Chapter 79: Welcoming Spring Seal

Even before Chen Ping'an left the mountain, he already sensed the earth-shattering changes in the town. Aside from gazing down from the Zhenshan mountain peak and seeing dust billowing everywhere, he also spotted nearly a hundred robust young men near the Yuanmu Peak. Most were former kiln workers, possessing great strength and a willingness to endure hardship, now feverishly felling giant trees.

Chen Ping'an approached and found a familiar face who used to work in the same kiln. Upon asking, he learned that the town was to construct four grand buildings in one go: a county government office, a Wenchang Pavilion, a Martial Saint Temple, and a City God Temple. The leader was a young, newly appointed construction supervisor named Wu Yuan. As for the county magistrate title and what kind of official position it entailed, the townspeople didn't understand and didn't care. All they knew was that a temporary, stable job had appeared, with wages far more enticing than their previous work firing porcelain in the dragon kilns.

Before, when the kiln business had ceased and the fires had gone out, the young and strong kiln workers toiled from dawn till dusk, struggling to make ends meet by working the fields, barely earning a few copper coins. Now, the entire town was invigorated, regarding Wu Yuan as a god of wealth. Furthermore, the reclusive wealthy gentlemen of the four surnames and ten clans showed an extraordinary respect for Wu Yuan, who was younger than even their younger generations, their words tinged with an intimacy between officials and commoners. As for the more subtle gazes, they concealed a hint of flattery. The townspeople might be frogs in a well, but they weren't blind, and their ability to discern intentions was not lacking.

Now, County Magistrate Wu Yuan had the heads of the four surnames and ten clans hire five or six hundred young men from the town to enter the mountains, fell trees, and transport them out. To that end, a chute had been specially carved out on Yuanmu Peak. Relying solely on manpower to carry the giant trees down the mountain was too time-consuming and laborious, so the logs could be placed in the chute, allowing them to slide down to the foot of the mountain on their own. However, this also meant Yuanmu Peak now bore a scar, as if someone had slashed its face.

Besides entering the mountains, they were also going into the water. Many of the town's laborers were tasked with carrying sand and stone from the small stream to the east gate of the town, the chosen site for the county government office. Zheng Dafeng's mud hut was torn down and the foundations were being reinforced. Even the wooden fence gate, weathered by countless storms, was completely dismantled.

When Chen Ping'an left the mountain, he didn't choose the winding mountain paths but instead hopped and skipped along the stones in the stream, saving a lot of time. Some townspeople, seeing the figure of the youth carrying a basket, wouldn't be surprised. Most knew that there was an orphan in Mud Bottle Alley who was skilled at collecting herbs and burning charcoal, and once he entered the mountains, he was like a monkey, impossible to catch.

Chen Ping'an stopped at the confluence of two streams. Just a few yards further down, there was a patch of uneven rock cliffs where a group of people had gathered. On the bank and on a rock protruding from the water stood two burly young men, each with a golden-threaded saber sheath at their waist, wearing clean, crisp black robes covered by a layer of azure gauze, their hair tied up with hairpins. Both men radiated a fierce aura.

The moment the straw sandal-clad boy appeared, both men simultaneously shifted their gaze, fixing their eyes on the suddenly appearing Chen Ping'an, their hands already gripping the hilts of their sabers.

Chen Ping'an, carrying a basket of herbs on his back, stood still, his expression unchanged.

The boy had experienced two life-or-death battles in the alleyways with Cai Jinjian and Fu Nanhua, scurried around pursued by the mountain-guarding ape of the Zhengyang Mountain, and finally, fought a duel to the death with Ma Kuxuan, his peer, in the Immortal Graveyard. His opponents were either lofty immortals, battle-hardened beasts from the desolate wilderness, or those blessed by fate. Yet, Chen Ping'an had survived until the end.

Therefore, the gloomy gazes of the two saber-wearing men, which could make ordinary townspeople tremble, failed to elicit much emotional response from Chen Ping'an.

However, Chen Ping'an didn't want to cause trouble. Just as he was about to head to the shore and return to the town along the mountain path by the stream, he saw a young man, the center of attention, smile and say something to the saber-wearing attendant standing in the stream. The latter immediately released his grip on the saber hilt. The young man, who had been sitting cross-legged, slowly rose, towering half a head taller than the two saber-wearing attendants. His skin was as fair as a woman's, his face slightly effeminate. He beckoned to Chen Ping'an, switched to the local dialect of the town, and said in a gentle tone, "Don't be afraid, just continue along your original route. We're not bad people."

The town dialect was slightly obscure and stiff, but Chen Ping'an understood it clearly. After hesitating for a moment, Chen Ping'an gave the tall man a smile and pointed to the shore, indicating that he would come ashore soon and wouldn't disturb their conversation.

