Joining the Patrol Team

Elder Sun nodded slightly. "Since Taoist Master Songhe has put it that way, then naturally there's no problem. May I ask who this young master is...?"

Old Taoist Songhe slapped his forehead.

"Oh, I forgot. Qin boy, let me introduce you. This is Elder Sun Shang. Once you take the examination, Elder Sun will be in charge of handling it."

Qin Bo hurriedly cupped his fists in greeting.

"This junior Qin Bo pays his respects to Elder Sun."

Sun Shang widened his eyes and stared at Qin Bo.

"Taoist Master, are you saying this boy is taking the Division's examination this time?!"

"That's right. I'm the one who recommended him."

Sun Shang looked at Qin Bo, then at the formal disciple Qin Bo had knocked flat with a single punch.

"Good lad, your strength is extraordinary. Even a formal disciple wasn't your match! What realm are you in?"

"This junior is unimpressive. I've only just broken through to Body Tempering Perfection!"

"No wonder. Of the three Body Tempering stages, you've reached the final one as well. Xiao Yang didn't lose unfairly."

Old Taoist Songhe smiled from the side as he said:

"This Qin boy has exceptional talent and has always cultivated with great diligence. Such an achievement is only what he deserves. Moreover, he has rich practical experience. Although Xiao Yang's strength is also considerable, he still falls slightly short of Qin Bo."

There were still some things he did not dare say aloud.

If he revealed that Qin Bo had previously slain an evil spirit with his own hands, the entire Demon Suppressing Division would probably swarm him.

Qin Bo said modestly:

"Elder Sun, Taoist Master Songhe is flattering me. Qin Bo still has many shortcomings and must continue cultivating diligently."

Sun Shang nodded slightly, and his impression of Qin Bo improved somewhat.

"Since that's the case, we'll let this misunderstanding pass. Qin Bo, since you possess such strength, you should contribute your share to the Demon Suppressing Division in the future."

"Elder Sun, rest assured. Qin Bo will certainly give it his all."

Qin Bo replied.

Yang Lei, meanwhile, wore a resentful look. He was clearly extremely dissatisfied with Qin Bo, but he did not dare show it.

Once the misunderstanding was resolved, Sun Shang left with his people.

That left Qin Bo and Old Taoist Songhe behind.

Old Taoist Songhe looked at Qin Bo and smiled helplessly.

"You brat, you haven't even joined the Demon Suppressing Division yet, and you've already caused such a commotion. Looks like this Demon Suppressing Division won't be peaceful in the future."

"Taoist Master, I'm actually very mild-tempered. I don't go looking for trouble without reason."

"Mild-tempered?!"

Old Taoist Songhe cast Qin Bo a disdainful glance.

You call yourself mild-tempered?

How could hacking that supernatural creature to pieces, one blade at a time, have anything to do with being mild-tempered?!

"All right. Since you've already arrived, take on a mission. The patrol team around the Demon Suppressing Division is still short-handed. Go join in the fun."

"Maybe not. I just beat someone up, and if I run into him, I might end up suffering for nothing."

"Don't worry, you brat. The Demon Suppressing Division values strength above all else. If that boy got beaten by you, he brought it on himself."

"All right, then."

"Mm. Come on, I'll take you inside."

Old Taoist Songhe led Qin Bo into the Demon Suppressing Division.

Along the way, Qin Bo saw quite a few disciples of the Demon Suppressing Division coming and going. Every one of them carried an air of competence and killing intent.

When they arrived at the mission-issuing office, Old Taoist Songhe said to the disciple responsible for registration:

"Xiao Li, arrange a patrol mission around the Demon Suppressing Division for this boy."

Xiao Li glanced at Qin Bo, then looked troubled.

"Taoist Master, this... he isn't a member of the Demon Suppressing Division. I'm afraid that won't do."

"Hey, Xiao Li, are you doubting me, an old Taoist? This boy's strength is more than enough to join the Demon Suppressing Division. He's only waiting to take the examination."

"This..."

Suddenly, Xiao Li's movements stopped. His expression turned solemn, and then he nodded at empty air.

It was as though he had received some secret instruction.

He took a token from a nearby rack and handed it to Qin Bo.

"Take this token. It's your patrol credential."

"There's still one team that hasn't set out. Just go find them."

Old Taoist Songhe patted Qin Bo on the shoulder. "Boy, work hard. This patrol mission might let you reap quite a harvest."

Qin Bo accepted the token and thanked Old Taoist Songhe and Xiao Li.

Then he turned to look for the patrol team that had not yet set out.

The next moment, Zhao Ting appeared before the two of them.

"Division Chief."

"Greetings, Division Chief."

"No need for formalities."

Only then did Old Taoist Songhe understand why Xiao Li had changed so quickly. It turned out the Division Chief had issued an order.

"This Qin Bo's strength is no ordinary matter. His blood-and-qi power alone is no weaker than that of an average Blood Condensation Realm cultivator. He needs more tempering."

"Understood."

"Let's go. We've reached the last household. Prepare to reinforce the seal."

After saying that, he turned to Old Taoist Songhe.

"You're here?! He was the only one missing."

The two of them then walked toward the rear.

Assembly Point.

Qin Bo slowly made his way here. The main reason was that he was unfamiliar with the roads.

Following Xiao Li's directions, Qin Bo arrived at a side courtyard of the Demon Suppressing Division, where he saw a group of people dressed in the division's uniforms organizing their equipment.

"Excuse me, are you the patrol team? I'm Qin Bo. I've come to join you."

Qin Bo stepped forward and spoke.

Everyone looked up at Qin Bo.

One of them was a burly man with a scar across his face. After sizing Qin Bo up, he said:

"You're Qin Bo? I heard you just beat up Yang Lei. You've got guts."

"My name is Zhao Hu, and I'm the captain of this patrol team. Since the higher-ups sent you here, you can come with us. But you'd better keep up. Don't hold us back."

"Don't worry, I won't."

Qin Bo spoke confidently.

Zhao Hu nodded slightly, then turned and shouted to the other team members, "Hurry up. Get your equipment ready. We're setting out soon."

The team members quickly finished gathering their equipment. Zhao Hu waved his hand and led the patrol team toward the area around the Demon Suppressing Division.

Qin Bo followed in the middle of the group, observing the surroundings while silently familiarizing himself with the team members.

Zhao Hu came over at that moment.

"Tonight, we only need to be responsible for this one street on the eastern side."

"But more than a dozen alleys branch off from the street, so it's somewhat complicated. Brother Qin, since you're the only newcomer, you'll have to patrol two alleys by yourself when the time comes."

"No problem. That's a small matter."

"All right. It isn't dark yet, so we'll walk around nearby first and familiarize ourselves with the overall situation. Once night falls, we'll officially begin patrolling."

Zhao Hu patted Qin Bo on the shoulder as he spoke.

The group proceeded slowly along the street. Qin Bo noticed that most of the shops lining the road were doing poor business, and there were very few pedestrians.

Even the occasional passerby hurried along with a nervous expression, as though deliberately avoiding this area.

"Captain Zhao, why is this place so deserted? Was it always like this?"

Qin Bo could not help asking.

Zhao Hu gave a bitter smile.

"Alas, Yunzhou City hasn't been peaceful lately. Rumors of supernatural creatures appearing are spreading everywhere. They even say that some great evil thing is about to be freed. Everyone's terrified and afraid to leave home. This street used to be bustling."

Qin Bo's heart sank. It seemed the crisis in Yunzhou City had already dealt a severe blow to the people's lives.