Chapter 194 Hidden Brilliance

Over the past few days, Chen Mu had gotten along quite well with the members of Team C.

Lu Dachuan was forthright, Feng Qing was reticent, Shen Suning was meticulous, and Ji Xiang was clever.

Although the others had their own temperaments, they were generally straightforward men who lived life on the edge.

Ling Xiaoning, however, was clearly more willing to stick close to Chen Mu. Perhaps because they were of similar age and both newcomers, he always felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to Chen Mu.

He would follow Chen Mu to ask for advice during training, sit next to him at meals, and even insist on chatting with Chen Mu for a good while when they returned to the barracks at night.

"Chen Mu, when do you think we'll be able to go on our first mission?"

Ling Xiaoning asked this night, lying on his bunk and swinging his legs.

Chen Mu was sitting cross-legged, regulating his Qi. Hearing this, he opened his eyes.

"I don't know."

"I've been here for over a month, just following along with drills and patrols. I haven't even seen a single hair of a demon."

Ling Xiaoning muttered discontentedly, pouting his lips.

"I heard that Team A took on another mission to clear out a corpse demon nest the day before yesterday. It paid quite a bit of merit."

Feng Qing turned over and said indifferently.

"What's the rush? A newcomer's first mission is always just a small, exploratory task. If you really run into a tough opponent, someone like you wouldn't even know how you died."

Ling Xiaoning shrank his neck and didn't dare to talk back.

Lu Dachuan rested his head on his hand and chuckled.

"Xiao Ning, Feng Qing's words are crude but true. In our line of work, impatience is the biggest taboo. Demons won't talk to you about martial virtue. One careless mistake and your life is gone. A while back, we lost those two brothers..."

He paused, his voice dropping.

"It was just because they were too reckless. By the time we arrived, there was only wreckage left."

The atmosphere in the barracks fell silent for a moment.

Chen Mu, however, felt no great ripples in his heart. He had seen plenty of life and death. He had already come to terms with it when he first set foot on this path of plunder, but he was indeed impatient.

It was not because of fear, but desire.

He had been in the Prefecture for several days, but aside from daily training, he hadn't even seen a single demon.

The plundered Lifespan on his System panel remained at two thousand four hundred and twenty-four years, and the Perfection of the second layer of the Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body felt impossibly far away. Every day that passed in such tranquility was a waste.

Two more days passed, and things remained calm. The atmosphere in Team C remained somewhat oppressive; apparently, the shadow of their previous failure had not yet fully dissipated.

That evening, after Bai Junyi gave his usual lecture and announced dismissal, Chen Mu watched Bai Junyi turn to head back to his room, and finally stepped forward to follow him.

"Squad Leader Bai."

Bai Junyi turned back and, seeing it was Chen Mu, showed a trace of fatigue on his face.

"Is something the matter?"

Chen Mu was straightforward.

"I want to know when we might have a mission."

Bai Junyi was stunned for a moment and examined him. There was no expression on Chen Mu's young face, but in those seemingly calm eyes, there seemed to be a suppressed hunger.

He had seen this look before, on the faces of many arrogant young people who had just arrived at the Prefecture. And then, most of them had died in their first or second mission.

He sighed, his voice softening.

"Chen Mu, I know you distinguished yourself in Yunmeng and have talent, and that you want to earn merit as quickly as possible. But the Prefecture has its rules. Missions aren't something I can just conjure up; we have to wait."

After saying this, he pointed in the direction of the main hall of the Demon Hunting Division.

"We have to synthesize intelligence from the Demon Search Division, assess risks, weigh the status of each team and their compatibility with missions, and then have Deputy Thousand-Household Wu or even Thousand-Household Liao make the final decision. As for our Team C..."

He paused.

"We just suffered losses and need time to restore morale, replenish, and coordinate. The higher-ups will consider these things."

"Are we just going to keep waiting?"

Chen Mu asked, his tone calm but filled with persistence.

Bai Junyi frowned, his tone becoming serious.

"Chen Mu, I understand how you feel, but you must remember that impatience is a major taboo here. Demons won't get weaker because you're impatient, and missions won't get easier. On the contrary, if you go to the battlefield with a restless mind, you'll be the first to die."

He patted Chen Mu's shoulder, with significant force.

"Use more of your skills during training, master the squad's joint attack formations, and coordinate more with your colleagues. When the opportunity comes, there will naturally be a time for you to show your stuff. Before that, keep your cool."

After saying this, he said no more and turned to enter the room.

Chen Mu did not move, standing in place and frowning.

Keep his cool?

He knew he had to keep his cool, but he knew even better that time waits for no one.

This massive machine of the Prefecture had its own inherent rhythm, but his path could not afford to wait for this methodical pace.

Perhaps he needed to think of another way.

While he was thinking, Ling Xiaoning popped out from somewhere again, holding half a steamed bun in his hand, chewing and mumbling.

"Got scolded, right? Squad Leader Bai is just like that, but he's actually doing it for our own good. I heard that General Squad Leader Huo has been running to the Demon Suppression Division these past two days. He might be keeping an eye on some news. Maybe it'll be soon."

Chen Mu looked toward the main hall of the Demon Hunting Division, then gazed at the eaves of the Demon Search Division's courtyard next door, withdrew his gaze, and said to Ling Xiaoning.

"Let's go back."

The two walked toward the Team C barracks. Inside the barracks, Lu Dachuan was using a whetstone to sharpen his thick-backed Dao. The screeching sound was exceptionally clear in the night. Feng Qing was adjusting his bowstring in the corner.

Everything seemed no different from usual.

Chen Mu placed his Dao by the head of his bed and sat down to regulate his Qi, but his heart was not at peace.

When would the first battle in the Prefecture come?

...

In the blink of an eye, another three days passed. Chen Mu continued to train and regulate his Qi every day, keeping that two thousand four hundred-plus years of Lifespan suppressed in his heart. No impatience could be seen on his face, though he did glance toward the main hall of the Demon Hunting Division a bit more often.

Zhuifeng seemed to have sensed it too. These past few days, it had become increasingly clingy, even following Chen Mu from afar when he went to the training grounds, curling up in the shadows in the corner, its dark golden eyes unblinking.

This morning, just after the training session was halfway through, Bai Junyi was hastily called away by someone sent by General Squad Leader Huo.

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea later, Bai Junyi returned. His expression was much graver than usual. He did not immediately assemble the team, but instead called Lu Dachuan, Feng Qing, and two other veteran soldiers to speak in low voices.

Lu Dachuan's brows were tightly locked, Feng Qing stopped wiping his bow, and the other two also had solemn expressions.

The rest of Team C saw this and knew in their hearts that a mission was likely coming.

Sure enough, in the afternoon, instead of giving a simple lecture and dismissing them as usual, Bai Junyi gathered everyone in the corner of the training grounds.

"An order just received."

Bai Junyi's voice was not loud, but every word was clear.

"One hundred and twenty li to the southwest, there is a town called Shi Town. Three days ago, people started going missing in the town one after another. At first, it was just drunkards returning at night or lonely elderly people living alone. The townspeople just assumed it was ordinary disappearances or that they had encountered thieves, but yesterday..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

"Yesterday morning, three corpses were found at the entrance of the town. They had been gnawed until only remains were left. There were clear tooth marks and traces of saliva on the bones. After preliminary inspection by the Demon Search Division, it was confirmed to be the work of a demon, and not an ordinary small demon."

"The Demon Search Division has given a preliminary assessment. The danger Rank is... C-High."