novelapdf Chapter 3 One Person One Hall
Chapter 3 One Person One Hall
The sky was overcast, and a light drizzle was falling.
The pattering raindrops tapped on the green tiles of the Demon Slayer's council hall, gathering into lines that dripped intermittently down the eaves, splashing into tiny water droplets on the stone slabs.
The atmosphere inside the hall was somber.
Five days have passed since the last attack on Huzhou City by the Fog Demon.
Ran Qingshan, the head of the Demon Slaying Division of Huzhou City, still looked extremely tired. His groin, injured during the battle with demons, was still bandaged.
"Has the investigation been completed? How exactly did that mist demon manage to break in?"
Ran Qingshan's gaze swept over the group of hall masters below, his tone indifferent, "Why did the city's protective formation suddenly fail?"
Since the founding of the Great Qing Dynasty, there have been very few instances of a great demon directly invading the heart of the prefectural city, causing casualties and panic, which can be described as a serious lapse in defense.
If it weren't for General Shangguan's timely discovery and intervention, he would probably have lost his official position long ago.
Even so, the commander-in-chief still unleashed a torrent of angry curses.
He made a note in his notebook.
Faced with the chief's questioning, the crowd below remained silent.
Some were eating sunflower seeds, some were drinking tea, and some were secretly reading novels...
"Snapped!"
Ran Qingshan slammed his fist on the table in anger.
"What? Has everyone suddenly become mute?"
The group then reluctantly restrained themselves and exchanged glances.
Finally, under the pressure of the senior members' gazes, Xu Fu, the head of the Seventh Hall, who was sitting in the last row, reluctantly stepped forward:
"My lord, regarding the failure of the city's protective array... it's actually somewhat related to you."
"I?"
Ran Qingshan laughed in exasperation, "Then tell me, what does this have to do with me?"
If the formation operates normally, they will be able to detect the appearance of the great demon and lock onto its aura immediately.
How could it force General Shangguan, who was in seclusion in the underground palace and breaking through to a higher realm, to force him to come out of seclusion and manifest his Dharma form?
The timing of this monster's invasion was far too precise.
They were caught in the middle of the general's seclusion, and the great formation also failed.
It's hard not to suspect there's a mole within the organization.
Now they're telling him that the magic array's failure is his fault as the one in charge?
Am I, Ran Qingshan, a mole?
Xu Fu coughed and said:
"My Lord, three months ago, the core materials for maintaining the magic array in Yunzhou City were stolen, causing the array to malfunction."
Although the imperial court approved the reissue, the transportation will still take some time. At the time, you were worried that the gap in Yunzhou City would be too long and cause great chaos, so you took the initiative to borrow the spare materials from our warehouse first.
Who would have thought that after receiving the new supplies from the imperial court, they hadn't had time to return them. And we, on the other hand, had just exhausted our reserves, so…”
The hall was completely silent.
Everyone keeps their eyes down, their noses reflecting their inner thoughts.
Who doesn't know that the still charming female head of the Demon Slaying Division in Yunzhou City is the object of Ran Qingshan's admiration since his youth?
In ordinary official dealings, the magistrate has always been very accommodating to that side. This time, he went even further, "eager to help those in need," wishing he could give them his entire fortune.
The results of it?
The sycophant almost licked his own city to death in the end.
Ran Qingshan's expression was somewhat unpleasant: "Didn't we only borrow half back then?"
Xu Fu said, "The other half isn't enough either."
Ran Qingshan had nothing to say.
Seeing this, Xu Fu quickly said:
"Of course, the Chief Commander's actions were also for the greater good. At that time, there was a surge of demonic energy outside Yunzhou City, which seemed to indicate an invasion. As a neighboring city, Huzhou City was in a situation where we were in danger of losing our neighbors, so it was only right that we should lend a helping hand. The General Commander also tacitly approved of this."
He turned to the others and said, "Fellow hall masters, you all agree, right?"
"Ah, yes, yes, yes."
"That's right, it's understandable that the Lord Chief did that."
"My lord, please do not blame yourself too much. The demons are cunning and treacherous, waiting for an opportunity to strike. It is beyond human control to predict them all."
