75: Chapter 75: Is Qingzhou, like Nanyan County, merely a stepping stone?

The Xuanji Battalion, as one of the three core departments of the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division, was in charge of intelligence analysis, strategic planning, and the archiving of various classified dossiers.

One could say this place was the "brain" of the entire Demon Suppression Division.

Those who could hold a position here were, without exception, meticulous thinkers and experts at planning.

Their combat strength might not be the strongest, but when it came to playing politics and internal maneuvering, they were absolutely top-tier.

When Lin Feng, this "crude martial artist," became their nominal supreme commander in what could be described as an airborne appointment,

The atmosphere of the entire Xuanji Battalion became exceptionally strange.

On the surface, everyone was incredibly respectful, calling him "Lord Lin" at every turn.

But behind his back, they practiced passive resistance, and undercurrents surged.

From the bottom of their hearts, they looked down on this brute who had risen to power by "instantly killing with a single blade."

In their eyes, Lin Feng was merely a tool used by the Gold Rank Commander to pressure Examiner Xuanjizi, and incidentally pushed to the front to draw fire.

That day, Lin Feng officially took office.

Inside the main assembly hall of the Xuanji Battalion, dozens of officials dressed in silver-trimmed black robes had long been waiting.

Leading them was an elderly man over fifty with a goatee and shrewd eyes named Chen Mo. He was Examiner Xuanjizi's confidant and the second-in-command of the Xuanji Battalion.

Seeing Lin Feng enter, everyone was very enthusiastic.

However, the perfunctory disdain flashing in the depths of their eyes was plain to see.

Chen Mo approached with a fake smile, holding a mountain-like pile of dossiers in his hands.

"Lord Lin, as you have just arrived, you are likely unfamiliar with the battalion's affairs. These are all the rules, regulations, personnel transfers, and various red tape of our Xuanji Battalion. Please look them over first so you can familiarize yourself with the procedures as soon as possible, facilitating your future work."

These words seemed respectful, but they were actually meant to give Lin Feng a show of authority.

Let alone reviewing that mountain of dossiers, just reading through them would probably take ten days to half a month.

They wanted to use this method to tell Lin Feng:

This place is under our control.

You, an outsider, think you can replace Examiner Xuanjizi?

In your dreams!

However, Lin Feng didn't even spare a glance at the pile of dossiers.

He simply walked calmly to the main seat, sat down carelessly, and scanned all the officials present who harbored ill intentions before speaking indifferently.

"I don't care what rules or procedures you had before."

"From today onwards, my rule, Lin Feng's rule, is that there are no rules."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall fell silent.

Everyone looked at him as if they were looking at a fool.

Chen Mo was so angry his beard curled. Suppressing his rage, he said in a heavy voice, "Lord Lin, what is the meaning of this? Without rules, there is no order. Our Xuanji Battalion was able to reach its current state because of..."

"Shut up."

Lin Feng coldly interrupted him. "I have no interest in hearing you talk about history. I'm only asking one thing: among you all, who is the best fighter?"

This sudden question left everyone stunned.

They were people who used their brains; you wanted to compare fists with them?

Chen Mo's face turned the color of pig liver. He prided himself on his superior intellect and was encountering someone who completely ignored the standard playbook for the first time.

"Lord Lin, our Xuanji Battalion..."

"I asked, who is the best fighter."

Lin Feng's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority.

That terrifying pressure belonging to a half-step Divine Sea Realm cultivator, like an invisible tide, instantly enveloped the entire hall!

The officials present had cultivations no higher than the True Qi Realm. How could they withstand such pressure?

One by one, they felt as if a great mountain was pressing on their chests. Their breathing became difficult, and their faces turned pale.

Chen Mo bore the brunt of it; his legs went soft, and he nearly knelt on the spot.

"Now, I will ask one more time."

Lin Feng's gaze became icy.

"Who is the best fighter?"

Finally, it was Chen Mo who with great difficulty squeezed out a few words from between his teeth.

"It... it is this subordinate..."

