Liangzhou Prefecture lay in Longyou. By rights, rain was a rare sight there.
But these past two days, it seemed the heavens had gotten drunk and let a torrential downpour loose. Like the patrons of Drunken Flower Pavilion, it came in a flurry and left in a hurry, leaving only muddy puddles in the gullies.
In the small courtyard of Demon-Pacifying Ward, Jiang Yuechu slowly opened her eyes and let out a long breath of white vapor.
[Tiger Roar Demon Suppression Blade (Perfect)]
After one hundred and eighty-five years of Dao Cultivation had been poured into it, the Tiger Roar Demon Suppression Blade had finally advanced from proficiency to perfection.
She picked up the Horizontal Blade from the table and dragged it hard across the skin of her arm.
Her skin did not break at all.
She tried again with a little more force, but the result was the same.
Only when she used all her strength did the sharp blade leave a faint white mark on her skin. The blade itself, however, had suffered a tiny chip.
Tsk...
The standard-issue Horizontal Blades distributed by the Demon Suppression Bureau were all forged in the Military Crafts Workshop.
They might not have been divine weapons, but they had been hammered and tempered countless times. Ordinary pig iron could hardly damage their edges.
This blade had never broken while she was fighting demons before, yet it had been damaged on her own body.
This Mouth-Sealing Qi-Solidifying Method was truly domineering!
Along with her astonishment, Jiang Yuechu felt a touch of satisfaction.
With such a Hardened Body Technique protecting her, if she ever fought someone again, even if she stood still and let them hack at her, they would probably have to work up quite a sweat.
Just as she was thinking that,
a knock sounded outside.
Jiang Yuechu frowned slightly.
Everyone living in Demon-Pacifying Ward belonged to the Demon Suppression Bureau. Aside from Liu Chen, she had little to do with the others.
Who would come looking for her on a rainy day like this?
Puzzled, she rose and crossed the courtyard to open the gate.
Outside, the rain hung like a curtain.
A figure stood motionless in the downpour, straight as a pine.
He wore a dark robe, and his features were as handsome as jade.
Who else could it be but Xu Changfeng?
Beside him, a hard-faced man held an oil-paper umbrella over him. The umbrella tilted, shielding most of Xu Changfeng, while half the other man's body was already soaked through.
Jiang Yuechu froze.
Aside from the day she had reported for duty, she had had no dealings with her immediate superior. Why had he come all the way to her home?
But whatever her doubts, she still had to observe the proper etiquette.
"Lord Xu."
Jiang Yuechu cupped her fists in greeting.
"Mm."
Xu Changfeng answered mildly. "Let's talk inside."
"Yes."
Jiang Yuechu stepped aside.
Xu Changfeng walked in. The man behind him folded the umbrella and followed.
The furnishings inside were simple, and everything could be seen at a glance.
"Please, sit, my lord."
Jiang Yuechu gestured toward a chair.
She had meant to heat some water and make tea, but then she remembered that she couldn't find even an ounce of tea leaves in the courtyard, so she gave up on the idea.
Instead, she took two coarse porcelain bowls, poured in some cold boiled water, and set them on the table.
Xu Changfeng didn't seem to mind. He sat down on his own and looked around the room.
"It's quiet here."
"I live alone, my lord. It's better this way."
Jiang Yuechu stood to one side with her hands lowered.
She couldn't fathom why he had come, so the less she said, the less likely she was to say the wrong thing.
Xu Changfeng picked up a bowl of cold water, took a sip, and said nothing.
For a while, the only sound in the room was the patter of rain beyond the window.
After a long time,
Xu Changfeng finally set down his bowl and asked casually, "What do you usually like to do?"
"..."
Seriously?
Her superior couldn't have come all the way here in a downpour just to make small talk, could he?
She kept her complaints to herself and replied calmly, "Nothing much. I practice martial arts and read."
