Being an Official Is Great—This Official Job Is Worth Taking

The moment those words were spoken, everyone froze for a beat before erupting into an uproar.

"Squad Commander?!"

"A woman can be a Squad Commander too?!"

Liu Ke, standing in the corner, changed expression even more sharply.

A Squad Commander in the Demon Suppression Office was an eighth-rank official, commanding a squad of men and holding real authority.

He prided himself on his outstanding talent. He had entered the String Hearing Realm in his early twenties and had now reached the threshold of the Bone-Resonance Realm. Among the younger generation throughout Longyou Circuit, he could be considered one of the finest.

Yet even so, he was still only an ordinary Demon-Suppression Guard.

That was because the Demon Suppression Office had never cared about one's background—only one's merits.

But why?

Why her?

A newcomer who had only just entered the Demon Suppression Office and had not even accumulated any merits could leap straight into the position of Squad Commander?

An absurd thought faintly rose in his heart.

Could it be that she had killed a Bone-Chiming Great Demon by herself?

What a joke!

What did a Bone-Chiming Great Demon even represent?

An ordinary String Hearing Realm martial artist, even one half a step into the Bone-Resonance Realm, would only be crushed when facing a Bone-Chiming Great Demon.

Just then.

Jiang Yuechu pulled a document from her robes and spread it open before everyone.

Everyone present was a martial artist, and their eyesight was naturally keen enough to make out the words on it.

A sharp-eyed man unconsciously read them aloud.

"By order of Deputy General Xu Changfeng of the Longyou Circuit Commandery: Jiang Yuechu is hereby appointed Eighth-Rank Squad Commander of Xuan Camp, Demon Suppression Office of Longyou Circuit, commanding a squad of Demon-Suppression Guards."

At last, everyone understood.

No wonder this young woman dared barge into the barracks alone. No wonder she dared call people out by name. She was going to be their superior from now on.

The previously clamorous courtyard fell silent in an instant.

Every gaze settled squarely on Jiang Yuechu, carrying a trace of doubt and alarm.

At such an age, with such methods, with such a background...

The fat monk's eyes rolled, and his face instantly piled into a smile. Hugging his wine gourd, he hurried over.

"This humble monk is Bujie. Greetings, Squad Commander Jiang!"

"Look at that, look at that—this humble monk knew at a glance that Squad Commander Jiang was no creature meant to languish in a shallow pond! You see, Chen Tong is a coarse fellow too; that is simply his usual temper. You are magnanimous, so please do not lower yourself to his level. Put the blade away first, all right?"

As he spoke, he reached for the scabbard Jiang Yuechu had pressed against Chen Tong's shoulder, intending to lift it.

The next instant.

His expression changed.

He secretly exerted all his strength, but the scabbard seemed to have taken root, utterly unmoving.

Only then did he realize just how terrifying the force Chen Tong had been enduring was.

This little woman looked so slender, yet she possessed such monstrous strength!

Jiang Yuechu glanced sideways, her cool gaze falling upon the monk's hand.

"Are you teaching me how to do things?"

The monk's smile instantly froze. Fine sweat beaded on his forehead as he hastily withdrew his hand.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. This humble monk meant nothing of the sort!"

Jiang Yuechu withdrew her gaze and swept it calmly over everyone in the courtyard.

"Listen carefully."

Her voice was not loud, yet the few people who had still been whispering immediately fell silent.

"I, Jiang Yuechu, dislike talking too much, and I dislike meddling in idle affairs."

"Whether you usually fight cocks and chase dogs or drink and make merry, I will not interfere."

"But... let me put the ugly words first."

Jiang Yuechu's gaze suddenly turned sharp.

"I do not care whether you are heroes of the martial world or children of noble clans, monks or assassins... once you are under me, there is only one rule."

She raised her hand and withdrew the scabbard pressing down on Chen Tong's shoulder.

Chen Tong collapsed to the ground like a puddle of mud, gasping for breath.

"And that is... my rule."

"Whoever refuses to accept it or acknowledge it, get out while you still can."

"If you do not want to leave but still want to stir up trouble under me... first weigh whether your neck is hard enough."

Her gaze paused briefly on Liu Ke, Bujie, and Chen Tong in turn.

"Do you understand?"

"..."

No one dared speak.

Jiang Yuechu frowned.

"Hm?"

The fat monk hurriedly shouted, "We understand! We all understand!"

