Arrival, Entering the Barracks

Inside the swaying carriage, Yae Sakura held Fei Yu Maru as they chatted about which shops in Holy City had the best snacks. Ling Mo sat close beside Yae Sakura on her right, facing Long Haochen and the others.

It had to be said that Fei Yu Maru's appearance was quite eye-catching. When she first appeared, Ling Mo noticed that Chen Ying'er's eyes had brightened noticeably. After learning that Fei Yu Maru was the seven-tailed fire fox Ling Mo had summoned during that day's match, her interest only grew stronger.

Worth mentioning was that Han Yu and their leader, Gao Yingjie, sat on Ling Mo's other side, along with a girl who was especially close to Gao Yingjie. Her name was Shi Xiaoxue, and Gao Yingjie said she was the orphaned daughter of one of his comrades.

The journey was tedious. Whenever they reached a city that served as a rest stop, Ling Mo would go out with Yae Sakura and Fei Yu Maru. The only things that could attract them were the local snacks, since they lacked neither weapons nor equipment. Ling Mo had wanted to take Yae Sakura shopping for some clothes, but she refused, saying they could talk about it later.

After several days of bumpy travel, they finally arrived at their destination—Demon Extermination City. Its meaning was clear from its name. This was the site of their trial and competition, the battlefield between humanity and the demons.

"Looks like we were the slowest," Sima Xian said, pointing at the nine carriages in the distance.

That evening, after resting, the members of the ten newly established Demon Hunter Squads gathered in Demon Extermination City's Administrative Hall. There, they would receive the missions assigned to their respective squads.

The meeting was not long, but Ling Mo still found it terribly dull. After a period of boredom, the meeting, which had actually lasted less than a quarter of an hour, finally ended.

Although the members of the Demon Hunter Squads were all outstanding talents of the younger generation, the elite among elites, the battlefield would naturally not go easy on them. Ten officers each led away one squad, assigning the ten Demon Hunter Squads to different barracks. Number One Demon Hunter Squad, naturally, was assigned to First Barracks.

The moment they met First Barracks' commander, Zhang Hairong, Long Haochen, as the squad leader, made it clear that they would follow his battlefield arrangements and command. Gao Yingjie had taught Long Haochen to do this before they came. It would help them integrate into their assigned unit and earn the soldiers' recognition more easily in the future.

Ling Mo saw no problem with that, but obeying orders was something they should have done anyway. After this whole exchange, he somehow felt that something was off.

What? You say he was a Fire Forging Moth veteran? You don't seriously think any of the Flame-Chasers besides Fu Hua would obey their superiors, do you? If Mei hadn't kept Kevin in check, Fu Hua kept Ling Mo in check, and Ling Mo and Fu Hua kept everyone else in check, the Flame-Chasers would probably all have been troubled youths. I'm already a Fusion Warrior—how could I not have a few psychological issues?

Led by Zhang Hairong, the group arrived outside the barracks assigned to them. After bidding him farewell, they entered and began inspecting the place that would be their home for the next several months.

The barracks was not particularly spacious. Aside from ten neatly arranged beds placed separately, there was only a little over two meters of open space left for movement. Overall, it was not bad?

Chen Ying'er and Yae Sakura modified their own uniforms as well as Sheng Cai'er's, making them much more fitted. Ling Mo had expected Yae Sakura to know how to sew, but Chen Ying'er being able to do so came as a slight surprise—not just to him, but to everyone else as well.

"Not bad, Chen Ying'er. I never knew you had that skill."

Lin Xin teased Chen Ying'er, earning himself an eye roll. He did not mind, though, and began handing out the pills he had refined: Spirit Recovery Pills for restoring spiritual energy, and Great Strength Pills for temporarily increasing External Spiritual Power.

Ling Mo accepted them casually. He did not think he would have much use for them, but they were better than nothing. They would come in handy eventually; he could consider himself storing them for his teammates.

Just as everyone began assigning beds, a shocking scene unfolded. Sheng Cai'er actually pushed two nearby beds together, then waved her bamboo staff and dismantled another bed to make a curtain frame.

Ling Mo watched with interest. He had known this scene would happen long ago, so he was not surprised. He simply sat on one of the beds and watched calmly. Yae Sakura sat beside him with Fei Yu Maru in her arms, smiling without a word. Then, as if she had suddenly thought of something, a trace of mischief flashed through her eyes. She leaned close to Ling Mo's ear and whispered something softly.

"You're serious?" Ling Mo turned to Yae Sakura in surprise. He had long known that she was quite the seasoned flirt, but he had not expected Yae Sakura to be this direct. Wasn't this supposed to be Kallen's treatment?

Clicking his tongue, Ling Mo said, "Fine." With that, he stood up and took out Black Abyss White Flower.

The few people who noticed Ling Mo's movements jumped in fright, thinking he had some objection.

Ling Mo looked at their reactions speechlessly. Was that really necessary? Could there be a little trust between teammates? Especially you, Long Haochen. What did you mean by pulling Sheng Cai'er behind you?

"Ah." With a habitual sigh, Ling Mo stopped wasting time. He walked to a corner of the room and slowly infused Soul Power into the lance in his hand. The tip lightly touched the ground, and vitality burst forth as verdant vines rapidly climbed upward. Before long, under Ling Mo's control, a large double hammock appeared before everyone.

It was Ling Mo's first time using Black Abyss White Flower to stimulate plant growth, and his control was not yet very refined. He had done his best to make this "masterpiece" as sturdy as possible according to Yae Sakura's requirements.

The hammock itself was plain, supported by four pillars. Lush branches and leaves, along with vine curtains Ling Mo had drawn around it, concealed the inside very well. Ling Mo and Yae Sakura could not possibly do anything inside anyway, so it was more than enough to protect their privacy.

After Yae Sakura stepped forward and spread out the prepared bedding, she pulled Ling Mo away to rest. Once Long Haochen and Sheng Cai'er finished their work nearby, they too went to rest together.

Seeing her two female companions abandon her, Chen Ying'er could only ask the remaining few to help build her a bed frame as well. After all, she was a girl too. Seeing what Ling Mo and Long Haochen had done, she naturally wanted an enclosed space to protect her privacy.

With everyone's combined efforts, Chen Ying'er's bed was also finished. Its effect was roughly the same as Long Haochen's. Chen Ying'er naturally went to bed afterward, leaving the three men staring at one another. Thankfully, Ling Mo had not used any of the existing beds for his modification, or there might not have been enough beds. There were eight people in total, and two beds had been dismantled, leaving exactly eight. But if Yae Sakura had not shared with Chen Ying'er, they would have needed to dismantle another bed, and then there would not have been enough. Clearly, Yae Sakura had considered this, which was why she had asked Ling Mo to make a bed himself.

By then, it was already the latter half of the night. The three men casually chose a bed each and prepared to sleep, but at that moment, an untimely knock sounded at the door.

"Hello, I'm looking for Cai'er."