Fang Heng blinked, frozen in place: "..."
He saw a demon horse being led by Deputy General Hong.
In front of it, more than twenty Golden Eagle Captains who had returned from Qingfeng Mountain stood solemnly on either side of the young man.
Today, two girls from the inner camp were in charge of the external affairs hall.
They carefully handed over items one by one to their colleagues.
First was a neatly folded cloak, with wide sleeves and a long hem, made of smooth silk.
It bore the image of a ferocious wolf devouring the moon, the emblem of the outer camp, adding a touch of martial fierceness.
Next came a jade belt and a gilded wolf-patterned hair crown, exuding both luxury and authority.
"Wow! Promoted to deputy general."
The surrounding captains, who had gathered to see what urgent matter had brought a demon horse into the Demon-Suppression Bureau, were now witnessing a colleague's promotion.
For a moment, they couldn't help but feel envious.
Qingfeng Mountain was indeed dangerous, enough to keep ordinary people awake at night, fearing they might be called upon.
But for these skilled experts, it had become a rare opportunity, and the promotions came swiftly!
At that moment, the second inner camp girl also took out a brand-new black robe.
The captains glanced at it, about to look away, but then froze in disbelief and looked back.
The robe's cuffs lacked the usual cloud patterns, but instead, there was an exquisitely embroidered yin-yang fish on the collar.
Yin-Yang Qiankun!
This was the exclusive mark of Elder Chen Qiankun, one of the twelve Demon-Suppression Generals.
"..."
The crowd unconsciously swallowed their dry throats and suddenly fell silent.
The initial shock of witnessing the spectacle quickly faded, and they exchanged glances, a hint of tension now in the air.
The significance of being a personal deputy general could be summed up in four words:
"Made it."
With a mountain of merits and impressive strength, there was no need to prove oneself further.
From now on, there would be no more treacherous journeys, no more risking one's life daily.
Instead, they would simply follow the Demon-Suppression General, setting up camp and keeping an eye on the demons outside the twelve prefectures of Qingzhou.
A mutual deterrence would form, with neither side crossing the other.
As a captain under such a deputy, life would be incredibly comfortable.
Standing guard daily, they might not even have to draw their weapons for years.
After serving their time, the merits of guarding would still be substantial.
If this personal deputy were willing to take a few people with him when he left...
In an instant, the outer camp captains eagerly pushed forward.
Bai Ziming raised an eyebrow slightly, a look of surprise in his eyes.
Only Fang Heng's expression changed slightly.
The initial joy upon seeing the cloak turned into a hint of disappointment when he noticed the yin-yang fish.
"We congratulate Lord Shen on his triumphant return and his triple promotion!"
Apart from those holding the precious robes, the remaining Golden Eagle Captains took a few steps back, then bowed with clasped fists, their voices resounding like a bell.
Following their lead, over a hundred captains, both from the inner and outer camps, made the same gesture.
Even Hong Lei, who had been joking earlier, now released the reins and clasped his fists solemnly: "Congratulations, Lord Shen!"
"Why are you looking at me? Don't you have hands?" Bai Ziming glanced at Fang Heng beside him.
"..."
Fang Heng hung his arms limply, trying to shake them.
Bai Ziming helplessly raised his hands, feeling like he shouldn't have left the house today.
As disciples of the Commander, the highest they could reach was deputy general.
There was no precedent for becoming a personal deputy to someone else.
Even Senior Sister Jiang only became a general after the Demon-Suppression General of Yushan Prefecture died, and she had to suppress Yushan City through bloody means to claim the position.
Therefore...
Bai Ziming's rank was indeed a bit lower than Shen Yi's now.
He sighed.
Promoting directly from captain to personal deputy general? Even if there really was a core-forming demon on Qingfeng Mountain, it would require a feat like beheading it.
Did the Demon-Suppression General go to Qingfeng Mountain for a stroll? Not a single merit to his name?
"Has Elder Chen gone senile? This kid has been in the Demon-Suppression Bureau for less than a month. How could he give him such a position?"
