Infinite Professions

Chapter 371 - 194: The Passage of Time (Part 2)

Such political achievements reached the ears of the heavens, allowing Qinghe County Magistrate Lü Wenxuan to have a smooth official career, quickly getting promoted to the prefecture. He is now elevated to a Standard Fifth Grade official position, serving as the Deputy Governor of Jinyang Prefecture, which can be said to be a journey of thriving officialdom.

With Lü Wenxuan’s promotion, the backing Song Clan naturally gained great fame as well.

But the Song Clan’s renown extends far beyond this.

After Lü Wenxuan’s promotion, new officials were naturally appointed to fill the vacancy of Qinghe County Magistrate.

However, not all of these new county magistrates were able to maintain a harmonious relationship with the Song Clan like Lü Wenxuan did, advancing hand in hand; some were even at odds with the Song Clan, as incompatible as water and fire.

The final result is obvious. With the merit of clearing Little Yellow Mountain and the support and connections of Lü Wenxuan and others within Jinyang Prefecture, the Song Clan had already extended its reach into Qinghe County. They not only occupied the position of County Captain but also influenced the various officials and clerks within the county. The three shifts of government officials commanded by the County Captain, as well as the county soldiers and civilian strongmen, were tightly controlled by them.

The County Magistrate is a transient official with no local roots. If local officials like the County Captain and clerks like the Archivist were in cahoots, they could completely marginalize the County Magistrate, even do things to make him lose his position and job.

The Song Clan did just this. Those county magistrates who were at odds with the Song Clan found their authority couldn’t even extend out of the County Government Office. The three shifts of government officials didn’t listen to their orders at all, not to mention the county soldiers and civilian strongmen.

Having no one available to use, the County Magistrate was just a figurehead and ultimately could only leave the position in disgrace.

Of course, there were also some tough men who risked everything, reporting the matter to the prefecture in a desperate attempt to bring everything down.

But this was to no avail.

After all, back then, it was by using prefectural connections that the Song Clan plotted to obtain the position of Qinghe County Captain. Now, Lü Wenxuan, the Deputy Governor of Jinyang Prefecture, was once the County Magistrate of Qinghe County, and he was promoted with the Song Clan’s help, achieving the position of a Fifth Grade official.

Thus, not only did the Song Clan manage local affairs so meticulously that everything was right and proper, but even if there were any mistakes, Lü Wenxuan and others would cover for them. The accused county magistrates who attempted a desperate move in the end didn’t topple the Song Clan and instead found themselves losing their official titles and positions, leading to a very miserable end.

On the contrary, those county magistrates who maintained a harmonious relationship with the Song Clan and advanced hand in hand achieved many political accomplishments and were eventually promoted and transferred.

Through such repeated occurrences, up until today, the Song Clan is deeply entrenched in Little Yellow Mountain of Qinghe County, having sent off nearly ten county magistrates in succession, with some being driven away. Some didn’t even complete their three-year term before losing their position or being imprisoned.

An unequivocal local power, comparable to a County-Respected Family.

This is the current Song Clan!

Though the young master of our own family has an extraordinary background and was appointed at a young age, serving as the Qinghe County Magistrate, a dragon that crosses the river cannot defeat the local snake. If truly at odds with the Song Clan, he might not lose his position like those unlucky ones without a background, but he’d inevitably be sidelined and frustrated.

"But given the young master’s background, how did he end up being assigned to Qinghe County?"

"Is this the doing of the patriarch, or is there a hidden agenda within the prefecture?"

"Is the Song Family’s development finally making the prefecture unhappy, warranting a crackdown?"

"But the Song Family is not the key; it’s mainly that Little Yellow Mountain God!"

The scholar’s thoughts were racing, his eyes full of doubt.

These years, although the Song Clan has developed swiftly and become an undeniable local power, everyone knows that for a small family to reach where they are today, it isn’t due to their own prowess, but primarily because of the person supporting them.

The Little Yellow Mountain God, Song Xiang, and Song Boyu!

Back then, the Song Clan funded the government for mountain construction and road repair. On the surface, it seemed like manpower accomplished this, but everyone knew that without the newly appointed Little Yellow Mountain God’s significant investment and divine power assistance, the Song Clan alone could never have achieved mountain crossing and road construction.

In life, this deity was just an ordinary County Instructor, but after death, he soared to the skies. Initially appointed as the Village Land God of Little Huang Village, he managed it impressively, exterminating the remnants of the Five Immortals and the Three Strongholds Bandits. Later, he was promoted to the Little Yellow Mountain God, wiping out bandit troubles in Little Yellow Mountain in one fell swoop, even sweeping away the demons and monsters in the mountain.

It’s important to know that back in Little Yellow Mountain, there were seventh or eighth-grade evil gods and numerous ninth-grade demons, and yet a ninth-grade Mountain God eradicated all of them?

No one knows.

Because of this, there is more caution, and they can only allow its development.

