Meng Qi was momentarily taken aback and retorted, “What must one do to join the Six Gates?”
As for the benefits of becoming a member of the Six Gates, Meng Qi knew without asking.
First, there was the prestige of being officially sanctioned. Provided one didn’t excessively infringe upon the interests of noble families or martial sects, one wouldn’t be arbitrarily harmed and would possess authority to lead others. For example, when the Ye Family of Yicheng encountered trouble, Huang Zhiqing, the chief constable of the county, wasn’t the strongest warrior nor possessed any treasure weapons, yet he could command three other families, invite representatives from the Zhou Clan of Zhenjun and the Huanhua Sword Sect, and had a certain degree of authority over the life and death of smaller families, sects, and wandering cultivators.
Second, there was protection. Many people who had incurred the wrath of heretical sects or martial families could find refuge from the Six Gates, provided their offenses weren’t too severe or they had sufficient value to the organization. For instance, positions within the Six Gates headquarters in Shen Du could be arranged for them.
Third, there were resources. These included, but were not limited to, secret manuals, medicinal pills, mines, weapons, farmland, gold and silver, and personal guidance. Depending on one’s strength and rank, each member of the Six Gates received a share of these resources. Although they might not rival the inheritances of major sects or great noble families, they were generally sufficient to ensure steady cultivation progress.
In this regard, the upper echelons of the Six Gates were extraordinary in their power and looked down upon ordinary resources. They also understood how damaging corruption and embezzlement could be to the Six Gates’ system, so they enforced strict investigations and discipline. While corruption could never be completely eradicated, it was kept within reasonable limits, ensuring it wouldn’t hinder the cultivation and promotion of lower-level members.
Among these resources, what Meng Qi valued most was the intelligence network of the Six Gates!
Although he was in the Samsara World and craved other resources as well—since if he didn’t seize the opportunity to improve himself in the main world, to seek out things that could earn him virtue points or be used directly—his next Samsara mission might well be his death sentence. However, he had other methods and channels to obtain these resources without relying on the Six Gates, such as slaying bandits or eliminating great thieves.
The Six Gates, however, was deeply rooted in the imperial court. Even the most remote and desolate small counties had a Zhishi Constable. Outside these, they cultivated informants—ordinary personnel who only provided intelligence. Their ability to gather intelligence far surpassed that of martial sects and noble families. Sects and noble families only radiated influence within their own counties, and could only obtain intelligence from bustling places or major trade routes through merchants and other means. Even cultivators with the ability to “calculate with a finger” found heavenly will difficult to predict without proper basis—how could anyone calculate accurately?
The Samsara Lord of the Six Dao did not offer intelligence resources from the main world for exchange. Since leaving Shaolin, Meng Qi had completely lost access to such resources, and several of his past predicaments were partly due to this.
Although this was also because he had only recently begun his journey across the martial world and didn’t yet have his own sources of information like other wandering cultivators—after all, snakes have their paths and mice have their holes—no matter how good their intelligence resources were, they couldn’t compare to those of the Six Gates. Even if they had some secret intelligence unknown to the Six Gates, it was only supplementary, not the main source.
The martial world was dangerous. Who would want to be blind? This was the main reason Meng Qi seriously considered Kong Yu’s suggestion and one of the reasons he had originally sought out Qi Zhengyan—not merely for the sake of enjoying a life of luxury.
Kong Yu smiled and replied, “For the position of constable, the Zhishi Constable can make the decision, and the Xie Li Constable also has a say. However, the candidate’s background and experience must be verified, with guarantees provided and guidance given. As for the position of Zhengyin Constable, the Zhishi Constable has the right to recommend, but the decision, review, and training fall under the jurisdiction of the county yamen, specifically under Guo Yinzhang and us two Qing Shou Constables.”
When the ranks weren’t too different, constables addressed each other rather casually, usually by surname plus title, such as Guo Yinzhang or Kong Qingshou.
