121: Rejected again

Zhao Jiuzhou died on Qingfeng Mountain, and his Disciples successively chose to surrender. This campaign against the Hundred Weapons Sect ended with the government's victory.

Although the battles had ended, the operation was not over. Now that this place had been taken, it was time for a great harvest.

Although the Hundred Weapons Sect was destroyed under the pretense of colluding with demons and secretly attacking the Princess, if the Hundred Weapons Sect itself didn't possess enormous benefits, it wouldn't have been possible to mobilize tens of thousands of people for the entire operation.

Large numbers of surrendered Hundred Weapons Sect Martial Artists had their Cultivation sealed by Government Soldiers and were escorted down the mountain. The temporary camps that had been built now served a great purpose, becoming temporary detention centers for the Hundred Weapons Sect Martial Artists.

"Brothers, keep your eyes peeled, don't miss any corner," a Centurion from the Demon Suppression Division kicked open the tightly shut door of a pavilion and said loudly.

A group of Demon Slayer Guards followed him in, carrying out all the valuable items from the pavilion.

It must be said that as a School that had stood in Yunzhou for thousands of years, the Hundred Weapons Sect had a very deep foundation.

Large quantities of gold, silver, and antiques were carried out and piled up in the plaza. In less than an hour, the various items had accumulated into small mountains.

Lu Ming was among this group, but unlike the Demon Slayer Guards who were moving things out of the various pavilions built on Qingfeng Mountain's peak, he was accompanying Luo Hongzhuang.

As the overall commander leading the subjugation of the Hundred Weapons Sect, Luo Chengxiong naturally wouldn't participate in the actual work. However, counting the spoils of war required a trustworthy person to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that no one engaged in corruption.

And no one was more suitable for this position than Luo Hongzhuang, the sole daughter of Prince Qingyang.

Following this Young Miss, Lu Ming leisurely strolled around the peak of Qingfeng Mountain. Having been developed for thousands of years, Qingfeng Mountain was dotted with various pavilions, and the high-ranking members of the Hundred Weapons Sect clearly knew how to enjoy themselves, as there were many scenic courtyards and gardens.

People constantly brought accounts for verification, but Luo Hongzhuang clearly had no interest in this. All these tasks were handed over to the white-bearded old man who had been following her.

That old man, who possessed Limit Realm Cultivation, also very appropriately took on the role of temporary manager. From the way he handled the accounts, he seemed very skilled, as if it wasn't the first time he had done such a thing.

This also made Lu Ming vaguely guess that Prince Qingyang had probably harbored such intentions from the very beginning.

Of course, all of this had little to do with Lu Ming. Having received Prince Qingyang's personal promise that he had rendered great service in this campaign against the Hundred Weapons Sect, the rewards he deserved would certainly not be lacking.

After accepting this task, Luo Hongzhuang's initial enthusiasm was quite high, but after exploring and finding nothing special about the Hundred Weapons Sect, she lost interest.

She walked and chatted idly with Lu Ming, sometimes saying something, sometimes not.

"You've rendered great service today. A position as a Chiliarch in the Demon Suppression Division is guaranteed. But are you sure you want to climb the ranks through the Demon Suppression Division? You should know that the Demon Suppression Division promotes purely based on merit. Although there are many compromises, the position of Chiliarch is already the limit for most people in the Demon Suppression Division."

"To become a Demon Suppression General, which is the next level, one not only needs to reach the Dao Realm in Cultivation but also needs to exchange demon corpses for merit. You should be aware of the dangers involved," Luo Hongzhuang asked.

In fact, when she learned that he had refused her father's invitation, although she showed no outward reaction, she was quite surprised internally.

While joining the Qingyang Royal Mansion would entail many restrictions, the Cultivation resources and level of safety one could obtain were far beyond what the Demon Suppression Division could offer.

With the resources of the Qingyang Royal Mansion, it wouldn't take many years to help him become a Dao Realm expert.

"I think things are good as they are. Advancing based on the merits gained from slaying demons makes me feel more at ease," Lu Ming said calmly.

Another subtle refusal of the invitation. Even though he knew the path he was currently on was a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, Lu Ming felt no fear, but rather a faint anticipation.

After all, he wasn't a true Genius. All his achievements were due to his system panel.

If he couldn't improve by relying on the demon Lifespan obtained from slaying demons, even if he were given a hundred years, he probably wouldn't be able to advance a single step.

Luo Hongzhuang saw the determination in his eyes. She pouted and uninterestingly gave up the idea of continuing to recruit him.

After all, these worries should be left to her old father. What did recruiting him have to do with her?

"Speaking of which, how will those surrendered Martial Artists from the Hundred Weapons Sect be handled? With so many people, if they are all locked in prisons, the prisons in Silver Feather City will probably be full very quickly," Lu Ming voiced his confusion.

"Handling them is naturally simple. After all, this isn't the first Jianghu School to be annihilated. The imperial court naturally has a complete set of procedures," Luo Hongzhuang said with a light chuckle.

"First, they will be screened, separating the high-ranking members of the Hundred Weapons Sect from the lower-ranking ones. Now that the Hundred Weapons Sect has been destroyed, coupled with what that Zhao Jiuzhou did, it has undoubtedly disheartened those Hundred Weapons Sect Disciples. After a period of observation, they will be assigned to the army and the Demon Suppression Division based on their strength."

"As for the high-ranking members, handling them is also very easy. Some of those with deep-seated crimes will be killed to appease the anger of the common people. The others, those with strong abilities, will be given a chance to atone for their sins by serving the imperial court. That's basically how it is."

After Luo Hongzhuang's explanation, Lu Ming generally understood everything.

With the destruction of the Hundred Weapons Sect, the imperial court not only suffered no losses but also gained a huge replenishment in personnel and resources.

Especially those Martial Artists who had achieved success in Cultivation were not so easy to train. With the Hundred Weapons Sect providing people and effort, the government only needed to use a pretext to easily take control of these people and make them serve their purpose.

As Lu Ming was sighing with emotion, a Centurion from the Demon Suppression Division suddenly walked quickly towards them and then stopped in front of the two.

"Reporting, Princess, we accidentally discovered a secret passage while searching the Hundred Weapons Sect Sect Leader's room. It has now been sealed off by our brothers. How should this matter be handled?" the Centurion respectfully asked.

"Oh!" Luo Hongzhuang's eyes moved slightly, and a hint of interest appeared in her beautiful eyes.

She had long lost interest in strolling along this path, but even though this duty didn't require her direct involvement, she knew she had to wait until everything was counted before she could leave.

Now that something interesting had come up, she naturally couldn't sit still.

"Take me there. It seems that Zhao Jiuzhou still has many secrets hidden. I'll go investigate myself."