Chapter 18: The Next Day

The next day, early morning.

Lu Changsheng woke up at the crack of dawn, preparing to head to the DemonSubduingOffice office.

Before leaving yesterday, Gao Yunming had already notified the group in advance.

Presumably, today's gathering was to inform everyone about the specific situation of the DemonSubduingOffice.

At this moment, Fang Qing and her younger brother also stepped out of their room, their faces looking very satisfied.

This courtyard was much cleaner and tidier than their previous dwelling, and living here felt safer and more reassuring.

"I'm going to the DemonSubduingOffice office. You two stay near the courtyard and be careful of the people from the Sanhe Gang."

Lu Changsheng smiled faintly.

"Don't worry, Changsheng, I will keep an eye on my brother."

Fang Qing smiled sweetly, a hint of a blush on her face.

Without the charcoal she had been smearing on, she had become even more beautiful and moving.

Even Lu Changsheng felt a bit stunned.

Then, he turned and left.

After exiting the courtyard gate, he walked all the way along the clean and tidy streets.

Before long, he arrived at the DemonSubduingOffice office.

"Please show your pass immediately."

Seeing the newcomer, the two warriors in green robes at the gate said with cold expressions.

Seeing this, Lu Changsheng immediately took off his waist badge and handed it over.

A sharp glint flashed in the eyes of these two warriors; their strength was clearly not ordinary.

The one on the left took the jade badge, inspected it, and then cleared the way.

Lu Changsheng put away the jade badge and walked inside.

The entire DemonSubduingOffice office grounds were very vast; inside, there was not only the Battle Hall and the Logistics Hall, but also the Heavenly Craft Hall. With these three main halls as the core, plus some auxiliary departments, it was a complete behemoth.

Warriors like Lu Changsheng belonged to the Battle Hall.

As for the Heavenly Craft Hall, it was said to be dedicated to researching some magical items, though he didn't know the specific details for now.

At this time, quite a few warriors were already coming and going nearby, looking quite busy.

No one paid any attention to Lu Changsheng.

Before long, Lu Changsheng arrived at the entrance.

Several familiar figures who had also passed the assessment yesterday were already waiting in front of the hall.

Lu Changsheng lined up behind the others and waited quietly.

After the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, some more warriors arrived one after another.

After the group waited for another half an hour, Gao Yunming suddenly walked out from the hall, holding a large stack of books in his arms.

"Everyone, take a copy of these booklets. Later, I will take you all to meet Deputy Hall Master Qin."

The group nodded one after another and began to step forward to collect the booklets.

Soon, Lu Changsheng received his copy and returned to his original spot.

"On the Weaknesses of Demons and Anomalies."

He glanced at it and saw several large characters printed on the booklet.

His heart stirred slightly, and he immediately opened the booklet to study it carefully.

The people around him did the same.

"Swish, swish..."

Soon, the only sound in the area was the rustling of pages being turned.

"Tens of thousands of years ago, demons suddenly descended upon the human world. Large swathes of human dynasties fell, becoming food for the demons. The first generation of Holy Emperors led all of humanity to fight in blood, resisting the invasion of demons and evil, guarding the last piece of pure land for humanity..."

"Hundreds of years ago, the founding emperor of the Great Zhou, Qin Muyun, swept away the demons and evil within the borders, forged the Demon Locking Tower, and established the Demon Subduing Office to monitor the world..."

Half an hour later, Lu Changsheng gently closed the book and exhaled a breath of turbid air.

He had long suspected that this world was not simple, but he hadn't expected such shocking inside information.

Just from the fragments recorded in the booklet, one could tell how tragic the battles were.

Even a peerless warrior like the founding emperor could only protect a small piece of pure land; he didn't know what the situation was like outside the Great Zhou.

Would there come a day when even this pure land could not be held? This thought sent a chill through Lu Changsheng's heart; he hadn't expected the situation to be so perilous.

Moreover, the dynasty was now beginning to show signs of turmoil, and it was already difficult to suppress all the entities lurking in the shadows.

The entire Great Zhou Dynasty was already in a state of precariousness.

