These past few days had been the most comfortable Jiang Yuechu had lived since transmigrating.
Every day, she slept until she woke naturally, and the moment she opened her eyes, hot medicinal soup and finely cooked rice porridge awaited her.
She did not understand what had been added to the medicine, only that after drinking it, her entire body felt pleasantly warm.
Her injuries were recovering at an encouraging pace as well.
Wei Qing was a good girl, gentle in brow and eye, soft-spoken, with a pleasant medicinal fragrance always lingering about her.
She patiently blew on the porridge until it cooled before handing it over, carefully wiped the corners of her mouth, and chattered like an older girl next door about amusing tales from Liangzhou Prefecture.
"Your skin is naturally so lovely, yet you simply do not know how to take care of it."
As Wei Qing combed through her long hair, she said sorrowfully, "Once you have recovered, I'll take you to the best shop in the city to buy some rouge and powder. A young woman ought to dress herself up."
Jiang Yuechu curled her lips and did not reply.
"Oh, right, you're eighteen this year too, aren't you?" As though remembering something, Wei Qing covered her mouth and laughed softly. "Once you've gained a firm foothold in the Demon Suppression Bureau, if you wish to find a fine match, there are no shortage of outstanding young men in Liangzhou Prefecture."
Jiang Yuechu silently drank her porridge, but the warmth in her stomach seemed to have changed flavor.
If only she were still a man.
With her abilities, she could establish merit and forge a career in this foreign world, earning enough to fill pots and basins to the brim.
Then she could marry dozens of wives.
No, dozens would not be necessary. Seven or eight like Wei Qing would be enough.
She could drown in wine and dreams every day, waking to wield a sword that slew men, drunk to sleep upon beauties' knees.
If life reached such a point, what more could one ask for?
What a pity.
She lowered her head and looked at her reflection in the soup bowl.
Her features were delicate and fair, her lips red and teeth white.
Would she marry someone in the future?
For the first time, that question circled so clearly through her mind.
Ever since transmigrating, she had been struggling only to stay alive.
The pressure of survival had made her instinctively overlook the changes brought by this body.
She still thought like a man, using the most direct and brutal methods to solve every problem.
But this world reminded her at every moment.
You are a woman.
An unprecedented irritation surged up from the depths of her heart.
No matter how strong demons and fiends were, she could simply kill them with a single slash.
But how was she supposed to break free from this sense of dislocation that had seeped into her bones?
"What is it? Does the porridge not suit your taste?"
Seeing that she had not moved for so long, Wei Qing asked with concern.
"No, it's delicious."
Jiang Yuechu came back to herself and drained the remaining porridge in one gulp, swallowing down her chaotic thoughts along with it.
Forget it.
Could she really think flowers into bloom by dwelling on such pointless things?
Jiang Yuechu was not someone given to melancholy.
When the cart reached the mountain, there would always be a road.
In any case, she did not need to consider such matters right now.
At worst, if anyone dared force her to marry, she would cut them down with one stroke.
Just as she handed the bowl back to Wei Qing, the room door was pushed open.
Wei He entered, still dressed in that black everyday attire, his footsteps steady.
The moment he appeared, the faint warmth in the room vanished without a trace.
"Brother."
Wei Qing hurriedly rose and bowed.
Wei He nodded, his gaze settling on Jiang Yuechu as he looked her over from head to toe.
"You look much better."
He never wasted words when he spoke.
"Looks like it is time for you to earn back the cost of those medicines you consumed."
Jiang Yuechu raised her brows.
That was quite a way to put it...
Though it was the truth, it still sounded rather strange.
That was what she thought, but her expression remained calm.
"At your command, sir."
"Mm." Wei He was quite satisfied with her attitude. "Now that you are healed, it is time for you to take up your post. Go to the Demon Suppression Bureau and report your name. Someone will guide you through the necessary procedures."
"Yes, sir."
She agreed without hesitation and immediately moved to get out of bed.
"Hey, slow down." Wei Qing quickly supported her, then could not help complaining to her brother, "Brother, her injuries have not fully healed yet!"
"She will not die."
After saying that, Wei He turned and left.
Wei Qing sighed helplessly and took a brand-new set of black, red-patterned fitted clothes from the side.
"I'll help you put these on."
When the cool fabric touched her skin, when the waist badge and Horizontal Blade hung at her waist,
Jiang Yuechu looked at the imposing young woman in the bronze mirror, and the irritation in her heart inexplicably dissipated by more than half.
The person in the mirror wore a high ponytail, her gaze cold, her back straight.
"When serving at the Demon Suppression Bureau, it is best to be careful in all matters." Wei Qing stuffed a brocade pouch embroidered with green bamboo into her hand. "This is a protective talisman I prayed for. Keep it close to you."
The pouch was warm in her hand and carried a faint bodily fragrance.
Jiang Yuechu squeezed it, feeling the exquisite embroidery beneath her fingers, and something stirred in her heart.
She raised her head, looked into Wei Qing's concerned eyes, and as if possessed, asked a question.
"Miss Wei, if a woman... never marries for her entire life, what would happen?"
Wei Qing froze, clearly not expecting her to ask that.
She thought for a moment, then said seriously, "If you do not want to marry, then do not marry. As a woman, you can still live very well by relying on yourself."
After saying that, she blinked mischievously.
"Besides, once you have rendered great service and risen to high office, perhaps you can follow Princess Anle's example in the Capital City and keep a few male favorites."
Jiang Yuechu: "..."
She silently tucked the brocade pouch into her robes, thanked her, then turned and pushed open the door.
Demon Suppression Bureau.
Atop the tall flagpole, the great Demon Suppression banner, black with red patterns, snapped loudly in the wind.
Demon Suppression Guards in fitted uniforms and Horizontal Blades at their waists could be seen everywhere, each with a cold expression and hurried stride.
Jiang Yuechu reported her name to one of the Demon Suppression Guards stationed at the entrance. After twisting and turning through several corridors, she arrived at a side hall.
"Elder Wang, the person is here."
Hearing this, the old clerk reluctantly lifted his head. His cloudy eyes glanced at Jiang Yuechu, showing little emotion.
"Name."
"Jiang Yuechu."
"Age."
"Eighteen?"
"Place of origin."
"..." Jiang Yuechu paused.
The old clerk seemed to have known already and began writing on his own.
"Jingzhao Prefecture, native of Chang'an."
As he wrote, he said without raising his head, "Once you enter the Demon Suppression Bureau, everything from before is in the past. Do not think too much about it."
"The lowest rank in the Demon Suppression Bureau is the ninth-rank Demon Suppression Guard. Killing demons earns merit. Killing a String-Hearing Realm demon alone earns ten merit points; a Bone Resonance Realm Great Demon earns one hundred merit points."
"Accumulate one hundred merit points, and you may advance to eighth-rank Team Leader, commanding a squad of Demon Suppression Guards..."
The old clerk spoke slowly, but every word was clear.
Jiang Yuechu listened silently, gaining a rough understanding.
So in other words, if she killed one Bone Resonance demon, she could be promoted?
"This is your appointment document. Keep it safe."
The old clerk tossed a document stamped with the great seal of the Demon Suppression Bureau onto the table.
"From today onward, you are a Demon Suppression Guard of the Mysterious Battalion under the Demon Suppression Bureau of Longyou Circuit."
"You may leave. Your Team Leader is waiting outside."
Jiang Yuechu raised her brows.
Waiting for her outside?
But when she had entered, she had clearly not seen anyone beyond the door.
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