CHAPTER 273: CHAPTER 273 SENIOR SISTER CHEN ARRIVES_1

Shen Mo was unaware that various factions were currently paying close attention to him. Or perhaps, he had guessed that many people would be spying on him, trying to ascertain the Defense Division’s recent situation. But he wasn’t bothered!

Comfortably seated in the main hall, Shen Mo casually struck the names from the roster one by one.

"Do you have the audacity to cause trouble in my office?"

"Receiving monthly salaries but never doing any work. What use are any of you!"

"Even if we appointed a stray dog to be on duty, it would guard the premises better than you parasites!"

"Today, you trespassed into the Division’s restricted area and assaulted the cultivator on duty. I will teach you a lesson."

"If you dare to act like this again in the future, don’t blame my sword for being ruthless and swift..."

"Not only will you suffer death and the destruction of your cultivation, but you will also implicate the families and immortal sects behind you!"

Shen Mo’s voice wasn’t loud, yet it clearly reached the ears of every dismissed cultivator.

They had each endured an attack from his Universe Sword Style, and their injuries weren’t severe, but neither were they light! Rest and recuperation for ten days to half a month would be unavoidable.

At this moment, listening to Shen Mo’s words, their faces turned grim, and their hearts filled with apprehension. Their positions and salaries at the Defense Division were all thanks to the powers backing them! If they brought trouble to their families or immortal sects, they wouldn’t even need Commander Shen to act; their own clans and sects wouldn’t let them off lightly!

The cultivator with the highest cultivation level, a Qi Gathering Realm expert, wanted to utter some defiant words. But when he recalled the sword Qi from moments ago, his legs trembled. After a long pause, he forced his injured body upright, activated his magic artifact, and fled as a streak of light, not daring to utter another word.

Subsequently, the remaining four Qi Gathering Realm cultivators also departed one after another on their flying swords.

Seeing this, the over twenty Body Tempering Realm cultivators dared not linger any longer. Supporting one another, they stumbled away, scattering in all directions!

"Tian," Shen Mo called softly.

Tian Shouren, who had been constantly sipping from his wine gourd, hurriedly rose and bowed, showing no signs of his advanced age.

"Tian, I’ll trouble you to draft a recruitment notice for cultivators to be on duty."

"We will only recruit cultivators at Layer VII of the Body Tempering Realm or above!"

"Body Tempering Realm cultivators will receive a monthly salary of twenty to forty Spirit Stones and must be under fifty years of age."

"Qi Gathering Realm cultivators will receive a monthly salary of fifty to one hundred Spirit Stones and must be under one hundred years of age. Those with meritorious service will receive additional rewards, such as Spirit Stones, Elixirs, and cultivation methods!"

"Apart from this, regardless of gender..."

"Whether they hail from major immortal sects or are independent rogue cultivators, all are welcome."

"Even members of the Tian family, or disciples of the Gold Toad Tower and the Thriving Gold Sect—as long as they are sincere about performing their duties, our Defense Division will welcome them with open arms!"

A glimmer of light flashed across Tian Shouren’s murky eyes. After carefully memorizing the details, he went to make the arrangements.

At this point, Zhu Dahai and Ji Gu had also returned to the main hall.

Zhu Dahai looked somewhat embarrassed; Ji Gu had just given him a harsh scolding.

Shen Mo glanced at them and said, "You two go and assist Tian Shouren with recruiting registered cultivators."

"If you wish to cultivate, first consume these Elixirs and refine their medicinal power."

"In a few days, I will invite a fellow disciple from the Riverside Sect here to..."

"Reconfigure the Formation within the Division to better gather Spiritual Qi here!"

There were countless tasks to deal with in the Defense Division. It wasn’t feasible to rush things; they needed to be done one step at a time! For now, ridding them of this batch of parasites who were loafing around on the payroll was a good start.

"We respectfully obey the Commander’s orders!"

Zhu Dahai and Ji Gu bowed and responded.

...

With Shen Mo’s display of power with a single sword strike, many cultivation families, cultivators from minor immortal sects, and rogue cultivators began to consider joining the Defense Division.

Once the recruitment notice was posted on the wall outside the Division’s office, it immediately attracted a crowd of cultivators.

It didn’t take long before a rogue cultivator, confident he met the conditions, entered the main gate of the Defense Division.