He had to rely on the Attribute Panel to rapidly increase his strength to cope with the changes that might occur in the future.

The entire booklet had only a few pages, and the rest recorded the strength of demon servants and anomalies. As for true demons, they were not recorded.

Presumably, people like them were not qualified to encounter them.

General anomalies were divided into Ghost Grade, Evil Grade, Resentment Grade, and Blood Grade.

The classification of demon servants was very simple: divided into low-level demon servants, mid-level demon servants, high-level demon servants, and top-level demon servants...

Among them, both low-level demon servants and the weakest Ghost Grade anomalies had the strength of a Skin Refinement warrior.

Ordinary people would have no way out if they encountered them.

"No wonder the DemonSubduingOffice recruits so many warriors every year, not even turning away civilians who have forcibly stimulated their potential."

Lu Changsheng thought to himself.

He didn't think these demons and evils were easy to deal with; the casualty rate for missions must be quite shocking.

However, with the danger came rewards that were surely very generous, otherwise, warriors wouldn't be flocking to join one after another.

"No one is allowed to disclose any information to ordinary people; violators will be severely punished."

At this moment, Gao Yunming's gaze swept across the crowd, his tone extremely cold.

"We will strictly follow the prohibition."

The people on the scene looked solemn.

Everyone knew that once this information was known by ordinary people, it would be very troublesome; besides causing panic, it would be useless.

The most important thing for a dynasty is the stability of the grassroots people; otherwise, if the foundation rots, it won't be long before it collapses.

"Follow me to meet the Deputy Hall Master. Later, you can go to the Scripture Repository to choose your martial arts techniques, and your monthly cultivation resources will be delivered soon."

After speaking, Gao Yunming turned and walked into the hall.

The group hurriedly followed.

Lu Changsheng followed closely behind.

The group walked all the way, passing through numerous rockeries and gardens, until they arrived in front of a courtyard.

They saw a woman in white sitting in a pavilion; she had a slender figure, a beautiful appearance, and her eyes were full of majesty.

"Hall Master Qin, the personnel recruited this year are all here."

Gao Yunming bowed respectfully, his gaze honest and not daring to glance around at all.

"Hmm..."

Qin Ruobing nodded faintly, her eyes sweeping across the crowd.

"After joining the DemonSubduingOffice, you are all pillars of the imperial court. I hope you will serve the court well, and I will not treat you unfairly..."

She looked at the people in front of her, a trace of disappointment flashing deep in her eyes.

In her view, these people's footsteps were somewhat unsteady, their martial arts cultivation was clearly lacking, and they were all people of average talent.

Of course, as the person responsible for the final selection, she didn't expect to pick any good seedlings.

Her assessment this year would probably be at the bottom again, and the day of returning to the Capital City was far off.

Her subordinates, the probationary Demon Suppression Envoys, had suffered heavy losses, and coupled with being at the bottom of the assessment, she always picked new recruits last, which had completely fallen into a vicious cycle.

However, when her gaze swept over Lu Changsheng, her expression shifted slightly, and she felt a bit surprised.

The other party's breath was long and steady, and his footsteps were firm; clearly, his martial arts foundation was quite deep.

She hadn't expected an unexpected surprise.

This made her feel a bit expectant, and she couldn't help but look at Lu Changsheng a few more times.

Under Qin Ruobing's scrutiny, the people below didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

A powerful aura pressed down on everyone's chests, making it difficult for them to breathe.

Lu Changsheng also felt the skin all over his body tighten, as if he were being stared at by some wild beast.

"This person has such high martial arts cultivation; at least at the Bone-forging level or above."

He thought to himself.

The other party was also surnamed Qin, and coupled with Gao Yunming's extremely respectful demeanor, he even suspected whether this woman had some mysterious connection with the Capital City.

Otherwise, Gao Yunming wouldn't need to be so afraid.

"For the next year, I hope you will all work hard and pass the assessment. According to custom, I have already sent your rewards to your identity jade badges."

A clear and beautiful voice sounded again, and after speaking, she waved her hand at the crowd.

"We will definitely give it our all."

The group shouted in unison.

Afterward, they turned and left the place.

………………

(End of chapter)