Starting from the Greyhound, seventy-two changes.

There is an old proverb:
1929 does not make a move;

3949 walk on ice;
Five nine six nine, watching willows along the river;
On July 9, the river opens, and on August 9, the swallows come;
Nine-nine plus one-nine, cattle walk everywhere.

………………

Chen Ku and the three shopkeepers of Yaowang Hall, Master Yang Luchan, and senior brother Kou Ming, walked together towards the most honorable, majestic and powerful place in the county.

Baojiao County Government Office.

Along the way, there was already a lot of spring in the air.

The Longjiang River not far away is flowing, the ice has long melted, it is a symbol of spring returning to the earth.

Kou Ming walked with his hands behind his back, behind several shopkeepers and Yang Luchan, and walked side by side with Chen Ku. Listening to the sound of the rushing river, he couldn't help but chuckle and said:

"The river blooms in the seventh month, and the wild geese come in the eighth month. The cold winter of last year has finally passed, and our Medicine King Hall has ushered in the new spring."

As he finished speaking, he looked at the willows and flowers on the shore, reached out and plucked a leaf, smelling the green fragrance.

"Brother Kou, you are in a good mood." Chen Ku chuckled and said, "You are about to meet the most important judge in this county. You still have such leisure and elegance. Aren't you nervous?"

"Why are you so nervous? Lord Shangguan won't do anything to our Yaowang Hall. Could it be that Junior Brother Chen thinks this is a trap to catch us all in one fell swoop?" Kou Ming said with a smile.

"That shouldn't be the case."

Chen Ku replied.

But it was impossible for him to say that he was not worried at all. After all, he knew clearly that although he and Lord Shangguan had never met openly, there were many conflicts of interest between them secretly.

The Mountain-supporting Palm, the Xu family bloodline, the Xia Wang's treasure...

These are all invisible "competitions" that must be fought, but they have not yet exploded.

suddenly.

Chen Ku's heart moved:
"I now have the thought that I can compete with Shangguan Yun for the Hero King's treasure. This change in mentality is amazing..."

Before, he had always thought of waiting for Shangguan Yun to explore the treasure of the Hero King, and then finding a chance to follow him to see if he could eat the meat while others ate the meat and drink some soup for himself. But now, he was ready to compete with Shangguan Yun for the treasure of the Hero King.

"Sure enough, only the strong can have great ambitions."

Chen Ku knew very well that all this was because his strength was constantly improving and he had begun to reach the top level in the county.

Now, although his own cultivation is only at the peak of the third realm, to be honest, he is not afraid of the other eight of the top ten masters in Baojiao County except his master and Shangguan Yun.

He even felt that if he used all his means, he would have a 70% to 80% chance of assassinating those masters and successfully taking their heads.

The group of people from Yaowang Hall walked through North Street. People from every household, shop, and trade along the way looked at them with a hint of awe in their eyes, as if they were watching a group of tigers passing through...

After the Chai Tie Pu was destroyed and the Yu Long Hui was dormant, it is not an exaggeration to say that Yao Wang Tang has now transformed into the guardian tiger of Baojiao County.

Soon, Chen Ku followed everyone from Yaowangtang and arrived at Baojiao County Government Office.

………………

At this moment in the backyard of the county government office.

In a lobby, there is a painting of green mountains and pine trees at the back. A scholar in a green robe is staring at the painting, stroking his beard and sighing: "This painting is powerful and vigorous. The green mountains and pine trees seem to be so vivid that the spirit seems to be coming out of the paper. I wonder who painted this?"

"Master Tan, this painting was made by Master Shangguan." Master Sui You looked at the famous imperial envoy.

“I’ve heard that County Magistrate Shangguan has mastered some extraordinary spiritual skills. Now that I see that he can actually integrate his spirit into his paintings, it’s clear that County Magistrate Shangguan’s martial arts and calligraphy and painting attainments have all reached the pinnacle.”

Standing next to Tan Chongrui, the tall Qin Yuxian turned to Shangguan Yun who was wearing a white robe not far away and smiled:
"If County Magistrate Shangguan didn't want to be an official, he would be more than qualified to be a martial arts master or a master of calligraphy and painting."

Sui You's eyes showed a strange color as he looked at this great master.

Master Qin, what do you mean by this? Is it a veiled praise but concealed criticism?
However, he did not dare to say much, because the word "Grandmaster" was not only respected by people in the martial arts world, but also a kind of "honor" in the court.

The Daji Dynasty was founded on military power, and there was a clear division of military ranks after the military examination, into the following grades: Wusheng, Wuxiucai, Wujuren, Wuzongshi, etc.

If you pass the exam to become a martial student, you will already have a ninth-rank title, and you can meet the county magistrate without bowing. You are an official of the same rank as the county lieutenant of Baojiao County. If a martial student passes the exam to become a martial scholar, you will be an eighth-rank official, comparable to the county magistrate...

