"You're actually all right, then?"
Gu Chengming lowered his head, gazing at the burnt-smelling paper-effigy figurine at his feet, his expression a touch complicated.
Inwardly he reflected that this Great Qian Capital truly was a dragon's pool and a tiger's den — every step fraught with peril.
His feet had only just touched ground on the first evening; he had not even finished a single hot meal in peace, and the welcome-thrashing had already arrived right on schedule — and by means this venomous, no less.
Had it not been for the Zhouli Heavenly Harmony Righteous Heart Method, he would likely have foundered today in this filthy ditch.
"Whew…"
Beside him, seeing him answer normally, Yu Wenqiu felt the nerves she had stretched tight finally loosen.
In a few quick strides she rushed up to the paper figure, crouched down, condensed a strand of spirit-light at her fingertip, and probed cautiously along the severed neck.
She had been about to add an offhand "Good thing you're all right, just be more careful from now on," but the instant her divine sense swept across the headless paper figure on the ground, the rest of the words jammed in her throat.
Her eyes shot wide open as though she had witnessed something inconceivable, and her mouth slowly rounded into an O that did not close again for a good long while.
"Eh?"
Yu Wenqiu pointed at the paper figure, her fingertip trembling slightly:
"This thing… you took care of it?"
Gu Chengming gave her an odd look and nodded:
"Yes — what about it?"
What about it? You're asking what about it?!
Yu Wenqiu took in the lingering density of grievance-qi, the faint pulses still bleeding from that paper-pasted skeleton, and the residual oppressive pressure — heart-stopping even after its master had died and its Dao had been undone… and felt a chill rise straight from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head.
She did not answer. Instead she took three steps backward, retreating all the way to the doorway. One hand had even surreptitiously slipped behind her back, pinching an extraordinarily precious "Illusion-Shattering Talisman."
Her divine sense swept across Gu Chengming, hunting for the slightest tell — any sign that he might have been body-snatched or possessed by something foul.
Gu Chengming felt his skin crawl under her scrutiny: "Elder?"
She drew a deep breath, locked her eyes onto Gu Chengming's, and shot out a question at speed:
"Gu Chengming — let me ask you this.
"Storybook volume three, section four! When the male lead is faced with the little junior sister whose mind has gone blank, what are the three options he is given?!"
Gu Chengming searched his mind briefly, then recited fluently:
"Option one: take advantage of her plight, fast-forward directly to the dual-cultivation plotline — little junior sister's affection drops to zero."
"Option two: be the very picture of righteous gravity, knock her out cold, then rouse her with cold water — reward: Dao-heart +1."
"Option three: use internal force to drive the poison from her body, let emotion arise but be checked by propriety, and afterwards bury both deed and name — little junior sister's affection +10, hidden side-quest unlocked."
"Whew…"
Hearing those familiar options, Yu Wenqiu's tightly-wound shoulders collapsed in an instant.
The talisman in her hand slipped back into her sleeve, and what replaced it was the relief of someone who had narrowly survived calamity.
"Good, good. He's probably the real young Gu after all."
Yu Wenqiu muttered to herself, then strode forward in two bounding steps and circled Gu Chengming several times, clicking her tongue all the while, and repeating once more:
"This evil spirit — it really was killed by you?"
Gu Chengming sighed helplessly: "Yes."
Only now did he realise that Yu Wenqiu had moments before been treating him as a body-snatched victim.
Yu Wenqiu started to speak, then hesitated, looking at the decapitated paper figure, then again at this disciple before her without so much as a hair out of place — she still could not quite make sense of it:
"This is a third-realm evil spirit…"
At this point, as though something had occurred to her, she asked tentatively:
"Did Elder Ren Wencai give you some kind of life-preserving trump card before you set off?"
At those words, Gu Chengming was likewise briefly taken aback.
"Third realm?"
He looked at the paper figure in some startled confusion, thinking inwardly: but it had been about as tough as an earthen chicken and a clay dog.
And it was the very instant that thought rose in his mind —
[Hundred Bones Resonance stirs slowly awake…]
[Huiyuan Sword Art stirs slowly awake…]
[Qingxin Formula…]
"?"
