NOVPUB
Chapter 412: Chapter 408: Recruitment
"Pan Martial King, do you need something?"
Gu Jinlai said.
"I heard your swordsmanship is superb? Care for a fight?"
Pan Dali grinned widely.
"That’s just other people flattering me. Our cultivation, refining the physique and condensing the Martial Arts Will, is the correct path. Swordsmanship is just a minor matter."
Gu Jinlai said, "Moreover, Pan Martial King is also a person who has cultivated several Cultivation Techniques to completion."
"That is true."
Pan Dali responded to Gu Jinlai’s praise, "Among the twenty-six Martial Kings in the Martial Saint Institute, I, Pan Dali, acknowledge myself as the second best, and no one dares to claim to be the first. Would you agree with that statement?"
"Agreed."
Gu Jinlai nodded.
That was a fact.
Among the twenty-six Martial Kings in the Martial Saint Institute, there was only one Pan Dali who was a Peak Martial King, only three were Top Martial Kings, and the remaining twenty-two were either Ordinary Martial Kings or High-level Martial Kings.
After all, the essence of "further education" was precisely to keep up with the main force.
Once they had achieved something in their cultivation, the Martial Kings would each take on their own roles.
Even a city as strong as Wind and Rain City wouldn’t lavish, without utilization, the twenty-six Martial Kings.
"The heroes who guard the city should receive the treatment they deserve. The Sweeper teams need to step into the limelight and get more generous treatment than before, which was not systematic and relied on solo fights... Of course, granting power, positions, and treatment, the difficulty of assessment will also be significantly increased. Out of forty-two Martial Kings in the Martial Saint Institute, only nine have joined the Sweeper teams, and whether the remaining thirty-three can become Sweepers is very much in question."
Pan Dali glanced at Gu Jinlai, "You are quite fortunate."
"Sweepers stepping into the limelight? Receiving generous treatment?"
Gu Jinlai was somewhat surprised.
"Exactly – every Sweeper will be granted Quasi-Dao Artifact Level Weapons and War Armor, along with their own defense zones. Unlike before, no longer scattered, some Sweepers have not stood up to intervene but left to watch those Out-of-Control individuals wreak havoc massively," said Pan Dali.
Upon hearing this, Gu Jinlai was quite in favor of the improvements.
The entire military structure of Wind and Rain City was actually divided into four parts. 𝑛𝘰𝑣𝘱𝑢𝑏.𝘤𝑜𝘮
The City Lord Mansion controlled the Wind and Rain Guards, each of whom was an elite soldier at the military general level or higher, acting only on commands from the City Lord.
After them came the Guardian Army.
Within the Guardian Army, there’s the one-hundred-thousand-strong Demon Suppression Army, the four-hundred-thousand-strong City Guard Army, and the three-hundred-thousand-strong Patrol Army.
The Demon Suppression Army is responsible for combating Devils, Out-of-Control individuals, and Demonic Cultists and consists exclusively of elite martial artists.
Apart from the Wind and Rain Guards and the Guardian Army, there are the Demon-slaying Hall, made up of military generals and Refining Gods, and the still-in-training Martial Saint Institute, where members already hold positions within the Wind and Rain Guards, the Guardian Army, or the Demon-slaying Hall.
Among these four major military parts, the Wind and Rain Guards often serve to protect the core Ancient City District, ensuring the peace of both the City Lord Mansion and the Ancient City District.
The Demon Slayers and the elite Demon Suppression Army within the Guardian Army are primarily responsible for the Devils outside the city.
Due to their smaller numbers, the city’s Out-of-Control individuals and Demonic Cultists have not had a specific organization dealing with them, with Sweepers finding themselves increasingly overstretched.
Hearing Pan Dali’s statement, it seems that Wind and Rain City might intentionally establish a specific department to handle Out-of-Control individuals and Demonic Cultists and empower it sufficiently.
"Sweepers being easily assassinated because they act independently, but if we were to gather the Sweepers into teams, who would dare provoke us? Those bold enough to become Sweepers are already very confident in themselves – a strong union! Heh, if those Demonic Cultists or Out-of-Control individuals dare to come assassinate us, wouldn’t that be seeking death?"
Pan Dali said, staring at Gu Jinlai with a compelling gaze, "The upper levels plan to establish three large Sweeper teams, stationed in the Ancient City District, New City District, and Outer City District, with sixteen smaller teams responsible for various domains in the New and Outer City Districts. The team from the Southeast City District will be formed by our Martial Saint Institute. As a Peak Martial Saint, I, Pan Dali, am most capable of ensuring the safety of the Sweeper team members, so it’s not unreasonable for me to request a team leader position. Ancient Martial King will support me, right?"
Team members will enjoy various substantial benefits, not to mention the team leader.
Gu Jinlai estimated that at least it would be equivalent to the treatment of a Vice Domain Master.
This influence...
Directly could affect the life and death of three to four million people.
"I was not aware of this matter..."
Gu Jinlai said.
"Now you are aware,"
Pan Dali immediately said, "If you have any questions, you can ask me directly. As your future team leader, I am quite willing to answer my team members’ questions."
Upon saying this, his expression became stern, "Or are you saying you have some ideas of your own? Do you wish to compete with me for the team leader position?"
Gu Jinlai looked at Pan Dali, furrowing his eyebrows.
This kind of behavior...
Was indeed reckless.