"Very good."

Lin Feng nodded with satisfaction.

In the next instant, his figure vanished from the spot.

Chen Mo only felt a blur before his eyes as a terrifying killing intent, enough to freeze the Soul, completely enveloped him!

He didn't even have time to react before a cold blade, radiating an endless aura of destruction, was silently placed against his throat.

"Now, it's me."

Lin Feng's voice, like a curse from the Nine Hells, whispered softly in his ear.

The entire hall became so quiet that a dropped needle could be heard.

Everyone was like a duck caught by the neck, staring blankly at this shocking scene, their minds completely blank.

Lin Feng withdrew the Life-Slaying Blade and sat back in the main seat, as if he had only done a trivial little thing.

He looked around at the officials below, who were already scared out of their wits and as quiet as cicadas in winter, and announced his unique "management policy" in a matter-of-fact tone.

"First, I don't care if you are Examiner Xuanjizi's people or the Zhao family's people; it has nothing to do with me. I don't need your loyalty."

"Second, do your jobs well. Don't be lazy, don't play tricks, and I won't care about anything else."

"Third, don't annoy me, and especially don't bring me trouble. Solve your own problems yourself."

"Do you understand?"

"Un... Understood!"

Everyone stood up from their chairs in unison and gave Lin Feng a respectful ninety-degree bow. Their voices were filled with heartfelt fear and awe.

Lin Feng waved his hand, indicating they could get lost.

After the crowd dispersed, he finally turned his gaze toward the vast sea of classified dossiers in the Xuanji Battalion.

He went to the deepest part of the Library Pavilion, where ancient texts classified as top secret were kept.

He took out the crimson crystal he had obtained from the Merit Testing Tablet and began searching through countless ancient books for any clues about it.

For three full days and nights, Lin Feng went without sleep, flipping through over a thousand ancient volumes.

Finally, in a tattered ancient manuscript titled "Records of the Nine Provinces' Anomalies," he found the answer.

The manuscript recorded that in ancient times, nine celestial stars had fallen to the earth and transformed into nine "Divine Stones" containing supreme power. They were suppressed at the dragon vein nodes of the Great Xia's Nine Provinces, forming nine "Dragon-Suppressing Tablets."

And the crimson crystal in his hand was precisely a core fragment of the Divine Stone that suppressed the Qingzhou dragon vein.

"Nine Divine Stones... Nine Dragon-Suppressing Tablets..."

A terrifying light erupted in Lin Feng's eyes. "Could it be that the Merit Testing Tablet in every provincial Demon Suppression Division is just a front, and its true purpose is to conceal and suppress a Divine Stone?"

This speculation caused even him to feel a tremor of shock.

If this were true, what kind of world-shaking secret was hidden behind it?

Just then, inside the study of Gold Rank Commander Xiao Xuan.

A guard was respectfully reporting the recent situation of the Xuanji Battalion.

"...Commander, that Lin Feng has locked himself in the Library Pavilion for three full days since taking office without stepping out once. He hasn't asked about any battalion affairs, acting completely like a hands-off manager."

The guard's tone carried a hint of confusion and worry. "This subordinate feels that although this youth is powerful, his personality is eccentric, and he acts entirely on whim, not caring at all about his reputation or connections within the Division. In the long run, I'm afraid... he will be difficult to manage."

Xiao Xuan didn't express an opinion as he usually did after listening; instead, he fell into a long silence.

He walked slowly to the window and looked toward the Xuanji Battalion. In his deep eyes, a strange light flashed that even he hadn't noticed.

Suddenly, he had an extremely absurd yet extremely logical thought.

This Lin Feng didn't form cliques, didn't cultivate connections, and didn't even bother to use the power he had obtained...

It seemed as if he didn't care about anything within the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division at all.

It was as if...

He had no intention of staying here for long!

"Could it be..."

A storm of shock arose in Xiao Xuan's heart.

"In his eyes, is Qingzhou no different from Nanyan Prefecture—just a stepping stone?"