Assessment Mission

"Holy hell."

Jun Wushang was stunned as if struck by lightning, then erupted in ecstasy, "You finally got your head out of your ass."

He had advised "Wei Qing" many times, saying that apart from Uncle Wei Yuan, the rest of the Wei family were a den of jackals and wolves.

But "Wei Qing," that idiot, always clung to some notion of blood ties and familial affection, backing down time and time again.

And the result? He was practically nailed into a coffin.

In his eyes, Wei Qing's recent misfortune was a blessing in disguise, a chance for a new life.

No... wait...

"Hold on..." Jun Wushang's throat bobbed, his voice trembling with excitement, "You... you broke through to Eighth-rank?"

Wei Qing looked at Jun Wushang with a half-smile, "Your reaction is so slow, it makes me doubt if the Heavenly Realm Division's assessments are rigged."

"I did it on my own merits, thank you very much."

"Oh, right. That poisonous shrew Liu Ru reported your death to the Heavenly Realm Division. She wants Wei Lin to take your spot as an intern Garrison Commander."

"Don't worry, she's destined to be disappointed."

A cold glint flashed in Wei Qing's eyes.

If not for Wei Yuan's sudden rise, the Wei family might still be struggling to make ends meet.

Just as the two were preparing to return to the Heavenly Realm Division, the sound of hurried footsteps approached.

"Young Master, you... you..."

Chen Dong, the head of the guards, trembled uncontrollably as he saw Wei Qing standing alive and well before him.

"What about me?"

"Commander Chen, you seem quite surprised to see me alive?"

"N-no, Young Master." Chen Dong's eyes darted away. "I'll go inform Second Master right away."

Wei Qing's voice was icy, "My father has only been missing for two months, and I wasn't aware that the Wei Manor had a new head of household."

"Since when did the Wei Manor's guards become dogs of the second branch?"

"Young Master, please speak with more respect, or else..."

Slap!

Chen Dong's vision blurred as he was sent flying backward over ten meters, his back crashing through the brick wall of the side courtyard with a "boom," spitting out a mouthful of blood.

He looked at Wei Qing in disbelief.

He was a peak Ninth-rank martial artist, yet he couldn't even withstand a single move.

If he remembered correctly, Wei Qing was only a mid-Ninth-rank martial artist before the incident.

Upon seeing the subtle vortex forming around Wei Qing's body, a clear sign of...

"Eighth-rank martial artist," Chen Dong gasped in shock.

The other guards, seeing this, trembled uncontrollably, their eyes filled with fear.

Standing where Chen Dong had been, Wei Qing flicked his hand in disgust, as if he had touched something dirty.

"Back then, if not for my father, you would have starved to death on the streets. The Wei Manor would never have allowed a mere Ninth-rank martial artist like you to be the head of the guards."

"And this is how you repay my father's kindness."

When questioned, a trace of guilt flashed in Chen Dong's eyes. "I have failed the Master, Young Master. I will accept any punishment you deem fit."

"Everything my father bestowed upon you, I shall reclaim today in his stead. From this day forward, we are quits."

"Young Master..."

Understanding Wei Qing's words, Chen Dong looked up sharply, about to beg for mercy.

The next moment, he received a heavy blow to the abdomen. A soft "chi" sound came from his dantian as the vital energy he had cultivated for years began to dissipate wildly.

Chen Dong roared in terror, "No... don't..."

"You will all kneel here. Anyone who dares to stand before I return – dies!"

The faces of the remaining guards turned deathly pale. "Plop, plop," they all knelt in a straight line.

Heavenly Realm Division.

"Madam Liu, for Wei Yuan's sake, this is the only time. It won't happen again!" Zhou Cang's eyes flashed with displeasure.

"Thank you, Lord Zhou."

Seeing that he had relented on the arrangements for Wei Qing's corpse, Liu Ru's suspended heart finally settled.

"What about my son's position in the Heavenly Realm Division?"

"His cultivation meets the requirements, and according to the rules of the Heavenly Realm Division, he also meets the inheritance conditions."

