Chapter 94: The New Official's First Flame [Third Update, 13,000 Words, Please Subscribe]

"Have you heard?"

"Bai Li Feihong has been promoted to Garrison Commander."

"Lord Feihong is already the Right Garrison Commander."

"No, he's the Garrison Commander of Feiyuan Island."

"Feiyuan Island? Isn't that an overseas territory?"

"Exactly. I heard Feiyuan Island is about the same size as Dongzhou Province."

"The Southern Pacification Navy suffered a crushing defeat and is holed up on Feiyuan Island. For Lord Feihong to go there as Garrison Commander now... isn't he just going to be everyone's punching bag?"

Inside the Demon-Suppression Tower, murmurs spread everywhere.

Yan Ruyu came to work as usual, but after hearing the rumors, she grew restless.

Leaving aside the fact that Feiyuan Island was overseas, many of the Great Yuan Empire's laws couldn't reach that far.

The Southern Pacification Navy was one of the main naval forces under the Military Department.

After years of campaigning overseas, it had become an entity unto itself.

For Bai Li Feihong to take up a post on overseas Feiyuan Island at this time was nothing less than planting a flag—the Demon-Suppression Bureau's flag—right in the belly of the Southern Pacification Navy.

Because, for a long time now, the Demon-Suppression Bureau on Feiyuan Island had been a bureau in name only.

In fact, they'd hang up a signboard, and within two or three days, they'd report a demon-suppression officer dead—killed by demons or dying an unnatural death.

The few demon-suppression officers left behind were, in truth, people who'd been sidelined to Feiyuan Island to live out their retirement.

What's more, Feiyuan Island faced the nations overseas directly.

Many powerhouses there followed the law of the jungle, where the word "rules" simply didn't exist.

To put it bluntly, if Bai Li Feihong died on Feiyuan Island, no one would even bother to collect his corpse.

Suddenly, the Demon-Suppression Tower fell silent.

Heavy footsteps sounded.

Bai Li Feihong walked up to the mission counter.

"I heard you've been appointed Garrison Commander of Feiyuan Island," Yan Ruyu said softly.

"Mm."

"Congratulations on becoming a regional garrison commander."

Bai Li Feihong was taken aback. He could hear the dejection in Yan Ruyu's voice.

"For Commander Gong Yu to personally intervene—what have I done to deserve such a great figure's trouble? It truly is worth celebrating."

For someone like Gong Yu, a garrison commander, to step in personally—for Bai Li Feihong, it really was worth celebrating.

He was someone of note now.

"Lord Feihong, that's Feiyuan Island."

Yan Ruyu stamped her foot.

"At most a year, at least three, and I will definitely return. When I do, our Commander Gong Yu won't be able to toy with my fate as easily as he does now."

Bai Li Feihong smiled, his smile as brilliant as sunshine.

Wasn't Gong Yu's arrangement exactly what he needed?

Even without skill points, within three years, just by hiding away and cultivating, he could rely on experience points alone to achieve Divine Ability Master.

Gong Yu was a Divine Ability Master, a commander of the Demon-Suppression Bureau.

If he himself became a Divine Ability Master, then if Gong Yu dared to mess with him again, he could just slap him to death with one palm.

"The Southern Pacification Navy people are domineering. Going to Feiyuan Island this time is like forcefully driving a nail into the heart of their territory. Feiyuan Island is very close to Devil's Sea, demons run rampant, overseas religions are in chaos, and powerful pirates dominate the waters..."

Yan Ruyu seemed to know Feiyuan Island well, and she painstakingly explained the island's tangled web of complex relationships to Bai Li Feihong.

He quietly watched her, a faint smile on his face.

Yan Ruyu seemed to sense something, and a blush crept onto her face.

"Miss Yan, no matter how harsh the environment on Feiyuan Island, no matter how tangled the overseas factions and demons may be, it all ultimately comes down to two words: power."

Bai Li Feihong finally spoke.

He was simply stating the essence of a fact.

"Where is there no danger when a man seeks to build his career and establish his name?"

"Miss Yan, take care. Dongbin City is dangerous—you must be careful yourself."

With that, he pulled a copy of "Carefree Wanderings" from his bosom.

"This movement technique has my annotations. If you cultivate it to the pinnacle, there's a surprise waiting for you."

