Volume One: Menial Servant in Changshui County Chapter Eight: What Kind of World Is This

What is the way of the world?

This is the way of the world.

Lu Huaigu was dead, and Lu Jiuzhang, weak and powerless, was seen by their neighbor, Aunt Zhao, as nothing more than a useless man, not worth befriending. But now, with Lu Jiuzhang about to join the Demon Slaying Bureau, in Aunt Zhao’s eyes, he was on the verge of becoming an official, a man of authority.

Thus, her attitude had changed for the better.

“Just now, Lord Wang came by, and my husband entertained him. You know how it is—when guests come, Chan’er and I can’t sit at the table, so neither of us has eaten yet,” Aunt Zhao said warmly. “We’ve just made another meal, it’s freshly prepared, come and join us.”

Lu Jiuzhang shook his head again, “No, I’ll eat out. I have some errands to run anyway.” He harbored little fondness for Aunt Zhao.

“Brother Lu, come on. My mother has been waiting for you for a long time. If you don’t join us, I won’t get to eat either,” chimed in the girl behind Aunt Zhao, their neighbor’s daughter, Zhao Chan’er.

Both her parents bore the surname Zhao.

From what he remembered, Zhao Chan’er was always good-natured and kind.

For her sake, Lu Jiuzhang finally nodded, albeit reluctantly.

Aunt Zhao eagerly ushered him inside. The cramped, dim room held a table already set with dishes: four hot, four cold, and a bowl of soup—this was the finest hospitality one could offer in these narrow city alleys.

“Old man, join Second Young Master Lu for a drink. Chan’er, sit beside him, pour his wine, and be attentive,” Aunt Zhao instructed. Perhaps conscious of her previous harsh words, she didn’t sit at the table herself. After a few instructions, she retreated to the kitchen.

Aunt Zhao’s husband was a rough-hewn man in his early forties, his face weathered with wrinkles. He worked at a dyehouse, a tiring job, for a meager monthly wage of five hundred coins.

Life was hard, but there was warmth in their home. Though husband and wife sometimes quarreled, harmony prevailed. With children at their knees, perhaps they could look forward to a peaceful old age.

As for Lu Jiuzhang, even as he ate this meal, he had no idea if he would have food for the next.

...

He didn’t drink much, but Lu Jiuzhang was already tipsy.

Afterward, he went to visit Master Zhou, only to be told by a servant in hempen clothes that Master Zhou was visiting a friend and wasn’t home. Lu Jiuzhang could only return empty-handed.

Such is life—nothing ever goes exactly as one wishes. No matter how well you plan, flaws remain.

Back home, Lu Jiuzhang collapsed into bed and slept until evening, when he finally woke again. The wine had long worn off, and he was wide awake.

He re-entered the Kuixing Tower within his sea of consciousness to investigate further.

Gradually, he noticed something strange. When he approached the statue of the great scholar Lu Shiyi, countless volumes of classics seemed to flood his mind, and at the same time, strength surged through his body. The literary energy in the pool boiled and surged.

It felt as if the entire Kuixing Tower was ringing with beautiful music, the most melodious sounds in the world.

Meanwhile, the literary energy in the pool was being consumed at a tremendous rate.

It was as if there were aftereffects. When Lu Jiuzhang withdrew from his sea of consciousness, his whole body felt drained, weak and listless. Where he had felt energetic before, now a deep drowsiness overtook him.

He fell onto his bed and slept until the sun was high in the sky.

...

The seventh day of the third month.

Gengyin, the Star of Fate, and the Courier’s Horse.

Auspicious for travel and breaking ground; inauspicious for moving house or taking up residence.

Once he had dressed, Lu Jiuzhang set out for the Demon Slaying Bureau.

The Demon Slaying Bureau—one of the most powerful institutions of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Though the bureau in Changshui County was merely a branch of a branch, it was still a behemoth in the county, second only to the county magistrate’s office in power.

In matters of apprehending or executing demons and monsters, it could even bypass the county magistrate and exercise its special authority.

Lu Jiuzhang’s home was about a quarter-hour’s walk from the Bureau.

He had passed its gates before, but never entered. The towering black doors, several meters high, bore a plaque with the three words “Demon Slaying Bureau” inscribed in bold, sweeping strokes—a presence both dignified and intimidating.

Rumor had it those words were written in the blood of a great demon equal to a fifth-ranked martial master.

As he approached, a faint oppressive force could be felt.

Each subordinate of the Bureau was issued a special token to allow them to resist this pressure. Without it, entry was impossible.

Of course, someone of Director Chen’s rank had no such need. His strength was more than enough to withstand the pressure.

Wang Yunshan was already waiting at the gate. When he spotted Lu Jiuzhang, he hurried over to greet him. “Director Chen asked me to wait for you and show you around the Bureau, as well as explain some basic rules.”

He led the way, Lu Jiuzhang following close behind.

With Director Chen’s token in hand, Lu Jiuzhang passed smoothly through the gates into the Bureau.

A corridor led to an open space before the main hall.

“This is where we hold routine discussions and issue orders—not for major matters. If something serious arises, it wouldn’t be discussed in such a public place,” Wang Yunshan explained. “On the left is the squad room, where we usually stay and await assignments. When the officers issue an order, that’s when we spring into action. On the right is the rest area—for those who need to stand night watch.”

“Behind the main hall is where the officers work and rest. The Bureau has one director and three deputy directors. The Director Chen you met before is actually the most powerful of the deputies.”

“The chief director was transferred to Anxi Prefecture to lead a demon extermination mission. He’s been gone for half a year now, so Director Chen is in charge.”

“By regulation, there must always be a director or deputy on duty here every day. Even if a team goes out to hunt demons, at least one deputy must remain. If everyone leaves and a demon attacks Changshui County, without a strong leader, the county’s people would be at great risk.”

“All the case files are kept behind the main hall, along with books on martial arts, Confucian studies, and sorcery. Of course, there aren’t many books here. They say the Bureau in the prefectural capital has an impressive collection.”

“The director there is a fourth-ranked martial master—renowned throughout the Great Zhou.”

“Now, I’ll take you to the archive room to register and collect your identification token.”

...

Lu Jiuzhang now had a basic understanding of the Bureau, which was not quite as mysterious as the rumors on the street suggested.

Passing through the rear courtyard, Lu Jiuzhang caught sight of Director Chen.

He returned the token to Director Chen with due respect. Director Chen said nothing, simply waved for Wang Yunshan to continue handling the registration.

The process appeared simple: recording some basic details of his life on the official files and receiving a token.

But in truth, it was rather tedious. The information in the file could not be fabricated; someone would eventually interview his neighbors to verify the facts. Small mistakes could be corrected, but larger errors would require the entire record to be redone.