Chapter 407: Divine Constable Yang

Yun Buchuan brought Yang Ling to the front and relayed the Department Head's arrangements.

Ji Kongliu looked somewhat surprised as he sized up Yang Ling from head to toe:

"So you're Yang Ling, Director of the First Division, Public Security Department, Changhe Prefectural Capital Ironclad Department?"

The vast courtyard suddenly fell silent.

One after another, gazes landed squarely on Yang Ling.

Even the two Sixth-Rank experts and the dozen or so Seventh-Rank martial artists unconsciously turned their attention toward him.

Ji Kongliu shot them a cold glare, and only then did they snap back to reality and hurriedly resume their assessments.

Still, their focus had been somewhat shaken by Yang Ling's arrival.

After all, during this period at the Capital Ironclad Department, his name could be heard everywhere.

Those cases he'd cracked, even from their position within the Capital Ironclad Department, filled them with envy. How they wished those cases had been solved by their own hands.

Not long ago, Zhao Xun had personally taken a Vital Qi Age Defying medicine from the Ironclad Department and sent it to Changhe Prefectural Capital. At that time, every Ironclad agent, high and low, could feel nothing but envy and jealousy.

"Indeed, that would be this subordinate."

Yang Ling clasped his fists in a cupped salute.

Ji Kongliu seemed lost in thought:

"The Department Head arranged for you to serve as my constable, which isn't exactly a waste of your talents.

However, I don't keep idle men here.

You've cracked quite a number of cases before, and I've personally reviewed the case files. Some of the details inside are a bit unclear.

I couldn't fully piece the entire cases together.

But the conclusions were correct. Did you hold something back when you wrote those case files?"

Yang Ling felt a twinge of helplessness inside.

He hadn't held anything back. It was simply that his actual methods for solving cases couldn't see the light of day.

How could the Natives of the Divine Realm possibly understand something like the Insight Technique?

Yun Buchuan smiled lightly: "Director Ji, those processes don't matter. If everything were written down in full detail, the Rong Tribe spies would surely see it too."

Ji Kongliu nodded in agreement: "That's a fair point. If they knew how Yang Ling discovered those spies, they'd certainly become more cautious, and the traces they leave behind in the future would become even fewer."

He paused for a moment, then looked at Yang Ling:

"Your cultivation level is..."

"Upper Sixth-Rank, having broken through the life tribulation."

Yang Ling said: "However, I haven't yet been registered at Ranked Level."

Yun Buchuan chuckled: "The Department Head has already confirmed this. Not only is he Upper Sixth-Rank and has broken through the life tribulation, but his Vital Qi has also reached Near Perfection.

If Director Ji has time today, you might as well help Yang Ling complete his assessment and register him at Ranked Level."

For a moment, every gaze in the courtyard, high and low, converged on Yang Ling once more, their eyes filled with shock.

Although their own cultivation hadn't reached Sixth-Rank, being stationed in the Capital meant they had access to numerous insider secrets.

Vital Qi was an incredibly important metric for Sixth-Rank experts!

It was divided into Lower Sixth-Rank, Mid Sixth-Rank, Upper Sixth-Rank, Near Perfection, and Perfection.

And among the known names in the Capital, the Sixth-Rank powerhouses who had reached Near Perfection Vital Qi could be counted on two hands!

Behind every one of those figures stood an absolutely terrifying background.

Even the Ironclad Department wouldn't dare provoke them lightly. One careless move could bring out a Third-Rank Grandmaster Supreme, or even a Second-Rank Human Immortal!

"He's only just past twenty, isn't he? Has he even been with the Ironclad Department for a year? How is he already Upper Sixth-Rank with Near Perfection Vital Qi?"

An Eighth-Rank Ironclad agent who looked to be around forty years old muttered to himself.

The Ironclad agent beside him heard this and felt the same way.

They were similar in age, all in their mid-to-late thirties, some already past forty.

Yet they didn't consider themselves worthless.

Having reached Eighth-Rank cultivation at this age and becoming Eighth-Rank Ironclad agents of the Capital Ironclad Department.

Every one of these achievements proved their excellence.

In the future, if they got the chance to be posted to local branches, they could serve as Directors of Public Security Divisions.

They had always believed their own Director Ji was a dragon among men, rarely seen in this world.

To have reached Upper Fifth-Rank peak at such a young age.

They'd thought the Ironclad Department would never produce another like him.

Even Xu Wenjun, the former Director of the Third Division, Command Division, and son of a Third-Rank Grandmaster Supreme, was already in his forties, with cultivation roughly on par with their Director Ji.

