Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

In the main hall of the Mingjian Palace in Sword Tower City, the heads of various departments, in order of rank, stood on the left and right sides.

Gao Xianchun, the Commander of the Palace Guard, stood before the chief seat, holding an imperial edict with a red seal, facing the officials of various departments. His expression was solemn as he read out the edict: "The First City Lord has decreed that recently, due to the matter of the Dragon Bone Scripture, heroes from all over the world have gathered at Sword Tower, causing unrest in the city, rampant crime, and widespread anxiety among the people. Furthermore, foreign bandits have infiltrated Sword Tower with the intention of plotting rebellion. The First City Lord is deeply worried."

"Zhou Qingfeng, the Deputy Commander of the Censorate, is hereby appointed to temporarily lead the Censorate, coordinate all departments, and be responsible for maintaining stability and security, curbing chaos, restoring order, and capturing foreign bandits. For this purpose, the First City Lord hereby bestows upon Zhou Qingfeng the title of 'Supervisor of Security' and authorizes him to act at his discretion."

"From this day forward, all officials of the Censorate must fully cooperate and must not make any mistakes. Those who violate this rule will be dismissed from their posts and punished according to the law."

"We will obey the city lord's command." Zhou Qingfeng, Mao Anshi, and Jiang Xuanling were the first to clasp their fists and bow in response. Then, the heads of the First Inspection Division, the Second Advisory Division, the Third Drum Inspection Division, the Fourth Ever-Normal Granary Division, the Fifth Plum Blossom Division, and the Sixth Demon Suppression Division all clasped their fists in response.

The Seventh Secret Service also sent people, but their attire stood out from the crowd, as the representative of the Secret Service was wearing a plum blossom mask.

The Fifth Division currently has no head, and the deputy head position is also vacant. The highest-ranking official is only at the level of Director, and the Director-level officials are Pei Xingchun, Jin Wei, and Zhiqi. The person representing the Fifth Division this time is naturally Jin Wei, Director Jin, the number one lackey of the Zhou family.

Gao Xianchun, the commander of the Imperial Guard, turned to Zhou Qingfeng and said, "Your Excellency, please receive the imperial decree."

Zhou Qingfeng stepped forward and respectfully accepted the imperial decree: "The city lord has entrusted me with an important task, and I will certainly go through fire and water without hesitation."

The title of "Commander-in-Chief of Public Security" sounds impressive, and it is indeed quite prestigious. This is because it is a temporary, unranked position established only in emergencies. It is not permanent, has no salary or benefits, and is a very rare type of official.

The main reason is that the supreme commander needs to coordinate multiple departments, maintain city security, and respond to emergencies. Therefore, the supreme commander must have a title to clarify the scope of authority and let all officials and civilians know Zhou Qingfeng's new position and his responsibilities so that he can effectively carry out the mission. At the same time, this also enhances the legitimacy and authority of his orders.

To put it bluntly, actions must be legal, compliant, legitimate, and procedurally correct. Otherwise, with so many departments, each with its own head and senior leader in charge, why should they listen to Zhou Qingfeng? There must be a legitimate and legal basis for their actions.

Zhou Qingfeng is not the first, nor will he be the last, to be appointed as the Commander of Public Security.

When chaos erupts in Sword Tower City, requiring multiple departments to work together to maintain its security, a Governor-General of Security will be appointed as an emergency measure. Once the city is safe and the various departments no longer coordinate, the Governor-General of Security will be dismissed.

We have no choice but to abolish it, because the power of the Admiral of Public Security is too great.

If this system is established long-term, it will inevitably become all-powerful and threaten the authority of the city lord. This is unacceptable.

Even Qiu Chengde, the chief commander of the Censorate, was checked and balanced by his two deputy commanders, Mao Anshi and Jiang Xuanling. Qiu Chengde could not completely control the situation and establish a true one-man rule. Therefore, his power was still subject to certain constraints.

Gao Xianchun clasped his hands in a fist and smiled, "Congratulations, Admiral Zhou."

Zhou Qingfeng said with a smile, "Congratulations to you too."

Gao Xianchun clasped his hands and said, "I am here today to deliver an imperial edict, as I have already read it. I cannot linger any longer and will take my leave."

