Receiving His Reward!

Inside the luxurious, spacious carriage,

Commander Ye Nantian sat in silence with his eyes closed.

He wore a black robe embroidered with gold-thread patterns. Though he looked barely past thirty, he carried an aura of profound power that soared to the heavens.

Once someone reached a certain realm in the Martial Dao, their appearance became fixed. No matter how the years passed, they bore no trace of age.

This man had clearly entered the great realms of the Martial Dao.

A table in front of Ye Nantian was laden with wine and fruit.

On either side of him, two young people—a man and a woman—sat in the side seats.

They looked to be just over twenty.

The man on the left had swordlike brows and bright eyes. His white clothes were spotless, and a long saber rested quietly beside him. He said nothing, yet gave off an air of unfathomable depth.

The woman on the right wore a snow-white gauze dress. Her face was cold and strikingly beautiful, and she cradled a long sword in her arms, like an ice-cold beauty.

What drew the eye most were the golden jade plaques hanging at their waists.

These two were Gold Badge Walkers of the Blackwater Division!

On the Martial Path, the realm after Body Tempering was the Martial Master realm.

Martial Masters were divided into two realms: the Muscle-Tendon Realm and the Bone Forging Realm.

In the Blackwater Division, only Martial Masters who had reached the Bone Forging Realm qualified to become Gold Badge Walkers. They held high positions and wielded great authority.

Yet these two were barely over twenty and had already attained such status and strength. They even shared a carriage with the Commander.

Clearly, they were the geniuses the Blackwater Division was now supporting with the resources of the entire division.

If nothing unexpected happened, the next Commander and Deputy Commander would surely emerge from among them.

"An eighteen-year-old Fourth Rank Martial Artist... He's a promising prospect."

From his seat in the carriage, Ye Nantian spoke calmly. "Give him proper guidance. In a few years, our division may have another Gold Badge Walker."

At those words,

the white-dressed woman, cool and strikingly beautiful, looked thoughtful.

After a moment, she only said softly, "I hope so..."

"Over the years, plenty of geniuses and monsters have joined our Blackwater Division."

"But in the end, not one of them reached the rank of Gold Badge Walker."

Commander Ye Nantian closed his eyes and said no more.

Steward Liu led Lin Guanhuo and the others through a series of winding corridors until they reached the Demon Suppressing Division's Main Courtyard.

It was far more spacious and imposing than the apprentice Martial Arts Arena they had seen earlier.

There was everything here: an apothecary, a Blacksmith Shop, and a mission hall.

A massive Martial Arts Arena stood at the center of the courtyard. Countless members of the Demon Suppressing Division were sweating as they practiced saber techniques, spear techniques, or fist forms. Shouts rose and fell in waves.

Now and then, they spotted Walkers with Bronze or even Silver Badges at their waists riding past, a line of subordinates trailing behind them. They cut a majestic figure.

"This... is what a Badge Walker of the Demon Suppressing Division looks like?" Seeing the scene, Shen Yifan, beside Lin Guanhuo, couldn't help but feel shaken.

The Demon Suppressing Division was a sacred place devoted to defending the homeland. Becoming a Badge Walker here was the lifelong dream of countless men who practiced martial arts.

It wasn't just about status; it was an honor...

Zhao Ming: "..."

Even Zhao Ming, usually so indifferent, felt his resolve stir as he stepped into the Demon Suppressing Division's Main Courtyard.

He clenched his fist and vowed to make a name for himself here one day.

Then Steward Liu brought them to an elegant tea room and instructed them, "Commander Zhou will be here shortly to address you. Remember your manners."

"Understood." Everyone nodded, then lined up and waited for the Commander to arrive.

Hearing the readers' requests, we're now offering an ad-free feature for VIP members.

Click to view.

They had heard that the Commander of the Demon Suppressing Division possessed extraordinary strength and ranked just below the Commander and Deputy Commander. He was a famous and influential figure throughout Blackwater City.

Many in the room felt nervous at the thought of meeting such an important person for the first time.

A moment later, the door opened.

Several guards entered first. The last to come in was a man in his fifties.

