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

Shen Qing quickly said, "I dare not, I dare not."

"Let's drink, hahaha."

Shen Qing raised the Lihuabai and drank it in one gulp.

The rich floral fragrance and the clear taste, with a hint of sweetness, made Shen Qing's eyes brighten.

It turns out this world indeed has such wonderful things.

The prosperity and luxury of the Capital City had truly opened his eyes today.

Shen Qing even thought that it wouldn't be bad to live such a decadent life every day in the future.

However, this thought was soon extinguished by him.

Though this world is indeed prosperous, it's still essentially a world that devours people, and human life is as worthless as grass.

In many places, it might be like Taiping County, left to live or die on its own.

No one can guarantee that the Capital City won't become like Taiping County in the future, turning into a hell on earth.

At this thought, Shen Qing's eyes quickly regained clarity, and he couldn't help but glance at Lan Gongliang seated in the main position.

From the beginning of their meeting, Lan Gongliang had been quite good to him, always trying to win him over.

Who knows if there are other reasons behind this.

As the saying goes, one should not harbor intentions to harm others, but one must be vigilant of others' intentions.

Suddenly, Shen Qing became more cautious, deciding to be more attentive in the future.

Lan Gongliang picked up the chopsticks and said, "Don't be formal. Let's enjoy the music and eat."

After Lan Gongliang started to eat, Shen Qing and the others also picked up their chopsticks and began drinking and eating.

Occasionally, they would eat a shrimp or crab peeled by the maid, or a prepared piece of roasted meat.

"This dish is jade deer meat, a mountain delicacy that can boost vitality and blood. Outside, it could cost dozens of taels of silver, yet here it's just an appetizer." Shen Qing murmured to himself as he looked at the plate of meat in front of him.

Coming from a hunter's background, he was most familiar with such mountain delicacies and recognized it at a glance.

Today's meal constantly refreshed his understanding of things.

Shen Qing took a piece of jade deer meat, placed it in his mouth, and it melted instantly, incredibly delicious.

After eating, he quickly felt his whole body heat up, as the deer meat transformed into pure energy, replenishing his body's vitality.

No wonder.

Those born in the Capital have high cultivation.

If he were to eat such mountain and sea delicacies every few days, even without cultivating, just eating could bring his vitality to perfection.

How could those outside the Capital City compare?

After three rounds of drinking, the atmosphere among everyone became much livelier, as they each shared their experiences and stories.

Shen Qing didn't say much, only occasionally mentioning a few hunting experiences from his childhood living in the mountains, brushing off the conversation.

His relationship with these people was not deep, so it was not appropriate to speak too much, lest he invite trouble for himself later.

Once they had their fill, the servants in the private room removed the dishes from the table and replaced them with a set of new teacups, brewed the tea, and then quietly withdrew.

At this moment, Shen Qing took the initiative to ask, "My lords, may I ask if there are many demons and rebels in the Capital? Will we be busy with official duties in the future?"

Northern Chief Officer Zeng Weifeng replied, "Not many, after all, it's the center of the Capital region, and experts are abundant. Even if they sneak in, they wouldn't dare cause trouble."

"So, does this mean we Chief Officers are quite free?"

"Not exactly," said Central Chief Officer Wei Chengye. "Not many in the Capital doesn't mean none, and besides, we have to manage not only the Capital but also deal with personnel arrangements in other cities, which requires some effort from us."

"Moreover, the most troublesome in the Capital are not the demons or rebels, but the people living in places like Changle Square, Yongxing Square. You will understand later," said Eastern Chief Officer Yang Henshan.

Seeing that the others were unwilling to say more, Shen Qing did not press further.

"Everyone seems almost done. We should leave now to not delay official duties."

Lan Gongliang was the first to stand, and the others followed suit.

As Shen Qing stood up, he saw Lan Gongliang pause next to him and turn to whisper, "The war in Danzhou is nearing its end, and Xue Zhao is expected to return. He won't let matters rest easily. You better think of a way to handle it soon."

