New Mission

"Lord Wu!"

"You summoned me!"

Demon Suppression Division offices.

"The matter with the Southern Border Gu Tribe last time has had Ding Zhong's merit rank assessed."

"Ding Zhong, awarded one hundred Talisman Coins and credited with one hundred merit points."

"Together with this month's salary, that comes to two hundred Talisman Coins."

As Wu Cong spoke, he handed a money pouch to Song Chengan.

"Speaking of which, you can save up your merit points. Once you accumulate three thousand, you can exchange them at this prefecture's Demon Suppression Guard for a Storage Magic Tool."

"You can exchange for Storage Magic Tools too?"

Song Chengan was rather surprised to hear that.

Wu Cong laughed.

"Behind us stands the Imperial Court."

"Forget Storage Magic Tools. If you have enough merit points, you can even exchange for a Nascent Soul Pill."

"Oh, right. There's another assignment for you this time."

As Wu Cong spoke, he handed a scroll to Song Chengan.

"The Refugee Quarter by the docks outside the city?"

Wu Cong nodded.

"A fisherman in the Refugee Quarter turned into a monster and has already claimed two lives."

"The situation is urgent. You need to deal with it at once."

"I'll head over now."

"By the way, why haven't I seen Wen Chengyun and the others?"

Song Chengan was curious.

Ever since returning this time, he had not seen Wen Chengyun, Qian Xin, An Mingxin, or any of the others.

"They've all gone out to handle official business."

Wu Cong smiled. "Why do you think I was in such a hurry to recruit you into the Demon Suppression Division?"

"Isn't it because I truly have no one under my command to use?"

"Before you joined the Demon Suppression Division, I alone had to keep watch over enormous Lingqiu County. I simply could not split myself into enough pieces."

"So that was it."

Song Chengan nodded.

That made sense.

As far as he knew, there had already been four or five incidents of demons and monsters causing trouble.

The ones he did not know about were likely countless.

"Lord Wu!"

"You just said the Demon Suppression Division offices had always been desperately short-handed. Then why didn't you directly recruit people into the Demon Suppression Division before?"

Song Chengan did not understand.

If they had truly lacked manpower so badly,

then why had they not recruited people before, instead allowing demons and monsters to wreak havoc for so long?

Hearing Song Chengan's words, Wu Cong looked somewhat helpless.

"I didn't dare."

"You didn't dare?"

"Before, Lord Lu and Lord Liu were fighting over the position of Commander. Nearly every Demon Suppression office throughout the Chen Kingdom was busy picking sides."

"Everyone was throwing themselves into supporting their immediate superior's immediate superior for the position. Who had the energy to care whether the local Demon Suppression Divisions had enough personnel?"

"We Demon Suppression Division captains may count as important figures in our respective counties."

"But in the eyes of those great figures, we are nothing but insignificant lackeys. If I dared recruit people without receiving approval from above, I would be waiting to get impeached."

"At the slightest provocation, I could lose my office and be stripped of my post."

"There was no choice but to wait for those above to decide the victor."

"And now?"

Song Chengan clicked his tongue.

So the great bosses above had been fighting.

"Lord Lu was one move ahead. I heard his younger sister entered the palace and became an imperial concubine."

Song Chengan was speechless.

"Speaking of which, your batch is truly lucky."

"I became a captain by climbing step by step from the frontier army through military merit."

"But now, with a single shake of the body, you can transform into Demon Suppression Envoys of the Demon Suppression Division."

"You directly gain official status."

"If you render meritorious service in the future, you can rise step by step."

"Those who come after you and want to become Demon Suppression Envoys will have to pass the military examinations."

Upon hearing this, Song Chengan hurriedly said, "They are the lucky ones."

"This subordinate became a Demon Suppression Envoy entirely through Lord Wu's cultivation."

Wu Cong burst into laughter. "What I mean is that you need to work harder lately and earn more merit."

"This is an opportunity that comes once in a thousand years."

"Once you have more merit, I can recommend you to those above when the time comes!"

How could Song Chengan fail to understand that Wu Cong was truly treating him as one of his own?

"Rest assured, Lord Wu! This subordinate understands!"

By the docks.

Song Chengan was naturally no stranger to this place.

He often came here to fish.

