City Guard

Feeling more out of it, due to the complexity of the Mystic heaven sect and not knowing who to trust in the strange unfamiliar environment Xia Yunzi become more withdrawn.

Here even the nice senior brother, Zhang Hai, was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

She missed Zhan Shenwei.

...

The next day Zhan Shenwei went to the bright jade inner city to begin his new job.

Each guard had their stations and there was hierarchy of command and difference of functions among the guard.

The inner city apart from being the base of operations for the City guards and administrative center of the city lord also housed nobles, important figures and dignitaries, but the City Lord residence, guard quarters and administrative buildings were the most important.

On getting to the Inner city, he was led by the same guard of the previous day, who had led him of the elders around.

This guard named Li Bi, a quite short stout middle aged man introduced the various affair of the city guard to Zhan Shenwei as he led him to the administrative hall.

Usually the administrative hall was in charge of the affairs of the guards but each guard received their job posting directly from the City Lord, with his office also being there.

Zhan Shenwei entered the administrative hall, seeing various moving guards and clerks engaged in a focus sober atmosphere.

At different corner sides he saw large wide stone steles with various guards gathered around them, not having the time to check them out he was led by Li Bi to the City Lord office to receive his duties.

" The administrative building has five floors ", Li bi said as he led Zhan Shenwei upwards.

" The top floor is the city Lord office, the second, the office of the various commanders, the third contains the resources and weapons storage rooms, the fourth cultivation and combat rooms, while the last is the general administrative section.

Zhan Shenwei listened attentively as they moved upwards.

Walking through the stairs, they had just gotten to the second floor when they bumped into a female figure.

Clad in silver armour with that same silver saber strapped on her back and signature cold aura, it was the same female commander Zhan Shenwei saw the previous day.

Descending to the lower floors whilst they were ascending to the top floor.

The usually stern and grumpy Li bi wore a bright smile as he greeted, " Commander Yanrou ".

Zhan Shenwei also cupped his fist in greeting as he thought.

" Yan Rou, this meant graceful and soft or gentle, pretty graceful yes but there was nothing soft or gentle about this commander, he aura was called cold, really cold.

Was her temperament like this or due cultivating the life severing saber, he couldn't say for sure, it was just he wasn't quite certain she cultivated the life severing saber.

Having practiced the life severing saber and even witnessed the dark fog in his mind sea, Zhan Shenwei knew that this technique could affect one's temperament.

The female commander Yan Rou nodded her head at them and continued her journey not giving them an extra glance.

As they continued their journey Zhan Shenwei discovered that the usual stern faced Li Bi was gone.

Talking endless of the female commander, how she was the object of adoration of the guards and also quite strong among even the commanders, saying so much.

Some Zhan Shenwei listened to, some he didn't, this Li bi was a hidden bootlicker, it wasn't until they were close to the City Lord's office he became quiet back.

In a way Zhan Shenwei was happy they did, already tired of the endless lyrical poems and songs of admiration Li bi waxed.

A door servant went to inform the city lord as Zhan Shenwei waited but not long after he was led inside.

The city lord Lu zhenchuan looked like a quite average middle aged man, but Zhan Shenwei knew this person that overseed the entire bright jade City on behalf of the Mystic heaven sect was a powerhouse.

Cupping his fist in greeting and introducing himself Zhan Shenwei stood aside as he waited to receive his duty command.

Lu zhenchuan looked at Zhan Shenwei as he said, " You're not from the canglang continent".

Not thinking so much of his question Zhan Shenwei answered, " Yes Sir ".

He had been asked to fill in his information and background, most likely for proper documentation and to guard against spies or enemy forces with malicious intents, hence Zhan Shenwei didn't think much of the City Lord's question.

Though certainly in all wisdom and discretion he only put information that was necessary, crafting a picture that he was just a noble scion that had fled the Eastern region because of the war.

This was quite true actually, and the bright jade City would surely be able discern from the port records that it was so.

As for if they digged deeper to see his identity, Zhan Shenwei didn't think so.

it wasn't really necessary and there was no reason too, and if they did he wasn't a fugitive nor a criminal.

