Commandant Jiang

The night-long downpour had finally stopped.

The next day, daylight broke bright and clear.

Washed clean by the rain, Liangzhou City's very air seemed a little fresher.

Yet within the Demon Suppression Office's Regional Commander's Office, the atmosphere remained as gloomy and oppressive as yesterday's rain.

Demon-Suppression Guards gathered in twos and threes, all keeping their voices low as they discussed the news.

"The Heaven Division people are back. What happened at Jade Gate Pass... it's true."

"Fuck, there really was a Core-Formation Great Demon?!"

"Absolutely true! I heard the Heaven Division lost two brothers just to barely uncover that demon's true capabilities. It came from the Beyond-the-Pass Demon Kingdom, with noble bloodline—nothing like the wild mountain monsters we have here in Longyou."

A young man who had joined the Demon Suppression Office not long ago turned pale upon hearing this. He could not help asking, "Core Formation... just how powerful is the Core Formation Realm?"

An old soldier beside him, missing an arm and currently wiping his saber with his remaining hand, let out a cold laugh.

"How powerful?"

He raised his head, his clouded eyes gazing toward the horizon. "Put it this way: demons at the Bone-Chiming Realm can, at most, claim a mountain as king and bring disaster upon a single county. But once they enter Core Formation, they enter an entirely different world."

"Commanding wind and rain, moving mountains and filling seas—those may be somewhat exaggerated. But wiping out a small city without powerful experts in a wave of the hand is no empty boast."

The moment those words fell, sharp gasps rose all around.

The young man's legs went weak with fright. "Then... then this time, aren't we..."

"Afraid of a bird!" The old soldier sheathed his saber with a clang and spat. "We Demon Suppression Office men eat the beheading meal for a living! General Wei is personally leading the way. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. Is it your turn to tremble here?"

"..."

Compared to the shock and worry brought by the Core-Formation Great Demon,

another piece of news was more like a massive boulder crashing into the deep waters of the Regional Commander's Office, stirring towering waves.

"Have you heard? Our Xuan Camp has promoted a new commandant."

"A commandant? Who is it? Which squad leader performed great merit and got promoted?"

"A newcomer."

"A newcomer?!"

"The one who joined the office only recently. Her name was... Jiang Yuechu."

"Jiang Yuechu? Never heard of her."

Someone beside him quickly grabbed his arm, lowering his voice with a strange look on his face.

"You don't know? That little girl!"

"Oh! I remember now! The one who, right after arriving, pinned Old Zhao from Liu Chen's men against a pillar and beat him?"

"That's not all!"

Another person leaned over and said mysteriously, "I heard this lady went to Hexian County on an assignment a few days ago. Not only did she slaughter a Half-Step Bone-Chiming Realm demon, she also chopped down two monks from Baosha Temple while she was at it!"

The moment those words fell, sharp gasps rose all around.

"She killed Baosha Temple monks?! Has she gone mad?!"

"Whether she's mad or not, I don't know. What I do know is that not only was she fine, she fucking got promoted! A Seventh-Rank Commandant! Directly commanding the Vanguard Camp!"

"What?!"

A veteran squad leader abruptly widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief. "What kind of joke is this? I've sold my life to the Demon Suppression Office for ten years, scar upon scar all over my body, and I'm still only Eighth Rank! What gives some snot-nosed little girl the right?!"

"Exactly! Merit? What fucking merit does she have? Seniority? She probably hasn't even collected her first month's pay yet!"

"A woman as commandant? And of the Vanguard Camp, no less? What are the higher-ups thinking?!"

"Shh... keep it down. Do you want to die?!"

Just then,

a young commandant with a feminine-looking face heard the discussion around him, and a mocking curl rose at the corner of his mouth.

"What gives her the right? Perhaps... that pretty little face of hers."

His voice was not loud, yet it happened to carry clearly enough for those nearby to hear.

Everyone followed the sound, their eyes landing in unison upon the feminine-looking man.

"It's Song Ren, Commandant Song!"

Song Ren was an established commandant who had spent nearly ten years in the Demon Suppression Office. His cultivation had long since reached the Bone-Chiming Realm.

More importantly, he hailed from the Song Family, a prominent Longyou clan with deep roots and broad connections throughout Liangzhou Prefecture.

"Commandant Song, what do you mean by that?"

Song Ren appeared to thoroughly enjoy being the center of attention. Pinching his fingers into an orchid gesture, he lightly dusted off his sleeve and cast a sidelong glance at the crowd.

"A green little girl who still smells of mother's milk kills one or two insignificant demons, then ascends to the heavens in a single stride, taking the commandant's seat and even commanding the Vanguard Camp? Don't any of you have thoughts about that?"

"..."

Thoughts? Of course they had them!

But who dared say them?

Song Ren dared because he had the capital to do so.

What did bottom-tier Demon-Suppression Guards like them, with neither roots nor support, have to speak with?

Seeing that no one spoke, Song Ren continued on his own, "I heard that during yesterday's downpour, Lord Xu personally went to the little courtyard she has in the Demon-Calming Ward. He stayed there for a full half hour before coming out."

The implication in his words could not have been clearer.

The crowd wore varied expressions—some suddenly enlightened, some contemptuous, and some unconvinced.

"Impossible! Lord Xu isn't that kind of person!"

"Is he or isn't he? Who knows? After all, even heroes find it hard to pass the beauty's gate."

"A girl who just arrived transformed herself in the blink of an eye into a Seventh-Rank Commandant. We risk our lives every time, with our heads tucked into our waistbands. In the end, we still can't compare to how hard some girl works in bed."

"Keep it down! You can't just say things like that!"

"What's there to fear? Commandant Song said it himself. How could it be false?"

Listening to the hushed agreement around him, the mockery on Song Ren's face deepened.

"Our Demon Suppression Office, if you ask me, sooner or later will..."

Before he could finish,

"What fucking shit are you spraying from that mouth of yours?!"

A furious roar erupted through the courtyard like thunder exploding from level ground!

The noisy discussion came to an abrupt halt.

Everyone was stunned senseless by the sudden furious curse.

Who was Song Ren?

An established commandant at the Bone-Chiming Realm, with the Longyou Song Clan standing behind him.

Within Liangzhou Prefecture, aside from the truly important figures, who would dare speak to him like that?

Everyone turned toward the source of the voice.

At the courtyard entrance stood several figures, though no one knew when they had arrived.

At their head was a burly man with a face full of flesh. Behind him stood a young man in fine clothes, his expression dark as water and one hand resting on his sword hilt.

There was also a fat monk clutching a wine gourd, smiling cheerfully. Yet not a trace of amusement could be seen in his narrowed eyes.

"Who are these people?"

"I know... they're Jiang Yuechu's team!"

Someone in the crowd cried out.

Only then did everyone realize what was happening. Looking at those men brimming with Killing Intent, they instinctively retreated several steps.

Song Ren's expression instantly darkened.

He narrowed his eyes at Chen Tong, whose rage had sent his hair standing on end, and laughed in a strange, mocking tone.

"I was wondering who it was. So it's the dogs Commandant Jiang keeps."

"What? Your master hasn't even arrived, but you dogs have already run out here to bark?"

How could Chen Tong endure such words? With an enraged roar, he drew his waist saber halfway out with a ringing clang.

"Fuck your mother, you stinking cunt!"