The Administrative Hall stood in the southeast corner of the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division. It was a three-courtyard residence built of gray bricks and tiled roofs.
Salaries, missions, merit exchanges, meals, and lodging were all handled there.
Demon-Suppressing Guards came and went through the main entrance without end.
Zhou Tong was among them.
If he wanted Lu Yuan to be severely punished, he first had to find out where Lu Yuan lived.
Only, it seemed there was no need to look anymore.
"Lu Yuan!"
Zhou Tong called out, stopping Lu Yuan as he was about to enter the Administrative Hall to take a mission.
Lu Yuan turned around, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
He saw Zhou Tong standing with his hands behind his back, looking at him with displeasure.
"I'm Zhou Tong, the selection examiner from Yun'an County. Come with me. I need to talk to you."
Lu Yuan looked away and started walking. "I'm busy."
Zhou Tong froze, then his face flushed red.
He had been in the Division for seven years. Though he was hardly a big shot, in front of a newcomer who had just joined, he was unquestionably a senior—and a superior.
In his view, after hearing him call out, Lu Yuan should have come over obediently and awaited his judgment.
He hadn't expected Lu Yuan to toss out two casual words and simply walk away.
He just walked away!
Zhou Tong had been a registered Demon-Suppressing Guard for seven years!
And a newcomer who had only just joined had actually ignored him!
Zhou Tong's expression turned ghastly. He had never seen such an arrogant newcomer, one who dared to disrespect him in public!
It was outrageous!
Anger surged in his chest. Zhou Tong's face darkened as he strode after him.
"Lu Yuan, I've been a registered Demon-Suppressing Guard in the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division for seven years. I need to talk to you."
"If you have something to say, say it." Lu Yuan kept walking.
Zhou Tong grew even angrier. Lu Yuan's attitude made it obvious he didn't take him seriously at all.
Suppressing his temper, he asked in a low voice, "At yesterday's entrance examination, were you the one who beat Lin Chen so badly he was left gravely injured?"
Lu Yuan glanced sideways at him. "So what if I was?"
"You disregarded the bonds between fellow disciples and attacked him, leaving Lin Chen gravely injured and unconscious. I want you to go beg forgiveness with thorn branches on your back."
"Mm."
At that, some of the anger faded from Zhou Tong's face, replaced by a hint of arrogance.
"That's more like it..."
That's what I thought!
Just showing him the status of a Demon-Suppressing Guard registered for seven years had made the kid back down on his own.
Arrogant newcomer?
He could still handle him with one hand!
Zhou Tong snorted and continued, "All right, come with me to the Medical Room now. First, apologize to his family. Once Lin Chen wakes up, he can decide how to deal with you."
"Mm."
Lu Yuan answered, but never stopped walking.
Zhou Tong frowned, realizing something was wrong.
"Didn't you say we were going to the Medical Room?"
"Mm."
"Then why aren't you going?"
"I am."
"Then get going!"
"No rush."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm going to buy a few oranges. Stay right here and don't move."
"..."
Zhou Tong's face darkened. Only then did he realize Lu Yuan had been playing him.
Since when did the Administrative Hall sell oranges?
His eyes widened in fury. "Fine, fine! I've seen plenty of arrogant newcomers, but you're the first one this brazen!"
"You dare make a fool of me! All right, today I'll teach you what rules are..."
"Master Zhou."
Lu Yuan cut him off, his tone teasing. "I don't know your rules, but you ought to know the rules of the Administrative Hall."
Lu Yuan pointed to the wooden sign beside the main entrance. Zhou Tong's expression shifted, and he suddenly had nowhere to vent his anger.
A prominent line of red characters was painted on the sign:
Fighting is strictly forbidden in the Administrative Hall. Violators will be severely punished.
"Hmph!"
Zhou Tong whipped his sleeve aside, grinding his teeth.
"Lu Yuan, just you wait!"
Inside the Administrative Hall.
After passing through a corridor, Lu Yuan arrived at the entrance to the Mission Room.
As soon as he stepped over the threshold, he spotted a familiar figure.
As it happened, the other man saw him too.
"Well, well, Master Lu! What a coincidence—we meet again."
Su Ding'an came over with a beaming smile, deferential but tinged with a merchant's shrewdness.
"Oh? You're here to take a mission too?" Lu Yuan looked surprised.
"Not exactly..." Su Ding'an lowered his voice, his expression mysterious. "Master Lu, to be honest, don't be fooled by the Administrative Hall's strict rules. We still have our connections."
As he spoke, he nodded toward the counter.
"That clerk, Old Liu—his wife's third aunt's niece's in-laws are from the same village as my family. By my reckoning, I should call him the brother-in-law of my aunt's husband."
Lu Yuan's mouth twitched slightly. That relationship went around in so many circles that even someone who could read would get lost.
Su Ding'an thought nothing of it and casually asked, "Master Lu, are you here to take a mission?"
Lu Yuan nodded. "That's right."
"Perfect! I know all the ins and outs of the Mission Room!"
"Which missions pay well, which are low-risk, which make it easy to earn merit—I'll find one for you, as long as you ask."
"But, well... it's five qian of silver to find a mission."
Su Ding'an grinned, his eyes glinting.
Lu Yuan considered it for a moment, then pulled five qian in loose silver from his robes and handed it over.
"Master Lu, you're generous!"
Su Ding'an gave him a thumbs-up, took the silver, and slipped it into his sleeve in one smooth motion.
When he looked up again, his expression had grown more serious.
"What kind of mission would you like to take, Master Lu?"
"One where I can kill demons." Lu Yuan answered without hesitation, then added, "There should be a lot of them, preferably all the same kind."
"The same kind?" Su Ding'an blinked. "Why?"
"For practice."
Lu Yuan brushed him off. After all, he couldn't let the cat out of the bag about his traits.
Su Ding'an gave it some thought, then nodded, his eyes suddenly brightening.
"That makes sense! That makes sense!"
"The more of the same kind of demon you kill, the deeper your understanding gets. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be chopping them like vegetables!"
"Ah, why didn't I think of that before?"
"..."
Muttering to himself, Su Ding'an turned and walked toward the cabinets along the wall.
Soon, he returned with a dossier in hand.
"Master Lu, a few days ago, Chixia County reported a demonic infestation. It's just what you're looking for."
"What kind of demon?" A spark of excitement flashed in Lu Yuan's eyes.
"Blood Demons!"
Su Ding'an's smile faded, and for once, he looked serious.
"Blood Demons are a wicked sort. Anyone they kill turns into a new Blood Demon. Then that new Blood Demon kills someone else, who turns into another Blood Demon."
"So, once even one Blood Demon kills someone, it won't take more than a few days for a whole nest to appear."
"Since they all came from the same mother, they must all be the same kind of demon."
Lu Yuan nodded and opened the dossier, scanning the intelligence about the demonic infestation in Chixia County:
In recent days, dozens of Initial Realm Martial Artists had vanished one after another within Chixia County. No one had seen them alive again, and no bodies had been found.
Someone had witnessed a burst of blood-red light erupt from the Chen Family residence late at night. Though it lasted only a brief moment, the demonic aura had been astonishing. Blood Demons were suspected to be lurking there.
Lu Ming nodded and put away the dossier.
"All right, I'll take this one."
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