Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies
Chapter 149 - 73 Appointment Document! The Position of the Commander of the County Military Department

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Shen Qing?

The man standing before her was actually Shen Qing!

Wasn't he the same Shen Qing whom she had rejected in the past when he proposed marriage, hoping he would marry into her family?

Tang Wanrou's mind was in a complete mess now. It took her quite a while before she could fully recover her composure.

She looked up, staring at Shen Qing's face, and gradually that face began to merge with the image she had seen in the past.

The person before her was much more robust than in the portrait; if not for careful observation, she really couldn't have recognized him immediately.

Tang Wanrou bit her lip, her face taut with an expression of astonishment.

After a long time, she seemed to let out a sigh of relief, relaxed her hands from a fist, and said, "Thank you for saving my life."

Shen Qing slid down from the horse.

He gently patted the horse's back, indicating for it to wait.

Zhuifeng snorted loudly, lowered its head, and began to nibble on the fresh grass on the ground out of boredom.

"Miss Tang, what happened? Why were you being chased by this person?" Shen Qing stepped forward and asked, his voice calm and powerful.

Upon hearing Shen Qing's words, a surge of inexplicable emotion welled up in Tang Wanrou's heart.

The scene of the many escort masters of the Taiping Escort Agency tragically killed flashed uncontrollably through her mind.

In just one day, those escort masters with whom she had spent every day had fallen into pools of blood.

Her father, as the Chief of the escort agency, was now also in grave danger, his life hanging by a thread.

Her eyes immediately reddened, tears welling up and swirling within them.

Tang Wanrou struggled to control her emotions, she lifted her head to look at Shen Qing, her lips trembling as she said, "We were set up by someone, my father and the others... they're all dead..."

As she spoke, Tang Wanrou could no longer control her emotions, and tears silently rolled down her cheeks.

She wiped away her tears, then stammered out the entire story.

After hearing Tang Wanrou's account, Shen Qing's brow furrowed deeply.

He hadn't expected that the Huang Tian Sect had actually infiltrated the county government's Military Armory, secretly stealing large quantities of military supplies from the county town.

The fact that the Huang Tian Sect could do such a thing indicated that there must have been others secretly assisting them in the county town.

This matter was likely to involve many people.

After pondering for a while, Shen Qing said, "What do you plan to do about this?"

Tang Wanrou blurted out, "I want to report it to the County Magistrate. Such a major incident, he cannot ignore."

Shen Qing thought for a moment, then asked tactfully, "Do you have anyone trustworthy and reliable over there with the Lord County Magistrate?"

Tang Wanrou was slightly taken aback, then immediately shook her head and said, "No..."

"Then this matter might not go as smoothly as you think."

"Why? With such a major incident, is it possible for the Lord County Magistrate to just turn a blind eye?" Tang Wanrou asked confusedly.

Shen Qing reminded her, "It's not about turning a blind eye, but the high likelihood of it being delayed, which could be very disadvantageous to you if it drags on."

He recalled County Magistrate Du Yuntong mentioning that the prefecture and county over there had sent people from the Guardian Martial Department to investigate the Huang Tian Sect matter.

By the looks of it, they were supposed to arrive in just a few days.

Considering County Magistrate Du Yuntong's character of preferring to avoid trouble, this matter might not garner his concern; he might even intentionally cover it up, delaying it to let the people from the county town handle it.

Seeking help from the County Magistrate, Tang Wanrou was unlikely to yield any results.

Plus, there might be insiders from the Huang Tian Sect in the government office, posing a life-threatening risk with the slightest misstep.

However, since Tang Wanrou had no personal ties with him, and she hadn't caused him any trouble, he had already gone to the extent of a gentle warning, was as considerate as one could be.

After hearing Shen Qing's words, Tang Wanrou calmed down and pondered carefully.

No matter how much she thought about it, she realized there was no way, apart from seeking help from the government office.

Were the lives of the entire escort agency's ten-plus people to be in vain?

