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Chapter 48: Qingzhou Commander-in-Chief
Chapter 48: Qingzhou Commander-in-Chief
Shen Yi strolled towards the courtyard of the office hall.
Zhang Butcher was squatting on the stone steps, yawning incessantly, looking listless.
As someone approached, he looked up and teased, "Why did it take you so long? You're not trying to be the last one, are you? Hoping to shock those captains with your grand entrance?"
At these words, Shen Yi paused, slightly taken aback.
Noticing his reaction, Zhang Butcher casually stood up and consoled, "Hey, I had the same thought when I first joined the Vajra Sect. But these enforcers from the Demon Suppressing Bureau have been everywhere, and they've seen it all. They won't be easily impressed by anyone, so there's no need to feel disappointed."
If someone truly had exceptional talent, they wouldn't have let him come alone.
"What are you talking about?" Shen Yi stopped in his tracks.
"..." Zhang Butcher fell silent for a moment, then spoke seriously, "Just after two gongs last night, all the soldiers and law enforcement officers were summoned to the west of the city. They're selecting people now, and the chosen ones are being briefed in the government office... They must have forgotten about you."
"These damn brats, they're looking down on people! I was hoping to go back to Qingzhou with you and visit my old flame!"
Zhang Butcher cursed and pulled Shen Yi by the arm, rushing towards the government office.
The Demon Suppressing Bureau was known for its meticulousness; it was unlikely they would overlook someone by mistake. It was probably intentional.
With Shen Yi's martial prowess, growing up in Qingzhou wouldn't be anything special, but in Baiyun County, it was extremely rare and precious. If it weren't for his background, no sect would dare reject him. How dare they treat him like this!
Despite Shen Yi's calm demeanor, he was indeed perplexed.
He had considered various possibilities, but never imagined it would be like this.
The government office was empty, with only soldiers standing guard.
Zhang Butcher recklessly barged in, his robust physique and skills easily overpowering the ordinary men.
Until they reached the main hall.
Two young men in black robes with golden belts stood with their arms crossed, the golden thread outlining the ferocious wolves on their shoulders exuding a hint of murderous intent. Indifferently, one of them said, "Stop."
Zhang Butcher obediently stood still, forcing a smile, "Captain, there's... there's one more person here."
Even the Demon Suppressing Bureau, as formidable as they were, wouldn't attack without reason.
But seeing these black-robed enforcers, Zhang Butcher felt a chill, despite having no guilty conscience.
Mustering his courage, he nudged Shen Yi with his shoulder, "Why are you standing there? Let's go inside first."
"Tsk, what's so interesting about scolding people?"
As Zhang Butcher's gaze shifted, one of the Demon Suppressing captains' indifference faded as he rolled his eyes at Shen Yi, "Instead of catching up on sleep at home, you come here to cause a scene. We're exhausted, and now we have to stand guard at the entrance."
Old Liu, without his sugar cane pole and wearing a proper uniform instead of his patched old clothes, stepped aside to make way. "Go ahead and watch, but don't get too close."
The captain's words clearly stunned Zhang Butcher for a moment.
He glanced to the side.
Shen Yi stood there, seemingly as obedient as him, but his eyes revealed nothing unusual.
Did these two know each other? Inside the main hall, Li Xinhan sat in the main seat, his eyes half-closed, exuding a cold and arrogant demeanor.
Six well-built young men stood in a row, hands behind their backs, tense and alert, all dressed as law enforcement officers.
The beggar, now in a proper uniform, looked vastly different from his previous appearance. Despite his ordinary features, his eyes carried a hint of vigor.
As he strolled past them, his gaze fell on the absent-minded Chen Ji. Suddenly, he kicked out.
Just as he was about to scold him.
He looked up and saw a familiar figure at the entrance, opened his mouth, but for some reason, lost the will to continue.
With little enthusiasm, he said, "Stand properly, don't space out."
Old Liu could only smile helplessly.
The tradition of selecting new recruits was to first establish the Demon Suppressing Bureau's mysterious and formidable image, crushing their arrogance.
