A Core Formation Great Demon!

Back at the little courtyard in Demon-Pacifying Ward, she set down the things she had bought one by one. First, she put away the fabric and fitted clothes, then poured the polished rice into the rice jar.

At last, she carried the several pounds of heavy meat over to the well in the courtyard.

Drawing water, washing the meat—the movements flowed one after another as smoothly as running water.

It wasn't that she was bad at cooking.

In her previous life, she had lived alone and cooked plenty of meals. It was just that being in a woman's body now still felt a little strange.

"If I really got married, maybe I'd make a good wife and mother..."

She shook her head, clearing away the odd thought, and hurried to get cooking.

In the kitchen, the firewood crackled beneath the iron pot. Soon, steam billowed from it.

Jiang Yuechu tipped the chopped demon-beast meat into the pot. With a sizzle, a rich aroma of meat instantly filled the air.

She added some ordinary seasonings, stir-fried everything over high heat, then let it simmer over a low flame.

The aroma gradually drifted out of the courtyard, drawing the dogs of several nearby households. They couldn't help but crouch by the wall, sniffing and whining softly.

Jiang Yuechu took a deep breath. The familiar warmth of home cooking eased some of the tension in her nerves.

She scooped up a spoonful of tender, fall-apart meat and put it in her mouth.

The meat was soft and tender, its juices rich and savory, with just the right amount of salt.

With a single bite, she immediately felt the qi and blood in her body increase by a trace.

That warm current flowed in thin streams, merging into her dantian.

It wasn't as violent or immediately effective as devouring demon flesh, but it had the advantage of being steady and gradual, accumulating day after day.

"Alas..."

Jiang Yuechu sighed.

After all, demon-beast meat wasn't demon flesh.

Demon flesh came from creatures that had devoured the spiritual energy of heaven and earth or refined the essences of living beings. It contained immense qi and blood, along with demonic energy.

Demon beasts, on the other hand, were merely strange beasts tainted by a trace of demonic blood.

Their flesh was more spiritual than that of ordinary livestock, but it still couldn't compare to true demons.

But under the Great Tang Code, selling demon flesh in private was a grave crime.

The Demon Suppression Bureau kept a strict watch over it. Only the Regional Command's treasury was authorized to store and refine it.

And she couldn't possibly run into demons every day.

This demon-beast meat was pretty good, too.

It was just a pity that it cost so much.

Jiang Yuechu looked at the meat left in the pot and, for the first time, felt a deep concern for her purse.

It seemed she would have to find a way to earn more money from now on.

Early the next morning.

The sky had only just begun to pale when Jiang Yuechu got up.

She washed up quickly, put on her uniform, fastened her Horizontal Blade at her waist, and strode into the Demon Suppression Bureau with her back straight.

After thinking it over, she decided she should show her face in front of her subordinates.

After all, she was their superior. If she rarely showed up, they would be even harder to manage later.

She had just stepped into the Regional Command when she spotted a familiar figure.

"Miss Jiang, please wait."

Liu Chen came over, a trace of urgency on his face.

Jiang Yuechu turned around, raising an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Liu Chen caught his breath and waved a hand. "Lord Xu has given orders. All Team Leaders and above from the Mysterious Battalion are to gather in the main hall of the Regional Command today. There's important news to announce."

Oh, a meeting.

Jiang Yuechu nodded and followed Liu Chen.

They walked side by side.

"Miss Jiang, you... went to see the people under your command yesterday. Did it go smoothly?"

Liu Chen hesitated, but couldn't help asking.

Jiang Yuechu shook her head.

"It was nothing. They're martial artists, so they're all tough. I went over yesterday to talk some sense into them, and they softened right up."

Liu Chen stopped in his tracks.

"Miss Jiang."

"Hmm?"

"Why does that sound so strange..."

"?"

They passed through several corridors and eventually reached a spacious hall.

The doors stood open, and the hall was already full of people.

They were all dressed in the Demon Suppression Bureau's regulation black uniforms, patterned with red.

