Joining the Demon Suppression Bureau

More often than not, People thought they had fate in their grasp, when in truth, fate had them in its grasp.

"Jiang Xun's daughter, Jiang Yuechu?"

The moment those words were spoken, Jiang Yuechu froze.

She had considered the possibility that her identity might be exposed, but she had never imagined it would happen this way.

In an instant, Countless thoughts flashed through her mind.

How could she run?

This was the Commandery Government Office of the Demon Suppression Bureau. She could not even get out of bed.

Kill him to silence him?

Forget her current wretched state—even at her peak, the middle-aged man before her felt even more unfathomable than that Pig Demon in the Bone Resonance Realm.

Play dumb?

My lord, what are you talking about? This little woman does not understand...

That would not only be treating him like a fool.

It would make her look even more like one.

In that flash of lightning and flint, she forcibly suppressed the terror that had nearly suffocated her.

She raised her eyes to look at that refined face, and her heart unexpectedly settled.

Thinking carefully, the former owner of this body had originally been a prisoner personally escorted by the Demon Suppression Bureau.

From the Capital City to Longyou, the documents, records, and rosters along the way clearly bore her name, her origins, and perhaps even her portrait.

So long as she still needed to slay demons and suppress evil, so long as the Demon Suppression Bureau still existed in this world, She and they would inevitably meet. It was only a matter of time.

Having thought it through, Jiang Yuechu felt inexplicably relieved.

Like a criminal hiding east and west every day.

When suddenly caught, perhaps they truly would feel a sense of release?

She did not answer Wei He's question, merely looked at him in silence.

Her reaction made a trace of surprise flash through Wei He's eyes.

Beside them, Wei Qing looked from her elder brother to the silent girl on the bed, her face full of confusion.

"Brother, you... you know each other?"

Wei He shook his head. "I wouldn't say we know each other... Qing'er, leave us for now."

They did not know each other?

Wei Qing began to wonder.

One's own family knew one's own temper best.

Apart from official duties and practicing his saber, her brother was usually sparing with words and never smiled. Even the dogs kept in the residence disliked the murderous aura around him and would detour around him whenever they saw him.

Yet from the moment he instructed her to personally care for this girl, Wei Qing had felt that something was off.

Not only had he made her tend to the girl herself, but every medicine used was a rare treasure kept at the bottom of the commandery's storeroom.

Snow Ginseng, Polygonatum...

Even if an ordinary Captain were seriously wounded, they might not be willing to use such things.

Yet now, they were being poured onto some girl of unknown origin as though they were water.

Could it be... this girl was a romantic debt her brother had incurred outside?

Wei Qing promptly shook her head, tossing aside the absurd thought.

That block of wood? What could he possibly know about romance?

Even as wild thoughts ran through her mind, she obediently responded, bowed, and withdrew, gently pulling the door shut behind her.

Only Jiang Yuechu and Wei He remained in the room.

For a moment, silence filled the room.

Wei He did not speak, and neither did Jiang Yuechu.

After a long while, Wei He finally said slowly, "Half a month ago, Pei Changqing led a squad of Demon Suppression Guards out from Liangzhou. But until now, news of them has suddenly ceased. Whether they live or die is unknown."

"Only you survived..."

With matters having reached this point, any further explanation would be futile.

She slowly raised her head and met Wei He's eyes.

"What do you want?"

Seeing her so defiant, Wei He laughed instead.

"What do I want?"

"Jiang Yuechu, you are a fugitive. You should have been exiled to the borderlands, yet you escaped on your own—an added crime. Not to mention that you are suspected of murdering someone from the Demon Suppression Bureau. By law, you should be beheaded."

"However..."

Wei He's tone shifted.

"You killed a Bone Resonance Realm Great Demon and saved Xu Nian, Liu Chen, and seven other Demon Suppression Guards. That is a great merit."

He extended two fingers and lightly tapped them against his knee.

"Merit and fault cancel each other out. Your life is spared."

