The moment those words were spoken, everyone froze, then erupted into an uproar.
"A Squad Commander?!"
"A woman can be a Squad Commander?!"
Liu Ke, standing in the corner, went pale.
A Squad Commander of the Demon Suppression Office was an eighth-rank official, commanding a squad of men and wielding real authority.
He prided himself on his outstanding talent. He had entered the String-Hearing Realm in his early twenties, and now he had already reached the Half-Step Bone-Chiming Realm. Among the younger generation across Longyou Circuit, he could be considered one of the finest.
Yet even so, he was still an ordinary Demon-Suppression Guard.
It 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, who had not even accumulated a single merit, could leap straight into the post of Squad Commander?
A ridiculous thought quietly arose in his heart.
Could it be that she had slain a Bone-Chiming Great Demon alone?
What kind of joke was that?!
What did a Bone-Chiming Great Demon even mean?
An ordinary String-Hearing Realm martial artist, even one at the Half-Step Bone-Chiming Realm, would only be crushed when facing a Bone-Chiming Great Demon.
Just then.
Jiang Yuechu took a scroll from her robes and unfurled it before everyone.
Everyone present was a martial artist with keen eyesight, so they could naturally make out the words written upon 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, Longyou Circuit, with command over a squad of Demon-Suppression Guards."
Only then did everyone understand.
No wonder this young woman had dared to barge into the barracks alone. No wonder she had dared to call them out by name. She was going to be their superior from now on.
The once-noisy courtyard fell silent in an instant.
Every gaze landed squarely on Jiang Yuechu, carrying a measure of shock and uncertainty.
At such an age, with such methods, and such backing...
The fat monk's eyes rolled, and his face immediately split into a fawning smile. Hugging his wine gourd, he hurried over.
"This humble monk is Bujie. Greetings, Commander Jiang!"
"Look at that, look at that! This humble monk knew at a glance that Commander Jiang was no creature meant to remain in a shallow pond! You see, Chen Tong is a rough man too, and that is simply his usual temper. You are magnanimous, so please do not lower yourself to his level. Why not put the blade away first?"
As he spoke, he placed a hand on the scabbard pressing down on Chen Tong's shoulder, intending to lift it.
The next moment.
His expression changed.
He secretly exerted all his strength, but the scabbard seemed to have taken root, utterly immovable.
Only then did he realize what a terrifying force Chen Tong had been enduring!
This little lady looked so slender, yet she possessed such monstrous strength!
Jiang Yuechu cast a sidelong glance at him, her cold gaze falling upon the monk's hand.
"Are you teaching me how to do things?"
The smile on the monk's face instantly stiffened. Fine sweat seeped from his forehead as he hurriedly withdrew his hand.
"I would not dare, I would not dare. This humble monk meant no such thing!"
Jiang Yuechu withdrew her gaze and swept it blandly across the people in the courtyard.
"Listen carefully."
Her voice was not loud, yet the few people who had still been whispering among themselves instantly fell silent.
"I, Jiang Yuechu, do not like talking too much, nor do I like meddling in other people's affairs."
"Whether you spend your days cockfighting and chasing hounds, or drinking and making merry, I will not interfere."
"But... let me make the ugly words plain first."
Jiang Yuechu's gaze abruptly sharpened.
"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 pulled back the scabbard that had been pressing on Chen Tong's shoulder.
Chen Tong collapsed to the ground like a heap of mud, gasping for breath.
"That rule is... my rule."
"Anyone who refuses to accept it or acknowledge it can get lost as soon as possible."
"And if you do not want to leave, yet 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, "Understood! We all understand!"
"Un... understood!"
The others quickly spoke up as well.
But their scattered, halfhearted replies were truly hard to bear.
Jiang Yuechu clicked her tongue.
She braced her thumb against the blade and drew it one inch from its sheath.
Bzzzz—
The blade scraped against the scabbard, letting out a trembling hum.
