First-Year Internship—And You Went to Site 749 to Contain Monsters?!

Ying Gou couldn’t help but falter, but he dared not let his feet touch the ground as he asked, ”Lu Ding, is this some kind of demonic cultivation you’re practicing?”

Lu Ding: ?????

”What are you saying? What kind of talk is that? I, a respectable 749 investigator, would practice demonic cultivation?”

”This is a proper spell.”

As he spoke, Lu Ding waved his hand, signaling the investigators to clean up the battlefield.

Although from the looks of it, only the Giant Wave Group had contributed any effort here, the Wuliang Temple people were purely bystanders.

But the main act wasn’t here.

It was the Star-Plucking Tower afterward.

That damned place was basically a fortress city, comparable to the Endless Castle from Demon Slayer, buildings connected to buildings everywhere. In that place, many of Lu Ding’s high-power techniques couldn’t be used. Once things turned brutal, it would mean massive casualties.That would be the real bloodbath.

Right now it was simply the revelry before the slaughter.

Hearing Lu Ding’s words, Ying Gou felt like Lu Ding was pointing at him.

”So if it’s not demonic cultivation, then how—”

He didn’t finish the sentence. He only glanced at the endless wasteland around them, devoid of any sign of life.

Actually, he rather hoped Lu Ding had been cultivating demonic arts.

Otherwise, he would look foolish.

He had practiced demonic cultivation precisely to achieve this kind of power.

But Lu Ding hadn’t cultivated demonic arts and still had this kind of power.

By comparison, Ying Gou felt like an idiot.

Although he knew contentment brings happiness, and one shouldn’t compare oneself to others—there are always people stronger—he still couldn’t help it.

Anyone can talk. Doing it, though, isn’t something everyone can manage.

Lu Ding’s voice rose, ”Just normal power.”

Ying Gou fell silent again.

Yan Feifan walked over.

”Brother Lu, there’s nothing left, nothing at all... what should have broken is broken, what shouldn’t have broken is broken too.”

So yes, things like Golden Ao Island and the charged Jinche Way were excellent in every way, except their power was a bit too much. Not using them wastes time, using them leaves no spoils.

It’s not that Lu Ding doesn’t check the bodies.

He wants to.

There simply wasn’t anything to take.

Lu Ding sighed, ”Fine, let’s move locations. Quick fights, quick wins, so we don’t run into other 749 teams here and waste time.”

He felt somewhat embarrassed.

He’d turned someone else’s turf into this.

Although it wasn’t inside the city.

But the destruction caused—who knew how long it would take to recover.

However, Lu Ding didn’t plan to shirk responsibility.

Compensation had to be paid.

This wasn’t the time to discuss it, they’d just make the Western teams process it later.

Yan Feifan understood Lu Ding’s thoughts.

His cooperation with Lu Ding was complementary.

Lu Ding had many matters. He couldn’t calculate everything perfectly; occasionally he’d be careless and fail to think of the most perfect solution to avoid losses.

At times like this, Yan Feifan’s role—most assistant investigators, even upright and rule-abiding excellent ones like Xinghe—couldn’t compare.

He issued retreat orders while speaking to the silently pondering Ying Gou.

”Special Envoy Ying, why don’t you take this area? The southern Qingyuan Prefecture isn’t bad either.”

Ying Gou put away his thoughts. ”Isn’t this a little hasty? We just took Jinhua Tian Temple today. I haven’t even inspected or audited it yet.”

Yan Feifan: ”You can inspect and audit together then.”

”We’re all on the same side, nothing to hide. Look, when Brother Lu helps you take this place, you get another territory, Brother Lu saves on compensation, you don’t have to pay Brother Lu fees, Brother Lu doesn’t have to pay you fees.”

”Everyone wins, two birds with one stone, what do you say?”

Such an unconventional angle made Lu Ding slowly turn his head, ”I always knew you were a genius!!!”

”I’ll log this as meritorious, a great merit!”

Yan Feifan’s proposal—no one knew how much money it saved him.

He got his revenge, made an example of them, and Ying Gou gained territory.

No one had to pay much.

Otherwise, compensation costs would be astronomical. Even though Lu Ding controlled the West and had money now and would have more later, his funds were for useful things.

They would be used to build up the West, expand the Western Districts’ 749.

Spend less where possible.

Ying Gou considered it. Although the two had a good relationship, they weren’t single individuals; each represented their own 749 underlings, so some matters had to be handled officially.

Gaining territory is good.

But the mountains becoming basins, basins turning into gobi desert—repairs would be necessary.

Repairs cost money.

Gaining territory is good even if it’s not contiguous, better than nothing, but repair costs were too high.

Yan Feifan, ever clever, turned his eyes.

”How about this, Special Envoy Ying, our bureau has a Reshaper. We can lend it to you, and this matter can be settled?”

That was Yan Feifan’s professionalism: intelligence, information—what they had and lacked, what others had—they knew intimately and used resources fully.

Ying Gou snapped his head toward Lu Ding, ”You actually have a Reshaper!?”

Lu Ding replied, ”You didn’t know? You don’t have one?”

He assumed Ying Gou came from a big place where this would be standard.

Ying Gou felt Lu Ding was showing off a bit.

The Reshaper carried immense weight.

It was a controlled instrument.

Never mind New City, even within Great Han, not every place’s 749 could be equipped with one.

If they could be, it would be one per bureau at most, never extras.

Yet Lu Ding had one...

Lu Ding alone possessed an entire western region. Ying Gou didn’t envy him when Lu Ding cultivated orthodox spells more powerful than the wayward demonic blade techniques. But now that Lu Ding had a Reshaper, Ying Gou was jealous!

Letting out a breath, he said, ”No!”

The earlier hesitating Ying Gou instantly stopped wavering.

”If you can lend me the Reshaper, I can agree, but I don’t have technicians to operate it. You have to lend your technicians too.”

Yan Feifan didn’t let Lu Ding speak. He grabbed the chance; some things weren’t fit for Lu Ding to say, so he stepped in.

Just three words.

”Need more pay.”

Filling the territory and compensation gap, offsetting with equipment usage—that clears accounts. Technicians are another cost entirely.

Ying Gou glanced at Yan Feifan.

He didn’t dislike talkative assistants; instead, he admired them.

Look at Lu Ding’s assistant: all brain and wit. He spoke only of interests and yet wasn’t off-putting, maximizing gains for his main investigator and minimizing losses.

And Ying Gou’s assistant, Zhuge Xing, though not bad, hadn’t made such contributions and kept scolding him.

People compare and get angered.

Ying Gou suddenly asked, ”Do you know how to use the Reshaper? If you do and can come help, I’ll not only pay you more—name your price and I’ll double it.”

He knew Lu Ding had more than one assistant; previously Fu Xinghe had been at his side.

If he could borrow this assistant now, have him operate the Reshaper and offer counsel, combining forces with his own assistant Zhuge Xing, even without ownership, even just usage rights, Ying Gou felt he’d profit greatly.

Lu Ding saw through his intent, stepped forward between Ying Gou and Yan Feifan to block them.

”He doesn’t know how. Don’t even think about it. There’s someone else. Just say yes or no.”

He had waited so long for Yan Feifan to rise from the Third Circle; now that he’d just started working, someone was coveting him? Lu Ding wouldn’t allow it!

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Extra chapter added thanks to the Gift King previously sent by Jun Shen Hongchen, many thanks to the benefactor