Spear Shatters the Long Street, a Name Begins to Rise!

All eyes were on the center of the group.

The Deputy General and Captain surrounded the young man, not as guards, but as if they were stars surrounding the moon.

The young man was about eighteen or nineteen years old, with a calm face. He was dressed in the uniform of Demon-Suppressing Captain, but it was torn in large patches, and he carried a nine-foot-long spear on his shoulder.

The gun was entirely black, with a long Changfeng, exuding a chilling aura.

A young woman on the street gasped in surprise and tugged at her companion's sleeve.

"Who is that young Captain? How could he ride into the city alongside Deputy General?"

"Look at that gun behind him, so dark and menacing, it looks powerful even from a distance. That's no ordinary weapon, is it?"

"To be surrounded by these Deputy General, one must have performed a great service..."

The murmurs rose and fell, reaching Hu Qingqing's ears.

She stood at the entrance of the eatery, holding a dish of pickled vegetables in her hand, as if she had been frozen in place.

She knew that face all too well.

She had seen it countless times when she was in Xiangyun County.

Back then, Yang Xiao always followed behind her with his head down, like a good-for-nothing lackey. He did whatever she said, and he would never dare to say no when she asked him to run errands.

She once thought Yang Xiao was just a Yamen Runner in Xiangyun County with no future.

But looking at it now...

The enemy, riding a Demon Horse and carrying a spear that was clearly no ordinary weapon, was surrounded by his Deputy General and Captain as they slowly drove into Qingzhou City.

The streets were packed with people, and countless eyes were fixed on him—some curious, some in awe, and some scrutinizing.

He was admired by others.

Hu Qingqing's face gradually turned ugly.

She recalled the days she spent carrying plates back and forth in this restaurant, the way she bent over and greeted customers with a smile, and the way Hu Kai struggled at the bottom of the Demon Suppression Division.

Then, as she watched the young man riding into the city on horseback on the long street, she suddenly felt a tightness in her chest.

Back in Xiangyun County, she felt that Yang Xiao was not good enough for her.

Now, Yang Xiao rides into Qingzhou, admired by countless people, while she serves dishes.

"Qingqing! Pickled vegetables! The guests are waiting!"

The boss's shout came from the kitchen.

Hu Qingqing snapped out of her daze, glanced down at the dish of pickled vegetables in her hand, pursed her lips, and quickly walked towards the guests' table.

She didn't look at the street anymore.

On horseback.

Yang Xiao sat upright, looking straight ahead, his expression calm.

But only he knew that this calmness was all an act.

Ever since waking up in the morgue, I've been facing this unfamiliar world all by myself.

He was used to planning ahead on his own, constantly slaying demons, silently improving himself, and paving his path to growth with each Merit he earned.

He was still a little uncomfortable being stared at by so many people.

The streets were packed with people, and countless eyes were fixed on him, like needles pricking his back.

He wanted to lower his head to avoid those gazes, but he was afraid that people would notice his discomfort.

In the end, all I could do was sit up straight, stare blankly ahead, and pretend to be calm.

Fatty Sun, riding his chestnut horse beside him, glanced at Yang Xiao and whispered, "Captain, you're too tense."

Yang Xiao remained silent.

Fatty Sun chuckled and lowered his voice, "Don't worry, no one can tell. They all think you've always looked this imposing."

Yang Xiao: "..."

Zhou Zheng rode up from the other side, his voice extremely low.

"Yang Xiao, don't be nervous."

Yang Xiao tilted his head slightly.

Do you know why General Pei let you ride back to the city?

Yang Xiao shook his head; he really hadn't thought about that question.

Pei Xuance simply instructed him to ride the Demon Horse, carry the Army-Breaking Spear, and return to Qingzhou with the troops.

For some reason, these Deputy General stopped on the way into the city as if by unspoken agreement, and silently surrounded themselves in such a conspicuous central position.

"You made the greatest contribution in the battle of the Guanlan River, detaining Jiang Chen and killing Flood Dragon Lord. Either of these achievements is enough to earn you merit."

Zhou Zheng gently spurred his horse and moved closer to Yang Xiao.

"General Pei specifically told you to ride into the city, not so you could put on airs."

"It's to let everyone see that you've made the greatest contribution, and this has been recognized by everyone, so there won't be any mistakes when applying for the Merit."

Yang Xiao was slightly taken aback.

He then realized that this act of riding into the city was actually a publicity stunt before the reward ceremony.

Their Merit are yet to be determined, but their influence has already been established.

"Thank you for your guidance, Deputy General Zhou."

Yang Xiao remained silent for a moment, then nodded to Zhou Zheng.

Zhou Zheng waved his hand and spurred his horse forward.

The procession proceeded along the long street, passing through the main street of Qingzhou City. The people gradually dispersed, and the street scene changed from bustling shops to solemn high walls.

We've arrived at the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division.

A towering, pitch-black wall, three zhang high, stands in the north of the city, its surface covered with densely packed runes that gleam with a dark luster under the sunlight.

The Demon Subduing Stele stands silently inside the gate. On the five-zhang-tall black stone stele, 103,712 names silently watch over everyone who enters and exits. Perhaps a few more will be added to this mission.

The procession filed in.

Yang Xiao dismounted, and the moment his feet touched solid ground, his shoulders, which had been tense all the way, finally relaxed.

He stretched his neck and followed the others toward the Merit Hall.

The Merit Hall was packed with people.

The Captain returning from the Guanlan River lined up in several rows, their expressions beaming with joy.

Some people were whispering among themselves, while others were lost in thought, stroking their waist badges.

Some people are looking forward to registering their Merit and exchanging them for a martial arts technique they've long desired; some are looking forward to healing medicines to repair the hidden wounds left by this battle; and some are looking forward to accumulating enough Merit to get promoted and exchange their badges, rising from Captain to Squad Leader.

"In the battle of the Guanlan River, I slew three Water Demons. My Merit should increase by at least sixty, right?"

"Sixty points? Be content. I lost two comrades on that mission and only got forty Merit points."

"I heard someone got the top credit this time, I wonder who it was..."

Amidst the murmurs of discussion, Yang Xiao stood calmly in the line.

He wasn't in a hurry; his Merit had already been established in the Guanlan River, and this trip was just a formality to register him.

The procession moved slowly forward, with one Captain after another stepping forward to hand over their Merit Booklet, which were then recorded and calculated by the clerks behind the counter.

Behind the counter sat several women dressed in dark green dresses. They were managers of the Demon Suppression Division 'Inner Camp, responsible for registering Merit and allocating supplies.

They moved swiftly, taking the Merit Booklet and quickly flipping through it, marking and scribbling in the Account Book, completing a entry in a moment.

"Zhang An, slayed two Water Demons, 20 Merit points, registered."

"Li Mingyuan, assisted in eliminating the remaining Water Demon, 15 Merit points."

One by one, names were read out, and one by one, the numbers of Merit were recorded.

It was finally Yang Xiao's turn.

He stepped forward and handed the Merit Booklet to the counter.

The woman behind the counter reached out and took it, turned to the first page, and glanced at the name.

The next moment, she stopped moving.

"Yang Xiao?"

She raised her head and took another look at the young Captain in front of her, her expression becoming noticeably more serious.

"Just a moment please."

The woman did not continue flipping through the Merit Booklet, but got up and quickly walked to the inner room behind the counter.