This was something she absolutely could not accept.

At this moment, she even felt that Shen Qing was exaggerating.

Her escort agency was set up and framed by villains; with such a significant case, the County Magistrate surely couldn't sit idly by.

At most, it all came down to spending a bit of money.

Tang Wanrou felt Shen Qing was evading involvement, fearing trouble, and her heart couldn't help but harbor a bit of resentment.

But remembering that he saved her life, she repressed this resentment and said, "Thank you for the warning, I will find a way myself. No need to trouble Mr. Shen."

Shen Qing noticed a subtle change in Tang Wanrou's attitude, leaving him rather perplexed.

However, the matter was unrelated to him, so he did not say more, shifting his focus onto the body of the burly man in front of him.

The strong scent of blood continuously spread in the forest wind.

Shen Qing walked forward, approaching the body of the burly man, and looked down to inspect it.

Under the power of his Wind Defying Finger, the burly man's right arm was nearly destroyed.

The end of his shoulder displayed a white bone exposed in the air, looking quite shocking.

Shen Qing crouched down, using his fingers to avoid the coagulated blood on the body, groping and searching around.

Suddenly, his fingers touched a hard object, causing his heart to stir as he gently pulled it out.

It was a yellowed Imperial Decree, its edges worn, but the writing on it remained clear and legible.

Shen Qing's pupils narrowed, and a hint of surprise flickered in his eyes.

"It was actually an Imperial Decree of the Commander of the County Military Department!"

The so-called Imperial Decree was a commission issued within the Great Zhou Court. Paired with the imperial seal, it was ready for the recipient to take office.

Shen Qing truly hadn't expected that this burly man from the Huang Tian Sect would have such a thing in his possession.

This person actually had official status!

Shen Qing unfolded the Imperial Decree to examine it carefully and became puzzled after a moment.

"That's not right. There's only an official seal on this Imperial Decree, with no specific name. It's not a genuine commission; it's a... letter of appointment."

Shen Qing was instantly overjoyed.

A letter of appointment and an Imperial Decree looked alike in appearance, but a letter was not as definitive as an Imperial Decree; it served as a stepping stone to enter the Great Zhou Court.

In a sense, a letter of appointment was more like a modern introductory letter.

With it, one could seek an official position in the local government office to enter the court.

An Imperial Decree already specified a name, whereas a letter did not, meaning Shen Qing could possibly use it as well.

It was likely acquired through the Huang Tian Sect's secret operations, and now turned into a windfall for him.

"Hahaha," Shen Qing couldn't help but burst into laughter, brimming with joy.

The Commander of the Military Department.

If Shen Qing remembered correctly, the Military Department was the security office of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Unlike the Guardian Martial Department, which emerged due to Huang Tian Sect and demon problems, the Military Department was a legitimate power office in Great Zhou.

The Guardian Martial Department might be dissolved someday, but the Military Department would surely remain.

This letter of appointment might well be his opportunity to enter the court of Great Zhou.

Shen Qing took a deep breath, stored the Imperial Decree-like letter of appointment in his arms, and continued searching for a while. Apart from finding a money pouch, there were no other gains.

With an unchanged expression, he stood up, returned to Zhuifeng's side.

Tang Wanrou, standing to the side, didn't say much.

Since Shen Qing killed the man, whatever he found naturally wasn't something she could comment on.

Shen Qing mounted the horse and said, "We've been delayed here quite a while, let's go back."

"Could I trouble Mr. Shen to give me a ride? I can't repay the favor of saving my life today. Once I've avenged my family's death, my Taiping Escort Agency will be at your beck and call," Tang Wanrou said earnestly.

Faced with Tang Wanrou's promise, there was little change in Shen Qing's expression.

He knew very well that the Taiping Escort Agency had suffered a great loss of Essence Qi after this event and might not be of much use.

After a long pause without hearing a response from Shen Qing, Tang Wanrou grew anxious, lifted her head, and just happened to see Shen Qing looking down at her from above.

"Get on."

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