Commander Jiao Yu

That figure was, naturally, Wen Shihan.

Wei Xuanfeng silently picked up the mutton pot and took a step back.

But to his surprise, several voices rang out at once.

"Murong, watch out!"

"Little Sister Murong, get behind me!"

"Careful!"

"..."

Fox Murong was agile as well. With a flash, she dodged Wen Shihan's fierce strike.

By the time Wen Shihan tried to attack again, several blade guards taking the assessment had appeared between her and Fox Murong.

Seeing this, Wei Xuanfeng could not help but sigh.

Simps were fucking awesome!

"Ah... I was wondering who it was. So it's Sister Shihan."

Fox Murong hid behind a man, her tone dripping with saccharine affectation.

"Pah! Who's your sister? Fox Murong, why did you flee from battle that day?"

Compared to the glamorous Fox Murong, Wen Shihan was in an utterly bedraggled state.

Her dark blade-guard uniform was torn to tatters, and bloodstains and mud smeared across her face, making her delicate features impossible to discern.

Most pitiful of all, the black boots on her feet were gone, replaced by a pair of straw sandals.

Her bare calves were exposed to the air, with tattered talismans still stuck to them...

Clearly, she had used the Five-Hundred-Li Horse Armor issued by the Demon Suppression Directorate.

As for whether she had used it to travel or to flee for her life, no one knew.

"Flee? Sister, you must be joking..." Fox Murong raised her brows, making the surrounding blade guards' hearts race and their faces flush. "I merely went to fetch reinforcements. Thanks to these dear big brothers, I was able to leave the mountains and complete the assessment."

At those words, several traces of pride appeared on the blade guards' faces.

Wei Xuanfeng: ...

Perhaps, when it came to being thick-skinned, he truly could not compare to this fox-charming girl.

With blade guards taking the assessment serving as flower protectors, along with the obstruction of the other blade catchers—

Wen Shihan and Fox Murong were destined not to fight.

After all the commotion, everyone boarded the carriages and headed back to the Northern Pacification Bureau.

What Wei Xuanfeng had not expected was that Wen Shihan and Fox Murong had both, without prior agreement, chosen to sit beside him...

"You two, why must you put me in such an awkward position..."

Wei Xuanfeng gave a wry smile.

A girl like Fox Murong, a beauty calamitous enough to topple kingdoms, naturally came with her own spotlight. Wherever she went, she drew men's attention.

Even though Wei Xuanfeng had done nothing at all, he had successfully earned the resentment of countless blade guards...

"Didn't Brother Wei promise this little sister that you'd lend me a hand? Sitting closer helps us build a closer bond." Fox Murong did not care in the slightest. "As for you, there are clearly so many empty seats. Why did you come crowding over here too?"

The latter half was directed at Wen Shihan.

Though the two had not fought, neither could stand the sight of the other.

The atmosphere was taut as drawn swords.

"None of your business!" Wen Shihan said coldly.

Wei Xuanfeng: ...

A phrase suddenly came to mind...

Birds of a feather flock together.

In both girls, he could see more or less a reflection of himself.

One was shameless for profit, while the other would stop at nothing to grow stronger.

Fox Murong had approached him simply to gain some advantage from him, while Wen Shihan was even more straightforward—she wanted to spar with him and become stronger...

He truly hoped that next time, a girl throwing herself into his arms would do so because of his looks...

As Wei Xuanfeng listened to the two girls bicker, he did not narcissistically assume that both of them had fallen for him.

But being surrounded by two extraordinarily beautiful girls, whose figures were... one good, and one exceptionally good—

Wei Xuanfeng still felt pretty pleased with himself.

It was just that the bloody stench on Wen Shihan was far too strong...

No one spoke along the way. When they returned to the Demon Suppression Directorate's training ground, everyone stood properly in formation.

Wei Xuanfeng swept his gaze over the others from the corner of his eye. Of all the blade soldiers who had taken part in the assessment, only he, Wen Shihan, and Fox Murong were still standing here.

As for the rest, they naturally weren't qualified to be here because they hadn't collected enough rabbit ears.

That was only right. The rules had been made perfectly clear from the start: only the top three would be accepted.

First place was Fox Murong.

Second place was Wei Xuanfeng.

Third place was Wen Shihan.

Even Wei Xuanfeng had not expected Wen Shihan to gather so many in just a few days while carrying such severe injuries.

Even if Fox Murong had not resorted to dirty tricks, none of the other blade soldiers could possibly have surpassed Wen Shihan.

From this result alone, Wei Xuanfeng could sense just how much tenacity lay hidden beneath Wen Shihan's seemingly delicate frame...

After a while, Wu Santong approached the three with several subordinates in tow.

Wu Santong was in high spirits, and his gaze upon the three was full of satisfaction.

