46: It turns out he has a backer behind him

Returning to Dormitory C-3 and closing the door, it felt as though the outside world's clamor had been shut out.

But Li Dong knew, the trouble had only just begun.

In his mind, the System's cold notification continued to echo.

【Ding! Detecting strong hostility from New Recruit Lin Fan and his faction, threat level: Medium. Host, please be vigilant.】

【Ding! Target information analysis in progress... Lin Fan, male, 19 years old, peak Foundation Establishment Stage - Early Phase, from the Lin Family of the Prefecture (a second-rate Cultivation Family). His Family has close ties with a Deputy Commander within the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division, suspected to be a key junior talent cultivated by that faction. This faction harbors discontent and exclusion towards the Host for entering the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division through a special recommendation channel and receiving an extraordinary rating, possibly occupying a reserved spot within their faction.】

So that was it.

Li Dong sat on the edge of his simple bunk bed, his fingers unconsciously tapping the bedboard.

Lin Fan, that brat, was so boisterous not just because he was jealous of his high merits, or simply looked down on him, a "bumpkin."

The root cause was here.

His "extraordinary rating" recommendation spot had stepped on someone else's toes.

No wonder Executive Chen had such a sour expression, as if he wanted to devour him whole.

No wonder Lin Fan was like a dog with its tail stepped on, rushing to bite with such urgency.

This "airborne soldier" of his, upon arrival, had immediately become a stumbling block, an eyesore, and a thorn in the side of certain people.

This recommendation spot was indeed scorching hot!

It was an opportunity, no doubt, allowing him to leap out of the small pond of Mu Shi County and onto the larger stage of the Prefecture.

But at the same time, it was also a huge source of trouble.

The Prefecture Demon Suppression Division, its waters ran unfathomably deep.

Zhang Wu's hesitant words before his departure, now that he thought about them, were all heartfelt. One's heart is hidden behind a belly, and a smile can conceal a dagger.

This Lin Fan, however, didn't even bother to feign a smile; he directly bared his fangs.

Nevertheless, knowing the crux of the problem, Li Dong felt a bit more at ease.

At least, who the enemy was and why he was hostile were all out in the open.

Factional strife? Stolen a spot? Discontent? Exclusion?

A barely perceptible curve played on his lips.

Then let it come.

Want to get rid of him? Want him to understand the "rules" of the Prefecture?

Alright.

Then let strength speak, and with merit points, slap each of your faces until they're swollen!

This little old me, right now, only wants to accumulate merit points, and no one who stands in my way will fare well.

Li Dong's thoughts raced, and he suddenly thought of another person—Zhao Zhen of Mu Shi County.

Zhang Wu had subtly mentioned before that the Prefecture had numerous factions and intricate relationships. Zhao Zhen, having managed Mu Shi County for many years with deep Foundation and extensive connections, could he truly just be a local tyrant?

Could it be... that he also had countless ties with a certain faction in the Prefecture?

For example, the Lin Family faction behind Lin Fan, who was now causing trouble?

Once this thought arose, it grew wildly like weeds.

Li Dong tentatively asked the System in his mind: "System, detect if there's a connection between Lin Fan's faction and Zhao Zhen of Mu Shi County."

【Ding! Information retrieval in progress...】

【Ding! An indirect connection has been detected between Lin Fan's faction and Zhao Zhen, the former Commander of the Mu Shi County Demon Suppression Division. This connection is maintained through several layers of intermediaries and covert commercial channels, involving resource transfer and information exchange.】

!!!

Li Dong's pupils slightly contracted.

Indeed!

Zhao Zhen, that old fellow, really had a backer in the Prefecture! And that backer was precisely this Lin Family faction that was now hostile to him!

This was a lot of information.

Zhao Zhen secretly colluded with demons in Mu Shi County, plotting mischief, and now it seemed he wasn't fighting alone. His backing had extended into the core circle of the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division.

Could this Lin Family faction also be involved? Or perhaps, they were the bigger mastermind behind Zhao Zhen?

His purpose in coming to the Prefecture, besides studying and improving, also included a hidden mission: to investigate the "internal mole" and the larger conspiracy behind the Mu Shi County incident.

Now, it seemed this clue had suddenly become much clearer.

