I, Lin Guanhuo, Am Willing to Go!

The days that followed were unexpectedly peaceful.

Lin Guanhuo's daily routine consisted of patrolling a few streets around the Demon Suppressing Division. Life was fairly leisurely,

and most of the time, Lin Guanhuo stayed in his little courtyard, cultivating behind closed doors.

Time flowed like water. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

At dawn, Lin Guanhuo sat cross-legged on his bed and slowly opened his eyes.

Scattered across the floor before him were more than a dozen empty porcelain bottles.

They were the ten bottles of Qi Augmenting Pills he had bought from the Wonderful Pill Workshop, along with the five bestowed by the Demon Suppressing Division. All fifteen bottles of pills had been swallowed up in a single month, like he was eating candy beans.

This extremely extravagant "pill-popping" cultivation method had produced astonishing results.

"Hoo..."

Lin Guanhuo let out a soft breath, feeling the roiling energy within him.

After a month of arduous cultivation, his Martial Dao realm had reached Body Tempering sixth-grade!

Two breakthroughs in a single month!

I'm not too far from the Muscle-Tendon Realm...

Lin Guanhuo clenched his fist, feeling the surging, ocean-like power within him, his heart calm and unruffled.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Just then, someone knocked on the courtyard gate.

Lin Guanhuo restrained his aura and went to open it.

A Guard in regulation Soft Armor stood at the entrance. "Lord Lin, Commander Zhou has ordered all registered Class A and Class B Division Servants in the division to gather in the Front Hall for a meeting."

"Understood."

Lin Guanhuo nodded, picked up his long saber, and strode out.

In moments, Lin Guanhuo arrived at the Front Hall.

The atmosphere was solemn. On ordinary days, this was where the Demon Suppressing Division held its meetings.

At the far end of the spacious hall, Commander Zhou Tian sat in a Grand Tutor Chair, leisurely sipping tea from a cup.

At his side, Steward Liu and several other stewards stood respectfully with their hands at their sides.

Below them, quite a crowd had already gathered.

They were the Blackwater Division's core personnel. At a glance, nearly all of them were elite Body Tempering third-grade or Fourth Rank Martial Artists. A few, their auras deep and steady, were seasoned experts who had already reached fifth-grade but had yet to be officially registered.

Lin Guanhuo entered the Front Hall and picked a spot to stand.

Just then,

"Brother Lin."

A familiar greeting came from beside him.

He turned around. It was Shen Yifan.

Though they hadn't seen each other for a month, Shen Yifan had also consolidated his Body Tempering third-grade realm.

But now, as he looked at Lin Guanhuo standing beside him, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

Shen Yifan could sense the qi and blood within Lin Guanhuo.

They were even stronger than they had been during the Monthly Exam a month ago!

"Brother Lin..."

Shen Yifan lowered his voice. "Your aura's stronger than it was a few days ago... Could it be you've broken through again?"

"Just a stroke of luck. Body Tempering sixth-grade." Lin Guanhuo's tone was calm.

"Six... sixth-grade?!"

If he hadn't been worried about Commander Zhou being present, Shen Yifan would probably have cried out in shock...

Sixth-grade!

Two breakthroughs in a month!

That meant that once the Monthly Exam came around, Lin Guanhuo could be officially registered!

The last trace of ambition Shen Yifan had harbored to catch up with him

vanished completely.

What did it mean to be outrageous?

This was outrageous!

In just two months, Lin Guanhuo had achieved the goal Shen Yifan had pursued all his life...

"Heh..."

Shen Yifan shook his head bitterly and mocked himself in a low voice. "I once foolishly thought I could compete with you, Brother Lin. Now I see I was overestimating myself, like a frog in a well."

"Brother Shen, you're being too hard on yourself."

Lin Guanhuo's expression was mild. "You have good talent. You'll surely achieve something in the future."

Lin Guanhuo meant every word. Shen Yifan was talented, and he was an honest man.

