What is she?

Outside the hall, a straight-backed young man stood beneath the eaves.

He too wore a black martial outfit with crimson patterns, and the hilt of the blade at his waist was wrapped in layers of tightly wound leather cord.

As if hearing the footsteps, the man turned around.

Their eyes met.

Both were startled.

It really was an old acquaintance.

The very one they had met in Jincheng County that day.

Now, his injuries had clearly healed, and his face no longer bore the dishevelment of that day; a sharpness naturally resided between his brows.

But the moment he saw Jiang Yuechu, that sharpness instantly dissipated.

Wei He had said a specially selected new recruit would be joining the team today.

But he hadn't said it would be her!

After all these days.

He still clearly remembered how this seemingly harmless young woman had punched a Bone Resonance Realm great demon to death with one blow!

And it was a great demon with an innate divine ability at that!

Such a formidable person was now his subordinate?

"Hiss..."

Seeing that the young man in front of her was only gasping in shock, with no intention of speaking, Jiang Yuechu felt a bit helpless and spoke first: "This Humble One is Jiang Yuechu."

"Liu... Liu Chen."

He answered instinctively, then snapped back to reality, hurriedly straightening his back and clearing his throat. "I am the squad leader of the Mysterious Battalion, Liu Chen."

This self-introduction, however, made him feel somewhat ashamed.

Before a monster who could kill a Bone-Resonating great demon with one punch, emphasizing his own mere eighth-rank squad leader status—what difference was there from a mouse showing off its claws in front of a cat?

"Squad Leader Liu."

Jiang Yuechu nodded, having no particular thoughts on the matter.

"Since the founding of the Great Tang, eight hundred years have passed. The founding emperor established the nation through martial might, sweeping across the six directions and securing the realm. Yet, as humanity flourished, it also drew the covetous eyes of countless demons and evil spirits from heaven and earth. In his later years, the founding emperor, moved by the hardships of the common people, gathered extraordinary talents from across the land and established a government office east of the imperial city."

"This office does not fall under the Three Departments or Six Ministries, nor does it enter the central bureaucracy. It is directly under the emperor's command. Above, it may execute traitors who disrupt the court and collude with demons; below, it may slay evil beings that plague a region and harm the people. It kills first and reports afterward, with imperial authority granted..."

Jiang Yuechu's heart stirred.

Demon Suppression Bureau, Demon Suppression Bureau—it sounded as if it were established solely for slaying demons and vanquishing evil.

But its actual duties were not limited to that alone.

The authority of the Demon Suppression Bureau surpassed that of all officials and outweighed the law of the land.

Above, it could oversee civil and military officials; below, it could suppress the martial world.

Any who colluded with demons, regardless of rank or noble lineage, could be investigated.

Over the centuries, those who had died under the blades of the Demon Suppression Bureau included thousand-year great demons that plagued the land, as well as prime ministers who had reached the pinnacle of power.

Black robes with crimson patterns, a Horizontal Blade at the side.

These eight words were the Demon Suppression Bureau's backbone within the Great Tang.

"Besides the main bureau in the imperial city, our Great Tang's fifteen circuits each have a commandery. Our Longyou Circuit Commandery oversees all demon-related matters in the Longyou region."

"Beneath the commandery, there are four battalions: Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow."

The two passed through a long corridor, and the path ahead suddenly opened up.

"The Yellow Battalion handles intelligence and reconnaissance; they are the eyes and ears of the Demon Suppression Bureau."

"The Earth Battalion is responsible for garrisoning and patrolling the various prefectures, clearing out minor demons and monsters, and protecting the cities."

Jiang Yuechu listened, forming a general picture in her mind.

The Yellow Battalion handled intelligence, and the Earth Battalion was like city management.

Then her own Mysterious Battalion...

"When the Yellow Battalion discovers traces of demons, and the Earth Battalion cannot handle them, that's when we step in. Our duty is only one."

"What?"

He turned his head, looking at Jiang Yuechu, speaking each word deliberately.

"Slay demons. Vanquish evil."

Jiang Yuechu's eyes lit up.

Excellent.

No street patrols, no standing guard, no dealing with trivial, petty nonsense.

Work was just killing monsters.

Performance was measured purely by kill count.

"On ordinary days, you don't need to do anything else—just stay in camp and await orders. Once a mission comes, I'll notify you."

Seeing no reaction from her, Liu Chen thought she was stunned and added, "Of course, if you want to practice in the Martial Arts Arena or browse the texts in the Library Pavilion, no one will stop you."

"Understood."

Jiang Yuechu nodded.

But then, something else occurred to her.

"What about... the Heaven Battalion?"

Liu Chen was walking ahead; at these words, his steps faltered.

"The Heaven Battalion..."

He muttered to himself, then gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "That's not a place for the likes of us to think about."

Seeing Jiang Yuechu still watching him, Liu Chen took a deep breath and lowered his voice.

"Every single person who enters the Heaven Battalion is a dragon among men, a peerless prodigy. The lowest rank upon entry is a Sixth-Rank Lang General. Our entire Longyou Circuit Commandery, at most, has only a dozen or so."

"And what the Heaven Battalion faces are the most dangerous, the most terrifying great demons."

As he spoke, Liu Chen's gaze unconsciously fell on Jiang Yuechu's face.

So young.

Such strength.

A single punch to kill a Bone-Resonating great demon—such a feat, even across the entire Demon Suppression Bureau, was enough to be proud of.

Perhaps, in the future, she really might...

He looked at Jiang Yuechu, his expression turning extremely solemn.

"The Heaven Battalion doesn't just look at talent and strength—it values merit even more."

"If, in the future, you can slay a Demon King on your own, maybe then you'll have a chance to enter."

Jiang Yuechu clearly didn't catch the hidden meaning in his words.

"A Demon King, huh..."

As the two spoke, they had already arrived in front of the Mysterious Battalion's barracks.

It was much quieter here. A few scattered men sat or stood, most of them wiping down their weapons.

Seeing Liu Chen leading a delicate, clear-featured young girl over, many turned to look.

The Demon Suppression Bureau never kept idle hands.

The Mysterious Battalion never accepted trash.

How could a tender-skinned, barely-grown little girl appear here?

Whose connections had she used?

Liu Chen naturally sensed the atmosphere. He cleared his throat.

"This is Jiang Yuechu. From today on, she's a brother of our Mysterious Battalion."

Brother...

Before Jiang Yuechu could even savor the term, a voice rang out.

"Since when did our Mysterious Battalion start recruiting little girls?"

"Don't tell me they're afraid we're too full of killing and yang energy, so they brought a woman to balance things out?"

As the words fell, the crowd burst into laughter.

Liu Chen's face darkened. "As you all know, the Demon Suppression Bureau's recruitment has always been strict. Since she can enter, she naturally has her own abilities. What does it matter if she's a woman?"

"Besides, the world-renowned Right Demon Suppression Envoy is also a woman!"

At this, the laughter abruptly stopped.

Clearly, everyone present knew the Right Demon Suppression Envoy's reputation.

But still...

What kind of figure was that?

Just over twenty years old, she had single-handedly slain a host of great demons on the shores of the East Sea, earning a fearsome name among the Demon Race—ten thousand demons trembled at the mere mention of her.

And this woman before them...

"What is she? How can she compare to that one?"