From Zhao Zhen of Mu Shi County, to Lin Fan in the New Recruit Camp of the Prefecture, and then to the Lin Family faction behind Lin Fan... this chain of pressure, or rather, this chain of conspiracy, was gradually surfacing.

What he faced might not just be competition among new recruits, or infighting between factions, but possibly a massive vortex involving demons, internal moles, and high-ranking officials of the Prefecture.

These waters were even murkier and deeper than he had imagined!

Over the next few days, Li Dong clearly felt the malice emanating from Lin Fan's faction.

Although restricted by the rules of the New Recruit Camp, they dared not openly act, but their petty actions were constant.

For instance, when getting food in the cafeteria, someone would always "accidentally" push in front of him.

When collecting Cultivation resources, the Executive in charge of distribution (Li Dong recognized him as someone from Executive Chen's side) would always delay, citing "insufficient stock" or "need for verification."

What was even more disgusting was that rumors about him began to circulate in the camp.

"Have you heard? That Li Dong, he looks honest, but he's ruthless! That time in Blackwood Forest, he deliberately stole someone else's kill!"

"Exactly, someone saw him using very sinister methods, not like Righteous Path Cultivation Technique."

"Tsk tsk, climbing over others to get ahead, how far can such a person go?"

"Right, someone from the countryside, what good background could he have? He probably used some shady methods to get that recommendation spot."

These words, full of sarcasm, spread with vivid detail, attempting to portray him as someone with ill intentions who rose through crooked means, thereby isolating him.

Li Dong scoffed at this.

He simply didn't care about these rumors.

Instead of getting angry with these people, it was more practical to earn more merit points.

He still preferred to be alone, either Cultivating the Heavenly Pill Rifting Demon Seal in his dormitory or taking on missions to eliminate low-level demons at the mission office, burying himself in earning merits.

After a few days, his merit points steadily increased. Although each mission didn't yield many points, his high efficiency meant that small accumulations added up, and he quickly gathered several hundred more points.

This made Lin Fan and the others even more envious and impatient.

Finally, during a collective mission assignment, Lin Fan couldn't help but make a move.

The person in charge of assigning missions happened to be a Manager named Liu, who was close to the Lin Family faction.

When it was Li Dong's turn to step forward and receive a mission, Manager Liu glanced at the mission list in his hand, then meaningfully darted a look at Lin Fan, who was not far away, and then plastered a fake smile on his face.

"Li Dong, is it? A Genius from Mu Shi County, able to slay a Body Refining Great Perfection wolf king upon arrival, quite formidable!" Manager Liu first praised him, then immediately shifted his tone, "Young man, if you have strength, you should temper yourself more. Coincidentally, there's a mission here that I think is quite suitable for you."

He picked up a mission token with a faint yellow glow.

"The 'Rotten Bone Marsh,' thirty miles east of the city, has recently shown signs of evil spirits causing trouble. It's reported that a vengeful spirit comparable to a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator might be present. Mission requirement: delve into the core area of the marsh to investigate, ascertain the strength and number of evil spirits, and try to bring back samples. This mission... hmm, it's a bit high in danger, but the reward is also generous, a full eight hundred merit points! How about it? Do you dare to take it? It will also let us see how much courage this 'extraordinary Genius' from Mu Shi County truly possesses!"

As soon as these words came out, the surrounding new recruits fell silent, followed by whispers.

Rotten Bone Marsh? That place was filled with evil Qi, the environment was harsh, and it was said that even Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators had to be extremely cautious when entering, with the core area being exceptionally dangerous. To send a Foundation Establishment Stage - Early Phase new recruit to investigate alone? This wasn't testing courage; this was practically sending him to his death!

Moreover, investigation missions were the most troublesome, high-risk, but with uncertain rewards. If nothing was found, or if the information gathered wasn't valuable, it was hard to say whether the eight hundred merit points would even be received.

Lin Fan stood in the crowd, a cold sneer playing on his lips. Brother Zhao and Brother Sun were also nearby, wearing expressions of watching a good show.

This was clearly the Lin Family faction abusing their authority to trip up Li Dong, trying to push him into a fiery pit!

Everyone's gaze was focused on Li Dong, wanting to see how he would respond. Would he angrily retort? Or would he swallow his anger and accept this death mission?