Though they'd competed with each other before, it had been a gentleman's rivalry. Shen Yifan had never resorted to anything underhanded.

Just then,

Steward Liu, who had been standing beside Commander Zhou, stepped forward and bowed to Zhou Tian. "Commander, everyone's more or less here."

"Ah... good."

Only then did Zhou Tian unhurriedly set down his teacup.

Zhou Tian swept his gaze over the crowd. His smile faded, and he got straight to the point. "There's a job that needs doing."

"Whoever gets it done will receive a generous reward."

The hall fell silent as everyone listened respectfully.

Zhou Tian spoke slowly. "There's been some trouble in Big Fish Town."

"The snow on the mountain has melted recently, and three Yellow-Skinned Weasels that have undergone Spirit Transformation have come down from the mountain. They've been killing, burning, robbing, and looting. They've eaten quite a few people in Big Fish Town, and now they've set their sights on the three daughters of Magistrate Li, a wealthy local. They intend to force the girls to marry them and take them back to the mountain."

"Li Family Patriarch Magistrate Li has opened his granaries and distributed grain these past few years, saving the lives of many Refugees in this Chaotic World. He's a good man. The Demon Suppressing Division lives off the imperial treasury and is sworn to keep the peace. We can't stand by and do nothing!"

The atmosphere in the Front Hall grew heavy.

Commander Zhou Tian sat in his Grand Tutor Chair, his gaze passing over the crowd below as he continued, "According to the reports from our scouts on the front lines, there's nothing too serious to worry about. They're just three Yellow-Skinned Weasels who've only just learned Humanoid Transformation. They shouldn't be very strong."

"You're all capable Martial Artists of Third Rank or higher. This assignment isn't too difficult. Still, to be safe, I plan to send five or six people. There's strength in numbers."

"Once the job is done, each person will receive a hundred taels of silver. It's also a good chance to gain some experience. Who's willing to go?"

A hundred taels.

Out in the world, countless Martial Artists would fight tooth and nail for that much.

But here in the Front Hall, the Class A and Class B Division Servants looked at one another, then fell silent.

Everyone knew the risks. Though the Yellow-Skinned Weasels had only just undergone Spirit Transformation, their fighting strength was comparable to that of a human Third Rank or even Fourth Rank Martial Artist.

And there were three of them.

Was it worth risking their lives against such evil creatures for a mere hundred taels?

Not a chance.

Everyone present was an old hand. A hundred taels was no small sum, but they could earn just as much in half a year by taking safer assignments.

There was no need to take this risk.

For a moment, not a single person answered.

"What? Has everyone gone mute?"

When no one spoke for a long while, Zhou Tian's smile slowly faded.

"Whenever there are rewards to be claimed, you all run faster than anyone else. But when it's time to exterminate demons and uphold justice, you turn into a bunch of cowards?"

Zhou Tian gave a cold snort, his voice turning stern. "The Demon Suppressing Division doesn't keep dead weight! And it certainly doesn't keep spineless cowards afraid to die!"

"If no one volunteers, fine. I'll call out six names! Whoever I call has to go. Anyone who dares disobey will be dealt with according to the division's laws!"

As he spoke, his gaze roved over the crowd.

Everyone he looked at lowered their heads, afraid of being chosen.

Just then,

a calm voice suddenly rang through the hall.

"I, Lin Guanhuo, am willing to go."

Everyone turned.

From the back of the crowd, a figure in a black robe stepped forward, his expression composed.

He might as well have been saying he was going to buy groceries, not hunt demons.

It was Lin Guanhuo.

"Oh?"

A trace of approval flashed in Zhou Tian's eyes. He nodded. "Good. Lin Guanhuo, I'm glad to see you have the courage."

"You'll be the main force on this assignment. I'll assign a few more capable men to join you..."

"No need."

Just then,

Lin Guanhuo abruptly cut Zhou Tian off.

Under everyone's gaze, Lin Guanhuo continued, "Commander Zhou, this junior will go alone."