Jiang Yuechu's Origins

Xu Changfeng said nothing more. He merely walked away, slowly vanishing into the curtain of rain.

Jiang Yuechu watched his receding figure, a thousand thoughts churning through her mind.

Since she could be appointed Vanguard Lieutenant, the matter of a Core Formation great demon at Jade Gate Pass had likely already been confirmed.

Vanguard Camp lieutenant.

Put bluntly, it meant trading one's life for a future.

But she did not care.

Fortune was sought amid danger.

To her, the more dangerous a place was, the more Dao Cultivation there would be, and the faster her strength would improve.

By transferring her from the troublesome Liangzhou Prefecture to Jade Gate Pass, Xu Changfeng had not only helped her avoid Baosha Temple's edge, but also given her a chance to temper herself on the battlefield.

Killing two birds with one arrow.

Whether it had been Wei He's intention or Xu Changfeng's, she would remember this favor.

A lieutenant of the Demon Suppression Office held a seventh-rank post.

Her monthly salary was forty taels of silver, twenty shi of rice, and eighty jin of meat.

Beyond that, there was also a considerable promotion stipend.

Of course, none of that was the most important thing.

The most important thing was that a lieutenant could command a hundred men.

That meant Jiang Yuechu could now be considered a commanding officer in her own right.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yuechu could not help feeling emotional.

Fuck.

This was too fast!

She had not even collected her first month's pay, yet she had already risen two ranks in a row.

If such an experience had happened in her previous life, even novels would not have dared write it this way.

"The future looks promising..."

The rain was still falling.

The long street paved with bluestone had been washed spotless by the rain, reflecting the lead-gray gloom of the distant sky.

Xu Changfeng walked ahead while the burly man behind him held an umbrella over him. The two stepped through puddles, neither hurried nor slow.

There were few people on the street. Occasionally, a peddler carrying shoulder poles would appear, but upon seeing the two of them, he would only detour from afar, not daring to approach.

"In the blink of an eye, I've already been in Longyou for seven years." Xu Changfeng gazed at Liangzhou City shrouded in rain and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

Seven years ago, he had been eighteen, dressed in bright finery and riding a spirited horse, plunging headfirst into this northwestern land filled with wind and sand.

He had thought that with his abilities, he would surely be able to carve out a clear and shining heaven and earth in this region overrun by demons.

Yet now, heaven and earth had not brightened, while he himself had become trapped within this four-walled city.

"My lord."

The man holding the umbrella behind him hesitated for a moment before speaking. "The household sent another letter some days ago. The master and madam... both miss you greatly. They asked whether you would return to the capital this New Year's Eve."

"Return to the capital..."

Xu Changfeng's steps paused.

"But so many people are watching me now. If I leave, I'm afraid they won't even be able to sleep soundly."

"Tell me..." Xu Changfeng suddenly spoke blankly, as though asking the man, yet also asking himself. "Will I still have a chance to go back?"

"..."

The man did not dare respond.

If this lord truly developed the thought of returning to the capital, never mind whether Capital Headquarters would agree, General Wei He would likely be the first to personally pin him down.

The reason was simple.

The Demon Suppression Office lacked people far too badly.

Especially in a bitterly cold place like Longyou, where demons were everywhere and there was little profit to be had.

Which scion of the great families in the capital was not sharpening his head to squeeze into prosperous places like Jiangnan? Who would willingly come to this godforsaken place and deal with demons and monsters every day?

But once one entered the Demon Suppression Office, ordinary people might still have some room to maneuver. For a genius like Xu Changfeng, upon whom great hopes had been placed, many matters were no longer his to decide.

Having enjoyed so many privileges from the start, he was bound to bear corresponding responsibilities. In one's position, one had to plan its affairs, follow its path, and shoulder its duties.

The Demon Suppression Office had supported him and paid him its stipend; if he did not complain that it was hateful to be unable to control his own fate, only to complain so when it came time to shoulder his responsibilities, then that would truly be hateful.

As though he had never expected the man behind him to answer, Xu Changfeng shook his head and suddenly asked, "Tell me, was it inappropriate for me to promote her to lieutenant?"

The man holding the umbrella was called Zhou Daniu. He had followed Xu Changfeng for many years, from the capital to Longyou. Nominally a personal guard, he was in truth more like a steward.

Hearing this, he froze, somewhat bewildered, but still answered honestly. "My lord, Miss Jiang has indeed earned quite a few merits, and her strength is not bad either. But her seniority is still shallow. As a woman, and the daughter of a convicted minister besides, being suddenly promoted to lieutenant like this... I'm afraid some will inevitably refuse to accept it."

He paused, then added, "Even in the capital, this subordinate has seen the children of many high officials and nobles assigned to various offices to gild themselves, yet none of them were promoted at such a speed."

That was already putting it very tactfully.

It was more than merely inevitable that some would refuse to accept it—it was simply shocking beyond belief.

From a Subordinate Ninth Rank Demon-Suppression Guard to a seventh-rank lieutenant, even if an ordinary person had earned enough merit, they should not dream of it in under three to five years.

How long had Jiang Yuechu been here, all told?

Her first month's salary probably had not even been issued yet.

