47: Joining the team

Under Sun Hao's lead, Su Ze arrived at the Beishan City headquarters of the Great Xia Spirit Guards.

It wasn't located within the city, but was stationed in a place outside the city that resembled a military camp.

As the two of them approached, Su Ze felt himself being stared down by several sharp gazes, and goosebumps involuntarily rose on his skin.

It was only after Sun Hao showed his identification that this feeling of being watched disappeared.

“After all, this is the Great Xia Spirit Guards' territory, so the defense is quite strict. It's fine now, come with me to see the captain,” Sun Hao said as he led the way.

Su Ze followed behind Sun Hao, his eyes unable to stop glancing around as if he were looking for something.

The buildings here were quite regular and square. The pure white walls had no decorations except for the occasional footprint.

Some of the more important buildings had people guarding the entrances, their eyes fixed on those passing by. When Su Ze looked a few more times, the guards glared back at him.

Feeling that he was being offensive, Su Ze quickly withdrew his gaze and lowered his head, no longer looking around.

Soon, Sun Hao brought him to a stop in front of Guo Linshan's office.

Su Ze, who was walking with his head down, nearly bumped into Sun Hao's back due to a moment of inattention.

Sun Hao knocked on the door, and after hearing Guo Linshan's response, he stepped aside and opened the door to let Su Ze in first.

“Little brother Su Ze, you're here! Quick, have a seat!”

Guo Linshan said with a smile as he pulled Su Ze over to sit down. The other man's enthusiasm made Su Ze a little uncomfortable.

Sun Hao then prepared to close the door and leave.

After all, the person Guo Linshan wanted to see was Su Ze, not him.

However, Guo Linshan called out to stop him: “Wait, don't be in such a hurry to leave. Go and call everyone else who is free to gather in the main hall.”

Sun Hao said with some surprise: “Call everyone over? Captain, aren't you going to discuss something important with Little Brother Su alone?”

“It's not anything that needs to be kept secret; you all went through it back then. Go and call them over.”

“Understood.” Sun Hao nodded, having guessed what Guo Linshan had called Su Ze here for.

After Sun Hao left, Su Ze couldn't help but ask: “Captain Guo, is there some urgent matter you called me here for?”

Guo Linshan nodded and said with a smile: “There is, but it's not exactly an urgent matter—it's a good thing.”

He reached under the desk and pulled out an exquisite badge and a set of lightweight uniforms.

“This is...” Su Ze also seemed to realize what Guo Linshan had called him here for.

“That's right, my application to the higher-ups has been approved. As long as you agree, you can immediately join the Third Detachment of the Daxia Spirit Guard Eastern Corps.”

“Although you'll only be an ordinary member for now, I believe that with your abilities, you won't be limited to that for long.”

“I'm getting older, and if my strength doesn't break through, I'll have to retire before long. But you're different; with your talent, you'll definitely be able to enter the core leadership of the Great Xia Spirit Guards in the future!”

Guo Linshan said with eyes shining brightly, as if he could already see that scene.

In his view, while the current Great Xia Spirit Guards still possessed the determination to be the first to die, the higher-ups were gradually becoming embroiled in power struggles.

People from the Four Great Families held many positions among the higher-ups, forming factions and competing in the shadows.

There was an urgent need for someone purely selfless like Su Ze to bring vitality to the stagnant leadership and awaken their original intentions.

Su Ze said with some hesitation: “Thank you for your kindness, Captain Guo, but... as you know, I'm still just a freshman at the Beast Taming University. It's far from graduation, so I'm afraid I can't join the Daxia Spirit Guard yet?”

Guo Linshan shook his head and said: “Actually, joining the Daxia Spirit Guard doesn't have any educational requirements. It's just that your beast taming level must be level twenty or higher, and there is a very strict psychological test. I have personally confirmed that you have no problems with these two points.”

“It's just that because the graduation requirement for the Beast Taming University is also level twenty, and since most people only start looking for jobs and joining the Great Xia Spirit Guards after finishing their studies, this misunderstanding arose.”

“In fact, every year there are exceptionally talented students who join the Great Xia Spirit Guards before they even graduate. We don't assign them any tasks; everything waits until after they finish their studies. Furthermore, the benefits they deserve during this period are not reduced by a single cent.”

“So even if you are only a freshman, it's not a problem. It's just being a nominal member of the Great Xia Spirit Guards for a few more years.”

Hearing this, Su Ze's eyes suddenly lit up.

If he didn't have to do anything and just got paid, why not?

“Just like that old man Lin Xi, lying there every day, directing my work while he takes home double the salary!”

But he still had some doubts, and that was how Guo Linshan was so sure that there was no problem with his character.

“I clearly haven't had much contact with him...”

However, his impression of the Great Xia Spirit Guards, who were willing to use their bodies to fill the Tianyun Volcano in the face of danger, was very good. Joining wasn't out of the question.

Su Ze took the badge carved with the Great Xia Dragon-Sparrow and the uniform from Guo Linshan's hands.

Seeing this, Guo Linshan smiled and said: “Good, now there is only one last step. After taking the oath, you will be a member of the Daxia Spirit Guard. Not a reserve member, but an official one!”

He seemed very excited that Su Ze had agreed to join. He pushed open the office door and walked quickly in front, while Su Ze followed closely behind holding the uniform.

Before long, the two of them arrived in a spacious red hall. Su Ze was already panting slightly, and some beads of sweat had broken out on his forehead.

A lot of people had already gathered in the hall, all of whom Sun Hao had just gone to notify.

Many of them looked familiar to Su Ze; he had seen them before at the Tianyun Volcano.

He even saw Yu Shenghuo, who did not belong to the Great Xia Spirit Guards, standing to the side. He didn't know what Guo Linshan's purpose was in inviting him; was it just to bear witness?

The hall, which had been slightly noisy, instantly fell silent the moment Guo Linshan appeared.

Guo Linshan said with great satisfaction: “I think you all know that there is only one reason for gathering everyone in this hall, and that is the induction oath that you all went through back then!”

“In the past, dozens of qualified people from the reserve team would be in this hall together, taking the oath in front of everyone. But today, there is only one person who will read this glorious oath!”

Guo Linshan didn't say any unnecessary nonsense and directly had Su Ze go up on stage.

In front of him, a flag slowly rose. On the flag, a Great Xia Dragon-Sparrow sketched with simple lines was guarding the many stars behind it.

Those star patterns symbolized every ordinary family in Great Xia, while the Great Xia Dragon-Sparrow represented the Great Xia Spirit Guards and was also the symbol and guardian beast of the Great Xia Empire.

This flag represented the core philosophy of the Great Xia Spirit Guards and the most important sentence in the oath.

Holding the oath in his hand, Su Ze read slowly and firmly: “I swear, as a Great Xia Spirit Guard, I shall be the first to die. I will defend the lights of ten thousand homes behind me with my life...”