From Celestial Official to Great Celestial Venerable

Chapter 87 Parents
Inside Sun Qinghan's official residence, the atmosphere was elegant. Because it was late at night, a lamp hung in the room like a small moon, shining brightly.

"Three choices?"

Qin Chuan sat on the prayer mat opposite the official's desk. Upon hearing Sun Qinghan's words that he had been given at least three options, he immediately became serious and respectfully said:

"Please tell me."

"The first one is to be my chief secretary. The chief secretary position requires him to follow me around every day. He needs to be very spiritual and arrange many tasks within the county temple."

Sun Qinghan held up three fingers, then bent them down one by one:

"Secondly, a local abbot in Guniu Town recently retired, and the former deputy abbot was promoted. Now there's a vacancy for a local deputy abbot. If you're willing, you can go there to hone your abilities. It happens to be your hometown, and you're familiar with the local customs and clan relationships, so you can carry out your work smoothly. Thirdly, there's the series of chain reactions caused by the events you encountered on your trip to the heavens..."

After saying that, Sun Qinghan handed Qin Chuan a copy of the official gazette and asked him to read it.

Qin Chuan looked over and saw that it was the Heavenly Court's official newspaper, with the headline proclaiming, "Purge the mythological members within the Eastern Divine Continent! Conduct a thorough investigation! Strictly investigate! Prosecute severely! Punish severely!"

To this end, the Heavenly Court established the "Eight Caves Inspection Office" to specifically inspect the various grotto heavens.

"Our local blessed land and county should respond vigorously to this divine decree and welcome the Taoists from the Inspection Office to inspect our cultivation work. At the same time, we should also respond actively by strictly controlling the influence of the inspection myth in all localities and rectifying the internal affairs of the Taoist community, kicking out a group of corrupt and incompetent people from the Taoist community."

Sun Qinghan slowly said:
"The staff of the Immortal Judgment Division and the Immortal Inspection Division in the county need to be increased, especially the Immortal Inspection Division. We plan to add another department to observe the universe to cooperate with the Heavenly Court's determination. This is your third option."

Qin Chuan was greatly moved upon hearing this.

There are three choices. One is to become Sun Qinghan's confidant completely. If you choose that, you will undoubtedly have a more valuable status than Chu Yunce in the chanting group.

Brother Chu Yuance was merely serving as the scribe for Han Sanshan's Longevity Position, yet he directly became the core leader of the Scripture Recitation Association. If he were to become the scribe for the Deputy County God, Qin Chuan would likely be the head of the Scripture Recitation Association.

The clerk of the county magistrate wielded far too much hidden power.

However, there is also a drawback: the county god's status changes along with the county god's. If the county god is promoted, he may also be promoted. If the county god gets into trouble, he will be the first to be affected.

Qin Chuan knew that Sun Qinghan had a very powerful background, and in a small place like Jiuchuan County, the probability of something happening to her was almost zero.

The second option was to have him directly govern a local township. Guniu Town was one of the top five townships in Jiuchuan County in terms of fortune, and it was also his hometown. It could be said that if he returned to his hometown as a deputy abbot, it would be a return to his hometown in wealth and honor, one of the most satisfying things in his life.

At the same time, the deputy abbot of a town or village temple still wields real local power, since a local official is more powerful than a county official.

The final choice left Qin Chuan momentarily bewildered.

The Bureau of Immortal Judgment, the Bureau of Immortal Inspection...

Wasn't this the dream job he had previously imagined—the one where he could "expropriately search and confiscate cave dwellings"? It was one of the positions most suited to his Heavenly Essence Furnace.

For a moment, Qin Chuan fell into thought.

Finally, looking at Sun Qinghan, he asked:

"The county magistrate gave me three choices, but I can't decide right now. Can you let me think about it carefully?"

Sun Qinghan said, "I only have three suggestions here. In the end, it depends on how you talk to the fellow Daoists at Zhuoxiantai. But I can tell you some frank words. Of these three options, I would like to transfer you to be the head clerk the most. But I also know that this position is a bit of a waste of your talents. You will only be around me and the county temple every day. It will definitely not allow you to fully realize your ambitions and abilities."

The second option is actually the best for you. Now is the time when the Heavenly Court Avenue is in full swing, and it is also the easiest time to achieve results. You are fully involved in the Liuxiang Orange Project. As long as the Liuxiang Orange is successfully planted, if you take office in Guniu Town, it will be easy to cooperate with the county temple and achieve results.

Finally, there's the third option, which isn't bad or bad, but it carries the most real power and the heaviest responsibility. If they get serious, even I, the county magistrate, can be investigated.

Qin Chuan knew that Sun Qinghan's last sentence was just talk.

After thinking it over, he said:

Do I need to make a decision now?

“No rush. You can think about it slowly when you get back. Finally, when your fellow Daoists at Zhuoxiantai come to talk to you, just tell them your final decision. What I just told you means I accept any choice you make.” Sun Qinghan smiled at Qin Chuan.

Qin Chuan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Don't worry, County God, I will definitely not let you down."

