Selecting the Office Chief
"The world is tough. To protect yourself and those around you from harm, you must strive to improve your strength, but it's not enough yet."
"Wang Ling practices martial arts to cure his daughter's illness and to fulfill his responsibilities as a father, while I practice martial arts to protect—to protect everyone I cherish."
"If I have the capacity, I am willing to do a few things for the common people. As the saying goes, when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. If the world is dark and Evil Spirits run rampant, no one can remain unscathed," Lin Qing thought to himself.
Several days later.
In a certain part of Shichuan Prefectural City, many people were running wildly through the streets as a group of Constable chased after several Black-Clad Martial Artists.
Suddenly, a sword beam descended from the sky, striking the men in black with pinpoint accuracy.
Sword Qi clashed, and the bodies of the several men in black were suddenly sliced into pieces of flesh and blood.
Wang Ling descended from the sky, and the group of Constable immediately knelt on one knee.
"Join my lord!"
"Next target: Ningyuan Tower in the alleys of the southern city!"
Wang Ling uttered a single sentence, then suddenly soared into the air and swiftly departed.
"Yes, sir, please come with me!"
The same scene unfolded simultaneously in multiple locations throughout the Prefectural City, with many Spider Demon Cult Martial Artist lurking in the city being exposed, either captured and taken to the Soul-Calming Office's Dungeon or killed on the spot.
For a time, the Shichuan Prefectural City was in an uproar.
Outside the city.
In a dark Dungeon, Tan Yuchun slammed his hand on the table, his eyes wide as saucers.
"That madman Wang Ling has been on a rampage these past few days, destroying a total of seven strongholds and killing or capturing over a hundred spies. If this continues, all the spies in the Prefectural City will be wiped out!"
"What's the panic? These strongholds should have been exposed long ago. Wang Ling is just trying to save face for the Soul-Calming Office because Ao Xiong was killed. He'll calm down in a while," Deng Qianyu said casually from the side.
"Damn it, who killed Ao Xiong? The Soul-Calming Office insists it was us. Heh heh, Ao Xiong was one of ours. The Soul-Calming Office is a bunch of idiots, they probably don't know either." Tan Yuchun frowned.
"I don't know who did it, but Lin Qing is a suspicious person, so don't make any moves against him lightly," Deng Qianyu said.
"You think he did it?" Tan Yuchun asked, puzzled.
"Not necessarily, but this person already possesses the strength to kill four True Gang Realm Martial Artist head-on. I've never seen such a terrifying growth rate before. Moreover, he has such terrifying strength just after entering the True Astral Force. There must be something wrong with this," Deng Qianyu said coldly.
"Now that you mention it, there really is a problem. Ao Xiong failed to Assassination Lin Qing and was killed by someone else. Lin Qing must be involved in something," Tan Yuchun pondered.
"Don't provoke him again until we truly understand his background. Besides, once the Thousand Infant Banquet is set up, even if Lin Qing is Talent, he won't have time to grow anymore," Deng Qianyu said leisurely, twirling a strand of her hair between her fingers.
The headquarters of the Soul-Calming Office.
In a hall, Yang Chenglu sat at the head of the table, with officials of all ranks from the Soul-Calming Office Division, including Executive, Office Chief, Constable Chief, standing on either side.
"Lord Ao has unfortunately passed away. Now we must select a new Office Chief of the Netherworld Pacification Bureau as soon as possible. According to the rules, in three days, the four prospective Office Chief will compete in a duel, and the winner will become the new Office Chief the Netherworld Pacification Bureau. These four are Wu Xun, Constable Chief of the Netherworld Pacification Bureau; Chen Lan, a constable of the Yin-Yang Division; Lei Tong, Constable Chief the Yin-Yang Bureau; and Lin Qing, Constable Chief of the Night Patrol Office. Does anyone have any objections?"
The scene fell silent for a moment, and many eyes swept over Lin Qing, with many expressing doubt.
Because apart from Lin Qing, the other three had served in the Soul-Calming Office for more than twenty years, the weakest of whom was at the Late True Astral Force, and all of them had left behind extremely brilliant achievements in the past.