Now Gu Chengming understood why that third-realm evil spirit had felt like a stray cur to him.
Setting aside, for the moment, the indignant and concerned reactions of Hundred Bones Resonance, Huiyuan Sword Art, and the rest of his cultivation methods upon awakening —
The question of "why a third-realm evil spirit had been one-shot by a first-realm cultivator" was, amid a somewhat delicate atmosphere, temporarily set aside.
Gu Chengming did not offer much by way of explanation. He merely mumbled a few vague phrases about "a parting gift from Elder Ren Wencai before he left" and "the spirit seemed to be at the end of its tether anyway."
Yu Wenqiu, after that initial shock had passed, also displayed an exceedingly tacit refusal to probe any deeper.
As long as the person was unhurt, that was the greatest possible blessing.
By the time the morning light had brightened fully and the haze inside the guest room had completely dispersed, Yu Wenqiu's expression had not in fact eased very much.
She stared down at the broken paper-effigy figurine on the ground, brow knotted tight, her usual lazy air now wholly gone, replaced by the gravity proper to a sect elder.
"Young Gu — this matter isn't that simple."
Yu Wenqiu gave the severed paper head a light flick, her tone sinking low:
"Evil spirits may love to feed on human vitality, but most of them are dim-witted creatures. Even higher-grade evil spirits that possess intelligence rarely dare to commit a crime in defiance of the wind in a place like the Capital.
"And yet this one struck not a day too early, not a day too late — precisely on the very first night you arrived in the Capital, precisely on the eve of the day you were to report to the Night-Watch Bureau…"
At those words, Gu Chengming nodded slightly.
He had only just arrived; he hadn't even learned the streets — where would any personal enemies of his come from?
It seemed, then, that someone was targeting the Wenjian Sect.
"What does the Elder mean by that?"
"Bring it with you."
Yu Wenqiu pointed at the remains on the floor:
"This is iron-clad evidence — a third-realm evil spirit infiltrating the Capital to do harm. By the rules of the Night-Watch Bureau, dealing with a creature of that grade usually requires the dispatch of several seasoned second-realm Night Patrol Guards, with a Banner Leader heading up the formation, before it can be brought down.
"And now you, who haven't even taken up your post, have already earned a great merit like this — and you are the victim besides. There's no better time to bring this thing along."
Gu Chengming grasped her meaning at once. He immediately fetched a piece of black cloth, wrapped up the burnt-stinking paper-effigy remains, and carried the bundle in his hand.
…
The Night-Watch Bureau was situated in the northwest corner of the Capital's inner city, its back to the Imperial City and its face to the bustle of the marketplace.
Unlike the vermilion-walled, glazed-tile splendour of the Six Ministries' yamen, the Night-Watch Bureau's buildings were, top to bottom, of a dour, ink-dark colour.
The towering outer wall was built from solid slabs of Black Obsidian, every inch carved over with densely packed runes, and even in broad daylight it gave off an austere chill that made the heart shudder.
On either side of the main gate, instead of stone lions, stood two grim, savage-faced statues of Bi'an — the dragon-spawn that watches at courts of judgment — their beast-eyes apparently inlaid with some kind of special crystal stone.
Gu Chengming, carrying that oddly-shaped black bundle, fell in behind Yu Wenqiu.
It was, at the moment, precisely the hour of morning roll-call, and there were no shortage of Night Patrol Guards going in and out of the gates.
Most of them moved with brisk urgency, the night's dew still clinging to them along with the not-yet-dispersed scent of blood — clearly they had only just finished a night of patrol.
Gu Chengming had assumed that he, carrying a bundle that so obviously gave off the aura of an evil spirit, would be stopped at the gate by the guards and questioned at some length.
He had even already drafted his answers internally, prepared to weather a stretch of harsh interrogation.
Reality, however, defied his expectations.
When he walked up to the main gate, those two armoured guards with hands resting on their sabre-hilts merely glanced at the bundle in his hand, and after sensing that wisp of residual malign-qi belonging to a third-realm evil spirit leaking from within, both stepped back half a pace in unspoken agreement, opened the way, and even lowered their heads slightly, casting Gu Chengming a glance touched with a measure of respect.
