Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest-Chapter 687: Copper Badge Patrol Officer

Chapter 687 -687: Copper Badge Patrol Officer

A majestic large building appeared in front of Wang Chen.

Flying eaves and upturned corners, blue-green roofs and black tiles, tall walls and large courtyards, ancient woods dense and dark, in front of the vermilion doors, two statues of fierce beasts with green eyes stood to the left and right, their heads held high and chests puffed out, lifelike.

This was the Patrol and Arrest Bureau of Yongle Immortal City!

Just a quarter of an hour ago, Wang Chen had been in the Forbidden Prison Department, and now, clutching his reassignment order, he had come to report to the Patrol and Arrest Bureau.

Even as he stepped through the gates of the Patrol and Arrest Bureau, Wang Chen still couldn’t quite grasp the situation.

...

He couldn’t understand why he had been transferred to this prominent governmental office!

Within the vast system of the Thirty-Six Departments of Yongle Immortal City, the Patrol and Arrest Bureau ranked above the Forbidden Prison Department.

But a transfer there might not necessarily be a good thing.

Wang Chen guessed that perhaps someone felt he was in the way at the Forbidden Prison Department, and since it was inconvenient to deal with him directly, they had simply decided out of sight, out of mind.

Besides, the casualty rate in the Patrol and Arrest Bureau was much higher than in the Forbidden Prison Department!

Nevertheless, regardless of whether Wang Chen’s speculation was correct or not, he had no choice.

In the great hall of the Patrol and Arrest Bureau, Wang Chen completed the transfer procedures; unless something unexpected happened, he would spend the next two years within this department.

The warden responsible for handling his paperwork seemed amiable, and after handing over the new identity plaque, he asked with a smile, “Fellow Daoist Wang, which department would you like to join?”

The Patrol and Arrest Bureau was divided into eight departments, each responsible for different tasks.

Since Wang Chen was new to the place and knew very little about the Patrol and Arrest Bureau, he couldn’t help but ask in surprise, “I can choose?”

He really wanted to ask which department had less work, greater benefits, and was both comfortable and secure.

However, asking such a question directly might easily provoke a beating.

“Of course.”

The warden replied with a beaming smile, “You can choose among the Patrol Guard, Arrest, and Evil-Suppressing Departments.”

The work of the Patrol Guard was to patrol inside and outside the Immortal City, maintaining order and public security, rain or shine. Although not very dangerous, the benefits were ordinary, and there were not many days off.

The Arrest Department was responsible for capturing Sin Cultivators, Demon Cultivators, and Evil Cultivators; sometimes, they also needed to deal with Loose Cultivators who had turned to banditry, fighting on the front line all year round, with the highest casualty rate and toughest work.

But the Arrest Department also offered the best treatment—whether it was equipment, salary, or resource allocation, it was at the top among the eight departments!

Furthermore, it was the easiest department in which to accumulate Immortal Merit.

As for the Evil-Suppressing Department, the warden didn’t elaborate much, simply telling Wang Chen that it had the fewest members and not many opportunities to go out on missions.

Regarding the other five departments, the other party bluntly expressed that they were not for Wang Chen to consider.

Finally, he asked, “Have you made up your mind?”

Wang Chen hesitated for a moment before replying, “I choose the Evil-Suppressing Department.”

The reason was simple; working in the Evil-Suppressing Department was the most leisurely job!

And what he feared the least was Evil Wraiths.

“Good.”

The warden crisply took out a document, stamped and sealed it, then handed it to Wang Chen, “From today on, you are a Copper Badge constable in the Patrol and Arrest Bureau’s Evil-Suppressing Department!”

The Patrol Guards, constables, and members of the Evil-Suppressing Department were collectively called constables, classified into Copper, Silver, Gold, and Jade Badges.

A Copper Badge was ordinary, a Silver Badge was senior, a Gold Badge was Headhunting, and a Jade Badge was Chief Headhunting!

As a new member in the Patrol and Arrest Bureau without any merits or experience, Wang Chen could only start as a Copper Badge constable.