"..."
Ran Qingshan rubbed his temples and coughed lightly, saying, "Then let's not discuss this matter for now."
"By the way, how's the cleanup work with the Jiang family going?"
Xu Fu immediately regained his composure:
"Reporting to Your Excellency, we have properly buried Young Master Jiang Chen's parents and the servants who perished in the disaster. The deceased and their families are now in stable condition."
In addition, his sister Jiang Yuexin, who has been transformed into a demon, has been confirmed to have escaped into the direction of Red Blood Valley, and the search team is currently tracking her.
As for why his sister transformed into a demon, the initial deduction is that it was caused by the mist demon in the dark.
"Jiang Yuexin..."
Ran Qingshan tapped his fingers lightly on the table and asked, "Jiang Chen, is everything alright?"
"That's no problem."
Xu Fu said, "We have checked repeatedly. Apart from the memory damage caused by inhaling a trace amount of mist poison, there are no traces of demonic poison invading the body."
"Are you sure there's no problem?"
Xu Fu patted his chest and said, "My lord, rest assured, if this kid is a demon, I'll eat dung upside down!"
Ran Qingshan nodded:
"Since there are no problems, what are your thoughts on his joining the Demon Slayer Division? Who is willing to take him back?"
Xu Fu immediately fell silent.
The others also lowered their heads, some straightening their clothes, some examining the tips of their boots, and some continuing to peek at their novels...
Seeing this, Ran Qingshan was also helpless.
I don't know what the headquarters was thinking, letting such a spoiled brat join the Demon Slayer Division.
It seems that Jiang Chen's father did indeed bribe quite a bit of money before he died.
"Xu Fu, why don't you let him go with you?"
Ran Qingshan called roll.
Xu Fu's expression changed drastically:
"Sir, you promised not to send me any more new people. Besides, my Seventh Division is already at full capacity; adding more would be an overabundance!"
Ran Qingshan looked at a chubby middle-aged man:
"Old Mo, what about you?"
The fat man waved his hands repeatedly and said with a wry smile:
"My lord, please spare me. My household is full of rough men, how could they possibly serve such a pampered young master?"
I heard this kid even dared to curse General Shangguan; my heart can't take it. If all else fails, could you arrange for him to work with Brother Wen? He happens to be short-staffed there.”
"Old Mo, you heartless bastard, don't get me involved!"
A man with a scar on his face opposite him was so startled that his hand trembled, spilling the tea. He quickly turned to Ran Qingshan and said...
"My lord, my performance evaluation this quarter is already at grade D. If we add another burden to the team, I'm afraid I'll lose my position as head of the hall next month. I think... how about letting Lord Yan give it a try?"
All eyes turned to the corner.
Sitting there was a man in black with a gloomy demeanor, exuding an aura that kept strangers at bay.
The latter raised his eyelids, his voice as cold as ice:
"I can accept it. But I've always been a very hard-working person when it comes to cases, and my loss rate is the highest in the entire department."
"If this young master Jiang loses his life on a mission after only two days of arriving, I won't take the blame if the headquarters blames him."
Ran Qingshan was speechless and had no choice but to look away.
What should we do?
The person has already started working, and it would be terrible if no one wanted them.
My head hurts.
At this moment, Xu Fu's eyes darted around, and he lowered his voice, saying:
"My lord, I have just remembered something."
"Didn't the General Headquarters recently issue a document stating that if any branch offices in different cities encounter special circumstances, they could apply to establish additional temporary offices?"
"Why don't we... use it now?"
"You mean..." Ran Qingshan narrowed his eyes.
Xu Fudao:
"Since he was specially approved by the General Headquarters, we should give him better treatment, right? But he's dangerous in any branch. Why not just let him be a branch leader himself? That way he won't cause trouble... uh, I mean, I'll integrate him into other branches."
Xu Fu's meaning is quite clear.
By setting up this "great Buddha" statue separately and hanging it high up, we not only gave the chief commander face but also avoided internal troubles.
Ran Qingshan frowned: "Wouldn't this be too hurtful to him?"
One person, one hall, a lone commander.