Gu Chengming was momentarily startled, somewhat baffled.
Past the gates lay a wide bluestone avenue running straight to the inner hall.
Both sides of the avenue were planted with towering pagoda trees whose canopies blotted out sky and sun, leaving the light within the Bureau somewhat dim.
Every Night Patrol Guard he passed along the way turned a sidelong eye on the bundle in Gu Chengming's hand.
"Hsss… that's some heavy malign-qi! What's in that bundle? Feels like at least a peak second-realm evil creature, doesn't it?"
"This colleague is unfamiliar — under which Chiliarch does this fierce one serve? Coming in to report at the crack of dawn?"
Whispered murmurs drifted to his ears on the wind.
Within those gazes there was curiosity, there was probing — but more abundant still was a genuine, solid admiration and envy.
Though Gu Chengming had not yet donned that official skin, by virtue of the "corpse" in his hand he had clearly already won the first wave of respect.
Yu Wenqiu walked at the front, listening to the discussion around them, her face betraying nothing — a picture of unruffled tranquillity — though inwardly she was quite considerably satisfied.
The two of them passed through the front courtyard and were just about to head toward the Internal Affairs Hall, which was in charge of registering merit —
"Who's the eyeless wretch making a show of himself in the Bureau?!"
The voice arrived before the person did.
Immediately afterward, a hulking figure came charging out with great long strides.
It was none other than Vice-Commander Liu, whom they had just seen the day before.
At this moment he bore not a trace of the genial warmth he had shown at the wine-table yesterday.
He was sheathed in a suit of black iron heavy armour scarred all over with blade-marks, his cloak billowing and snapping behind him. That square, resolute face was written all over with fury, his tiger-bright eyes wide with the killing aura of a man come to demand reckoning, and he barrelled straight in their direction.
The truth was, half a quarter-hour earlier, Vice-Commander Liu had been in the rear hall handling paperwork when one of his subordinates had come running in to report that an unfamiliar young man had shown up in the front courtyard, hauling what looked very much like the corpse of a third-realm soul-class evil spirit, was strutting on inside in plain view, and had drawn a crowd of countless gawking Night Patrol Guards — a sensation without rival.
Vice-Commander Liu's heart had gone "thump" in his chest right then.
The Night-Watch Bureau encouraged the slaying of demons and the exorcising of fiends, but any evil spirit of third realm or higher that had been put down was supposed to be registered in advance at the Internal Affairs Hall and verified by specially appointed personnel.
Where had anyone ever heard of someone simply dragging the corpse in without a word?
His first reaction had been that the neighbouring "Demon-Catching Bureau," or that lot over at the "Ministry of Justice," had come looking for trouble again.
Those rotten bastards loved nothing better, in everyday dealings, than to snatch credit out from under the Night-Watch Bureau.
This had to be them — they must have killed some powerful evil spirit out in the field, deliberately bypassed the proper procedure, and come strolling into the Night-Watch Bureau compound to take a turn, all in order to mock the Night-Watch Bureau's competence and broadcast its supposed lapses in security.
This could be endured? Then what could not be endured?
Vice-Commander Liu had charged out at full steam, a bellyful of pent-up fury behind him.
But when he had rounded the corner and seen clearly the blue-robed young man standing in the shade of the trees with the black bundle in hand, he had jammed up in an instant.
His charging feet stamped to an abrupt halt, even scuffing two streaks of sparks from the flagstones with the force of his own momentum.
Vice-Commander Liu froze, his face a picture of bewilderment. He looked at Gu Chengming, then at the bundle giving off that dense malign-qi, and for a moment his brain simply could not turn the corner.
Wasn't this the Wenjian Sect disciple who had only arrived in the Capital yesterday — the one he himself had told to come and report in today?
"Commander Liu."
Seeing who had come, Gu Chengming's expression remained as ever; he was not at all cowed by the killing aura the other had been putting out a moment before. He simply clasped his hands in respectful salute, his tone calm and gentle:
"This disciple was just on his way to seek out the Commander to report in. To think I would disturb the Commander instead — truly a transgression on my part."
