The night's torrential rain finally stopped.
The next day, the sky was bright and clear.
Washed clean by the rain, even the air in Liangzhou City felt a little fresher.
But inside the Demon Suppression Bureau's Regional Command, the atmosphere was as gloomy as yesterday's rain, heavy and oppressive.
Groups of Demon Suppression Guards gathered here and there, all speaking in hushed voices as they murmured among themselves.
"The Heaven Battalion's people are back. The business at Yumen Pass... it's true."
"Holy shit, a Great Demon at Core Formation Realm?!"
"Absolutely true! I heard the Heaven Battalion lost two brothers just to get a clear read on that monster. It came from the Demon Kingdom beyond the pass, with noble blood in its veins. It's nothing like the mountain sprites around here in Longyou."
A young man who had only recently joined the Demon Suppression Bureau turned pale as he listened. Unable to hold back, he asked, "Core Formation... just how powerful is the Core Formation Realm?"
Nearby, an old soldier with one arm missing was polishing the saber at his waist with his remaining hand. At the question, he gave a cold laugh.
"How powerful?"
He raised his head, his cloudy eyes gazing toward the horizon. "Put it this way. A demon at Bone Resonance Realm, at most, can lord it over a mountain and terrorize a county. But once it reaches Core Formation, it enters a whole different world."
"Calling wind and summoning rain, moving mountains and filling seas—that's a bit of an exaggeration. But with a wave of its hand, it could wipe out a small city without a master to defend it. That's no tall tale."
The moment he said this, everyone around them drew in a sharp breath.
The young man's legs nearly gave way beneath him. "Then... then this time, aren't we..."
"Afraid of what?" The old soldier shoved his saber back into its sheath and spat. "The Demon Suppression Bureau feeds us this bowl of death! General Wei is leading the team himself. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. What's there for you to tremble about?"
"..."
Compared with the shock and worry the Great Demon at Core Formation had stirred up,
another piece of news was like a boulder crashing into the deep waters of the Regional Command, kicking up a monstrous wave.
"Heard the news? The Mysterious Battalion just appointed a new Captain."
"A Captain? Who? Which Team Leader distinguished himself and got promoted?"
"It's a newcomer."
"A newcomer?!"
"That person who just joined a few days ago. What was her name... Jiang Yuechu."
"Jiang Yuechu? Never heard of her."
Someone nearby quickly tugged at his sleeve, lowering his voice. His expression was peculiar.
"You don't know? That girl!"
"Oh! I remember now! The one who pinned Old Zhao, one of Liu Chen's men, against a pillar and beat him up as soon as she arrived?"
"That's not all!"
Another man leaned in and spoke in a hushed, mysterious tone. "I heard that a few days ago, she went on a mission to Hechuan County. Not only did she kill a demon on the verge of Bone Resonance, she also chopped down two monks from Jeweled Temple while she was at it!"
The moment he said this, everyone around them drew in a sharp breath.
"She killed monks from Jeweled Temple?! Has she lost her mind?!"
"I don't know if she has, but I do know she's not only fine, she even got promoted! A seventh-rank Captain! And she's directly in command of the Vanguard Battalion!"
"What?!"
An experienced old Team Leader's eyes flew wide at this, his face full of disbelief. "What kind of joke is this? I've risked my life for the Demon Suppression Bureau for ten years. I've got scars piled on top of scars, and I'm still only eighth-rank! What makes some little girl fresh out of the cradle think she deserves it?!"
"Exactly! Achievements? What achievements does she have? Experience? She hasn't even collected her first month's pay!"
"A woman as Captain? And in command of the Vanguard Battalion? What are the people up top thinking?!"
"Shh... keep your voice down. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
Just then,
a handsome young Captain with a delicate, feminine air heard the chatter around him and curled his lips in a sneer.
"What makes her deserve it? Maybe... that pretty face of hers."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was just enough for the few people around him to hear.
Everyone turned toward the sound, their eyes all landing on the delicate-looking man.
Song Ren! Captain Song!
Song Ren was a veteran Captain who had served in the Demon Suppression Bureau for nearly ten years. His cultivation had long since reached Bone Resonance Realm.
More importantly, he came from the powerful Song Clan of Longyou. His roots ran deep in Liangzhou Prefecture, and he had connections everywhere.
"Captain Song, what do you mean by that?"
Song Ren seemed to enjoy having everyone's attention. He held up a hand in a dainty gesture, lightly dusted off his sleeve, and cast a sidelong glance at the crowd.
"A little girl who still has milk on her lips kills a couple of insignificant demons and gets to rise straight to the top, taking the post of Captain and commanding the Vanguard Battalion? Surely you all have some thoughts about that?"
"..."
Thoughts? Of course they had them!
But who dared say so?
Song Ren dared because he had the clout to back it up.
What could low-ranking Demon Suppression Guards like them, with no backing and no connections, possibly say?
Seeing that no one answered, Song Ren went on, "I also heard that during yesterday's downpour, Lord Xu personally went to that little courtyard in the Demon-Pacifying Ward where she lives. He didn't come out for a full half hour."
The insinuation in his words was plain as day.
The crowd's expressions varied. Some looked enlightened, some contemptuous, and others disbelieving.
"Impossible! Lord Xu isn't that kind of person!"
"Who knows whether he is or not? After all, even heroes can't resist a beautiful woman."
"A girl who's only just arrived turns around and becomes a seventh-rank Captain. We risk our necks every time we go out, but in the end, we're still not as good as a girl putting in work in bed."
"Keep your voice down! You can't just say things like that!"
"What's there to be afraid of? Captain Song said it himself. Could it be false?"
Listening to the agreement murmured around him, Song Ren's sneer deepened.
"Our Demon Suppression Bureau, I say, is sooner or later going to..."
He hadn't finished speaking when—
"What the hell are you spewing out of that filthy mouth?!"
A furious roar exploded through the courtyard like a thunderclap on a clear day!
The noisy chatter abruptly died.
Everyone was stunned by the sudden scolding.
Who was Song Ren?
A veteran Captain at Bone Resonance Realm, with the Longyou Song Clan backing him.
In Liangzhou Prefecture, who would dare talk to him like that, aside from the great figures?
Everyone turned toward the voice.
At the entrance to the courtyard stood several figures. No one knew when they had arrived.
At their head was a burly man with a face full of coarse flesh. Behind him stood a young man dressed in fine clothes, his face as dark as water and one hand resting on his sword hilt.
There was also a fat, broad monk hugging a wine gourd. He wore a smile, but there wasn't the slightest trace of mirth in his narrowed eyes.
"Who are they?"
"I know... They're the squad under Jiang Yuechu!"
Someone in the crowd shouted.
Only then did everyone recognize them. Seeing the men bristling with murderous intent, they instinctively backed away a few steps.
Song Ren's expression darkened in an instant.
He narrowed his eyes at Chen Tong, who was seething with rage, and let out a mocking laugh.
"So that's who it is. You're Captain Jiang's dogs."
"What? Your master hasn't even arrived, and you mongrels have already come running out to bark?"
Chen Tong couldn't stomach being spoken to like that. He let out a furious roar and drew his saber halfway from its scabbard with a sharp scrape.
"I'll fuck your mother, you filthy cunt!"
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