Chapter 123: Renowned Throughout the World

"Psychic powers? Inspector Yang is capable of such a thing?" Baili Feihong asked, surprised. All manner of bizarre abilities were surfacing.

"Sir, Inspector Yang is the most skilled investigator on Feiyuan Island. He rose from humble beginnings, step by step, to reach his current position in the Inspector's Office," Hu Zuowei said, taking a deep breath and bowing with clasped hands. "I humbly ask that you provide Inspector Yang with a platform sufficient for his growth."

Hu Zuowei remained bowed.

"The Demon Suppression Division rewards the capable and dismisses the incompetent. If he has the skill, the Division will be his best platform. If he is incompetent, joining the Division will be his death sentence." Baili Feihong did not help Hu Zuowei up; he knew Hu was pleading on Yang's behalf. He understood what Hu feared—that moving from the Inspector's Office to the Demon Suppression Division would label Yang a traitor. After today, there would be no place for Inspector Yang in the Inspector's Office. Participating in this recruitment was his only chance for survival.

Feiyuan Island was not like other places. Due to underlying political factors, joining the Demon Suppression Division was inherently risky. Yang was willing to face that risk, and if Baili Feihong didn't accept him today, the Southern Naval Command would never let him go.

"I cannot protect you forever. While I am still on Feiyuan Island, if you do not strive for yourselves, the vanity you enjoy today will be your undoing tomorrow," Baili Feihong stated a cruel truth. The political climate of Feiyuan Island would not change simply because of his presence. Once he left, the Demon Suppression Division would collapse. Today, he could suppress every faction on the island to ensure the Division’s authority, but the day he left, the resentment from that suppression would fuel a fierce retaliation.

"Sir, we eight old relics have lived long enough. Every extra day of glory is like a dream. But now that the Demon Suppression Division has reopened and is recruiting young people, if they are not given sufficient room and a platform to grow, their future will be bleak," Hu Zuowei lamented. They were eight old dogs ready for the slaughter, and others would only complain that killing them dirtied their hands.

"One must rely on oneself; destiny is ultimately held in one's own hands. The foundation I am building on Feiyuan Island—if they can hold it, they will; if they cannot, they must face the bitter consequences of their own choices." Baili Feihong looked at those who had passed the three rounds of assessments, their faces beaming with pride. Many saw the current strength of the Demon Suppression Division only because of his own power. He knew he would leave Feiyuan Island eventually, and it wouldn't be long.

"That should be enough time." Baili Feihong’s gaze fell upon Chen Xingyan. His father had become senile and lost his position as Prefect. The Chen family, once a powerful elite on the island, had fallen into the mud. With a Spirit Refining level and a Fire-type talent, he was a natural master of flame and possessed top-tier martial potential. Most importantly, Chen Xingyan had a backbone and independent judgment. Had he been born into a great family in the Great Yuan Empire, he would surely be a renowned figure on the Hidden Dragon List.

Baili Feihong’s own genius was built on his unique advantages. This man, however, had a certain quality; if he were to tutor him for a year, he might well be able to take his place. To Baili Feihong, Feiyuan Island was ultimately just a stopover. If not for the eight old men, he would never have rebuilt the Demon Suppression Division. A single person guarding a place—that is the Demon Suppression Division. The thought of cultivating a successor was planted entirely by Gongyang Yan. Perhaps it was because she had always been cultivating him to take her place, though she was never the master of her own fate—merely a pawn.

Baili Feihong was also a pawn, but Feiyuan Island had given him the room to grow into a player. Being a qualified Guardian was not his desire; he preferred to be a free Demon Suppressor.

"The five candidates with innate talents are exempt from the martial arts trial," Baili Feihong announced before turning to leave. His voice was loud enough for anyone with martial training to hear. Some might be dissatisfied, but so what? The world was inherently unfair; granting privileges was his own prerogative. In the Demon Suppression Division, his word was law.

Qin Suqing looked startled. She had practiced martial arts but had never fought anyone, and the combat trial was what she feared most. Chen Xingyan frowned, but seeing the examiners, his fighting spirit vanished. It wasn't that the examiners were weak—even in their prime, Chen Xingyan might not have been able to defeat Qin Tiesheng. The "Wild Blade" Qin Tiesheng was a hero, even if his glory days were behind him. The three Grade-A Demon Suppressors—Qin Tiesheng, Dongfang Yao, and Chen Shanling—all possessed the ability to fight to the death. They might die in the process of using their ultimate moves, but they could take an opponent with them. Who would want to trade lives with such old men?