Without waiting for the man to say anything, Chen Ping'an leaped nimbly a few times, landing on the shore without any hesitation. His slender figure quickly disappeared into the increasingly lush woodland path.

The somewhat effeminate man reluctantly retracted his hand. The aides and attendants around him suppressed their laughter. The man said awkwardly, "That herb-gathering boy is quite nimble, isn't he? See, I told you, this place is blessed with outstanding talents. So, don't complain that this place can't compare to the prosperity of the capital. Small places have their own spiritual beauty, a unique flavor."

It would have been better if he hadn't said anything. This remark from the official who was trying too hard to hide his embarrassment immediately triggered a burst of unrestrained laughter.

The tall man was none other than Wu Yuan, the god of wealth in the eyes of the townspeople, the construction supervisor and the first county magistrate of Longquan. Facing the laughter of his subordinates, he wasn't annoyed. After sitting down, he continued the previous topic, "The Longquan County Government, the Wenchang Pavilion, the Martial Saint Temple, the City God Temple—these four buildings alone require at least fifteen or sixteen plaques. His Majesty was delighted that the Li Zhu Grotto Heaven had safely descended and successfully merged with the territory of Great Li, maintaining seventy or eighty percent of its geographical integrity without a single major earthquake. Therefore, he was in a good mood and bestowed the Wenchang Pavilion with the plaque bearing the words 'Review the Old and Know the New'..."

When Wu Yuan said this, a refined young man smiled and said, "Lord Wu, didn't you help our county government ask His Majesty for a piece of calligraphy?"

Wu Yuan sighed. "I did, of course I did. But His Majesty refused, what could I do? I can't blame His Majesty for this. After all, if such a small county government office received a golden calligraphy bestowed by His Majesty, how would the governors and provincial inspectors feel? Would I still want to be an official in the future?"

Everyone smiled knowingly.

Wu Yuan comforted everyone, "Fortunately, Mr. Liu and the Grand Minister Qi of the Imperial Academy have agreed to send two sets of plaques. One set will be hung in the county government office, and the other in the Martial Saint Temple. Now, the problem is that the Wenchang Pavilion is still short three plaques, and the City God Temple is short two. Otherwise, what do you all think? Are we really going to have me write them myself? My calligraphy is so terrible that even my teacher despairs! Of course, I don't care if you're embarrassed. The only chance in my life to have my own calligraphy made into plaques has finally arrived!"

The refined young man thought for a moment. "Then I'll write a letter to my grandfather. My grandfather has a good relationship with the reclusive Mr. Bai Qiu. See if we can find a way to bring glory to Lord Wu's face."

Wu Yuan patted him on the shoulder. "Then my reputation is in your hands. If there aren't enough plaques, the county magistrate's reputation will be lost, and I'll hold you accountable."

The young man's face stiffened, feeling like he had dug a pit for himself.

The other colleagues, roughly the same age, all showed sympathetic expressions. Their Lord Wu was known for his ability to climb up the pole. Give him an inch, and he'll take a mile. How dare you compete with him to see who has thicker skin?

These young men, who didn't have much of an official air about them, all held a type of official position popular in the northern dynasties of the East Treasure Continent: Secretary.

This position was divided into two types: civil secretary and military secretary. Civil secretaries were like advisors and strategists, devising plans and solving problems for their lords. Military secretaries were the sturdy young men with golden-threaded sabers hanging at their waists, serving as personal attendants, guarding the safety of their superiors. However, the position of secretary belonged to the clerical class and was not included in the pure, official ranks of the imperial court. The sons of noble families often hired or employed guests and retainers to serve as civil and military secretaries. Of course, the imperial court also had allocated quotas, ranging from two to twenty people, who could all receive Great Li salaries.

Wu Yuan was from a poor family and couldn't afford to hire a secretary privately. These civil secretaries were all assigned by the imperial court. However, Longquan County was only a large county on the map of Great Li, not even a prefecture. Originally, only one civil secretary and one military secretary could be assigned, but the two military secretaries with golden-threaded saber sheaths were clearly Great Li military experts who had earned extraordinary merit. Otherwise, they wouldn't be qualified to wear such sabers.

In fact, Wu Yuan's ability to serve as the first local official of Great Li's Longquan County already spoke volumes.

The instructor of the young county magistrate was the Great Li State Preceptor, nicknamed "Embroidered Tiger."

His future father-in-law was a certain pillar of state who had spent half his life on the battlefield at the Great Li border.

