Chapter 184 New Decree for Administration

In the back hall of the county government office, white mourning banners hung high. The coffin of Xu Changze rested in the center, while a few clerks dressed in mourning clothes knelt on either side, their faces expressionless.

Zhou Huaian had changed into plain everyday clothes. He stood solemnly before the spirit tablet, holding three sticks of incense, his expression filled with grief, murmuring words under his breath.

As Chen Mu and Liu Ziming stepped into the mourning hall, Zhou Huaian happened to be inserting the incense into the burner. He turned to look at them, his gaze lingering briefly on Liu Ziming before settling on Chen Mu.

"This must be Chief Chen, right?"

Zhou Huaian spoke first, the look of admiration on his face growing more pronounced.

"A hero truly emerges from the youth. I have heard a little about the details of Brother Xu's martyrdom last night. It was thanks to Chief Chen and the other brave warriors fighting with all your might that you were able to slay the fox demon and preserve Yunmeng. Brother Xu's spirit in heaven will surely be grateful."

Chen Mu cupped his hands in a salute, his tone flat and calm.

"It was my duty; I dare not accept such undeserved praise from you, my Lord."

Zhou Huaian nodded, sighing repeatedly.

"Rare, truly rare. To be so young and achieve such a great feat yet remain so humble and composed is truly not easy. Now that Yunmeng has suffered this calamity, it is in dire need of pillars of talent like Chief Chen to stabilize the situation and protect the common people."

His words elevated Chen Mu to a very high position, yet he avoided mentioning any specific details of last night, nor did he touch upon the true cause of Xu Changze's death.

Chen Mu remained unmoved, replying only briefly.

"Lord Zhou, you flatter me too much."

Zhou Huaian did not mind at all and turned to look at Liu Ziming.

"Chief Liu, has everyone been notified?"

Liu Ziming nodded slightly.

"Reporting to you, my Lord, the heads of the six departments and the members of the Demon Suppression Division are already waiting in the second hall. We have also sent someone to invite Lord Wang, but the City God Temple has many complex affairs, so I fear we may need to wait a moment."

Zhou Huaian nodded, his demeanor very reasonable.

"No matter. Lord Wang holds a divine office and has his own important tasks, so we shall just wait a while. For now, let us go to the second hall to meet everyone. There are some things that need to be stated publicly to calm the hearts of the people."

Inside the second hall, the atmosphere was heavy. Everyone had different expressions; some were bewildered, some were uneasy, and the more astute ones were already secretly sizing up this magistrate from the neighboring county.

Zhou Huaian stepped into the second hall, naturally sat down in the main seat, scanned the crowd, and spoke slowly.

"Everyone, I am Zhou Huaian, the Magistrate of Anlu County. I was a close friend of Magistrate Xu, having passed the imperial examinations in the same year. I was shocked to hear that Brother Xu died in the line of duty last night. Yunmeng has lost a pillar, and I am deeply devastated."

His tone was heavy, and he paused for a moment before continuing.

"However, although the demons have retreated, hidden dangers remain. The people are still in shock, and everything is waiting to be rebuilt. A county cannot be without a leader, and administrative orders must be communicated. I have already sent an urgent report to the Prefecture, explaining the stakes. I am willing, during this extraordinary period, to temporarily act as the administrator for Yunmeng's military and political affairs, to overcome these difficult times together with all of you, protect the borders and the people, and await the imperial court's official orders."

These words sounded high-minded, but those with discerning eyes had already noticed the armored soldiers he had brought with him, the meaning of which was self-evident.

The people in the hall looked at each other, none daring to be the first to speak. The several department heads exchanged glances, while the members of the Demon Suppression Division all looked at Liu Ziming and Chen Mu.

Zhou Huaian took in everyone's reactions, smiled slightly, let his gaze fall on Chen Mu, and his tone became even gentler.

"Especially the Demon Suppression Division, which shoulders the heavy responsibility of slaying demons and protecting the people. In these troubled times, you are the backbone."

"Chief Chen, Chief Liu, I hope the two of you will put in much effort in the future. I will certainly fully support everything the Demon Suppression Division needs!"

This was a public gesture of goodwill, and it also placed the Demon Suppression Division, especially Chen Mu, in the spotlight.

Just at this moment, a bailiff's report came from outside the door.

"Reporting to you, my Lord, Lord Wang from the City God Temple has arrived."

Everyone held their breath to look. They saw Old Wang the Lame still wearing that green robe, walking in with a limp, supported by two temple attendants. His head was bowed, as if he did not dare to look at the people in the hall.

Zhou Huaian immediately stood up and even took a few steps forward to welcome him.

