I Become a Martial Arts God in the Chaotic Demon World-Chapter 158 Pei Xiuyuan

Three days later, Han Zheng, clad in the Purple Gold Sky Wolf Armor, rode his horse to the front of the Smoke Wave Prefecture.

The city walls of Smoke Wave Prefecture appeared somewhat mottled and old, exuding a grayish-white color.

This was because, when Smoke Wave Prefecture was built initially, all the stones used were salvaged from Smoke Wave Lake.

It was said that there was a submerged ancient city underneath Smoke Wave Lake and fishermen often dredged up pieces of armor and various clay pots and porcelain from the lake.

Near the shore, in the shallow water, there were rows of stone slabs that seemed to be the streets of the city in the past.

These stone slabs had been soaked to a grayish-white color, but they were still fairly smooth, and had been conveniently used to build the city walls when Smoke Wave Prefecture was constructed.

Upon entering the State Mansion, although it was not as bustling as Kai Ping Prefecture, it was nevertheless of considerable size.

Han Zheng asked around for the location of the Demon Cleansing Bureau office of Smoke Wave Prefecture and then headed straight there.

The headquarters of the Demon Cleansing Bureau was in the center of Kai Ping Prefecture, because it was the first Demon Cleansing Bureau established, followed by other government offices.

Smoke Wave Prefecture had been founded hundreds of years after the establishment of Great Zhou, and during a time of peace, so there was no need for the Demon Cleansing Bureau to be stationed there.

Therefore, the central area was long occupied by the Government Office, and naturally, when it came time to build the Demon Cleansing Bureau office later on, it wasn't feasible to evict the Government Office, so the bureau was built in East City.

In the center of East City, rows of solemn and majestic black temples occupied half the street, lacking only the demonic sculptures seen at the headquarters of Kai Ping Prefecture's Demon Cleansing Bureau.

At this moment, in the Council Hall of the Demon Cleansing Bureau office, Xuanjia Guards of the Demon Cleansing Bureau were seated on both sides.

The two individuals in the front, dressed in Purple Gold Sky Wolf Armor, were Colonels of the Demon Cleansing Bureau, while the rest, clad in Golden Pattern Armor, were Team Leaders who had all reached the Peak of the Innate Transcendence Realm.

It could be said that although Smoke Wave Prefecture had no Garrison Captain, its other arrangements were not poor.

Of the leading two Colonels, one was a man of thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old named Pei Xiuyuan, who was also considered a standout figure among his generation in the Southern Mountain Demon Cleansing Department, having stepped into the Xuan Gang Realm in his early thirties.

However, in this generation, there were even more young people of remarkable talent in the Demon Cleansing Bureau; both Han Zheng and another managed to step into the Xuan Gang Realm in their early twenties.

The other Colonel was a man who looked to be over seventy years old.

And he indeed appeared extremely aged, with white hair and beard, his face covered with age spots, looking even more aged than Xu Cunbao.

This elderly Colonel, named Zhao Rongye, had spent a lifetime in Smoke Wave Prefecture, garnering enough Merit year after year to barely break through to the Xuan Gang Realm with the aid of an Elixir.

However, by the time he achieved a breakthrough to the Xuan Gang Realm, he was already over seventy years old; his Qi Blood Power was no longer at its peak, and breaking through the Xuan Gang Realm merely extended his Life Span by a few more decades. There was no hope for further breakthroughs in this life.

Moreover, he had suffered severe internal injuries later in life, which instantly drained the additional Life Span he had gained upon entering the Xuan Gang Realm. Thus, he was already in decline, nearing the end of a Martial Artist's Life Span.

Pei Xiuyuan, at this moment, was holding a directive from the headquarters in Southern Mountain and suddenly let out a cold laugh.

"Gentlemen, the headquarters in Southern Mountain has already issued an order, appointing Han Zheng to take charge of Smoke Wave Prefecture.

This Mr. Han has a rather extraordinary track record, hailed as one of the 'Twin Devils of the Demon Cleansing Bureau,' single-handedly annihilating an entire clan, and he is the favorite of both Mr. Wen and Old Mr. Xu despite his young age.

Most importantly, he joined the Demon Cleansing Bureau less than a year ago, yet he's already tasked with overseeing Smoke Wave Prefecture, which shows just how much Mr. Wen and Old Mr. Xu value him!"

These words from Pei Xiuyuan carried a tone somewhat tinged with gritted teeth.

Within the office of the Demon Cleansing Bureau in Smoke Wave Prefecture, Zhao Rongye had the oldest tenure.

But Zhao Rongye was old, his Qi Blood Power was in decline, his Life Span nearing its end, and in Smoke Wave Prefecture, he was merely tasked with staying behind and holding the fort.

Pei Xiuyuan had been in Smoke Wave Prefecture for almost ten years, still in his prime with considerable strength.