Upon hearing this, Wei Lin, who was standing beside her, could barely suppress the smile on his lips.

There were two types of supplementary members for the Heavenly Realm Division.

There are two systems: inheritance and recruitment. For inheritance, when a Garrison Commander dies, their children can inherit their Heavenly Realm Division quota. If there are no direct descendants, one person can be chosen from the clan to inherit.

For the recruitment system, the Heavenly Realm Division holds examinations in various prefectures of Great Zhou every year, and those who pass are recruited into the Heavenly Realm Division.

Liu Ru's eyes crinkled with a smile as she let out a soft cough.

"Thank you, Uncle Zhou."

Wei Lin hurried forward to pay his respects.

But Zhou Cang raised his hand to stop him. The Earth-rank Garrison Commander's face was stern as he tapped his knuckles on the desk. "Within the Heavenly Realm Division, address each other by title."

"Guard!"

"Here."

Wei Qing, who had just arrived outside the door, quickly stopped the guarding Garrison Commander and stepped over the threshold.

Zhou Cang's body stiffened abruptly. The official document in his hand "slapped" onto the floor. He slowly raised his gaze, his eagle-like eyes fixed on the figure at the doorway.

"Crack—"

The teacup in Liu Ru's hand shattered on the floor, ceramic shards and tea splashing onto her skirt.

Wei Lin went limp on the ground, a growing patch of pale yellow liquid staining his trouser leg. His fingertip, pointed at Wei Qing, trembled uncontrollably. "Ghost... it's a ghost..."

"If you're not dead, then get in here," Zhou Cang's scolding was as usual, though a barely perceptible hint of joy flashed in his eyes. "The Heavenly Realm Division's threshold is not for you to step on."

Wei Qing was taken aback. This familiar way of scolding was exactly like the chief instructor of the Dragon Group in his past life.

In front of others, he spoke the harshest words.

Behind the scenes, he silently cared for every member of the Dragon Group.

A smile touched Wei Qing's lips as he stepped into the inner hall. Jun Wushang followed closely behind.

Seeing this, Liu Ru quickly composed herself. Her eyes reddened, and with tears welling up, she hurried over to Wei Qing. "Oh, Qing'er, it's so good that you're alright. If your eldest brother knew..."

"Pah, pah, pah, look at how Auntie speaks. I shouldn't have said that."

Liu Ru raised her hand as if to slap herself, but her uplifted hand stopped mid-air. She turned and called out, "Xiao Lin... Oh dear, what's wrong with you, child?"

"Look at how pathetic you are!"

"Qing'er, Auntie will take him back now and have your Uncle teach him a good lesson. You carry on with your business."

Liu Ru hastily stepped forward to help Wei Lin up, and the mother and son fled the inner hall as if escaping.

Jun Wushang frowned. "You're just letting them go?"

"Letting them go? How is that possible?"

"Don't you think killing them with one blow would be too easy for this family?" Wei Qing's lips curved into a wicked smile.

Jun Wushang's eyes lit up. "Heh heh, remember to call me when you do."

"Qing'er's matters are for you to decide."

Hearing this, a hint of relief flashed in Zhou Cang's eyes. The Wei Qing before him gave him the feeling of having grown up overnight.

Through Jun Wushang's words, he also understood the reason.

For this, he actually felt it was a good thing for Wei Qing!

Mindless kindness was a fatal weakness for a Garrison Commander, or even a martial artist.

Now, Wei Qing had severed it.

He would surely go further in the future.

"You don't need to worry too much about news regarding your father. Lord Tantai has gone personally, so I believe we'll have news soon."

"For now, go and complete your promotion assessment."

Zhou Cang reached out, pulled a black scroll from the nearby files, and tossed it to Wei Qing. "This one it is."

Wei Qing's cultivation naturally hadn't escaped his eyes, so he immediately arranged an assessment task for Wei Qing.

"Yes."

Wei Qing took the scroll with his right hand.

"According to intelligence, there have been sightings of demons near Fuyun Town in Qingcheng. Comprehensive strength assessment: early Eighth-grade."

"Your assessment task is to go to Fuyun Town and kill them."