Monster Extermination Thousand Household Office

When Joseon Province was first established, the Eastern Depot considered the place remote and bitterly cold, and tossed the thankless assignment to the Imperial Guard.

The Imperial Guard drew a line with the Eastern Depot: the original two capitals and thirteen provinces of Great Ming would be called the "Inner Provinces," under the Eastern Depot's jurisdiction.

All newly conquered lands from then on would be collectively known as the "Outer Provinces," under the Imperial Guard's jurisdiction.

The Imperial Guard had been kept under the Eastern Depot's thumb for centuries, and wanted to use this opportunity to escape its cage.

The Eastern Depot hadn't taken the matter seriously at the time. It never expected Great Ming to keep expanding its territory over the next two hundred years... By the time Jiaozhi Province was established, the Eastern Depot had already begun to regret it.

The people called the "Monster Extermination Thousand Household Office" the Monster Extermination Army.

Its strength had continued to grow, until it was no longer content with "pacifying the region after the war." It had begun taking the field itself to expand Great Ming's territory, and its renown had long since eclipsed the Imperial Guard's.

When Jiaozhi was conquered, the Monster Extermination Army served as the vanguard. It was said to have forty thousand combat troops, organized into the "Monster Extermination Battalion."

When Xu Yuan's second uncle was in his teens, he joined the Monster Extermination Army. Often, a few years would pass before any word came back.

When Xu Yuan's father died, he had someone send word to the Monster Extermination Army. His second uncle probably never received it; at any rate, he hadn't returned by the time the burial was over.

Over these past few decades, Jiaozhi had been thoroughly assimilated. He'd heard that the Monster Extermination Army's vanguard had already reached Siam and fought several battles against the Red-Haired Barbarians. The reports sent to the court all claimed "great victories," but apparently things weren't quite so rosy.

Uncle Rong Kui had arrived at the inn even later than Xu Yuan, clearly coming for Xu Yuan.

And he'd never revealed his identity, only keeping an eye on Xu Yuan from the shadows!

Had his second uncle gotten into trouble? Had his family been implicated?

Uncle Rong Kui felt the small knife at his neck about to slice into his flesh, and cried out in fright, "Listen to me, listen! It's not what you think. It's your second uncle—your second uncle earned great merit and was promoted. He's risen to Commander, a proper official!"

Xu Yuan was even more confused. "He got promoted, and you still dared to spy on me?"

Uncle Rong Kui looked as if he were about to cry. "Your second uncle ordered me to do it..."

Xu Yuan had always suspected that his father and second uncle had been at odds. Otherwise, why would his second uncle leave for decades and never come back to visit?

"Your second uncle earned great merit. Not only was he promoted, he also caught the eye of a noble. The noble means to cultivate him, but your second uncle has only us old brothers who've shared life and death with him. He doesn't have anyone useful around him, so he sent me back to quietly see how you were doing..."

Uncle Rong Kui rattled it all off, finally managing to explain the gist of things. Then he cautiously glanced at Xu Yuan, thinking, Head Xu, your nephew is no ordinary fellow!

"My Waist Token is in my clothes. I'll show it to you, and there's also a letter in your second uncle's own hand."

Xu Yuan released the knife. Uncle Rong Kui let out a long breath and cursed inwardly, Damn, I nearly pissed myself. No wonder this kid had managed to deal with that whole string of people in the Pingtian Society.

Uncle Rong Kui took out the Waist Token and the letter.

Xu Yuan only gave the Waist Token a cursory glance; he couldn't tell whether it was real anyway. The important thing was the letter in his second uncle's own hand.

His second uncle had occasionally sent letters home before, so Xu Yuan recognized the handwriting.

In the letter, his second uncle said that Zheng Rongkui was a good brother who had risked his life for him, and told Xu Yuan to follow his arrangements in everything, and so on.

Xu Yuan frowned. "Why didn't you mention my father's death?"

Uncle Rong Kui sighed. "When I left, I hadn't yet heard that your father had died."

Then he looked up at the sky. "Let's not stand around in the street. It's nearly dark. We should go to where I'm staying."

"Where are you staying?"

"At Widow Yang's house."

Xu Yuan turned and walked away. "Come to my place."