He went on to say, “For positions at the level of Xie Li Constable or ordinary Hu Bao Constable, we only have the authority to recommend candidates. The final decision, review, and training fall under the jurisdiction of the Jin Zhang Constable and Zi Shou Constable of the prefectural yamen. Starting from the rank of Zhishi Constable or elite Hu Bao Constable, the prefectural yamen retains only the right to recommend, while the ultimate decision, review, and training must be handled by the Six Gates headquarters in Shen Du. All such individuals are also required to travel to Shen Du once to pay homage to the emperor and receive instruction and guidance from the Chief Constable and Divine Constables, thereby obtaining the corresponding secret manuals.”
The Six Gates wielded immense power, including the authority to arrest, interrogate, and adjudicate, standing on equal footing with the bureaucratic system composed of the royal family, noble houses, and Confucian scholars. To overturn its judgments, only the Hall of State Affairs—the core of the Jin Dynasty’s imperial court—or the emperor himself could intervene. Moreover, the Chief Constable of the Six Gates also held the honorary title of Counselor of State Affairs.
“Travel to Shen Du?” Meng Qi slightly furrowed his brows.
Kong Yu smiled, “Traveling to Shen Du is a necessity. Once one reaches the level of Zhishi Constable, the authority is extremely heavy, as one oversees martial affairs in a certain region. If a villain were to infiltrate, the consequences could be disastrous. Surely, we cannot simply believe someone’s claim of sudden repentance and entrust them with such great power without thoroughly verifying their past?”
Indeed, there must be an evaluation to confirm their sincerity and a process to cultivate their loyalty—this was only natural… Meng Qi nodded slightly, understanding the Six Gates’ approach. However, he himself had no desire at all to go to Shen Du. From the limited information he had, he knew that his current body came from a noble family in Shen Du. Although he had no intention of returning or getting involved in internal family conflicts, going to Shen Du itself represented a certain stance, inevitably leading others to make assumptions and causing a heap of trouble.
Unaware of Meng Qi’s shift in demeanor, Kong Yu continued warmly, “Young Master Su, you are among the elite of humanity, possessing extraordinary strength. Even if you’ve only opened six or seven apertures, you would at least be treated as an elite Tiger-Leopard Constable. More likely, you would be appointed as a Zhishi Constable, or even a Qing Shou Constable. What do you think?”
Such a “clean” martial expert, ranked among the human elite, would undoubtedly be recommended by the prefectural yamen and approved by the headquarters upon recruitment.
Meng Qi took a light breath, “I’m deeply grateful for Qing Shou Constable Kong’s sincere offer, but the path of martial cultivation lies in tempering oneself and gaining experience. If I were to be confined to one place, I might stagnate.”
This was also one of his concerns.
“Young Master Su’s aspirations are lofty, and I admire you for it,” Kong Yu said without displeasure, sincerely praising him. Indeed, a young expert from a major sect or noble family would value traveling and tempering oneself, never content with merely having the hope of reaching the Outer Scenery stage.
He shifted the topic, “However, within the Six Gates, there are also positions such as the Jiushi Constable and the Bufeng Secret Investigator. These also have ranks such as Zhishi and Qing Shou. They frequently patrol various regions, investigate internal misconduct, and uncover secret matters. There is no shortage of experience and tempering, and they also have the authority to mobilize the forces and resources of the local Six Gates branches.”
Meng Qi was intrigued, “But would I have to go to Shen Du?”
“Of course,” Kong Yu affirmed, “the Jiushi Constable may not hold a high rank, but their authority is significant. The Bufeng Secret Investigator knows many secrets. If one does not go to Shen Du to receive the emperor’s audience, evaluation, and training, the Divine Constables and Chief Constable would not feel at ease.”
As Meng Qi was hesitating, Kong Yu laughed and said, “This matter concerns the future. I know it’s difficult for you to decide immediately, Young Master Su. Why not wait until the Martial Examination is over before making your decision? By then, you will have the prestige of being a Jinshi scholar, and if you join the Six Gates, you will at least be appointed a Zhishi Constable.”
