Turns Out I'm the Real Monster?!

Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Monster Rations

Bai Xiang opened the courtyard gate.

Outside stood a young official from the Demon-slaying Bureau, dressed in a tight-fitting, dark cyan uniform with a saber at his waist.

The official cupped his fist and said, "Excuse me, is Lord Jiang home?"

Jiang Mu, now dressed, walked over. "Is the Lord Chief calling another meeting?"

For the past month, Jiang Mu had hardly left his home, spending most of his time cultivating.

The Demon-slaying Bureau would occasionally hold routine assemblies and send someone to notify him, but he would only go to make an appearance.

It was nothing more than drinking a couple of cups of tea, listening to his colleagues and superiors chat for a bit, and then coming back to continue his training.

The young official said respectfully,

"My lord, a case has come up outside the city. The Lord Chief has ordered all Hall Masters to report to the Government Office immediately for a meeting. I was sent to deliver the message."

"Understood. I’ll change and be on my way."

Jiang Mu waved his hand dismissively.

Back in his room, Jiang Mu changed into the official uniform issued by the Demon-slaying Bureau.

It was a tight-fitting, gray-black uniform with a cloud pattern. The collar and cuffs were trimmed with silver thread, and the rank badge on the chest was embroidered with a majestic, divine beast. A wide, matching belt cinched his waist.

It also came with a standard-issue straight saber.

The sword scabbard was jet-black, its hilt wrapped with fine, non-slip hemp cord.

Jiang Mu was already born with sharp brows, star-like eyes, and exceptionally handsome features. After his recent Body Forging, his physique had become more robust, with broad shoulders, a wide back, and a firm waist.

Now, in this uniform, he looked even more magnificent and imposing, possessing the heroic bearing of a young general.

"Xiang’Er, prepare some good food and wine for tonight. I’ll be back for dinner."

Jiang Mu said to Bai Xiang, who was busy in the vegetable garden, as he adjusted his cuffs.

Bai Xiang straightened her slender waist. She tucked a sweat-dampened lock of hair behind her ear and turned to look at the heroic Jiang Mu. A glimmer flashed in her gentle eyes, and she smiled, nodding softly.

...

When he arrived at the Demon-slaying Bureau’s main hall, Jiang Mu found the meeting had already started, with everyone deep in discussion.

He didn’t mind.

The last few meetings had been much the same.

After all, he was just a mascot who had gotten his position through connections; there was no need to take him too seriously. If protocol didn’t require that the Hall Master be notified, he probably wouldn’t have even received a summons.

At first, the Lord Chief, Ran Qingshan, would offer him a brief explanation or a word of comfort, but later on, he stopped bothering.

Jiang Mu entered the hall as usual and sat in an empty seat at the end of the table.

He picked up his teacup and started blending in.

The others glanced at him before looking away and continuing their discussion of the case.

After listening for a while, Jiang Mu got the gist of the situation.

It turned out that several bodies had been discovered near Dragon Head Mountain outside the city. They were identified as villagers from a nearby settlement who had gone missing a few days ago.

The bodies had tearing wounds on their necks, and their internal organs had been hollowed out. Traces of demonic energy remained, leading to the conclusion that it was the work of a Demon.

They were now formulating a search plan.

As he listened, Jiang Mu privately mulled over the Demon-slaying Bureau’s operational structure.

After sitting in on these past few meetings, he had pretty much figured out how things worked.

Although the Demon-slaying Bureau’s function was unique, its procedures were quite similar to those of a regular Government Office.

It was roughly divided into four steps: report, investigate, assess, and act.

First was reporting, where local inspectors or common people would report anomalies.

Next was investigation, where specialists would verify if it was the work of a Demon Fiend. Once confirmed, it would be classified. The Demon Fiend’s strength would be judged based on the residual demonic energy, and an extermination plan would be formulated.

The final step was action. A hall of corresponding strength would be assigned to carry out the cleanup based on the classification.

If it was an ordinary Demon infestation, a single hall was sufficient.

If a Great Demon was causing chaos, multiple halls would need to coordinate, and they might even have to request the Garrison Envoy to intervene.

Hu State was not far from the capital, only a five or six-day round trip.

Furthermore, with specialized hawk-hounds for relaying intelligence, messages could be sent in less than a day. Therefore, the Garrison Envoy stationed here was quite powerful.

It was said that General Shangguan was a master of the Twelfth Realm.

Powerful enough to rank among the top five in the Great Qing.