Zhou Qingfeng gestured with one hand and nodded with a smile: "Please make yourself at home, Lord Gao."

Gao Xianchun nodded slightly, strode out of Mingjian Hall, and quickly left with the red-armored imperial guards waiting outside.

Inside the main hall of the Mingjian Hall, all the high-ranking officials gathered together. Zhou Qingfeng remained calm and composed, holding the city lord's decree as he walked to the head seat, but did not sit down arrogantly, because that was not the place for him: "Colleagues, please move to the side hall to sit down and discuss this further."

Upon hearing this, the officials of the Seven Departments and the two deputy commanders, Mao Jiang and Zhou Qingfeng, all nodded in agreement and followed Zhou Qingfeng into the side hall.

Then, according to their official rank and seniority, they took their seats one by one. Jin Wei was fortunate enough to be seated at the end of the table thanks to Zhou Qingfeng. Otherwise, in principle, an official of his rank would not even be qualified to attend such a high-level summit.

Zhou Qingfeng said, "Jin Wei, distribute the detailed plan I've prepared to all my colleagues for review. We'll talk after they've read it."

Upon hearing this, Jin Wei nodded, stood up, and distributed stacks of meticulously copied plans to the heads of various departments, as well as the two deputy commanders, Mao Anshi and Jiang Xuanling. The entire side hall was silent except for the rustling sound of turning pages.

Half an hour later, all the officials had finished reading.

Mao Anshi nodded and smiled: "Admiral Zhou, this plan is both detailed and concise; it seems you've put a lot of thought into it."

Zhou Qingfeng smiled slightly: "Lord Mao, you flatter me. As the city magistrate, I dare not be negligent. Please give me some pointers."

Mao Anshi said, "Admiral Zhou's plan is perfect, there's nothing to criticize. I fully support it, Lord Jiang?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuanling closed the plan and chuckled, "This official will certainly give it my full support."

As soon as the two giants, Mao and Jiang, expressed their support, the heads of the four departments immediately followed suit with their own expressions of support, without any objection.

All five locations are staffed by our own people, so there's no need to elaborate.

The head of the Sixth Bureau of Demon Suppression said, "Admiral Zhou, in my opinion, there is no better plan than to hold the Millennium Dragon Ascension Banquet. This will not only cut off the source of chaos, but also capture foreign bandits. It is a double win. I admire you to the core."

Zhou Qingfeng, who loved those who knew how to seize the moment, smiled and pointed, saying, "Manager Yan, you flatter me."

Yan Jiufang, the head of the Sixth Demon Suppression Division, is a peak-level cultivator in the Appetite Realm. His subordinates are all skilled warriors who excel in both literature and martial arts. He acts as the city lord to inspect the fiefdom, supervise local officials' administration and justice, and suppress local demons and monsters. Xiao Hongyun and Ye Tingxiu trained in the Demon Suppression Division.

The Demon Suppression Division is known to the outside world as a formidable fighting force, extremely formidable, with each member being an elite with rich combat experience. The casualty rate of its middle and lower-level officials is the highest among all departments, and its compensation for the deceased is also the highest. It is constantly recruiting new members.

Mid- to low-ranking officials were often sent out of the city to inspect their fiefdoms. Without a few tricks to protect themselves, they would have died a violent death long ago. Of course, while there were many disadvantages, there were also many advantages. They would never lack merit, and as long as they dared to risk their lives, they would be rewarded continuously and promoted far faster than their ordinary colleagues.

Putting aside the underhanded spies of the Secret Service, it's no exaggeration to say that among the remaining six departments, the officials of the Demon Suppression Department are the strongest in combat power.

These officials of the Demon Suppression Division are called civil officials, but in reality they are the martial arts faction among civil officials. They have been walking on the edge of life and death for many years and are very good at one-on-one duels and small team battles. If the various departments were to hold an internal arena competition, the Demon Suppression Division would probably be the best in both one-on-one and team battles.

Yan Jiufang said, "I have long heard of the Admiral's reputation, but I have never had the opportunity to meet you. I am truly honored to be able to work with you this time. If you have any orders, the entire Demon Suppression Division will do our utmost to assist you without hesitation!"

Zhou Qingfeng said, "Good, with Lord Yan's words, I can rest assured."