The Divine Guard Army's City Entry Stir

"Qin Mansion..."

"Hah, he certainly lucked out."

"It is what it is, there is no point in dwelling on it. Jingming, do not let your expression betray you. If this causes any complications, our descendants will be trapped in this county town forever. The Demon Suppression Bureau is still watching us closely."

The eldest man among them, who led the group, spoke these words in a low voice.

He then pulled the two slightly younger figures along as they walked through the gates of the Qin Mansion, a faint, barely audible sigh escaping his lips.

After he entered.

The other two men followed suit, bringing their own people inside.

Upon seeing them enter, the servants inside the mansion instinctively bowed in respect, but quickly regained their composure. Lowering their heads, one spoke: "Honored guests, aside from the Martial Arts Arena, please do not wander into other areas. Otherwise, the Qin Mansion will be forced to expel you."

"You..."

A youth of about fourteen years old.

Hearing this, he could not help but look indignant.

Just as he was about to lash out.

He was held back.

"Jingchuan, say no more. Do not forget what Grandfather told us before we came. Besides, he is not making things difficult for us; it is likely that everyone who enters the Qin Mansion is given the same warning."

Qin Jingming whispered a reprimand.

He then looked at the servant, who remained respectful.

His heart was in turmoil.

Meanwhile, on the Martial Arts Arena.

Three long lines were currently formed, with Zheng Dahai, Xu Jinghua, and Qi Yuan at the ends. The three of them were measuring bones with great speed. The men and women of various ages all grimaced as their bones were checked, clearly finding the process uncomfortable.

Occasional cries of surprise erupted from the crowd.

But for the most part, there was only silence.

The sun gradually began to set.

By the time it was the turn of Qin Jingming and his two companions, dusk was approaching.

"Hmm, fourteen years old. The bone structure has just set, but unfortunately, the natural talent is mediocre. It will be difficult to achieve anything in the future. Next."

Qi Yuan, his eyes showing signs of fatigue, casually squeezed a youth's waist and hips before shaking his head slightly.

Standing behind these green-faced youths, Qin Jingming and his two companions looked nervous, their expressions changing instantly upon hearing this.

"Fellow practitioner."

"These children of ours have been tempering their bodies with precious medicinal herbs since they were young."

"How could their natural talent be mediocre?"

Qin Jingming stepped forward, a smile plastered on his face as he said, "Could you be overly exhausted? Perhaps you could take another look..."

"Look?"

Qi Yuan swept a displeased glance at him.

"Judging by your attire, you are not ordinary commoners in this city. You should know that the quality of one's bone structure has little to do with how you temper your body. Furthermore, ordinary people temper their bodies to allow their children to start martial arts earlier. Look at him—his frame is sturdy, yes, but despite all that tempering, he has only knocked on the Blood Pass once."

"He is far from meeting the entry standards of our sect."

"Look at those qualified youths. Even if their bone structure is only of the lowest grade, they are either knocking on the pass for the second or third time, and some have even constructed a blood-qi circulation, ready to break through to the Bone Forging realm. Even though he has tempered his body since childhood, in my view, if he maintains his current resources, reaching the Three Refinements by the age of thirty will be his limit."

As Qi Yuan spoke, he shook his head and looked toward the next person.

Qin Jingming wanted to say something more.

But he was stopped by the other two.

"Third brother, don't be anxious. It hasn't been fully tested yet, has it?"

"..."

Two quarters of an hour later.

Qi Yuan frowned and said, "The bone structure barely qualifies as middle-grade. You may enter the outer sect of the Mystic Firmament Sect. What is your name?"

"Replying to the senior, this humble one is Qin Jingchuan."

"Mm. Take this token for now and register once you return to the sect. Furthermore, those who enter the outer sect of our Mystic Firmament Sect may bring four family members. You must bring this token to sign up on the day of departure."

Qi Yuan held two bamboo tablets and, after writing the names on them, handed one to Qin Jingchuan and the other to the Qin Mansion servant standing behind him.

Qin Jingming and the other two had initially beamed with joy upon hearing they could join the sect, but their expressions shifted the moment they heard the second half of the sentence.

"Only four can be taken, this..."

They exchanged glances.

This quota was not merely a ticket to leave Songshan County.

It was a quota to follow the sect and enter the pass.

To this day, who in the county seat did not know that the lands beyond the pass were in total chaos? Beyond the scourge of Demons, there were great armies capturing cities and strongholds, pressing forward step by step. Even if one were to reach Ning'an Prefecture immediately, it would only be a temporary peace; as long as the Wei Army did not halt their advance, the fall of the city was only a matter of time.