Zhan Shenwei also felt the Treasure Pavilion wouldn't also easily give out his information, rather Shang Jing Mei wouldn't.

Lu Zhenchuan nodded his head at this and said, " You'd be placed on port patrol and guard duty under the second group captain and commander Yan Rou ".

Throwing a parchment at Zhan Shenwei, he said, " go to the third floor to receive your armour and various necessities, give the parchment to the overseer of the third floor and use today to familiarize yourself with the inner city and report for duty tomorrow ".

Zhan Shenwei clutching the parchment bowed lightly and left.

Lu Zhenchuan stared at the Zhan Shenwei's back as he left.

He wast in an hurry, hence startling his prey, he had to first monitor him, although as the city lord Lu zhenchuan had control over the bright jade City but he couldn't really do as he pleased and Zhan Shenwei had caught the attention of Elder Jia.

He could take his time, Zhan Shenwei wasn't leaving anytime soon and he had already made arrangements.

...

From the third floor Zhan Shenwei was given a black armour same as other guards together with a city guard tag signifying his name and rank, a short parchment of information on the bright jade City and guards and also his monthly stipend.

The monthly stipend of the bright jade consisted of food rations, 100 gold coins and 20 low grade spirit stones.

The rations and gold coins were clearly for feeding and handling miscellaneous secular affairs, while the spirit stones were for cultivation.

Unlike the Mystic heaven sect high up in the spirit mountains of the Cang Yuan Region, the bright jade City though having cultivators mostly had commoners or non cultivators hence a secular place. Gold was quite useful to hold by.

As for the spirit stones, 20 spirit stones was a quite good numeration for a city guard but for Zhan Shenwei who had piles in his storage ring , it wasn't anything much.

Of course he wasn't complaining, and he couldn't use himself as a benchmark, after all he was in a way a rich second generation.

...

Having sorted out his work affair Zhan Shenwei planned to check around.

Dinning his armour in a changing room and together his tag at his waist he walked to one of the wide large steles he had seen people gathered by.

Due to the crowd and not wanting to push his way forward it took a while for Zhan Shenwei to finally see what the gathering was all about.

A mission Stele.

Due to not having any acquaintance in the hall, he had a nearby clerk explain to him.

According to the clerk, guards could take up various missions from the mission Steele for credits as far as it didn't not interfere with their duties.

And as for why it was very crowded, credits received had all kinds of uses, from exchanging for resources, learning techniques, weapons, using cultivation rooms, to even promotions.

Everyone of the city guard base from guards to commanders, even the city lord, had a use for credit.

There was also monthly allocation of credit, transferred to their tags every month directly.

Zhan Shenwei had not even known this.

He would come back to check the mission stele well, realizing the usefulness of information Zhan Shenwei dragged the clerk to explain the other steles.

....

It was in the evening Zhan Shenwei finally left the inner city for the outer city.

He could almost swear he saw hints of grievances flash through the eyes of the clerk due to being jossled around all day, but whereas Zhan Shenwei was a bonifide guard, the clerk was an hired help hence he let no complaint out.

Zhan Shenwei also wasn't a difficult person, he planned to compensate the clerk later.

Taking the clerk to the various steles and places in the city guard base, and even asking him on other various matters, Zhan Shenwei was now much orientated on things.

After everything, now he had the necessary basic knowledge of guard base and inner city.

The steles are quite interesting, Zhan Shenwei murmured as he walked the streets.

Mission Stele for missions, combat Stele for battle rankings, resources steles showing the various resources and techniques available for exchange and the credit required.

Of the three, the mission steles was the most frequent at, after all only when there was money ( " credits " ), could anyone obtain resources or do things.

The resources steles next as people gathered to check, gaze and day dream or plan for various resources.

As for the battle rankings, it rarely fluctuated, except on the lower levels hence not much attention.

While thinking Zhan Shenwei had already gotten to the inn he stayed.

He had been in this inn a while, and due to being in the bright jade City for another longer while in the future, it was no longer for him to stay here.

He planned on getting a residence.