"Two flatbreads!"

"Two for me too!"

"I'll take two as well!"

"Meat flatbreads!"

"How much?"

The moment the three street-patrolling yamen runners appeared, the old flatbread seller's face turned bitter.

"What are you saying, officers? How much could a few flatbreads possibly be worth?"

"They're free, free!"

Ding Dahai nodded.

"Old Lin, your flatbreads are good."

"If anyone dares give you trouble in the future, come find me. I'll get justice for you."

"Oh, Brother Song!"

After Ding Dahai ate two flatbreads, his mouth felt a little dry. He was just about to get a couple of pears from the fruit vendor beside him to quench his thirst.

Yet when he turned his head, he saw Song Chengan.

"Captain Ding!"

A smile appeared on Song Chengan's face.

Naturally, he had seen Captain Ding eating and drinking without paying, but he was not foolish enough to step forward and tell Ding Dahai to pay.

He was a Demon Suppression Envoy.

Like Ding Dahai, he was someone working for the yamen. There was no superior-subordinate relationship between them.

If Ding Dahai gave him face, then he was Brother Song.

If Ding Dahai refused to give him face, Song Chengan could do nothing about it.

These yamen runners were especially fond of extortion and racketeering.

When Song Chengan's household still owned its tavern, officers often came to eat without paying.

"Two flatbreads."

Song Chengan spoke to the old flatbread seller.

"How much?"

"Free, these are free too!"

Old Lin's face was full of misery.

Great, another one had come.

Song Chengan smiled. "How can flatbreads be free? It isn't easy for you to earn a living either."

Song Chengan took out several copper coins and tossed them to Old Lin.

Song Chengan's action immediately left Old Lin stunned.

He did not know whether he should accept them or not.

Unable to help himself, he looked toward Ding Dahai.

The two yamen runners behind Ding Dahai immediately changed expressions.

The way they looked at Song Chengan also turned somewhat unfriendly.

Ding Dahai, on the other hand, remained all smiles.

"Old Lin, just take them."

"This Brother Song is a newly recruited Demon Suppression Envoy of the Demon Suppression Division."

"If monsters cause trouble in your household in the future, you can come seek Brother Song's help."

Truth be told, Song Chengan paying just now had also made Ding Dahai somewhat displeased.

After all, they had just eaten without paying, while Song Chengan deliberately bought flatbreads and then paid for them.

It rather seemed as though he was deliberately calling them out.

But Ding Dahai was, after all, a shrewd old hand.

He did not show that displeasure on his face.

Instead, he acted as though he had seen nothing at all.

"Captain Ding, what are you doing here?"

Song Chengan likewise wore the expression of someone who had meant nothing else just now and had simply wanted to buy some flatbreads.

Song Chengan was genuinely curious about this.

The Refugee Quarter had come into being thirty years ago.

At first, there had been no one here.

But thirty years ago, Sanjiao Prefecture suffered a great flood. More than half the prefecture was transformed into a vast ocean, and some refugees fled here from Sanjiao Prefecture.

They settled here and survived by doing hard labor at the docks.

Later, for the sake of easier management, a new quarter was established here, called the Refugee Quarter.

But Lingqiu County's County Yamen had always treated this place with indifference.

It was roughly the sort of attitude that said, if you have problems, solve them yourselves. Do not come bother this master.

Of course.

You could not come looking for them when trouble arose, but not a single copper could be missing from all the various taxes.

That was the Refugee Quarter as it stood now.

The yamen did not govern it.

Naturally, these yamen runners did not usually come here either, which was why Song Chengan was curious.

Ding Dahai said, "Hasn't a monster been causing trouble here lately? The magistrate is merciful, so he sent us over to keep watch."

"We'll help the Demon Suppression Division deal with this demon, since it is right beside Lingqiu after all."

The magistrate.

That was Xiong Huaiyi, the magistrate of Lingqiu County.

Magistrate, county deputy, registrar, and clerk of records.

Ranked by authority, they were the four masters of Lingqiu County.

"I never expected the Demon Suppression Division to send Brother Song!"

Song Chengan immediately understood upon hearing this.

The docks were too close to Lingqiu County.