The moment Yan Ruyu lowered her head, Bai Li Feihong had already vanished.

That same day, Zhang Jingzhong became the Chief of the Patrol Bureau.

The old chief retired, to enjoy his remaining years in peace.

Three days later.

"Ji Xiaoqian, you and I were fated to meet, so I'll set up a gravestone for you."

Beneath the banyan tree in the small courtyard lay buried the gold, silver, and jewels Ji Xiaoqian had given him.

Back then, he was destitute.

Now, wealth was nothing more than a thing outside the body to him.

That pitiable, tragic, yet admirable woman—she deserved to have a name.

"Take good care of the house. Years from now, when will we meet again? Who can say?"

After surviving the ordeal of death at Gongping Town, Bai Li Feihong understood that the small achievements he'd gained through the skill books hadn't given him a sense of security. Instead, they'd made him like a pig fattened and strengthened in its pen, waiting to be slaughtered.

Dongbin City had a naval fleet permanently stationed there.

It was laughable—the cost of keeping that fleet afloat came mostly from the port and docks controlled by the Canal Transport Gang.

Demon-Suppression Officer Ding Bo stood at a distance, watching Bai Li Feihong approach.

Who would believe that this ridiculously young garrison commander had, less than a year ago, been a demon-suppression apprentice under his own tutelage?

From twenty zhang away, Bai Li Feihong cupped his hands in a distant salute.

Thanking Demon-Suppression Officer Ding Bo for his guidance.

"Don't worry. I've got the Four Seas Martial Hall covered," Ding Bo muttered, then turned and headed back to the Canal Transport Gang.

The Canal Transport Gang had been able to extricate itself because the Dongbin City Demon-Suppression Bureau had taken over the docks and port, indirectly controlling the gang's power in the area.

And Demon-Suppression Officer Ding Bo was the trustee.

The sunlight was bright, and the warships at the military harbor gleamed brilliantly under the sun.

The commander of the Dongbin Naval Fleet, General Huang Minghui, had been waiting for some time.

"General Huang, I'll be counting on you for this voyage to Feiyuan Island," Bai Li Feihong said, cupping his fists and speaking first.

"Garrison Commander Bai, my hometown is in Nanshan County town," General Huang said briefly, not saying much else.

He simply directed the soldiers to load Bai Li Feihong's luggage onto the ship.

But that one sentence was enough for Bai Li Feihong to know that his time at sea would be quite comfortable.

The route headed south, winding through seven or eight cities, with stops at coastal harbors for resupply.

From the very first day he boarded the warship, Bai Li Feihong never set foot off the ship.

He stayed shut in, cultivating in seclusion, pondering the Kunpeng Escape Art, the Ten Thousand Things Return to Origin Cauldron Technique, and the second path of the Demon-Suppressing Six Paths Sutra.

Fortunately, after beheading the Japanese pirates in Nanshan County, besides his promotion to Garrison Commander, the Guliang royal family had bestowed upon him a large number of pills.

Among them, the Creation Blood Essence Pill was the most precious.

It was the pinnacle pill for enhancing blood energy.

One Creation Blood Essence Pill was worth ten thousand gold, and no one would part with it.

This period of seclusion gave Bai Li Feihong the illusion of being back on the HLD.

The only downside was that the cabin room was too cramped.

It was already the best room on the warship.

The eight supreme arts he'd obtained from the Demon-Suppression Bureau were all etched firmly in his memory.

He just hadn't cultivated them yet.

A month later, the Dongbin Naval Fleet finally reached Feiyuan Island.

"Our Dongbin Fleet's mission is to escort a special shipment of goods for the Southern Pacification Navy. We won't linger on Feiyuan Island long—we'll be turning back to the Eastern Sea soon. Brother Feihong, take care of yourself on Feiyuan Island. If you can keep up the good habits you've had on the ship, that would be for the best."

General Huang Minghui was usually a man of few words, but on the eve of their parting, this old brother saw fit to offer him a word of advice.

"Don't worry, Brother Huang. Aside from fulfilling my duties as a demon-suppression officer, I won't meddle in anything else when I get to the island."

Bai Li Feihong had no interest in power struggles.

There was a saying that used to circulate in the professional world: as long as your professional skill was impressive enough, you could fear nothing.

If you still felt fear, it meant your skill hadn't reached the very top.