Xu Changfeng turned to look at him, a trace of amusement in his eyes.

"But do you know that at first, I even suggested to Lord Wei that she be directly promoted to Langjiang?"

Zhou Daniu's hand trembled, and he nearly failed to hold the umbrella steady.

What?

Langjiang?!

That was a sixth-rank official post! One oversaw an entire camp, with several lieutenants and nearly a thousand soldiers under one's command!

You really dared to promote her!

Looking at his lord's face, so handsome it seemed scarcely human, countless absurd thoughts flashed through his mind.

Could it be... that Miss Jiang had some unknown connection to his lord?

He did not dare think further and hurriedly shook his head like a rattle-drum.

Impossible!

His lord was not the sort to show favoritism for personal reasons!

Xu Changfeng saw the strange look on Zhou Daniu's face and naturally guessed what he was thinking, but he only smiled faintly.

"In the end, Lord Wei shared your concerns. He felt it would be too earth-shattering, so we could only wrong her by having her temporarily serve as a lieutenant."

Zhou Daniu was completely dumbfounded.

So... the two of you really had discussed it?

One had dared to suggest it, and the other had actually considered it seriously?

Unable to hold back any longer, he cautiously asked, "My lord, why... why is that?"

Xu Changfeng shook his head. Rainwater dripped from the umbrella's edge and splashed onto the bluestone pavement.

"This woman is indeed outstanding."

"Her temperament, methods, and talent are all among the very best. Given time, she may not be unable to become another great general of our Demon Suppression Office."

"But none of those are the most crucial."

Zhou Daniu was even more confused.

Those were not crucial enough?

Then what counted as crucial?

"Her identity," Xu Changfeng said calmly.

Her identity?

Zhou Daniu's thoughts could not quite turn around.

As Xu Changfeng's personal guard, he naturally knew Jiang Yuechu's identity.

Her father, Jiang Xun, was the Vice Minister of Rites, a high official of Subordinate Third Rank.

The office sounded far from lowly, but everyone knew that the Ministry of Rites was a clean, idle bureau for retirement, without the slightest real power.

What was more, the Jiang Household was no great aristocratic clan.

Even now, that Vice Minister Jiang was still locked up in Capital Prison.

What special identity could the daughter of a convicted minister possibly have?

"Please enlighten me, my lord..." Zhou Daniu bowed, his face full of confusion.

Xu Changfeng stopped walking and glanced at him.

"There is no harm in telling you."

"Of course, these are only my conjectures. Lord Wei has never explained them to me."

Zhou Daniu pricked up his ears, not daring to miss a single word.

"My father had some acquaintance with Jiang Xun in his early years."

Xu Changfeng spoke slowly. "Once, after drinking, I heard my father mention a secret."

"Two years before Jiang Yuechu was born, Jiang Xun suffered an injury in an accident that damaged his body. He had long since... lost the ability to father children. He even sought precious medicine from my father."

"Ah?!"

Xu Changfeng ignored his loss of composure and continued on his own. "Yet after Jiang Yuechu was born, the late emperor promoted Jiang Xun all the way up. In a mere dozen or so years, he went from an unknown minor official to the position of Vice Minister of Rites."

"Though it was merely an honorary post, he had nevertheless entered the heart of the imperial court."

Zhou Daniu instantly understood something, and his breathing grew several degrees more hurried.

A minister incapable of having children had suddenly gained a daughter.

And after that daughter was born, his official career had flourished, rising level by level like walking on level ground.

What that implied behind the scenes—anyone who was not a fool could guess a thing or two.

"Could it be... could it be that Jiang Yuechu is... is the late emperor's..."

"Of course, that is only my conjecture."

Xu Changfeng's voice seemed somewhat distant amid the rain. "Perhaps Jiang Xun later cured his hidden ailment, or perhaps he truly possessed some unknown talent and won the late emperor's favor. That cannot be ruled out either."

Zhou Daniu stammered, "Y-yes... yes..."

"You need only hear this secret. Do not spread it."

Xu Changfeng's tone grew heavier. "The new emperor has now ascended the throne. The late emperor's old affairs—one word too many, and you will be seeking your own death. Between you and me, this ends here."

"This subordinate understands! I'll rot it in my belly and never utter a single word!"

The rain seemed to have lightened somewhat.

Xu Changfeng stopped and looked back toward Demon-Calming Ward. The curtain of rain blurred his vision, and nothing could be seen clearly.

"The message sent back by Heaven Division says that the Core Formation great demon is no ordinary demon. It came from the Beyond-the-Pass Demon Kingdom and possesses an extraordinary bloodline."

"If she can survive at Jade Gate Pass, then in the future, she will have a place in Longyou Circuit, and even in the Demon Suppression Office of the entire Great Tang."

The corner of Xu Changfeng's mouth curved into an unreadable smile. "I am quite looking forward to seeing just how far she can go."

Zhou Daniu looked at the smile on his lord's face, one he had not seen in a long time, and something stirred within him.

Perhaps his lord had promoted her not merely to forge a good connection.

Perhaps it was because, in that young woman, he had seen the shadow of someone like himself.

The same astonishing talent, the same inability to control one's own fate.