Liangzhou Prefecture had another torrential downpour.
The rain was fine and dense, carrying heat, enveloping the entire prefectural city in a gray, hazy humidity.
Jiang Yuechu held an umbrella she had somehow acquired, stepping on the wet bluestone path as she returned to Jingyao Workshop.
Pushing open the wooden door of her small courtyard, a damp, moldy smell mixed with the scent of dust rushed out.
A thin layer of dust covered the stone table in the courtyard, with a few rain-soaked fallen leaves clinging to it.
The doors and windows of the main hall were tightly shut, but upon opening the door, dust was still visibly covering the tables, chairs, and benches.
She frowned.
Core Formation, Core Formation, what use is Core Formation?!
In the end, doesn't she still have to clean up herself?!
Jiang Yuechu silently complained internally, rolled up her sleeves, found a rag, moistened it, and began wiping the tables and chairs.
It wasn't that she hadn't considered hiring a maid or servant.
But ultimately, she felt it wasn't appropriate.
She had too many secrets; having an outsider in the courtyard would simply be inconvenient.
What?
Was it because she was broke?
That was ancient history.
Since returning from Hechuan County, Jiang Yuechu was now definitely a Little Rich Woman.
The two thousand taels of silver notes in her pocket were more than enough for her to buy several small courtyards in the Region of Liangzhou Prefecture.
The damp rag swept across the dusty tabletop, leaving behind a dark water streak.
Jiang Yuechu wiped meticulously, not missing a single corner or crevice.
After cleaning the entire house, the sky gradually darkened.
She lit an oil lamp, and the tiny flame flickered in the slight breeze.
The rain pattered, striking the eaves and the banana leaves.
Jiang Yuechu changed into clean clothes, sat on the threshold, and watched the stone steps in the courtyard, which had become greener from the rain, listening to the sound of the rain, lost in thought.
Such tranquility was long overdue.
"..."
Bang bang bang—
The sudden knocking broke the peace of the courtyard.
Outside the courtyard, an unfamiliar voice came through the curtain of rain.
"Excuse me... is this Captain Jiang's residence?"
Damn it!
The comfort on Jiang Yuechu's face instantly vanished.
She gritted her teeth, reluctantly stood up from the threshold, walked to the courtyard gate, and pulled back the bolt.
Outside the door, a man wearing the standard black uniform of the Demon Suppression Division was holding an umbrella, respectfully standing in the rain.
Seeing Jiang Yuechu, he quickly bowed.
"Captain Jiang, Lord Xu requests your presence at The Department."
Jiang Yuechu leaned against the doorframe, raising an eyebrow.
"Lord Xu?"
She had just returned from Yumen Pass and had only rested for a few hours. Why was she being summoned again?
Are they really treating Jiang Yuechu like an ox or a horse?!
That guy better have a good reason... Commandery Office of the Demon Suppression Division.
Jiang Yuechu followed the Demon Suppression Guards through the corridors.
"Sir, Captain Jiang has arrived."
"Come in."
Inside the hall, Xu Changfeng's cool voice sounded.
Hearing this, Jiang Yuechu stepped inside on her own accord.
Xu Changfeng was bent over his desk, reviewing some Official Documents, without lifting his head.
Jiang Yuechu walked a few steps in front of the desk and stopped.
"Lord Xu."
Xu Changfeng slowly put down his pen, raised his head, and looked at the young girl before him with a complicated expression.
He still remembered that just a few hours ago, Wei He had gathered all the Deputy Generals to announce a piece of news.
A piece of news that he found utterly absurd even now.
Jiang Yuechu had stepped into Core Formation.
He even thought Wei He was joking.
But when the young girl stood vividly before him, the faint yet harmonizing Qi she radiated proved everything—
This was real... Yet... He thought of himself, Xu Changfeng, gifted since childhood, entering Hearing the String at fifteen and Bone Resonance at twenty-one.
Now, at twenty-five, he had only just touched the threshold of Half-Step Core Formation.
With such a resume, looking across the entire Great Tang, it was enough to make countless peers fall far behind!
But her?!
Seventeen? Or eighteen?
Core Formation!
Heh.
Xu Changfeng suddenly felt that life was utterly meaningless.
"Lord Xu?"
Jiang Yuechu looked at the man staring blankly before her, her expression strange.
This guy called her here but wasn't talking, just staring blankly. What was he doing?
Could it be... Thinking of this, she instinctively touched her face.
Just as Jiang Yuechu was letting her imagination run wild, Xu Changfeng spoke.
He seemed to break free from some chaotic thoughts, and a trace of self-mockery flashed in his eyes.
"Don't call me Lord anymore."
"Hmm?"
Jiang Yuechu was stunned.
What did he mean?
Xu Changfeng didn't explain, but simply pulled out a document already drafted on the desk and pushed it toward her.
"You are now Core Formation, and you single-handedly killed a Core Formation Great Demon. If you were still confined to the position of a seventh-rank colonel, wouldn't it make our Demon Suppression Division a laughingstock to the world?"
"As soon as Lord Wei returned to the Dusi today, he summoned us to discuss your placement."
Jiang Yuechu picked up the document.
Using the lamplight, she quickly scanned it.
[...Promoting Jiang Yuechu, Colonel of the Xuan Battalion, to Sub-Sixth-Rank Demon Suppression Brigade Commander...]
Whoa.
Jiang Yuechu raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected Wei He to be so generous.
She thought that when he answered her question about her father's case back at Yumen Pass, it would count as compensation for this achievement.
Unexpectedly, the promotion still went through.
However... even as a Brigade Commander, her rank was still below Xu Changfeng, a Deputy General.
So what did his earlier words mean?
Seemingly noticing Jiang Yuechu's confusion, Xu Changfeng leaned back in his chair, fingers interlocked, and said plainly, "Aside from promoting you to Brigade Commander, Lord Wei has another plan."
"Transferring you out of the Xuan Battalion."
Jiang Yuechu frowned, "Where will I go?"
Xu Changfeng raised his eyes; his cool gaze appeared exceptionally deep under the flickering lamplight.
He slowly uttered three words.
"Heaven Character Camp."
...The next morning.
The rain had stopped and the sky was clear, filling the air with freshness.
Jiang Yuechu woke up early and headed straight for The Department's Storeroom.
It was still the familiar room, and still the same One-Eyed Old Man.
Hearing footsteps, he lazily lifted his eyelids.
"Hmm? It's you again, Little Girl."
The old man sat up a bit, a hint of confusion on his face. "It's only been a few days since you quieted down, what are you here for now?"
Jiang Yuechu didn't speak; she just pulled a brand new document from her embrace and handed it over.
Seeing this action.
The old man's heart sank.
An absurd thought immediately arose.
Could it be... He took the document and tremblingly unfolded it.
"..."
The next second, his single eye widened into a perfect circle, his eyeball practically popping out of its wrinkled socket!
Wait?
What the hell is going on?!
Sixth-Rank Langjiang?!
Damn it, just over ten days ago, when this girl came to collect her promotion pay, hadn't she just been promoted to eighth-rank squad leader?
How many days has it been?!
The old man put down the document, his tongue almost unable to form words, and stammered, "Y-y-y-y-y-you... Do you know... the crime for forging documents within The Department?"