Chapter 67: Competition
On the afternoon of the second day after receiving the notification from the General Department, Song Changming, carrying only a Dragon Pattern Saber, set out alone.
Having visited the Public Security Bureau on Brocade Street two or three times due to official business, he was no stranger to the place.
After explaining his purpose, he was led to a vacant School Martial Arts Arena.
He was the first to arrive, and besides him, there were seven other candidates today.
The General Department would add only one extra Patrol Guard this year.
The Patrol Guard would comprise thirty members, all carefully selected, with only the airborne Patrol Captain position yet to be filled, to lead this new General Patrol Guard.
They were here today to compete for this airborne Patrol Captain vacancy.
Among these eight candidates, there were Patrol Captains like Song Changming from the County City Patrol Armor Bureau, as well as others from different counties.
All eight were without exception capable of handling matters independently in their respective jurisdictions, with excellent reputations and impeccable accolades recorded in their merit records.
Their professional abilities needed no further comparison, as the merits listed were proof enough.
This time, it was purely a contest of personal martial prowess.
With everyone excelling in various aspects, the position of General Patrol Captain would go to the most valiant.
"Eight people competing for one position," thought Song Changming, understanding the situation.
Today, it seemed it wouldn’t be over after just one match.
Before long, others were gradually brought into the martial arts arena.
Without exception, those who entered were clad in the dark green military officer uniforms of a Patrol Captain.
Most of them were not young, at the peak of their prime, experienced and shrewd.
Only the last arrival stood out, looking hardly older than Song Changming, with a somewhat sallow complexion, neither tall nor robust, pursing his lips with an exceptionally stern expression.
He and Song Changming were the only two young people in the arena, naturally drawing more attention.
The remaining six Patrol Captains frequently glanced at them.
They all knew that everyone present today was a competitor, not an observer.
However, the sight of the youthful Song Changming and the other young person naturally invited criticism and disdain.
The remaining six Patrol Captains said nothing aloud, though internally they were already musing.
They were well-versed in the ways of officialdom and suspected that these two young men were likely backed by substantial backgrounds to be involved in this competition.
But of what use was that?
Since it was a competition, in the end, personal martial valor was what mattered.
No amount of background clout would be of any help.
If they had such ability, they would have been directly appointed, canceling this competitive assessment.
While they pondered so, a group slowly approached after waiting for a while.
Leading them was the Director of the General Department, Xie Shihuan, followed by several Patrol Captains from the General Department.
Among them were people familiar to Song Changming, such as the towering two-meter-tall Lu Zheng, as well as Zhou Sixin, who had a good relationship with Liang Chuan Mountain.
Zhou Sixin also spotted Song Changming right away and gave him a friendly smile.
If Song Changming stood out among the eight today, he would be their future colleague.
"Greetings, Sir!" Faced with their superior, all eight dared not be neglectful and promptly cupped their hands in salute.
Xie Shihuan, at the head, glanced over the eight neatly standing individuals, his gaze pausing slightly on Song Changming and the other young man before nodding placidly.
"No need for formalities, perform well today, I care only for strength, nothing else."
"Yes," the eight responded in unison.
Xie Shihuan gestured to Lu Zheng behind him to begin, then moved aside to watch.
Lu Zheng stepped forward, his presence alone exuding a formidable aura, while the other Patrol Captains from the General Department stood quietly by his sides, awaiting in silence.
"Compete in pairs, stop when I call, it must stop."
This internal selection had no restrictive rules, victory was all that mattered, straightforward and concise.
"Song Changming, Peng Hongyi."
Song Changming was the first to be called, facing off against a Patrol Captain from Qinghe County.
Nearly forty, sporting a rare crew cut, with a face full of horizontal flesh and slightly large jowls.
Upon seeing Song Changming step forward, he couldn’t help but smile slyly.
Compared to the other older contenders, being pitted against the youngest was undoubtedly advantageous.
In his view, his first battle would be much easier.
The two stood facing each other, spaced over ten meters apart.
"Ready, begin," instructed Lu Zheng.
Peng Hongyi immediately withdrew a longsword from his waist, looking confident as he approached Song Changming at a measured pace, not eager to seize an advantage.
Song Changming grasped the hilt of the saber behind him in reverse.
His Dragon Pattern Saber was too heavy to be worn at the waist, so he carried it strapped to his back.
Though his opponent was unhurried, Song Changming was unwilling to waste time.
With his longsword unsheathed, he instantly burst forward, launching himself several meters towards his opponent.
Buzz!
The Dragon Pattern Saber gleamed silver, crashing down from above with formidable force.
The attack was so swift and fierce that Peng Hongyi, caught off guard by Song Changming’s latent explosive momentum, was overwhelmed.
Panic-stricken, realizing he couldn’t evade, he hurriedly raised his longsword to parry the powerful slash from Song Changming.
The next moment, a weight akin to Mount Tai’s descended, numbing his arms and rendering him nearly senseless.
Pain shot through him as his longsword flew from his grip.
The silvery blade rested before his eyes, sending cold sweat trickling from his brow.
His arms dangled, with wave after wave of pain searing his nerves.
His arms weren’t crippled, merely subjected to stress fractures, but it robbed him of combat capability completely.
It was clear who was superior, the outcome was decided.
In just one move, the match was over, not even giving Lu Zheng a chance to call a halt.
Those present, upon looking at Song Changming anew, had their perceptions altered to varying degrees.
Especially the remaining six candidates in the arena, the single slash Song Changming exhibited left no room for dismissal.
Song Changming, youthful indeed, without any facial hair, but his strength defied convention.
Particularly in terms of Qi Power, it was remarkably immense!
"This kid, after some time apart, his cultivation strength has grown even more!" observed Zhou Sixin, silently musing.
Perhaps no one in the arena knew Song Changming’s strength more than him, yet he too realized that the present Song Changming had strengthened significantly since the days of subduing the Nine Bends Association.
Lu Zheng couldn’t help but glance at Song Changming a couple more times before announcing the next pair of competitors.
Song Changming sheathed his saber and silently retreated.
Meanwhile, Peng Hongyi was promptly removed for treatment by medics.
In truth, he had no face to remain there.
Being defeated in one stroke was utterly humiliating.
"Zhang An, He Xuan."
For the next group, the remaining young man was also called up, facing another apparently formidable older participant.
Compared to the tall and burly Song Changming, this young man, He Xuan, appeared more vulnerable.
Yet the ensuing duel once again defied expectations.