Chapter 1211: Refining Void Stage's Third Path Red Dust as an Official

Imperial Palace of Great Xia.

"Huangzhou wants to promote Mangu to prefect through a special promotion?" Emperor Xia's expression was peculiar as he read the memorial. At first glance, seeing the name "Mangu," he initially thought it might be someone with the same name. But on second thought, that couldn't be right; the only people with the surname Man were from the Man Clan, and Mangu was the only one from the Man Clan who had become an official in nearly a thousand years. A closer look at the detailed personal profile confirmed it was indeed Mangu, the top scholar of Great Xia. While the appointments of the previous three prefects merely required the Minister of Personnel to approve their reported names, Mangu's insufficient tenure and qualifications meant his appointment as prefect needed Emperor Xia's personal approval. "Is Mangu doing so well that Huangzhou wants to promote him specially?"

Emperor Xia carefully read the section of the memorial detailing Mangu's resume, his expression growing even stranger. "In just half a month, all the prefects of Zhongshan Commandery have been arrested by Mangu?" "The old prefect was arrested, the prefect promoted from below was arrested, and the prefect sent down from above for experience was also arrested." This wasn't Mangu doing an excellent job; it was clearly a situation where no one else dared to be the prefect besides him. "But it's truly odd; Mangu was doing perfectly well as a county magistrate before, so why have so many things suddenly happened recently?" Then, in the detailed accounts of the arrests, Emperor Xia saw the recurring names "Constable Lu" and "Constable Meng," and he fell silent for a long time. His confusion was finally resolved. Emperor Xia wrote "Approved" at the end of the memorial.

"The Emperor approved it so quickly?" Governor Lü was quite surprised when he received the result. Usually, the Emperor wouldn't make such a swift decision regarding special promotions. It seemed Mangu held significant weight in the Emperor's mind.

News of Mangu's special promotion to prefect quickly reached the county magistrates in Zhongshan Commandery. They had their own sources, making them aware even before the official announcement. "Mangu is the prefect?" "He doesn't have enough experience, does he? How did he become prefect?" "On second thought, it makes sense. Mangu is upright and just, enforces the law impartially, was personally appointed as the top scholar by the Emperor, and is a disciple of the Dao Inquiry Sect. He should have been a prefect long ago." "It's not that simple. I have some connections higher up. Apparently, Mangu was considered for prefect twice before, but several high-ranking officials disagreed with his appointment." "Later, these officials were implicated in 'The Annals of Officials,' and whether they can keep their positions is now questionable." "Hiss, was this also part of Mangu's scheme? How terrifying."

"Lord Man is truly brilliant and resourceful; I admire him immensely!" The Chief Clerk exclaimed repeatedly. He had been Mangu's deputy when Mangu first became county magistrate and had spent the most time with him. After working together for so long, he had assumed Mangu was a simple, honest person. To be frank, such individuals usually don't go far in officialdom, so he had tried his best to cover for Mangu and prevent his relationships with colleagues and superiors from becoming too strained. Therefore, when he learned that Mangu had arrested the previous three prefects, he was extremely anxious; this was a major taboo in official circles. Who would have thought Mangu's subsequent actions would be completely unexpected? All subsequent prefects who took office were removed by him. To call this a coincidence, he simply wouldn't believe it; how could there be so many coincidences in the world? This must have been Mangu's calculation! Presumably, his usual demeanor was also meant to deceive opponents and make them lower their guard. This cunning, this forbearance, this meticulous planning—truly befitting a disciple of the Dao Inquiry Sect! He had served six county magistrates and could usually tell at a glance whether they would be promoted or retire in their current position. He thought he had developed a keen eye for judging people, but he realized he had completely misjudged Mangu.

"Huh? I'm promoted?" Mangu, holding the transfer order, was utterly bewildered, examining it from all angles to verify its authenticity. He had come to the mortal world for tempering, not to be an official. Besides, he hadn't really done anything, so how did he get promoted? "Congratulations, congratulations." Lu Yang and the other, one on each side, clapped. With their junior brother getting promoted, the two senior brothers were genuinely happy for Mangu. "Can I... can I really be a good prefect?" Mangu lacked confidence. "I can't even manage a small county well. Look, the jail has been overflowing recently, either with gang members or people who broke in to rob or steal directly. If it weren't for you two senior brothers, I wouldn't even know the county was so chaotic."

Meng Jingzhou kindly comforted Mangu: "You shouldn't say that. In my opinion, other parts of Great Xia are probably just as chaotic, but they simply haven't discovered it. The fact that these people were apprehended in our county actually proves your effective governance. Besides, there are many Void Refinement cultivators who come to the mortal world for tempering, and quite a few choose to become officials. But look, whose promotion speed is as fast as yours?" "You're a born official!" Lu Yang encouraged him, "Perhaps you can even forge a third path for the Void Refinement stage: being an official in the mortal world." "So I'm that amazing." Mangu didn't doubt them; why would his senior brothers lie to him?

Mangu then felt a headache coming on. If so many rogue cultivators could be caught in just Quyi County, who knew how many more he might encounter once he reached Zhongshan Commandery. Especially since his own cultivation realm was unstable, and his two senior brothers would leave after dealing with the haunting. If chaos erupted in Zhongshan Commandery, no one would be there to control the situation. Mangu voiced his concerns. Lu Yang and the other thought about it; this was indeed a problem. It was fine while they were there, but what if they left? Lu Yang came up with a good idea: "How about buying some insurance? It can't prevent chaos, but it can reduce losses." Meng Jingzhou clapped his hands, thinking Lu's idea was good. Seeing that both senior brothers thought it was a good idea, Mangu gained confidence.

"Oh, Chief Clerk Liu," Mangu asked, "do you want to come with me to the commandery? I've learned a lot about official protocols from you over the years, and it would be good to have you accompany me to the new place so I have someone to consult with." "Me?" Chief Clerk Liu was surprised. At his age, he actually had a chance for a promotion. Excitedly, he bowed to Mangu: "Thank you for your generous offer, Your Excellency!" "And what about you two senior brothers?" Lu Yang shrugged: "We'll go with you to Zhongshan Commandery. It won't interfere with our ghost-hunting." Besides, with Mangu being new to the prefect position, they felt they should be there to support him.

"You want to buy insurance for the entire Zhongshan Commandery?" The president of the Falling Money Merchant Guild's Huangzhou branch was very surprised. News of Mangu's appointment as prefect of Zhongshan Commandery had already spread, but why would this newly appointed prefect buy insurance right after taking office? Insuring an entire commandery was a huge transaction. "Yes, and we want to purchase the highest possible coverage," Mangu said seriously, with Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou standing behind him, all three looking businesslike. "Well..." The branch president seemed a bit troubled, feeling that something was strange about the request, though he didn't show it on his face. "We certainly welcome your foresight and willingness to buy insurance. However, this is the first time Zhongshan Commandery is purchasing insurance, so we need to conduct a risk assessment." "I understand," Mangu said. "Your branch will send people to Zhongshan Commandery to assess the risk and determine the cost." (In reality, he understood nothing and was simply repeating what Lu Yang and the other had told him on the way.) The branch president shook his head: "Those are old regulations. After suffering heavy losses from the Sword Tower and Shifting Mountains and Filling Seas Sect incidents, our headquarters revised the rules. For a transaction of this magnitude, it needs to be reported to the headquarters. They will dispatch personnel for a risk assessment, and only after the guild master makes the final decision will there be a result."