Xiang Qinglong

For an Acquired martial artist, trying to kill a demon beast alone was little different from throwing his life away.

Only by pooling everyone's strength was there a chance of hunting one down.

Most of the time, the Demon Hunting Team relied on teamwork to fight demon beasts.

"Pavilion Mistress Tao, I'm only an Acquired martial artist. How am I supposed to obtain a demon core?" Chen Shi'an looked troubled.

Tao Yaoyao smiled faintly. "I've already pointed you down a path. How you obtain a demon core is up to you.

"But don't belittle yourself. In the Desolate Ruins, there have been Acquired martial artists who hunted down demon beasts alone.

"With a measure of strength, a measure of brains, and a measure of luck, you'll have a chance."

At this point, she changed tack. "If you change your mind and agree to become a resident guest of our Hundred Flowers Pavilion, you won't have to lick blood off a blade's edge, hunting demon beasts to exchange their cores for a Marrow-Washing Pill."

Chen Shi'an rose and cupped his hands toward Tao Yaoyao. "Thank you for showing me the way, Pavilion Mistress Tao. I need to report to the Demon Hunting Team now, so I'll take my leave."

With that, he quickly turned and strode out of the courtyard.

No sooner had Chen Shi'an left than Cui Zhu came in. She hurried into the four-sided pavilion and said indignantly:

"Pavilion Mistress, I just don't understand. Why are you so tolerant of Chen Shi'an?"

Tao Yaoyao smiled faintly. "Silly girl, this isn't tolerance. It's placing a bet.

"On this chaotic land of the Desolate Ruins, stronghold rulers who inherited their fathers' positions are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Most rose from humble beginnings, climbing step by step until they became figures who stirred the winds and clouds of the Desolate Ruins."

"You think Chen Shi'an could become someone like that?" Cui Zhu looked disdainful.

The corners of Tao Yaoyao's lips lifted slightly. "Since it's a bet, I might pick right, or I might pick wrong.

"If I pick wrong, we lose next to nothing.

"If I pick right, the returns will be unimaginable."

Cui Zhu added, "You'd be better off betting on Ye Xicheng than Chen Shi'an."

Tao Yaoyao rolled her eyes. "Silly girl, you can't see past your own nose!"

It was a quarter of an hour before the Si Hour.

Chen Shi'an arrived at the Demon Hunting Team's camp.

Quite a few people had already gathered there, including both veteran members of the Demon Hunting Team and new recruits who had passed yesterday's selection.

Song Yuming, Xu Yun, Tu Gou, and the others had arrived early.

As soon as the Si Hour began, Fu Qingyang, Ye Xicheng, and the other senior officers of the Demon Hunting Team strode over.

Among them was a beautiful, tall, middle-aged woman in a fitted blue martial outfit. She followed closely beside Fu Qingyang and was particularly eye-catching in the military camp.

This woman had not appeared at yesterday's selection.

The Demon Hunting Team had quite a few female officers, but judging by where she stood, Chen Shi'an could more or less guess her identity.

The woman in blue was almost certainly the Demon Hunting Team's other deputy commander, Qianshan Xue.

The Demon Hunting Team handled its business directly and decisively.

Ye Xicheng opened the roster in his hands. "We'll assign your squads now.

"The ten squad leaders, step forward and stand at the front."

Song Yuming took the lead, going straight to the first position, with Xu Yun close behind.

Chen Shi'an, Tu Gou, and the others also walked forward.

Soon, the ten newly appointed squad leaders stood in a row at the front.

Ye Xicheng immediately began reading the roster. "The ten men under Squad Leader Song Yuming: Zhao Dehui, Tang Si, ..."

Those whose names were called hurried out of the ranks and stood behind Song Yuming.

Chen Shi'an noticed that these were precisely the first ten people who had gone to stand behind Song Yuming yesterday.

Ye Xicheng had not reassigned them, placing them directly under Song Yuming instead.

Xu Yun's situation was somewhat different.

Yesterday, only she and Song Yuming had attracted more than ten people.

But now, the people assigned to her were not all those who had chosen her yesterday.

The people standing behind her were all women, and there were fewer than ten-only nine.

Including Xu Yun, ten women had passed this selection, and now they had all been placed in her squad.

Chen Shi'an felt a little disappointed.

He had originally thought the Demon Hunting Team had mixed squads of men and women.

As name after name was called, Chen Shi'an's turn finally came.

Pi Hou was called first. He walked briskly over to stand behind Chen Shi'an and whispered with a broad smile:

"Chen Shi'an, remember what you promised yesterday. From now on, if you get meat to eat, I get meat too."

The corners of Chen Shi'an's lips lifted, and he nodded slightly in response.

What surprised him a little was that, after the tenth name was called, he thought that would be the end.

Instead, Ye Xicheng called an eleventh name.

Eleven people had been assigned to his squad.

Compared with the other squads, apart from Xu Yun's, his had one extra person.

This move instantly made Chen Shi'an the center of everyone's attention.

