NOVEL WEB Chapter 451 Difficult Start
This start is truly a bit difficult!
Inside Shangxun Heavenly Master Pavilion, Wang Chen was flipping through the thick archives, feeling the sensation of falling into a pit growing even stronger.
Dayi City was divided into eight Heavenly Master Pavilions, using the names Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui as identifiers, and the one Wang Chen took over was precisely the Xun designation.
Although it was a branch under the jurisdiction of the Chief Town Heavenly Master, the scale of the Shangxun Heavenly Master Pavilion was quite large. It not only exclusively occupied a large mansion with three courtyards but also had a nine-story tower inside and employed hundreds of guards and servants.
Wang Chen set aside the archives on the case, and with keen interest, he scrutinized the female cultivator standing by his side, saying, "Director Xi, as I am new here and completely unfamiliar with the situation in Dayi City, I will have to trouble you to help me out in the future."
This female cultivator had a plump figure and a mature temperament; her appearance was quite stunning, except that markings similar to butterfly spots near her eyes somewhat marred her delicate makeup, yet they gave her a peculiar charm.
Xi Manyun, an executor of Shangxun Heavenly Master Pavilion.
There were a total of twelve executors in the Shangxun Heavenly Master Pavilion, and Xi Manyun was just one of them.
But she was the only one among the twelve executors who took the initiative to come and pay her respects to Wang Chen upon his arrival.
This was quite unusual.
The Xun City District managed by the Shangxun Heavenly Master Pavilion was divided into seven blocks and thirty-nine streets, with more than fifty thousand households in total.
Calculated at an average of five people per household, there were nearly three hundred thousand people under its jurisdiction!
Back in Wang Chen's hometown in his previous life, not even the county city had this many permanent residents.
And as the Guarding Heavenly Master, his status was equivalent to the highest administrative authority of the Xun City District, and he had tremendous power.
The life and death of ordinary people could be decided with just a word!
Now that Wang Chen had assumed his new position, it was remarkable that only one subordinate had come to consult him about work.
Having been a Guarding Heavenly Master before, Wang Chen was very aware that there was a great problem here!
Xi Manyun bowed her head and answered, "To serve the Heavenly Master is my duty as a subordinate cultivator."
Wang Chen's gaze flashed, and he patted the archives in his hand, asking, "What about the other executors? Where have they all gone?"
He smiled, "They couldn't be unaware of my appointment today, could they?"
Xi Manyun pursed her lips and carefully said, "Chief Wu has summoned them all."
Within the branch of the Town Heavenly Master Pavilion, the highest in rank is the Guarding Heavenly Master, followed by twelve executors who manage different affairs.
There are also the positions of Director and Deputy Director.
The Director is the deputy to the Guarding Heavenly Master. In the absence of the latter from the Heavenly Master Pavilion, the Director assumes temporary managing duties.
It is also an important bridge for communication between the Guarding Heavenly Master and the subordinates.
The Deputy Director is selected from among the twelve executors to concurrently assist the work of the Director.
Under normal circumstances, the Director is subordinate to the Guarding Heavenly Master and is responsible for overseeing the twelve executors, being the second in command within the Heavenly Master Pavilion.
However, this subordinate of Wang Chen had not only failed to show up on the day of his new appointment but had also summoned all the executors away, clearly showing disrespect to Wang Chen.
To put it more gravely, this was an act of contempt and disdain towards Wang Chen!
To be honest, Wang Chen did not expect his counterpart to be so arrogant, not even bothering with appearances.
No wonder the previous Guarding Heavenly Master looked as if he had escaped from bitter suffering. Could it be that he was sidelined by this Director and the executors?
Thoughts raced through Wang Chen's mind, but outwardly he remained composed, "Director Xi, did Chief Wu not summon you?"
Xi Manyun hesitated, then answered, "No."
So, was there a conflict or some grievance?
Wang Chen's brows rose sharply, "Director Xi, could you tell me about this Chief Wu?"
Xi Manyun became even more hesitant in her heart.
