Free Web NovelChapter 435: Chapter 167: Amber Awakens
Wu Tian, the head of the Resource Department, quickly stepped forward and said, "Lord Shen, what if we violate the orders of our superiors? After all, if many things go unreported, I worry my subordinates might do something that breaks the chain of command."
The Observatory was enormous. A behemoth like this was bound to have its rules and regulations.
No matter how the Observatory was reformed, there would always be restrictions.
This was precisely what they were worried about.
A slight smile touched Shen Bai’s lips. "His Majesty sent me to Nanxing Prefecture and gave me full authority over life and death, with no need to report back. Any mistakes you make, I will bear the responsibility. Do you understand now?"
As soon as he said this, Zheng Xing and Wu Tian exchanged a look, and both could see the utter astonishment in the other’s eyes.
They quickly concealed their shock, cupped their fists, and said, "We obey your command."
The heads of the four major departments likewise cupped their fists and said, "We obey your command."
They understood perfectly the weight behind those words.
None of the men who had climbed to their positions were fools.
It meant that the Saint Martial Emperor of the Great Zhou Country had granted Shen Bai completely unrestricted authority.
Shen Bai was the unchallenged ruler of the Nanxing Prefecture Observatory.
He could act without hesitation on anything he wished.
Everyone now had a much clearer picture of Shen Bai’s status.
This noble Lord Shen standing before them was no weakling, nor was he some official just passing through to pad his resume. He had been genuinely entrusted by His Majesty, the Saint Martial Emperor, with the heavy responsibility of cleaning up Nanxing Prefecture.
That trace of disdain they had initially felt was completely erased, and their attitude toward Shen Bai became even more respectful.
It had nothing to do with his personal strength; it was because his words had resonated so deeply with them.
As members of the Observatory, every single one of them wanted to protect the lives of the people and make a name for themselves by accomplishing great deeds.
And Shen Bai giving them a free hand was far better than the situation in other prefecture-level cities.
Without constraints or the shackles of regulations, they could achieve far greater results. Perhaps, in the future, they could even leave their names in the annals of history.
Seeing the excitement in their eyes, Shen Bai waved his hand and returned to another topic. "The Gao Family tried to assassinate me at the Official Posthouse. Although I have no proof, I am absolutely certain it was them. I have already captured them all and brought them back to the Observatory’s prison. I want you to find someone to interrogate them, find out the reason, and report back to me. Remember, speed is of the essence."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zheng Xing immediately agreed.
"Upon my return, I will list this as an urgent task for the Registration Department and order my subordinates to handle it at once."
Shen Bai said, "In addition, I want all the intelligence on the various powers in Nanxing Prefecture. Submit it to me in a written report and leave it on my desk. I intend to study it thoroughly tonight."
If he didn’t understand the intertwined powers at play here, he could never hope to have the situation under control.
To boldly whip Nanxing Prefecture back into shape, this was the most important and highest-priority first step.
Everyone nodded in unison, agreeing to his commands.
Then, with a wave from Shen Bai, they immediately went to relay his messages.
The entire Nanxing Prefecture Observatory was thrown into a flurry of activity.
Once Shen Bai’s orders were passed down, the members of the Observatory shed their usual listlessness, their spirits instantly revitalized.
As long as their actions were to protect the safety of the people and maintain order in Nanxing Prefecture, they no longer needed to report them beforehand.
They could act first and report later.
Any and all methods were permissible.
These few sentences completely revitalized the long-suppressed spirits of the Observatory’s members.
The members of the Nanxing Prefecture Observatory sprang into action, launching precise strikes against the various anomalous incidents that had been appearing.
Meanwhile, Shen Bai looked at the report delivered by Fang Hong. After dismissing him, he turned his attention to the document.
He opened the report and began carefully reading the information on the various powers. After just a few lines, his brows furrowed.
’This really is complicated.’
The first page alone listed ten different powers, all constantly intersecting and deeply entangled with one another.
One could say that each of these ten powers both constrained and relied on the others—an extremely rare arrangement.
Of course, these ten were not Demonic Forces, but even so, this glimpse was enough to tell him that Nanxing Prefecture was far more complex than other prefecture-level cities.
’Let’s keep going. I want to see just how complicated this gets.’ Shen Bai rubbed his chin, preparing to read on.
But at that very moment, Shen Bai felt a strange stirring within him.
This was a sensation he had never experienced before. It wasn’t a premonition of danger, but rather felt as if something deep within his bloodline had just stirred.
After only a moment, Shen Bai knew the reason.
’Amber’s awake?’
Shen Bai rubbed his chin, thinking to himself.
Amber had been evolving all this time, and after so long, the process was finally nearing its end.
’Excellent. Just what I needed. This is perfect.’
Shen Bai was overjoyed.
During his previous battle with Qian Wu, Qian Wu had said he could fight an ordinary Void Realm expert to a standstill.
And while that had been shocking enough for Qian Wu, Shen Bai still had trump cards he hadn’t played.
That trump card was Amber.
When Amber merged with him, his combat power doubled. Combined with his other Divine Powers, Shen Bai believed that his next encounter with an ordinary Void Realm expert would be more than just a simple stalemate.
Now that Amber had finally evolved, it gave Shen Bai another layer of assurance for dealing with the complexities of Nanxing Prefecture.