Hearing someone curse Chen Qiankun, Hong Lei suddenly turned his gaze, only to catch the latter part of the sentence.
His expression instantly turned to one of shock: "What?"
One month...
Oh no!
Hong Lei's heart raced.
Which lazy deputy general had done this? Was he on his deathbed, too lazy to even get up? Bringing in such a person without even a word of notice?
Whether Elder Chen knew or not was uncertain, but none of the deputy generals had even considered this possibility.
There was a very important reason for that...
Less than a month in, and he hadn't even received his first salary.
Why would he risk his life?!
"..."
Shen Yi silently looked around, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.
After a moment of hesitation, he finally asked: "What about the martial arts and treasures?"
The captains were momentarily stunned, then their expressions turned peculiar.
The inner camp girl gently covered her mouth, pushed aside a few colleagues, and invited Shen Yi into the external affairs hall.
She walked behind a large cabinet and took out a piece of paper: "Lord Shen, what do you need? I'll make a list. Once everyone returns and we tally up the merits, we'll send it to you immediately."
"Anything?" Shen Yi asked in surprise.
In truth, his expectations weren't high.
Hong Lei had promised a low-grade Jade Liquid martial art.
He had captured Dai Bing and the steward, slain the alligator dragon, and even collected the head of the dragon for the Demon-Suppression General.
Surely, he deserved at least three to five books, right?
"Ah?" The girl was momentarily stunned, then stammered: "If it's mid-grade Jade Liquid martial arts, we do have some here, but there might not be many suitable for you. As for high-grade ones, the external affairs hall only has one..."
"I haven't decided yet. Could you—" Shen Yi casually looked away, cleared his throat, and said: "Bring them all out for me to take a closer look."
Upon hearing this, several inner camp captains immediately looked troubled, struggling to find the right words: "Lord Shen, in the past, the Demon-Suppression Bureau encountered a genius who could read ten lines at a glance and never forget. He was specially trained by outsiders to steal martial arts... After that, we established a rule... It's not that we don't trust you, Lord Shen, but rules are rules."
The Demon-Suppression Bureau was indeed lavish, but it depended on what was being sought.
After all, the martial arts and treasures here were mostly obtained through plunder.
What the noble families had, the bureau had ten or a hundred times more.
What the noble families didn't have, the bureau couldn't conjure out of thin air.
For example, Jade Liquid martial arts were something that even martial artists in the martial world didn't have a "grade" for.
The so-called mid-grade was something that noble families and sects, with their vast resources and long lifespans, had researched to create martial arts that far surpassed ordinary ones.
They were called "mid-grade" because above them were the Commander's five ultimate techniques, which were beyond comprehension.
For example, the Four Harmonies True Qi could expend decades of accumulated foundation in a short period.
Such a thing was something most people wouldn't even look at if they got their hands on it.
The Jade Liquid painstakingly stored was meant to enhance strength and speed, fortify the body, and empower one's weapon.
At most, it could produce a sword or blade aura.
This kind of overwhelming True Qi technique provided numerous ways to use one's energy, but it was not only obscure and difficult to understand but also something few could afford.
After all, once one reached the peak of Jade Liquid, they could extend their lifespan by a hundred years.
Even with the help of treasures, rebuilding one's foundation would take considerable time.
Who would risk their life for such a thing?
Gathering the strength of the entire Qingzhou Demon-Suppression Bureau, they had to focus first on the most important internal techniques.
Only then did they develop the Wind-Thunder Sun-Melting Scripture, which shocked the twelve prefectures.
"Alright."
His little plan foiled.
Shen Yi was slightly disappointed but didn't show it: "Body Tempering techniques, movement techniques."
Hearing the first three words, the two inner camp girls suddenly froze.
Could it be a coincidence? Was he aiming for that high-grade martial art?
"Lord Shen, have you heard of the Vajra Sect?"
"It's not a major sect, just a barely second-rate force."
Apologies, the update time is at the latest by 11 PM.
It's not fixed because some readers mentioned they might be asleep by 11, so if possible, I'll post earlier.
(End of Chapter)