Against such a backdrop.

The value of this quota was self-evident.

"Fellow Daoist, this humble one is named Qin Jingzheng, a member of a branch family of the Qin Family. May I ask if anyone from the current Qin Family has been admitted into your esteemed sect?"

Qi Yuan was taken aback by these words.

He then carefully scrutinized the few of them.

"You do indeed share a slight resemblance between the brows with my Junior Brother Qin..."

"Junior Brother?!"

The three of them spoke in astonishment, almost in unison.

Qi Yuan's expression softened as he nodded and said, "That is correct. Wait here for a moment; I will have someone call Junior Brother Qin out to confirm. If you are indeed his clansmen, it would be no trouble for me to grant you a favor."

After he finished speaking.

He gave instructions to a servant beside him.

As for Qin Jingzheng and the other two.

Their mouths hung slightly agape, and for a moment, they did not know what to say.

They were all Three Refinements martial artists; how could they fail to sense that the young man before them was an Internal Strengthening martial artist? Coupled with the enthusiastic smile on his face, they feared that this so-called "Junior Brother" was certainly not just some simple outer sect disciple.

After all, there had been many people who met the standards during the bone-measuring earlier.

Their expressions had all been as calm as an ancient well.

How could that compare to the radiant smile on the face of the person currently approaching?

"Who could it be?"

The three exchanged glances.

A flicker of doubt arose in their hearts simultaneously.

Qin Jingming was just about to open his mouth to ask.

But Qi Yuan suddenly looked up toward the gate of the Martial Arts Arena, where two figures were stepping in, one after the other. The former was Qin Jiu, and the latter was Qin Xuanzhou.

"Could it be Xuanzhou?"

Qin Jingming looked at the other two to ask.

But before the two could answer.

Qin Jiu had already arrived before Qi Yuan, who hurriedly stood up and cupped his hands with a smile: "I thought Junior Brother Qin wouldn't be coming to the Martial Arts Arena today."

"Forgive me, Senior Brother Qi."

Qin Jiu returned the salute and said, "This junior brother lost track of time while practicing; in the blink of an eye, the sun is already about to set."

"Then you must punish yourself with two cups later."

"Certainly, certainly."

While the two exchanged pleasantries.

Qin Jingming and his companions were utterly stunned.

"How... could it be him?"

"Junior Brother Qin, you've come at just the right time. These three claim to be from a branch of the Qin Family; I do not know if this is true or false."

After a brief exchange of greetings.

Qi Yuan asked this question.

Qin Jiu had long known the three had come; his expression remained calm, and his gaze did not even linger on them for a moment. He simply shook his head and said, "That was in the past. Now, the Qin Family has long since severed ties with them; the two sides have no dealings."

"I see."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yuan nodded, his expression turning indifferent as he looked at the three.

"The offspring of you few have already been measured."

"If there is nothing else, you may withdraw."

"This..."

Qin Jingming had not even had time to think it through.

Hearing this now.

He knelt down directly, pressing his forehead to the ground, and said, "I beg the Patriarch to forgive our previous insolence. From this day forward, Jingming is willing to give his all for the Qin Family. I pray the Patriarch will consider our shared bloodline and allow Jingming to return to the Qin Family."

With this kneeling.

The crowded Martial Arts Arena.

Instantly fell silent, followed by gazes sweeping over from every direction.

Everyone here was a local of the county, and who didn't know the identity of the man kneeling, or the turmoil he had once caused with the Qin Family? Consequently, many began to whisper among themselves.

Qin Jiu's expression remained calm.

It was as if he hadn't seen it at all.

Nor had he heard it.

He continued speaking to Qi Yuan: "Junior Brother, the reason I have come to you now is to ask a favor of you, Senior Brother. This is the commander of my Qin Family, Qin Xuanzhou. At only thirty-two, he has already reached the Great Completion of the Three Refinements. In another two or three years, he will surely break through to Internal Strengthening. I wonder if he might be permitted to join the Mystic Firmament Sect?"

"Oh?"

Qi Yuan looked at Qin Xuanzhou standing behind him.

He was slightly taken aback.

At this moment.

Zheng Dahai looked over in surprise, seemingly having heard Qin Jiu's words, and spoke up directly: "If he wishes to join the sect, you need only present the token and explain it to the Sect Master when the time comes. The Divine Guard Army is currently short on manpower; he might even be able to secure a position as a commander."

As soon as these words were spoken.

The previously quiet crowd erupted into an uproar.

