Demon-Wraith Plagued World: From Commoner to Supreme - Chapter 33 - Allocation

In addition to the eight new disciples, including Lin Feng, who joined yesterday, there were three previous batches. Altogether, there were forty new disciples. At this moment, several platoon commanders began to arrive. Among them was Commander Huang Qiong, whom Lin Feng had seen yesterday. There were three others, all exuding the same formidable aura as Huang Qiong.

Behind these four were a dozen squad leaders. As the senior officers arrived, the previously noisy training ground quickly fell silent.

“Greetings, Commanders!” Everyone bowed in respect.

“Yes, I am Zhou Xiu, one of the platoon commanders of the reserve camp. Today, the main agenda is to announce personnel allocation and introduce you to the commanders,” said a medium-built commander stepping forward.

“You should already know Commander Huang Qiong. This is Wu Peng, Commander Wu!” Zhou Xiu gestured towards Wu Peng, a man in his thirties or forties with a goatee.

“This is Bai Sheng, Commander Bai!” Zhou Xiu then pointed to another tall, muscular man, Bai Sheng.

“Today, it was supposed to be the Captain of a Hundred Households announcing your allocations, but he is unavailable, so I am doing it instead,” Zhou Xiu explained.

“Let’s skip the formalities. When your name is called, step forward.”

“Wu Xing, Zhang Cong, …” After calling out ten names, these individuals stepped forward.

“You will be under my command. Five squad leaders will assign you to your respective teams.”

“Li Duan, Li Qing, Li Gui, Wu Shi, Wu …” Zhou Xiu continued, calling out seven or eight more names, assigning them under Wu Peng’s command.

“Why are most of these names from the Li and Wu Families?” Lin Feng wondered, intrigued by the list of names. Were they all from the Li and Wu Families, one of the four major families? He also speculated about which commander he would be assigned to.

Those who stepped forward seemed confident, as if they already knew the outcome. Lin Feng felt a vague sense of unease. It seemed that even within the Demon Exorcism Division’s reserve camp, the environment was quite complex.

Another eight names were called out, mostly surnamed Zhao and Yu, and they were assigned under Bai Sheng.

Lin Feng thought that Zhou Xiu must have a high status, as the Captain of a Hundred Households entrusted him with this task, indicating he was likely the closest to the Captain among the four commanders. Meanwhile, Wu Peng and Bai Sheng seemed to represent the Li, Wu, Zhao, and Yu factions.

“It seems there are indeed tensions among the four major families. At least Zhao Chengze and Li Wuyi didn’t get along yesterday,” Lin Feng speculated.

Now that three commanders had made their selections, Lin Feng assumed he would be assigned under Commander Huang Qiong. He had a good first impression of Huang Qiong, who had fairly conducted their assessment yesterday. If it hadn’t been for Li Wuyi’s interference, there wouldn’t have been a challenge against Mei Changyun.

Although the outcome was favorable, it was due to Lin Feng’s own formidable strength. A regular person would have been eliminated by Mei Changyun long ago.

But it shouldn’t be like this. Did Zhao Chengze not include him in their faction? Or did Commander Bai not consider him worthy?

While Lin Feng was lost in thought, Zhou Xiu continued to call out names. Eleven more individuals stepped forward to join Huang Qiong’s command. This left only Lin Feng and two others standing at the back. The three exchanged glances, then looked at Zhou Xiu, puzzled as to why Commander Zhou hadn’t assigned them to one of the four platoon commanders.

The disciples in the front rows cast curious glances at Lin Feng and the others, their expressions tinged with pity and amusement. Lin Feng’s unease grew. As someone without any connections, it seemed he had been placed in the least favorable group.

Sure enough, Zhou Xiu spoke up. “Lin Feng, You Lin, Mu Yu,” he announced. “You three will be under Commander Ding Yun. Report to him once he returns from Chunhong Building.”