The Garrison Envoy rarely left the city, being responsible only for guarding its central hub and preventing invasions by Great Demons.

The last time, a Great Demon had managed to slip through only because General Shangguan was at a critical stage of breaking through to the next realm in seclusion, and the City Defense Array had failed.

Even so, General Shangguan had emerged from seclusion in time and swiftly killed the Great Demon with lightning-fast methods, a testament to his immense strength.

Jiang Mu, however, had a different thought.

’Having his breakthrough interrupted by a Demon Fiend’s intrusion must have been a huge blow for a Cultivator. Who knows how long he’ll have to wait for the next chance to break through.’

’If I were General Shangguan, I’d be pissed enough to curse someone’s mother.’

The meeting ended quickly.

They probably judged that the Demon in this case wasn’t too powerful, as in the end, only Wen He of the Third Hall and Xu Fu of the Seventh Hall were dispatched to handle it.

The other halls were also assigned various tasks.

Everyone received their assignments and dispersed. Jiang Mu also got up, ready to head home and continue lifting weights.

As expected, this kind of exhausting dirty work had nothing to do with a mascot like him.

"Xiaojiang, stay behind."

Just as Jiang Mu was stepping over the threshold, Lord Chief Ran Qingshan’s voice came from behind him.

Jiang Mu paused and turned around.

He saw Ran Qingshan holding a teacup, a kindly smile on his face. "I hear you’ve been training very diligently lately. How’s it going?"

"It’s going okay. I feel like my body has gotten a lot sturdier," Jiang Mu said humbly.

Ran Qingshan nodded, his tone fatherly.

"The path of cultivation is like rowing a boat against the current. You started late, so the Body Tempering stage is indeed difficult, but don’t lose heart. Train for another year or so, build a solid foundation, and there will always be hope."

"Thank you for your encouragement, Lord Chief. I will certainly do my best."

"Also, your Government Office is already being cleared out and renovated. It should be ready to hang its plaque in a few more days. I’ll pick a location with good feng shui for you, so you can be a Hall Master in name and in deed."

"I am at your disposal, my lord," Jiang Mu replied.

The so-called Government Office was actually equivalent to a district branch station.

If a case involving a Demon occurred within its jurisdiction, they could be the first to respond.

However, public order in Hu State was generally stable, with few cases inside the city walls. Most incidents occurred outside. When they did, the higher-ups would assign a specific hall to handle it.

"As it happens, I have an important task for you today."

Ran Qingshan’s tone suddenly shifted.

"A task?"

Jiang Mu was a little surprised.

’Has the sun risen in the west? Is the mascot actually being put to work?’

Ran Qingshan set down his teacup.

"The Tongxin County Government Office has some official business that needs to be handled. I want you to make a trip."

"What business?"

"It’s related to tax collection. You’ll find out when you get there," Ran Qingshan said with a slight cough.

In reality, it was a minor errand that anyone could have been sent to do.

But considering Jiang Mu hadn’t been given any assignments for a month, he couldn’t just be left hanging, mascot or not.

Fearing he might get the wrong idea, Ran Qingshan had come up with this pretext.

’Tax collection?’

Although Jiang Mu found it strange, he still accepted. "Yes, sir."

...

Hu State had two Fuguo Counties: Tongxin County and Jiuyuan County.

The Government Offices for both counties were located within Hu State city, divided by a north-south line, managing the city’s interior and surrounding areas respectively.

Jiang Mu went to the Tongxin County Government Office in the northern part of the city.

Just as he reached the entrance, a round-faced man came trotting over, bowing respectfully.

"This lowly one is Shi Lang, a Clerk from the Demon Patrol Office. Greetings, Lord Jiang."

The Demon Patrol Office was an agency within the county Government Office, separate from the six main departments.

On a normal day, besides patrolling, if a case was reported to be related to a Demon, this office was responsible for reporting it to the Demon-slaying Bureau.

It had another duty as well: assisting the Government Office with grain collection.

Jiang Mu was a bit surprised. "You know me?"

Shi Lang’s face was all smiles.

"Lord Jiang, you are a hero of your generation, appointed as a Hall Master of the Demon-slaying Bureau at such a young age. Who in all of Hu State doesn’t know of you? Though this one’s position is humble, I have often heard my superiors speak of your great name. Seeing you today, you are truly as magnificent and extraordinary as they say."

Jiang Mu smiled, not bothering to call out the man’s flattery.

