Routine mission

"Drinking?"

Iron Bull raised his chin. "What's wrong with drinking in the barracks? Our Demon Hunting Team doesn't have so many useless rules. When you're not on a mission, drink all you like."

Song Yuming froze on the spot.

Pi Hou laughed heartily. "Squad Leader Song, after all that pointless fuss tonight, calling you a dog catching mice would be giving you too much credit.

You can't even stick your nose into someone else's business properly. Tsk, tsk..."

Chen Shi'an cut him off in a stern voice. "Pi Hou, show some decorum in front of Guardsman Iron! Stop fooling around!"

At that, Pi Hou immediately shut his mouth, straightened his back, and stood perfectly still.

Iron Bull turned his gaze to Chen Shi'an. "Squad Leader Chen, were you the first to strike?"

Chen Shi'an cupped his hands toward Iron Bull. "I was indeed the first to strike. But it was the middle of the night, and Song Yuming barged straight into my tent with his men without so much as a word."

Iron Bull frowned. "Infighting is strictly forbidden in the Demon Hunting Team. It seems you've let that rule blow past your ears like the wind.

Our main enemies are the demon beasts lurking throughout the Desolate Ruins. Their strength is far beyond what we can contend with.

Against demon beasts, we can only win by helping our brothers-in-arms.

Without wholehearted unity, without comrades you can trust to watch your back, you'll have nothing but a road to death once you leave Windrise Stronghold.

You're all members of the Demon Hunting Team now, and from now on, you're brothers-in-arms. Our fists and our blades must never be turned against our own comrades!"

At this point, his gaze swept briefly over Chen Shi'an, and he lowered his voice a little. "Both sides were at fault in tonight's clash. Since this was your first offense and no weapons were drawn, I won't report it to the commander.

But since you've done wrong, there must be punishment.

Everyone who took part in the fight, go to the Martial Practice Grounds immediately and run twenty laps!"

"We will follow your orders, Guardsman Iron."

Chen Shi'an cupped his hands slightly toward Iron Bull, then immediately led Pi Hou and his other ten subordinates out of the tent and straight to the Martial Practice Grounds.

Song Yuming was about to speak, but met Iron Bull's cold, stern gaze.

He immediately swallowed the words rising to his lips and hurriedly led his men to the Martial Practice Grounds as well.

Iron Bull said in a low voice, "If you start another fight at the Martial Practice Grounds, the consequences will be severe."

After running ten laps.

Back in the tent, Chen Shi'an and his subordinates went on drinking in great gulps and eating meat in hearty mouthfuls.

Around eight that evening.

A burly figure stepped into the tent. It was Iron Bull.

Chen Shi'an quickly had Pi Hou and the others clear the mess from the table, then disperse.

He then welcomed Iron Bull to the table and respectfully filled his cup.

Iron Bull's face was no longer as cold and stern as before. It was covered in smiles.

After three cups of wine, an apologetic look crossed his face. "Squad Leader Chen, please don't hold what happened earlier against me.

Infighting, especially a group brawl like that, is a grave taboo in our Demon Hunting Team.

If I didn't impose some punishment, I wouldn't be able to answer to my superiors."

Chen Shi'an shook his head repeatedly and raised his cup. "Brother Iron, please don't say that. I was the first to do wrong tonight. If you hadn't intervened, it wouldn't have ended with just ten laps.

Let me toast you, Brother Iron. Thank you for lending a hand."

"I'm glad you understand, Squad Leader Chen."

Iron Bull laughed and drained his cup in one gulp.

Then he leaned closer to Chen Shi'an. "Song Yuming has powerful backing. He's come to the Demon Hunting Team to gild his credentials.

In the future, he'll almost certainly become one of the Stronghold's senior figures.

Fighting him to the bitter end isn't a wise move."

Hearing this, Chen Shi'an grew wary.

From what he knew of Iron Bull's temperament, these were not words the man would come up with himself.

So he gave a long sigh. "How could I not understand that?

But it's not that I insist on fighting Song Yuming. He's the one who keeps hounding me.

Besides, he's only a squad leader in the Demon Hunting Team, just like me. Why should I fear him?

However deep and powerful his backing might be, our Demon Hunting Team has Commander Fu, Commander Ye, and Commander Qian holding the fort.

As long as I devote myself to serving the Demon Hunting Team, I have nothing to fear from him!"

Iron Bull clapped Chen Shi'an heavily on the shoulder. "You're my kind of man, Squad Leader Chen. Come on, let's keep drinking!"

They drank from around eight until nine, emptying all the wine in the tent.

Most of it went into Iron Bull's belly.

Somewhat drunk now, he rose unsteadily and patted Chen Shi'an's shoulder. "Squad Leader Chen, Commander Ye asked me to pass along a message:

As long as you devote yourself to serving the Demon Hunting Team, there's no need to worry about Song Yuming.

If you can keep Song Yuming firmly under your heel, you'll surely rise another rung in the Demon Hunting Team."

Chen Shi'an immediately looked delighted and cupped his hands toward Iron Bull. "Please tell Commander Ye that I, Chen Shi'an, will brave boiling water and raging fire for the Demon Hunting Team."

