Rise in Rank and Fortune

Rise in Rank and Fortune

The furnishings in the room were even simpler than those of her little courtyard.

A writing desk, a chair, and a longsword hanging on the wall—there was nothing else.

Xu Changfeng sat behind the desk, holding a scroll in his hands and reading with such absorption that he did not even raise his head.

Following protocol, Jiang Yuechu clasped her fists and bowed.

"This subordinate, Jiang Yuechu, greets Lord Xu."

Xu Changfeng did not respond at once, continuing to turn the pages of his book as though nothing else existed.

Jiang Yuechu remained bowed, utterly motionless.

She was in no hurry.

He was trying to knock her down a peg.

It was an old routine often seen in officialdom—nothing more than an attempt to put this newcomer in her place and let her know who was boss.

Sure enough.

Only after roughly the time it took to burn an incense stick did the sound of turning pages cease.

"Raise your head."

Jiang Yuechu did as instructed, slowly straightening and lifting her eyes.

Xu Changfeng set down the scroll in his hand. A pair of clear eyes, deep as ancient wells, rested upon her.

That gaze was neither scrutinizing nor curious. It simply looked at her, calm and plain.

Yet that very ordinary gaze made the hairs on Jiang Yuechu's body stand on end.

This man... was very strong.

Even though she had now entered the Bone Resonance Realm, without resorting to special means, she likely would not last even one move against him.

"Jiang Yuechu."

Xu Changfeng spoke slowly. "Do you know why this general summoned you?"

What a load of bullshit.

But when a superior spoke nonsense, she absolutely could not try to be clever.

Jiang Yuechu lowered her gaze. "This subordinate does not know."

"Heh."

Xu Changfeng suddenly chuckled. A hint of amusement appeared on his handsome face.

"By rights, my Mysterious Battalion should not accept women."

"You are the first."

Jiang Yuechu's heart tightened, but her expression did not change.

"Wei He thinks highly of you. I presume you have qualities that set you apart."

"In Jincheng County, you killed a Pig Demon with a single punch."

"By the Black River, you slew a Water Monster with one stroke."

"Both times, you faced Great Demons of the Bone Resonance Realm. Each time was cleaner and more decisive than the last."

Xu Changfeng rose and slowly walked over to her.

He stood more than a head taller than Jiang Yuechu, looking down at her from above.

"I am truly curious. Where did all these abilities of yours come from?"

"..."

Jiang Yuechu sighed inwardly.

Her background was no secret. Wei He might have been too lazy to investigate, but that did not mean others would be as well.

To outsiders, for a young lady from the Capital City to suddenly transform and acquire such abilities was simply a fantasy beyond belief.

She raised her head and met Xu Changfeng's gaze, neither servile nor overbearing.

"A family inheritance."

"A family inheritance?" Xu Changfeng raised a brow. "As far as I know, your father, Jiang Xun, was a civil official. He did not even have the strength to truss a chicken. So where did this fierce and domineering blade technique of yours come from?"

"My mother taught me."

Jiang Yuechu lied without batting an eye.

In any case, according to her memories, that cheap mother of hers had long since died. There was no proof either way.

"Oh?"

The corner of Xu Changfeng's mouth curved into an inscrutable smile. "And who was your mother's master?"

"This subordinate does not know."

"Do not know?"

"My mother died early. There were many things she never told this subordinate."

"..."

The room fell silent once more.

Xu Changfeng merely looked at her without saying a word.

The young girl stubbornly lifted her chin as well.

After a long while.

Xu Changfeng suddenly turned around and walked back behind the desk.

"Forget it."

He sat down again, picked up a document from the table, glanced at it, and casually tossed it over.

"This is your appointment certificate. Eighth-rank Team Leader, a monthly salary of ten taels, five shi of rice, twenty jin of meat, plus an independent courtyard within the city."

Jiang Yuechu caught the document. Looking at the vivid red official seal upon it, the stone that had been hanging over her heart finally fell to the ground.

