Polite Fan Zhao Heng

Zhou Tong choked, his expression shifting slightly; the identity of the man before him was far from ordinary.

Zhao Heng, Demon Suppression Captain.

Furthermore, he was one of the top-tier captains in the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division, and among those of the same realm, one could count those who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him on a single hand.

Renowned and formidable, he rarely met his match.

The first time Zhou Tong stood before Zhao Heng was seven years ago.

Back then, he had just received his certification to be promoted to a Demon-Suppressing Guard, and the word "Approved" in the remarks column had been written by Zhao Heng himself.

Ever since then, he had considered himself one of Zhao Heng's subordinates.

Whenever he was in high spirits from drink, he would always mention that he was a Demon-Suppressing Guard personally approved by Lord Zhao, full of confidence.

Zhao Heng had never responded to such claims, nor had he ever denied them.

Therefore, this lack of denial was taken as a stance.

Zhou Tong sighed, his voice growing increasingly earnest.

"My Lord, in matters like this, the Disciplinary Hall has always dealt out equal punishment to both sides. If this is truly reported, it is I who will end up at a disadvantage."

"I am your subordinate; if he dares to strike even me, I fear there will be no one left who can keep him in check if you do not intervene."

Zhao Heng withdrew his fingers from the teacup, raised his gaze, and looked at Zhou Tong with genuine seriousness.

"Zhou Tong, this line of reasoning of yours is truly not very clever."

Zhou Tong's face turned from red to pale. "My Lord, I—"

"Drink your tea."

"No, My Lord—"

"Please!"

The tone was gentle but lacked even a hint of weakness.

Zhou Tong's expression stiffened, and the words that had reached his lips were forced back down.

He downed the tea in one gulp, rose to offer a salute, and then turned to leave.

Zhao Heng washed the teacup clean and placed it upside down on the tea tray.

He walked to the bronze basin by the wall to wash his hands, dried them with a cloth, and then took a thin booklet from the drawer.

After opening it, he found a name in the roster of new recruits—Lu Yuan.

Taking a glance, he picked up a sheet of gold-flecked stationery from the desk.

He unfolded it, ground the ink, and took up the brush.

The handwriting was upright and elegant, every stroke revealing years of disciplined practice.

Afterward, he folded the gold-flecked stationery, placed it into a plain white envelope, and sealed it with wax.

"Zheng Shan."

Zhao Heng's voice was not loud, but it was clear.

A yamen runner walked in from outside and stepped forward to cup his hands in salute.

"Lord Zhao, what are your orders?"

Zhao Heng handed over the envelope, his expression courteous.

"I must trouble you to make a trip and deliver this envelope to a new recruit named Lu Yuan."

"If he is free, please invite him to come sit with me for a while. If he is not, it is of no consequence; we can speak another day."

The yamen runner took the envelope and nodded repeatedly. "Rest assured, Lord Zhao, I will go at once."

With that, he carefully tucked the envelope into his tunic and trotted away.

In the detached courtyard.

Not long after Lu Yuan finished his cultivation, a knock came at the gate.

"Lord Lu, I've brought you some meat buns fresh out of the steamer from the canteen; they're still piping hot."

Lu Yuan pulled back the bolt and saw Su Ding'an standing at the entrance, carrying a food box.

Entering the courtyard, Lu Yuan took the box and offered his thanks, while Su Ding'an began to look around.

A few clusters of bamboo stood half-dead in the corner, and the stone table and stools were covered in a layer of dust; the entire courtyard looked as if it had been vacant for a long time.

"My Lord, you should at least tidy up this courtyard so you can live a bit more comfortably, shouldn't you?"

Lu Yuan waved his hand; it didn't block the wind or rain, and after a few days of cleaning, another layer of dust would just settle anyway, so why bother?

He walked back to the main hall and took a large bite of a meat bun, the savory juices overflowing and coating his mouth.

It had to be said, the buns from the Demon Suppression Division canteen really did taste different.

He looked at Su Ding'an. "Old Su, you've come knocking at the crack of dawn—surely you didn't come all this way just to deliver buns to me?"