So, when the previous Colonel tasked with garrisoning Smoke Wave Prefecture passed away, Pei Xiuyuan thought he could take over.

However, to his surprise, a man named Liao Hongsheng was appointed instead.

But Pei Xiuyuan accepted it,

After all, the strength of Liao Hongsheng was clear for all to see, being in the Late Stage of the Xuan Gang Realm and far surpassing him, holding command of the strongest combat force in the Demon Cleansing Bureau headquarters, Douzi Camp, making him well-qualified to garrison Smoke Wave Prefecture.

But Liao Hongsheng had died, and with the Southern Mountain Demon Cleansing Department facing a severe shortage of personnel, Pei Xiuyuan thought that the higher-ups should promote him to the position.

After all, he had both the qualifications and the strength, and he understood Smoke Wave Prefecture extremely well. If he did not take charge of Smoke Wave Prefecture, who else was qualified to do so?

But Pei Xiuyuan never expected that Kai Ping Prefecture would rather appoint a newcomer who had joined the Demon Cleansing Bureau less than a year ago to take charge of Smoke Wave Prefecture instead of letting him, Pei Xiuyuan, take the reins!

Why!

Why?

When Pei Xiuyuan first learned the entire news, his hands trembled with anger. Did the higher-ups really look down on him so much?

The team leaders of the Demon Cleansing Bureau below were all discussing quietly, cautiously looking towards Pei Xiuyuan, none daring to speak out and risk provoking his ire.

They all knew what Pei Xiuyuan was thinking.

He had thought that Smoke Wave Prefecture was firmly within his grasp. Yet, the higher-ups suddenly appointed a newcomer to take charge of Smoke Wave Prefecture without even considering him, something anyone would find intolerable.

A man in his thirties, rugged in appearance, snorted coldly, "If you ask me, the headquarters is blind!

The gentleman had just died, and Smoke Wave Prefecture was in turmoil, so it should have been Mr. Pei who took charge.

Instead, headquarters sent some greenhorn kid to take over Smoke Wave Prefecture.

Does he even know the situation in Smoke Wave Prefecture? Does he have any experience in garrisoning a place?

It's simply preposterous!"

The man who spoke was named Zhao Jinhua, a confidant of Pei Xiuyuan. Pei Xiuyuan had once saved his life from demons, and since then, Zhao Jinhua had always followed Pei Xiuyuan's lead.

Other team leaders who had good relationships with Pei Xiuyuan on normal days also murmured in agreement, while the rest remained silent.

Although they were not as furious as Pei Xiuyuan, they too were puzzled by the order from the headquarters of Southern Mountain.

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These team leaders had all experienced dozens or even hundreds of missions, battling demons, bandits, and those from the Martial World to reach their current positions.

Now, they were to take orders from a young man in his early twenties with absolutely no experience in garrisoning a place, which left them feeling awkward and even resentful.

Pei Xiuyuan looked at Zhao Rongye, who seemed about to fall asleep beside him, and said indifferently, "Old Zhao, what do you think about this?"

Zhao Rongye's eyelids twitched as if he was suddenly woken up and he rubbed his eyes.

"I'm almost at the age of retirement, so what can I see? I see with my eyes.

The order has already come down from above, so this Mr. Han is now our superior, and the hierarchy within the Demon Cleansing Bureau is strict, not open to questioning.

I'm an old man at this age anyway, whoever takes charge of Smoke Wave Prefecture, it's not like I'll have less to eat, right?

Going by the time, Mr. Han should be about to arrive today. Shouldn't we consider holding some sort of welcoming ceremony?"

Seeing Zhao Rongye's nonchalant demeanor, Pei Xiuyuan cursed inwardly: Slimy old bastard!

The position and seniority of Zhao Rongye dictated that whoever took charge of Smoke Wave Prefecture had to treat him with deference; otherwise, they risked being labeled as disrespectful to an elder.

That's why he didn't care about these matters, and might even want to curry favor with the new superior.

When Liao Hongsheng had first taken office, Zhao Rongye had behaved similarly, keeping Liao Hongsheng apprehensive and overly courteous, barely recognizing his own importance.

Pei Xiuyuan said sarcastically, "Fine, since that's the case, let's think about what we should use to welcome Mr. Han!"

Glancing around, the team leaders all lowered their heads; no one wanted to offend Pei Xiuyuan at such a time.

But at that moment, the door to the Council Hall was suddenly pushed open. Han Zheng strode in majestically, and oblivious to everyone's reaction, he took the central seat and slammed his credentials down on the table.

"No need for a welcome. I am here to bring closure for Mr. Liao and to account for my department at Southern Mountain; nothing superficial is needed."

Han Zheng scanned the people present with a smile on his lips, "I am Han Zheng, appointed to take charge of Smoke Wave Prefecture. You may share your thoughts with me, but I might not necessarily listen."