However complex Feiyuan Island might be.

One's own strength was the true foundation of survival.

"With those words, I'm at ease. Oh, by the way, I have a fellow townsman who is the Chief of the Patrol Bureau on Feiyuan Island. He's been serving there for over twenty years. If you ever need help, just go to him and mention my name—he'll definitely assist."

"Thank you for your help, Brother Huang. I'm deeply grateful. I'll head to the island now. If the Dongbin Fleet ever returns to Feiyuan Island, I'll invite Brother Huang for a drink."

Bai Li Feihong cupped his fists in farewell.

"Take care."

Bai Li Feihong stepped onto the dock.

From afar, he saw an old man holding up a sign.

[Welcome, Garrison Commander, your arrival.]

The dock was bustling with people coming and going.

This old man could barely stand steady.

Bai Li Feihong narrowed his eyes, gaining a new understanding of the Demon-Suppression Bureau's standing on Feiyuan Island.

No one paid it any attention.

A Garrison Commander with zero presence.

"Hey, you old man, get out of the way! Can't you see Lord Liu is receiving an important guest at the dock?"

A voice shouted with extreme arrogance.

Even amid the noisy chaos of the dock, it reached everyone's ears clearly.

The crowd scattered like birds and beasts.

A path opened up.

The man wore black close-fitting clothes, a chainmail vest, a short firearm tucked into his waist, a square face, tall stature, dark skin, and a fierce, menacing look.

Judging by his attire, he should be a military centurion.

On land, he could command twenty men.

In the navy, he was a squad leader of eight.

"Brothers of the navy, today our Garrison Commander is taking office—"

"Ha! Your Garrison Commander takes office, and your Demon-Suppression Bureau thinks it's tough now? What is the Demon-Suppression Bureau anyway? Get lost, or don't blame my bullets for having no eyes. Heh, lately there's been a lot of Farah Empire spies around, and this soldier now suspects you might be one."

The naval centurion was full of mockery, but his eyes were cold.

The old man holding the sign trembled with rage, pointing at him and cursing: "Don't talk nonsense! I am a B-class Demon-Suppression Officer, equal in rank to your ship's commanding general! How dare you call a deer a horse and frame me!"

"Old man, this is Feiyuan Island, not the territory of the Great Yuan."

The centurion grabbed his short firearm and coldly aimed it at the old man from the Demon-Suppression Bureau's head.

"How dare you! How dare you! Aren't you afraid someone will report you?"

Had a B-class demon-suppression officer of the Demon-Suppression Bureau fallen to such a state?

Looking at his blood energy, it was already extremely weak, and he had many old ailments on his body. Being able to come to the dock to receive Bai Li Feihong meant he had a tough constitution and was still fairly spry.

"Haha, if I kill you, no one would see anything. Who saw anything?"

The naval centurion looked around contemptuously, and the people on the dock who had been watching lowered their heads.

"I saw it."

Bai Li Feihong said calmly.

"Who? Are you the one talking?"

The naval centurion aimed his short firearm at Bai Li Feihong.

"A reckless fool who doesn't know when to die."

Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger. The fellow did have some skill.

His marksmanship was eerily accurate.

The bullet hit Bai Li Feihong squarely between the eyebrows.

"A reckless fool who doesn't know when to die," the naval centurion sneered.

The old man from the Demon-Suppression Bureau trembled with fury.

Such arrogance and brutality—among the Southern Pacification Navy soldiers on Feiyuan Island, it had become second nature.

"Your marksmanship is quite accurate. A pity your character is crooked."

Bai Li Feihong's gaze turned cold.

Fresh on the job, and this is the show I get.

It's really put me in a bad mood.

"You... how is that possible?"

The naval centurion hastily retreated several steps.

The arrogance was gone from his face, replaced by nothing but fear flooding his heart.

He knew he'd run into a tough nut.

"Just who are you?"

"Great Yuan Empire, Demon-Suppression Bureau, Garrison Commander of Feiyuan Island, Bai Li Feihong. Also known as a little head honcho in the Demon-Suppression Bureau—the very thing you said was 'nothing much.'"

Bai Li Feihong said coldly.

"Milord, spare my life!" the naval centurion cried in panic.

