Fantasy: Immortality Begins with Absorbing Demons

Chapter 424 Taking Office (Part Two)

The Inspector's Office is not far from the restaurant where Han Yi just ate, only two or three blocks away, both located in the center of the town.

The only difference is that the area around the Inspector's Office is surrounded by trees and lush greenery, making it relatively quiet.

The interior of the inspector's residence was not complicated. Apart from the two large courtyards in the front and back, the rooms on both sides were square, as if they were for servants and laborers.

In the very center is a small building, about two or three stories high, with an overall gray and white exterior, and eaves with brackets and upturned corners, making it elegant and dignified.

Although Han Yi hadn't gone inside yet, he could see through the building entrance that the first floor seemed to be a large hall.

Having seen most of the inspector's residence, he decided to stop wasting time and went straight into the small building in the middle.

Guided by the butler Yang Du, we went up the stairs on the side of the first-floor lobby to the second floor, which was also his daily office area for handling various matters.

The study door was open, and in the space that was half the size of a hall, there was a large table and two rows of large bookshelves behind it.

On the table were two candlesticks, exquisitely shaped like lotus stamens, with stands around them holding several candles, illuminating the entire study brightly.

Han Yi pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.

There were all sorts of documents on the table, which looked like they had been accumulating for some time.

"Should I read it to you, sir?" Yang Du asked cautiously.

These days, the prevailing attitude is to value martial arts over literature. There are many martial arts masters who are strong in strength but weak in reading and writing.

"No need, I can look at them myself." Han Yi waved his hand and casually took out a few documents to look at.

Basically, the content consists of matters that the three hall masters cannot decide on their own, or that require the approval of the inspector.

For example, Xuanwu Hall recently wanted to expand its manpower to facilitate maintaining security in the Qiyun Mountain area, and wanted the inspector's approval.

For example, if several wealthy merchants from outside wanted to acquire minerals and special products from the mines, the inspector would need to go and negotiate with them.

For example, if a monster appears in the industrial area, or bandits roam the trade route, the patrol envoy may be requested to intervene.

Besides these, there are some minor matters, such as the opening of a shop, restaurant, or flower shop in Jingming Town, where the inspector is requested to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony, have a casual meal, and receive a small gift... or there are several people with significant conflicts who need the inspector's mediation...

After reading for a while, Han Yi roughly understood the position of Inspector, its specific responsibilities, and what it should entail.

Butler Yang Du stood quietly on one side of the study, waiting patiently.

Han Yi got up and, led by Yang Du, left the study and went to the bedroom on the third floor.

The washroom and bedroom were far more luxurious than the small courtyard he had lived in before in Jiuquyuan.

"Sir, there's a bell here on the bed. Just call me if you need anything at night," Yang Du said, pointing to a bell by the bed.

Han Yi nodded, then waved for him to leave.

When Yang Du left, he wanted the two beautiful maids following behind him to serve him in bed, but Han Yi refused.

He wasn't the kind of person who was lustful, nor did he have that kind of interest.

Besides, he had witnessed firsthand the casual and decadent lifestyle among martial arts masters. These maids had slept with countless previous inspectors, and he didn't even consider them worthy of his attention.

......

......

The next morning.

The sun was rising, and the morning light was just beginning to shine; it looked like it would be a beautiful day.

Led by Qu Qiao and Zhu Haishan, Han Yi left Jingming Town and climbed up the mountain road. Soon, he arrived at a mining area.

The stone pits looked like craters blasted open by artillery shells, scattered here and there, some over ten meters wide and others over two meters wide.

"Why are there so many potholes here?" Han Yi sat in the carriage, squinting at the scenery outside.

“Inspector Han, this place was previously surveyed for mineral veins, but nothing was found. Later, it became a quarry, and many houses in the town were built with stones quarried from here,” Zhu Haishan replied quickly.

"I see..." Han Yi nodded.

The group continued onward, and the higher they went, the steeper the mountain path became, and the more bumpy the carriage became.

Even though Old Ma was intelligent and tried to slow down, the wheels still occasionally crushed pieces of gravel, making a cracking sound and causing the carriage to sway again.

"Let's stop here for now and walk the rest of the way," Han Yi instructed Old Li, then quietly got out of the car.

Old Li was the same coachman who took him back to the inspector's residence yesterday.

He was a man of few words, quiet and reserved, and his old horse complemented him perfectly.

Led by Zhu Haishan and the other man, Han Yi quickly traversed the rugged mountain path and arrived at a relatively flat area.

Here, Jingtianzhuang built a small cluster of stone houses. The foremen, miners, and sect disciples who came to mine would temporarily reside here, thus forming a small village.

The village is called Mining Village.

Ahead, in a honeycomb-like mine shaft, miners were constantly going in and out.

They carried huge baskets on their backs, held pickaxes in their hands, and looked exhausted, but hopeful. After mining a certain amount, they would send the ore back to the village, and then several tall men would manually push carts one by one down the mountain to the blacksmith's shop.

This small vehicle has only three wheels and is a specially modified transport vehicle designed to facilitate transportation in the mountains.

Once you reach the craftsmen's shops and blacksmith's shops at the foot of the mountain, blacksmiths will refine the rough ore or forge weapons before sending them to Jingtian Village.

This is a complete circular chain.

Han Yi saw this scene and a hint of nostalgia flashed across his face.

Who would have thought that he too had worked in mining, rising from a mining apprentice to his current position through hard work and perseverance...

Even he himself hadn't expected it.

He had a general understanding of the mineral veins here before he came.

The Qiyun Mountain mineral vein is quite large; preliminary surveys indicate it is a major vein. In addition to the common iron ore and copper used for weapon forging, there are also several associated mineral veins.

Some rare minerals, such as "Kongsang Stone" and "Huangyan Jade", are also occasionally found here.

Han Yi suddenly understood why Master Zhong Yunxiu had given up the more profitable peripheral industries such as tea gardens and orchards, and specially secured this area for him.

Clearly, the most important part of the Qiyun Mountain area is the mining area. Although it is not large, it is extremely important to Jingtian Manor as a whole, which is also a major reason why the deputy manor lord, Fang He, wants to get involved.

"Are all the miners here from Jingming Town?" Han Yi asked casually, snapping out of his reverie.

“That’s right, they’re mostly from nearby villages. The mining here pays well, so they all came voluntarily,” Zhu Haishan quickly replied.

"Yes." Han Yi nodded. "We must pay close attention to the distribution of various benefits and treatments, and not tarnish the reputation of Jingtian Manor."

Those who have been caught in the rain understand better how to hold an umbrella for others.