Volume One: Menial Worker of Changshui County Chapter Sixty-Seven: Coercion and Temptation

When the end of the workday came, Lu Jiuzhang felt utterly drained of strength. In his office, there was a bed set up for rest. Rather than returning home, he immediately began cultivating on the bed. As night fell and the surroundings quieted, Lu Jiuzhang practiced Swift Wind Step. When exhaustion overtook him, he sat cross-legged to absorb spiritual energy. Now that he had reached the ninth rank in martial cultivation, his range for absorbing spiritual energy had expanded to a hundred paces. With every breath in and out, it was as if a wind stirred around him, drawing the spiritual energy of the air continuously into his body.

So it went, and when Lu Jiuzhang opened his eyes again, dawn had arrived. The menial workers began to file into the Demon-Slaying Bureau to await their orders. Zhou Cheng arrived as well, and Lu Jiuzhang went with him to the training grounds to continue their cultivation. Both men were wholly devoted to the martial path, their wills as unyielding as iron. Even Chen Xuanfeng could not help but marvel, likening them to madmen who forgot food and sleep in their pursuit of mastery.

Elsewhere, at Lu Jiuzhang’s home, a shifty-eyed man was prowling and snooping about. He lingered until dusk before finally leaving. In the dead of night, the same shifty-eyed figure returned, hefting a corpse over his shoulder as he slipped into Lu Jiuzhang’s courtyard. He found a shovel and began loosening the earth.

Panting heavily, the shifty-eyed man was thoroughly exhausted, but dared not stop, forcing himself to dig even faster. Not far off, Guard Mo, who had long noticed the suspicious activity in the courtyard, watched with great interest. When the shifty-eyed man was about to lower the corpse into the pit, Guard Mo could hold back no longer and coughed twice.

“Who’s there?” The shifty-eyed man jolted, visibly tense.

“Though it’s the dead of night, your actions are thoroughly laughable,” Guard Mo said, stepping out of the darkness. Moonlight spilled over the ground in silver, casting Guard Mo’s shadow long and tall. As a master of the eighth martial rank, this was Guard Mo’s source of confidence. The man before him, at best, was ninth rank—an enormous gap. Guard Mo was certain he could incapacitate him within three moves. In fact, perhaps even one would suffice.

“You’re Lu Jiuzhang’s bodyguard?” the shifty-eyed man asked, unfazed, staring at Guard Mo. “This matter runs deep. Even if you’re eighth rank and backed by the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion, meddling in this will only bring you death.”

“A subordinate of Assistant Magistrate Wang, aren’t you?” Guard Mo countered.

“Whether I serve Mr. Wang or not is irrelevant. What matters is your own life. Consider carefully—if you get involved, not even the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion in Anxi Prefecture can save you,” the shifty-eyed man replied coldly. “Lu Jiuzhang is as good as dead already. Why persist in this folly?”

Guard Mo laughed. “The Pavilion assigned me this task, and I’ll see it done, regardless of who I offend. But tell me, why do you all want Lu Jiuzhang dead?”

“And to resort to such crude means?” Guard Mo glanced at the scene. It was obvious: burying a dead body in Lu Jiuzhang’s courtyard to frame him for the crime. Yet, in Guard Mo’s view, if the Assistant Magistrate truly wished to act, he could suppress Lu Jiuzhang directly—why go to such lengths? In the worst case, he could simply have the Demon-Slaying Bureau assign a mission, then send someone to assassinate Lu Jiuzhang. Even with himself nearby, it would not be difficult for an Assistant Magistrate to mobilize two eighth-rank martial artists. Guard Mo might handle one, but the other would be free to deal with Lu Jiuzhang. In such a scenario, Lu Jiuzhang would have no hope of survival.

“There are matters here far greater than I can explain,” the shifty-eyed man said, “If you value your life, return to Anxi Prefecture as soon as possible. Don’t be fooled by Changshui County’s small size; killing an eighth-rank martial artist here is not difficult. Especially one who’s not officially recognized by the imperial court—it’s even easier.”

This was no mere threat. If it were the Demon-Slaying Bureau’s own eighth-rank martial artists, Assistant Magistrate Wang might hesitate. But the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion’s experts meant nothing to him. The power behind Wang was more than enough to smother any consequences.

“I was instructed to protect Lu Jiuzhang for two months. Why not wait another month before making your move?” Guard Mo bargained.

The shifty-eyed man sneered. “You really think that’s possible? If you don’t cooperate tonight, don’t blame us for what comes next!” He shot Guard Mo a glare, hefted the corpse, and disappeared into the night.

Those final words left Guard Mo uneasy. Changshui County might seem insignificant, but the Assistant Magistrate’s reach was considerable—he was no weakling in terms of connections and resources. Rumor had it that an Assistant Magistrate was a minor official, but with backers supporting his backers, the highest among them was likely a high-ranking court official. What appeared to be an Assistant Magistrate was, in truth, the local representative of a faction that could reach the emperor’s ear. This was exactly what the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion feared.

What a headache. Guard Mo rubbed his temples, feeling the pressure mounting from the authorities. If pressed any further, he might truly have to give in. Though he admired Lu Jiuzhang, he would never risk his own life for him.