"Report in…"
Vice-Commander Liu swallowed a mouthful of saliva, his eyes fixed dead on the bundle in Gu Chengming's hand, and asked, with some difficulty:
"This thing you're holding… is it a greeting-gift?"
"You might say so."
Gu Chengming gave a wry smile and lifted the bundle slightly in his hand:
"Last night this disciple and Elder Yu took lodgings at the Rain-Listening Pavilion, never imagining that in the middle of the night we would be ambushed by an evil spirit. This creature was adept in the Demon-Pressing Art. This disciple was fortunate enough to cut it down. Elder Yu said that the matter was no small thing — that there might be some hidden hand behind it — and so bade me bring it along to the Bureau, to leave the disposition in the Commander's hands."
"Demon-Pressing Art? Rain-Listening Pavilion?"
At those words Vice-Commander Liu's face sank instantly.
As a senior figure in the Night-Watch Bureau, he naturally understood what that meant.
The Rain-Listening Pavilion might not be the property of some imperial relative or noble house, but it nevertheless lay within the inner ring of the Capital — a place that fell within the cover of the dragon-qi.
For an evil spirit to dare to act there, and to target a sect disciple newly arrived in the Capital, no less —
This was, in plain terms, a slap directly across the Night-Watch Bureau's face!
He strode quickly forward, and without bothering with formalities, reached out and lifted one corner of the black cloth.
"Hsss—"
The instant he saw the decapitated paper figure within, Vice-Commander Liu sucked in a sharp breath. His pupils contracted violently:
"Yellow-Paper Bones, Corpse-Oil Soul… is this the handiwork of that line of the Dough-Faced Lord? Or—"
He quickly folded the black cloth back over, his expression turning grave in a way it had never been before.
This was, beyond any doubt, a genuine third-realm Nightmare Roving Corpse, and judging by the technique used in its refinement, it had certainly come from the hand of some master of the heretical arts.
Even were one of his own fully-staffed second-realm Night Patrol Guard squads to run into it, without preparation they would likely come away with more than half their number lost.
Vice-Commander Liu raised his head, his gaze turning extraordinarily complex as it settled on the calm-faced young man before him.
Even with Yu Wenqiu at his side to guard the Dao, an ambush at the level of the divine soul was usually decided in a single thought.
To come away whole and unharmed from this kind of uncanny assassination attempt, to even strike back and kill in return — cutting this evil spirit down so cleanly, so neatly…
It made him think, in spite of himself, of the conjecture he had formed the day before.
Vice-Commander Liu drew a deep breath, swiftly steadied his frame of mind, and held the bearing of an elder all the more firmly than before.
His expression solemn, he said in a low voice:
"This matter is no trifle — it's plain that someone has done this on purpose. Set your mind at ease: since you've already stepped through the gates of this Night-Watch Bureau, we naturally will not allow any wrong to be done to you.
"This evil spirit's corpse — I will have it sent at once to the Investigation Hall for a thorough dig. Whoever stands behind it, anyone who dares lay a hand on my Night-Watch Bureau's people inside the Capital, will pay the price!"
So saying, he beckoned, summoning two of his trusted subordinates, who carefully accepted the bundle from him.
He then continued: "Let's see to your enrolment first, and get this identification token issued to you.
"With this skin on, hereafter in this Capital not many eyeless fools will dare entertain crooked thoughts about you again."
Gu Chengming naturally had no objection, and followed Vice-Commander Liu toward the inner hall.
The Internal Affairs Hall was the busiest place in the entire Night-Watch Bureau.
On an ordinary day it was always packed with Night Patrol Guards coming to hand off assignments and trade in their merits.
But today, because Vice-Commander Liu was personally leading the way, the otherwise clamorous main hall went silent in an instant.
The clerk-in-charge was an elderly scribe of considerable seniority. Seeing Vice-Commander Liu, he hurriedly set down the brush in his hand and came out to greet him with anxious deference.
"My lord — what brings you here in person?"
Vice-Commander Liu waved his great hand and tossed a token of special-authorisation directly onto the desk:
"Wenjian Sect inner-court disciple — Gu Chengming. Run him through the special-recruitment process. Enrol him directly."
