Chapter 902 Unprecedented
The others were reluctant to speak, but Yang Haoran had no intention of staying silent; in fact, he couldn't afford to, for at this moment, he had to support Zhu Rong and set an example.
Apart from a select few of his closest confidantes, no one else was aware of the true nature of his relationship with Zhu Rong.
Initially, only Bai Xue knew of this matter, as she had been present at the time. After careful consideration, he later confided his relationship with Zhu Rong to his most trusted few, finding it convenient for them to collaborate on certain issues, especially in his absence.
However, he had specifically instructed them that this matter was for their ears only and absolutely not to be spread, as it would not only cause unnecessary trouble but also bring considerable negative repercussions for Zhu Rong.
Thus, even Old Master Wu's family members were unaware of this, so outsiders naturally knew even less.
Zhu Rong, too, understood the stakes involved, and so she knew exactly how to proceed. Not only was she not foolish enough to actively leak the matter, but she also continuously sealed the Spirit Power within her body.
In the eyes of outsiders, Zhu Rong remained nothing more than an ordinary person, as not a trace of power fluctuation could be sensed from her.
"Administrative Chief Zhu, ever since you took office as Lecheng's Administrative Chief, our city has undergone earth-shattering changes. I've witnessed all of this firsthand. If what the Administrative Chief intends to discuss next pertains to Lecheng's future, then I would certainly be willing to contribute my share."
"My thoughts align with Divine Emissary Yang's," Wang Yiming stated. "If what the Administrative Chief is discussing truly benefits Lecheng's tomorrow, then I, too, will support her."
It was Wang Yiming who spoke. As the head of Lecheng's Talisman Order, his every word and action represented the organization, and ordinarily, he wouldn't easily express a stance on such matters. His doing so now was entirely due to Yang Haoran.
Qin Jie remained silent, as did the representative from the Corpse Raising Sect.
Seeing that the two had no intention of stating their position prematurely, Zhu Rong began to speak.
"What I am about to discuss with you all truly concerns Lecheng's future. I believe you've all witnessed the immense changes our city has undergone. While I, Zhu Rong, dare not claim to have done exceptionally well, compared to before I became Administrative Chief, there has indeed been significant improvement."
No one present refuted Zhu Rong's words; just as she stated, Lecheng had indeed changed dramatically, and as residents of the city, they were naturally well aware of these transformations.
"Though Lecheng has yet to fully recover to its pre-cataclysm state, it has undeniably seen great improvement. At the very least, the common folk now have food to eat, and their personal safety is protected," the exorcist elder remarked.
"Hehe, all of this is due to the Administrative Chief's excellent management; it's all thanks to her efforts! " the old woman chuckled.
The old woman also spoke with a laugh. Being advanced in years, most of her teeth had fallen out, making her speech not only slow but also quite indistinct.
Whether her words were genuine or merely flattery, however, remained unknown.
"For Lecheng to undergo such significant changes, everyone present has played an indispensable role; I, Zhu Rong, dare not claim all the credit for myself. However, the current changes in Lecheng are far from enough. I wish to make Lecheng even more prosperous and secure, but our Administrative Courtyard's power is quite limited, which is why I hope to receive more support from all of you. " Zhu Rong stated.
None of the individuals present showed any surprise; it seemed they had long anticipated Zhu Rong would make such a statement.
"The Administrative Chief is far too modest with those words. Your Spirit Police's strength is by no means weak now, especially the Spirit Police captain personally promoted by the Administrative Chief. It's said her power has already reached the peak Demon King realm. With such formidable strength, why would the Administrative Chief still require our support?"
It was the representative from the Corpse Raising Sect who spoke. His tone, as he uttered these words, was calm, devoid of flattery or sarcasm, as if he were merely stating a fact.
"While Bai Xue's strength is considerable, the power of one person is ultimately limited. To better protect Lecheng, we still need more strength," Zhu Rong stated.