After seeing Iron Bull off and tidying the tent, Chen Shi'an sat down, drawing his saber as he pondered.

Iron Bull had clearly come on Ye Xicheng's instructions.

Fu Qingyang and Ye Xicheng had made their position clear: they wanted to draw him to their side and suppress Song Yuming.

With that, he no longer had to worry about repercussions when dealing with Song Yuming.

Still, he did not let down his guard.

In his contest with Fu Qingyang, Xiang Chuxiong certainly wouldn't focus all his efforts on him alone. He would surely place other pieces on the board.

Besides keeping a close eye on Song Yuming, he also had to watch the movements of others, such as Xu Yun and Tu Gou.

Especially Tu Gou!

Not long before, Tu Gou had been nearby during his clash with Song Yuming.

He had stood quietly to one side, expressionless, watching from the ramparts without getting involved.

Among the Demon Hunting Team's hundred and ten new members, the one Chen Shi'an feared most was not Song Yuming, who was reasonably strong but barked loudly.

It was Tu Gou, who was equally formidable yet remained silent.

A dog that bites doesn't bark.

Then his thoughts turned to his earlier fight with Song Yuming.

First the Seven Star-Chasing Forms, and now the Star-Treading Step.

Chen Shi'an was now certain that he possessed a miraculous ability:

By watching others fight, he could learn their cultivation techniques, or at least their methods of attack.

Combined with the perfect compatibility between the origin force cultivated through Sword-Draw and other techniques.

That meant he could master numerous martial artist techniques, provided he encountered enough opportunities.

At the same time, he guessed that this ability must be connected to the seven rounds of marrow-washing and bone-tempering he had gained through Sword-Draw.

The wonders of the Mysterious Stone Stele went far beyond merely drawing a saber!

Early the following morning.

The Demon Hunting Team set out fully equipped, with Fu Qingyang, Ye Xicheng, and Qianshan Xue all taking part.

Fewer than ten people remained to guard the sprawling Demon Hunting Team camp.

The Demon Hunting Team now numbered nearly two hundred, divided into eighteen squads: ten new squads and eight veteran squads.

Two of these squads consisted entirely of women, including Xu Yun's squad.

The eighteen squads were further divided into three groups.

Fu Qingyang personally led two squads, the elite among the Demon Hunting Team's elites.

The remaining sixteen squads were led by Ye Xicheng and Qianshan Xue, eight apiece.

The ten newly formed squads were split evenly between their commands.

Chen Shi'an's squad served under Ye Xicheng.

Song Yuming and Tu Gou became Qianshan Xue's subordinates.

Treading through the dawn mist, the nearly two-hundred-strong force left Windrise Stronghold without disturbing its residents.

About half an hour later, they reached the Outer City.

Fu Qingyang summoned Ye Xicheng and Qianshan Xue to his side. "Have a few veterans lead them. Let these green recruits taste blood first and bolster their courage."

Ye Xicheng and Qianshan Xue nodded and rode away.

A moment later, Iron Bull found Chen Shi'an. "Squad Leader Chen, Commander Ye just instructed me to take your squad into the Outer City for a routine mission."

"A routine mission?"

Chen Shi'an looked puzzled.

Iron Bull laughed. "Every time our Demon Hunting Team leaves the Stronghold, we pick some of the more boisterous factions in the Outer City to put to the blade.

First, we consecrate our banners with their blood. Second, we take the opportunity to intimidate the Outer City, so they don't get too carried away and stay in line."

Chen Shi'an nodded. "We'll follow your lead, Brother Iron Bull."

Iron Bull shook his head. "Squad Leader Chen, don't put me on such a pedestal. I'm only responsible for showing the way.

Also, today is just a small test of your blade. Don't be softhearted, Squad Leader Chen. This will be your first impression on the commanders.

Commander Ye particularly stressed that you mustn't lose to Song Yuming."

Chen Shi'an nodded. "I'll give it my all."

Soon, led by Iron Bull and the other Demon Hunting Team veterans, the ten new squads advanced into the Outer City, heading toward an area in its southeast.

Fu Qingyang, Ye Xicheng, and Qianshan Xue led the remaining men straight through the city, slowly making their way toward West Mountain Hollow.

In Windrise Stronghold's Outer City, the strong devoured the weak. There were no rules or laws.

As long as your fists were big enough and you gathered a band of followers, you could carve out a patch of land in Windrise Stronghold and become your own petty emperor, throwing your weight around.

Of course, if your fists were bigger still, you could defeat other petty emperors, seize their territory, and become an even greater petty emperor.

Windrise Stronghold welcomed the Outer City's chaos.

Only an Outer City scattered like loose sand could better shield Windrise Stronghold from demon beasts without posing a threat to the Stronghold itself.

The Demon Hunting Team's routine missions involved snuffing out any petty emperor whose strength reached a certain level, preventing the Outer City from becoming unified.

Today, the Demon Hunting Team's target was the Black Saber Alliance in the Outer City.

The Black Saber Alliance was a long-established faction in the Outer City.

Its strength was middling. Compared with the other factions in the Outer City, it fell short of the best but surpassed the worst.

