Chapter 18: The Heavenly Eye

The Western Origin Spirit Kingdom spans a vast area, divided into seven states and twenty-two counties.

Compared to the United Kingdom on another continent, the power here is more centralized and unified; there are no so-called nobles, and all officials responsible for governance are directly appointed by the supreme ruler, the Western Origin Saint King, who can revoke or change them at any time.

Such a ruling method naturally involves a hierarchy of power.

Besides the Western Origin Saint King and the officials of the capital, each of the seven states has envoys overseeing them, and within each state, counties are divided with prefects, below which are various ranks of officials managing towns and villages.

These officials, no matter how small, such as Zeng Zhuang managing over a hundred households in a small village, are all registered and documented in the capital archives, specifically reviewed and approved by the Western Origin Saint King.

It is precisely because they have largely abandoned the decayed hereditary system that the Western Origin Spirit Kingdom can thrive over a millennium, leading to the prosperous era today.

“So, Vilyric, you needn’t feel too burdened. Though a prefect is the head of a county, at the end of the day, they are just skilled workers selected from among the common people. There’s no significant difference between them and ordinary folk; just maintain a calm mindset.”

“Uh, you misunderstood. I’m not nervous about that; no, I’m not nervous at all…”

Walking through Yangyuan City, the black-haired girl, a bit absent-minded since entering the city, responded helplessly to Miss Ling Feng’s kind reassurance.

The gray-haired girl in a cloth long dress wasn’t embarrassed but rather curious, showing her intrigue.

“What’s up? Could it be that the bustling atmosphere of Yangyuan City makes you uncomfortable?”

“That’s even less likely… Don’t make me look like a shut-in.”

How strange.

Do the merchants and residents coming and going, including Ling Feng and Bai’er, not feel it?

—The gaze.

Since crossing the guards and entering this city, there’s an overwhelming, unusual sensation as if something is watching them, lingering all around.

That discomfort, akin to a peeping eye, has prompted the Priestess more than once to turn around and search.

In reality, no one is spying on them; otherwise, it wouldn’t escape Vilyric’s scan, especially not from the moment they entered the city until now.

But if it’s the gaze of something invisible to the naked eye, something not “human,” then that’s uncertain.

Though in such a bustling city, Vilyric cannot extend her spiritual points broadly to seek out the mysterious stalker, even a slight extension is enough for the Priestess to sense something amiss.

Her last distraction came from this.

Evil Demons.

In the sky above this city, there float countless clusters of void energy that feel similar to evil demons but are even more serene, their aura and fluctuations relatively stable, resembling invisible “eyes” constantly spying on everything within this city.

What on earth is this…?

Honestly, Miss Vilyric really wanted to unleash a skill to clear the sky filled with all sorts of unsightly things. Though imperceptible to the naked eye, just the thought of being monitored by something made her irritation swell.

But in this situation, she surely couldn’t do such a thing, especially since the three of them were newcomers, and Vilyric hadn’t yet grasped the source and purpose of these things, so caution was necessary.

Finally, when the Priestess was on the verge of bursting with the urge to blast the sky above Yangyuan City with a shining cannon, they arrived outside the recruitment site.

It was already packed with people.

Besides the local residents of Yangyuan City, there were also many peculiarly dressed individuals either gathering outside or lining up to enter this spacious courtyard in batches.

Most people were soon seen exiting with dismayed expressions, visibly more disheveled, indicating they had been beaten up. However, some strong individuals seemed to have passed the selection and didn’t appear along with the eliminated ones.

This… should be the point of the recruitment, right?

The three girls exchanged glances and each took their place at the end of the queue, silently waiting amid the surrounding noise of chatter.

Although the selection speed didn’t seem too slow, due to the sheer number of participants, it took over an hour for Vilyric and her friends to finally step into the courtyard as the queue moved slowly forward.

In the spacious exterior courtyard stood a high platform with a square table, flanked by dozens of guards in armor holding long rods to maintain order. Behind the table sat a middle-aged man wearing a square hat and dark-patterned robes.

The man had defined features and a stern square face that exuded authority, sporting a short beard, and appeared to be around forty. He scrutinized the individuals entering the courtyard with an investigative gaze.

Clearly, he was the Prefect Wenfu of Yangyuan County.

Not far from him stood ten others, similarly dressed yet with a solemn presence, likely the examiners for this assessment.

In the crowd, Miss Vilyric discreetly cast her gaze toward the sky.

Hmm… there didn’t seem to be much of that gaze here. Do those evil demon-like things only watch public spaces?

Well, that’s a relief; they could investigate slowly later.

The examination method appeared to involve dozens entering the courtyard together, assessed, and then batches released, thus avoiding the need for the chief assistant to explain repeatedly.

Vilyric and the other two girls happened to be among the last few in this batch of recruits. Just as they stepped into the courtyard, they heard a voice from a young man in somewhat similar but lower-ranking official attire standing before the Prefect’s table.

“Thank you all for participating in the Yangyuan City recruitment grand competition; the reasons have surely been heard, so I won’t repeat them.”

“Currently, the Tidal Canyon is heavily surrounded and sealed off by our Yangyuan City official army, and no one should enter lightly. The only legal way in is through the Prefect’s assessment to join the official exploration team.”

“Otherwise, any attempt to sneak in will be seen as treason, and upon discovery, immediate imprisonment will follow, no questions asked!”

Having briefly explained and warned, the chief assistant turned his gaze toward the square-faced middle-aged man behind him, allowing him to speak.

The latter nodded and scanned the mixed batch of dozens of applicants before speaking indifferently.

“I am Prefect Wenfu of Yangyuan County, and I assure you that as long as you pass the assessment and are willing to join this exploration, each of you will receive five hundred Holy Gold Yuan, regardless of the final outcome.”

“However, the Tidal Canyon is extremely dangerous, so I urge everyone to act according to your abilities and not to recklessly risk your lives.”

Having likely repeated this same statement too many times, Prefect Wenfu’s attitude, while not dismissive, now bore a hint of fatigue. After finishing, he waved his hand.

“Let’s get started quickly.”

“Understood.”

The formalities completed, the first applicant stepped forward at the chief assistant’s signal, thumping a large iron hammer down with a thud, intentionally flexing the muscular arms beneath his short sleeves.

“San Niu! The 11th-generation heir of the Hong Family Hammer! Bring it on, if you have something to compare!”

“Wow…”

Seeing this scene, Miss Vilyric couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.

This standard of a first-time appearance muscular guy was practically decorated with banners of “elimination.”

Good luck, dude…

   

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