But he thought of Pan Dali’s Martial Arts Will, or rather, all the Martial Kings who wished to condense their Martial Arts Will...
This manner of acting without the slightest personal concern and following one’s nature was seemingly the consistent style of Martial Kings.
If a Martial King ever learned to adapt and smooth things out, it essentially meant losing the qualifications to condense Martial Arts Will.
Of course, those with such a nature, using it as their direction for condensing Martial Arts Will, were excluded.
"As an Ordinary Martial King, naturally, I would not compete with Pan Martial King."
Gu Jinlai said, "As for the matter of team leader you mentioned, as long as Pan Martial King truly proves to be the strongest and can ensure the safety of us Sweepers, I naturally would support you becoming the team leader."
"Hahaha."
Upon hearing this, Pan Dali burst into laughter, "Good lad, I indeed wasn’t wrong about you. Rest assured, once I become the team leader, I, Pan Dali, won’t let you suffer any losses. Come on, wherever you want to eat, wherever you want to play, whatever you want, my treat."
Gu Jinlai looked at Pan Dali.
His tone was extraordinarily bold.
He didn’t want to deal further with him and considered making up an excuse to leave.
Looking forward, he saw three young and pretty girls who seemed to be visiting the Martial Saint Institute, chattering nonstop.
From their attire and decorations...
They seemed to be martial practitioners who hadn’t yet been admitted to the Martial Arts Academy, coming to worship the highest educational institution in the Martial Arts lineage with a pilgrim-like gaze.
However, it was this gaze that led Pan Dali to a misunderstanding. He chuckled, "Fancy these girls? Which one caught your eye? Or did all three catch your eye? Hey, these teenage girls are indeed tender, just not enduring to play with. They get killed in an instant. You like them? I’ll give them to you."
During this conversation, without waiting for Gu Jinlai to react, he had already strode meteorically toward the three, taking out a token, "I am a senior consultant of the City Guard Army, a Martial King. The people you came into contact with when you just arrived might have an Out-of-Control among them. I suspect you’ve been targeted by that Out-of-Control. For your life’s safety, follow me for now, I’ll ensure your safety."
As soon as he finished speaking, the three originally chattering and smiling girls turned pale with fright.
"Out... Out-of-Control?"
"How could this happen? Why would this happen?"
"Martial King, sir, you must save us."
The three girls looked terrified, one of them so frightened her eyes turned red as if she was about to cry.
"Don’t worry. Protecting citizens from Out-of-Controls is our duty. There’s no time to delay, follow me," Pan Dali said solemnly.
"To prevent that Out-of-Control from targeting your families next, causing trouble to your parents and relatives, you must not let them know about this," he added.
"Yes, yes, I... I won’t talk recklessly," the girls said, nodding in fear.
Out-of-Control!
What a terrifying existence.
Every appearance caused a great number of innocent casualties.
Despite their families having some degree of wealth and assets, the strongest in their families were only Middle-level Martial Artists, how could they stand against the weakest Out-of-Controls, who were at least Military General-Level?
In this crisis, this Martial King in front of them became their only lifeline.
"Let’s go, Ancient Martial King," Pan Dali said, leading the three girls over to where Gu Jinlai was, "Look, where should we take these three?"
Gu Jinlai, looking at Pan Dali, faintly realized why there was such darkness like ink in his Karma.
"Why must you do this?"
Gu Jinlai asked.
"Is Ancient Martial King worried about any repercussions?"
Through the vibration of his Qi-blood, Pan Dali whispered directly, "As long as there’s a convincing reason, you can do whatever you want. When it’s over, just say they were killed by the Out-of-Control. If their families dare to make trouble, wipe them out too and blame it on the Out-of-Control. We, the Martial Kings, who hunt Out-of-Controls, Demonic Cultists, and Devils daily, protect these people’s lives at the risk of our own, licking blood off the knife’s edge. Every time we kill an Out-of-Control, we save hundreds, maybe thousands of people? What’s a few lives in comparison?"
Gu Jinlai glanced at the three uneasy girls and said, "There was a mistake. That person just now wasn’t an Out-of-Control. You can go."
The three girls were stunned, somewhat disbelieving as they turned their gaze towards Pan Dali.
Pan Dali glanced at Gu Jinlai, scoffed, but considering he still needed Gu Jinlai’s support in the competition, he waved at the three girls, "My colleague has much keener eyes than mine. If he says it was a mistake, then it definitely was. You can go."
"Sir, shouldn’t you check again..." one girl stammered bravely.
But before she could finish, Pan Dali glared fiercely, "Me, a mighty Martial King, waste time on you?"
Chilled by Pan Dali’s icy intent, the girl felt her heart seize up.
Seeing this, Gu Jinlai stepped forward to block Pan Dali and said to the three girls, "It’s okay now, really a mistake. Go on."
At this, the other two girls finally snapped out of their fear, bowing their heads in terror, "Yes... Martial King, sir, we’re leaving now."
As they spoke, they hastily pulled the stiff girl along, bowed, and quickly left.
"Didn’t see that coming, Ancient Martial King is actually a good person, hahaha," Pan Dali laughed.
But his laughter was tinged with a hint of mockery.
"If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave," Gu Jinlai said.
"Remember what you said," Pan Dali reminded.
He watched Gu Jinlai’s departing figure, but soon squinted his eyes, and after a moment, coldly sneered, "Such a fool? That’ll be easy to handle."
