No Rule Says Newcomers Must Spend Time Settling In, Right?

Chu Feng tapped the tabletop with his fingertips and answered the four questions one by one.

"Routine duty is divided into two parts: normally, you take shifts patrolling the city streets, accepting reports from the common folk and investigating unusual occurrences; when there's an external assignment, you follow veteran team members out. For the first three months, newcomers only provide support and don't charge into the front lines."

"Apprentice Demon Suppressors can exchange for all body-tempering cultivation methods and basic martial arts below the Grandmaster realm. That's enough to lay a solid foundation. Only after earning merit and becoming an official Demon Suppressor can you access mid- and high-tier techniques."

"Newcomers are assigned to veteran-led teams. High-level demons won't be left for you to handle. If you truly run into a tough opponent, officials of Hundred-Household rank or above will deal with it. Your safety has a safety net."

"Basic martial arts, put plainly, are about tempering your blood qi and condensing astral qi. The Bureau has every known body-tempering cultivation method. Everyone can choose a technique suited to them, then use medicinal baths and dietary supplements to build their foundation. It's ten times more efficient than blindly training on your own. Thresholds that independent cultivators can't touch after ten or twenty years can be crossed steadily within three to five years inside the system."

After finishing, Chu Feng looked at Xu Jin. "Simply put, for independent cultivators with no backing and no resources, joining the Demon Suppression Bureau is the steadiest shortcut on the road to transcendence."

The last trace of hesitation in Xu Jin's heart vanished in an instant.

Food and lodging included, resources, intelligence, a safety net—and he could openly kill demons and claim rewards.

Wasn't that a hundred times better than wandering the world alone with a bundle on his back?

"Fine." He raised his eyes to Chu Feng, decisive beyond belief. "I'll join the Bureau."

A flicker of amusement crossed Chu Feng's eyes. He had clearly expected this outcome long ago.

Zhang Shun beside him also breathed a sigh of relief. Bringing in such a monstrous newcomer would certainly earn them, as his recommenders, no small reward.

Chu Feng truly was calculating the benefits in his heart.

According to the Demon Suppression Bureau's rules, the higher the subsequent assessment rating of a gifted newcomer one recommended, the more contribution points the recommender received.

With Xu Jin's Flying Sword Art, he would get at least a Grade B evaluation. Once the contribution points came through and he exchanged them for resources, he might be able to break through the bottleneck that had trapped him at the early Insight Comprehension stage for over half a year and charge straight into the middle stage.

He had truly picked up a treasure.

"Since it's decided, come back to camp with us now." Chu Feng stood. "The procedures, lodging, and equipment will all be handled together once we reach the base."

Xu Jin did not dawdle either. He picked up his small bundle and left.

The three of them exited the tea stall and headed straight toward the western part of the city.

On the way, Xu Jin recalled something. "That yellow weasel's corpse outside the city—you just left it there?"

"Don't worry." Chu Feng said, "The Bureau has a dedicated cleanup team. We sent word when we left. They've probably finished collecting it by now. The body will be brought back to the Bureau for centralized processing, and the merit will be credited directly to your account later."

Xu Jin nodded, then asked, "How many shifts are there for routine duty? Do we patrol at night too?"

"Three shifts in rotation. There's a night patrol team for nighttime. You'll understand once you enter the camp. There are many rules, but nothing's chaotic. Everyone performs their own duties. It's far less troublesome than fighting alone."

They walked and talked, and in scattered bits and pieces, Xu Jin gained a rough understanding of the Demon Suppression Bureau's daily operations.

Xu Jin felt even more at ease. The system was mature, the rules were clear, and as long as he could fight and was willing to work, resources would not be lacking. It fit his needs perfectly.

When they reached the foot of the western mountains, Chu Feng stopped before an inconspicuous cliff face.

It looked like ordinary rock, covered in moss and weeds, with nothing remarkable about it at all.

Then Chu Feng took out the bronze token at his waist and pressed it against the stone wall.

With a soft hum, a layer of pale golden ripples spread across the cliff face, and a stone gate as tall as a person slowly emerged.

"The Demon Suppression Bureau's base is hidden in the valley, concealed by an array. Ordinary demons can't get near it." Chu Feng stepped aside. "Go in."

Xu Jin followed him through the stone gate, and the view before him suddenly opened up.

The valley was broad, sunlight spilling across orderly rows of stone barracks. In the center stood an enormous training ground, filled with roaring voices and surging blood qi.