"If she alone isn't enough, you could simply recruit more demons to join the Spirit Police. Wouldn't that boost the Spirit Police's strength? After all, you already have more than just one demon in your Spirit Police force," the Corpse Raising Sect representative continued.
Currently, besides Bai Xue, the snake demon, several other demons had joined the Spirit Police. However, they were just ordinary minor demons, subdued by Bai Xue after she became the Spirit Police captain. This was no secret, so many people were aware of it.
Though the Corpse Raising Sect representative's tone remained as calm as before when he spoke, Zhu Rong detected a hint of dissatisfaction in his words, and so she began to explain.
"Exceptional circumstances call for exceptional measures. Our Administrative Courtyard is currently in dire need of strength, so no matter their background, as long as they possess the ability, they can join the Spirit Police and serve our Administrative Courtyard. This rule wasn't set after I became Administrative Chief; it was established by the previous Administrative Chief during her tenure. I found this approach excellent, and so I retained it."
Zhu Rong paused, then continued to speak.
"I know many people don't understand this approach, and some even find it repugnant, but what choice do I have? To protect Lecheng, we must possess sufficient strength. Without enough power, what would we use to protect Lecheng—noble virtues? Moreover, after joining our Spirit Police, they have not only never harmed Lecheng's common folk but have also risked their lives to protect them. Although our Administrative Courtyard needs to pay them a certain remuneration, that is, after all, something they earn with their lives. Some individuals wouldn't risk their lives for our Administrative Courtyard even if we paid them."
The Corpse Raising Sect representative frowned slightly, offering no reply, while Zhu Rong's face at this moment showed a hint of regret.
"It's also because the remuneration our Administrative Courtyard can offer is quite limited, which prevents us from recruiting more powerful demons. Otherwise, our current Spirit Police force would consist of far more than just these few. Among them, apart from Bai Xue, the others possess only ordinary strength and cannot shoulder the great banner of protecting Lecheng, which is why I hope to receive your support."
The Corpse Raising Sect representative still showed no intention of replying, and Yang Haoran, sensing the time was right, pretended to ask Zhu Rong.
"What do you want us to do? " Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
"I merely require that each of you dispatch some capable subordinates or disciples to be permanently stationed with our Spirit Police. In return, our Administrative Courtyard will construct temples for your respective sects. If you're unwilling to rebuild, we can expand existing ones. All expenses for temple construction will be borne by our Administrative Courtyard, ensuring your sects don't spend a single New Beginning Coin. Furthermore, our Administrative Courtyard can officially represent the government to promote your doctrines and recruit followers for your respective sects."
As soon as Zhu Rong uttered these words, varying degrees of surprise appeared on the faces of everyone present, though the astonishment on Yang Haoran's face was entirely feigned.
The others were surprised not because Zhu Rong wished them to station personnel permanently with the Spirit Police—they had already suspected as much, and therefore weren't startled by that.
Their surprise stemmed from the fact that Zhu Rong was actually willing to build temples for them and, furthermore, to promote their doctrines and recruit followers on behalf of the government—something that had never happened before.
Not only had this never occurred in Lecheng, but it was unprecedented in any other city as well. After all, divine authority and official governance were inherently in conflict. Even if a certain balance had been achieved and open conflict avoided, this underlying tension always persisted. Thus, it was impossible for the government to proactively fund the construction of their temples, let alone promote their doctrines or even recruit followers on its behalf.
Before the world descended into chaos, any sect wishing to construct a temple had to obtain official government approval. Even major sects like the Underworld Office or the Talisman Order were no exception. There were also regulations dictating how many temples, large or small, different sects could build within a city; it wasn't a matter of building as many as one pleased.
At that time, the heads of the various sects in each city were solely preoccupied with how to gain the local Administrative Courtyard's approval to expand the number and area of their own temples. They never even conceived of having the Administrative Courtyard fund temple construction, much less help promote their doctrines or recruit followers. They wouldn't even consider such things, because they knew it was impossible.
But they never imagined that today, Zhu Rong would set such a precedent for Lecheng.
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