She had never been on the same side as Chief Wu, and as a result, had always been marginalized by him and her colleagues.
The previous Guarding Heavenly Master could not suppress this Chief, and over the past three years had been ineffective, leaving her unable to rely on him.
The changeover of the Guarding Heavenly Master was undoubtedly an opportunity for Xi Manyun. Stay updated through empire
If she did not take some action, she feared she would no longer have a place within the Shangxun Heavenly Master Pavilion.
But upon meeting Wang Chen, Xi Manyun was deeply disappointed.
Because Wang Chen was too young.
Moreover, Wang Chen arrived alone to take up his post, without a single accompanying person, clearly not from a noble clan.
Even those from minor families would have a few attendants.
It was very likely that Wang Chen was a Loose Cultivator!
A Loose Cultivator without any backing, traveling from the Western Sea Sect Mountain Gate to Dayi City tens of thousands of miles away, how could he possibly contend with people like Director Wu who were deeply rooted in local power?
Xi Manyun was filled with pessimism.
She took the initiative to meet with Wang Chen, merely fulfilling her duty as an Executor.
And now, the intention Wang Chen was revealing was clearly to wrestle with Director Wu.
She could understand his youthful vigor, but Xi Manyun was somewhat reluctant to get involved.
Because she felt there was no chance of winning.
After waiting a moment, seeing that Xi Manyun did not speak, Wang Chen asked in a deeper tone, "Hard to say?"
Somehow, Xi Manyun's mind grew hot, and she blurted out, "There's nothing hard to say. Since the Heavenly Master wants to know, then as a subordinate, I shall hold nothing back!"
As soon as she spoke, Xi Manyun somewhat regretted it.
But she did not want to go back on her word.
After all, her situation could not get any worse, and at most, she would just lose the position of Executor.
Wang Chen smiled, "Sit down to talk."
He personally poured a cup of Spiritual Tea for Xi Manyun.
"Thank you, Heavenly Master."
After Xi Manyun took her seat and calmed down, she organized her thoughts and told Wang Chen about the internal situation of the Shangxun Heavenly Master Pavilion in detail.
The authority of the Shangxun Heavenly Master Pavilion was nominally in the hands of the Guarding Heavenly Master.
But in fact, over the past few years, the real power was in the hands of Director Wu Jingwei!
Of course, Wu Jingwei was no ordinary person; he was also an Elder of the Dayi Wu Family and had a cultivation level of the third tier of the Purple Mansion, said to be on the brink of breaking through to the middle tier.
Being a local cultivator from Dayi with the support of an entire Immortal Cultivation family behind him, and with his own formidable strength, the Executors only heeded Wu Jingwei's commands.
The orders of the previous Guarding Heavenly Master could not even make it out of the Shangxun Heavenly Master Pavilion!
In addition, the many gangs and societies that dominated the seven districts and thirty-nine streets of Dayi City were also very obedient to Wu Jingwei.
Most importantly, the Wu Family had always supported the Chief Town Heavenly Master Luo Han, and their relationship was quite good.
With support from above and a foundation below, how could an isolated Guarding Heavenly Master overturn him?
Being sidelined was completely within reason.
The previous Heavenly Master had also tried to take control, only to fail miserably and resignedly lay flat, playing dead like a dried-up fish.
Moreover, the five hundred patrol guards under the control of Shangxun Heavenly Master Pavilion were basically under Wu Jingwei's command.
Among them were many scions of the Wu Family!
The reason Xi Manyun wasn't on the same page as Wu Jingwei was because the relations between the Xi Family and the Wu Family were very poor.
She could not possibly seek support from him.
Had it not been for the Chief Town Heavenly Master Luo Han wanting to maintain a balance and not suppressing the Xi Family, Xi Manyun would have long lost her position as an Executor of the Shangxun Heavenly Master Pavilion.
After listening, Wang Chen was at a loss for words.
It turned out that this Shangxun Heavenly Master Pavilion was practically owned by the Wu surname!
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The first update is here.