But now, it seemed as though another 'Director Ji' was rising before their very eyes.

"Vital Qi at Near Perfection?"

Ji Kongliu seemed contemplative: "Have you ever consumed Crimson Ghost Ginseng?"

"Never."

Yang Ling said.

"Once your Vital Qi reaches Perfection, consume the Crimson Ghost Ginseng, then advance to Fifth-Rank. No need to rush."

Ji Kongliu casually offered a word of guidance, then had the surrounding Ironclad agents clear some space.

"You've already met the Department Head, so there shouldn't be any issue with your cultivation level. We'll just go through the formalities."

"I'll only make one strike. If you're pushed back no more than ten steps by it, then you're Upper Sixth-Rank."

The Ironclad agents present brightened at this. It had been a very, very long time since they'd seen Ji Kongliu personally assess a subordinate's martial arts cultivation.

"Li Huaiyi, I recall you went to Water Qilin Cave back then and worked with this fellow, didn't you?"

One of the Sixth-Rank Ironclad agents, who appeared to be in his forties, asked the Li Huaiyi beside him.

Li Huaiyi's expression was complicated. Only at this moment did he confirm that the person before him was truly Yang Ling.

"Constable Wei, I did work with Yang Ling back then, and I personally witnessed him undergo assessment under Lu Yunchen, Director of the First Division, Public Security Department, Yunwen Provincial Capital Ironclad Department, to become a newly promoted Sixth-Rank..."

Li Huaiyi's tone was filled with complex emotion:

"But at that time, he was merely a newly promoted Sixth-Rank. It's only been a few months since then... how is he already Upper Sixth-Rank..."

And now, Director Ji was personally conducting Yang Ling's assessment. He really couldn't accept it.

Back when he was being assessed for mid-Seventh-Rank, he'd gone to Ji Kongliu full of hope, only for the man to send this Constable Wei to assess him instead.

From now on, his resume would list this Constable Wei as his assessor.

But Yang Ling's resume would carry the three characters of Ji Kongliu's name.

Having been in the Capital for over a month now, he knew full well the weight those three characters carried, and how important that was to a rank-and-file Ironclad agent!

"This is what they call a prodigy. You'll get used to it. There's no shortage of prodigies like this in the Capital. You can even find a handful among the four top-tier sects."

Constable Wei could see how Li Huaiyi was feeling and patted his shoulder in consolation.

Meanwhile, Ji Kongliu wasted no words. He didn't circulate energy, nor did he employ any martial arts technique. He simply rushed up to Yang Ling and delivered a single palm strike!

Yang Ling raised his arm to block, offering no counterattack.

Before the assessment, the man had already made it clear. All he needed to do was receive one strike.

Boom!

A muffled impact sounded as a gale of force swept through the surroundings.

The two stood face to face, very close together.

Yang Ling could see a flicker of surprise in Ji Kongliu's eyes.

"He truly didn't use much more power than Upper Sixth-Rank."

Combined with the earlier advice and this palm strike, Yang Ling felt this superior of his was probably a decent person.

The Ironclad agents present exchanged glances, then silently sucked in sharp breaths.

Not a single step back!?

Their Director had clearly said that staying within ten steps meant Upper Sixth-Rank!

And this guy hadn't moved back even one step!?

The weight of this Upper Sixth-Rank was honestly a bit terrifying.

"He really is Upper Sixth-Rank?"

Li Huaiyi felt a dull ache in his gut. That last shred of hope in his heart was utterly snuffed out.

A satisfied smile spread across Yun Buchuan's face.

Ji Kongliu fell silent for a long moment, then gave a slight nod:

"Not bad."

He had someone bring over paper and brush, and completed the registration process for Yang Ling.

Only at this moment did Yang Ling officially become a formally recognized Upper Sixth-Rank expert of Zhao State!

"What are you all gawking at? Assessments continue! You don't have much time left."

Ji Kongliu turned around and shot them a glare.

The group of Ironclad agents hastily returned to their own assessments.

Half an hour later, time was up for turning in their papers.

The two Sixth-Rank experts and the dozen or so Seventh-Rank martial artists were all feeling somewhat anxious.

Ji Kongliu suddenly thought of something and looked at Yang Ling:

"Almost forgot, you're going to serve as a constable under me too. Might as well take today's assessment along with the rest."

"I have to take it too?"

Yang Ling was somewhat surprised.

Ji Kongliu smiled enigmatically:

"Did you know you've already become quite the celebrity around here? Everyone wants to see your legendary case-cracking skills, Divine Constable Yang."