Along the southern edge of the Division compound, a very high wall cut off any view between inside and out.

The idea was to let the new practitioners inside forget the life and noise of Qingzhou city — put all their attention on training.

Reaching the Threshold Realm in ten years was something most sect disciples considered out of reach.

But with the Division’s considerable resources behind them, Threshold practitioners came up behind this wall like new growth after rain — wave after wave, never stopping, and many of them didn’t need the full ten years.

No one guarding the entrance.

The energy of these new people was pressed to its limit by the Commanders every day.

Following Chen Jinyu, Shen Yi stepped into this stretch of ground that smelled thoroughly of sweat.

If he hadn’t made it past the Threshold Realm, he’d be part of this crowd right now.

The night was dense and dark. In the distance, small cramped courtyards packed close together, each with a faint light burning.

“Everyone has their own little yard.” Chen Jinyu seemed genuinely content with the arrangement. Compared to Baiyun County, her brother’s current living situation was considerably more spacious. Even she, as a family member, had been given separate lodging not far from here.

“Not bad.” He gave a casual nod.

The new recruits had it strict, but they weren’t crammed into large shared bunks. These weren’t soldiers — they’d go on to work alone in dark robes someday, and as long as they built real credits and earned another cloud-band on the sleeve, the treatment became genuinely good.

Courtyard was generous — two rooms facing each other, with a narrow open space between them that five people standing shoulder to shoulder could just fill.

The small private stove Chen Jinyu had mentioned was set up in the open space. A clay pot gurgled with a low, steady sound, meat fragrance spreading everywhere.

Two noticeably more solid-looking men in sleeveless short jackets were crouched on the ground, staring at the clay pot with open longing.

Niu Da swallowed. “Lucky you have your sister here. What have they been feeding us.”

Chen Ji tended the small fire gently. “Better things than we ever dared imagine before.”

The Division wasn’t going to shortchange them on food — it was medicines and meat, all of it — but nobody had put any thought into making it taste like anything. Plain, badly salted stew. Nutritionally impeccable. No joy.

Then from behind them, a bright call.

“Brother!”

Niu Da instinctively put his body between himself and the clay pot, and raised one arm to protect the back of his head.

Chen Ji turned. The hand moving the fan went still. He looked genuinely puzzled.

Then he shot up from the ground with visible excitement. “Commander Shen!”

Less than three months had passed, but coming to this unfamiliar Qingzhou city had a way of making time feel longer.

He looked carefully at the dark robe, delighted. “You’re already in the Division’s uniform, sir.”

No cloud-bands on the sleeve yet — but with Commander Shen’s ability, that was purely a matter of time.

“Move over.” Shen Yi crouched in front of the clay pot, not particularly interested in explaining the difference between a Commander and a Deputy Commander to the young man.

“Commander Shen.” Niu Da shuffled quickly to the side, arm still raised over the back of his head — clearly the uniform had left its mark. But seeing a familiar face from home doing well brought out a simple, proud grin.

The Baiyun County constable hadn’t become someone to be ordered around in Qingzhou either.

Chen Jinyu carefully retrieved three sets of bowls and chopsticks from inside. “Shh — don’t let the training Commanders hear.”

“Heh heh, I’m eating in my room.” Niu Da moved with practiced efficiency to portion out a bowl of chicken soup for Shen Yi, exactly like he had in the Baiyun County yamen yard during the midday meal.

Shen Yi lifted the bowl. Thick oil floated across the surface, trapping the steam underneath. The fat chicken leg glistened with broth.

The soup hadn’t been simmering particularly long — the meat was soft but hadn’t dissolved.

He found himself, unusually, actually hungry. He wasn’t sure if he was craving the chicken leg or the particular genuine feeling this moment gave him about being in this world.

“Hey — caught you again!”

A voice and footsteps, and a Commander in cloud-band dark robes strode in with a switch in hand, expression caught between exasperation and something almost fond. “Told you family members aren’t allowed in here. Do you want to get dragged out again?”

Niu Da slammed his door shut and sat inside, wincing as he tipped the scalding soup directly into his mouth.

Chen Ji turned with an awkward expression. “Commander Liu — just this last time—”

“Just because you’ve got decent talent doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want.” Commander Liu rolled his eyes without real anger. “You’ve already lost years. Focus. Get to the Threshold Realm in two or three years and get out of here — wouldn’t that be better?”

“And you — which yard are you from—”

He raised the switch toward the back of the courtyard. Then his whole body gave three visible shivers.

The pale-faced young man was crouching on the ground, bowl of soup in hand, dark eyes carrying slightly less of the coldness than usual — but it still brought back the image of a figure sitting cross-legged on the steps outside the Jingang School gate.

“You — you — I — I—” The switch went behind his back.

“Don’t mind me.” Shen Yi gave a small nod.

He was here to cadge a meal. He had no interest in causing problems for anyone.

The Commander’s visible discomfort clearly left the siblings not knowing quite what to do — but the single sentence seemed to be enough, and the man retreated from the courtyard with the air of someone who’d had a small but memorable fright.

“Your time, sir.”

Chen Ji stared at the space where he’d been, then crouched back down.

“…”

Like what he’d once said to Zhang Tuhu — there was nothing to be surprised about with Commander Shen. Someone like this would naturally be treated with wariness by everyone around them.

Only — in this short time, even the Division’s own Commanders showed this kind of deference. While he’d been here grinding away at his training, the man must have done quite a few more significant things.

“Is being a Division Commander dangerous?” Chen Ji asked with genuine curiosity.

“Not sure. I haven’t been one long enough to say. Being careful is always better either way.” Shen Yi waited for the soup to stop scalding, then drank it down in one go, feeling the warmth settle in. The restless feeling from before gradually faded, and something like ease came in its place.

Apart from hunting and killing demons, he actually preferred ordinary life.

“Commander Liu says my aptitude is good. He thinks I’ll break through the Threshold soon.” Chen Ji told the story with obvious pleasure — which county constable had just made the skin-hardening breakthrough and received a reward from a Commander, which new recruit had been caught slacking and taken several strikes for it.

Shen Yi held the chicken leg, chewing slowly, occasionally adding a word.

Chen Jinyu sat quietly nearby listening, until late into the night, when she stood and tidied one of the rooms, picked up the wolf cloak, and said goodnight to both of them.

Chen Ji saw his sister to the courtyard gate and came back.

“I heard a few Commanders talking. They said Qingzhou has been unsettled lately. You should be careful too.”

“It’s fine. They’re keeping me from going out for a few days.” Shen Yi stretched. “I’ll stay here.”

“Great.” Chen Ji got water to wash out the clay pot and bowls.

He didn’t ask why Commander Shen had a perfectly good side courtyard in the Deputy Commander’s quarters and had come here instead.

Back in Baiyun County, the man had once tossed him ten silver without hesitation, and then refused to let him have a second look at the roasted goose leg in his hand. Chen Ji had long since learned to accept these things.

(End of Chapter)