Inspector Yang looked embarrassed. Among the five talented ones, he was the oldest and was jumping ship from the Inspector's Office. Taking this shortcut would inevitably invite gossip. But he was a man who had seen storms; having decided on this path, the chatter of the outside world could not shake his resolve. Within the Demon Suppression Division, if a storm came, he would still have the massive mountain of the Guardian to shield him.

The remaining candidates had no objections. After the third round, 146 people remained. The recruits included 88 Apprentices and 22 Demon Suppressors, totaling 110. The chances of entering the Division were high. Baili Feihong did not participate in the fourth round; he already knew who would be entering.

...

"The Demon Suppression Division has recruited 110 people."
"Chen Xingyan has become a Grade-A Demon Suppressor."
"Yang Chengfei has joined the Division."
"Shangguan Zhen has become a Grade-B Demon Suppressor."

News spread across Feiyuan Island, reaching the ears of every major faction. The Governor's Mansion remained strangely quiet, but the Shangguan family was in an uproar. They had always intended for Shangguan Zhen to join the military; with their influence in the Southern Naval Command, he could have become a commander of a small fleet in no time. He was their hope for the next generation, yet he had joined the sworn enemy of the Southern Naval Command as a Demon Suppressor. If Governor Yan were to blame them, their family interests would suffer greatly.

But Shangguan Zhen was already a Demon Suppressor. Once a Demon Suppressor, always a Demon Suppressor. Unless they died, no one left the Division. It was an iron rule, stricter than any sect’s. They could resist, but the man they would be resisting was Baili Feihong.

How long had he been on Feiyuan Island? He had forced the Southern Naval Command and even the Governor's Mansion to obediently return numerous martial arts manuals to the Division. Yan Fei could have returned them secretly, but he didn't dare. He knew what had happened on the Western Island: Xue Ming, the Saint Son of the Huajian Sect—a peak-level master of the Supernatural Realm and sixth on the Hidden Dragon List—had been killed by Baili Feihong. People on Feiyuan Island might not understand the significance, but Yan Fei did. Even the ancestor of the Yan family, a master of the Dharma Image Realm, would not stand up for him if Baili Feihong killed him; the family would simply look the other way. That was the power of deterrence.

Yan Fei dared not gamble. He began considering an exit strategy for the Southern Naval Command. If he could conquer the Devil's Strait and seize the islands along the way, moving his forces forward, the affairs of Feiyuan Island would no longer concern him. Through control of the Strait, he could indirectly control the island. He even envisioned his own future: Governor of the South, a true regional hegemon.

"Things are moving too fast," he thought. "Baili Feihong's strength is growing too quickly." What made the Governor even more desperate was that Fati could not see Baili Feihong's future; he was shrouded in a mysterious mist. This was Fati's first failure since awakening his talent, and the backlash meant he would be unable to use his ability for three months.

"Such talent—the Crown Prince should be pleased," Yan Fei mused. He couldn't defeat Baili Feihong, but he could bring him into his camp. If he could use Baili Feihong to win over Gongyang Yan to the Crown Prince's faction, it would be a massive triumph. With the support of the Blade Saint, the Crown Prince's throne would be secure. The current Emperor was nearing his end, and several powerful princes were backed by formidable factions, posing a grave threat to the Crown Prince. The Gongyang family, the Demon Suppression Division, and the Divine Supervision Office all belonged to the Emperor, supporting whoever sat on the throne. The Division had been infiltrated by various factions, and its elders' attitudes were unclear. The Divine Supervision Office was aloof, keeping out of politics. Thus, the Gongyang family had become a crucial weight on the scales—the very reason a certain prince was determined to marry Gongyang Yan.

"Those who recognize the times are heroes," Yan Fei thought. "If Baili Feihong is not sensible, the Crown Prince's party will deal with him." Yan Fei was a member of the Crown Prince's party, but he cared most for himself. He had been commanding troops away from the capital for too long; without Baili Feihong, he would be the emperor of Feiyuan Island.

...

