Elderly Martial Saint: Sixty Times the Cultivation Speed ​​at the Start

Pei Zongyue did not rush to answer.

He poured himself a cup of tea from the teapot on the table, took a sip, placed the cup back on the table, and then slowly began to speak:

"Xu Yu receiving the deputy commander token is a result of the competition, and it does not mean that he is obligated to serve as the deputy commander."

"If you lose today, both the principal and deputy positions will fall into the hands of external forces, and the situation will become very troublesome."

"When the time comes, each of the two sects will occupy one seat, sharing the burden of the Chief Inspector, and then this matter will be settled."

"By then, it's uncertain whether the Zhenfuwei will be surnamed Lu, Pei, or Jinyang Temple and Xuanjian Pavilion."

Yi Yang nodded; the logic was easy to understand. He continued, "..."

"But once I secure the position, what difference does it make which side gets the vice-presidential seat?"

"The difference is huge."

"But you've taken the upright position."

"The situation has completely reversed."

Pei Zongyue took a sip of tea and explained:

"No matter whose family member comes to serve as deputy commander, once he enters the Zhenfu Guard, he will be under the supervision of the chief inspector above him, and supported by you, the chief commander. The sixty Zhenfu Guards below him are all his own people from the Tiantian Division."

Pei Zongyue tapped his thumb twice on the rim of the teacup and chuckled:

"If someone sent by an external force is given a deputy position, they can't move their subordinates around, they can't get transfer orders approved, and they can't even get into the Zhenfu Guard's warehouse."

To put it bluntly, I'm here to sit on the sidelines.

Yi Yang understood. If both the main and deputy positions were taken by outsiders, they could form a group.

But if only one is taken away, he is still the deputy commander. The Sky Patrol Division has too many ways to undermine the other party.

An outsider deputy commander came in, with neither the authority to deploy troops nor his own trusted subordinates, while the chief commander was still a member of the Sky Patrol Bureau.

This is hardly an important position; it's just a waste of time.

Seeing that he understood, Pei Zongyue slightly raised the corners of his mouth and continued to explain:

"There is a deeper meaning to this matter."

He put down his teacup, his speech slowing down slightly.

"The Chief Inspector is still investigating matters from a year ago."

Former commander Ding Xiang was assassinated by the Nine Evil Cults. Who leaked his whereabouts and route?

"This matter has been pending for a year, and there is still no conclusion."

"At this critical juncture, the position of deputy commander is just a chair."

Pei Zongyue looked at Yi Yang and said solemnly:

"Whoever sits there is essentially telling the entire Suining Prefecture—I am interested in the internal affairs of the Zhenfu Guard."

"But the person who tipped off Ding Xiang a year ago, leading to his death, still hasn't been found. What do you think the higher-ups of the major powers will think?"

Yi Yang pondered to himself:

The person in charge of the deputy commander position would inevitably have access to the core secrets of the Zhenfu Guard. Meanwhile, the chief inspector is investigating who leaked the information.

If you insist on sending someone into the Zhenfu Guard at this point—are you there to help investigate the case, or to destroy the evidence?

"So Xu Yu..."

"They've already left with the people from the Xuanjian Pavilion."

Pei Zongyue picked up his teacup and took a sip: "The Chief Inspector will compensate Xuanjian Pavilion with a martial arts technique of the true level, so they won't lose out."

He put down his teacup and patiently explained to Yi Yang:

"This is also why I made sure Yan Wuyuan insisted that you take the rightful place before Daqing."

"If you lose, the Chief Inspector will have to find a much more troublesome way to resolve the situation."

"Fortunately, you didn't disappoint the adults."

Yi Yang sat in the chair and pieced together the logic from beginning to end.

This should be a gamble between the chief inspector and the top leaders of various powerful forces.

The chief inspector's decision to allow external forces to participate in the assessment is ostensibly a way to recruit talented individuals, but in reality, it's a carefully orchestrated scheme.

Lu Quan'an placed two positions in the Zhenfu Guard, allowing external forces to intervene, betting on whether the Xuntian Division could retain its rightful place.

If the Sky Patrol Bureau fails, the three major sects will be able to take the opportunity to intervene in the Town Guard.

The Sky Patrol Division won, and the deputy positions obtained by external forces became untouchable hot potatoes. Anyone who tries to interfere will be an accomplice of the Nine Evil Sects.

The key to winning the bet was Yi Yang.

Yi Yang touched the bridge of his nose.

No wonder Yan Wuyuan's eyes were so serious that day, no wonder Lu Quan'an personally delivered the cultivation notes.

We won, everyone's happy.

We lost...

Yi Yang didn't think any further; he had already won.

Pei Zongyue stood up and walked towards the door:

"Let's go, I'll take you to see Ning Xiong."

The two left the council hall and walked west along a narrow alley.

Pei Zongyue spoke as he walked, his voice low but his instructions clear.

"Deputy Commander Ning Xiong was originally a candidate chief inspector within the Zhenfu Guard."

"This person's cultivation is at the peak of the early stage of the True Qi Realm, and he possesses innate superhuman strength. He has a fiery temper, and his mouth moves faster than his brain, but his martial prowess is truly formidable."

Pei Zongyue glanced at Yi Yang:

"He served in the Zhenfu Guard for nine years and had considerable prestige. One-third of the sixty patrol guards were soldiers he had trained."

"When the former commander Ding Xiang was alive, Ning Xiong was Tie Gan's confidant. In the year after Ding Xiang's death, I took over the daily affairs of Zhenfuwei, but Ning Xiong was in charge of training the troops."

