Infinite Professions

Chapter 391: Chapter 204: Coercion

Faced with the words of this person, Lu Ji did not respond.

Because it’s really difficult to respond.

For years, the area of Qinghe and Huangshan has been under special focus.

This issue of Song Guan not only involves the currently popular Song Clan but also the long-established Li Clan, one being a local power, the other a county-respected family, causing quite a stir in Jinyang Prefecture.

But this is not the main point, at least not for Lu Ji.

What Song Clan, Li Clan, what powerful families, in front of him, a Civil Judge of Jinyang Prefecture, a Fifth-rank True God who is immortal, they are just dust, fundamentally inconsequential. freēwebnovel.com

The key is the Little Yellow Mountain God he personally promoted and supported!

He did something that appeared to be unrelated to the issue of Song Guan.

He accused the Dongping County City God of corruption, abuse of power, misconduct, and even plotting murder.

This is the reason for Lu Ji’s anger.

What does he intend to do?

As a Little Yellow Mountain God, he should manage his small domain well. Why is he complaining about the Dongping County City God? How did they offend you?

Could it be that the issue of Song Guan is related to the Dongping County City God, or did Song Xiang suffer injustice in Dongping County while alive, and now that he has gained power, he seeks revenge?

Not only did he file the complaint himself, but he also enlisted the Qinghe County Magistrate and the Song clan officials across various places to jointly accuse the Dongping County Magistrate and Dongping Zhang Family, appearing determined to utterly annihilate them.

What’s the purpose of this!?

"It’s obvious!"

The red-robed official, more accurately Zhou Bo, Military Judge of Jinyang Prefecture, sneered coldly: "He is no longer satisfied with the seventh-grade official position of the Little Yellow Mountain God. This accusation against Dongping is just exploiting the situation, using the guise of justice to further his own interests. It seems he is being loyal, but in reality, he is disloyal in disguise!"

"..."

Lu Ji glanced at him, still not responding.

This kind of calculation, even Zhou Bo can see it, how could Lu Ji not see it?

Over the years, Qinghe and Huangshan have thrived, with nearly one million people now residing in these two counties. Song Xiang rules the area like a king, although he appears as a Seventh-grade Little God, the intensity of worship far exceeds some Fifth or Sixth-grade True Gods.

The momentum has formed, the foundation is solid!

With power, a desire to dominate arises—after establishing such a foundation, would he still be content as a Seventh-grade Little God?

Naturally not, he must strive for advancement!

But how to advance?

Not to mention the Divine Dao positioning, which is traditionally a single spot for each position, where only vacant positions can be filled below. Even without this limitation, he has already risen to the seventh-grade official position within decades at Little Yellow Mountain, a much faster promotion rate compared to other minor deities without backgrounds.

Put aside other matters, take the Qinghe County City God for example, who has served in Qinghe for over two hundred years and still holds an eighth-grade official position, not reaching the highest seventh-grade for a County City God. You are merely a fellow ranked Little Yellow Mountain God, achieving seventh-grade in mere decades, what more could you want?

He should be content, at least the mansion believes he should be content.

Therefore, restrictions or even suppression have been the mansion’s attitude toward Qinghe and Huangshan, and him, the Little Yellow Mountain God, in recent years.

Promotion, absolutely impossible!

Thus, conflict arises.

One seeks to advance, the other deliberately suppresses, neither escalating to total hostility but tensions are mounting.

So, how does he advance further in this situation?

He has but two choices, either to overturn the table completely or to exploit the situation.

Now he has selected a compromise approach.

Not a complete overturn, nor complete exploitation.

Though the words sound contradictory, it’s actually very understandable.

As the Little Yellow Mountain God, he bears solely the responsibility of local governance, lacking the authority to oversee other deities. His accusation against the Dongping County City God resembles the case of enticing Song clan members to venture into the prefecture for recognition, an absolute taboo in officialdom—a move akin to challenging superior officers and even the state mansion.

This naturally hints at potential hostility!

Yet, he has not entirely overturned it.

Since he only lodged a complaint, without substantive actions or directly striking down the Dongping County City God.

Overstepping authority to file a complaint is indeed taboo in the officialdom.

But the issue is, there’s no explicit regulation in officialdom forbidding such actions!

Thus, his maneuver does not completely overturn positions, merely showcasing a stance—a posture of seeking advancement, forcing the Prefecture City to compromise using latent regulations, and granting him a promotion.

Although it breaches officialdom taboos, he has justice and law on his side, so the Prefecture City cannot openly reprimand him, nor convict him of overstepping or rebellion; otherwise, they would lose the sense of justice and law.

Truly a shrewd mind!

Lu Ji never imagined that an ordinary scholarly tutor could grow to achieve such stature today.

In just a few decades, ascended from an obscure twelfth-class Village Land God to dominate a mountain and two counties as a seventh-rank Mountain God, even daring to confront the Prefecture City, capitalizing on the situation to demand authority.

Such methods, such cunning—could a county school instructor of Qinghe possess them?

Moreover, the person who promoted him in the first place was himself, Lu Ji, the Civil Judge of Jinyang Prefecture!

Lu Ji now feels like he’s digging a pit for himself.

Good grief, what he unearthed is not an unpolished gem but a menacing King Yama.

Now that he is a seventh-grade official, daring to demand authority from the mansion. If he gets promoted satisfactorily to sixth or even fourth or fifth grade, then wouldn’t it...

Lu Ji doesn’t even dare to continue imagining.