This kind of seasoned operator, who thrived in the bureaucracy, was an expert at reading people and memorizing the faces of important figures.

He probably had a mental portrait of every notable figure in Hu State.

"The Lord Chief mentioned some official business. What is it, specifically?" Jiang Mu got straight to the point.

A hint of embarrassment appeared on Shi Lang’s face.

"It’s nothing major, really. We’re just going to collect grain, and we need a superior to lend some authority and keep the unruly commoners from causing trouble. I just never expected the Lord Chief to send you in person, Lord Jiang... Sir, why don’t we get in the carriage and discuss the details?"

Only then did Jiang Mu notice a green-canopied carriage waiting nearby.

He nodded, lifted the curtain, and entered the carriage.

Shi Lang followed close behind.

Once inside, he sat opposite Jiang Mu, perching on just the edge of the bench, his body leaning slightly forward in a humble posture, ready to attend to him at a moment’s notice.

Then, he pulled a document with a red seal from his robes and presented it respectfully with both hands.

"What’s this?" Jiang Mu looked puzzled.

"This is a warrant issued by the higher-ups," Shi Lang explained patiently, forcing a smile.

A so-called warrant was an official document that served as proof of authorization for an Official to carry out a task.

For official duties like compelling payment of taxes and grain, or summoning and arresting criminals, a warrant issued by the Government Office was required.

Getting a warrant was equivalent to getting a chance to line one’s pockets.

When a Government Official was ordered to summon a witness or defendant, or to arrest a criminal, they could openly demand "shoe and stocking money," "travel expenses," "food and drink money," "rope-untying fees," and so on from the person involved.

If the person was unwilling to pay, the Government Official had plenty of ways to make their life difficult.

They could rip their own clothes, smear on some blood, and claim they were violently resisting arrest. After getting an arrest warrant, they could even get a group of cronies to ransack the person’s home.

Therefore, a warrant was also known as a "sword of state," granting ultimate authority.

But the warrant in Shi Lang’s hand wasn’t for summoning or arresting criminals. It was for collecting the "Demon Pacification Tax," commonly known as "demon grain."

In the Eleventh Year of Great Qing Mingde, the Court officially began levying the Demon Pacification Tax on the common people to support the Demon-slaying Bureau and alleviate financial burdens.

It had now been collected for over eighty years, all the way to the current sixth year of the Jinghe era.

"Normally, the demon grain is collected after the autumn tax. But this time, the higher-ups have demanded we collect it early," Shi Lang explained in a low voice.

"The reason is, collecting the local spring tax was already difficult. The autumn grain collection is just around the corner, and the common folk also have to prepay next year’s taxes. On top of that, there were floods a while back. While it wasn’t too severe outside the city, they were still affected.

The higher-ups figured it’s better to strike first and collect the demon grain now.

If we wait until the Government Office finishes collecting the autumn grain, the commoners’ homes will be scraped clean. When we go to collect the demon grain then, forget completing the mission—we’ll be lucky to even get a sip of soup."

Jiang Mu looked at the warrant in his hand, his brow furrowed slightly. "We’re going to Da Wen Village? That’s a poor, remote place. Why not start collecting in the city?"

The smile on Shi Lang’s face became somewhat meaningful.

He rubbed his hands together and said,

"Lord Jiang, you are a man of high status and don’t know the difficulties we face down here. Since we’re on the same side, I’ll be frank with you. It’s true there’s plenty of profit to be made in the city, but are those people we can afford to touch?"

"The people living in the city are either wealthy gentry, powerful clans with officials in the Court, or at the very least, established locals with intricate connections to the prefectural Government Office.

Which of them doesn’t have a powerful backer?

If we go to collect taxes from them with this warrant, it’s like pulling teeth from a tiger’s mouth. We might not even collect the tax, and we’ll end up in a world of trouble, possibly even losing our official posts."

At this point, Shi Lang gestured out the carriage window.

"But the countryside is different. They’re all just dirt-poor farmers who toil with their faces to the earth and backs to the sky. They have no power, no influence, and no one to stand up for them. When they see this uniform of ours, they’re scared to the bone."

"They might be poor, and there isn’t much to squeeze out of them, but the advantage is that it’s safe and they’re obedient. We can do whatever we want with them, and they wouldn’t dare make a peep."

"Even if we can’t squeeze much out of one family, if we visit a few more, it all adds up. It’s still better than hitting a wall in the city."

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