Li Dong expressionlessly looked at the mission token in Manager Liu's hand.

He naturally knew this was a trap.

But he didn't react with rage or cowardice as Lin Fan had expected.

He simply raised his head calmly and looked at Manager Liu.

"Manager Liu."

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but it clearly carried throughout the entire mission hall.

"According to Chapter 3, Article 7, Paragraph 2 of the 'Demon Suppression Division New Recruit Camp Management Regulations': Any mission involving a 'Yellow Rank High-grade' or higher risk rating, especially those requiring deep exploration into unknown dangerous areas, if to be performed by a Foundation Establishment Stage - Early Phase new recruit alone, must be assessed for risk by at least one Late Foundation Establishment Stage Executive or Manager, and reported to the Hundred Commander on duty for approval."

Li Dong paused, his gaze sweeping over Manager Liu's face, which was beginning to stiffen.

"May I ask, Manager Liu, what is the risk rating of the 'Rotten Bone Marsh core area investigation' mission you just mentioned? Has it been assessed by a Late Foundation Establishment Stage Executive? Has it been reported to Lord Hundred Commander for approval?"

His tone was calm, devoid of any emotion, as if he were reciting regulations.

But every word was like a slap, fiercely striking Manager Liu and Lin Fan's faces.

Manager Liu's fake smile completely froze, turning somewhat pale.

He hadn't expected this young man from a remote county to be so familiar with the Demon Suppression Division's rules and regulations! And to dare to question him publicly with them!

How could he, a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Manager, have the authority to directly approve a mission of this Rank for a new recruit? If this were investigated, he would definitely be in deep trouble!

Lin Fan's cold sneer also stiffened, his eyes instantly turning sinister.

He also hadn't expected his carefully prepared "test" to be so effortlessly defused by Li Dong in this manner! This brat's mind was even more intricate than a hornet's nest!

The surrounding new recruits were also in an uproar, their gazes towards Li Dong completely changed.

This guy, not only was he powerful, but his mind was also so sharp? He actually knew how to use the rules to protect himself, turning the tables on the Manager!

"Uh... this..." Manager Liu's forehead began to sweat, stammering, unable to speak. He couldn't possibly say that this mission was something he had unfairly pushed through, could he?

Li Dong didn't rush him, just watched him quietly.

Finally, Manager Liu could only awkwardly cough twice and sheepishly retract the yellow token.

"Ahem, I misremembered, this mission indeed requires higher authority. How about this, Li Dong, you should first take on a clean-up mission for the outskirts of Blackwood Forest, one hundred merit points."

He casually tossed a low-grade white mission token to Li Dong, as if dismissing a beggar.

Li Dong took the token, not even glancing at Manager Liu or the ashen-faced Lin Fan, and turned to leave.

"Brother Lin, this kid..." Brother Zhao leaned over to Lin Fan, speaking in a low voice.

Lin Fan stared intently at Li Dong's departing back, his fists clenching with a cracking sound.

The plan had failed, and he had lost face in public; this was practically ripping his old face off and throwing it on the ground, then stomping on it a hundred times with shoes that had stepped in dog shit!

He realized that this Li Dong was far more difficult to deal with than he had imagined. Not only did he have strength, but he also had a mind and knew how to use the rules.

It seemed that relying on these petty tricks wouldn't be enough to deal with him.

He had to think of something else!

Li Dong walked back to his dormitory, his mood undisturbed.

He had defused one difficult situation, but he knew this was only the beginning.

Lin Fan's faction, or rather the forces behind him, would never give up so easily.

Today he could use the rules to push back, but what about next time?

Ultimately, strength and merit points were the absolute truth.

Only by quickly improving his strength, accumulating enough merits, and gaining higher authority and status could he truly establish himself in the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division and contend with these overt and covert attacks.

Back in the dormitory, Brother Qian saw the white token in his hand and, recalling the faint rumors from the mission hall, a worried expression appeared on his face.

"Brother Li, are you alright? I heard Lin Fan and them again..."

Li Dong waved his hand, interrupting him.

He walked to his bunk, sat down cross-legged, and immediately entered a state of Cultivation.

More talk was useless; seizing the time to become stronger was the only way.