"Spare your life? You colluded with demons, slandered the Great Yuan, made public statements subverting the government, defamed the Demon-Suppression Bureau, and opened fire to murder a Garrison Commander. Which of these crimes do you think warrants mercy?"

Bai Li Feihong curled his lips slightly, revealing a hint of contempt.

He could have ignored such a small fry.

But the fellow had gotten too big for his britches, and he'd enraged Bai Li Feihong.

He couldn't deal with the East Marquis Army Master of the Underworld, but the Southern Pacification Navy?

Word had it the Southern Pacification Navy's admiral hasn't even stepped into the Divine Ability realm.

"You're talking nonsense! This is Feiyuan Island, the Southern Pacification Navy's territory! If the Demon-Suppression Bureau kills me, aren't you afraid our admiral will skin you alive?!"

Terrified, the naval centurion tried threatening Bai Li Feihong instead.

A fox borrowing the tiger's might, a dog relying on its master's power!

"By all rights, your admiral of the Southern Pacification Navy does outrank me as Garrison Commander," Bai Li Feihong said as he stepped forward one pace at a time, his voice rising. "But the Demon-Suppression Bureau—by imperial decree—stands one rank above all officials, and has the authority to oversee every official in the realm. Other than His Majesty the Emperor himself, no one can interfere with the Demon-Suppression Bureau's handling of cases."

"You... deserve a thousand deaths."

He raised his arm, pointing his index finger at the man, trembling slightly.

"Stay your hand!"

With a burst of force, the man's head exploded, blood and brains scattering all over the ground.

A squad of cavalry came galloping over at full speed.

At their head was a man in silver armor, riding a fine steed, an imposing sight.

"This general told you to stay your hand—why did you still kill one of my navy men?"

"Do you want to die?"

The mounted commander's face was grim, murderous intent blazing in his eyes.

The cavalry behind him raised their firearms, aiming at Bai Li Feihong.

At a single command from their superior, a hundred guns would fire at once.

"Crime one: colluding with demons."

Bai Li Feihong smiled.

"Crime two: making statements subverting the government. Feiyuan Island is Great Yuan territory, not the Southern Pacification Navy's private preserve."

"Crime three: opening fire on this Garrison Commander. That is a crime of the highest order."

The mounted commander snorted coldly: "The Demon-Suppression Bureau certainly has great power, and great arrogance. With your one-sided words, you kill a centurion of my Southern Pacification Navy. This general thinks you're nothing but a snot-nosed brat whose hair hasn't even grown in—you must be an impostor. Men, seize him!"

Bai Li Feihong kept smiling.

The next moment, he raised his hand and struck out with a palm across the air.

The mounted commander was blasted a hundred zhang away, and the steed beneath him was blown apart on the spot.

"You've been arrogant so long, used to having your way overseas. Have you forgotten that our Demon-Suppression Bureau is the original ancestor of privilege?"

Zhang Baihai spat blood. At that moment, he felt death was so close.

Bang bang bang~~~

Gunfire rang out.

Flesh and blood flew everywhere.

But the ones who died were the soldiers he'd brought.

Not one left with a whole corpse.

Bai Li Feihong clasped his hands behind his back, strolling through the gore, yet not a drop of blood touched his soles.

He was walking on air.

"Come on. Take me to the Demon-Suppression Bureau."

He glanced at the old man who'd come to receive him, his expression cold.

The old man trembled all over, not daring to say a word.

"Admiral, he won't spare you," Zhang Baihai said, propping himself up.

"According to Great Yuan law and the rules of the Demon-Suppression Bureau, you should be a dead man. I'm sparing your life so you can deliver a message to Admiral Yan. Within three days, if I do not enjoy the privileges that belong to me as Garrison Commander, I will submit a memorial to His Majesty detailing everything I've seen and heard today, reporting that your admiral harbors rebellious intent, and that the Southern Pacification Navy harbors disloyal hearts."

Bai Li Feihong made no effort to hide his words.

"When that time comes, the ones who arrive won't be from the Demon-Suppression Bureau. They'll be Heavenly Guardian Generals."

"Trust me, the Southern Pacification Navy won't suffer a great defeat in the future—because the entire Southern Pacification Navy will be annihilated."

Bai Li Feihong said this with a kind and pleasant expression to the wounded man.

"You... don't talk nonsense."

"Now you know how it feels—I'm just quoting your Southern Pacification Navy centurion's own words."