Everyone jolted in fright, and the little bit of perfunctoriness they had shown vanished like smoke in the wind.
"UNDERSTOOD!!!"
This time, everyone in the courtyard answered in unison, their voices loud and clear.
Even Liu Ke shouted loudly on instinct.
But the instant he did, his face reddened.
Damn it!
How could he lose his composure so badly, frightened into such a pathetic state by a woman?!
Though he was unwilling to admit it.
He had indeed felt no small amount of pressure from this young woman.
Since she had already met her subordinates.
She had no interest in staying to watch this group of grown men continue gambling and drinking.
Besides, if she stayed, not only would she feel uncomfortable, so would the people beneath her.
Why make things unpleasant for herself?
After leaving the barracks, Jiang Yuechu remembered that the office had assigned her a house in the city, and she could not help sighing with emotion.
In such a short time, she had gone from a prisoner powerless enough to be unable to truss a chicken to an eighth-rank Squad Commander and a Bone-Chiming Realm martial artist.
Now, she not only had silver, but a house as well.
All she could say was that the future was full of promise!
She immediately decided to go take a look at her new home.
Following the address the one-eyed old man had told her, she unconsciously hummed a few tuneless lines as she strolled leisurely toward the exit of the Demon Suppression Office.
Liangzhou lay in the heartland of Longyou. Though it could not compare to the capital in prosperity, it possessed a grandeur all its own.
Merchants gathered along the long streets, and cries of hawkers rang out without end.
Colorful banners fluttered in the wind, while 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 evil spirits.
Walking among them, Jiang Yuechu could sense a long-lost air of ordinary city life.
Though this place lacked the towering majesty of Chang'an in her memories, it allowed her to truly feel the vitality of this world.
The bloodshed of Jincheng County and the stinking mud by the Black River seemed to fade farther and farther away amid the bustling crowd.
The house assigned by the Demon Suppression Office stood in the east of Liangzhou City, beside the city walls.
This place was called Demon-Calming Ward. As its name implied, it had been established specifically for the Demon Suppression Office.
After all, many members of the Demon Suppression Office had families to support. Their entire households could hardly be squeezed inside the commandery.
Thus, this area had been specially established, and everyone of eighth rank or above received a residence here free of charge.
As for Ninth-Rank Demon Suppressors, they could purchase one at an extremely low price.
It counted as one of the Demon Suppression Office's major benefits for its men.
The ward's streets were broad and clean, with towering trees planted on either side. Even in the blazing heat of summer, they cast patches of cool shade.
The houses within the ward stood in neat rows. They were not extravagant, yet their gray bricks and dark tiles gave them an orderly appearance.
Occasionally, Demon-Suppression Guards in casual clothes passed by with sabers at their waists. The cold hardness they wore within the commandery was gone from their faces, replaced by a little of the warmth of ordinary life.
Following the address, Jiang Yuechu arrived before a small courtyard within the ward.
Before she even approached, she spotted someone waiting by the entrance from a distance.
The man wore a short blue jacket and looked to be around forty. His face was lean, two wisps of rat-like mustache hung above his lips, and he paced back and forth anxiously.
The moment he saw Jiang Yuechu, he hurried over. His face was piled high with ingratiating smiles as he bent at the waist and cautiously asked, "May I ask if you are Lord Jiang?"
Jiang Yuechu gave him a puzzled look, inwardly wondering.
How did this man recognize her?
"You are...?"
Hearing that, the man hurriedly introduced himself. Bowing and scraping, he said, "This lowly official is a clerk of Demon-Calming Ward. My surname is Li, and my given name is Fu. I received instructions from the commandery long ago saying that a lord would be moving in today, so I have been waiting here specially to guide you."
After hearing this, Jiang Yuechu could not help feeling emotional.
No wonder everyone wanted to be an official.
She was only an eighth-rank Squad Commander, yet someone had been waiting for her.
If she had not come today, would this man not have waited for nothing?
Before you continue