On the morning of the fourth day, Lu Chen finally woke from his deep sleep.
He pushed open the door to the quiet chamber. An Imperial Guard who had been waiting for some time immediately stepped forward and respectfully presented him with a brand-new set of clothes and a Darksteel Token.
It was a black uniform embroidered with gold patterns, tailored from fine materials and meticulously crafted. A fierce emblem of the Demon Suppression Division was stitched over the chest in gold thread.
Two bold characters—Imperial Guard—were carved into the token, their strokes sweeping like dragons and phoenixes.
"Imperial Guard Lu," the Imperial Guard said with a bow. "The Captain has ordered that once you've recovered, you'll immediately join the Imperial Guard Camp of the Demon Suppression Division. You'll temporarily serve as a Squad Leader, with five subordinates under your command. This is your identification token and new uniform."
From a corpse handler who had been steeped in bad luck to a Squad Leader of the Imperial Guard, wielding the power of life and death—
Lu Chen had truly risen to the heavens in a single step!
After changing into his new uniform, Lu Chen felt his whole body come alive.
He went to the mirror. The young man reflected there stood tall and straight, his features refined. His deep-set eyes looked all the sharper beneath the black uniform, no longer carrying even a trace of his former meek, servile air.
Just then, a commotion arose outside.
"Little Banner Lu! Little Banner Lu! You've finally come out!"
The two surviving strongmen from before stood at the doorway, grinning obsequiously. Behind them were three young strongmen wearing equally uneasy expressions.
"We've come at Deputy Commander Liu's command to await your orders, Little Banner Lu!"
Lu Chen looked at the five subordinates before him, each with a different expression, and understood.
It seemed Leader Liu had already arranged everything for him.
"Come in," Lu Chen said coolly.
He sat in the seat of honor, his gaze sweeping calmly across the five men.
The two strongmen who had survived the bloody battle at Willow Creek Town gazed at him with fervent admiration.
The three newcomers, meanwhile, were full of curiosity—and a trace of resentment.
What gave a lucky fellow who'd risen through awakening his bloodline the right to become their Squad Leader the moment he arrived?
Lu Chen said nothing. He simply set the Hundred Refinements Saber he'd just received on the table.
"Clang."
The faint sound landed on everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer.
He lifted his teacup and gently blew across the steam. His voice was mild, yet carried an unquestionable authority.
"I don't care whose men you used to be, or what you're thinking. From today on, you're my men. I have only one rule—obey."
"Those who obey will get meat to eat and merits to claim."
"Those who don't..."
He raised his eyes and looked across the three resentful newcomers, one by one. A cold smile curved his lips.
"I'll personally send them back to the Corpse Handling Room."
The three newcomers shuddered under his gaze. A bone-chilling cold shot from the soles of their feet straight to the crowns of their heads, dousing every trace of resentment in an instant.
They seemed to see not a young man, but a god of slaughter who had emerged from a mountain of corpses and sea of blood.
"Yes! We'll obey your orders, Squad Leader!" the five men replied in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles.
Just as Lu Chen had brought his first group of loyal men to heel, a cold voice sounded at the doorway, entirely out of place.
"Well, well. Little Banner Lu certainly knows how to throw his weight around. You've only just become an official, and you're already laying down rules for your subordinates?"
Everyone turned. Leader Wang was leaning against the doorframe, watching everything inside with a smile that never reached his eyes.
Behind him stood Zhang Mazi, a handprint still on his face and venom in his eyes.
"Steward Wang." Lu Chen slowly set down his teacup, his expression unreadable. "What can I do for you?"
"I wouldn't presume to instruct you." Leader Wang ambled into the room, venomous light glinting in his triangular eyes. "I only came to remind you not to forget your roots. You came up from my Corpse Handling Room, after all. When all's said and done, I'm the one who cultivated your abilities."
He put pointed emphasis on the word cultivated. The threat and warning behind it were unmistakable.
Lu Chen rose to his feet, and a radiant smile suddenly spread across his face.
"Steward Wang is right. If you hadn't cultivated me back then, handing me one plum assignment after another, how could Lu Chen be where he is today?"
He walked toward Leader Wang step by step. He was now nearly the same height as the other man, and the invisible pressure he exuded made Leader Wang instinctively retreat half a step.
"This great kindness of yours, Lu Chen... will never forget it."
He stared into Leader Wang's eyes and spoke each word distinctly. His voice was gentle, but deep within his gaze lay a frigid menace, cold enough to freeze the soul.
"If the opportunity ever comes, I'll be sure to... repay you double!"
A terrifying Killing Intent burst from Lu Chen.
In that instant, Leader Wang's face turned worse than a dead man's.
He glared at Lu Chen, the venom roiling in his triangular eyes almost taking physical form.
He'd thought Lu Chen was a wolf in sheep's clothing. Now he realized the truth: this wasn't a wolf at all. It was an ancient, savage beast that had lain dormant in the abyss and had only just bared its fangs!
"Good... very good. A favor repaid double..."
Leader Wang's lips trembled as he forced the words through clenched teeth.
Ever since he'd learned that Lu Chen had awakened his bloodline and slain an Entry Grade demon, Leader Wang had known he was probably no match for him.
He no longer dared meet Lu Chen's eyes. Turning around in utter disarray, he all but fled. Zhang Mazi, already pale with terror behind him, hurried out after him, tail between his legs.
Inside the room, the three new strongmen didn't dare so much as breathe. The resentment in their eyes had given way to utter awe.
The chill vanished from Lu Chen's face at once, leaving him once again with his placid, fathomless calm.
He returned to the seat of honor, lifted the now-lukewarm tea, and took a small sip.
"Sit."
Only then did the five men seem to be released from a pardon. Even so, they dared sit only on the edge of their chairs, backs ramrod straight.
Lu Chen's gaze settled on the two strongmen who had survived the bloody battle at Willow Creek Town.
"What are your names?"
"Reporting to the Squad Leader! I'm Zhao Da Niu!"
"I'm Sun Monkey!"
The two hurried to their feet and answered loudly.
Lu Chen nodded, then took a small porcelain bottle from his robes. It was the Foundation Elixir Captain Li had bestowed on him.
He tipped out four pills, wrapped them in oiled paper in two pairs, and pushed one pair toward each man.
"These are Foundation Elixirs, worth a hundred times more than Qi and Blood Pills. Two for each of you. They're what you've earned for this trip to Willow Creek Town."
Zhao Da Niu and Sun Monkey stared at the pills, their rich medicinal fragrance washing over them. Their eyes nearly bulged from their sockets.
They'd only assisted from the sidelines and survived by the skin of their teeth. They'd thought making it back alive was already a stroke of incredible luck. Never had they imagined they'd receive a reward like this!
"My lord! This... this won't do! They're far too precious!" Zhao Da Niu cried, his face flushed with excitement.
"That's right, my lord. We didn't do much. It was all thanks to you..." Sun Monkey said, waving his hands repeatedly.
"My word is the rule. Take them. Go back and cultivate properly. Build a solid foundation. My men can't be useless."
The three newcomers watched the scene, their eyes reddening as regret gnawed at them.
If only they'd known, they would have clung to this powerful patron for dear life back at Black Wind Gully and Willow Creek Town!
Zhao Da Niu and Sun Monkey exchanged a glance, then stopped refusing. They solemnly put away the pills and bowed deeply to Lu Chen.
"We swear to serve you, Squad Leader, even at the cost of our lives!"