Su Ding'an chuckled, "Sir, judging by your tone yesterday, you're looking to sell that Corpse Suppressing Bell?"

Lu Yuan chewed on his bun. He had indeed said as much, then looked at Su Ding'an and asked, "Do you have a lead?"

Su Ding'an nodded repeatedly, "Sir, I've already made inquiries."

"Since the Corpse Suppressing Bell is a magical artifact, selling it to the Bureau is the most convenient route, though the price is rather mediocre."

"The clerks at the Bureau Goods Hall do everything by the book and won't give an extra copper; they'd likely offer around one hundred and fifty merit points for this bell."

He thought for a moment and added, "It definitely won't exceed two hundred points."

Lu Yuan swallowed his bun, clearly unsatisfied with this price.

Su Ding'an noticed this and continued, "However, you don't necessarily have to sell this artifact to the Bureau Goods Hall."

"Lord Lu, you could spread the word first to test the waters. If someone happens to need this treasure, selling it for seven or eight hundred merit points wouldn't be a problem."

"But that depends on luck and whether there's a buyer. If no one buys it, you can always sell it to the Bureau Goods Hall in the end without a loss."

"What do you think, sir?"

Lu Yuan nodded. He would give it a try; there was no harm in testing the waters.

"Fine, I'll leave this matter to you."

"Rest assured, sir. I'll go spread the word and see who might be interested in this item."

Su Ding'an stood up and was about to take his leave when a young yamen runner walked toward the courtyard.

The runner reached the entrance and instinctively glanced inside.

Lord Zhao had said this Lu Yuan was a newcomer who had just joined, so he hadn't paid much attention at first.

It was only after checking his residence at the Administrative Hall that he realized this was a big shot living in the Mountain Villa.

Upon further inquiry, good heavens, he was a Demon Suppression Captain right from the start!

At that, he completely discarded any sense of contempt.

"Lord Lu, I am Zheng Shan, a subordinate sent by Lord Zhao Heng to deliver an invitation."

He held out the envelope with both hands, his movements respectful.

Lu Yuan stepped forward to take it, opened it, and saw only a few words written on the gold-flecked stationery.

"I have prepared tea and wish to have a chat with you. Zhao Heng bows."

Zhao Heng?

He had never heard of this person.

Su Ding'an leaned in closer and said:

"Sir, Lord Zhao Heng is a cultivator at the late stage of the Initial Realm and is among the elite few Demon Suppression Captains in the Bureau."

"This man is skilled with a Demon Subduing Iron Fan. He is usually humble and polite to others, earning him the nickname 'Polite Fan'."

Lu Yuan nodded and looked at Zheng Shan, "Understood. Wait here for a moment."

"Yes!" Zheng Shan nodded immediately, "Lord Zhao said there is no rush. If Lord Lu still has matters to attend to, I shall wait outside the courtyard."

With that, he retreated outside the courtyard and stood properly.

Lu Yuan glanced at him, said nothing, and turned to walk back into the courtyard.

Su Ding'an followed by his side, his expression slightly complex, and lowered his voice:

"Sir, I'm afraid this invitation isn't as simple as it seems."

"That Zhou Tong you taught a lesson last time is one of Zhao Heng's men; he's been following Zhao Heng for several years."

"Zhao Heng is a reasonable man, but he is strict with his subordinates and dislikes brawling. By beating Zhou Tong, you've essentially broken his rules..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Lu Yuan smiled faintly, "With people like this, the more polite they are, the more suspicious it is."

"The 'Polite Fan'—it means he acts reasonable on the surface, but what lies behind that courtesy?"

Su Ding'an continued, "Zhao Heng is a standout among the Demon Suppression Captains. When you go later, sir, please leave yourself some room to maneuver in your words and actions. Whatever you do, don't be confrontational."

Lu Yuan picked up a dried linen robe from the courtyard and put it on, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Having said that, he stepped over the threshold and followed Zheng Shan toward the distance.

Su Ding'an sighed and plopped down onto a stone stool.

He didn't know what he was worried about, but he just felt uneasy.

After thinking it over, he decided to report this matter to his superiors, just in case.