Liangzhou Prefecture lay in Longyou, where rain was scarce by all reason.
Yet over the past two days, heaven seemed to have drunk itself senseless, unleashing a rare torrential downpour. Like the patrons of Drunken Flower Tower, it came in a hurry and went in a hurry, leaving behind only muddy pools in the ditches and gullies.
Within a small courtyard in Demon-Calming Ward, Jiang Yuechu slowly opened her eyes and exhaled a long stream of white vapor.
[Tiger-Roaring Demon-Suppressing Blade (Mastery)]
After pouring in one hundred and eighty-five years of Dao Cultivation, the Tiger-Roaring Demon-Suppressing Blade had finally risen from proficiency to mastery.
She picked up the saber from the table and dragged it forcefully across the skin of her arm.
Her skin remained completely unbroken.
She added a little more force, but the result was the same.
Only when she used her full strength did the sharp blade leave a faint white mark on her skin. The blade itself, however, had suffered a tiny nick.
Tsk...
The standard sabers issued by the Demon Suppression Office were all forged uniformly by the military workshops.
Though they could not be called divine weapons, they had still been tempered a thousand times over; ordinary pig iron could scarcely harm their edges.
Such a blade had never been damaged when facing demons, yet it had broken against her own body.
This Seal-Mouth Qi-Fixing Method was truly tyrannical!
Alongside her amazement, Jiang Yuechu felt rather satisfied.
With such a body-tempering technique protecting her, when she faced enemies in the future, even if she stood still and let them hack at her, they would probably have to spend considerable effort to hurt her.
Just as she was thinking this.
A knock sounded outside.
Hm?
Jiang Yuechu furrowed her brow slightly.
Everyone living in Demon-Calming Ward belonged to the Demon Suppression Office. Aside from Liu Chen, she had little interaction with anyone else.
Who would come looking for her in such weather?
Filled with doubt, she rose and walked into the courtyard, then pulled open the gate.
Beyond the gate, the curtain of rain hung thick.
A figure stood quietly in the rain, tall and straight as a pine.
Dressed in black casual robes, with a face as handsome as carved jade.
Who else could it be but Xu Changfeng?
Beside him, a hard-faced man held an oil-paper umbrella over him. The umbrella was tilted, most of it sheltering Xu Changfeng's head, while half of the man's own body had long since been soaked by the rain.
Jiang Yuechu froze.
Apart from that day's report, she had never interacted with this immediate superior of hers. Why had he come all the way to her home?
But doubts were doubts; the proper courtesies still had to be observed.
"Lord Xu."
Jiang Yuechu cupped her fists in salute.
"Mm."
Xu Changfeng merely answered faintly. "Let's speak inside."
"Yes."
Jiang Yuechu stepped aside.
Xu Changfeng walked in. The man behind him folded up 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 the chairs in the room.
She had originally intended to boil some water and make tea, but then she remembered that she could not scrape together even a pinch of tea leaves in this courtyard, so she abandoned the thought.
She merely took out two rough porcelain bowls, poured two bowls of cooled boiled water, and set them on the table.
Xu Changfeng did not mind. He sat down on his own and swept his gaze around the room.
"Your place is quite peaceful."
"This subordinate lives alone. Peace and quiet are preferable."
Jiang Yuechu stood to one side with her hands lowered.
Unable to discern why he had come, she could only speak less to make fewer mistakes.
Xu Changfeng picked up the bowl of cold water and took a sip, saying nothing.
For a time, the only sound in the room was the patter of rain outside the window.
After a long while.
Xu Changfeng finally set down his bowl and casually asked, "What do you usually enjoy doing?"
"..."
Seriously?
Surely this superior had not come all the way here through the rain just to make small talk with her?
Though she grumbled inwardly, her expression remained unchanged as she answered calmly, "Nothing more than practicing martial arts and reading."
Xu Changfeng raised his brows, seeming to gain a little interest. "Oh? You enjoy reading as well? What sort of books do you read?"
"All sorts of random things. I read everything."
"Then have you 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, this subordinate has never heard of any of the things you mentioned."
The veins on Jiang Yuechu's forehead throbbed as she suppressed her impatience.
Xu Changfeng fell silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
The smile vanished in a flash, yet it lent a touch of life to his cold, stern features.
"You are quite an interesting person."
Jiang Yuechu neither agreed nor disagreed.
Xu Changfeng did not mind. His smile faded, and his tone returned to its cool detachment. "Enough. I did not come today for idle chatter."
At last, he was getting to business.
Jiang Yuechu inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
If this continued, she truly would not be able to stop herself from defying her superior.
Whether she could beat him was another matter. The main thing was that he was simply too irritating.
"Tell me. What happened on Baosha's side?"
The moment those words fell, the room grew quiet.
The man beside Xu Changfeng also turned his gaze toward the young woman.
Jiang Yuechu was not surprised.
As long as Hexian County Magistrate Qian Youwei was not a fool, he would certainly report everything exactly as it had happened in order to protect himself.
Even if the Demon Suppression Office did not ask, Baosha Temple would.
She could even guess that experts from Baosha Temple might already be on their way to Liangzhou Prefecture.
"This subordinate killed two monks from Baosha Temple in Hexian County."
"Why did you kill them?"
"The two of them obstructed this subordinate's investigation, colluded with demons, and spoke disrespectfully of the Demon Suppression Office and the imperial court. By law, they deserved execution."
Jiang Yuechu answered crisply and decisively.
"Heh."
Xu Changfeng gave a soft laugh. "What a fine 'deserved execution by law.'"
He stood and slowly walked before Jiang Yuechu, looking down at her from above.
"Do you know what kind of existence Baosha Temple is in Longyou Circuit?"
"I do."
"And you are not afraid?"
Jiang Yuechu raised her head to meet those deep eyes, her voice calm.
"This subordinate belongs to the Demon Suppression Office. Those I killed were people who colluded with demons."
"If the Office cannot protect me, then this subordinate has nothing to say."
"..."
Expressionless, Xu Changfeng turned and returned to the table. He took a dossier from his robes and tossed it onto the tabletop.
"Take a look."
Jiang Yuechu picked up the dossier in confusion. When she opened it, however, her pupils contracted slightly.
[By this appointment, Jiang Yuechu, Eighth-Rank Squad Commander of Xuan Camp, is appointed Commandant of the Vanguard Camp for this journey to Jade Gate Pass.]
A commandant?!
A Seventh-Rank Commandant!
She abruptly raised her head and looked at Xu Changfeng.
"Lord Wei has already suppressed the matter with Baosha Temple."
Xu Changfeng sat down again, his tone returning to its cool detachment. "As for you, rather than remain in Liangzhou Prefecture and wait for them to cause trouble, you might as well go to Jade Gate Pass and avoid the storm for a while."
He paused, then added.
"The squad under your command will also be transferred into the Vanguard Camp and placed under your command."
"The Vanguard Camp suffers the greatest casualties, but naturally, it also earns the greatest merit."
"Whether it becomes fortune or disaster depends on your own ability."
Jiang Yuechu took a deep breath, closed the dossier, and cupped her fists as she bowed.
"Thank you for your promotion, my lord."
Xu Changfeng said no more. He walked 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 took several steps, then suddenly stopped. With his back to Jiang Yuechu, he spoke faintly.
"Your courtyard is too quiet. It lacks the warmth of people."
"If you do not mind, come to my place tomorrow and collect some flowers, grass, and trees to adorn the courtyard."
"Yes..."
Before you continue