Xu Changfeng raised an eyebrow, as if somewhat interested. "Oh? You like reading too? What sort of books do you read?"
"A bit of everything."
"Have you ever heard of the four extraordinary women known as 'Mirror Flowers and Water Moon'?"
"No."
"What about the 'Three Friends of Winter'?"
"No."
"Then..."
"My lord, I've never heard of any of those."
A vein throbbed at Jiang Yuechu's temple. She suppressed her impatience.
Xu Changfeng fell silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
The smile vanished in a flash, but it lent a little life to his stern features.
"You're an interesting person."
Jiang Yuechu made no comment.
Xu Changfeng didn't mind. His smile faded, and his voice turned cool again. "Enough. I didn't come here today to chat."
Finally, they were getting to the point.
Jiang Yuechu breathed a sigh of relief.
If they kept talking like this, she really might lose patience and show disrespect to her superior.
Whether she could beat him was beside the point. He was just too annoying.
"Tell me, what happened at Treasure Monastery?"
The room fell quiet at his words.
The man beside Xu Changfeng also turned his gaze toward the young woman.
Jiang Yuechu wasn't surprised.
As long as Hechuan County Magistrate Qian Youwei wasn't a fool, he would report everything exactly as it had happened to protect himself.
If the Demon Suppression Bureau didn't ask, Jeweled Temple would.
She could even guess that some experts from Jeweled Temple might already be on their way to Liangzhou Prefecture.
"This subordinate killed two monks from Jeweled Temple in Hechuan County."
"Why did you kill them?"
"They obstructed my investigation, colluded with demons, and spoke disrespectfully of the Demon Suppression Bureau and the imperial court. By law, they deserved to die."
Jiang Yuechu answered crisply.
"Heh."
Xu Changfeng gave a soft laugh. "A fine 'by law, they deserved to die.'"
He stood and walked slowly to Jiang Yuechu, looking down at her.
"Do you know what kind of presence Jeweled Temple has in Longyou Circuit?"
"I do."
"And you aren't afraid?"
Jiang Yuechu lifted her head to meet his deep-set eyes, her voice calm.
"I'm with the Demon Suppression Bureau. The ones I killed were men who colluded with demons."
"If the Bureau can't protect me, then I have nothing to say."
"..."
Xu Changfeng's face remained expressionless. He turned back to the table, took a dossier from his robe, and tossed it down.
"Take a look."
Jiang Yuechu picked up the dossier, puzzled. But as she opened it, her pupils contracted slightly.
[Hereby appointed: Jiang Yuechu, Eighth-Rank Squad Leader of the Mysterious Battalion, as Captain of the Vanguard Battalion for the mission to Yumen Pass.]
Captain?!
A Seventh-Rank Captain!
She abruptly raised her head and looked at Xu Changfeng.
"Lord Wei has already suppressed the matter with Jeweled Temple."
Xu Changfeng sat down again, his voice cool. "As for you, rather than waiting in Liangzhou Prefecture for them to come looking for trouble, you might as well go to Yumen Pass and lie low."
He paused, then added,
"The squad under your command will be transferred to the Vanguard Battalion as well. You'll be in charge of them."
"The Vanguard Battalion suffers the heaviest casualties, but naturally, it earns the greatest merit too."
"Whether it's a blessing or a disaster depends on your own ability."
Jiang Yuechu drew a deep breath, closed the dossier, and bowed with her fists cupped.
"Thank you for your support, my lord."
Xu Changfeng said nothing more. He went straight to the door and pushed it open.
The man behind him hurriedly raised the oil-paper umbrella to shield him from the rain.
Xu Changfeng had taken a few steps when he suddenly stopped. With his back to Jiang Yuechu, he spoke in a calm voice.
"Your courtyard is too quiet. It could use a little more life."
"If you don't mind, you can come by my place tomorrow and take some flowers and plants to decorate the courtyard."
"Yes..."
Before you continue