"Major operations of the Zhenfu Guard require the joint signature of the commander and deputy commander. If there is a disagreement, you two have the right to report directly to the Judgment Hall."

"This rule is both a constraint and a protection."

"You've just taken office, and the Zhenfu Guard might not be convinced of your authority. Ning Xiong has been in the camp for many years; having him as your deputy will keep the old guard at ease."

Yi Yang nodded.

This check and balance serves both as a constraint on his new appointment and as a way to appease the old guard.

That makes perfect sense. The Sky Patrol Division wouldn't entrust a highly elite team of sixty people to someone who's only been with the division for six months without any reservations.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, a black brick courtyard wall appeared in front of them.

The courtyard wall was over ten feet high, with iron nails embedded in its top. The main gate consisted of two thick iron-clad wooden doors, with neatly arranged door studs. Four black-armored guards stood at the entrance, their voices mingling in unison.

We've arrived at the Zhenfuwei camp.

The four guards clasped their hands in salute when they saw Pei Zongyue.

Pei Zongyue stopped at the doorway but did not go in. He turned to face Yi Yang.

"You are in charge of the people inside."

"Ning Xiong is a man who doesn't hold grudges, but he responds better to gentle persuasion than force."

"You can handle the rest yourself. Consider this a small test."

After saying that, he prepared to leave.

"Lord Pei."

Yi Yang called out to Pei Zongyue as he was about to leave.

Pei Zongyue stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Yi Yang.

Yi Yang lowered his voice and said:

"I have a request to make."

Pei Zongyue waited.

"I was ordered to go to Baiyu City, but less than half a day after leaving the city, I was precisely intercepted on the official road by the men who killed the six bandits."

Yi Yang spoke calmly, as if he were talking about something unrelated.

"They know exactly when I set off and the official roads I took."

Pei Zongyue lifted his eyelids slightly.

"I was not of sufficient status at the time to investigate this matter."

Looking at Pei Zongyue's profile, Yi Yang solemnly said, "Now I would like to ask Lord Pei for help—who sold the whereabouts of the Sky Patrol personnel to the bandits?"

Pei Zongyue's smile vanished.

His gaze swept across Yi Yang's face, lingering on that aged face for a couple of moments.

When Yi Yang went to Baiyu City, he was just an acting chief inspector, a position of average status, not even as powerful as a garrison guard.

Back then, being betrayed and having your whereabouts sold was just bad luck.

But now?

Deputy Chief Inspector, Commander of the Zhenfu Guard.

He is the commander of the Sky Patrol Division's most elite military force.

If this identity is betrayed and your whereabouts are exposed, then the nature of the situation is completely different.

Moreover, Pei Zongyue knew very well that since Yi Yang had just saved face for the Sky Patrol Division, it would be easy for him to step forward and investigate the matter.

This favor is well worth it.

"It's nothing."

Pei Zongyue nodded in agreement:

"They dared to sell the tracks of their own people to bandits; they definitely deserve an investigation."

He didn't press Yi Yang about what he planned to do after the findings were discovered.

He simply patted Yi Yang on the shoulder, then turned and walked into the depths of the alley.

As Yi Yang watched Pei Zongyue's figure disappear around the corner, the lines at the corners of his mouth flattened out.

He kept a record of the leaked information for more than half a year.

Back then, we lacked the strength and status to back down, so we had to swallow our pride. Now, we have enough.

Yi Yang turned around and faced the gate of the Zhenfuwei camp.

The black iron door studs, illuminated by the evening sunlight, gleamed with a cool hue.

Yi Yang stepped into the camp gate.

The camp was much larger inside than it appeared from the outside. The drill ground, weapon racks, stables, and training stone stakes were all neatly arranged.

At this moment, sixty black-armored garrison guards stood in a square formation in the center of the training ground, waiting.

Everyone looked at Yi Yang, who was walking in through the door.

No one spoke.

There was one person standing in the very front row.

The other person was nearly seven feet tall, with broad shoulders and a thick back, and his arms were thicker than an average person's thighs.

His thick beard completely covered half of his face, leaving only a pair of fierce eyes that gleamed with cunning.

He was dressed in the dark, close-fitting clothes of a deputy commander, with his arms crossed in front of his chest, standing straight.

Deputy Commander, Ning Xiong.

Yi Yang walked towards him.

Ning Xiong looked down at Yi Yang as he approached—a full head of black hair paired with an aged face, of medium build and rather thin, and a head shorter than himself.

He had a long sword wrapped in burlap slung across his back, and a heavy black iron sword that was not drawn was also tucked into his waistband.

Two knives?

Ning Xiong's brows furrowed, his lips twitched to one side, and he let out a half-grown breath through his nostrils.

Half of his true energy unconsciously leaked out.

It's not a provocation, it's a natural bodily reaction.

Yi Yang stopped three steps in front of him, ignoring the powerful energy emanating from the other man.

The two looked at each other, and the atmosphere in the camp became tense.

The fifty guards behind him lowered their breathing by half a beat, and all eyes were focused on the three steps between the two.

Ning Xiong stared at Yi Yang's aged face, remaining silent for a long time.

Yi Yang didn't say anything either.

He simply raised his hand, took out the commander's token from his pocket, turned it over in his palm, with the flying eagle official mark facing up.

"Commander Yiyang."

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone on the training ground could hear it.

Please take care of me in the future.