Chương 15: Questions in the Temple

The Spirit Officer Hall appeared small from the outside, but inside it was surprisingly vast and grand. The entire hall was built from white jade stone, with pillars carved with ancient tiger and cloud patterns. Bright lamps hung from the high ceiling, casting soft light across the spacious chamber. The jade floor tiles were smooth and gleaming, exuding a sacred and solemn atmosphere. Yang Fan walked in and saw a man in white standing at the center of the hall.

He wore a plain, elegant robe with cloud patterns, clean and well-fitted, giving him a tall, upright bearing. His face was fair and regular-featured, and he looked like a young man in his twenties. But when Yang Fan approached, he saw that this man's level was also displayed as question marks, and his name tag read "White Tiger Temple Divine Officer," clearly a powerful NPC.

"Set Sail, Hundred Commander, what brings you to see me today?" the Divine Officer asked with a smile. A branch temple head treating him with such courtesy meant the Hundred Commander rank carried significant weight. Yang Fan looked at the respectful officer and asked, "Divine Officer, have you ever heard of someone named Ying Yao?"

"Ying Yao!" The officer's face flickered with obvious surprise, and his voice rose in pitch. But he quickly regained his composure and shook his head.

"I do not know. I have never heard of him." Yang Fan watched the officer's forced calm and felt a surge of contempt. He decided to call out the lie directly.

"Why is the Divine Officer lying to me? Is there some secret you cannot share?" The Divine Officer remained silent, seemingly unwilling to speak further. Yang Fan realized his approach might be wrong. He decided to try a different tactic and chat casually to build rapport.

"Divine Officer, how old are you? Where do you live?"

"Do you have a wife? How many children?"

"What are your hobbies? Do you play cards? Want a round?"

"Are your parents still alive? What name did they give you?" Faced with this barrage of nonsense, the expressionless Divine Officer finally lost his patience and issued a dismissal.

"Hundred Commander, if you have no other business, please leave. I have official duties to attend to." Yang Fan was not about to give up. He decided to bluff and intimidate the officer.

"Divine Officer, I was sent here by the Prefect. I suggest you answer my questions, or else you might find yourself out of a job." The Divine Officer scoffed.

"Which Prefect? Longxi? He has no authority over me. And if the Longxi Prefect wanted answers, why would he ask me? He could simply ask the Divine Minister."

"The Divine Minister? Where is he?" Yang Fan pressed. The officer gave Yang Fan a slightly surprised look and said, "Hundred Commander, there is no need to pretend. The Divine Minister I speak of is the one at the White Tiger Temple in Longxi Prefecture." Yang Fan's heart sank. Everyone kept pointing back to Longxi Prefecture. After all that traveling, he still had to return to the Western Province.

He stopped wasting time with the officer, left the temple, and took a teleportation array to Longxi Prefecture in the Western Province. Upon arriving, Yang Fan did not head straight to the White Tiger Temple. Instead, he went to the Longxi Prefecture government office. He planned to learn more from the Prefect and also complete his guild entry quest. Longxi Prefecture was a vast city with orderly streets. The government office sat at the city center, its blue bricks and red tiles exuding authority.

The courtyard was neat and solemn, radiating official dignity. Guards stood at the gate, but they stepped aside respectfully when they saw Yang Fan's Hundred Commander status. He was led inside by a servant and soon met the Prefect. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The Longxi Prefect was a man in his fifties, wearing the standard blue imperial official robe. His face was square and broad, with a high forehead and a strong jaw.

His eyes were steady and calm, his features sharp and dignified. A touch of white at his temples gave him an air of authority.

"Set Sail, Hundred Commander, you are still alive. I am relieved to see you safe," the Prefect said with a hearty laugh. Yang Fan's mouth twitched. He had known there was danger, and he was glad he had left early to grind in the Southern Province. Unlike the magistrate's flowery language, the Prefect spoke more directly and honestly. So he asked outright, "Prefect, can you give me a clear picture of how dangerous my situation really is?" The Prefect reassured him, "Do not worry, Hundred Commander.

You are an imperial officer. No one would dare to openly attack you. However, you killed Qi Tongluo, and he was a close associate of Qi Jingsong. It is very likely that Qi Jingsong will send assassins after you. You must be careful."

"Who is Qi Tongluo?" Yang Fan asked.

"And who is Qi Jingsong?" The Prefect answered, "Qi Tongluo was the lord of the Black Snake stronghold. He took orders from Qi Jingsong, who is the Qi Clan's representative in Longxi Prefecture. Qi Jingsong is also the Prefectural Commander, in charge of the local military." So Qi Jingsong was the commander the stronghold lord had mentioned. Yang Fan understood now. Qi Jingsong would not let him off easily, especially since he still possessed the bronze armguards that the commander wanted.

The Prefect sighed heavily and continued, "I had previously promoted a Major to try and reclaim some military power. But he was killed just a few days into his post while on a mission. The killer was the Black Snake stronghold lord. Your elimination of him was a great service. You would even qualify for the rank of Major. But due to your limited experience, I could only grant you Hundred Commander. Do not worry. After a period of training, I will promote you." Promote him? Yang Fan thought to himself.

The last Major had been killed within days. If he became a Major, he would be hunted constantly, leaving no time to level up. High ranks were tempting, but his level was too low to handle the danger. He regretted not resisting the lure of rewards more firmly. That cursed magistrate had led him into this mess. Then a new question struck him. The Prefect was part of the imperial clan, the most powerful faction in the empire. Why was he so helpless? Yang Fan asked, "Prefect, we are part of the imperial clan.

How did the Qi Clan gain control of the military?" The Prefect explained, "In the past, only the Central Province was directly ruled by the imperial family. The other eight provinces were governed by eight great noble families. The empire did not interfere directly. Over time, these families grew powerful using provincial resources. By the time the current emperor ascended, they had become a threat. The emperor decided to weaken them.

He abolished the nine-province system and divided the empire into eighty-one prefectures. Now, prefects report directly to the emperor." Yang Fan was surprised.

"And the eight families agreed to that?"

"Of course not," the Prefect continued.

"But the emperor used a strategy. For example, the Western Province has nine prefectures. The Qi Clan can only recommend one prefect. The other eight positions are filled by recommendations from the other seven noble families and the imperial clan. This gives other families a chance to gain influence in the Western Province. The same applies to the other provinces." Yang Fan was puzzled.

"How did the eight families agree to such an arrangement?" The Prefect explained, "Ambitious families saw it as an opportunity to expand. Even those without ambition could not defy the emperor's decree. So they had no choice but to agree."

"So each prefect is sent alone? The noble families are deeply rooted. How can one person handle them?" Yang Fan pressed. The Prefect shook his head.

"Not alone. Each prefect is allowed to bring a guard of about a thousand men for protection." A thousand men? Yang Fan was stunned.

"Prefect, where is your guard? I only saw a few guards at the gate. Did they all get killed off? Are you really that badly off?"