The beggar, who had been kicked just yesterday, now faced the very person responsible, and any hint of his previous bravado had long vanished.
"Eight hundred soldiers and over a hundred law enforcement officers, and in the end, only six are chosen. Among them, I estimate that half will be sent back."
Zhang Butcher sighed.
Don't be fooled by the mere thousand people; in reality, these thousand individuals are already hand-picked and receive a salary from the court. Aside from that, at the very least, their physiques are decent.
It's equivalent to selecting six individuals from the entire Baiyun County.
Moreover, even if they go to the Demon Suppressing Bureau, they can only serve as fighters bathed in medicinal baths, rarely getting a chance to stand out.
Take the group in front, with cloud motifs on their sleeves; they were selected from a young age and cultivated based on their strengths, far surpassing ordinary martial artists within the same realm.
Other martial arts sects lack such a deep foundation.
Finally, Li Xinhan opened his eyes, his expression calm and unperturbed: "All of you, go back and pack your belongings. Tomorrow, we depart for Qingzhou. Each of you can bring one family member or servant. Report your names, and someone will make the arrangements. Personal belongings must not exceed eighty jin."
Upon hearing this, the six tense individuals relaxed slightly.
Among them, two were familiar faces.
Niu Da secretly scratched his thigh, deep in thought: "I can only bring one person. Should I take my brother to see the world... or bring my wife... My mother needs someone to take care of her too."
Chen Ji, after three years of hard training, finally showcased his talents today. Not only had he made progress in both his sword and fist techniques, but he had also mastered the Spirit Snake Eight Steps and was on the verge of breaking through the first barrier of the Wind and Thunder Treasure Scroll.
Even the Demon Suppressing Captains couldn't help but take a second glance at him.
Unlike Niu Da, Chen Ji had no such dilemma, as he had no other relatives except for his sister.
But Chen Ji still frowned deeply.
From the moment he was called out by the soldiers, he hadn't seen Sir Shen. It couldn't be that he overslept like he usually did, could it? Just then, Li Xinhan slowly rose to his feet.
He strolled to the door.
Each of his movements exuded a thick and solid aura.
Unconsciously, Zhang Butcher took half a step back. The forced smile he had given Old Liu earlier now held a hint of sincerity.
Those who had three cloud motifs on their sleeves were almost all Jade Dew Realm experts.
Each cloud motif represented countless demon corpses.
Moreover, the young man before them had great potential. Given time, he would undoubtedly become a deputy commander guarding a region.
Just a glance from him caused Zhang Butcher to break into a cold sweat.
Li Xinhan's palm reached for his waist.
He stared at Shen Yi, who stood before him. His indifferent expression gradually twisted, revealing a mix of jealousy and confusion, with a hint of envy and a dash of incomprehension.
It was hard to imagine a person's facial features conveying so many emotions simultaneously.
After a moment, Li Xinhan withdrew his gaze and slapped a silver bill and a sealed letter into Shen Yi's hand: "With this letter, you can exchange it for silver at any major bank in Qingzhou."
With that, he turned and left without a backward glance.
Only the few from Baiyun County and Zhang Butcher remained, standing there in a daze.
It was understandable, if somewhat suicidal, for the government office to send silver to the Demon Suppressing Bureau.
But for the Demon Suppressing Bureau to give silver to the government office's law enforcement officers—that was truly unheard of.
Only the captains who knew the situation chuckled and approached, seemingly enjoying Li Xinhan's embarrassment.
Old Liu patted Shen Yi's shoulder: "Don't mind him. He's got a temper like a dog, but no ill intentions. Go pack your things, and we'll escort you back to Qingzhou."
"Escort?" Shen Yi stared at the silver bill worth a thousand taels, feeling something was amiss.
The beggar smacked his lips, not mentioning the beating he had endured the day before.
Instead, he sighed: "A person about to join the Commander-in-Chief's command, how could you possibly let him return alone?"
(End of Chapter)
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