“Ding Yun? Chunhong Building?” The words themselves were innocuous, but in this context, they seemed oddly out of place. What kind of platoon commander spends the day away from the reserve camp, indulging in the pleasures of Chunhong Building, a place known for its dubious reputation? It didn’t seem to fit the image of the reserve camp at all.

Especially for Mu Yu, a young woman, the thought of her future leader seemed peculiar. Surely there should be a squad leader in charge, even if the platoon commander was absent.

Afterward, the platoon commanders departed with their new disciples, leaving Lin Feng, Mu Yu, and You Lin alone in the vast training ground.

“Ah, I didn’t expect to end up under Commander Ding Yun,” You Lin sighed.

“You-Ge, why isn’t this Commander Ding here, and why is he at Chunhong Building?” Lin Feng couldn’t help but ask.

“Yeah, is it bad to be under Commander Ding? Why did everyone look at us so strangely?” Mu Yu questioned You Lin.

“Well, since we’re colleagues now, let me explain,” You Lin sighed again. “In the Demon Exorcism Division’s reserve camp, aside from Captain of a Hundred Households Zhao Hu, the five platoon commanders hold the most power. You might have noticed that Zhou Xiu is a close confidant of the Captain, essentially the second-in-command. Being under Commander Zhou is the best position, as resources are prioritized for his disciples.”

“Next are Commander Wu, representing the Li and Wu families, and Commander Bai, representing the Zhao and Yu families. Commander Huang is neutral, uninterested in conflicts, and his disciples often have connections with the County Yamen.”

“The worst position is under Commander Ding Yun. Rumor has it that Commander Ding was sent here to Kaiyang County as a punishment for past mistakes. If Commander Huang is indifferent, Commander Ding is downright apathetic. You saw the two guards at the gate, Chen Fei and Song Que; they’re under Commander Ding.”

“Ah!” Mu Yu exclaimed upon hearing this.

“So, in the reserve camp of the Demon Exorcism Division, we’re at the bottom of the hierarchy,” Lin Feng mused, furrowing his brow. Though he wasn’t sure how You Lin knew so much, his words aligned with Lin Feng’s own suspicions, making them seem credible.

“But that’s not the worst part,” You Lin continued.

Lin Feng and Mu Yu turned their gaze back to You Lin.

“Can you guess why no squad leader has come to greet us?” You Lin asked.

“Why? Is it because all the squad leaders under Commander Ding are out? Surely there must be someone!” Mu Yu asked anxiously. After hearing You Lin’s explanation, she realized that joining Commander Ding’s ranks was not a good thing.

“That’s right, there’s no one!” You Lin replied.

“How can that be?” Lin Feng couldn’t hold back his surprise.

“My brother is a senior disciple in the Demon Exorcism Division. These things aren’t secrets; you’ll naturally learn them over time. The people under Commander Ding generally have poor aptitude and no background. Their cultivation progresses very slowly. Few have passed the assessments to become official squad leaders. The few squad leaders assigned to him have perished fighting Demon-Wraiths. Perhaps because of Commander Ding’s laid-back attitude, the camp no longer assigns him any squad leaders.”

It took Lin Feng a while to digest the information You Lin shared. Being under Commander Ding’s command was, to say the least, a complicated situation. Disciples under his command, whether new or old, generally didn’t fare well in the reserve camp. They were either guarding gates or working in the mess hall, among other menial tasks. Fortunately, they were responsible for their own cleaning; otherwise, they would probably be assigned to sweep the Camps.

The Demon Exorcism Division, unlike a Family, didn’t have servants to order around. Some of the rough work still needed to be done by the disciples. Commander Ding’s approach to his disciples’ cultivation and daily life was essentially one of benign neglect. For disciples without background or talent, this was a disaster.

Just then, a figure strolled leisurely through the gate. The person appeared unkempt, holding a jug of wine, drinking as he walked. His long hair hung loosely, his face was covered in stubble, and his clothes were half-open with a crooked hat. Wine dripped down his neck, soaking into his clothes. The once-imposing Flying Fish Garment was worn with the air of a beggar.