But two years ago, its old leader had died suddenly, and a new leader had taken his place.

The Black Saber Alliance's new leader was named Jiang Beiwang. Not yet thirty, he was ruthless and cruel.

As soon as he took power, he abandoned the Black Saber Alliance's principle of leaving others alone unless provoked and launched sweeping attacks against neighboring rivals.

Moreover, his way of dealing with those he defeated was simple and brutal: when cutting weeds, tear out the roots.

In just two years, the Black Saber Alliance's territory had expanded more than tenfold, until it controlled nearly a sixth of the Outer City.

In recent years, merely mentioning Jiang Beiwang's name in the Outer City made everyone's faces change.

But to the Demon Hunting Team, once a pig had been fattened, it was time for slaughter.

Today, the Demon Hunting Team's butcher's blade pointed at the Black Saber Alliance.

The Black Saber Alliance's headquarters lay in the southwestern corner of the Outer City, a sprawling cluster of buildings beneath a cliff.

Iron Bull and the dozen or so other Demon Hunting Team veterans acting as guides claimed they were merely leading the way.

Yet as they advanced, they would occasionally disappear for a while, returning with a thick smell of blood on them.

One by one, they eliminated the hidden sentries the Black Saber Alliance had stationed along the route.

Clearly, the Demon Hunting Team had already done its homework for today's routine mission.

Before daylight had fully broken, the Demon Hunting Team's ten new squads reached their assigned positions without obstruction.

Each occupied a different position, surrounding the Black Saber Alliance's headquarters on all sides.

"Squad Leader Chen, every person in the Black Saber Alliance has someone else's blood on their hands. Not one of them is innocent.

Remember what I said. Don't be softhearted. The more heads your squad cuts off and the more treasure you seize, the better an impression you'll make on the commanders."

Iron Bull reminded him again.

Chen Shi'an nodded without speaking.

Behind him, Pi Hou and the others gripped their horizontal sabers tightly, their breathing heavy, visibly nervous.

It was clear that most of them had never killed anyone.

Soon, Iron Bull and the other Demon Hunting Team veterans charged at the head of the force, unsheathed horizontal sabers in hand, and stormed the Black Saber Alliance's headquarters.

Chen Shi'an and the others also drew their blades and followed behind them.

The Black Saber Alliance threw its weight around and ran rampant in the Outer City, but even its strongest member, Jiang Beiwang, was only at the eighth acquired stage.

And experts of that caliber were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.

Most of their members had not even reached the acquired realm. They were only somewhat stronger than ordinary people.

By contrast, the weakest of the Demon Hunting Team's hundred-odd members was at the fourth acquired stage.

Among them were also Iron Bull and a dozen or so other Demon Hunting Team veterans who dared to cross blades with demon beasts.

Moreover, it was still early morning, and most people in the Black Saber Alliance's headquarters were still asleep.

The outcome was easy to imagine.

When the Demon Hunting Team stormed the Black Saber Alliance's headquarters, it was an entirely one-sided slaughter.

In an instant, the Black Saber Alliance's headquarters became a hell on earth. Piercing screams rang out without end, and the thick reek of blood spread everywhere.

Chen Shi'an led Pi Hou and ten others in a fan-shaped formation, taking the foremost position himself as they advanced swiftly, close behind Iron Bull.

Sentries guarded the perimeter of the Black Saber Alliance's headquarters.

Iron Bull had no intention of lifting a hand against such weak sentries.

Chen Shi'an charged ahead, unleashing the Army-Breaking Saber Technique and killing each sentry with a single stroke, as clean and decisive as could be.

Only the occasional fish that slipped through the net was left for Pi Hou and the others to cut down.

Watching Chen Shi'an kill his enemies, Iron Bull nodded repeatedly and lavished him with praise.

Then, in a joking tone, he probed further, saying that Chen Shi'an's movements were so practiced that this surely was not his first time killing someone.

Chen Shi'an laughed it off, saying he had once hunted fierce beasts with his eldest brother. Killing people and killing beasts were not all that different, really.

Iron Bull seemed to accept Chen Shi'an's explanation and did not pursue the matter.

At the same time, he pointed out that Chen Shi'an's Army-Breaking Saber Technique was rather low-grade. It was more than enough to kill these shrimp soldiers and crab generals, but he would surely come off worse once he faced a true expert.

He also told him that once he reached West Mountain Hollow, he could earn cultivation techniques as rewards by accumulating military merit.

Naturally, Chen Shi'an thanked him profusely and made a great show of his loyalty to Fu Qingyang, Ye Xicheng, and the Demon Hunting Team.

Soon, the sounds of fighting and screaming roused the entire Black Saber Alliance.

The alliance leader, Jiang Beiwang, awoke from his sleep and immediately rallied the alliance's experts to counterattack.

His so-called experts, however, could not withstand a single blow from the Demon Hunting Team.

Once he learned who the Demon Hunting Team were, Jiang Beiwang instantly lost every shred of his fighting spirit and fled with his family and valuables.

Little did he know that he was the Demon Hunting Team's chief target on this mission. How could they possibly let him escape?