On the training ground, bare-chested strongmen swung stone locks weighing several hundred jin up and down, and when they landed, the ground trembled faintly;

On the other side, two men sparred with sabers. Their blade winds were fierce, carving deep gouges into the ground;

Others practiced punches against wooden posts. Their fist winds howled, yet the posts did not budge. Instead, an iron sheen glimmered over their knuckles.

Every one of them was a genuine body-tempering expert, their blood qi far stronger than that of ordinary people.

Xu Jin swept his eyes over them without the slightest fear. The foundation of a regular army was indeed solid, but if they truly fought, he alone could kill every person currently in sight.

After crossing the training ground and reaching the Reception Hall at the innermost end, Chu Feng handed Xu Jin over to the clerical deacon inside.

"Newcomer Xu Jin. I'm his recommender. Put him through the onboarding process for an Apprentice Demon Suppressor."

The deacon was a young man in a gray linen robe. He looked Xu Jin over, accepted the credentials Chu Feng handed him, and nodded. "All right, leave him to me. Brother Chu, go take care of your business."

Only after giving Xu Jin a few more instructions to "listen to the rules properly" and "perform well in the assessment" did Chu Feng leave with Zhang Shun.

The deacon led Xu Jin to sit at a nearby table, took out a booklet, and explained as he flipped through it.

"The first step after joining the Bureau is to memorize the newcomer assessment rules."

"On the fifteenth of every month, all newcomers undergo a unified assessment. There's only one core item—combat strength rating. From highest to lowest, there are four grades: A, B, C, and D. Your rating directly determines all your benefits."

He pointed at the entries in the booklet and read them out clearly, one by one:

"Grade D: shared dormitory, one basic body-tempering medicine allotment per month, and you can only take miscellaneous jobs like patrolling city streets;

Grade C: a two-person room, two medicine allotments per month, and you can accompany external duty teams as support;

Grade B: a private room, three medicine allotments per month plus one Blood Qi Pill, access to the first floor of the Technique Pavilion, and eligibility for low-level external assignments;

Grade A: a private courtyard, five medicine allotments per month plus two Blood Qi Pills, access to the second floor of the Technique Pavilion, priority for high-reward assignments, and instruction from a dedicated martial instructor."

After finishing, the deacon looked up at Xu Jin. "According to the rules, newcomers must first spend half a month settling in and learning after entering camp, building up some foundation before taking the assessment. There are still more than half a month until the fifteenth of next month, so this is the perfect time for you to calm down, train, settle in, and learn."

This had been the Demon Suppression Bureau's practice for many years. Newcomers had weak foundations, and if they rushed into battle and received a low rating, it would affect them for the next half year. No one was willing to gamble on that.

Yet after hearing this, Xu Jin's focus was entirely elsewhere.

"How long until the nearest assessment?"

The deacon froze for a moment. "There's a supplemental assessment in three days, prepared for newcomers who missed last month's one. But they're all veterans with foundations taking a retest. You just arrived—what are you joining the fun for?"

"I'm only asking whether I can register." Xu Jin stared at him. "The rules don't say newcomers must wait half a month before taking the assessment, do they?"

The deacon choked on the question.

The rules indeed did not state it so rigidly, but no one had ever rushed to the assessment grounds immediately after entering camp.

"I advise you not to be hasty." The deacon frowned as he tried to persuade him. "Your first rating is extremely important. If it's low, your later resources won't keep up, and you'll fall farther and farther behind. Steady yourself for half a month and you can at least aim for Grade C. Isn't that better than Grade D? Even with an inheritance, you can't squander it like this."

"There's no need to wait." Xu Jin did not yield in the slightest. "Half a month is enough time for me to kill several more demons. Wasting it on memorizing rules and training isn't worth it."

What he wanted was to obtain resources quickly and unlock more divine abilities quickly. Enduring day after day by following the usual routine was not his style.

The assessment in three days was perfect.

Seeing the absolute certainty on his face, the deacon laughed in irritation. "Fine, so having an inheritance makes you impressive, huh? If you want to register, I'll register you. Just don't cry when your rating turns out poor."

He lowered his head and swiftly filled out a form, then pushed it before Xu Jin. "Sign here. Assemble at the training ground at the hour of the Rabbit three days from now."

Xu Jin signed his name without hesitation.

The deacon took out a set of items from a cabinet and pushed them over. "Standard equipment for an Apprentice Demon Suppressor. Check it."

A fitted black outfit patterned with crimson, a bronze token engraved with "Apprentice," and a standard-issue short saber.

The bronze token was not only proof of identity. It could also be used to enter the Technique Pavilion, collect supplies, and accept assignments. It was the Demon Suppression Bureau's universal terminal.