At the entrance to the Demon Suppression Bureau.
At the end of the street, a bustling crowd made its way toward the bureau.
Most were elderly, followed by the middle-aged. Qi and Blood surged within every one of them; clearly, they all practiced martial arts.
Leading them was none other than Zhao Tielin.
"Lad, you'd better not let anything happen to you."
Youngsters were the most prone to acting on impulse. If he really offended the commandant, he would be utterly screwed.
After all, the commandant repaid every slight and was ruthless and vicious. His reputation was hardly good.
Regret welled up in Zhao Tielin's heart. Why hadn't he managed to stop him?
An old man beside him heard his muttering and chuckled.
"Look at you, Little Zhao, getting anxious again."
"We old bones may all be retired, but we still carry a little weight."
"With all of us showing up today, so long as that Lu lad hasn't killed Zhou Jie right in front of the commandant, we can protect him, even if he's been a little disrespectful."
"Set your mind at ease. He's the last remaining seedling of the Lu family, after all. His whole family was loyal and heroic. Even if he must die, it should only be at the hands of demons."
"What sense would there be in dying at the hands of our own people!"
Hearing the old man's words, Zhao Tielin felt somewhat reassured.
The old man speaking was named Qi Guoshou, whom everyone called Elder Qi. He had once served as a company commander in the Demon Suppression Bureau and was an expert at the Perfected Qi and Blood Realm.
Though he was now old and frail, his Qi and Blood depleted, his prestige in Qianqiu County remained extremely high.
As the saying went, an elder in the family was a treasure in the home. Given his seniority, even the commandant had to show him some respect.
He was also the sea-steadying needle Zhao Tielin had invited.
Whether they could protect Lu Guan depended entirely on this old man.
The crowd drew closer and closer to the entrance. Just then, the main gates suddenly swung open.
Everyone stopped and looked intently ahead.
The Demon Suppression Bureau's main gates opened only for an inspection by a superior or the commandant's departure. Everyone else had to use the side entrance.
Since none of them had heard of any superior coming to inspect, there was only one possibility-the commandant was heading out.
He was precisely the man they had come to find.
At that moment, dawn broke, and the rising sunlight spilled across the entrance to the Demon Suppression Bureau. Two figures stepped through the main gates into the sunlight.
One was handsome and straight-backed; the other was tall and burly.
Zhao Tielin rubbed his eyes, utterly dumbfounded.
"Elder Qi, I think it's time I retired. I'm getting old, and my eyes are failing me."
Unless he was mistaken, wasn't one of them the Lu lad?
He had said he was going to demand an explanation, but that really meant offending the commandant. How could they possibly look as though they were enjoying a pleasant conversation?
And why was the Lu lad expressionless, while the commandant looked just like the big yellow dog back home-a total bootlicker?!
An illusion! It had to be an illusion!
Beside him, Qi Guoshou shot Zhao Tielin a strange look at the sight. "Does this look like he offended the commandant? Did you drag this old man here for a laugh?"
From the look of things, the commandant clearly held the Lu lad in extremely high regard.
See, he had even opened the main gates to see him out with full courtesy. Such treatment was rare.
Had everyone present not known Lu Guan's background inside out, they might have mistaken him for some high-ranking family's scion sent down to gild his credentials.
At the entrance, Lu Guan glanced at the crowd. They were all familiar faces from his memories, elders from families on friendly terms with his own.
Uncle Zhao might be cautious... but when something happens, he really does step up.
Their families had been friends for generations, through the warmth and coldness of human relations.
By braving the pressure to rally such a large group, Zhao Tielin had practically risked throwing away his career.
At that thought, warmth stirred in Lu Guan's heart.
These were weighty bonds of affection.
Seeing this, Zhou Kaishan swept his gaze over the crowd, lingering briefly on Zhao Tielin and Qi Guoshou, a faint, ambiguous smile on his face.
Though he was the commandant in charge of the county, he still needed these rank-and-file officers to keep it safe.
