Just as Gu Cheng was pondering to himself,
the conversation among the black-robed officers continued on the other side.
"I heard that Dragon Turtle's defense was incredibly formidable. Even many experts of the Innate Realm couldn't do a thing to it. How did it suddenly get killed by a 'newcomer' this time?"
The bearded officer looked puzzled.
"Just what's that newcomer's background? Is he an heir of Famous Sword Villa, or a martial monk from Puzhao Temple?"
"Uh... I heard from the men in the Foreign Affairs Hall that the newcomer's surname is Gu. As for his background... I asked the teammates who came with him earlier, but they were all tight-lipped."
"So he's keeping a low profile? That Young Hero Gu must be a prodigy secretly cultivated by some major power, right?"
At that, the officers at the same table all nodded. In their minds, a dark horse with such formidable strength couldn't possibly be an ordinary nobody from humble beginnings.
But then came a voice of dissent from the neighboring table.
"I'm telling you, how can you guys be so behind on the news?"
A tall, burly officer put down his chopsticks and looked at the men at the next table with disdain.
"Didn't you hear what the brothers from the medicinal workshop said? That Dragon Turtle had already been badly injured by a lightning spell over half a month ago, and its strength had plummeted.
"It probably couldn't even move by then. That was how that Gu kid got such a huge bargain.
"He looks like he's earned a tremendous merit, but really, he's nothing more than a 'lucky dog' who picked up credit for free."
"Huh???"
The black-robed officers at the neighboring table erupted in an uproar.
"So that kid really did step in dog shit!"
"Exactly. I could've done it too!"
"Ah... luck is part of strength too. Can't argue with that..."
The officers chattered away, their words so sour they wouldn't need vinegar to dip their dumplings.
Gu Cheng heard every word and couldn't help laughing wryly.
It was true that he'd gotten a huge bargain this time.
But he'd been keeping such a low profile these past few days, and Fang Xu and the others hadn't revealed anything about the person who'd saved their lives. As a result, the rumors had grown wilder and wilder.
By now, in the eyes of these colleagues, Gu Cheng had practically become the Ding Zhen of another world.
One glance was all it took to tell: pure, unadulterated dog luck!
Just as Gu Cheng was silently griping to himself,
Wang Lin, Commander Xu's personal guard, strode into the dining hall.
He looked around, and when he spotted Gu Cheng, his eyes lit up. He hurried over.
"Lord Gu! I've finally found you!"
Wang Lin smiled obsequiously, with a hint of flattery, and bowed slightly to Gu Cheng before saying respectfully,
"The final examination results have been approved. You took first place by an overwhelming margin!"
"The top five newcomers are all waiting in the Internal Affairs Office to claim their rewards. I hear a Spirit Sea Venerable will be presenting them in person. Hurry and come with me!"
"Mm, I understand."
Gu Cheng gave a slight nod, his heart brimming with excitement.
After waiting all this time, the day to claim his reward had finally come!
Without hesitation, he swept the food he'd only half-finished into his storage bag, then followed Wang Lin out.
Watching the two of them leave,
the expressions of the black-robed officers sitting nearby immediately turned strange.
"Lord Gu? First place?!"
"Wait... could he be that kid who stepped in dog shit?"
At the thought, all the officers sucked in a sharp breath.
The tall, burly officer who'd started the rumor was especially pale with fright.
"Hiss—We're in trouble! He was sitting nearby the whole time. He must've heard us talking behind his back!"
"I've been running my mouth like this. Will he hold a grudge and trip me up later?"
What became of those worried background characters could wait.
With Wang Lin leading the way, Gu Cheng arrived at the Internal Affairs Office and entered a spacious room.
The furnishings were quite elegant. A circle of redwood armchairs surrounded the center of the hall, making it look like a place meant specifically for meetings.
Four people were already waiting inside.
They sat in order of rank, one in each direction of the room, leaving the seat of honor vacant.
With Gu Cheng, the top-ranked candidate, arriving, several seemingly casual glances fell on him.
"..."
Gu Cheng paid them no mind and walked straight to the seat of honor.
Then he glanced around, quietly sizing up his fellow newcomers.
In fifth place was a handsome young monk with a shaved head marked by jieba scars.
As expected, he was probably a martial monk from Puzhao Temple.
The young monk was so thin, though, that he looked as if a gust of wind could knock him over.
When he noticed Gu Cheng's gaze, he nodded amiably in greeting, his manner quite polite.
"I've heard that Puzhao Temple's secret art, the Diamond Glazed Body, is hailed as the best Body Refinement technique in Tianshui Prefecture.
"But looking at how scrawny this young monk is, he doesn't look like a normal Body Refinement cultivator at all..."
Gu Cheng returned his nod, then turned to look at someone else.
In fourth place was a cold, handsome young man with long, silvery-white hair. The arrogance between his brows was much like Chen Xuejiao's.
Clearly, this silver-haired young man was also an heir of Famous Sword Villa.
He was sizing Gu Cheng up with a faint, sardonic smile, his expression rather hostile. It seemed he had quite an issue with Gu Cheng being the top-ranked candidate despite not deserving the position.
In third place was a dark-faced man with a resolute expression.
He looked to be around thirty. Though his features were unremarkable, his eyes were startlingly bright—he was clearly a Spirit Refinement Cultivator with powerful spiritual sense.
At Gu Cheng's arrival, he merely glanced up, then paid him no further attention, his manner haughty and dismissive.
The last person was a short-haired woman with fair skin, striking looks, and a heroic air.
She sat with her eyes closed, meditating. The true energy coursing through her body stirred her black uniform, though there wasn't a breath of wind.
"She's actually cultivating at a time like this?"
Gu Cheng couldn't help glancing her way.
The sight of her working so hard reminded him of the top students who memorized vocabulary from a little booklet even while waiting for the bus.
What was more, Gu Cheng sensed a familiar, imposing aura from the short-haired woman, like an Azure Dragon's low growl.
It was none other than the Demon Suppression Bureau's renowned top-tier technique—Hundred Refinements of the Azure Dragon!
Clearly, this "top student" wasn't just exceptionally diligent; her cultivation talent was among the very best as well.
Including Gu Cheng, the top-ranked candidate,
these five men and women in the room were the strongest newcomers selected by the Demon Suppression Bureau this year.
They were also among the most outstanding young talents in all of Tianshui Prefecture!
"Of these five, apart from me and the short-haired woman, the other three are heirs of major powers..."
Gu Cheng sat upright in his redwood chair, silently pondering.
Famous Sword Villa and Puzhao Temple were first-rate powers that had been friendly with the Demon Suppression Bureau for generations.
Though they'd survived the earlier "great purge" unscathed, the Demon Suppression Bureau's domineering and bloody methods had still scared them badly.
To show their loyalty to the Bureau, their big brother, they'd proactively sent their young talents over.
On the surface, it was to strengthen ties between the two sides and perhaps pluck a few benefits from the Demon Suppression Bureau. In reality, it also served as a way to "send their heirs to the capital as hostages."
Just then, the wooden door opened once more.
A female officer in a black uniform, wearing a golden crown, hurried in and stopped at the center of the room.
A small, snow-white bird perched on her shoulder. Its bright black eyes were full of life, and it looked quite adorable.
At the arrival of the woman and the bird,
the other four people in the room rose together, clasped their fists, and greeted her respectfully,
"We pay our respects to Venerable 'Spirit Sparrow'!"
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