40: The provincial demon suppression department is in an uproar?

The carriage stopped in front of a massive complex of black buildings. Lord Wei respectfully pulled open the door.

Li Dong stepped out of the carriage, the ground beneath his feet unyieldingly solid, black flagstones gleaming coldly.

He looked up. The Demon Suppression Division outpost before him was practically a mountain, its oppressive presence making it hard to breathe.

The towering walls, the strict sentry posts, and the guards in black, their eyes like daggers—each one exuded a powerful aura, patrolling back and forth as if they'd interrogate even a fly three times.

Strict hierarchy. Li Dong understood these four words just by looking at the main gate, without anyone needing to explain.

Following Lord Wei, he passed through the gate and entered the interior of the outpost.

Inside was even more extraordinary. The buildings were tall and magnificent, grand and imposing, but the pervasive atmosphere was completely different from the Mu Shi County Demon Suppression Division.

While the county's outpost also had a sense of grimness, it at least carried a hint of camaraderie. Here? There was only oppression and an invisible tension.

Everyone moved in a hurry, their faces broadcasting "don't bother me" and "I'm super busy." The air seemed to be thick with the scent of competition, making one uncomfortable.

Lord Wei led Li Dong, speaking little, only occasionally pointing in a direction.

As Li Dong walked, he observed that this Prefecture Demon Suppression Division truly harbored hidden Dragons.

The Demon Suppression Guards he brushed past, any one of them seemed no less capable than a captain from Mu Shi County. The Foundation Establishment Realm truly seemed... well, not so rare here.

Finally, Lord Wei led him to a certain place.

There weren't many people here. Several individuals in Executive uniforms sat behind counters, with a few people who looked like new recruits reporting in front of them.

Lord Wei pointed to one of the counters, nodding at Li Dong, indicating that he could only accompany him this far.

Li Dong thanked him, and Lord Wei bowed in return, then turned and left.

Li Dong walked forward and joined the back of the line.

The people ahead were reporting in, and he heard they were all from various major cities under the Prefecture's jurisdiction, recommended by various Families. Then it was Li Dong's turn.

"Name, origin, purpose?" A middle-aged man in an Executive uniform sat behind the counter, not even raising his head, his voice sounding lazy and impatient. "This is the Executive in charge of new recruit reporting?" Li Dong muttered to himself.

"Li Dong, Mu Shi County Demon Suppression Division, here to report." Li Dong replied calmly, handing over the Prefecture's transfer order and Zhang Wu's letter of recommendation together.

The Executive extended his hand, tapping his fingertips on the desk, then slowly took the documents.

He glanced at the name, then at the origin, a hint of disdain in his eyes, as if the words "Mu Shi County" were some shameful mark.

He casually opened the transfer order, his gaze sweeping over it. Suddenly, his movements paused. His eyelids lifted slightly.

"Mu Shi County... recommendation quota... extraordinary rating?" He mumbled a few words, a flicker of almost imperceptible surprise in his eyes. But that surprise was like a summer lightning flash, disappearing in an instant. He quickly reverted to his previous arrogance, even more so than before.

He slapped the transfer order and recommendation letter onto the desk, looked up, and stared at Li Dong with a scrutinizing and condescending gaze.

"Extraordinary rating? A place like Mu Shi County can produce an extraordinary?" He scoffed, his voice as grating as fingernails on glass. "I think the people in the county haven't seen the world and are exaggerating. Or, perhaps, they just got incredibly lucky?"

Li Dong said nothing, just looked at him.

Executive Chen, seeing his silence, assumed he was intimidated and became even more arrogant. He crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair. "Tell me, what's your cultivation? Background? Which Family or Sect is your Family from?"

"Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, no significant background." Li Dong answered concisely.

"Foundation Establishment Initial Stage?!" Executive Chen suddenly straightened up, his eyes wide, as if he had heard a huge joke. "You? A mere Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, and from a remote county no less, occupying a Prefecture recommendation quota? Do you know how precious this quota is? Many Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, Late Stage, and even Perfection cultivators don't stand a chance! What is this if not a waste of resources?!"

He suddenly threw the pen in his hand onto the desk with a crisp sound.

"Alright, you wait first. There are still a few others to process. You sit over there; it won't be your turn for several hours." He pointed to a row of empty chairs nearby, his tone full of perfunctory dismissal and deliberate obstruction.

"Or," he rolled his eyes, a malicious smile appearing on his face, "since you're idle anyway, why not contribute a bit to the outpost first? I hear the latrine in the back courtyard is a bit clogged; why don't you go clear it out? Or go to the storeroom and move some things? They're all manual labor, perfect for stretching your muscles."

This was practically tearing his old face off and throwing it on the ground, stomping on it hundreds of times with shoes that had stepped in dog shit, spitting on it, and finally tossing it into a pigsty to plaster the walls!

Li Dong stood still, unmoving. He maintained a calm expression, but inwardly, he was cursing Executive Chen to hell. "This old man, I worked so hard to get an extraordinary rating, and the Prefecture issued a transfer order for me to come and study further, not to be your servant!"

"Executive Chen." Li Dong spoke, his voice not loud, but clear and firm. "I am here by a formal transfer order issued by the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division, requiring me to report and be arranged for further study. The order bears the headquarters' seal; please look closely. I am not here to apply for a recommendation quota, nor am I here to be a handyman."

He spoke politely, with due deference, but the firmness in his tone was undeniable. He showed no intention of backing down.

Now it was Executive Chen's turn to be a little surprised. He had expected Li Dong to be like other recommended individuals from counties, either scared witless or fuming with anger. But this young man? There wasn't a single superfluous expression on his face, and his tone was as calm as if discussing the weather. Moreover, the aura he exuded, though only Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, was incredibly restrained, like a stone buried in the earth—appearing ordinary, yet exceptionally heavy when picked up.

Could this extraordinary rating actually mean something?

Executive Chen felt a pang of doubt. But he was unwilling to let this "quota-wasting" county boy off so easily. He stared at Li Dong for a few seconds, seemingly trying to read something on his face.

Li Dong just stood there quietly, neither overly aggressive nor appearing weak. He simply stated the facts calmly, expressing his purpose and the requirements of his transfer order.

Ultimately, Executive Chen didn't dare to continue openly making things difficult. A Prefecture transfer order came directly from headquarters; if he, a minor Executive, blew it out of proportion, he wouldn't be able to handle the consequences. But he was still extremely displeased.

He snorted, took a black token from a drawer, and slapped it onto the desk.

"Alright, New Recruit Camp. Take the token. Go report to the New Recruit Camp yourself." His tone remained cold, even with a hint of impatience, as if dismissing a beggar.

Li Dong stepped forward and picked up the token. The token was cold to the touch, engraved with some runes and his name. Was this his symbol of identity in the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division?

He didn't spare Executive Chen another glance. Gripping the token, he turned and walked out of the reporting office.

The air outside seemed less oppressive, but Li Dong knew this was only because he had left the nauseating Executive Chen. The Prefecture Demon Suppression Division was even more complex than he had imagined; the hierarchy was strict, human relations were cold, and even a mere gatekeeper could give you attitude.

He looked down at the token in his hand. New Recruit Camp? Heh.

He tightened his grip on the token.