yang Wu, would no longer dare order him around.

But that's not the main point. Besides his monthly salary increase, he could also receive twenty Small Replenishing Pills each month from the Ministry of Household, which was four times the original amount! There was also an additional Large Replenishing Pill!

"For martial skills and body techniques, I can exchange Good Deeds for comprehension time, but I can't do that for the cultivation method."

"I was worried about my slow cultivation progress… Now, with four times more Small Replenishing Pills, my cultivation speed will multiply, potentially accelerating the rate at which I upgrade my cultivation base. This is indeed a timely assistance."

Actually, according to his accumulated merits, Shen Zhui could at most have been promoted to the Eighth Rank...

But the county nobleman promoted him directly to the Ninth Rank and also bestowed additional weapons and armor. This showed that he recognized Shen Zhui's talent and intended to nurture him especially.

............

After the reward ceremony, Shen Zhui, surrounded by Zhao Hu and others, prepared to go to a restaurant to celebrate.

Just as they left the military rank office, they saw five or six yamen runners carrying a stretcher past them.

On the stretcher, several white cloths obscured what lay beneath and they were stained with traces of blood.

Seeing this scene, the previously laughing and chatting crowd instantly turned solemn. Several people clenched their fists and gritted their teeth, with tears swirling in their eyes.

Seeing this situation, Shen Zhui was startled and hurriedly asked Zhao Hu in a low voice, "Brother Hu, what is this…"

Zhao Hu let out a sigh, "Eight days ago, the brothers Liu Wen and Liu Wu from our rank office took on a murder case. They were ordered to go to the Yang Estate, but seven days have passed and they have not returned. This morning, their bodies were found dumped by the side of the official road outside the city…"

"Yang Estate? Isn't that…"

Zhao Hu nodded solemnly, "Correct. That's the territory of the Yang Family, a wealthy family in the county city."

"How dare they?!" Shen Zhui found it hard to believe.

"Why wouldn't they?" Zhao Hu said with self-deprecation. "Even though our dynasty has established 108,000 temples to protect the people and numerous profound mystical methods monitor illegal activities in the world..."

"However, those gods and their methods only oversee what's within the county towns. They cannot reach the towns and villages beyond the city. These noble clans dare not commit crimes within the city, for they would certainly be found out. But outside the city, it's all shrouded in darkness. People can only investigate cases and collect evidence."

"There are monthly and annual sacrifices, which enable the temples to extend their search range and review past cases so that even the culprits of unresolved cases can be discovered."

"But these noble clans, their ancestors were proclaimed as Yin Gods offered in the family temple. Their good fortune protects the descendants and blocks investigation. It is too challenging to topple such clans."

Shen Zhui was at a loss for words.

The Zhou Dynasty government had built temples, canonized deceased heroes as Yin Gods, and established Taoist formations to monitor the unlawful.

It was like establishing an even more superior 'heavenly eye' system than in the previous world.

But the wealthy clans had ancestors who made notable contributions and so had Yin Gods in their families—even though they were not as strong as the gods in the temples, their nature was entirely different.

The gods in the temples are not Yin Gods but divine spirits, following the imperial celestial law with vast power binding them.

As for the Yin Gods worshipped by the noble clans, they are the souls of the strong who died in their families.

A powerful Yin God provides the family with a refuge against investigation."

Only now did Shen Zhui understand why a county's honor could not exceed the local wealthy families or why governmental decrees hardly reached beyond the county towns.

The current county honor, despite three years of stringent regulation, still had such incidents of officials being murdered.

This suggests how arrogant the large families in Heyuan County used to be.

"I clearly know this incident is inevitably connected with the Yang Family, but I can only endure."

Shen Zhui sighed.

Once outside the jurisdiction of divine spirits, the world's legal system becomes as crude as that in the ancient times of the previous world.

"Let's go... This matter isn't something we should be concerned with." Zhao Hu patted Shen Zhui's shoulder.

.........

The celebratory feast was held at the Yunyan Restaurant, the food was authentic, and twenty taels of silver were enough for dozens of people to eat freely.

But Shen Zhui, who was supposed to be the star of the feast, couldn't taste anything.

The image of the former scene frequently appeared in his mind.

"The county honor inspected the Yang Family's thousand mu of good land that was hidden from taxation last month and arrested more than ten villains sheltered by the Yang's. This month, six brothers mysteriously died. I wonder if I'll end up meeting a similar fate in the future..."

Shen Zhui felt somewhat emotional.

In Heyuan City, the conflict between the noble clans and the county honor had become irreconcilable.

Every now and then, people from the two clans, the Li's and the Yang's, caused trouble and crimes, being arrested and beheaded.

Occasionally, officials handling the cases would be killed outside the city.

"Only with formidable personal strength can one be fearless in the face of these overt and covert struggles. If one could break through to the level of an innate martial artist, that would be the foundation for standing in this world."

"Sooner or later, the county honor and the Li and Yang clans will show their true colors and determine victory or defeat. During these three years, I was ordered to handle cases, arrest or kill the criminals of the Li and Yang clans, and rejected Yang Wu's attempts at drawing me in. I have undoubtedly deeply offended these two big families, and there is absolutely no room for turning back."

............

A courtyard in the east city zone of Heyuan County.

"Creak~" Shen Zhui gently pushed open the courtyard door.

"Zhui'er, is that you coming back?"

"Foster Father, it's me." Shen Zhui closed the courtyard door. With a sweeping glance, he took in the sight of the two homes with courtyards.

Ever since he was adopted by his foster father seven years ago after crossing over, he had been living in this small courtyard.

"Foster Father, what are you busy with?" Shen Zhui followed the sound to the woodshed.

Besides the self-made woodshed, there was an elderly man with white hair and a stooped back chopping firewood. Seeing Shen Zhui return, the old man paused and laughed, "It's almost winter, so I'm preparing some charcoal."

Shen Zhui saw that his foster father, Shen Shan, was sweating and immediately rushed over, "Foster Father, why are you preparing this stuff? For the winter, we can buy some."

He never let foster father Shen Shan do any work, but whenever Shen Zhui was away, Shen Shan would not sit still.

"I earn my own livelihood doing this. You don't make money easily, either. Why waste it?" Shen Shan was still chopping wood.

"Then let me help you." Shen Zhui resignedly took over the axe.

This foster father of his wasn't of any significant background, just an ordinary charcoal seller.

Seven years ago, on a winter's day, if it weren't for his foster father taking him in, he might have either starved or frozen to death.

Ever since, his foster father made a living selling charcoal, ingratiated himself with the courthouse officials, and sent him to be a bailiff there. He learned some techniques to strengthen his body.

It was then that he activated the Punishing Evil System. His martial arts progressed rapidly, and he went from being a lowly worker to a full-fledged bailiff in the martial class.

"Splash~" After filling up the water tank and stacking the firewood, Shen Zhui went over to his foster father, Shen Shan.

"Foster Father, it's getting cold. Let's go inside."

"Oh, alright."

After seeing his foster father inside, Shen Zhui also returned to his room and sat cross-legged on his bed.

In front of him, there was a wooden box placed.

These were the rewards he received when promoted to the ninth rank that day.

"With these twenty Small Replenishing Pills, I wonder if I can break through to the Innate Eighth Rank?"