Chapter 68

The morning dew made the air much fresher.

Because of the light rain last night, the ground was still wet and somewhat muddy.

A carriage slowly drove over, crushing through small puddles, splashing up a lot of mud, and washing away some of the mottled bloodstains on the axle.

"Sir, we are approaching Lin'an City!"

The coachman, driving the carriage, looked at the city ahead and loudly spoke to the curtain behind him.

After he finished speaking,

The curtain was lifted, and a man dressed as a scholar peeked out, gazing at the distant city.

Then, he sat back down.

"Finally, we are almost there!"

In the carriage, Fu Moshen's expression was complex. He felt somewhat anxious about the place where he was about to take office, but also somewhat relieved.

The Great Qin was not peaceful at all.

Apart from the troubles caused by demons, there were also many bandits who ambushed travelers.

On the journey,

All the soldiers escorting him to his post were killed, leaving only himself and the coachman alive.

If they hadn't reached Lin'an City yet, Fu Moshen suspected he might have died on the way to his post.

"The demons causing trouble are one thing, but there are also bandits taking advantage of the chaos, truly deserving death!"

Thinking about the hardships he had encountered along the way, he felt extremely angry.

If it weren't for the insufficient troops he had, Fu Moshen would have wanted to wipe out all the bandit nests along the way.

But,

These were things he could only think about.

In recent years, the bandit troubles in the Great Qin had become increasingly severe, closely related to the rampant demons.

The world was about to fall into chaos, and everyone wanted a share.

At this moment,

The carriage slowly entered Lin'an City. Hearing the noisy chatter of the people, Fu Moshen couldn't help but lift a corner of the curtain to observe the surroundings.

"Compared to other places, Lin'an City is a small city, but from what I can see, it's not a bad place."

On the journey, he had experienced many places.

Some places were plagued by demons, and the people suffered greatly.

Even if they seemed prosperous on the surface, a deeper understanding would reveal the hardships.

From the appearance of the people in Lin'an City, although it was not much different from other places, a closer look revealed that they did not show much fear.

"Strange."

"According to what I know, Lin'an City has been plagued by demons many times, but it doesn't seem to be a problem now."

Fu Moshen pondered.

While he was guessing, the coachman, after asking for directions to the government office, drove the carriage towards it.

As the carriage moved, many people stopped to look with curious eyes.

"This carriage looks unfamiliar. Could it be a noble from elsewhere?"

"Hey, who knows?"

"From the way the coachman is asking, it's obvious he's heading to the government office."

Some people couldn't help but whisper.

These days, not everyone could afford a carriage. For ordinary people, let alone riding in one, even touching it was a luxury.

In Lin'an City, only a few powerful families used carriages for travel.

Just as they were discussing, the carriage stopped at the entrance of the government office.

The coachman got down and lifted the curtain.

"Sir, we have arrived at the government office."

"Hmm."

Fu Moshen lowered his head and got out of the carriage, then looked up at the signboard of the government office, his expression calm.

Inside the government office,

A furnace was burning, and a large iron basin was placed on it, filled with iron sand.

Shen Changqing rolled up his sleeves and continuously moved his hands in and out of the iron sand. He did not use his true qi to resist the heat but relied on his physical strength to endure the scorching temperature.

Swish!

Swish!!

Each time his palm entered the iron sand and then pulled out, the skin on the surface was only slightly red, with no major issues.

"The Thirteen Bodyguards' Hard Training Technique has greatly enhanced my physical defense, making the Iron Sand Palm much easier to practice!"

Among the martial arts, only the Seven Killing Blade Technique and the Iron Sand Palm required hard practice to improve, and there was no shortcut using slaughter points.

In comparison,

The Seven Killing Blade Technique was a martial art that improved through combat. If one only practiced hard, it would be difficult to make significant progress.

Therefore,

Shen Changqing focused on the Iron Sand Palm.

Due to his strong physical strength, he managed to advance the Iron Sand Palm to the next level in just a few days.

The third level of the Iron Sand Palm was much more powerful than the second level.

Additionally,

His palms' skin became even tougher.

As the martial art advanced, Shen Changqing felt a scorching heat brewing in his palms.

This heat,

Unlike the scorching heat of the Heavenly Martial True Qi, was more violent and even had a tendency to backfire on him.

However, Shen Changqing's true qi was powerful, and his physical strength was strong, so the backfire from the Iron Sand Palm was ineffective.

He continued to practice without a moment's pause.

At this moment, a few people entered from outside, led by a bailiff.

"Sir, someone has come!"

Bang!