After the jokes, Wu Yuan said solemnly, "The amount of work for these four buildings is already very large. Moreover, the selection of the sites for the Immortal Graveyard and the Old Porcelain Mountain has been met with perfunctory responses from Saint Ruan and the four surnames and ten clans in Fortune Street and Peach Leaf Lane. Clearly, it won't be smooth sailing. There will be a lot of grinding. But the real important and troublesome matter is that the Ministry of Rites, the Imperial Observatory, and the Imperial Academy will gather here to confer titles upon the mountain gods and river gods. If it weren't for the fact that the matter of the mountain deities was met with so much resistance that even His Majesty was hesitant, even His Majesty would have personally come to our Longquan County."

Wu Yuan saw their faces growing more solemn and took out a dry pancake, taking a big bite and joking casually, "Whether the mountain deity temple can be built on the Cloud-Draping Mountain in our jurisdiction and become the new Northern Mountain of Great Li is really not something we can meddle in. We're just small fish and shrimp in the county government office, so don't worry about the hearts of central ministers while munching on dry pancakes. Let those officials in yellow and purple robes take care of it."

The mood around him improved slightly.

Wu Yuan silently chewed on the dry pancake, hesitated for a moment, and said vaguely, "There's news that is both good and bad. How to settle those former citizens of the defunct Lu Dynasty has always been a big problem. Our Longquan County will receive five thousand to ten thousand convicts, a mixed bag of people from all walks of life. Therefore, the Great Li military will strictly supervise the transfer of these convicts. This is both beneficial and detrimental to us. The good thing is that Longquan County is finally starting to resemble a large county. The bad thing is that it will be chaotic, making it even more difficult for us, who are already unfamiliar with the area, to start. We will have to work hard to win over the local snakes who have chosen to stay in the town."

A young man from a noble family who had become a secretary asked, "Can we divide and conquer those large clans?"

Wu Yuan shook his head without hesitation. "Difficult. Who would trust us when we first arrive?"

Wu Yuan said solemnly, "Rather than being clever but clumsy and alarming them, it's better to take it slow. We've come to this place with an extremely complex history, and you all are naturally following me, Wu Yuan, to seek a bright future. But we must be clear about one thing: great trials in great difficulties can lead to great wealth. So, if anyone wants to be promoted and become rich in a year or two, I think you can turn around and leave now. I, Wu Yuan, will help pay for your travel expenses."

The six civil and military secretaries had determined expressions, with none of them showing any fear or reluctance.

Wu Yuan said softly, "Remember, do not act rashly."

This was by no means boasting or empty talk by Wu Yuan. Shortly after entering the town, he had suffered a silent loss. It was Wu Yuan who had insisted on suppressing the Qi Refiner of Purple Smoke River, taking the risk of being held accountable by the imperial court and boldly acting first and reporting later, trying to break the stalemate, first win the favor of Ruan Shi, and then use the momentum of the saint to suppress the four surnames and ten clans of the town.

Facts proved that the emperor didn't pursue the matter, but Saint Ruan's reaction at the time made Wu Yuan sweat profusely, wishing he could slap himself.

Someone curiously asked, "Are those exiled convicts going to be used as laborers to help Qi Refiners open up the wilderness?"

Wu Yuan nodded. "In addition to that, the imperial court will also have Qi Refiners drive two young Gold-Threaded Apes over, along with the Earth-Removing Armored Soldiers and Mountain-Opening Puppets of the Daoist Talisman Sect, striving to open up all sixty-odd mountains within ten years, with Daoist temples, Buddhist temples, pavilions, and towers, everything you could want."

The young men around Wu Yuan all showed expressions of longing.

In the town, tall buildings were rising from the ground everywhere. Deep in the mountains, immortal residences were appearing one after another.

Everyone looked at each other and smiled, everything understood without words. As the first officials in the history of Great Li's Longquan County, they were destined to be recorded in history. How could they dare not work together and not be loyal to Wu Yuan, the mainstay of their future?

On the peak of Cloud-Draping Mountain, a delicate boy with a mole between his eyebrows waved his sleeve, and the sea of clouds halfway up the mountain was parted to the left and right. He strained his eyes to look into the distance, and at the end of his vision, he saw a bullock cart and a carriage.

He laughed with delight: "Opening bets, opening bets! Qi Jingchun, if I win this bet, then the two sticks of incense you painstakingly left behind will be completely extinguished. Pity, pity."

The boy held a seal between two fingers, with the four characters "Welcoming Spring to the World" engraved on it.

The smiling boy suddenly exerted force with his fingers, and the seal shattered, turning into dust that quickly dissipated between heaven and earth.

The reason why he could crush the seal so easily was because the true meaning of the four characters, like a person's despair and extreme disappointment, had long since dissipated on its own.

He quickly withdrew his gaze, and finally saw a boy carrying a basket, walking alone towards the town.