Brother Song

"I heard about it,"

"Scholar Song, he took them down one by one with his staff, beating those dogs controlled by demon people until they scattered everywhere."

"And that scoundrel was beaten to death by Scholar Song's staff!"

"Scholar Song is amazing now, he's a favorite of Captain Wu."

"Oh, wait a minute."

In the noodle shop.

Someone spoke up in objection.

"Boss Shi, didn't you say yesterday that this Scholar Song was the luckiest among the people the Demon Suppression Division recruited this time?"

"You said he was a scribe for the Demon Suppression Division he got through fishing."

"Bullshit, stop spreading rumors." Boss Shi's expression changed upon hearing this.

He had said that yesterday.

But he definitely couldn't admit it today.

"Right, Hu Lu."

"What is it?"

Hu Lu was adding chili to his bowl. He liked to put plenty of chili in his noodles, otherwise, they didn't have much flavor.

Someone suddenly leaned in.

"I remember the day before yesterday, you got angry when you were joking with Scholar Song, and you even threatened to hit him!"

"He's here now, are you still going to hit him?"

The person said, pointing outside.

They saw in the distance.

A young man, idly twirling an iron rod about the thickness of a chopstick, was walking into the noodle shop.

It was none other than Song Chengan.

Hu Lu's face immediately changed.

He stood up abruptly.

"There's only one door to the noodle shop," the person reminded him.

Hu Lu sat back down.

As Song Chengan entered the noodle shop, the place instantly quieted down.

However, this silence only lasted for a moment before everyone resumed their lively chatter.

Only now and then did curious glances drift towards Song Chengan.

"I haven't ordered yet?"

As soon as Song Chengan sat down, a bowl of noodles was placed in front of him.

"Brother Song, it's my treat, my treat!"

From the side.

Hu Lu stood up, cupped his fists, and said with a fawning smile.

Hu Lu was truly ashamed of himself now.

The other day, he had joked with Song Chengan, and Song Chengan had jokingly retaliated.

But because it was his sore spot, and considering Song Chengan was just a poor scholar with a gambling problem, whom he looked down on from the bottom of his heart, he had lost his temper.

But thinking back now, he was fortunate that Song Chengan hadn't taken it to heart that day.

Otherwise, he probably would have been beaten to death with two blows.

He had heard.

Song Chengan had learned skills and was now like an immortal.

Song Chengan nodded upon hearing this: "Then thank you."

"You're too kind, Brother Song!"

Hu Lu finished the noodles in his bowl in a flash and left as if he were trying to escape.

Song Chengan shook his head and ignored him.

He was just an ordinary person who drew his sword against the weaker. As a cultivator, was he going to beat someone up over such a trivial matter?

"Song Chengan!"

"Not bad."

"I didn't realize you had it in you. We're all still studying the rules and regulations of the Demon Suppression Division, and you've already earned a merit."

"Brother An, why aren't you speaking? Aren't you happy that your uncle earned merit?"

Song Chengan had just walked into the Demon Suppression Division's yamen.

He saw Qian Xin, Wen Chengyun, and An Mingxin.

It was Qian Xin who spoke, naturally.

"Brother Song, Lord Wu wants to see you."

Song Chengan cupped his fists in thanks.

"Good, I thought it would take some time, but I didn't expect it to be so quick and efficient."

Seeing Song Chengan enter, Wu Cong said with a smile.

"Sit."

"Would you like some tea?"

"Thank you, Lord Wu!"

Wu Cong poured Song Chengan a cup of tea.

"Later, Advisor Song will take you to the library to assist the clerks there in writing up the mission report."

"Mission report?"

Wu Cong chuckled, "Every mission needs to be recorded in detail, no matter how small."

"And the merits need to be assessed."

"For this mission, you can at least be awarded a 'Ding' grade merit, with a reward of at least one hundred and fifty Talisman Coins."

"There are also Talisman Coin rewards?"

Song Chengan was genuinely surprised to hear this.

He had thought that joining the Demon Suppression Division meant receiving a fixed amount of Talisman Coins each month.

"Of course, otherwise, why would other cultivators risk their lives for the Imperial Court?"

"Is it just for the sake of the common people?"

"Oh, and also your identity token and such, go find Advisor Song for those too."

Song Chengan nodded.

This seemed pretty good.

According to the rules of the Demon Suppression Division.

The spoils of war obtained from completing missions belonged to the individual.

Then the Demon Suppression Division would reward some Talisman Coins according to the mission.

Of course.

Nominally, they belonged to the individual.

But in reality, the immediate superior still needed to be shown some respect.

Song Chengan took out a pill bottle, a palm-sized box, and a book from his embrace.

