Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies

Huang Furo saw that none of the officers and officials in the back hall had any objections and said, "If you have no other matters, you may leave. Vice Chief Shen, please stay behind."

The officers and officials in the back dared not act recklessly and retreated quietly.

In a flash, the vast back hall was left with just Shen Qing and Huang Furo.

At this moment, Shen Qing stepped forward earnestly and said, "Thank you for your favor, Lord Huangfu. I will fulfill my duties to repay your kindness in recognizing my potential."

"I knew I didn't misjudge you. You handled today's matters very well."

Huang Furo had thought it would take some effort to silence these wealthy young masters, but she didn't expect Shen Qing to be so direct, swiftly silencing them.

She looked Shen Qing up and down, increasingly satisfied with him.

"If it wasn't for the opportunity given by you, my lord, I would not have reached this point."

Shen Qing, despite their shared experience in the underground, maintained his discretion without overstepping any boundaries.

Huang Furo returned to her seat, smiling as she said, "Let's skip the pleasantries and talk about serious matters."

"Please speak, my lord."

"You already know the situation in the Guardian Martial Department, so tell me your plan moving forward."

Huang Furo poured a cup of tea from the table and said casually.

Currently, various institutions in the government office were severely corrupted by high-ranking families, filled with incompetents.

Outside Yongzhou City, demons were rising, the Lord Governor was injured and remained behind closed doors. If this continued, problems could easily arise.

Therefore, bringing in capable people into the government office was an urgent matter.

It just so happened that the Chief Officer position in the Guardian Martial Department was vacant, making Shen Qing, someone with no background, the perfect candidate.

Commander Jia Zhiping also thought this.

Even if Shen Qing hadn't taken action today, she would have forced others to comply, albeit with some effort.

As for the future, whether he could command the people and revive the Guardian Martial Department depended on Shen Qing's abilities.

As the saying goes, "Heaven helps those who help themselves."

Only those who strive and refuse to give up will be favored and assisted by the heavens.

Merely relying on others will lead nowhere.

This was also why Shen Qing was appointed as Vice Chief and not Chief.

If Shen Qing couldn't organize the Guardian Martial Department and make the government office fulfill its responsibilities, they would find a way to replace him with someone more aligned with their interests.

In short, Huang Furo was merely giving Shen Qing an opportunity, keeping the initiative in her hands.

Shen Qing pondered for a moment and suggested, "Expand the recruitment!"

"Go on."

"I checked some records these days. In the past few years, there were records of demons around Yongzhou, but they were often vague, and few involved human deaths. However, since last year, inexplicably, the number of demons increased, even the Snake Demon emerged. With this trend, more demons might appear in Yongzhou, so the Guardian Martial Department must expand its manpower."

"Otherwise, these demons cannot be guarded against," Shen Qing said seriously.

"You're right," Huang Furo agreed deeply, "The Guardian Martial Department needs to expand its recruitment."

Shen Qing continued, "I boldly believe that currently, the scale of the Guardian Martial Department urgently needs expansion to nine groups, gathering two hundred martial masters to ensure the safety of Yongzhou. But this must be approached cautiously, steadily, avoiding haste. Otherwise, opportunistic individuals might exploit the situation, causing unnecessary trouble."

Huang Furo nodded, "Rest assured, I'll arrange for the officials room to cooperate with you."

Shen Qing then said, "Besides the manpower issue, there's another matter that caught my attention. But this is a deep matter, and I dare not decide recklessly."

"What is it?" Huang Furo asked curiously, her eyebrows furrowing.

Shen Qing began, "In the case of Changqiao Town, I discovered someone secretly colluding with demons. I now suspect this isn't an isolated incident."

As he spoke, Shen Qing glanced at Huang Furo, noticing she was as cautious as he expected.

Huang Furo lifted her eyelids and said, "Do you have any clues?"

Shen Qing nodded silently, lowering his voice, "Last time when I slew the Cat Demon, I found it had vague ties with the Zhou Family. But I have no evidence, merely suspicion. After all, the Zhou Family is a powerful high-ranking clan…"

Shen Qing didn't finish his thoughts, but Huang Furo evidently understood his meaning.

After the incident with the Snake Demon, he realized the danger posed by demons.

Even though the Cat Demon's "Goddess" hadn't troubled him yet, it remained a threat, persistently worrisome.

Considering various events, Huang Furo seemed reliable, perhaps she could assist in investigating, possibly eliminating this hidden danger.

Huang Furo picked up her tea cup, her expression serious, "You haven't mentioned this to anyone else, have you?"

"No."

"Don't mention this to anyone for now. The Zhou Family's strength is deeper than it appears," Huang Furo warned, "I'll investigate this matter."

Shen Qing nodded heavily.

After discussing some details, they didn't leave until dusk began to fall.

Leaving the Guardian Martial Department's gates, Shen Qing took a deep breath, suddenly feeling refreshed.

Having a patron made a difference.

...

In the Shen Family courtyard.

In the main hall, the light flickered.

Before everyone, Shen Qing announced the news of his promotion, causing a stir of exclamations.

"Brother, does this mean you're officially an official?"

"Once the official document is confirmed, I will be."

Gasp...

The people in the main hall couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.

In the Great Zhou, the ranks were: Emperor, noble, official, doctor, martial, farmer, craftsman...

Being an official was second only to nobility.

Uncle Shen the Second looked at the increasingly accomplished Shen Qing, unsure how to express himself.

He felt as though the past one or two years were like a dream.

He never imagined the Shen Family could produce such a remarkable person, suddenly reaching a high status.

Shen Qing, with a smile on his face, addressed Shen Xiaoshan and Tian Xiaohu, saying, "Next, focus on your training. Soon, I'll recruit a batch of martial masters into the Guardian Martial Department as officers. Although this position isn't officially permanent, it's a rare opportunity for you."

Hearing this, Tian Xiaohu and the others were invigorated.

Officers weren't officials, merely martial masters hired under the government's name, but still part of the Guardian Martial Department, bearing its title.

Compared to regular Martial Arts Halls or gangs, this was far superior.

Many people sought such opportunities in vain.

Hearing Shen Qing's offer, they couldn't help feeling excited.

Tian Xiaohu and Shen Xiaoshan both nodded and agreed firmly.