Chapter 542: Chapter 542: Taking Office
In the early hours of the morning, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky.
Riding on the Red Rabbit Beast, Zhang Yuan passed through the continuous curtain of rain, quietly leaving the Upper Scenic Celestial Peak Gate.
His destination this time was the West Plain, a thousand miles away, where he would take up the position of Dao General.
Zhang Yuan didn’t have many friends in the sect, but he had plenty of enemies, so this time, as he journeyed a thousand miles to take up his post, no one came to see him off—including Mo Huai’an.
This True Disciple of Spiritual Halberd Peak had sequestered himself again.
But before his seclusion, Mo Huai’an specially sent someone to give Zhang Yuan a mount.
And that was the very Red Rabbit Horse beneath him!
Whinny~
The splendid horse galloping up the mountain path raised its head and neighed long, spreading its hooves and waving its tail as it swiftly charged forward, carrying Zhang Yuan like a streak of flowing fire.
This Red Rabbit Horse was fiery red from head to toe, with not a single stray hair on its entire body, over one zhang long from head to tail, and eight chi tall from hoof to neck, with a whinny as powerful as if it could leap into the ocean.
Just by its size and appearance, it was a top-tier divine steed!
Though Zhang Yuan had a Gray-toothed Lynx as a means of transport and originally didn’t need a horse mount.
But the moment he saw the Red Rabbit sent by Mo Huai’an, he couldn’t bear to refuse and gladly accepted it.
After all, once in the West Plain, he couldn’t usually ride a fierce-looking Profound Beast back and forth through the city gates, having a horse would be much more convenient and practical.
Most importantly, this Red Rabbit Horse was among the top of the ordinary horses, with speed that was on par with the Gray-toothed Lynx, lacking only in endurance and load capacity.
But carrying Zhang Yuan as they galloped along, it gave him the feeling of riding on clouds and mist.
He couldn’t help but feel a growing fondness for it.
Accompanied by the Red Rabbit Horse, Zhang Yuan traveled day and night and arrived outside West Plain City by the next evening.
With the strength of this divine steed, traveling a thousand miles a day was no problem at all.
But doing so would be extremely taxing on the Red Rabbit Horse, prone to injuring its hooves; and since it wasn’t a matter of urgency, there was no need to rush.
Zhang Yuan faced no unforeseen events along the way and arrived smoothly at his destination.
West Plain City lay northwest of the Upper Scenic Celestial, nearly a thousand miles away, it’s the furthest Dao City from the latter.
Being assigned to the West Plain carried something of an implied banishment for Zhang Yuan.
This was actually quite normal.
Although the Upper Scenic Celestial provided nine Dao General slots this time, Zhang Yuan was the only outsider, and without the Mo Family’s strong support, it would have been nearly impossible for him to secure a position.
Now that he’d made it to the top, there was no point in being choosy.
Even though West Plain City was remote, it wasn’t a run-down or impoverished place; on the contrary, this Dao City guarded a major route from the Western Regions into Daqian, boasting a large population and bustling commerce.
The bustling caravans streamed along the road leading to the West Plain, with crisscrossing fields and farms everywhere outside the city.
As the sun set to the west, wisps of smoke from cooking fires came into Zhang Yuan’s view!
Zhang Yuan dismounted at the city gate.
As a Dao City, though West Plain had the scale of a county-level city, its walls were tall and grand, and the soldiers guarding it were markedly different in both garb and demeanor from ordinary Daqian soldiers.
Zhang Yuan noticed that all the soldiers at the city gate bore a large "Dao" character on their chests.
This indicated their identity as Daoist soldiers.
While Zhang Yuan was observing these Daoist soldiers, a burly Daoist soldier keenly sensed his gaze and stepped forward, saying in a deep voice, "You cannot loiter before the city gate. May I ask if you wish to enter the city?"
This Daoist soldier’s eyes were filled with vigilance.
If it were an ordinary person, he would have taken them for questioning.
But Zhang Yuan appeared quite unremarkable, though his mount, the Red Rabbit Horse, was undoubtedly a priceless steed, suggesting he was no commoner, hence the polite address.
Zhang Yuan reached into his pocket and pulled out his identity token, giving it a slight shake. "Zhang Yuan, newly appointed Dao General of the West Plain!"
"So it’s the Dao General, Lord Zhang!"
The Daoist soldier was instantly taken aback, hurriedly bowed, and said, "This humble one, Luo Shuo, Captain of the West Plain Dao Camp, pays respects to you, my lord. Please forgive the offense!"
"No need for formalities."
Zhang Yuan waved his hand and said, "Captain Luo, please take me to the Daoist Government Office."
Luo Shuo bowed again, "Yes, Sir!"
With the captain and several Daoist soldiers leading the way, Zhang Yuan mounted the Red Rabbit Horse again and rode through the city gates.
The West Plain City was exceptionally prosperous, with broad streets teeming with people, and shops and buildings lined both sides, with clerks speaking in local dialects inviting guests warmly; business was indeed flourishing.
Many of the pedestrians were merchants, and rugged Wandering Heroes mingled among them. At street corners, there were people performing, begging, or running small stalls everywhere.
Zhang Yuan even saw a few enchanting Hu Ji parading past him!
This city, close to the Western Regions, possessed a distinctive character unlike any ordinary county-level city in Daqian.
And on the streets, the people cast Zhang Yuan, riding a splendid horse with Daoist soldier escorts, looks of astonishment, curiosity, and even awe.
These odd glances accompanied Zhang Yuan all the way to the Daoist Government Office.
The Dao City was allocated to the Daoist Lineage by Daqian, akin to a squire’s estate, with all affairs managed by a Daoist Official appointed by the Dao Court.
Thus, the County Government Office became the Daoist Government Office, serving as the daily office, residence, and training place for the Daoist Officials.
The Daoist Government Office was located at the center of the city, with the Celestial King Hall to the left and the Dao Camp to the right, together forming a city within the city, with formidable defenses and orderly management.
But when Zhang Yuan arrived, the Daoist Government Office’s doors were shut tight, with only the lanterns hanging out front still lit.
Before Zhang Yuan could issue instructions, Luo Shuo stepped forward to knock on the door.
The vermilion door soon opened a crack, revealing a white-haired old head from inside.
"Elder Sun."
Luo Shuo quickly said with a smile, "Could you please report to the lord that the new Dao General Zhang Yuan, Lord Zhang, has arrived?"
The gatekeeper, Elder Sun, spoke expressionlessly, "My lord already knows and has specifically instructed that Lord Zhang, the Dao General, should visit the office tomorrow. You should rest early tonight."
With that, he slammed the door shut!
Luo Shuo returned awkwardly to Zhang Yuan, saying, "Lord Zhang, what do you think of this?"
Zhang Yuan’s eyes flashed, and he said lightly, "It’s alright, let me stay in the Dao Camp first."
Though Zhang Yuan came to take up his post alone, and knew nothing of the conditions in West Plain Dao City beforehand, the Mo Family had provided him with detailed information when he left the Upper Scenic Celestial.
The current Daoist Official of West Plain Dao City was named Fei Hongming, a High Tier Mage with nearly ten years of tenure in the West Plain.
And Zhang Yuan was the fourth Dao General during Fei Hongming’s tenure!
The first two completed their terms and left normally, while the third met an untimely death, giving Zhang Yuan the chance to fill the vacancy.
Zhang Yuan was naturally a stranger to Fei Hongming.
However, the attitude of this Daoist Official clearly indicated that Zhang Yuan’s arrival was unwelcome!