"Lord Wu, these are the items obtained from that scoundrel."

"A Marrow Cleansing Pill, a Gu Worm of unknown use, and a book about refining Gu Worms."

"Let me see."

"Marrow Cleansing Pill, this is a good thing for someone who has just started cultivating."

"Why would this Balu, a man on his last legs, carry such a thing?"

"Spirit Gu Seed, the Southern Border Gu Tribe gives this Gu worm to children with cultivation aptitude. This Gu worm can help them cultivate the unique Myriad Poison True Qi of the Gu Tribe, making cultivation twice as effective."

"A book that every child in the Miao Jiang Gu Tribe must learn."

Captain Wu fell into thought: "Why would he carry these things?"

"Lord Wu is truly knowledgeable."

"Lord Wu, looking at these items, do you have any juniors who might need them?"

Song Chengan reminded him.

Wu Cong chuckled upon hearing this, "I don't have any juniors."

"You can keep these things."

"From now on, whatever you acquire through combat, you can keep it all."

"This..."

Song Chengan was stunned.

Showing respect to his superior was something Advisor Song had told him.

Moreover, Song Chengan knew the rules of the army: a portion of the spoils went to the national treasury, a portion to the superior, and the rest was one's own.

He had no reason to refuse such a good offer.

"Then I thank you, Lord Wu!"

"Mm." Wu Cong nodded.

"By the way, Lord Wu, I heard that the Demon Suppression Division collects all sorts of techniques from across the land, which can be exchanged for merit."

"That is indeed the case," Wu Cong said.

"However, Lingqiu County is a bit special."

"Because the Demon Suppression Division was only recently established here, we haven't collected any martial arts techniques. You won't be able to exchange for anything even if you wanted to."

"You'll have to go to Taixuan Commandery."

"Taixuan Commandery?"

Taixuan Commandery.

One of the five commanderies of Liangzhou, and the seat of Liangzhou's administration.

Lingqiu County was one of the many counties under Taixuan Commandery.

"That's a bit far."

Upon hearing this, Song Chengan immediately knew there was no immediate prospect.

It would take at least three days to ride a fast horse from Lingqiu to Taixuan Commandery.

Furthermore, he didn't have many merit points, so he wouldn't consider it for now.

"Is this the place?"

Song Chengan tilted his head to look.

He saw that the room was piled high with scrolls, and several people were engrossed in copying.

"What is it?" someone asked, looking up.

Song Chengan cupped his fists. "I'm the new recruit, Song Chengan, here to record scrolls."

"You're Song Chengan! Come in quickly!"

The person said with a smile.

"I'm Shen Xuan."

"Brother Shen, how does one operate these scrolls?"

The rest of the process was simple.

Song Chengan dictated, and the young man named Shen Xuan helped to record.

It was finished quickly.

It wasn't a complicated matter, essentially just recounting the detailed events.

The young man wrote very quickly, and Song Chengan barely had to wait.

"What is this?"

"This is this county's county annals. I borrowed it from the yamen today to reference some information," Shen Xuan said, glancing at it.

Song Chengan was a little curious. "May I take a look?"

Shen Xuan smiled and nodded. "Classified scrolls aren't kept here. You can look if you want."

"Thank you."

With nothing else to do, Song Chengan picked up the county annals and began to read.

Autumn of Tianrui Year Seven, thunderstorm, Luo Village perished.

"Luo Village?"

For some reason, Song Chengan thought of Mount Luo.

"Brother Shen, what is this Luo Village mentioned here?"

Shen Xuan glanced at it. "Oh, this."

"It was a village on Mount Luo many years ago that was destroyed in a lightning disaster."

"Lightning disaster?"

Song Chengan thought of the scorched ruins in the monster village on Mount Luo.

"In ancient times, when heaven and earth were unstable, all sorts of natural disasters occurred constantly."

"Later, the Sages stabilized heaven and earth, making it clear and bright, and natural disasters became fewer. However, occasional disasters still occur."

"This lightning fire that destroyed Luo Village is one of the few natural disasters in the past few decades."

"So, everyone in Luo Village died?" Song Chengan asked.

Shen Xuan nodded. "Indeed."

"But why is there only one sentence in the county annals?" Song Chengan asked, a little confused.

Shen Xuan said, "I don't know about that."

"Perhaps there's nothing worth writing about."

"Song Chengan."

"You're here! Come with me to collect your identity waist token and other items!"

Someone spoke from outside the door at this moment.

Song Chengan looked up; it was Advisor Song.

"Advisor Song, please wait a moment, I'll be right there!"

Song Chengan followed Advisor Song to get his waist token and, while he was at it, collected two sets of casual clothes and one set of formal attire.