Jiang Yuechu said nothing, only stared at him without blinking.

She did not believe there could be such a good deal in this world.

Would people from the Demon Suppression Bureau really let off a fugitive who might have killed one of their comrades simply because she had rendered meritorious service?

At last, Wei He revealed his purpose.

"I'm very curious where those strange abilities of yours came from. But I can also choose not to care."

He rose and returned to the window, standing with his hands clasped behind his back and leaving Jiang Yuechu with nothing but his silhouette.

"Now, you have two choices."

"First, I send someone to escort you back to the capital. Your strange abilities, as well as Pei Changqing's death, will all be handed over to the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and... the Imperial City Guard, for a thorough investigation."

"Rest assured. No one would dare use private torture on a prisoner of the Demon Suppression Bureau."

Jiang Yuechu's heart sank to rock bottom in an instant.

Back to the capital?

Her father's case had been strange from the start, and her current strength had only just reached the peak of the String-Hearing Realm.

If she were sent back, she would be walking into nine chances of death out of ten.

"And the second choice?"

Wei He turned around. "Very simple."

"My Demon Suppression Bureau does not ask about one's origins or one's past. We look only at what one can do."

"Join the Demon Suppression Bureau."

"From this day onward, I can wipe the slate clean on all your affairs. Even the Jiang Family's case—no one will pursue it against you any longer."

"You kill demons for the Demon Suppression Bureau, and the Demon Suppression Bureau provides you shelter."

"What do you say?"

The moment those words fell, Jiang Yuechu's expression turned strange.

Was there even a choice to make?

A fugitive without household registration or a Travel Permit could barely take a single step in this world overrun by demons and monsters, where the authorities were so harsh.

But by joining the Demon Suppression Bureau, she could not only resolve her registration problem, but also slay demons and vanquish monsters openly, gain Dao Cultivation, and improve her strength.

Was there truly such a good thing under heaven?

Wei He had no idea what she was feeling at that moment.

Seeing her strange expression, he assumed she had been frightened by the proposal of joining the Demon Suppression Bureau.

That was only normal.

Martial artists throughout the land were as numerous as carp crossing a river, yet those truly willing to join the Demon Suppression Bureau were few and far between.

Those blessed with exceptional talent were rarer still—a phoenix feather, a qilin horn.

Why?

They were afraid of death, that was all.

Joining the Demon Suppression Bureau meant spending the rest of one's life in the company of demons and monsters, licking blood from the blade's edge, never knowing whether one would survive the day.

For any normal person, pledging themselves to a great sect, finding a wealthy household to serve as an honored guard, or even seeking a future in the army would all be far more stable than coming to the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Though the Demon Suppression Bureau's pay and death benefits surpassed every other department in Great Tang.

Once your life was gone, what use were all those yellow and white trinkets?

But how could he have imagined it?

The girl before him was not normal at all.

Wei He still wanted to say more.

He had even prepared an entire set of persuasive arguments.

First came the threats, making clear what would happen if she were escorted back to the Capital City. Then came the temptations, laying out all the benefits of the Demon Suppression Bureau—salary, merit, martial arts, divine weapons... As long as one had the ability, everything was within easy reach.

He had even planned that if the young girl still hesitated, he would stoke the flames further and reveal a little of the truth behind the Jiang Family case, so she would understand that aside from the Demon Suppression Bureau, there was nowhere else under heaven that could shelter her.

But before he could speak—

The girl on the bed softly uttered a single word.

"Alright."

Her decisiveness left Wei He completely at a loss.

"...What did you say?"

Jiang Yuechu lifted her eyes and calmly repeated herself.

"I choose to join the Demon Suppression Bureau."

"..."

"Ahem..."

Wei He gave a light cough to conceal his slight lapse in composure. "Since you have agreed, from this day forth, you are a Demon Suppression Guard of the Longyou Circuit Demon Suppression Bureau."

"Demon Suppression Guard?"