The title of a seventh-rank military scholar is equivalent to Shangguan Yun's seventh-rank county magistrate.

The "Grand Master" above the Juren has even surpassed Shangguan Yun's sixth-grade honor.

Although this system of meritocracy was intended to select talents for the imperial court, before being appointed by the imperial court and taking up local posts, the entire system of meritocracy was independent of the bureaucratic system. Another organization of the imperial court, the "Martial Temple", was in charge of this group of people.

Imperial examination selection is also the responsibility of the Temple of Martial Arts.

Therefore, Qin Yuxian, as the "Martial Grandmaster" under the Martial Temple's honor system, can serve as the invigilator of the martial arts examination and be responsible for this martial arts examination.

Regardless of the imperial rank or the martial arts realm, Qin Yuxian was completely superior to Shangguan Yun. Of course, he was qualified to comment on Shangguan Yun in a "superior to inferior" tone.

Shangguan Yun heard this, smiled calmly, and said:

"Master Qin is the only 'master' in Qiulong Prefecture. He has already obtained the sixth-rank title of the imperial court. If he were to become an official, he would be able to hold an important position in the prefecture, either the prefectural chancellor or the prefectural lieutenant. That would be more than enough."

Qin Yu looked at Shangguan Yun with a little surprise at first. Even when he was in the city, he was always polite to the prefect when he met him. He didn't expect that the magistrate of Baojiao County could be so neither humble nor arrogant.

I couldn't help but have a higher opinion of Shangguan Yun.

"Without further ado, the reason why we asked Yaowangtang to come to the county government office today is that Lord Tan and I would like to meet with you in front of you, the county magistrate, to see when the new system can be implemented. You have to express your stance." Tan Chongrui was calm and composed, and stopped talking nonsense at this time.

"I don't know about the other people in the county government, but I, Shangguan Yun, can express my opinion now."

Shangguan Yun smiled lightly and said:

"This county absolutely supports the new policies that Mr. Tan wants to implement. We will give him the people and the power he wants. In a word, we will follow Mr. Tan's lead."

Qin Yuxian and Tan Chongrui were both a little surprised.

I didn't expect Shangguan Yun's attitude to be so straightforward.

But they also sensed Shangguan Yun's hidden intention:
"Who are the others?"

Immediately, several people flashed through my mind.

County magistrate?

County lieutenant? In any county, prefecture, state, or province in the Daji Dynasty, it was almost impossible to find the top, second, and third in command to be completely of the same mind.

If you meet someone with strong skills, he can control his subordinates. If you don't have strong skills, even if you are a county magistrate, the second and third in command under you will have to obey you openly due to their official rank, but secretly have many ways to make things difficult for you. To put it bluntly, it is still a matter of struggle for interests and power.

The key is,

Shangguan Yunke doesn't seem like a person who is weak in strategy.

Before coming, they had investigated and found out that Shangguan Yun was appointed the magistrate of Baojiao County more than five years ago. In those five years, he had almost completely flattened all the personnel matters in Baojiao County.

As if he saw what the two were thinking, Shangguan Yun turned around with his hands behind his back and looked outside the courtyard:
"Baojiao County is, after all, the thoroughfare of nine counties. Many forces are complex and deeply rooted. No one knows who is behind a certain person. I can only manage the affairs of the county at most. But this time, the Imperial Envoy is going to do something big with a huge impact, so there will be a problem. Some people listened to me before because I am a seventh-rank county magistrate, but next... if someone with a higher official rank and title than me secretly gives them orders, then do you think they will listen to me or someone with a higher position?"

"Therefore, Shangguan Yun can only guarantee that I fully support the new policies of the Imperial Envoy. Therefore, I will cooperate with everyone who can. However, as for other people and the obstacles behind the scenes, it will be up to the adults and the Grandmaster to find a solution."

Shangguan Yun finished speaking.

Just wait for the next response from the two people.

Suddenly, a report came from outside.

"Your Excellencies, Grandmaster, the shopkeepers of Medicine King Hall are here."

This statement came out.

Shangguan Yun, Tan Chongrui and Qin Yuxian looked outside the courtyard at the same time.

There were a total of six people walking there. The tall figure of old man Yang Luchan was very conspicuous, but Shangguan Yun and Qin Yuxian looked at the young man next to Yang Luchan at the same time.

"Is this Chen Ku, who has become very famous in this county recently?"

Shangguan Yunxian did not speak to anyone else, but only looked at Chen Ku, and even took the initiative to walk closer.

Yang Luchan and others came here, originally intending to bow and salute, but before they could do so, they saw Shangguan Yun coming in front of them, especially in front of Chen Ku, looking at the young man with a hint of curiosity and scrutiny.

Although the other party was speaking with a smile, he felt a strong sense of threat for no reason, as if the other party was staring at him with other intentions.

Shangguan Yun’s eyes were as black as ink!
Chen Ku looked at the county magistrate in white in front of him and met his eyes.

suddenly.