Lin Qing, being young and having broken through to the Pill Embrace a few months prior, naturally faced much skepticism.
His feat of killing four True Astral Force Martial Artist had not yet spread within the Soul-Calming Office, and Wang Ling had issued a gag order, so most people were unaware that he had already entered the True Gang Realm.
Suddenly, someone stepped forward. He was a bald, burly man with a bronze-colored skin that clearly indicated he had practiced a top-level Body-Hardening Art.
He bowed slightly and said, "My lord, fists and feet are merciless, and swords have no eyes. If we were to fight in the arena, the disparity in strength would likely result in loss of life. I believe that anyone who wants to participate in the competition should at least have the strength to fight against a Late True Astral Force Martial Artist. Otherwise, if someone dies, it will not benefit anyone."
As he spoke, his gaze drifted intentionally or unintentionally towards Lin Qing, his meaning quite clear.
Many people present nodded slightly. Lin Qing glanced at the man and recognized him; this was Wu Xun, who had practiced Buddhist martial arts since childhood and was Hardening Art.
"Indeed, I agree with what Constable Chief said. I'll be frank then and there: Constable Chief's strength is probably not enough to compare with ours. I think Constable Chief Lin needs to mature for a few more years and seek another opportunity." Another person stood up; it was another candidate for Office Chief, Lei Tong.
This man had thick eyebrows and large eyes, a profound temperament, and a strong masculine spirit.
"Constable Chief Lin has recently broken through to the True Gang Realm, so your worries will not come true. Please sit down," Yang Chenglu said slowly.
For a moment, many people's eyes flashed with shock, and they all looked at Lin Qing.
"He's already at the True Gang Realm? What a rapid growth rate!" Chen Lan murmured to herself, then sat back down in her chair without saying anything more.
"Then it's settled. Inform the entire clan that a martial arts arena will be set up in three days at the Heaven-Class No. 1 Martial Arts Arena, where the four Chief Candidate the Department will compete." Yang Chenglu made the decision.
That afternoon, news of the duel spread like wildfire throughout the entire Soul-Calming Office, and many people were discussing it.
The discussion focused on Lin Qing.
"Although Constable Chief Lin has good Talent, I heard that he only recently entered the Pill Embrace Realm. How can he possibly go Constable Chief?"
"I heard that Constable Chief Lin has recently successfully entered the True Gang Realm."
"What? So fast? Lin Constable Chief is truly a martial arts prodigy."
"Even if you step into the True Astral Force, it won't work. How can the Early True Astral Force compare to the Late True Astral Force?"
"Constable Chief Lin is young; perhaps he just wants to participate and gain practical experience."
Three days later, the many Constable of the Soul-Calming Office gathered at the Heaven-Class No. 1 Martial Arts Arena.
On the viewing platform, Yang Chenglu, Wang Ling, and others sat in chairs, waiting for the competition to begin.
Below the arena, Lin Qing and the other three stood in their respective corners, patiently waiting.
Meanwhile, the surrounding Constable were also whispering among themselves.
Among the crowd, Wei Dong, Li Ping, Ma Ziye, and others stood together, their eyes sweeping over Lin Qing's three opponents.
"Can Lin Qing win? These three experts all look incredibly powerful," Ma Ziye asked curiously.
"I have already inquired. Among these three, the one with the highest martial arts level on the surface is Lei Tong, who is at the Perfected True Astral Realm. His martial art is called Thunderclap Hand, which can unleash thunderous True Qi when he makes a move, making it extremely lethal."
"The other two are both at the Late True Astral Force, skilled in Wu Xun Body-Hardening Art and staff techniques, and adept at close combat. Chen Lan, on the other hand, excels in Lightness Skill and swordsmanship, and never engages in direct confrontations. It will be extremely difficult for Lin Qing to defeat these three," Li Ping analyzed.
"What's the panic? I know Brother Chen's strength. These three guys look intimidating, but they're no match for Brother Chen at all," Wei Dong said skeptically.
He didn't lower his voice when he spoke; his loud voice immediately attracted the attention of many people around him, who all looked at him as if he were an idiot.