Qin Jingzheng reacted quickly, hurrying over to stand before Zheng Dahai. He bowed slightly and said, "This Elder, might you allow the three of us to join your sect's Divine Guard Army as well? We are also Three Refinements martial artists currently serving in the Demon Suppression Bureau, and our strength is not lacking."

"You are too old."

Zheng Dahai said indifferently.

At this time, other Three Refinements martial artists from the crowd also stepped forward, requesting to join the Divine Guard Army.

But they were all rejected without exception.

"The noble families stand high above, treating the common people like straw dogs and human lives like blades of grass. In this world, are those at the bottom meant to rot in the mire? To bow their heads as slaves for eternity?"

"The world has always been this way..."

"But just because it has always been this way, does that make it right?!"

A thin, middle-aged figure spoke through gritted teeth, his tone suppressed and gloomy.

His face was contorted, his fists clenched tight.

He looked profoundly unwilling to accept his fate.

Upon hearing this, Qin Jiu glanced at the man, his expression turning cold in an instant.

"I wondered who it was."

"So, it is a retained guest of my Qin Mansion."

He stepped toward the man, his tone becoming bone-chillingly cold: "You fled in the face of battle back then, yet today you dare to show your face at my Qin Mansion. You cannot represent the common people, nor are you worthy of discussing the state of the world. Today, I am going to settle this account with you properly!"

"You brat of the Qin Family!"

The man's expression grew even more sinister.

"I, Yang, climbed out of the mud-alleys, step by step, and only after great difficulty did I break through to the Three Refinements to serve as a guest in your Qin Family. Yet, I never imagined the Qin Family would be so ruthless, intending to send us retained guests and retainers into that Demon Suppression Bureau. You should know that even your father was never this cold-blooded."

"And today, you rely on the legacy of your forebears to join the Mystic Firmament Sect."

"I, Yang Huai, do not accept this!"

He let out a low roar and ferociously raised his fist, lunging at Qin Jiu.

This scene.

Left everyone present in shock.

They felt this man was far too insane; with experts from a great sect presiding over the area, he dared to be so insolent.

However, contrary to everyone's expectations.

Zheng Dahai and the others did not move, watching with cold, detached eyes, showing no intention of intervening.

Just as the crowd was filled with confusion.

A muffled grunt rang out.

They saw Yang Huai, for reasons unknown, coughing up a mouthful of blood and tumbling backward like a discarded sack.

"You, you actually crippled my meridians."

"What a vicious heart..."

Yang Huai collapsed to the ground, his face deathly pale, his hand trembling as he pointed at Qin Jiu.

The latter's expression remained icy as he said, "Xuanzhou, drag him away and deal with him according to the Qin Mansion's family laws."

"Understood."

Qin Xuanzhou heard this and immediately waved over several servants.

They dragged the man out of the Martial Arts Arena.

"A fine display of skill."

At this moment.

Zheng Dahai stroked his beard and smiled, nodding with satisfaction. "Not bad. A crisp, clean palm strike that cripples his cultivation without taking his life. Among those of the same rank, you can call yourself a champion. This old man did not misjudge you."

"With this level of strength alone."

"In the future, you may well contend for a spot as an inner sect disciple."

As he spoke.

Qin Jingzheng and Qin Jingming were already dumbstruck.

"He, he..."

"How could he be so powerful?"

The shock they felt was far greater than anyone else present, for as former high-ranking members of the Qin Family, they were well aware of Qin Jiu's past.

Before Qin Guihong met with his misfortune.

He had been nothing more than a playboy.

Yet the strength he displayed now was not much inferior to the Internal Strengthening realm.

"The three of you."

"It is time for you to leave as well."

At this moment.

Qin Xuanzhou walked over and spoke to the three of them with an expressionless face.

When the Qin Family was once in dire straits.

These three had decisively pulled away, acting with excessive coldness.

He felt little sympathy in his heart at this moment.

Upon hearing this, those few men.

Woke as if from a dream and said nothing more.

Qin Jingzheng sighed slightly and led his people away from the Martial Arts Arena.

Qin Jingming, however, was somewhat unwilling; he hurried to catch up and said, "Big Brother, are we just going to leave like this?"

"What else would you have us do?" Qin Jingzheng looked desolate. "If Qin Jiu hadn't kicked us while we were down today, it was already out of consideration for old times' sake. Otherwise, with just a single word, I fear even Jingchuan would be unable to join the Mystic Firmament Sect."

Night fell.

Qin Jiu was hosting Zheng Dahai and his companions.

A figure arrived at the main hall to report.

"Reporting to the Patriarch."

"The Divine Guard Army has entered the city."