[There is a person named Shangguan Yun who suddenly becomes suspicious of the owner of the picture and wants to test him, which may be detrimental to the owner...]

Chen Ku suddenly felt something was wrong, and immediately, he felt that the county magistrate's eyes were like a bottomless pool, which seemed to drag his entire mind in.

[The owner of the picture is under the influence of Shangguan Yun's spirit, which is not good for the owner...]

Almost at the moment when the changing chart reminded, Chen Ku's heart blood warning and Erlang's spiritual eye between his eyebrows became hot and red under the skin at the moment of stimulation.

"There is spiritual magic in his gaze..."

Chen Ku was shocked, he never expected that the county magistrate would use force on him as soon as they met. He immediately became extremely alert, mobilized all his mental power, and struggled to resist the other party's mental gaze.

This moment.

Under the influence of Shangguan Yun's spirit, Chen Ku was like a fisherman paddling a small boat in the sea, facing the impact of the rough waves, struggling to control the angle of the boat. If he was not careful, he would be swallowed by the waves, causing the boat to capsize and his mind to lose control.

"Chen Ku!"

At this moment, Yang Luchan also discovered something was wrong. He shouted in a deep voice, stood in front of Chen Ku and said:
"Follow me to pay respect to Lord Shangguan."

Give him a bow.

But it just happened to block Shangguan Yun's sight, making Chen Ku feel as if he was untied. His heart was shocked, and then his mind was churning violently:

"Shangguan Yun! He is indeed a great master who has cultivated extraordinary spiritual skills. But why did he resort to trickery against me as soon as we met? What does it mean to suddenly become suspicious..."

At this moment, Chen Ku's mind was filled with thousands of thoughts, and he kept guessing:
"Is it because of the matter of Zhao Yuyan and Zhao Chuanzu, or because of that 'unrivaled' Mountain Roaring Sea Seal? Did you think of me at that time?"

"But the transformation diagram didn't warn me at that time. Could it be that Shangguan Yun just had an impulse at that moment?"

"Fortunately, I don't have the Qilin Blood Gu on me, nor do I have the scent of Xu family blood, nor do I have Zhao Chuanzu's siblings, nor do I have the scent of the Zhao family. Otherwise... if he had discovered it, would he have attacked me right here?"

Just when Chen Ku was guessing, he felt scared, frightened and angry.

A voice was heard not far away.

"Shangguan County Magistrate, as the head of a county and a fifth-level martial artist, you used mental observation on a young man right after meeting him?"

Qin Yuxian stood on the steps of the hall, crossed his arms, and said calmly:

"Whatever the meaning is, it doesn't look good."

Not to mention, he had already intended to give Chen Ku a golden martial arts exam order. Secondly, as a master of his generation, he could not stand such things as the strong bullying the weak.

Hearing this,

Shangguan Yun smiled with his hands behind his back. It was not because Yang Luchan had protected Chen Ku, but because of Qin Yuxian. His eyes regained their bright and restrained state, and he said softly:
"There is no other reason. I just heard that this young shopkeeper Chen used the method of 'spiritual witnessing' to kill a fourth-level warrior in the third level. This county also has an understanding of this, so I wanted to test the ability of young shopkeeper Chen. As expected, there is no false reputation under a great reputation. This young shopkeeper Chen is only seventeen years old, and his cultivation is at the peak of the third level, but he has the 'spiritual power' equivalent to that of a fourth-level warrior. Not much different."

This statement came out.

The three shopkeepers of Yaowang Hall were slightly stunned, and then suddenly delighted. They did not think much about it and believed it a little, but they were very surprised that Chen Ku had actually reached the peak of the third level of Jade Muscle!

When did the breakthrough happen?
But Yang Luchan and Qin Yuxian didn't believe a word of it, especially Yang Luchan. He clearly felt that Shangguan Yun's mental power was as if he could see through Chen Ku from inside out in an instant. There was no intention of testing his talent at all.

Chen Ku felt it most clearly, but this was the county government office and the other party was the county magistrate, so he could only hold back his anger for the time being. After calming down, he spoke softly:
"Thank you for the compliment, sir."

At this moment, I secretly thought:
"Just wait. I'll be keeping an eye on you from today on. Sooner or later, I'll get my revenge."

Last time, he suppressed the remaining soul of the seventh-rank city god and obtained a third-level national dragon energy. If he could kill Shangguan Yun one day, I wonder how many levels of national dragon energy he would get?

Shangguan Yun didn't know what Chen Ku was thinking, he just turned to Qin Yuxian and Tan Chongrui and said:

"Master Qin, and Lord Tan, this county has some other things to do. I will not participate in what you want to discuss with Yaowang Hall. I will leave first."

After saying that, he gave Chen a final wry smile and left with his hands behind his back.

Behind him, Master Sui You also smiled and saluted to the others, then followed them out. (End of this chapter)