To this day, this god’s authority has surpassed that of Qinghe and Huangshan Counties. Among local deities, it is considered top-tier, with deep-rooted faith. The people under its governance respect its grace and might, making it difficult to shake.

If this god does not fall, the Song Clan will be hard to topple!

By the same logic, if this god can be toppled, then the Song Clan is nothing more than a minor ailment, easily removed.

But how can this god be toppled, or its foundation be shaken?

The middle-aged scholar frowned deeply, while the young man smiled faintly in silence.

"One coin per person to pass, and charges for horses, vehicles, and goods are counted separately!"

The carriage stopped, and the words drifted over.

The young man lifted the carriage curtain and looked ahead, only to see a pass built against the mountains, with the words on the tower particularly striking.

Huangshan Pass!

After Little Yellow Mountain achieved Dao, it naturally needed to build a fortress to guard the vital points and collect taxes from passing merchants.

This Huangshan Pass came to be for this purpose, funded by the Noble Family to assist Qinghe County in its construction. However, it is not under the control of the Noble Family, nor is it governed by Qinghe County. Instead, it is garrisoned by a Fifth-Grade Guerrilla General appointed by the Court and transferred by the Prefecture Government Office, serving as a balance.

The young man did not get off the carriage, instead allowing the coachman to negotiate. Soon, they were able to pass.

After crossing the pass, they entered the mountains, seeing two majestic peaks with lush green trees. In between was a wide road that cut through the heart of Little Yellow Mountain. Though it stretched only a short ten miles or so, it brought tremendous convenience and prosperity to the people of the two counties.

The carriage moved slowly, reaching midway, and to the left of the mountain, many carriages and horses were parked. A staircase of green stone directly led to the mountain’s peak, with a stone tablet in front inscribed with "Mountain Monarch Temple."

This was indeed the Little Yellow Mountain God Temple.

Positioned in the center of this mountain road, it was worshiped by the mountain folk. Travelers, if not in a hurry, would also climb up to the temple and offer incense.

"Stop!"

Seeing this, the young man called to stop.

"Young master?"

The middle-aged scholar frowned, showing a hint of surprise.

The young master, of extraordinary birth and versed in the secrets of Yin and Yang, typically only worshiped his own ancestors and seldom offered incense to outsiders, considering that benefits should not leave one’s family.

But now...

"Let’s go up and take a look."

The young man smiled and stepped down from the carriage.

The scholar had no choice but to follow, along with the coachman, closely behind the young man’s steps.

Although it was not the temple festival season, there were still many people on the green stone steps, coming and going, in an endless stream. Not only were there wealthy nobles dressed in silk, but also common people in simple clothes, climbing up to the temple to offer incense.

The young man saw that most of the people had rosy faces with no signs of hunger or poverty. Even common people were simply dressed and not in dire straits.

"This Little Yellow Mountain God was famous for its effectiveness when it served as the Village Land God. It not only brought bountiful harvests to the fields of Huang Village and prosperity to livestock but also safeguarded against illness and disaster, dispelling impurities and evil."

"After becoming the Little Yellow Mountain God, it further ensured favorable weather, annual plentiful harvests, regional prosperity, and contentment among the people. There is even talk of longevity."

"Such investments require a tremendous amount of Divine Power. Could the incense offerings from the people under its care balance the costs?"

"Yet, despite this, it reaps great effectiveness, and the belief in this god has taken deep root, unshakable by ordinary means."

"Unless..."

Looking at the worshippers coming and going, the young man’s eyes shifted with thoughts churning in his mind.

Thus, shortly afterward, they arrived at the peak and the temple.

The summit was flat, evidently repaired, with a large incense burner in the center. Behind it stood the temple, not built grandiose, but it exuded an accumulation of time, the sedimentation of history, and the sacredness of incense offerings, inspiring reverence and deterring any disrespect.

"This temple..."

The young man’s eyes sharpened, even more surprised.

Though not a cultivator, without Daoist Technique, but versed in Yin and Yang, he hailed from a grand family and had seen much of the world, understanding the secrets of Yin and Yang and matters of Ghost Gods, beyond ordinary people.

At this moment, he felt something unusual; the temple revealed a divine aura, similar to the City God Temple in the prefecture and the Red Lotus Temple on the way here.

Could this be... a temple Dao Field?

A mountain doesn’t need to be high; it becomes renowned if an immortal resides there.

Water doesn’t need to be deep; it becomes spirited if a dragon rests there.

With thoughts fortified, under ample offerings and incense wishes, even mundane objects gradually develop divine uniqueness, the temple Dao Fields of deities are the same, possessing various extraordinary powers and divine abilities.

However, such temple Dao Fields generally require a Fourth-Sixth Grade True God to accomplish. A Seventh-Ninth Grade lesser god, while not unheard of, is extremely rare and not part of standard practices.

"This Little Yellow Mountain God is indeed exceptional!"

As his eyes sharpened, the young man felt a momentary hesitation, but he quickly extinguished it and resumed his steps, heading towards the temple enveloped in incense smoke.