The old clerk took the token, glanced once at Gu Chengming — a flicker of astonishment passing through his eyes — yet his hands lost not a beat of speed. He swiftly flipped open the register and began recording with his brush poised.
"Place of origin: Wenjian Sect.
"Cultivation: first realm, ninth layer.
"Rank…"
Writing this far, the old clerk raised his eyes to Vice-Commander Liu.
Vice-Commander Liu pondered for a moment, then said:
"By the rules, all who first enter the Bureau are Night Patrol Guards. However—"
He glanced at Gu Chengming, and again thought of that third-realm evil spirit, before adding:
"He provisionally holds the title of Night Patrol Guard, but enjoys the treatment of a Banner Leader. When merit has been established in days to come, he can be promoted accordingly."
The old clerk's heart jolted — this was a treatment that vaulted clear over a rank! But he did not dare ask further, and quickly set brush to paper.
A moment later.
A waist-token, forged entirely from black iron, cold and weighty in the hand, was delivered into Gu Chengming's palm.
On the front of the token were carved the two characters "Night Watch." On the back were Gu Chengming's name, along with a single character "Seven" denoting his rank.
"Gu Chengming, keep it safe."
Vice-Commander Liu pointed at the token and patiently explained:
"Our Night-Watch Bureau's ranks are dovetailed with the official hierarchy of the Great Qian.
"The most basic Night Patrol Guard corresponds to the rank of a regular seventh-grade military officer of the Great Qian, though this is merely a nominal title; within the Bureau it counts as rank-and-file. The duties are chiefly daily patrol and reconnaissance, and handling some lower-grade strange cases.
"One step up is the Banner Leader, also colloquially known as the Centurion — qualified to lead a squad on his own, and able to take on slightly more troublesome cases."
At this point he glanced, with a faint sigh, at Yu Wenqiu beside him:
"When Elder Yu left her post back in the day, she held the rank of Centurion. That was, however, because Elder Yu thinks little of fame and gain, and was unwilling to fight for advancement. By seniority alone she should long since have been promoted."
On hearing this, Yu Wenqiu felt as though ants were crawling all over her — her gaze wandered, distinctly uncomfortable.
"And above the Banner Leader is the Senior Banner Leader, that is to say the Chiliarch. Once you reach this position you are the backbone of the Bureau, with the authority even to call upon local garrison forces to assist with cases."
Vice-Commander Liu clapped Gu Chengming on the shoulder, his words weighed down with sincere meaning:
"The Night-Watch Bureau values hard, tangible merit.
"The officialdom of the Great Qian may be a tangled mess, but the path of promotion within our Night-Watch Bureau is as fair as any can be. The colour of this token shifts in proportion to how many fiends you slay and how many demons you put down — and no one can erase that."
Gu Chengming ran his thumb across the somewhat rough black-iron waist-token in his hand, sensing the faint but tenacious strand of legal authority that resided within it.
Seventh-grade military officer.
It was not lofty, but it was indeed the first formal identity he had obtained in this red-dust mortal world.
No longer a man beyond the bounds — but a member of the Great Qian's own system.
And at the very moment he hung the token at his waist —
[The Zhouli Heavenly Harmony Righteous Heart Method gazes upon the waist-token that represents official status — and within its heart, it is rather gratified.]
[When names are not rectified, speech is not in accord; when speech is not in accord, no undertaking can be accomplished. Now that you have this official status, you have entered the orthodox.]
[Zhouli Heavenly Harmony Righteous Heart Method affection +5]
[Current affection: 43 / Friendly]
Watching the prompt that had popped up before him, Gu Chengming felt a flicker of amusement.
Sure enough…
Three months of wearing his tongue out debating scripture back at the sect had yielded nothing, but two days into his arrival in the Great Qian — what with cutting down an evil spirit and now picking up an official seal — this affection meter was shooting up like a rocket, climbing rung by rung.
At this rate, in not many months he'd be unlocking a special CG.
What comes next is young Gu's most-favoured Harmonious Joy Sect cultivation method.
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