Chapter 273 - 191: Removing Gu Ling_2

Words : 1204 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 273: Chapter 191: Removing Gu Ling_2"This is for the best." Gu Ling turned to the Abbot and said, "Lastly, Qing Feng does make a valid point. For the sake of the City God’s reputation, we should conduct a thorough investigation from top to bottom. The role of Inspector, Abbot, shall be yours." Qing Feng was visibly shocked. Why wasn’t he chosen as the Inspector? Why was it given to the Abbot instead? Gu Ling had her own considerations. If someone as unyielding as Qing Feng were made the Inspector, wouldn’t he turn the entire City God’s framework upside down? The City God’s establishment was vast, with twelve incense masters alone. Those deeply entangled with the kidnappers had to be cleansed methodically. A heavy-handed approach, like with Lu Yusheng or the Stone Stele King, could push them into forming alliances, which would indeed be a significant headache. By giving the role of Inspector to the Abbot, they could avoid triggering major issues while still producing results necessary to save face—ultimately catching a few City Gods to make an example of them. Even a small gain, like "a morsel of mosquito meat," would suffice. Any progress would indirectly weaken the Abbot’s power while diminishing his authority. "Alright, regarding the matters of Lu Yusheng and the Stone Stele King, we’ll finalize them here. Does anyone have any objections? If not, this is settled." After asking, Gu Ling scanned the room. When no one spoke up, she lightly tapped the surface of the conference table, indicating that the decision was finalized. "Next on the agenda is the appointment of key positions. The roles of the Zhi Jia Master, Night Patrol God, and the City God’s third-in-command are currently vacant and need candidates to step up." "The position of Night Patrol God will be filled by Gang Feng, the Wind Flag from our Tangkou. Gang Feng is steady in his work, his incense fire rose to six sticks a year ago, and he has a sense of righteous indignation against evil. He’s well-suited for this role." The Abbot proposed a candidate. Shang Wenjun immediately vetoed the Abbot’s suggestion, striking right at him with sharp words: "Abbot, the Stone Stele King has just committed a grave mistake and was removed. Now, are you trying to send another person into the God Traveling Department for your City God? Don’t tell me it’ll be another rebel who opposes Bone Elder." "Watch your words; don’t go too far." "The candidate for the Night Patrol God position must come from our Tangkou." As soon as Shang Wenjun made her proposal, she and the Abbot began to quarrel, going back and forth, each standing their ground. The God Traveling Department, despite its heavy workload, received numerous resources each year from Jing Country—Magic Artifacts, Forbidden Artifacts, ancient texts, and even orally transmitted talismanic scripts. While the first three resources were manageable, the talismanic scripts were incredibly precious. Most oral transmissions were incomplete copies, and the more disciples a Tangkou had in the God Traveling Department, the greater the collective power, raising the possibility of piecing together a complete set. A complete talismanic script! If it turned out to be one of the "incense fire enhancement" type, it could directly remove all the "traps" within the incense fire path of the Tangkou. If it were a "future divination" type, it could allow the Tangkou to foresee potential crises and mitigate them in advance. The importance of the talismanic script affected the entire Tangkou. Even the usually noncompetitive Witch couldn’t yield an inch when it came to the God Traveling Department’s quotas. "If only the Young Master’s incense fire level were a little higher," Gu Ling thought to herself. But soon, she dismissed the notion. The God Traveling Department quotas in Mingjiang Prefecture were never allowed to outsiders. Shang Wenjun and the City God continued their dispute, each presenting their reasoning, until even the Suffering Scholar couldn’t bear to watch any longer. He proposed, "Let the position of Night Patrol God be temporarily filled by Lord Tongshen. The final candidate can be decided during the Bone Elder Association’s gathering by the ’Si Chen’ and ’Zhong Guan.’ "Si Chen and Zhong Guan are two other Divine Offices of the Bone Elder Association. Today, they’re busy preparing this month’s grand gathering and couldn’t attend." "The Great Scholar makes a valid point," said Gu Ling, agreeing this time with the Suffering Scholar. Otherwise, the argument might drag on for three days and nights without a resolution. Thus, the matter of the Night Patrol God position was temporarily put to rest. For the City God’s third-in-command, Qing Feng and the Abbot’s opinions didn’t differ significantly. Gang Feng from the Wind Flag would also take on this role concurrently. Ironically, the most seemingly insignificant position of Zhi Jia Master sparked considerable debate. Li Chengfeng, citing that Zhang Yifeng’s recent elimination of Lu Yuxiang made him an ideal candidate for the position, presented his recommendation. The Abbot disagreed. The Zhi Jia Master was the City God’s highest position for external affairs after the three commanders. The Abbot wanted someone loyal to himself in the role. Otherwise, how could he reap the benefits? "I believe Mr. Li’s suggestion is quite reasonable," Gu Ling said resolutely. "I think so too," said Qing Feng, knowing that the night watchmen were generally honest. As their leader, the "Order" Zhang Yifeng was someone he admired. "Zhang Yifeng lacks experience. While his incense fire levels are good, he needs more tempering." This time, the Abbot doubled down on his stance, signaling to the Suffering Scholar as well. "With one less incense master, it won’t make much of a difference. Let the position remain vacant for now. When the Abbot and Qing Feng agree on a suitable candidate, we can finalize it later," the Suffering Scholar said, siding with the Abbot. Gu Ling didn’t press further, lightly tapping the table. "It’s getting late; everyone, head home and rest." ... The attendees dispersed, and by now, dawn was approaching. The Abbot wandered through the Li Yuan Building several times on his own, ultimately crossing the street to stand by the post office, smoking a cigarette. A black Yin Soul car pulled up in front of him. The driver promptly got out and opened the rear door for him. The Abbot got in, where the Suffering Scholar, puffing on a cigar, greeted him with a wry smile. "Xiao Yu, bad luck has been following us recently, hasn’t it?" "Who knows what kind of unholy method Gu Ling has found to rekindle the incense fire." "Our grip is slipping." The Suffering Scholar sighed, reminiscing about the years when he and the Abbot commanded the winds and rains in the Bone Elder Association and City God realms. This reflection evoked a deeper sense of lamentation within him: "Alas, how pitiful." "The deaths of the Stone Stele King and Lu Yusheng—are we just letting it go like that?" "The issue now isn’t just about the Stone Stele King and Lu Yusheng anymore. The kidnappers have been getting increasingly reckless these years... Though the rewards they provide are substantial, they’ve made us too many enemies. I’m afraid their fire will eventually reach us."

Chapter 273 - 191: Removing Gu Ling_2

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