This is unprecedented in the history of the Demon Slayer Division.
It's like treating the other person like a calendar.
Xu Fu chuckled:
"To rise to such a high position at such a young age is a testament to the superiors' high regard for him. I believe neither the headquarters nor Jiang Chen himself will have any objections."
"Furthermore, according to the rules, for each new official branch established, the head commander will allocate an additional corresponding resource quota..."
This is Xu Fu's true purpose.
resource!
The Demon Slayer Division is most lacking in resources!
Now that we have a mascot specially approved by the authorities, we might as well use it.
Ran Qingshan's heart skipped a beat, and he glanced at the others: "What do you guys think?"
"I think Lord Xu's idea is good."
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
"That's right, I support Lord Xu."
"I support it too."
Everyone expressed their opinions.
Can you not support it?
Adding an extra branch's staff out of thin air means receiving an extra share of resources, funding, and equipment.
As for where those resources will ultimately end up...
Haha, we're all family here, so resources should naturally be allocated in a "coordinated and reasonable" way.
How many can Young Master Jiang use by himself?
Anyway, this terrible idea was Xu Fu's, and the decision was made by the chief official. If something goes wrong, the tall guy will take the blame. Why not?
Ran Qingshan slammed his hand on the table:
"Alright! As Xu Fu says. Xu Fu, you will take the lead in handling this matter. Immediately draft the application for establishing additional branches and submit it to the headquarters for record-keeping as soon as possible. You will also be fully responsible for all related matters."
"Huh? Me?"
Xu Fu's smile froze.
and many more……
It feels like my boss is making me take the blame.
-
-
The old Jiang family residence has a deep courtyard.
The white lanterns bearing the character "奠" (meaning "memorial") swayed in the wind and rain, exuding a sense of desolation.
Jiang Mu, fanning himself with a palm leaf fan, lay sprawled on an old bamboo chair, staring blankly at the scattered bird nests among the locust tree branches outside the courtyard.
"Although the start was a bit rough, at least I inherited such a large mansion, so it's a consolation prize."
Jiang Mu withdrew her gaze.
Of course, it's not just about large mansions.
The father of the previous incarnation was a shrewd businessman with considerable wealth.
But Jiang Mu knew his own limitations; he was definitely not cut out for running a business.
Seeing the merchants outside who were eager to "eat up the spoils" just because they smelled the fish, he made up his mind and cut the Gordian knot.
Sell what needs to be sold, transfer what needs to be transferred.
In the end, only a jewelry shop and a medicine shop remained, which served as a safety net.
Now, he can be considered a wealthy single young man.
But for Jiang Mu, money wasn't what he wanted.
He had absolutely no interest in money.
Ever since he witnessed the terrifying demons and the overwhelming divine powers of General Shangguan that day, a longing had welled up in his heart.
I want to grow bigger too.
I want to become stronger too.
This world is too dangerous.
You must have the ability to protect yourself, otherwise you might suffer the same misfortune as your parents one day.
Moreover, there is a younger sister who has turned into a demon.
This is an even bigger ticking time bomb.
Jiang Mu could even picture that scene in her mind:
One late night, a familiar yet unfamiliar face silently pressed against his bedside, a twisted and sinister smile on its face, and spoke in a low voice:
"Giegie, the whole family should be together."
Thinking of this, Jiang Mu couldn't help but shiver, and waved the palm-leaf fan in her hand even faster.
Fortunately, his adoptive father managed to pave a way out for him before he passed away.
Entering the Demon Slayer Division allows you to cultivate martial arts and master extraordinary powers. Moreover, backed by a national institution, you have guaranteed safety.
"Knock knock knock!"
A sudden, urgent knocking broke the silence of the courtyard.
Has Xu Fu arrived?
Jiang Mu's eyes lit up, and she excitedly ran to open the courtyard gate.
However, the doorway was not where Xu Fu was.
She was a tall, slender girl in a green dress with bright eyes and brows.
"Hey, you surnamed Jiang, what do you mean?"
"You just dumped that woman in my house and then ignored her, huh? You want to keep a mistress hidden away? Don't try hiding her in my house."
Jiang Mu: "?"