Shen Changqing used his true qi to drive his red, scorched palms to shatter the iron basin, scattering the iron sand and extinguishing the furnace.

The sudden movement startled the bailiff and the two people behind him.

After a few moments,

The redness on his palms faded, and Shen Changqing lowered his sleeves, looking coldly at the bailiff.

"When can anyone enter and exit the government office at will? Do I need to teach you how to do your job?"

"Sir, please forgive me!"

The bailiff's face turned pale.

Just as he was panicking, Shen Changqing waved his hand: "Forget it, you can leave."

As he spoke,

His gaze fell on the two people.

"Who are you, and what brings you to the government office?"

While asking, he was silently observing the two people.

"I am Fu Moshen, the newly appointed magistrate appointed by the court. You must be Shen Changqing of the Demon Suppression Bureau!"

Fu Moyan bowed, also observing Shen Changqing.

When he came to take office, he had received some information, knowing that the current acting magistrate of Lin'an City was a demon hunter from the Demon Suppression Bureau.

"Oh, the new magistrate?"

Shen Changqing raised an eyebrow, and a smile suddenly appeared on his cold face.

"Ah, it's you, Sir Fu. You've arrived just in time. I've been waiting for you. Please come in and take a seat."

After he finished speaking,

He glanced at the person next to Fu Moshen and asked, "Who is this person?"

"He is just my attendant."

Fu Moshen did not intend to introduce him.

Seeing this, Shen Changqing did not ask further, but he noticed that the person's aura was somewhat hidden, and even standing there, he exuded a sense of iron and blood.

It was clear that

This person was not as simple as Fu Moshen described, but rather a skilled expert who had escorted him to his post.

However,

Shen Changqing had no interest in understanding so-called experts.

The three entered the inner hall and took their seats.

"Someone!"

"What does the sir need?"

A bailiff hurried over.

Shen Changqing said, "Send for Shi Qingsheng and Zhang Yue immediately, and tell them that the new magistrate appointed by the court has arrived!"

"Yes!"

The bailiff took the order and left.

The inner hall became quiet.

In less than a moment, Shi Qingsheng and Zhang Yue arrived together.

"Your subordinate greets the sir!"

"Shi Chief Clerk, Zhang Head Constable, you have arrived just in time. This is the new magistrate, Fu Moshen."

Upon hearing this,

The two men's eyes changed slightly, and they bowed: "Shi Qingsheng (Zhang Yue) greets Sir Fu!"

"You are too polite."

Fu Moshen nodded slightly.

Shen Changqing said, "I am just the acting magistrate, and all the affairs of the government office are handled by Shi Chief Clerk and Zhang Head Constable. If you have any questions, you can ask them.

I will not be involved in other matters.

Additionally, I will move out of the government office today and return to the Demon Suppression Bureau tomorrow morning to report."

"Why the rush, Sir Shen?"

Fu Moshen smiled, but he was surprised inside.

Shen Changqing's straightforwardness was completely unexpected.

He had thought that when he took office, he might encounter some obstacles, or the other party might refuse to give up the position of magistrate.

When he came,

Fu Moshen was still thinking about how to handle the situation if it came to a confrontation.

But,

Shen Changqing's straightforwardness was completely different from his expectations.

For a moment,

Fu Moshen didn't know what to say.

"My mission was to come to Lin'an City to eliminate demons. I only temporarily took the position of magistrate after discovering that the previous magistrate, Zhao Fang, was colluding with demons. Now that you have arrived, the position of magistrate should naturally be returned to you.

I have been delayed in Lin'an City for a long time, and I need to return to the Demon Suppression Bureau to report."

Shen Changqing shook his head.

He had been looking forward to the new magistrate's arrival.

If the new magistrate didn't come, he couldn't return to the Demon Suppression Bureau to report.

If he couldn't return to the Demon Suppression Bureau, how could he find higher-level martial arts to study?

Moreover,

The Eternal Alliance had suffered significant losses in Lin'an City and would not take any action in the short term.

Without demons to eliminate, there would be no slaughter points to earn.

From any perspective, staying in Lin'an City was a waste of time for Shen Changqing.

Seeing his firm attitude, Fu Moshen didn't try to persuade him further.

"Since that's the case, if I return to the capital in the future, I will certainly seek you out for a deep conversation!"

"Good, I will prepare a clean room for you. Farewell!"

Shen Changqing bowed slightly and left the inner hall.

Watching him leave, Fu Moshen waited until he was completely gone before retracting his gaze. He then looked at Shi Qingsheng and Zhang Yue with a warm smile.

"I have just arrived, and I will need your help with many things in the future."

"Sir Fu, you are too kind!"