Guo Jing, Yang Kang

"If you don't want to, then forget it. I was just asking casually. In the end, that's the Cosmos Unit's business, and I'd hate to send you off anyway. Besides, if I really sent you undercover, your mother would probably come after me with a knife."

"Your promotion assessment score still has to wait for the Fire Division of the Mysterious Unit to gather information from the Six Gates office in Hongnong Commandery and send it over. By my estimate, it should arrive within the next two or three days. The corresponding rewards will be issued along with your appointment document as Squad Leader. Before then, you can go choose the subordinates assigned to your squad."

"A squad has five sections. Unlike Squad Leaders, Section Leaders are additional positions established afterward, so you'll actually have fifty-five subordinates under you."

"According to the rules, four sections will be assigned by your superiors. You may choose the people for one section yourself, and you'll appoint the Section Leaders and Squad Leaders personally. However, the Section Leader candidates must at least already be Squad Leaders. Once you've decided, give me the list as soon as possible."

"Uncle Yang, I'm young and have little seniority. Those four sections..." Qin Shuang glanced at Yang Yuncong. Yang Yuncong raised both brows, wearing an expression that said they understood each other perfectly: Just put your mind at ease.

"All right, thank you, Uncle Yang. I'll be off, then!"

"Go."

As soon as he left the main hall, Jiang Xiaoyu beamed and gave Qin Shuang a thumbs-up. "Brother Shuang, impressive! You completed your promotion mission so quickly!"

"Hehe, I was lucky. Are you free this afternoon? Come recruit people with me."

"I already requested leave after learning you were back. I'll accompany you this afternoon!" Jiang Xiaoyu looked as if he had expected this. "But Xiao Ding and Xiao Gao went on a mission with their Section Leader. That leaves eight spots. Who should we find first?"

Jiang Xiaoyu naturally counted himself and the two other Dragon Guards he had been close to in the past among the eleven people. Given their relationship with Qin Shuang, there was no need to invite them separately.

"Guo Jing and Yang Kang!" Qin Shuang had already counted Jiang Xiaoyu and the other two as members of his squad by default, so he answered without hesitation.

"The Guo and Yang families are both hereditary Dragon Guard families. Guo Jing should be easy enough to recruit, but Yang Kang is quite resourceful, with decent martial arts and ambition. He isn't the sort to remain under someone else forever. He'll probably apply for the Squad Leader promotion assessment soon, too."

"Don't worry. As long as I rise faster than him, won't that be enough?" Qin Shuang said with absolute confidence.

"Brother Shuang!"

"What?"

"That's what I admire about you. You're clearly boasting shamelessly, yet you still make people unable to help believing you!"

"Haha, because I've always done what I said I would!"

Guo Jing and Yang Kang belonged to the Demon Division of the Dragon Guard's Yu Unit. Today, they had been assigned to guard the Heavenly Prison. Qin Shuang and Jiang Xiaoyu knew the place well, and soon found the two men on duty.

The fathers of Guo Jing and Yang Kang were sworn brothers. When their wives became pregnant at nearly the same time, they agreed that if the children turned out to be one boy and one girl, they would marry them to each other; if they were both boys or both girls, they would become sworn siblings.

Thus, Guo Jing and Yang Kang had been inseparable since childhood. They were together every day, and even studied martial arts under the Quanzhen Sect together. Guo Jing's master was Danyangzi Ma Yu, head of the Seven Immortals of Quanzhen, while Yang Kang's master was Changchunzi Qiu Chuji, ranked second among the Seven Immortals of Quanzhen.

"Guo Jing, Yang Kang!" Qin Shuang greeted them warmly as he approached.

"Brother Shuang, when did you get back? Weren't you carrying out your Squad Leader promotion assessment?" Guo Jing asked in confusion.

"Brother Shuang." Since they were all from hereditary Dragon Guard families and around the same age, Yang Kang was naturally familiar with Qin Shuang as well.

"I got back at noon. I've already completed it."

"That fast? It's only been a few days!" Guo Jing said incredulously. "Why didn't you take a few days to rest? Are you here to interrogate someone in the Heavenly Prison?"

"I'm not that desperate to work myself to death. I came to the Heavenly Prison specifically to find you two."

"Find us? Is something wrong?" Guo Jing looked at Yang Kang, then back at Qin Shuang, his face full of bewilderment.

"Brother Jing, Brother Shuang is probably here to ask us to join his squad." Yang Kang reacted quickly. Qin Shuang had come looking for them immediately after completing his promotion mission, so he was obviously inviting them.

"That's right. How about it? Are you interested in joining my squad?" Qin Shuang confirmed Yang Kang's guess.

"I have no problem with it, but what about you, Brother Kang?" Guo Jing looked at Yang Kang.

Yang Kang's expression turned serious. "Brother Shuang, we've known each other since we were children, and of course I'm willing to work with you. But I don't want to deceive you, so I hope to make something clear before joining your squad."

"Go on."

"I have ambitions of my own, and I've been preparing to take the promotion assessment lately. If I really succeed in getting promoted in the future, I hope you won't force me to stay."

"That goes without saying. Whether it's you or anyone else in the squad, if you can find a better path, I'll only congratulate you. I absolutely won't stand in the way of your future!" Qin Shuang had long guessed what Yang Kang wanted to say, and agreed immediately.

"Good. Brother Shuang, we'll tell our Squad Leader later. From now on, Jing and I will be following you!" Yang Kang relaxed and laughed heartily.

"Right, give him a heads-up beforehand. I'll handle the specific procedures. Welcome aboard. From now on, we brothers will stand united, and our combined strength will be unstoppable!"

"Good!"

After bidding farewell to Guo Jing and Yang Kang, Qin Shuang and Jiang Xiaoyu left the Heavenly Prison and hurried nonstop toward their next destination.

"Brother Shuang, there are still six people left. Who are you planning to find?" Jiang Xiaoyu asked as they hurried along.

"Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling!" Qin Shuang stated the remaining targets in his mind without hesitation.

"Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling? Brother Shuang, you're not joking, are you?" Jiang Xiaoyu was extremely surprised to hear their names.

"I'm not joking." Qin Shuang spoke seriously.

"They only joined our Dragon Guard last year. Before that, they were street thugs in Chaoge City. You had plenty of dealings with them back then, so why choose them?"

"Precisely because I know their past, I'm choosing them!"

"Little Fish, do you remember? Just two years ago, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were merely pickpockets and petty thugs with no martial arts foundation. Yet last year, the two of them actually passed the Dragon Guard recruitment assessment outright!"

"You also joined the Dragon Guard by passing the assessment, so you understand better than anyone else how difficult it is. It took them less than a year to go from knowing no martial arts to possessing enough skill to pass the recruitment assessment!"

"You mean their martial arts were actually developed in the span of a single year?"

"Exactly. What's more, their bones and physiques had already matured at their age, yet they still managed such a tremendous breakthrough. Two years ago, they must have encountered some extraordinary adventure and obtained an incredible opportunity!" Qin Shuang said with absolute certainty.

"So, Brother Shuang, you want to investigate their opportunity up close?"