"A Demon Suppression Guard is Principal Ninth Rank, the lowest-ranking official post in our Demon Suppression Bureau. The monthly salary is five taels, along with three shi of rice and ten jin of meat. Upon joining, you will be issued a standard Horizontal Blade, forged from black iron and sharp enough to sever hair blown against it; two changes of clothes, and a waist token."

"There is compensation for injuries and posthumous honors for death. If you have family dependents, they may enter the Bureau's academy free of all tuition fees."

For some reason, he patiently explained further. "By rights, since you killed a Bone Resonance Realm Great Demon and possess an innate divine ability, the lowest post you could hold would be an Eighth Rank Team Leader. But even when I entered the Demon Suppression Bureau, I served as a Demon Suppression Guard for several years, climbing step by step through merit. Though the brothers are unwilling to see a colleague suffer hardship, neither are they willing to see someone ascend to the heavens in a single step. Do you understand?"

Jiang Yuechu, however, did not mind.

A Ninth Rank Demon Suppression Guard might be at the bottom, but she was still an official.

In the memories of her previous body, a mere Seventh Rank county magistrate in Great Tang was already a local tyrant.

She was a fugitive bearing guilt, yet with a shake of her body had become a Ninth Rank government officer—and one from the Demon Suppression Bureau at that. No matter how she looked at it, she was not losing out.

Besides, a monthly salary of five taels was already quite decent.

According to the original owner's memories, even in the Capital City, an ordinary family of five spent no more than two taels of silver a month.

And that was merely the basic salary. From the sound of it, there were clearly other sources of income.

"Thank you, sir, for your guidance."

Seeing her like this, a trace of satisfaction flashed through Wei He's eyes.

"The deficit of qi and blood in your body is being sustained by spirit medicine, but your foundation has already been damaged. Recovery will not happen overnight. For the next few days, stay here and recuperate in peace."

"Once you have recovered, I will send someone to take you to your post."

"Thank you, sir."

"No need to thank me. If you serve the Demon Suppression Bureau, the Demon Suppression Bureau will naturally not treat you poorly..."

He fell silent for a moment, seeming to deliberate over something, before finally speaking again.

"Your father Jiang Xun's case implicates far too many people. It is far from as simple as an ordinary court faction struggle."

"This case is like a vortex in an abyss. With your current strength, let alone investigating it, merely drawing a little closer would be like a mantis trying to stop a cart—seeking your own destruction."

"Assess your virtue before taking your position, measure your strength before acting. If you wish to fell a towering tree, you must first sharpen your tools."

"Do you understand?"

Jiang Yuechu lowered her eyes, her long lashes concealing the emotions in them. She nodded obediently.

"I will remember your instruction, sir."

After all that rambling, it boiled down to something simple: your father's case is too deeply entangled, you're too weak right now, so don't go throwing your life away.

"Good, so long as you understand."

He said no more and turned toward the door.

But upon reaching it, he halted again.

"Oh, right. Pei Changqing's ancestral home was Guangwu. This can be considered fallen leaves returning to their roots."

Jiang Yuechu froze on the bed.

Naturally, she understood what he meant.

It was not that he did not know that, for the Demon Suppression Bureau, uncovering the cause of death of Pei Changqing and the others would be as easy as turning over one's hand.

But no matter what, the greatest crisis had now been resolved.

She had an identity, she had backing, and even slaying demons and exterminating evil had become perfectly justified.

At a thought, the ancient scroll unfurled in her mind.

[Host: Jiang Yuechu]

[Realm: String-Hearing Realm, Complete]

[Martial Arts: Fierce Tiger Quickblade (Supreme), Green Cliff Echoing Shadow (Supreme), Blood-Eating Technique (Complete)]

[Dao Cultivation: 120 years]

[Recorded Demon Creatures: Tiger Mountain God (Eye-Dotting), Green-Faced Gentleman (Vermilion-Dyeing Realm), Zhu Yan (Shadow Copy)]

[Innate Divine Abilities: Tiger Dharma Heaven-Bestowed, Tiger Sha Blood Boil, Wolf Travels a Thousand Miles]

[Demonization: Tiger Mountain God]

Killing that Pig Demon of the Bone Resonance Realm had earned her three hundred and fifty years of Dao Cultivation.