After saying this, Lan Gongliang said no more and left the tavern.

Shen Qing stood there pondering Lan Gongliang's intentions, puzzled about what this powerful figure in the Kongyou Realm was up to.

Upon returning to the government office, Lan Gongliang called Wei Chengye, the Central Chief Officer, asking him to acquaint Shen Qing with the official duties.

Wei Chengye naturally agreed without hesitation, promising on the spot, "Chief Officer Shen, what we do is not troublesome. You'll understand after you accompany me for a day tomorrow."

Shen Qing bowed and said, "I'll have to trouble Chief Officer Wei then."

"It's all as it should be. Today, you should get to know the personnel and your subordinates in the government office. Take it slow."

Shen Qing walked out from the third courtyard and found Yu Haibei.

He heard from Wei Chengye and other Chief Officers that Yu Haibei was a sergeant under him, usually handling miscellaneous matters such as patrols.

When Shen Qing found Yu Haibei, he was cultivating in the second courtyard.

Judging from his cultivation, he seemed to be at the Yuluo Realm, and his bone age was no more than twenty-five.

In Shen Qing's view, such cultivation was already quite impressive, but unfortunately, it was only considered average in the Capital.

Seeing Shen Qing, Yu Haibei quickly stopped cultivating, picked up a bundle, and said, "Lord Shen, this is your official and casual attire that I've obtained for you. Please check if the size fits."

Shen Qing took the bundle and smiled, saying, "Thank you for your hard work. Besides you, who else do I have under me?"

"In response, my lord, besides me, you have eighteen sergeants, one hundred and eight attendants, and one thousand five hundred thirty-two lower ranks under your command."

"So many..."

Shen Qing was surprised by this number.

Calculating it all, the entire Military Department of the Capital had nearly four or five thousand people.

And they all held the identity of martial artists, most of whom had reached the Nourishing Energy Realm.

This scale made Shen Qing secretly click his tongue in amazement, broadening his horizons.

Yu Haibei continued, "Would you like me to call the other sergeants to meet you together?"

Seeing everyone would take too much time, Shen Qing shook his head, saying, "Let's wait until we have time later."

"Yes, my lord."

"You can go ahead. I'll walk around by myself."

After sending Yu Haibei away, Shen Qing unleashed his entire divine sense, mapping the layout and each room within the Military Department's premises into his mind.

Then he left the Military Department alone, utilized the Great Teleportation Technique, and traversed the streets and alleys.

At the same time, he used his divine sense to sense continuously as he moved.

It only took half an hour, and he managed to take a quick tour of the entire Capital City. Thanks to his photographic memory, he gained a clear understanding of the city's layout.

Unknowingly, Shen Qing arrived at the entrance of the Shanhai Department's government office.

As one of the three departments in Da Zhou, he had heard a bit about it.

The Shanhai Department gathered martial intelligence, spiritual insights, and monitored officials on behalf of the current Majesty—a bit similar to the Jinyiwei from his previous life—and wielded significant power.

Not long ago, Huangfu Rou had also come to the Shanhai Department, somewhat stepping to success like him.

Without hesitation, Shen Qing walked toward the entrance of the Shanhai Department.

The two guards at the gate crossed their halberds to block Shen Qing, asking, "Who are you?"

Shen Qing flicked his sleeve, revealing a jade-green token embroidered with patterns, and calmly said, "Shen Qing, Southern Chief Officer of the Military Department, here on important business to see Lord Huangfu. Please announce me."
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The two guards exchanged a quick glance before hastily withdrawing their assessing gazes.

With cupped hands, they slightly bowed and said, "So it's Chief Officer Shen visiting. We apologize for not welcoming you sooner. Please wait, we will immediately inform Lord Huangfu."

One of them quickly turned and moved with a hint of urgency, clearly not daring to neglect Shen Qing, the Southern Chief Officer.