The night of heavy rain finally ceased.
The next day, the sky was bright.
The air in Liangzhou City, having been washed by the rain, felt noticeably fresher.
However, inside the Demon Suppression Division Commandery Office, the atmosphere was as heavy as the gloom of yesterday's rain.
Demon Suppression Guardss gathered in small groups, all whispering and discussing amongst themselves.
"The people from the Heaven Character Camp are back. The matter at Yumen Pass... it's true."
"Holy shit, it really is a Core Formation Great Demon?!"
"Absolutely true! I heard the Heaven Character Camp lost two brothers just to barely ascertain the Demon's details. It came from a Demon Nation outside the Pass; its Bloodline is noble, unlike the Spirit Monsters from the mountains here in Region."
A young man who had recently joined the Demon Suppression Division listened, his face pale, and couldn't help but ask, "Core Formation... just how powerful is the Core Formation Realm?"
An old veteran nearby, who was wiping his Waist Saber with his one remaining arm, heard this and sneered.
"How powerful?"
He raised his head, his cloudy eyes looking toward the horizon. "Let me put it this way: a Bone Resonance Demon, at its peak, can only occupy a mountain as king and plague a single county. But once it enters Core Formation, that is a completely different world."
"While calling the wind and summoning the rain, moving mountains and filling the sea might be exaggerations, destroying a small city without a master guarding it with a flick of the hand is no lie."
As soon as he said this, the sound of people gasping in cold air rose around them.
The young man was so scared his legs went weak. "Then... then this time, aren't we..."
"Afraid of what, bird brain!" The old veteran spat, sheathing his saber. "We in the Demon Suppression Division eat this bowl of Beheading Rice! Great General Wei is personally leading the team. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. Is it your turn to tremble here?"
"..."
Compared to the shock and worry brought by the Core Formation Great Demon.
Another piece of news was like a massive stone thrown into the deep pool of the Commandery Office, stirring up monstrous waves.
"Did you hear? Our Xuan Battalion just promoted a new colonel."
"A colonel? Who? Which Squad Leader performed a great service and got promoted?"
"It's a newcomer."
"A newcomer?!"
"It's the one who just joined the Division a few days ago, named... named Jiang Yuechu."
"Jiang Yuechu? Never heard of her."
The person next to him quickly pulled him aside, lowering his voice, his face full of peculiar expression.
"You don't know? It's that girl!"
"Oh! I remember! The one who just arrived and immediately pinned Old Zhao, one of Liu Chen's subordinates, against a pillar and beat him?"
"More than that!"
Another person leaned in and said mysteriously, "I heard that this person went on a mission to Hechuan County a few days ago, not only slaying a Half-Step Ming Gu Demon but also casually slaughtering two monks from Baosha Temple!"
As soon as this statement was made, the sound of people gasping in cold air immediately rose around them.
"Killed monks from Baosha Temple?! Is she crazy?!"
"I don't know if she's crazy, I only know that not only is she fine, but she's also damn well been promoted! A seventh-rank colonel! Directly commanding the Vanguard Battalion!"
"What?!"
An experienced old Squad Leader suddenly widened his eyes upon hearing this, his face filled with disbelief. "What kind of joke is this! I've risked my life in the Demon Suppression Division for ten years, covered in layers of scars, and I'm still only an eighth-rank! Why does she, a mere young girl, deserve this?!"
"Exactly! Merit? What merit does she have! Experience? She probably hasn't even collected her first month's salary yet, right?"
"A woman, serving as a colonel? And of the Vanguard Battalion? What were the higher-ups thinking?!"
"Shh... lower your voice, do you want to die!"
Just at this moment.
A young colonel with an effeminate face heard the surrounding discussions and curled his lips into a sneer.
"Why? Perhaps... it's because of that face."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was just enough for the surrounding people to hear.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice, their gazes uniformly falling upon The Effeminate Man.
"It's Song Ren, Colonel Song!"
Song Ren was an established colonel, having served in the Demon Suppression Division for nearly ten years, and his cultivation was already at Bone Resonance.
More importantly, he came from the Song Clan, a major family in Region, and had a deep Foundation and extensive connections in Liangzhou Prefecture.
"Colonel Song, what do you mean by that?"
Song Ren seemed to enjoy being the center of attention. He made a delicate gesture with his Orchid Finger, lightly brushed his sleeve, and glanced sideways at the crowd.
"A wet-behind-the-ears young girl, who killed a low-level Demon, can ascend to the heavens in a single step, sit in the colonel's position, and command the Vanguard Battalion? Don't any of you have thoughts about this?"
"..."
Thoughts? Of course they had them!
But who dared to speak them?
Song Ren dared to speak because he had the capital.
What did these rootless, low-level Demon Suppression Guardss have to back up their words?
Seeing the silence, Song Ren continued on his own, "I heard that during yesterday's heavy rain, Lord Xu personally went to her small courtyard in the Jingyao Workshop and only came out after a full half hour."
The implication in his words was self-evident.
Everyone's expressions varied—some were enlightened, some disdainful, and some disbelieving.
"Impossible! Lord Xu isn't that kind of person!"
"Whether he is or isn't, who knows? After all, even heroes struggle to pass the Beauty Hurdle."
"A newly arrived girl transforms and becomes a seventh-rank colonel. How many times have we risked our lives, putting our heads on our belts? In the end, we're not as effective as that girl working hard in bed."
"Quiet! You can't just throw words around like that!"
"What's there to be afraid of? Colonel Song said it himself, how could it be false?"
Listening to the hushed agreements around him, the sneer on Song Ren's face intensified.
"This Demon Suppression Division of ours, I think, sooner or later, will..."
He hadn't finished speaking.
"What the hell is that shit spewing out of your mouth?!"
A furious roar, like a thunderclap from flat ground, instantly exploded in the courtyard!
The noisy discussions came to an abrupt halt.
Everyone was stunned by the sudden outburst of cursing.
Who was Song Ren?
An established Bone Resonance colonel, backed by the Song Clan of Region.
In Liangzhou Prefecture, besides the truly important figures, who dared to speak to him like that?
Everyone looked toward the source of the sound.
At the entrance of the courtyard, several figures had appeared unnoticed.
Leading them was Chen Tong, a burly man with a fierce face. Behind him stood a young man in Brocade Robes, his face grim, his hand resting on his sword hilt.
There was also a large, fat monk holding a Wine Gourd, grinning, but his narrowed eyes held no trace of amusement.
"Who are these people?"
"I know... it's the squad under Jiang Yuechu!"
Someone in the crowd shouted.
Only then did everyone react, subconsciously stepping back a few paces as they looked at the men radiating Evil Qi.
Song Ren's expression instantly darkened.
He narrowed his eyes, looked at the enraged Chen Tong, and laughed mockingly.
"I wondered who it was. Turns out it's Captain Jiang's dog."
"What? Your master isn't here yet, but you dogs ran out to bark first?"
Chen Tong could not endure such words. He roared in fury, and with a clang, he pulled his Waist Saber halfway out of its sheath.
"I'll fuck your mother, you rotten cunt!"