Xiong Huaiyi feared that this monster would fail to know its place and run into Lingqiu County town to create trouble for him, so he had Ding Dahai bring some men over to keep an eye on things.

"Oh, right. If you want to investigate this monster, Brother Song, you can seek out Steward Zhu of this quarter."

"Then shall we brothers continue patrolling the streets?"

"That works. Go attend to your duties, Captain Ding. I'll go find Steward Zhu myself."

Song Chengan nodded.

After saying that, he asked Old Lin beside them for Steward Zhu's address, then left.

"That Song fellow."

"He clearly saw us brothers eating flatbreads without paying, yet he deliberately acted like that."

"He gets to look upright and aboveboard, while making us brothers seem like filthy scum."

Once Song Chengan had gone far away, Liu Da said with some dissatisfaction.

Ma Er nodded in agreement. "That fellow used to be nothing but lowly trash who gambled himself rotten in the Gambling House. Who knew how he came upon a method of cultivation and became a Qi Refiner?"

"Now his luck is even better. He fished his way into becoming a Demon Suppression Envoy and caught Captain Wu's eye."

"Lucky little bastard."

"If he hadn't had that dogshit luck, I'd have shown him a thing or two."

Ding Dahai listened to the grumbling of his two subordinates and laughed.

"You can say such things among yourselves, but don't let that man hear them."

"You didn't see him on the street that day. With the Demon Subduing Staff in his hand, he was ferocious beyond belief."

At those words, Liu Da tightened his grip on the water-and-fire staff in his hand. "We brothers were only grumbling offhand."

"Now that he's risen to prominence, soaring into the heavens as a Flood Dragon, how would we two brothers dare provoke him?"

That was what Liu Da said aloud.

But inwardly, he thought, Song Chengan, you'd better remain some immortal cultivating the Dharma path, a Demon Suppression Envoy of the Demon Suppression Division, for the rest of your life.

If one day you fall on hard times...

Then don't blame us brothers for reclaiming the face we lost today.

Ding Dahai shook his head.

"You two are just too narrow-minded."

"The Song Chengan you once looked down on has now become somebody, and that sits poorly with you."

"So even the slightest move Song Chengan makes leaves you feeling all sorts of displeased."

"There's no need for that."

"People like us can't be gentlemen or good men."

"We can only bully those we can bully, and respect those we can't afford to provoke."

"Song Chengan isn't quite someone we can't provoke, but there's no need to make an enemy of him."

"Bare your fangs when it's time to bare your fangs, and greet people with a smile when it's time to greet them with a smile."

"Chief Ding speaks sense," Ma Er said.

Having said that, Ding Dahai turned and glanced at his two trusted men.

"Back then, the Jiang Family's Gambling House rigged the game and took the Song Household's tavern and fields."

"I remember Gao Er used to be under your two's protection."

"Tell me the truth. Were you involved in this?"

Liu Da shook his head. "Gao Er was originally just a street thug. Why would we brothers care to deal with him?"

"We only found excuses every now and then to fleece some silver off him for amusement. We never took part in rigging that game."

"That's good."

Ding Dahai nodded.

He always felt that Song Chengan was a smiling tiger.

Usually, he wore a genial smile.

But who knew whether he was keeping every debt recorded in his heart!

Especially since he was a Qi Refiner who cultivated divine abilities. Perhaps once his cultivation grew strong enough, he would settle old grudges with old acquaintances.

Ding Dahai had no proof.

But he had always been accurate in judging people.

He felt Song Chengan was exactly that sort of person.

He had seen such people before.

That man had also come out of Spirit Mound.

After becoming an immortal, he returned to his hometown.

He said it was all ancient history, that he no longer hated them, then slaughtered every one of those enemies he supposedly no longer hated.

"Chief, how should we arrange tonight's street patrol?"

Ding Dahai raised his brows.

"Patrol what streets?"

"That demon is so vicious. If we brothers run into him, won't we lose our lives?"

"Just put on a show during the day. At night, find somewhere to sleep."

"Let Song Chengan keep himself busy."

"Come on, let's find somewhere to eat."

"Wait a moment." After saying that, Liu Da called toward Old Lin, "Old Lin, send over two more flatbreads!"

"I'll have two as well."

"Two for me too. Meat flatbreads."

Old Lin's face grew even more miserable.