Can't find it by searching the book title? Try searching for the author instead—perhaps it was only renamed!

Ten taels a month!

Double what she had been earning!

She was rich!

She forcibly suppressed the wild joy in her heart and put away the document.

"Thank you, sir."

"No need to thank me." Xu Changfeng waved a hand, his tone returning to its former coolness. "This is what you deserve."

"The Demon Suppression Bureau neither keeps idlers nor raises useless trash."

"Your skills are worthy of this position."

He paused, seeming to recall something, then added another sentence.

"Oh, right. The Longyou Demon Suppression Bureau is currently short-handed. The people under you are all newly recruited unruly martial world thorns. Whether you can make them submit to you will depend on your own abilities."

Jiang Yuechu raised an eyebrow.

Unruly thorns?

She liked dealing with thorns best.

They refused to submit?

Then she would beat them until they did.

"This subordinate understands."

"Mhm." Xu Changfeng nodded, apparently unwilling to say more. "You may leave. Go to the accounts office to collect this month's pay, then go find the people in your team."

"Yes."

Jiang Yuechu bowed in salute, then turned and left the room.

Only after the door had closed once more did Xu Changfeng slowly raise his head. Looking at the empty doorway, a strange glint flashed through his eyes.

"The Jiang Family..."

He murmured to himself, then shook his head and picked up the scroll again.

Jiang Yuechu walked out of the courtyard and immediately spotted Liu Chen waiting beneath the corridor.

Seeing her emerge, Liu Chen hurried over, concern showing on his face.

"How did it go? The lord didn't make things difficult for you, did he?"

Jiang Yuechu shook her head. "It was alright."

"That's good, that's good." Liu Chen let out a breath of relief. "Lord Xu is just a little cold by nature. He's still a good person."

Jiang Yuechu neither agreed nor disagreed.

She held up the appointment document in her hand. "Team Leader Liu, I'm afraid you can't call yourself Team Leader in front of me anymore."

Liu Chen froze for a moment, then shook his head with a bitter smile.

"You and I are of the same rank. From now on, we should address each other by name."

He looked at Jiang Yuechu, his expression complicated.

How many days had it even been?

She had already gone from a newcomer to a colleague on equal footing with him.

Perhaps before long, he would have to turn around and address her as "my lord."

"Come on. I'll take you to the accounts office."

Hearing that, Jiang Yuechu gave him a somewhat surprised look.

"How did you know I was going to the accounts office?"

Speaking of which, she had been rather puzzled herself.

By rights, the Demon Suppression Bureau paid salaries on the fifteenth of every month.

Today was only the tenth. As a newly appointed official, she couldn't exactly draw an advance on her wages, could she?

"That's what you don't know."

Seeing her puzzled expression, Liu Chen smiled and explained.

"This is also a Bureau rule, considered a reward for the brothers. Anyone who receives a promotion may, on the same day, collect a sum of silver from the accounts office equal to the monthly salary of their new post."

"The Bureau calls it 'Promotion Bonus.' It isn't counted as part of the monthly salary—just a bit of festive luck for the brothers."

At those words, Jiang Yuechu's eyes lit up at once.

There was such a good thing?

Wasn't this just a bonus?

Sure enough, setting everything else about the Demon Suppression Bureau aside—

Its benefits were absolutely the finest among all three hundred and sixty trades in the Great Tang.

Having understood this, a rare smile appeared on her face. She nodded to Liu Chen.

"So that's how it is. Then I'll have to trouble you."

"It's no trouble."

The two walked side by side through the corridors.

Perhaps because their official ranks were now the same, with none of the restraint between superior and subordinate, Liu Chen became more talkative.

"Lord Xu has always had that sort of temperament. Don't take it to heart. He may look cold and indifferent, but he has always been fair in reward and punishment. So long as you have the ability, he has never been stingy with rewards."

"As for the team under your command... I have heard people mention them..."

Liu Chen paused, a strange look surfacing on his face.