Beneath a Copper Badge constable was a probationary constable.

Holding the document stamped with the Dharma Seal, Wang Chen received his badge, uniform, and equipment from the Department of Internal Affairs.

Later, he found out that the Department of Internal Affairs was indeed the kind of department he had hoped for—with less work, high benefits, comfortable and secure!

But Wang Chen, who was a newcomer, had completed the procedural formalities and received his allotment, eventually making his way to the Evil-Suppressing Department.

The Evil-Suppressing Department was located at the very back of the Patrol and Arrest Bureau, and Wang Chen had to ask several people before finding the place.

As the Warden had previously mentioned, there were indeed very few people in the Evil-Suppressing Department. Not only was the hall eerily quiet, but it was also filled with a chill and somber atmosphere.

An elderly Director with white hair received Wang Chen.

“It’s been some time since we’ve had a newcomer…”

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on ƒreewebɳovel.com.

While processing Wang Chen’s admission to the department, the old Director lamented, “There aren’t many young people like you anymore.”

Wang Chen later learned that although the work in the Evil-Suppressing Department was not demanding, constables had to deal with demonic fiends on a regular basis, often encountering all sorts of strange and bizarre occurrences which caused immense mental strain and risk of corruption by evil power.

Consequently, most cultivators avoided this department as if it were a den of demons, somewhere no one wanted to go willingly, making it difficult for the department to attract new blood.

A young cultivator like Wang Chen, with such a high cultivation level willing to become an Evil-Suppressing constable, was indeed very rare.

The old Director, afraid of scaring Wang Chen away, added, “Our department’s benefits are quite good, though, and if there are no evil spirits causing trouble, it’s very leisurely.”

An Evil-Suppressing constable isn’t required to clock in daily, but they must not leave the city during non-rest periods, and must arrive immediately once summoned by the department.

Failure to comply could result in corresponding punishments, depending on the severity of the situation.

The rules of the Patrol and Arrest Bureau were very strict, even more so than the Forbidden Prison Department!

“You may go back now.”

In the end, the old Director told Wang Chen, “Just await our call.”

He also provided Wang Chen with a constable handbook from the Patrol and Arrest Bureau.

Wang Chen had thought that joining a new job would allow him to meet some new colleagues, and he had even prepared to treat them to a meal.

Instead, he didn’t meet a single new colleague and was casually dismissed.

But Wang Chen felt this was also not bad.

In both his past and present life, he was not skilled at social interactions. Although he liked bustling scenes, he preferred to work and live alone.

Wang Chen felt his choice had not been a mistake.

Upon exiting the Patrol and Arrest Bureau, he casually picked a nearby tavern and took out the Spirit Stones he had prepared for treating guests, ordering a full table of Immortal Delicacies and Spirit Food to celebrate his new job.

After finishing the feast and paying the bill, Wang Chen suddenly realized that he was no longer as affluent as he once was.

Although his Sumeru Ring still contained a hundred thousand Spirit Stones, once the Condensing Core Treasure arrived at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, the payment he would need to make would far exceed that amount!

Not to mention the Thousand-Year Spirit Pearl, Seven-leaf Mysterious Ginseng, and Ten-Thousand-Year Star Sand, whose costs were unknown.

Being a happy bachelor wasn’t easy either!

Right now, Wang Chen had to solve a big problem, as the Patrol and Arrest Bureau did not provide free accommodations. If he didn’t want to continue paying high fees for staying in an inn, he would need to find a long-term residence in the city.

Wang Chen felt the hundred thousand Spirit Stones in his Sumeru Ring were also at risk now.

This simply wouldn’t do!

As the old saying goes, sitting idle can deplete one’s wealth, and stumbling upon a fortune was merely a stroke of luck, not something to rely on daily.

He needed to think of ways to increase income and decrease expenses to save up for purchasing the Condensing Core Treasure.

For a moment, a myriad of thoughts flooded his mind, and his worries seemed to multiply.

Immortal cultivation has never been carefree!

Now, Wang Chen was troubled by the thought of renting a house.

———

The first update is here.