"Wanlin Prefecture requires that within the Four Great Departments, the number of resident Xiantian Realm martial artists can't fall below eighteen," Pei Wende continued. "Leaving aside you, the newcomer, our Demon Extermination Department currently has thirty-eight Xiantian Realm Demon Extermination Envoys. Usually, we take turns by the year. As for those fellows on rotating rest, they accepted missions as early as the start of the year, and more than half of them have already vanished without a trace."
"So that's how it is." Lu Yang nodded.
Just then, a thin man walked toward them. He first nodded to Lu Yang, then smiled and punched Pei Wende in the chest.
"Old Pei, now that you mention it, you're on rest this year too, aren't you? Why are you staying in the department instead of going out for a walk?" Only after this man said that did Lu Yang realize that this year was not Pei Wende's turn for duty.
Pei Wende smiled and said, "I've been stuck at the bottleneck of Ninth-tier Xiantian for many years. If I want to comprehend 'momentum,' what I'm lacking is a flash of inspiration. No amount of Merit Points will help."
"Ah!" the other man sighed. "The path of martial learning is one step, one heaven. To become a grandmaster, one must face a chasm in cultivation. How difficult is that?"
Immediately after, his gaze fell on Lu Yang, and he smiled. "This brother must be Lu Yang, the tiger-slaying hero, right? That Lord Black Mountain occupied Black Stone Mountain for many years. Our Demon Extermination Department sent Demon Quelling Envoys to Black Stone Mountain several times, yet none managed to strangle him dead. Who would have thought that in the end, he would die by your hand, Brother Lu?"
Seeing Lu Yang's confusion, Pei