In the thirteen provinces of the Jin Dynasty, each had only thirty quotas for the Martial Examination. As long as one stood out in their own province, they would be equivalent to a Jinshi scholar. The trip to Shen Du would merely be for ranking in the first, second, or third lists, to avoid unnecessary travel for no result. Of course, if one succeeded in their own county, they would gain the title of Wuju Zi and could directly become an official or a constable.
“The Martial Examination?” Meng Qi was momentarily taken aback.
Kong Yu smiled and said, “We must do things thoroughly. As for the matter with Shaolin, I will request the prefectural yamen to issue a document stating that since Young Master Su has already sworn an oath with his Yuan Shen, he will not leak the Shaolin martial arts. Moreover, he has not used his martial prowess to break the law and has frequently acted heroically, eliminating demons and upholding justice. We request that, out of compassion, Shaolin refrains from further pursuit. According to Buddhist traditions, this matter would usually end here.”
“That would be excellent,” Meng Qi nodded lightly. What he needed now was not more trials, but a period of quiet cultivation. Besides, Yedu was filled with experts, offering ample opportunities for sparring.
He paused, then added with some concern, “But I don’t know when the Luo Demoness will return…”
Normally, according to the habits of the Six Dao Samsara Lord, Gu Xiaosang should have already returned by now. However, due to the uniqueness of the Ruins of the Nine Heavens, it was uncertain. Moreover, since he had tricked her, he feared she might attempt to assassinate him. It might be better to leave earlier.
“No worries,” Kong Yu said nonchalantly, “why don’t you move closer to the prefectural yamen? With the manifestation of the Heaven’s Gate, the Demoness has become the target of everyone’s attention. She wouldn’t dare to act so brazenly. Still, I advise you to change your residence. The Six Gates in Yunde Prefecture is close to the Six Gates of Huanzhou and the main branch of the Wang Clan. There are many Outer Scenery experts nearby, so we won’t fear Gu Xiaosang causing trouble.”
Sighing, he added, “Who would have thought that Shan Xiumei was the incarnation of the Xuan Nu Sect’s successor? It’s truly unbelievable.”
“It seems more like a manifestation of the Buddha’s response body,” Meng Qi replied.
“A response body…” Kong Yu pondered, “so it was the response body that disintegrated into a beam of light when the demoness attempted to absorb the immortal spirit Qi. Otherwise, if the destruction of the response body had caused such a disturbance, how could the Six Gates have no relevant intelligence?”
I don’t know much about response bodies… I thought they just disappear when they die… The demoness must have been half-truthfully deceiving people… Meng Qi’s expression was awkward. However, after witnessing such a commotion, he also had similar suspicions. At first, he thought it would be a silent streak of light, visible only to those who were especially vigilant.
Kong Yu thought for a moment and said, “There have always been rumors that those killed by the Death and Rebirth Sect would transform into vengeful ghosts. Now it seems, those rumors might have been mixed up with the matter of the Xuan Nu response body.”
Several martial experts who had died at the hands of the Death and Rebirth Sect had their graves washed away by floods, only to find their coffins empty, suspected of transforming into zombies or vengeful ghosts. Now it seemed, it was likely due to the slow dissipation of the Xuan Nu response body after its death.
Using this opportunity, Meng Qi inquired about a lot of related intelligence. After returning to his courtyard, he suddenly froze.
“My Xie Jie…” he suddenly realized. It was Qingyu, though not a complete loss since Xie Jie was merely a weapon, and he hadn’t used it for long. As a divination tool, it couldn’t produce a great effect, but he still felt something strange about it.
The next day.
Wang Zai, who was resting at home, received Meng Qi’s challenge letter, which contained only two lines:
“In three days, at the prefectural yamen’s training ground, I sincerely await Brother Zai. Would you care for a duel?”
“Blade Madman Su Meng, respectfully.”
A smile appeared on Wang Zai’s face as he picked up his brush and wrote a single large character on the letter:
“Fight!”
Yedu was thus thrown into a frenzy, as a rare duel between two human elite-ranked warriors was about to begin.
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