"W-We understand!"

Everyone hurriedly chimed in.

But their scattered, listless voices were truly hard to bear.

Jiang Yuechu clicked her tongue.

She braced her thumb against the blade and drew it an inch from its sheath.

Buzz—

Blade and scabbard scraped together, releasing a trembling hum.

Everyone jolted in fright, and the little bit of perfunctoriness they had left vanished in an instant.

"WE UNDERSTAND!!!"

This time, everyone in the courtyard answered in unison, their voices loud and clear.

Even Liu Ke shouted loudly without thinking.

But the moment he did, his face flushed red.

Damn it!

How could he lose his composure so badly, letting himself be frightened into such a state by a woman?!

Though he was unwilling to admit it.

He had indeed felt no small amount of pressure from this young woman.

Now that she had met her subordinates.

She had no interest in staying to watch this gang of grown men continue gambling and drinking.

Besides, if she stayed, not only would she feel uncomfortable, her subordinates would too.

Why make trouble for herself?

After leaving the barracks, Jiang Yuechu recalled that the office had assigned her a house in the city and could not help sighing with emotion.

In such a short time, she had gone from a prisoner too weak to truss a chicken to an eighth-rank Squad Commander and a Bone-Resonance Realm martial artist.

Now, she not only had silver, but a house as well.

All she could say was that the future looked promising!

She immediately decided to go take a look at her new home.

Following the address the one-eyed old man had given her from memory, she unconsciously hummed a few tuneless notes as she strolled unhurriedly toward the Demon Suppression Office's exit.

Liangzhou lay deep within Longyou Circuit. Though it could not compare to the capital's prosperity, it had a grandeur all its own.

Merchants crowded the long streets, and cries of hawkers rose without end.

Multicolored banners fluttered in the wind. Taverns and teahouses teemed with people, shoulder brushing shoulder.

The Demon Suppression Office's commandery was stationed here, suppressing the clamor of blades and swords as well as the aura of demons and monsters. Thus, the city's common folk could still live and work in peace, untroubled by fiends and evil spirits.

Walking among them, Jiang Yuechu could sense a long-lost breath of ordinary city life.

Though this place could not match the towering magnificence of Chang'an, the capital in her memories, it still made her vividly feel the vitality of this world.

The bloody storms of Jincheng County and the foul stench and mud by the Black River seemed to drift farther and farther away with the bustling tide of people.

The house assigned by the Demon Suppression Office stood in the east of Liangzhou City, beside the city wall.

This place was called the Demon-Calming Ward. As its name suggested, it had been established specifically for the Demon Suppression Office.

After all, many in the Demon Suppression Office had families to support. They could hardly cram an entire household into the commandery.

Thus, this place had been specially established, with everyone of eighth rank and above receiving a residence here for free.

As for ninth-rank Demon-Suppression Guards, they could purchase one at an extremely low price.

It counted as a major benefit the Demon Suppression Office offered its men.

The ward's streets were broad and clean, lined with tall trees that cast patches of shade even in the blazing summer heat.

The residences stood in neat rows. Though not luxurious, they had blue brick walls and dark tiled roofs, looking quite orderly.

From time to time, Demon-Suppression Guards in casual clothes passed by with sabers at their waists. Their expressions held less of the commandery's cold hardness and more of the warmth of everyday life.

Following the address, Jiang Yuechu arrived before a small courtyard within the ward.

Before she even drew close, she saw someone waiting at the entrance from afar.

The man wore a short green jacket and appeared to be around forty. His face was lean, with two little mouse whiskers above his lip, and he was pacing back and forth anxiously.

When he saw Jiang Yuechu, he hurried forward, his face heaped with a fawning smile. Bowing at the waist, he asked cautiously, "Might you be Lord Jiang?"

Jiang Yuechu looked at him in confusion, feeling puzzled.

How did this man recognize her?

"You are...?"

Hearing this, the man hurriedly introduced himself, bowing and scraping. "This humble subordinate is a minor official of the Demon-Calming Ward. My surname is Li, and my given name is Fu. I received instructions from the commandery long ago, saying that an honored official would move in today. I have been waiting here especially to guide you, my lord."

Jiang Yuechu could not help sighing inwardly.

No wonder everyone wanted to be an official.

She was only an eighth-rank Squad Commander, yet someone was already waiting on her.

If she had not come today, would this man not have waited here for nothing?