This rogue cultivator was at Layer IV of the Qi Gathering Realm. Tian Shouren couldn’t accurately assess his strength, and thus couldn’t determine his monthly salary. Therefore, Tian Shouren asked Zhu Dahai to fetch Shen Mo to personally assess this rogue cultivator.

Shen Mo arrived at the Defense Division’s Martial Performance Arena. His expression flickered, and he looked up towards the distant sky.

A moment later, a clear, ethereal rainbow light flew in from outside the city, landing directly at the entrance of the Defense Division.

Shen Mo smiled and went out to greet the arrival, "Congratulations, Senior Sister Chen, on advancing to the late-stage Qi Gathering Realm! Opening your Spirit Sea is also just around the corner!"

The person who arrived was a graceful figure of exceptional beauty. It was none other than Chen Mengze, who had been in seclusion for many days of cultivation after the victory celebration banquet.

Now, she had overcome her inner struggles and successfully cultivated to the Seventh Layer of the Qi Gathering Realm. Such a cultivation speed was no less than that of an ordinary disciple from the Three Peaks.

It was a pity that during the contest for new talents, she hadn’t caught the eye of Zhou Shili and the other two Peak Masters, and thus hadn’t received the opportunity to cultivate on the Sun, Moon, and Star Peaks.

After Shen Mo accepted the post of Commander of the Defense Division, he had considered finding one or two fellow disciples from the Riverside Sect to assist him. However, he wasn’t interested in ordinary inner disciples. The disciples of the Three Peaks, on the other hand, were proud and arrogant; even if sent to govern in the mortal realm, they would each command their own Defense Division. Why would they be willing to serve under Shen Mo? And they’d be going to the long-declining Hongye City’s Defense Division!

Subsequently, Shen Mo thought of his friends like Cao Ren, Lu Ming, and Chen Mengze.

Cao Ren, however, had not replied; his Sound Transmission Talisman couldn’t connect, possibly because he had entered a place like a Dungeon or a similar isolated area. Lu Ming was cultivating a powerful Thunder-type magic and had no spare time; besides, he too was likely to be assigned elsewhere.

Chen Mengze, however, had agreed, but she needed to wait until after her advancement before she could come to Hongye City.

She wasn’t an elite of the Three Peaks. Therefore, she wouldn’t be dispatched by the Riverside Sect to oversee various territories in the mortal realm.

Currently, her cultivation level was not weak; she was considered one of the more outstanding inner disciples. However, she still needed time and a large amount of resources to advance to the Spirit Sea Realm.

Shen Mo was confident that the Hongye City Defense Division under his future leadership would be able to acquire a large amount of Spirit Stones and resources, enough to provide Chen Mengze with generous remuneration. It should be much more than Chen Mengze could earn by taking on missions to slay demons and eliminate evil on her own.

Seeing Shen Mo approach with a smile, Chen Mengze pursed her lips, seeming to want to say something but then swallowing her words.

She surveyed the Defense Division and then said, "No wonder you asked me to bring a Spirit Gathering Formation. The Spiritual Qi here is far too thin."

With that, she hopped onto her flying sword and began to patrol the airspace above the Defense Division.

Seeing her so eager to get started, Shen Mo couldn’t help but be amusedly speechless. He then turned and said to the rogue cultivator who had been waiting, "Fellow Daoist, apologies for the delay. You may demonstrate whatever skills you possess."

"If your combat strength is outstanding, our Division will not be stingy with monthly Spirit Stones and Elixirs!"

This rogue cultivator had personally witnessed the might of Shen Mo’s single sword strike and thus dared not make any boastful claims. He cautiously took out his magic artifact, chanted an incantation for a seal, and unleashed a magical technique, striking the ironstone target in the Martial Performance Arena.

Once he shattered the target, he then demonstrated his abilities in flight, defense, and detection.

Although it wasn’t enough to truly catch Shen Mo’s Dharma Eye, for a rogue cultivator, his abilities were indeed quite decent. Therefore, Shen Mo set his monthly salary at sixty low-grade Spirit Stones.

"Thank you, Commander Shen! Thank you, Commander Shen!" the rogue cultivator, surnamed Weng, expressed his delight.

Shen Mo encouraged him briefly, then mounted his flying sword and flew towards Chen Mengze.