Xu Yuan had taken over Zhao's Furs Shop without so much as a by-your-leave.

Once Uncle Rong Kui came inside, Xu Yuan led him straight to the kitchen. There was a lot of cured meat hanging from the rafters.

Not many hunters were capable of entering Ghost Witch Mountain, so the wild beasts there grew plump and healthy. The floor beneath the rafters was speckled with grease from dripping fat.

Xu Yuan pointed at the cured meat and the rice jar. "Make some food. We'll talk after we've eaten."

Xu Yuan hadn't eaten all day and was already starving.

Uncle Rong Kui rubbed his nose. Fine. I did kitchen work at Yi Fang Ting Inn too, anyway.

For some reason, although Uncle Rong Kui didn't seem particularly willing, he still showed off his cooking skills. With the limited ingredients at hand, he put together a small feast: six dishes and a soup, with fragrant, steaming rice.

He even found a bottle of good liquor in Zhao Yong's room.

Xu Yuan pointed at the table. "Taste a little of everything."

Uncle Rong Kui glared. "I'm your elder, after all... Fine. I'll taste it."

Xu Yuan slipped the knife back into his sleeve.

Uncle Rong Kui tried every dish. Xu Yuan waited the time it took to burn a stick of incense, and when nothing seemed wrong, he took Uncle Rong Kui's chopsticks, washed them, and used them himself.

"You..." Uncle Rong Kui was speechless. This kid was far too cautious. Who had raised him like this?

Xu Yuan wolfed down the food until he was full. Uncle Rong Kui's cooking really was first-rate, on par with his stepmother's.

Uncle Rong Kui, meanwhile, ate slowly and drank his liquor.

Once Xu Yuan had eaten his fill, he put down his chopsticks and stared intently at Uncle Rong Kui.

Uncle Rong Kui was in the middle of enjoying his drink. "Don't rush me. Let me finish, and then I'll explain everything... You really are no fun. You whip out a knife at the drop of a hat, just like that bastard of a second uncle of yours!"

Uncle Rong Kui set down his cup. He didn't dare curse at Xu Yuan while he was holding a knife, so he thoroughly cursed out his old brother—now his new superior—who was a thousand miles away.

Xu Yuan felt more at ease instead. According to the letter, Uncle Rong Kui and his second uncle had lived and died together in the Monster Extermination Army for more than a decade... This felt exactly right.

Uncle Rong Kui explained his second uncle's arrangements in detail.

"...It's not that I wanted to spy on you. Well, I can't exactly say I was spying. I was keeping an eye on you from the shadows. Your second uncle said that if you weren't suitable, I shouldn't bring it up with you.

"The Monster Extermination Army is too dangerous. If you don't have what it takes, don't leave his elder brother without an heir."

Xu Yuan asked coldly, "When I was in danger, why didn't you help?"

Uncle Rong Kui glared. "How did I not help? When you wanted to run, didn't I deliberately give you the chance?"

Xu Yuan thought it over. That morning, Uncle Rong Kui had sent him off to fetch water on purpose, giving him the chance to escape.

"What about after that?"

"After that... It wasn't that I didn't want to help. I couldn't. You all rushed into Ghost Witch Mountain. I'm an outsider—would I dare go in?"

Xu Yuan could just about understand.

He'd already tested Uncle Rong Kui's strength. At best, he was an Eighth Stream cultivator.

Going up against the Pingtian Society head-on would mean certain death. He wouldn't even be able to escape.

Asking him to enter Ghost Witch Mountain and help fight the Pingtian Society... He didn't have the skill or the nerve for it.

Besides, Xu Yuan understood that he was only a nephew. If he'd been a biological son, Uncle Rong Kui might have gritted his teeth and risked his life.

"My second uncle..." Xu Yuan glanced at Uncle Rong Kui. "Why did he send such a useless man back?"

Uncle Rong Kui's chubby face flushed bright red. His lips moved several times as he tried to defend himself, but in the end, he let out a sigh. "Forget it. You managed to handle Master Qiao and the people of the Pingtian Society. You really do have ability. I'm no match for you."

Xu Yuan didn't deny it. He tapped the table. "Keep eating. I'm going upstairs to sleep. We'll head back to the city tomorrow."

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