The other nine squad leaders all focused their gazes on him, their expressions unreadable.

Among them, Song Yuming and Xu Yun made no attempt to hide their hostility, their eyes cold as they looked at Chen Shi'an.

Chen Shi'an raised his eyes toward Ye Xicheng, strongly suspecting that he had done this deliberately.

He had only just joined the Demon Hunting Team, and already Ye Xicheng had drawn this wave of hostility onto him, leaving him no chance to lie low and build his strength.

Once the assignments were finished, Ye Xicheng introduced the Demon Hunting Team's senior officers to the new recruits, one by one.

Sure enough, the woman in blue beside Fu Qingyang was the Demon Hunting Team's deputy commander, Qianshan Xue.

After the introductions, Ye Xicheng waved a hand. "Dismissed for now. Go to your assigned tents, get to know each other, and have a look around the camp.

"Early tomorrow morning, we'll assemble and march to West Mountain Hollow."

At this point, the corners of his lips lifted slightly. "Before you entered the selection, you should already have known that the Demon Hunting Team was expanding because of the fighting at West Mountain Hollow.

"Flowing Stone Stronghold is pressing us hard. You have no time for training. Once you reach West Mountain Hollow, you'll face battles to the death.

"The battlefield will be your training ground.

"If you die, the Demon Hunting Team will prepare a substantial death benefit and deliver it to your families.

"If you live, you'll earn glory and achievements, eat meat by the mouthful, and drink wine in great gulps."

The new members of the Demon Hunting Team all wore complicated expressions at these words.

They had known they would soon be going to West Mountain Hollow, but they had not expected it to happen so quickly.

And quickly meant that the fighting at West Mountain Hollow was desperate.

Chen Shi'an's tents were assigned to the southwestern corner of the camp.

Three tents of different sizes were arranged in a triangle.

The two larger tents on either side belonged to his eleven subordinates, while he stayed in the smaller tent in the middle.

He made a brief inspection.

Chen Shi'an called his eleven subordinates into his tent so everyone could get acquainted.

They were all rough fellows. Once they gathered together, a few dirty jokes were enough to bring them much closer.

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Before long, bursts of laughter rang out from the tent.

Chen Shi'an quietly watched the men before him, countless thoughts running through his mind.

These men had passed round after round of selection to join the Demon Hunting Team. None of them lacked ability.

But the battlefield was fraught with danger. Someone could lose his life at any moment, anywhere.

Of the men before him, how many would return alive from West Mountain Hollow?

It was noon.

They had just finished lunch when a dark-faced man strode into Chen Shi'an's tent. "Squad Leader Chen, the commander requests your presence!"

Chen Shi'an remembered the dark-faced man. Yesterday, while they were lining up to enter the Demon Hunting Team's camp, this was the man who had shown no mercy to a flower, slapping a female disciple from the academy before carrying her off like a chick.

"May I ask your name, big brother?"

Chen Shi'an rose and respectfully cupped his hands toward the dark-faced man.

The dark-faced man waved his hands repeatedly. "Squad Leader Chen, I don't deserve to have you call me big brother.

"My name is Iron Bull. I'm one of Commander Fu's personal guards. Just call me Iron Bull."

Chen Shi'an still cupped his hands respectfully. "Big Brother Iron Bull, please don't say that. I haven't earned a scrap of merit. Becoming a squad leader was just a stroke of luck.

"If there's anything I don't understand or anything I do wrong in the future, please give me a reminder, Big Brother Iron Bull."

Iron Bull clearly warmed to Chen Shi'an. He grinned. "Squad Leader Chen, I watched you during the selection. You've got strength without showing off, and you're polite to people. That's the sort of man I like.

"If you ever run into something you can't decide on in the Demon Hunting Team, just come ask me. If I can help, I won't hesitate."

"Thank you, Big Brother Iron Bull!"

Chen Shi'an smiled brightly. "Does the commander want to see all the squad leaders, or just me?"

Iron Bull answered promptly, "Just you. Apparently someone has come to the Demon Hunting Team, someone of no ordinary standing, and asked for you by name."

With that, he turned and left the tent. "Squad Leader Chen, let's get moving. Once we're there, you'll know exactly what's going on."

Chen Shi'an nodded and strode after Iron Bull.

Questions rose in his mind.

Someone of unusual standing who could come straight to the Demon Hunting Team to find me.

Tao Yaoyao?

That shouldn't be it. We only just met today.

Lu Chenyang? Even less likely.

Full of doubts, Chen Shi'an entered the Demon Hunting Team's meeting hall.

The hall was small, simply furnished, and unadorned.

Four people sat inside: Fu Qingyang, Ye Xicheng, Qianshan Xue, and a middle-aged man in gold-trimmed brocade robes whose face had an unhealthy pallor.

Chen Shi'an greeted Fu Qingyang, Ye Xicheng, and Qianshan Xue in turn before finally resting his gaze on the man in brocade.

Clearly, this was the person who had come to the Demon Hunting Team to find him.