But merely recording Shadow Copy had cost a full two hundred and thirty years.

That expense was simply outrageous.

However...

Jiang Yuechu's gaze fell upon the martial arts section.

Besides Fierce Tiger Quickblade and Green Cliff Echoing Shadow, the two martial arts that had already reached the Supreme realm, there was unexpectedly an additional technique she had never seen before.

[Blood-Eating Technique (Perfected)]

What was this?

With a thought, several smaller lines of annotation slowly appeared beneath those words.

[Blood-Eating Technique (Perfected): Devour the flesh and blood of demons to greatly improve refinement efficiency, converting it into one's own qi and blood to nourish one's foundation. This technique has no rank; it is formed from the bloodline talent of the Zhu Yan clan. Because the host has recorded Zhu Yan, this gift has been bestowed.]

Jiang Yuechu was stunned at first, then suddenly understood.

No wonder...

After killing those two Pig Demons outside Jincheng County, she had roasted and eaten their flesh.

The flesh and blood of demons was already a great tonic.

Even ordinary martial artists could strengthen their qi and blood by consuming it.

But without a specialized technique to refine it, the impurities contained within would enter the body as well.

The efficiency would also be far inferior.

When she had devoured those two Pig Demons before, her strength had indeed improved, but most of the essence had been wasted because she lacked a method to refine it.

And now that her cultivation had reached the peak of the String-Hearing Realm, it must have been because, after obtaining this technique, it had instinctively converted all the unrefined essence of demon flesh and blood accumulated within her body into the purest qi and blood, breaking through in one stroke.

Thinking of this, she became even more delighted.

Everyone else avoided demon creatures like the plague, yet she alone had become increasingly dependent on them.

Though this Blood-Eating Technique offered no help at all in direct combat, its value was even greater than that Demonization divine ability!

As long as there were enough demons for her to kill, for her to eat...

Bone Resonance Realm?

Even beyond Bone Resonance!

The future was bright!

"Hehehe..."

Lying on the bed, Jiang Yuechu could not help laughing aloud.

Creak.

The door was gently pushed open.

Wei Qing entered carrying a bowl of steaming hot porridge. Seeing Jiang Yuechu lying alone on the bed and grinning foolishly, she could not help freezing.

"What... are you laughing about?"

"Nothing." Jiang Yuechu immediately wiped the smile from her face and said with utmost seriousness, "I was merely delighted at the thought of being able to serve the Demon Suppression Bureau."

Wei Qing: "..."

Yeah, right.

She set the bowl on the small table beside the bed and rolled her eyes at her. "Hurry up and drink it. It was just simmered. There's deer antler and goji berries in it—good for replenishing qi and blood."

Jiang Yuechu sat up and accepted the bowl. The fragrance made her appetite stir.

"Oh, right. My brother asked me to give you this."

As Wei Qing spoke, she took a neatly folded set of clothes and a palm-sized wooden plaque from her robes.

The clothes were the Demon Suppression Bureau's distinctive fitted uniform of black with crimson patterns. The material felt far better than the one she had stripped off a corpse.

The wooden plaque, meanwhile, felt slightly heavy in her hand; she did not know what kind of wood it was made from.

One side bore the words "Demon Suppression," written in bold, dancing strokes. The other bore her name.

Jiang Yuechu.

"This is your waist token. Within Great Tang, it exempts you from all inspections. You can enter and leave cities without obstruction."

Wei Qing explained, "The clothes were also chosen according to your measurements. Try them on and see whether they fit."

Jiang Yuechu pinched the waist token between her fingers, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

After all this running about, all that fear, all that licking blood from the blade's edge.

Wasn't this what it had all been for?

Yet when the thing was truly, tangibly in her hand, it somehow felt unreal.

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