Jiang Yuechu's gaze swept over the crowd, and she soon noticed something unusual.

Most wore ordinary black uniforms with red patterns, but several people had fearsome beasts embroidered on their clothes. The creatures looked so lifelike, they seemed ready to devour anyone in their path.

"Those men are middle-ranked generals of the Demon Suppression Bureau."

Seeing her confusion, Liu Chen lowered his voice and explained. "The beast embroidered on their uniforms is the Longyou Golden Lion, a divine beast that wards off demons and evil spirits."

He paused, then added, "Each circuit's Demon Suppression Bureau has a different insignia. You can tell which Regional Command they belong to from the insignia. Of course, only those of General rank and above are allowed to wear uniforms like these."

Jiang Yuechu nodded in understanding.

Above Team Leader came Captain.

And above Captain came middle-ranked general.

Her gaze instinctively fell on the handsome young man at the front of the hall. He wore an ordinary black uniform, yet carried himself with extraordinary poise.

He was indeed dressed in an ordinary black uniform, without a single extra decoration.

Yet even so, standing there, he was like a crane among chickens, a world unto himself.

Seeing her gaze, Liu Chen patiently explained further. "Of course, someone like Lord Xu can wear whatever's comfortable, as long as there's no important business."

Jiang Yuechu understood.

In short, it was a perk of being a leader.

If she ever reached that rank, she could probably show up in a skirt.

She entertained the mischievous thought, but showed nothing on her face.

The people in the hall had already noticed their arrival.

A woman appearing in the main hall of the Demon Suppression Bureau was simply too conspicuous.

But perhaps out of fear of a certain someone, no one dared whisper among themselves.

Jiang Yuechu didn't care in the least. She simply stood expressionlessly at the end of the line.

After a little while longer,

Xu Changfeng slowly closed the book in his hands and set it down beside him on the desk.

"Since everyone is here, let's get straight to the point."

"I've called you all here for one reason."

Everyone in the hall unconsciously quieted their breathing.

"New sightings suggest that a Core Formation Great Demon has appeared near Yumen Pass."

The moment he said this, a collective gasp rose through the hall.

A being of that caliber was a calamity walking among men.

It could summon wind and rain, and with a lift of its hand, lay waste to a small city!

Xu Changfeng paid no heed to their shock and continued, "The Heaven Battalion has gone to investigate in person. We should have definite news in a few days."

"If the report proves true, more than half the Mysterious Battalion will likely be dispatched to Yumen Pass with General Wei, to suppress the demons."

Jiang Yuechu's heart tightened.

More than half the battalion—that was practically the entire Mysterious Battalion.

With General Wei personally leading the troops, it was clear how serious the matter was.

It also meant that she, a newly promoted eighth-rank Team Leader, might well be swept into this great battle.

"So, I'm ordering you to prepare in advance."

"In the days ahead, you must resolve every known demonic threat in Longyou Circuit."

He paused, his voice growing heavier still. "Once fighting breaks out at Yumen Pass, the armies of Longyou Circuit will be mobilized. Demons across the region will surely take advantage of the chaos and strike while the rear is vulnerable. If the rear falls into disorder, the front lines will collapse. This is a battle for the safety of Great Tang and the lives of its people. There is no room for the slightest negligence."

Everyone in the hall looked solemn and answered in unison, "Yes!"

Their voices boomed like thunder, shaking the great hall.

Jiang Yuechu clasped her hands and bowed as well, though her thoughts were already turning.

The stronger the demon, the more Dao Cultivation she gained.

If she could take part in this battle and slay more powerful demons, her strength would surely soar once again.

But...

That was a Core Formation Great Demon!

She had no idea how it compared to Bone Resonance.

But with her mere early-stage Bone Resonance cultivation, going there would be like sending herself to the slaughter.

Seeing that everyone had acknowledged the order, Xu Changfeng waved a hand. "You may go. Team Leaders, take your assignments and carry them out. Everyone else, stay."