novelraw Chapter 386: Patrol Officer of Gaojia Village
Chapter 386: Patrol Officer of Gaojia Village
Fang Wushang followed Gao Yiye and walked into Gaojia Fortress.
The Gaojia Fortress had been placed there for several years; it was no longer as brand new as when it was first set up.
On the fortress wall, traces of age had started to appear, and in some places, the composite material board began to wear and deform.
On the walls, stains and children’s graffiti could be seen everywhere.
There was also a math problem written on the wall by Gao Sanwa: 3+2=32.
In some corners of the fortress, flowers, plants, and moss even grew, though only a small patch of mud was on the ground.
But this aged look didn’t make Gaojia Fortress seem run-down; instead, it showed a sense of majesty.
A feel of timelessness and weight, born only from the accumulation of time.
Gao Yiye led Fang Wushang into the watchtower.
When passing the ancestral hall on the first floor, Fang Wushang couldn’t help but bow to the statue of Dao Xuan Deity and say “Forgive me” before daring to pass by its side; then he went up to the third floor and reached the balcony.Qiu Ju and Dong Xue served him fragrant tea.
Fang Wushang saw Gao Yiye sit upright and proper across the table, shifting from her usual lively and innocent girl self to a dignified noblewoman appearance; he knew that serious talk was coming.
He quickly threw aside his Japanese sword, placed his hands on his knees, and sat up straight: “What are your instructions, Saint Lady?”
Gao Yiye smiled: “It is not I who have words for you, but the Deity who has words for you.”
This sentence startled Fang Wushang, and he hurriedly glanced up at the sky.
Above, about sixty or seventy zhang high, a low cloud hovered; as Fang Wushang looked up, the low cloud gently swayed, as if greeting him.
Fang Wushang hurriedly bowed again.
Gao Yiye said: “The Deity is an immortal; there is nothing in the mortal world he does not know, only things he chooses not to know, or cannot be bothered to know.”
Fang Wushang said: “Ahem, that is natural.”
Gao Yiye changed the topic: “So, what you and Master Liang discussed that day, the Deity actually knew about.”
This sentence startled Fang Wushang immensely, and he almost jumped up from his seat.
Gao Yiye said: “Do not fear, the Deity does not mean to blame you.”
“Phew!” Only then did Fang Wushang sigh in relief again.
Gao Yiye said: “The Deity wasn’t angry—he even praised you all, thinking what you considered made much sense.”
Fang Wushang was overjoyed: “Truly?”
Gao Yiye said: “The Deity is an immortal; of course he would not fight for the rights of this mundane world. Just like ants fighting in a colony—who becomes the ant king doesn’t matter at all to a person, not a thing.”
Fang Wushang said: “That reasoning is most sound.”
Gao Yiye smiled: “But the Deity also feels that if some troublemakers among mortals deceive, swindle, scheme against others, or use unjust, illegal, even unconscionable methods to ruin the whole world’s peace, that is something he does not wish to see.”
Fang Wushang’s expression grew serious; he knew the main point was coming now.
Gao Yiye said: “Currently, Gaojia Village lacks an upright law enforcer.”
Fang Wushang said: “Eh?”
Gao Yiye said: “The Deity says power without restraint inevitably leads to corruption—for example, if I walk downstairs now to the village treasury on the second floor and take whatever I want without anyone stopping me, it is because I possess the ‘absolute power’ the Deity granted me. This would slowly make me lose myself, become reckless, do anything I desired, and not care whether it broke laws.”
Fang Wushang was inwardly startled—the Saint Lady was first taking herself as an example?
Gao Yiye said: “Besides me, many others in Gaojia Village enjoy such power, like Thirty-Two, Bai Yuan, Instructor He… they all hold absolute power in the small groups they lead. It is still early, they are all good people now, but if this continues, their power grows—what they become in the end cannot be said.”
Fang Wushang thought to himself: This is the matter I discussed with Master Liang—these people possess the food and firearms bestowed by the Deity; if they turned evil, it would be truly terrifying.
Gao Yiye said: “If they do wrong, the Deity can punish them, but the Deity is too busy to watch mortals daily—so he had me summon you to give you an honorable and challenging task.”
Fang Wushang understood at once—he was meant to be the law enforcer.
He said earnestly: “Rest assured, Deity! Even without this talk, I, Fang Wushang, as Patrol Officer of Chengcheng, have a duty to uphold. I will surely manage all of Chengcheng County well; whoever engages in illegal activities will be dealt with strictly.”
Gao Yiye smiled: “Just being Patrol Officer of Chengcheng isn’t enough.”
Fang Wushang said: “Not enough?”
Gao Yiye said: “You also need to take on the role of Patrol Officer of Gaojia Village; otherwise, you truly cannot manage this group.”
Upon hearing this, Fang Wushang’s eyes flashed sharply: “Since there is already a Patrol Officer of Chengcheng, why add a Patrol Officer of Gaojia Village? Could Gaojia Village not belong to Chengcheng? Are you raising a banner of revolt and becoming your own nation?”
As he spoke, his aura suddenly surged, as if poised to rise and fight at any instant.
Qiu Ju and Dong Xue beside him were startled.
But Gao Yiye was not flustered; with the Deity overhead constantly speaking and guiding her, she had no fear.
Gao Yiye said lightly: “General Fang, do not misunderstand—Gaojia Village has not become its own nation.”
Fang Wushang said: “Then why speak of a Patrol Officer of Gaojia Village?”
Gao Yiye said: “A few days ago, Gaojia Village sent out the militia to Heyang County to support the Heyang County militia in battling the rebel Wang Jiayin—surely you heard of this, General Fang?”
Fang Wushang nodded: “Yes! I heard of it.”
Gao Yiye said: “Then let me pose a hypothesis, just a hypothesis: if the Gaojia Village Militia, on their way to reinforce Heyang, robbed a Heyang County village and killed its villagers, could you, General Fang, manage it?”
Fang Wushang was about to say “Of course I could,” but the words faltered on his lips, and he swallowed them—Heyang matters did not fall under his authority.
He recalled holding off Fan Shanyue’s attack near Zhengjia Village long ago but being unable to pursue, for as Patrol Officer of Chengcheng alone, not Patrol Officer of Heyang, he had no right to enter Heyang County for arrests.
Thinking of this, he felt awkward.
Gao Yiye said: “Our Gaojia Village is a civil group; as such, it has great freedom, moving freely about. Last time it went to Heyang County; next time it may go to Yichuan County, or Xi’an, or Shanxi, or anywhere under heaven. But your position as Patrol Officer of Chengcheng manages Chengcheng only—is it not entirely unable to keep pace? So you must have a post in our village—Patrol Officer of Gaojia Village.”