He wore a plain Green Shirt and was tall and thin, looking like an ordinary man.

He looked nothing like the figure everyone had imagined.

"Brother Lin... have you noticed?" Shen Yifan tugged at Lin Guanhuo's sleeve.

Then he whispered, "The Commander looks so familiar... Haven't we seen him somewhere before?"

Lin Guanhuo glanced over and nodded slightly. He'd had the same feeling.

Lin Guanhuo also noticed that the Commander dressed simply and seemed unremarkable. Unlike Instructor Zhou Cang, he didn't possess an imposing aura of vital energy.

Yet every movement carried a faint pressure. He commanded respect without even trying.

Clearly, his Martial Dao realm far surpassed Instructor Zhou Cang's.

"Commander Zhou!" Steward Liu hurriedly greeted him with a bow.

Everyone else followed suit, clasping their hands. "Greetings, Commander!"

The man everyone called Commander Zhou waved a hand, picked up his teacup, and took a sip with a smile. "Sit down. No need to be so formal."

"My name is Zhou Tian. I'm the Commander of the Demon Suppressing Division. Instructor Zhou Cang, who taught you before, is my younger brother."

At that, everyone understood.

No wonder Commander Zhou Tian looked familiar. He was Instructor Zhou Cang's own brother.

Zhou Tian set down his teacup, looked at the group, and sighed. "It's good to be young. Looking at you reminds me of myself back then."

A distant look flickered in his eyes. "Don't let my age fool you. Back in the day, the Commander, the Deputy Commander, and I were all Gold Badge Walkers of the Demon Suppressing Division."

"Once, a Snake Demon came down from the mountains. It had incredible powers. A hundred zhang tall, it could batter cities and tear down fortresses..."

Even now, the thought of that Snake Demon still made Commander Zhou Tian shudder. Then he seemed to recall a bitter loss, and his expression darkened. "That battle was brutal. The old Commander fought the Snake Demon to the death, and they perished together. Four of the seven Gold Badge Walkers died..."

"It's a pity about the old Commander. With his talent in the Martial Dao, he had a chance to join the Prefectural Division and rise even higher... In the end, he died on the battlefield for the people of Blackwater City."

"But those great Lineages, martial arts schools, and sects chose to stand by and watch. To them, if Blackwater City fell, they could simply move elsewhere and establish their schools again. But for the people of Blackwater City, once the Demon Suppressing Division was gone, disaster would be upon them..."

Those few simple words carried the savagery of a blood-soaked battle.

Zhou Tian quickly composed himself and smiled. "All right, enough about the past. You're the finest of this year's recruits. The Demon Suppressing Division certainly won't treat you unfairly."

He waved a hand. "Steward Liu, hand out the rewards!"

"Fifty taels of silver, five packets of Qi Boosting Powder, and one Treasure Horse each!"

At that, everyone's eyes lit up.

The Demon Suppressing Division really did give generously—silver, pills, and Treasure Horses, all at once!

Their years of hard cultivation and effort to join the Demon Suppressing Division had paid off.

"Thank you, Commander!" The newly rewarded recruits clasped their hands and thanked him in unison.

After saying this, Commander Zhou didn't linger. He rose and said, "The Demon Suppressing Division holds a Monthly Exam every month. Those who rank near the top receive even more generous rewards. As long as you have talent and strength, the Demon Suppressing Division will never let you go to waste!"

Then Commander Zhou waved a hand and left with his subordinates.

After Steward Liu handed out the rewards, he led them to a residential area on the west side of the Main Courtyard.

It consisted of neat rows of detached little courtyards.

"These will be your homes from now on."

Steward Liu pointed out the little courtyards. "They may be small, but they're peaceful. Each has its own wooden training post, Weapon Cabinet, and well, making it convenient to practice martial arts."

"Of course, the Demon Suppressing Division won't restrict your freedom. Once you've earned merit and risen through the ranks to become Walkers, you can rent or even buy a house in the city. You'll have more freedom that way."

"For now, choose a courtyard and get some rest."

Lin Guanhuo chose the most secluded courtyard.

If you enjoyed this book and don't want to lose track of it, remember to add it to your bookshelf.