Unconvinced?

Chapter 21: You Disagree?

The Great Tang had stood for eight hundred years. Though its customs were no longer as strict as those of previous dynasties—women could study, practice martial arts, and even hold official posts—it was still, at its core, a feudal dynasty.

Women were born physically weaker, with deficient blood and qi. On the path of martial arts, they were inherently inferior to men.

In ordinary martial sects, taking in a few female disciples was mostly for decoration or other purposes.

Let alone a place like the Demon Suppression Bureau, where one licked blood from the blade and fought demons with their life on the line.

"Silence!"

Liu Chen's face darkened as he barked sharply.

"Captain Liu, I, Old Zhao, meant nothing by it."

"Which brother in our Mysterious Battalion hasn't crawled out of a pile of corpses? This little lady's skin is tender and soft—are we supposed to let her follow us to fight demons?"

"Is it to send her to her death, or to have her drag us down?"

Though the words were crude, they voiced the thoughts of most present.

Jiang Yuechu glanced sideways and saw a burly man with a face full of rough flesh step out from the crowd.

When her gaze fell on him, he let out a lecherous chuckle, his eyes brimming with provocation.

Liu Chen's face turned iron-gray with rage, and he was about to erupt.

But a hand gently pressed down on his shoulder.

Jiang Yuechu stepped past him, walked forward, and calmly looked at the man.

"You disagree?"

Zhao Hu froze for a moment, then grinned widely, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"I disagree!"

The surrounding Demon Suppression Guards, sensing the tension between the two, stopped their work and began murmuring.

"Is... is this going to turn into a fight?"

"Old Zhao's a mid String-Hearing Realm expert. With his Mountain-Splitting Fist, even a sturdy man would have his bones broken if hit."

"Ah, it's good for a young girl to have spirit, but her eyesight's not so great..."

The crowd buzzed with chatter, but before they could say much, a sudden sound of something cutting through the air rang out.

Shua—

Everyone quickly turned to look, but the young woman who had been standing there had vanished into thin air.

Zhao Hu only saw a blur before his eyes. He shuddered in fright, but before he could resist, a tremendous force clamped down on his neck.

The next moment, the world spun.

Boom—

A deafening crash.

The towering, burly Zhao Hu was lifted by that hand and slammed violently into a pillar in the courtyard!

The pillar shuddered violently, knocking several black tiles off the eaves.

Clatter—

The tiles hit the ground and shattered.

It also jolted the dozen or so men watching in the yard—their eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, faces twisted in terror.

Zhao Hu clung to the pillar like a painting, slowly sliding down until he crumpled to the ground, limp.

His face was drained of all color, and he couldn't even muster a thought of resistance.

From start to finish—

It was but a blink of an eye.

In the courtyard, there was dead silence.

Jiang Yuechu patted the dust off her hands and swept her gaze over the cowering crowd.

"... "

The men who had been jeering moments ago now hung their heads low, wishing they could bury their faces in their crotches.

The massive commotion naturally stirred the others in the barracks.

"What the hell was that noise?"

"Damn it, which bastard tore down the house?"

One by one, doors were shoved open, and lean, hardened men filed out.

Soon, the crowd parted on its own.

A handsome young man in a black robe, with fair skin and red lips, walked out slowly, surrounded by a group of men.

He glanced at the scene in the yard and furrowed his brow slightly.

"What happened?"

The youth's voice was clear and warm, utterly out of place among the rough men in this courtyard.

Yet the dozen or so men who had been gawking immediately bowed with clasped hands, their expressions reverent, the moment they saw him.

"Lord Xu!"

When questioned, however, they all exchanged glances, hemming and hawing, none willing to speak up.

They couldn't exactly say that a dozen grown men had been cowed by a newly arrived little girl, could they?

The handsome youth showed no anger at the lack of response, his gaze falling back on Jiang Yuechu.

Jiang Yuechu met his probing stare without flinching.

"..."

It was Liu Chen who finally steeled himself to break the silence.

He stepped forward and clasped his hands toward the youth. "The brothers are used to sparring among themselves and got a bit carried away. It disturbed you, my lord, but it's nothing serious."

"Oh... so she's the woman Lord Wei spoke of?"

At those words.

The men who had just rushed out of the house were all utterly bewildered.

But those who had already been in the courtyard felt their hearts sink, sudden clarity dawning.

No wonder!

No wonder this girl looked so young yet wielded such ruthless methods!

So she was someone personally approved by General Wei to enter!

Liu Chen nodded. "This is indeed Miss Jiang."

The handsome youth inclined his head, his gaze turning cold as it settled back on Jiang Yuechu.

"The Demon Suppression Bureau cares not for background, only skill. Since Lord Wei thinks highly of you, you must have your merits. Don't waste your abilities."

Seeing how respectfully the surrounding men treated this youth, and even Liu Chen standing with head bowed, Jiang Yuechu had already guessed the answer.

She gave a slight bow, neither servile nor arrogant.

"Thank you for your guidance, my lord."

"Mm."

The youth acknowledged with a grunt, seeming disinclined to say more, and waved a hand.

"Since there's nothing else, disperse."

With that, he cast a subtle glance at the cracked pillar.

"Damaged property must be compensated. The cost of repairing this pillar will be deducted from their monthly pay."

Then, without another look at anyone, he turned, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked away.

"..."

Jiang Yuechu's mouth twitched.

First day on the job, and she was already losing pay.

If she'd known, she might as well have slammed that man into the ground.

As the handsome youth departed, the oppressive atmosphere in the courtyard dissipated.

Liu Chen ordered a few men to carry the limp Zhao Hu to the infirmary.

The people in the yard gradually scattered.

Liu Chen turned to Jiang Yuechu, a hint of apology on his face.

"Once you're in the Demon Suppression Bureau, we're all brothers who share the same pot. Zhao Hu's mouth is a bit foul, but he's not a bad sort at heart. You'll see in time... bear with him, don't take it to heart."

Jiang Yuechu nodded, her tone flat. "I'm not that petty."

"Good, good."

Liu Chen sighed in relief and made a gesture of invitation. "Come on, I'll take you to collect some things."

The two walked one after the other to the storehouse.

Inside, a one-eyed old man was dozing in a chair. At the noise, he cracked an eye open impatiently.

Liu Chen handed over the documents. The old man glanced at them, then slowly rose and took a small white porcelain bottle from a nearby shelf, tossing it over.

Liu Chen explained from the side, "This is a Blood-Hidden Pill, refined by the main bureau from demon flesh and blood, supplemented with dozens of spiritual herbs. It can enhance blood and qi for martial artists at the String-Hearing Realm and even the Bone Resonance Realm. As a ninth-rank Demon Suppression Guard, you're entitled to one bottle per month."

With that, Liu Chen's face showed a flicker of hesitation, as if weighing something.

"Normally, new Demon Suppression Guards can go to the Library Pavilion to claim a basic demon-slaying martial art for self-defense, but..."

He looked at Jiang Yuechu and finally shook his head.

"But I can see your blade technique has already formed its own path. Those basic martial arts from the Bureau probably won't be of much use to you."

Jiang Yuechu nodded, indifferent to this.

She knew her own measure well enough.

Without the Hundred Demons Compendium, if she truly had to learn those martial arts herself—even the most basic ones—who knew how long it would take, perhaps until the Year of the Monkey and the Month of the Horse.

Besides, since she had a golden finger, why waste time grinding away at it herself?

That would just be asking for trouble.