Yet Chen Shi'an searched all the original owner's memories and found no clues about the man in brocade.

"Chen Shi'an, did you attack and injure people from the Four Directions Gambling House this morning?" Ye Xicheng went straight to the point.

So that's what this is about.

The Four Directions Gambling House certainly moved fast. And the power behind them really is no ordinary one-they can actually come straight to the Demon Hunting Team to demand someone.

Chen Shi'an answered quietly, "I did."

Hearing this, the man in brocade said coldly, "Commander Fu, Chen Shi'an has admitted it himself. That nails the matter firmly to the board.

"Your Demon Hunting Team injured people from our Four Directions Gambling House without cause. Shouldn't you give our gambling house an explanation?"

Fu Qingyang lifted his eyelids slightly. "Squad Leader Chen, tell us exactly what happened."

Squad Leader Chen cupped his hands toward Fu Qingyang. "Reporting to the commander, I struck because the people from the Four Directions Gambling House spoke insolently and insulted my late elder brother..."

"Chen Shi'an, don't twist black into white!"

The man in brocade cut Chen Shi'an off coldly. "You clearly relied on your position as a squad leader of the Demon Hunting Team to beat my people from the Four Directions Gambling House without cause."

Chen Shi'an frowned slightly and cupped his hands toward the man in brocade. "May I ask your name?"

The man in brocade raised his head. "Xiang Qinglong. The Four Directions Gambling House belongs to me."

Xiang?

Chen Shi'an immediately thought that Xiang Qinglong was most likely connected to Xiang Chuxiong.

Ye Xicheng suddenly spoke. "Chen Shi'an, Proprietor Xiang is the City Lord's own nephew."

At these words, Xiang Qinglong lifted his chin noticeably higher, his face full of arrogance.

Chen Shi'an's brows drew into a tight frown.

"Chen Shi'an, you beat my people from the Four Directions Gambling House without cause. Out of respect for Commander Fu, I won't pursue the matter too harshly."

Xiang Qinglong put on a magnanimous air. "You'll come with me to the Four Directions Gambling House immediately, apologize to my subordinates in front of everyone, and compensate them for their medical expenses.

"Then we'll consider the matter settled."

Fu Qingyang, Ye Xicheng, and Qianshan Xue sat quietly to one side without reacting.

After a moment's thought, Chen Shi'an did not answer Xiang Qinglong. Instead, he cupped his hands toward Fu Qingyang.

"City Lord Fu, your subordinate is at fault. I've only just joined the Demon Hunting Team, yet I've already brought it trouble.

"But rest assured, Commander. A man must answer for his own actions. I will never bring shame upon the Demon Hunting Team."

These words were a probe, intended to test Fu Qingyang's attitude.

The corners of Fu Qingyang's lips lifted slightly. "Our Demon Hunting Team has always earned its standing with fists and blades.

"If you've done wrong, admit it. If you haven't, handle it as you see fit."

Hearing this, Chen Shi'an's heart settled firmly.

He turned his gaze to Xiang Qinglong and said evenly, "Proprietor Xiang, words and actions need evidence to back them up.

"You say I used my position to bully others and beat your subordinates without cause. Do you have evidence?"

Xiang Qinglong snorted coldly. "My other subordinates were there at the time. They can all testify that you attacked and injured people without any reason."

Chen Shi'an curled his lip. "Those men work for your silver. Naturally, they'll side with you and the Four Directions Gambling House. Their words aren't credible and can't serve as evidence."

"Ridiculous!"

Xiang Qinglong burst out laughing. "You say it can't serve as evidence, so it can't? Just because you're a squad leader of the Demon Hunting Team?

"Chen Shi'an, you can't throw the Demon Hunting Team's weight around at our Four Directions Gambling House!"

At that, he cupped his hands toward Fu Qingyang. "Commander Fu, out of respect for you, I've held myself back time and again over this matter.

"If Chen Shi'an refuses a toast only to drink a forfeit, don't blame me for no longer showing you that respect, Commander Fu."

The corners of Fu Qingyang's mouth curved slightly, but he said nothing.

Chen Shi'an took a large stride forward. "Boss Xiang, as I said just now, I alone will answer for what I've done. This has nothing to do with the Demon Hunting Team.

"If you want to listen to reason, we can sit down and talk it through. If not, lay down your challenge. I'll take whatever you throw at me!"

"Insolence!"

Xiang Qinglong slammed the table and sprang to his feet. "You're just a mere Squad Leader in the Demon Hunting Team. I only deigned to exchange a few words with you out of respect for Commander Fu.

"Who do you think you are? Give you an inch, and you climb right up my face..."

"Shut up!"

Chen Shi'an abruptly raised his voice, cutting Xiang Qinglong off with an angry shout. "You run a Gambling House, yet you come barging into our Demon Hunting Team to run wild without even finding out who's right and who's wrong.

"If not for the City Lord's sake, I'd have already given you a few good slaps across the face!"

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