"Alright, let's stop here for today. You've just returned from a three-month business trip, so I'll give you three days off. I heard you haven't been home for more than half a year since you took office, so spend these three days at home with your family."

Sun Qinghan said:
"Three days later, return to Nongling Temple to continue your work. Before any personnel changes, you must stand firm at your post until the very end. You must not let your mind be restless and affect your work."

"Yes." Qin Chuan stood up to assure him, then said:

"Then I'll be going now, County God. You should get some rest too."

Sun Qinghan watched Qin Chuan leave, and closed the door behind her as she went.

She was also looking forward to Qin Chuan's choice: would he choose to come to her side directly, or would he be sent to a lower-level area for training?

To be honest, she actually hoped that Qin Chuan would be her chief secretary, but she didn't really want Qin Chuan to be so unambitious. While the chief secretary could certainly help her do good things, it would be taking shortcuts and wouldn't show Qin Chuan's vision.

After talking with her mother, she thought about it seriously. If she wanted to cultivate smoothly on this path, she definitely didn't need a clever and quick-witted scribe, but a capable and shrewd subordinate, a fellow cultivator.

If Qin Chuan could choose to train in a local area, he would quickly achieve results. When I enter the blessed land in the future, he could follow closely behind me and cooperate closely.

Ideally, while she is still in charge of Jiuchuan, Qin Chuan should quickly accomplish something so that she has a reason to promote him to the county temple so that he can cooperate with her to carry out her work more effectively and smoothly.

After leaving the county temple, Qin Chuan was also considering these three options.

There was no immediate inclination.

I can only give myself three days off and think about it slowly.

Before going home, I went to a shop in the county to buy many things as gifts.

With his current level of cultivation.

Even without flying boats and horse-drawn carriages, the thirty-mile journey from the county seat to Guniu Town takes only the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.

Seeing his three old tiled houses in the distance, with smoke rising from the kitchen, Qin Chuan felt a pang of sadness. He hadn't been back for half a year since he started working.

Smelling the aroma of home-cooked food wafting through the air, he carried several large bags into the yard and called out towards the kitchen:
"Mom, I'm back."

With a shout.

A little girl rushed out of the kitchen first, and upon seeing the young man in a Taoist robe standing outside, she excitedly shouted:

"elder brother!"

Immediately following was Qin's mother, holding a spatula and wearing an apron, and then, excitedly rushing out of the large, tiled room opposite the kitchen, still wearing her old cloth shoes without even putting them on properly:
"My child, you're back."

Qin Chuan looked at his beloved parents and adorable younger sister, and a relaxed smile spread across his face. As he carried his things into the main room, he patted his sister's head and said:
"Well, I just arrived in the county this afternoon. After reporting to the temple, the county god gave me three days off, so I came back. Dad, Mom, look, these are the clothes I bought for you from Perfect World, as well as many local specialties. And Kui'er, these are some delicious snacks from outer space that I brought for you."

Although his trip to outer space was a normal job, he never forgot to bring back some local specialties from outer space for his parents, who had never even left Jiuchuan County, and his lovely younger sister.

Watching Qin Chuan open the package he was carrying, he saw many strange and wonderful things emerge from his palm.

Qin's mother found it strange, but subconsciously began to lecture, "You child, not only did you send all the spiritual energy you earned back home, but this time you went to the outer heavens and bought so many things for the family. Things there are so expensive..."

Qin Geng said to his wife with dissatisfaction: "Go away, women are such a spoilsport. The kids finally get to go out of town and come back to buy some things for the family, and you still have to nag them. You don't understand what children are thinking at all."

Qin Chuan laughed and said, "Mother, these things are not worth much money. Only this listening box is a little more expensive. But even though it is expensive, with this thing, you can listen to the news and operas at home. Maybe, when I go out to heaven again, you will be able to hear where I am directly from up there."

Listening box.

Goodness~
Qin Geng's eyes widened. In this town, only the clan chief's family had one. Now their family also had this rare item.

After being scolded by her husband, Qin's mother, though still feeling that the item must be very expensive, dared not say anything more. Knowing that she had spoiled the mood, she said, "Alright, alright, alright, son, I won't scold you anymore. There are still vegetables cooking in the pot. I'll go prepare the rice first. You just tell your father... the rice will be ready in a little while."

"Mother, wait a minute, try this first, then go." Qin Chuan took out a spirit orange from the Cui Luan Mountain Spirit Orange Garden, peeled it, fed a segment to his mother, and asked with a smile, "How is it? Sweet?"

"Sweet...sweet..." Qin's mother mumbled through her mouth as she continued to the kitchen, wielding the spatula.

"Brother, I want some too!" The little girl stood on tiptoe, her mouth watering at the smell of the oranges, and eagerly reached for them.

Qin Chuan handed her the remaining oranges and said with a smile, "Go, feed Daddy a piece, and then they're all yours."

This spirit orange contains spiritual energy. Although ordinary people cannot cultivate or refine it without a certificate, it is still very enjoyable to taste its flavor.

(End of this chapter)