"Lord Wang, you have come personally; I failed to welcome you from afar. Lord Wang, you are temporarily holding the divine office, protecting the Yin and Yang. You have worked hard."

Old Wang the Lame hurriedly returned the salute, but even his fingers were trembling, and his voice was hoarse.

"Lord Zhou, you are too kind; you embarrass this old man. It is my duty; I dare not speak of hardship."

Zhou Huaian invited him to sit aside, his attitude respectful.

He also knew deeply that in this world where gods and ghosts manifest, the attitude of the City God Temple carried immense weight in the hearts of the people of Yunmeng. If he secured Old Wang the Lame, it would be equivalent to securing the hearts of most of the people.

After Old Wang the Lame sat down, Zhou Huaian returned to the main seat, his expression turning serious, and his voice raised a notch.

"Since everyone has arrived, I will speak directly."

"The current top priority is to stabilize public sentiment and restore order. Magistrate Xu died for his country, a heroic sacrifice worthy of praise. The matters of his posthumous honor and compensation must be handled immediately. It must be grand to comfort his heroic spirit and calm the hearts of the people."

"This matter shall be handled by Chief Liu."

Liu Ziming heard this, his eyelids twitched, and he cursed inwardly.

This guy, the moment he arrived, sent him off to do this thankless, trivial task. It was clearly to remove him from core affairs, but on the surface, he could only accept the order.

"As you command."

Zhou Huaian nodded and continued giving orders.

"Secondly, city defense and public security must be strengthened immediately. The twenty armored soldiers I brought will assist in defending the four gates and important government locations. The Demon Suppression Division needs to increase the intensity of patrols, especially at night, to strictly prevent demons from attacking again."

"Chief Chen, you are exceptionally brave. I entrust the heavy burden of patrolling to you. You have the full authority to deploy bailiffs and militia. If you have any needs, report directly to me."

This move directly handed over part of the public security power to Chen Mu. It seemed like he was being entrusted with a major role, but in reality, it placed Chen Mu in the open, making it convenient to monitor him.

Chen Mu could not be bothered to worry about the rights and wrongs behind this. He made eye contact with Zhou Huaian, nodded, and said nothing more.

Zhou Huaian was very satisfied with his reaction and continued.

"Third, and also the most critical matter at the moment."

He paused and scanned the entire room.

"I received confirmed news when I arrived that a Special Envoy from the Prefecture will arrive in Yunmeng in a few days to inspect the administration, especially the full story of this demon infestation."

As soon as these words were spoken, a stir immediately arose in the hall.

Everyone knew the Special Envoy was coming, but they did not expect it to happen just after Xu Changze had died and the situation was still unstable.

Is the Special Envoy's arrival at this time a blessing or a curse?

Zhou Huaian looked at the crowd, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly, his tone becoming even more solemn.

"The Special Envoy's personal arrival concerns the future of everyone in Yunmeng, and it also concerns the imperial court's conclusion on this incident. Therefore, all aftermath matters must be handled properly before the Special Envoy arrives, especially..."

As he spoke, he fixed his gaze tightly on Liu Ziming and Chen Mu.

"The process and credit for slaying the fox demon and quelling the disaster must be sorted out clearly and formed into a detailed file to be reported to me. This is the achievement of all of Yunmeng, and it is also an explanation to the imperial court and the people."

The map was unrolled, and the dagger was revealed; Liu Ziming sneered inwardly.

He had originally heard that he commanded well and was still wondering, could this person really be here just to assist in defense? Why did he not mention Yunmeng's taxes, mineral veins, or trade routes at all? After all, these were all fat pieces of meat.

Now he understood; it turned out this Lord Zhou had quite the ambition.

He had been eager to seize power before, perhaps truly just wanting to profit from the chaos, but after learning the news of the Special Envoy's arrival, he immediately changed his mind.

The oil and water in this small pond of Yunmeng, how could they be more important than performing in front of the Special Envoy and gaining political achievements?

As long as the credit for quelling the demon disaster was attributed to everyone in Yunmeng, he, Zhou Huaian, as the temporary person in charge, would naturally be able to share in some of the political achievements, and even more so, gain the credit for stabilizing Yunmeng.

And as for Chen Mu, the true slayer, as long as he was appeased and did not cause trouble, it would be the best proof that he, Zhou Huaian, was good at using people and stabilizing the situation.

He wanted the credit, and he also wanted to stabilize Chen Mu, the greatest variable and source of credit.

Thinking this, Zhou Huaian had already stood up, his tone earnest.

"Everyone, at this time of danger, it is precisely the moment for us to work together with all our might. As long as we respond properly, this calamity might not necessarily fail to become an opportunity for Yunmeng's Rebirth, and it is also a stepping stone for your advancement. I hope you will all strive together."