Chapter 40: Shenji Camp

"Jingli ''^1 is a position of the eighth official rank, primarily responsible for official correspondence and assisting the County Governor in handling affairs related to demons and ghosts.

In simple terms, Gu Xu will henceforth become Chen Jisheng's capable assistant and personal secretary.

Perhaps, even his successor.

At present, Gu Xu is only a first-level cultivator, and only seventeen years old, so his experience is rather limited.

Appointing him as the Jingli of Yishui County's Exorcism Bureau can be considered an extraordinary promotion.

Even Chu Fengge shows signs of jealousy towards him.

Such a promotion symbolizes the Bureau Chief's favor for him.

Yet, Gu Xu still appears calm.

It's as if what is placed before him is not a letter of appointment written personally by the Bureau Chief, but a mundane piece of official document.

"Lord Chu, I have a question." Gu Xu stood up from his seat and spoke politely to Chu Fengge.

"Speak."

"According to the records I have seen, in the organizational structure of the Exorcism Bureau of Yishui County, there is only one seventh-rank governor, one eighth-rank inspector, one eighth-rank overseer, one ninth-rank investigator, and one ninth-rank prison warden. There is no position called 'jingli' in the hierarchy."

Hearing Gu Xu's words, Chu Fengge frowned slightly.

He didn't expect Gu Xu to be so particular about such a minor detail.

Did he think... there could be anything fake in a letter of appointment personally written by the Bureau Chief?

But Chu Fengge still patiently responded, "In the Exorcism Bureau, 'positions' are nothing more than the Bureau Chief's words—

"The Bureau Chief believes that doing the role of a ninth-rank investigator is a waste of your talent and ability. You should shoulder more important responsibilities."

Gu Xu nodded, acknowledging his words.

His question was merely a result of habitual caution against deception and pitfalls.

After pondering for two seconds, he asked another crucial question: "How much is the annual salary for the Jingli position?"

Chu Fengge's expression stiffened again.

In Chu Fengge's view, a normal young person should be overjoyed when faced with such a great opportunity as an extraordinary promotion and be grateful to the Bureau Chief.

Why would he be so fixated on such an insignificant matter as salary?

"Forty-five taels of silver," Chu Fengge said with a stern face.

Gu Xu sincerely thanked Chu Fengge and sat back in his chair.

When he was a petty clerk, his monthly salary was two taels of silver. In a year, he could earn twenty-four taels of silver.

Now his annual income has almost doubled.

He was very satisfied.

Perhaps after a while, he could afford to hire someone to renovate his dilapidated and old courtyard house.

As for Chu Fengge's cold attitude, Gu Xu noticed it.

Gu Xu could guess that this Lord Chu was probably accustomed to a luxurious life in the capital, with no worries about food and clothing, and did not understand the importance of this salary to a poor grassroots official like himself.

It was a classic case of "A full man does not understand the hunger of a starving man."

However, just as Gu Xu was considering how to spend his newly increased salary, Chu Fengge's voice rang out again:

"The position written on this appointment letter is only your temporary position."

A temporary position?

What does that mean?

Gu Xu was a little confused about this.

Could it be that he would be promoted again after some time?

"Gu Xu, you now have another identity as a reserve member of the Shenji Camp of Great Qi," Chu Fengge explained, "From now on, this year is your probation period.

"If you perform well during this year's probation period, at this time next year, you will go to Luojing City and officially become a member of the Shenji Camp, working together with the best young talents from all over the country."

"Shenji Camp..." Gu Xu murmured in his heart.

He had read the classics and naturally understood the meaning of this term.

In the sixth year of Tianxing, which was seventeen years ago, the Great Qi Dynasty, on the suggestion of the then Cabinet First Assistant Lu Huan, took the lead with the Exorcism Bureau and created the Shenji Camp for the first time with all the resources of the country.

It was a special combat team to deal with ghosts and ghouls.

The most talented young cultivators from all over the country, some from the Exorcism Bureau, some from various sects, and some solitary practitioners were all brought together.

Sages personally guided them.

They were free to use heavenly treasures, miraculous pills, and even top martial arts, and magical treasures from the secret vault of Great Qi.

They were given the best training resources in the country, but they also undertook the riskiest missions in the country.

Slaughtering Niu Hao, exterminating Gui Ju, killing Zhu Yan, and chopping down the Five-way Gods... were all glorious battle achievements of the cultivators of the Shenji Camp.

At that time, all young people took pride in joining the Shenji Camp.

However, the glory of the Shenji Camp did not last long.

Two years later, during a mission to eliminate a monstrous creature called Qiongqi, the Shenji Camp unfortunately suffered a total loss, with no survivors.

In the same year, the Cabinet First Assistant Lu Huan, who first proposed the creation of the Shenji Camp, was executed for treason along with his nine families.

The illustrious Lu family of Qingzhou disappeared overnight.

Since then, the Shenji Camp has become a taboo in the Great Qi Dynasty.

Perhaps, with the passage of time, it will eventually sink into the dust of history and be forgotten by the world.

But now, someone has proposed to rebuild the Shenji Camp!

And, this plan to restart the Shenji Camp has actually begun to be implemented!

What is hidden behind all this?

Could it be a new round of power struggle among the elites in the capital city? Or does it hint at an unprecedented crisis looming over the Great Qi Dynasty?

Countless speculations surfaced in Gu Xu's mind in an instant.

"Because the Long Night is coming."

Sensing Gu Xu's confusion, Chu Fengge provided a cryptic response.

"Long Night"—a term that sent chills down the spine just by its utterance.

Gu Xu knew, the Long Night was a period of endless darkness.

In the wilderness, every few decades, the Long Night would descend.

The "Long Night" often lasted for several months.

During this period, the sun never rose; the darkness enveloped the earth.

The negative energy became thicker than usual, and the ghosts turned even more malicious and dreadful.

Every time the Long Night descended, it resulted in numerous casualties among commoners and even practitioners, leading to countless tragedies of family destruction and death.

For the Great Qi Dynasty, it undoubtedly was an extremely strenuous test.

"The Chief predicted with his divine calculations that the next Long Night will descend within three years," Chu Fengge added, "Before that, we need to make ample preparations.

The Shenji Camp will be the vanguard when the Long Night falls."

Gu Xu nodded again, indicating his understanding.

After much contemplation, he realized that the Shenji Camp, for him, was both a challenge and an opportunity.

Joining the Shenji Camp would mean executing some dangerous missions...

But it could also provide him access to the best cultivation resources in the nation.

Such as rare elixirs;

Or guidance from the saints;

Top-tier martial arts;

Or superior cultivation methods.

Coming from a commoner background, with no influential connections, Gu Xu was far behind the children of noble families from the very start... If he followed the normal development path, he might struggle his whole life and still have a hard time obtaining these resources.

However, joining the Shenji Camp implied that everything was possible.

Breaking through the seventh realm before turning thirty may no longer be a daydream.

It could be said that the high-risk, high-reward, Shenji Camp is the ladder to the heavens for commoners.

Hence, to survive in the long run, Gu Xu was determined to secure an official position in the Shenji Camp.

Footnotes:

"jingli" can refer to the act of undergoing or going through something, often implying personal or firsthand experience.