"The Demon Suppression Division has become a force to be reckoned with," Wang Qin said, her expression grave. As a disgraced disciple of the Huajian Sect, she was similar in age to Xue Ming and understood his terror—a future Martial Saint. His death on Feiyuan Island meant the Huajian Sect would stop at nothing to kill Baili Feihong.

The sixth position on the Hidden Dragon List concerned the sect's future. The Heavenly Dragon Instrument controlled the martial destiny of the world, and this destiny was the destiny of a Martial Saint. Countless talents were blocked at the Dharma Image stage, unable to cross the threshold.

"I must leave Feiyuan Island," Wang Qin realized. If the sect sent others, they would find her. The Black Sky Divine Sect could not protect her. Leaving a letter, she vanished. Feiyuan Island was no longer safe. She didn't give Chen Tao or Jia Renyi time to react. Baili Feihong hadn't just killed a chicken to scare the monkeys; he had poked a hornet's nest. He didn't understand that for a Demon Suppressor to appear on the Hidden Dragon List was to expose themselves to the sects. The stronger he became, the more the sects would want him dead, for there was a high probability that such a person could cultivate a World-Suppressing Dharma Image.

For centuries, thousands had been "Demon Suppression Seeds," but only the five elders had successfully cultivated that image. They were the foundation of the Division's resistance against the sects. If another elder-level figure emerged, the Imperial Court might actually march on the underworld and destroy the sects.

"The Great Yuan Emperor is nearing the end of his life!" Wang Qin thought. The Son of Heaven lived no longer than a hundred years. The Taiyi Sect gripped the Heavenly Dao, pinning the Guliang royal family under a curse. The march on the underworld hadn't been to reclaim power; she had read in the secret archives of the Huajian Sect that the founding emperor had done it to seek longevity—to break the iron rule of the Taiyi Sect by extinguishing the martial destiny of the world and forcing the Taiyi Sect’s Dao Master to emerge.

"Baili Feihong is a dead man," she concluded. Feiyuan Island would likely be wiped out. The means of the sects were unimaginable; they still possessed the foundations of Human Immortals, and some even had the remains of Demon Gods sealed away—a sword held over the Guliang royal family. A sixth person to cultivate the fifth level of the Demon Suppression Sutra would not be allowed to exist. Wang Qin fled, desperately, not even stopping until she reached the Fara Empire.

...

In the Eastern Province, at the Demon Suppression Commander's Mansion, Gong Yu stared at the intelligence report for a long time, unable to speak. The content exceeded his understanding. He had always thought Baili Feihong was merely a man of great potential, ranked tenth because the Heavenly Dragon Instrument had sensed his aura. Clearly, his strength was enough to place him there, not just his potential.

Gong Yu was already at the peak of the Supernatural Realm. He was over fifty and believed that even in his prime, Xue Ming might not have been his match. But being "not a match" and being killed were two different things. A flicker of anxiety crossed his face. He realized he had done something foolish: transferring Baili Feihong away from Dongbin City to Feiyuan Island. He had let a frog out of the well, allowing it to leap over the dragon gate and soar into the sky. Baili Feihong was no longer someone he could manipulate; the Division on Feiyuan Island was independent, under the jurisdiction of the General Headquarters alone.

"Young Master, intelligence from Feiyuan Island," Gong Yu said, handing a note to Gongyang Yu. Gongyang Yu had never seen Gong Yu look so serious and knew something major had occurred.

"Xue Ming? The 'Yin Thunder God' Xue Ming?" Gongyang Yu looked up, his eyes asking why the sixth-ranked Xue Ming would want to kill Baili Feihong. "Did he also know the technique of seizing destiny?"

"He went to Feiyuan Island on behalf of Shi Jingxuan to kill Baili Feihong."

"The foolish Huajian Sect—they accomplish nothing and ruin everything," Gongyang Yu sighed. "Baili Feihong is as good as dead. It seems I must make a trip to Feiyuan Island to kill him myself, to spare him from being killed by others."

How strong was Gongyang Yu? He was fifth on the Hidden Dragon List. Even with all his techniques, Gong Yu knew he wouldn't last fifty moves against him.

"Young Master, the Eldest Young Master has left for Mount Tianzhu," Gong Yu sighed.

Gongyang Yu stood up, frowning. "My brother must have found a clue to the location of the Taiyi Sect. Prepare the spirit eagle; I am going to Mount Tianzhu." He didn't mention Baili Feihong again.