Demon-Wraith Plagued World: From Commoner to Supreme - Chapter 1 - Failed Assessment

In Kaiyang County, within the County Yamen¹.

A considerable number of young men were queued up, eager to join the County Yamen and become Constables.

Lin Feng was dressed in a repeatedly patched short shirt that clearly didn’t fit his frame. His cloth shoes bore several patches as well.

Like the others, he squatted in a corner, holding a number card, waiting for the Constable in charge of the assessment to call him.

His tall stature and strikingly handsome face, with eyes that sparkled with determination, made him stand out like a crane among chickens.

He was quite noticeable.

Since being reborn into this world, today marked his sixteenth birthday.

A few months ago, his father in this world, who served as a squad leader in the army, died fighting against the Demon-Wraiths.

He left behind a mother, a younger sister, and Lin Feng himself.

Without his father’s military income, in this Demon-Wraith plagued world, not only did they have to constantly face the threat of Demon-Wraith attacks, but they also lost their most stable source of income.

Life for the family became even more arduous.

For three months, they barely managed to survive on his mother’s earnings from laundry and needlework.

His sister was still young, and hunger had made her as thin as a bean sprout.

Fortunately, a month ago, many Constables from the County Yamen had died while resisting the Demon-Wraiths.

Now, they urgently needed to recruit more people.

Lin Feng came to apply.

After all, becoming a Constable, although not a permanent position, would at least provide a monthly salary of one tael³ of silver and a bag of rice.

There were also some unofficial earnings.

This would allow the family to live with some dignity in this Demon-Wraith plagued world.

Moreover, they would be exempt from taxes.

They wouldn’t be easily bullied.

Despite the constant life-threatening danger posed by the Demon-Wraiths as a Constable, without this job, Lin Feng and his family wouldn’t last much longer.

Come winter, even more would starve.

“Number Eleven!”

Just as Lin Feng was lost in thought, a voice came from inside the room.

Lin Feng stood up, adjusted his attire to appear as presentable as possible.

Then he stepped towards the room.

At this moment, a young man of similar age walked out.

His face was beaming with a smile, clearly having been accepted, and in a few days, he would become a Constable!

Lin Feng knew him; his father was also a soldier who perished in the same battle against the Demon-Wraiths.

Seeing the other so at ease, Lin Feng felt a wave of lightness.

There were rumors that descendants of soldiers like them could receive some preferential treatment.

Lin Feng entered the room and handed over his number card.

“Greetings, sir! I am Number Eleven, Lin Feng!”

“Lin Feng? The son of Lin Shi?”

The Constable took a sip from his teacup, squinted, and looked at Lin Feng.

“Yes, sir, I am.”

Hearing the Constable mention his father’s name, Lin Feng felt more certain of his assumption.

He couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy!

Was this my backdoor opportunity?

“Lift that stone lock weighing a hundred jin² and let me see!”

At this moment, the Constable pointed to the pair of identical stone locks against the wall, indicating the one closer to the wall.

“Yes, sir!”

Lin Feng knew the assessment standard required lifting the hundred-jin stone lock.

He had also heard from rumors that if there was any leniency, they would be asked to lift the lighter pair of stone locks.

Though the two stone locks appeared identical on the outside, they were quite different within. One pair was hollow inside, making it significantly lighter.

Lin Feng, already slender and weak, still needed considerable strength to lift even the lighter one. A wrong move could easily strain his back.

The constable nearby sipped his tea, watching Lin Feng with a calm demeanor. However, when Lin Feng assumed a horse stance, the constable’s expression shifted slightly as he remarked, “Your stance is quite good!”

“Thank you, sir. My late father taught me a bit,” Lin Feng replied, reaching out to grip the handles of the stone lock. He bent down and exerted his strength.

To his surprise, the stone lock barely budged!

“What! There’s no backdoor for me here!” Lin Feng thought, glancing at the constable, who remained indifferent.

Darn it! The information was wrong!

But now wasn’t the time to dwell on it. If he couldn’t lift it, he’d lose this precious opportunity!

Lin Feng quickly adjusted his position, standing directly over the stone lock in a horse stance. He hoped to leverage his prematurely developed physique and the skills his father had taught him to lift the stone lock.

After all, he was now the only man in the family. If he couldn’t hold on, who would his mother and sister rely on?

“Ha!” With a loud shout, Lin Feng channeled his strength from his feet, coordinating with his waist and hips. Holding his breath, he managed to lift the stone lock weighing over a hundred jin.

The constable, witnessing this, spilled some tea in surprise, though his face remained expressionless.

Not bad, kid, you actually lifted it. But it won’t help! There’s no place for you in this Yamen!

The constable quickly regained his composure, continuing to watch Lin Feng with indifference.

Three seconds passed.

“Sir, it’s been a while. Haven’t I met the requirement yet?” Lin Feng asked, struggling to speak, his face flushed red.

“Not yet!” The constable leisurely blew the foam off his tea and took a sip.

Another three seconds passed.

“Sir…” Lin Feng began.

“Enough chatter! Not yet! I’ll tell you when it is!” The constable snapped impatiently before Lin Feng could finish.

…

In the end, Lin Feng failed the assessment!

He walked out of the room, looking dejected.

He couldn’t understand it!

As the son of a soldier, others could easily get in through connections. Yet, even after passing the assessment legitimately, he still couldn’t secure the position!

He even tried offering the two taels² of silver he had hidden in his clothes to the constable, hoping for leniency. But the constable didn’t even glance at it and threw him out.

That was what baffled him the most. Clearly, someone was targeting him! The constable refused the money just to ensure he couldn’t pass!

No one turns down money unless there’s more money or power involved!

But he and his family had no past grievances with anyone, and his late father was a kind man.

What could possibly warrant such action from someone influential?

What was going on?!!

Why was it so hard for someone at the bottom to survive, to keep his family alive?

Lin Feng clenched his fists, the strain from lifting the stone lock still stinging his nerves.

Unknowingly, he walked out of the County Yamen’s gate.

“Big brother, how did it go?”

A voice called out, and his cousin Lin Yu approached, looking anxious.

Lin Yu was a year younger than Lin Feng and had grown up with him. He was just as tall as Lin Feng.

“I didn’t make it. I can’t get in!”

“What! How could that be? Is it not enough money? I can go to the Gang and borrow some!” Lin Yu suggested, feeling sorry for Lin Feng.

“No need, it’s not about the money. Let’s just go home. If we’re late, Aunt will worry,” Lin Feng replied.

“Hey! Big brother, if you can’t get in, you can’t get in. I booked a table at Fat Wang’s place to celebrate for you in advance.

Now, let’s go have a drink!” Lin Yu insisted, dragging Lin Feng along despite his protests.

At the Restaurant, Lin Feng looked at the four dishes and a soup, two meat and two vegetable dishes, a feast they only had during the New Year!

This cousin really went all out for him!

Since the outcome was already decided, he might as well eat and drink first.

“Big brother, it’s your birthday today. Here’s to you!” Lin Yu raised his glass to toast Lin Feng.

Lin Feng clinked glasses with him heavily and downed his drink.

The fiery liquor burned his taste buds and throat.

He felt a bit tipsy.

After several more drinks, he was surprised to see a simulation panel appear before him!

Footnote:

1. Yamen(衙门):“Yamen” refers to the government offices or the place where officials worked in ancient China. It was responsible for handling various administrative duties as well as civil and criminal cases.
2. Jin(斤):“Jin” is a traditional Chinese unit of weight, 1 jin ≈ 500g.
3. Taels(两): A silver tael was about 37g of silver (1 tael = 1000 wen). Enough to buy a peasant family’s monthly grain ration.