It was precisely because these officers risked their necks and shed their blood that Qianqiu County remained free of demonic harassment.
The people before him represented the Demon Suppression Bureau's officers in Qianqiu County. Their connections were tangled roots and interlocking branches, and each was more senior than the last.
Even he had to show them some respect.
Yet now, this group was blocking the Demon Suppression Bureau's entrance.
As for why, he glanced at Lu Guan beside him and had a fair idea.
After all, he had personally put in a word about the matter of the officer's official post, so he naturally knew what unfair treatment the youth before him had suffered.
But he had never imagined things would come to this.
In principle, this matter could be treated as major or minor. Taken seriously, it could even be classified as a mob gathering to rebel.
Yet it could just as easily be treated as a minor matter: retired officers, still devoted to the Demon Suppression Bureau, revisiting their old workplace to reminisce about years gone by.
It all depended on Zhou Kaishan's wishes.
Before this, he could naturally have handled these people however he pleased.
If he chose to show respect, he would call him Elder Qi. If not, who the hell was he?
But now, an enormous variable had appeared.
Lu Guan!
The Perfected Qi and Blood Realm!
Someone so young had reached the Perfected Qi and Blood Realm. Was there really no one backing him?
The burly commandant said nothing. He merely patted Lu Guan's shoulder, looking as though he valued him greatly, then turned and went back inside.
He did not so much as mention the crowd at the entrance, acting as though he had not seen them.
As for Lu Guan, not only would he give the youth this official post, he would even put him in an important position!
Lu Guan raised an eyebrow, unable for the moment to tell just what medicine Zhou Kaishan was selling in his gourd.
Only after the main gates closed did Zhao Tielin hurry forward, his face filled with astonishment.
"Lad, what's going on? When did you get to know Commandant Zhou?"
Lu Guan shook his head. "We only met today."
"Oh, right, Uncle Zhao. I've successfully become a regular officer."
"Be... become a regular officer?"
It should have been only natural, yet hearing it left Zhao Tielin feeling dazed.
Since when had Commandant Zhou been so accommodating?
This man had always "promoted the worthy without excluding relatives." Even a dog he kept at home had been leashed up at the Demon Suppression Bureau and given an official post, drawing a salary from Great Li.
And he had simply handed his own nephew's post over to someone else?
Was his nephew worth less than a dog?
"It's complicated, so I'll keep it short."
Lu Guan considered for a moment, then chose his words carefully. "The commandant thought his nephew was an embarrassment, mud that couldn't be plastered onto a wall, so he promoted me to regular status instead."
"..."
Zhao Tielin looked utterly incredulous. "An embarrassment?"
How embarrassing could he have been?
Lu Guan nodded. "Does losing control of his bowels and bladder count?"
With that, he walked past the crowd and headed down the street toward home.
After a night of toil, even though he had broken through to Qi and Blood Perfection and reached the limits of the flesh, he could not help feeling somewhat weary.
He would rest during the day, then take advantage of the dark night and high winds...
To kill someone.
He, Lu Guan, had never been in the habit of letting a grudge sit overnight.
He walked farther and farther away, his figure gradually disappearing at the end of the street, leaving a group of old officers exchanging looks.
"I actually can't quite make sense of the Lu lad anymore. He's shed his old flesh and bones. It's almost as though he's become someone else."
Zhao Tielin's gaze was complicated as he muttered to himself.
No sooner had he finished than Qi Guoshou beside him picked up the thread. "After four generations, the Lu family has produced a qilin son."
"At first, he was a nursing tiger, his claws and fangs still blunt. Now, his edge is newly honed. It is just the time to leave the sheath, reveal his brilliance, and proudly test his blade!"
"I rather look forward to the day this lad's name resounds throughout the region."
After hearing Qi Guoshou's appraisal, Zhao Tielin asked in surprise, "Elder Qi, you think that highly of the Lu lad?"
The old man nodded, but a trace of worry surfaced on his face.
"It's just that the killing aura around the Lu lad is too heavy."
"Who knows... whether it will bring fortune or disaster."