"Very good. After half a year, we finally have newcomers who have completed the assessment and become new demon slayers. On behalf of all our brothers at the Northern Pacification Bureau, I welcome you!"

His voice rang out loud and clear. The moment he finished speaking, the demon slayers on the grounds broke into applause.

"But don't get complacent. Even harsher rules await you ahead," Wu Santong declared. "I won't bother explaining the principle that more sweat in training means less blood in battle. To keep you from being slapped to death by a demonic beast on the battlefield, I'll train you strictly. You... had better prepare yourselves!"

Then Wu Santong waved a broad hand, and several demon slayers came over to distribute a booklet to Wei Xuanfeng and the other two.

Three large characters—"Body Tempering Art"—were written on the cover. The strokes were vigorous and forceful, with a faint air of slaughter lurking between every horizontal, vertical, hook, and sweep.

Wei Xuanfeng's eyes lit up.

An internal art!

He had indeed come to the Demon Suppression Directorate at the right time!

Without an internal art, a martial artist could rise no higher than the Martial Adept realm in their entire life.

Only by cultivating inner force could one have a chance of reaching the Martial Master realm.

Thus, every internal art was an invaluable treasure to martial artists.

For a martial artist like Wei Xuanfeng, with no foundation or backing whatsoever, joining the Demon Suppression Directorate was the only path through which he could learn an internal art.

After all, the other martial sects of the jianghu regarded their own internal cultivation manuals as more precious than their very lives.

They would not pass them on to anyone but direct descendants, nor teach them to anyone but their closed-door disciples.

Holding the Body Tempering Art, Wei Xuanfeng had the feeling that his path as a martial artist was only just beginning.

Wu Santong then pointed at a voluptuous young matron behind him.

"Wei Xuanfeng, Fox Murong, Wen Shihan—from this moment onward, you will be assigned to Jiao Yu's unit. She will teach you the rules, as well as the Body Tempering Art."

With that, the voluptuous young matron stepped forward, her face gentle and warm.

"Everyone, from today onward, I am your squad leader. I will be responsible for your lives, and I also ask that you obey my orders without condition. Now, I'll take you around the Northern Pacification Bureau so you can familiarize yourselves with it."

As she looked at the three, Wei Xuanfeng noticed that her pupils were golden. Together with her fair skin, she carried a touch of exotic charm at a glance.

Her tight Flying Fish uniform clung closely to her body, outlining her lush, full curves as though they might burst forth at any moment.

She really was tall and well-built, with waves surging at her chest!

With that, she turned and left.

The three hurried after her.

Following behind Jiao Yu, Wei Xuanfeng silently observed her.

Her back was straight, her figure tall—she looked to be at least one meter ninety...

Her plump, full, sharply contoured buttocks swayed as she walked, stirring one's heart with every movement.

Coach, I want to learn stock trading!

"First, I'll take you to collect your Flying Fish uniforms. Then we'll register you and collect your waist tokens and monthly pay. Oh, right—will you be staying in the residence provided by the Demon Suppression Directorate, or returning to your own homes in the city?"

"Boss Jiao, what's the difference?"

Wei Xuanfeng inwardly marveled, but outwardly kept his eyes straight ahead, his tone perfectly ordinary.

"The houses provided by our Demon Suppression Directorate are in the rear courtyard. The advantage is that it's convenient for daily duty. The downside is that there's not much fun to be had. Sometimes, even I want to move back into the city..."

Jiao Yu blinked, speaking in an unhurried manner.

"Boss Jiao, I'll stay at the Demon Suppression Directorate."

Wei Xuanfeng made his choice without hesitation.

It wasn't that he found the journey back and forth troublesome. He simply wanted to get a little closer to his superior.

"Alright..." Jiao Yu nodded, then looked toward Fox Murong and Wen Shihan. "What about you two?"

Fox Murong's eyes flickered as she quickly made up her mind. "Boss, I'll live at the Demon Suppression Directorate too."

"My village is too far away," Wen Shihan said softly. "A round trip takes three hours, and it wastes too much training time. I'll live at the Demon Suppression Directorate as well."

"Fine, you can all stay at the Demon Suppression Directorate. Saves me the trouble too." Jiao Yu smiled. "When the time comes, I'll arrange for you to share a courtyard. You're all in the same squad, so it'll be convenient."

With that, she turned and left.

"Old Wei, you've been staring all the way here. Haven't you had your fill yet? Careful the boss notices and starts making things difficult for you!"

Just as Wei Xuanfeng continued admiring the scenery, Fox Murong's whisper reached his ears.

"Boss Jiao is so gentle. She wouldn't."

"Gentle? It's all an act." Fox Murong lowered her voice further. "People like that are prostitutes who've crawled into a bandit den."

"What does that mean?"

"Crafty as hell!"

Wei Xuanfeng:...