“My apologies. I was impolite.”
The man froze for a moment before cupping his hands in salute, presenting a thoroughly upright and polite demeanor:
“I am Zhan Zhao, courtesy name Xiongfei, an imperial guard of Kaifeng Prefecture hailing from Changzhou. Just now, seeing that your posture and appearance bear a slight resemblance to my lord, I was momentarily dazed and caused offense. I only wish to let you know that we are not frivolous or disrespectful scoundrels intentionally poking fun at you.”
What Zhan Zhao didn't say was that while the maiden before him shared only a thirty-percent resemblance in looks with Lord Bao, her overall aura was fully seventy percent similar.
He couldn't quite pinpoint where the similarity lay.
Except for one detail: as she spoke, walked, raised her eyes, or turned her head, her gaze remained placid from beginning to end, devoid of any unnecessary emotion when looking at others.
It was as if, in her eyes, everyone was completely identical.
Presumably, even if his lord's personal attendants were standing here and saw this maiden, they too would experience a moment's dazed illusion.
No wonder Xu Zi insisted that the person before them must be related to Lord Bao.
...
As Zhan Zhao observed Nan Zhi, Nan Zhi's gaze was also fixed on him.
So this was Zhan Zhao.
This was indeed Zhan Zhao.
The very same loyal and righteous hero depicted in Justice Bao—upright, unyielding, hating evil as an enemy, constantly accompanying Justice Bao, possessing a chivalrous heart, and known as the “Southern Hero.”
A touch of wonder flickered in the depths of Nan Zhi's eyes.
She examined him closely once more. He possessed handsome features, a tall frame, and his bright red official robe truly gave him a heroic, extraordinary presence.
He genuinely possessed an imposing and noble elegance, a kind of handsome appearance that perfectly aligned with traditional Chinese aesthetics. Combined with his tall posture, broad waist, and wide back, he looked formidable and strong.
In short, he was by no means the sort of “frail, scholarly hero” spawned by the warped aesthetics of certain modern interpretations.
Instead, he matched the image of the “Royal Cat” from novels exceptionally well.
Nan Zhi couldn't help but feel a faint sense of absurdity in her heart, finally experiencing a touch of the alienation and loneliness of being in another world.
A figure who had appeared countless times in television and film was actually standing right in front of her.
“I am Nan Zhi, a fourth-class arrest officer of the Northwest Circuit, hailing from Dingyuan. So it is Officer Zhan himself. Everyone says Lord Bao solves cases like a god, understands both the living and dead, and enjoys the fine reputation of 'Justice Bao'—a man whose name strikes terror into villains and startles gods and ghosts alike.”
Nan Zhi smiled faintly, then looked toward the purple-robed maiden:
“Miss, you are mistaken. I am merely a humble arrest officer, and my family runs a butcher business. How could I dare claim any connection with Lord Bao? Though my appearance is natural, I must ask you not to make a mockery of this matter any further.”
Although she didn't care about the appearance of her game character, that didn't mean Nan Zhi was willing to be treated as a laughingstock.
“What is there to mock? It is just that their eyes are dull, caring only about skin and bone structure. Even if an immortal stood before them, they wouldn't recognize one.”
Beside them, the purple-robed maiden explained to her with utmost seriousness:
“When a Star Lord descends to the mortal realm, their appearance is singular. Ordinary people couldn't look like Lord Bao even if they wanted to. I find you quite amiable and adorable, as if you were born with immortal affinity. I imagine your journey on the immortal path will surely be smooth, blessed with longevity and joy. I am Xu Zi, a second-class arrest officer of the Bianjing Demon Suppression Monastery. Having heard that a demon suppressor was escorting citizens harmed by beast-craft sorcery into the capital, I came specifically to greet you. That fellow beside me wrapped in a red robe like a firecracker is a fourth-rank Imperial Guard of Kaifeng Prefecture, though his skills are still a bit inferior to mine.”
Saying this, she twitched her nose and hooked her arm around Nan Zhi's with great pride, showing off to Zhan Zhao:
“You people from Kaifeng Prefecture arrived too late! Nan Zhi belongs to our Demon Suppression Division, completely unrelated to your Kaifeng Prefecture! Nan Zhi, don't you agree?”
Xu Zi's actions were entirely natural; even reaching out to link arms with Nan Zhi was done with completely uninhibited warmth, as though she were accustomed to such intimacy.
Upon hearing this, Zhan Zhao merely rubbed his nose without arguing, nodding like someone coaxing a child:
“Yes, Officer Xu speaks reasonably.”
Across the twenty-four circuits of the Great Song's Demon Suppression Division, each Demon Suppression Monastery housed four branch Commissioners and eighteen demon suppressors.
Demon suppressors were divided into four ranks, promoted annually based on their merits in slaying demons. This young girl before her was already a second-class arrest officer?
Nan Zhi couldn't help feeling somewhat surprised.
However, she could easily distinguish whether someone was lying or telling the truth.
The maiden before her was only sixteen or seventeen, roughly the same age as Nan Ye, yet spoke with pure, naive innocence.
One look was enough to tell she had been thoroughly sheltered and had surely never suffered any grievances in her life.
Only someone like that would speak whatever was on her mind, without concealing her emotions in the slightest.
—Though she bore no malice, to someone who valued boundaries, it was indeed a bit over the line.
“It turns out to be a misunderstanding then. In that case, I will take your auspicious words to heart, Officer Xu. Truth be told, I also find you very friendly. As for this human trafficking case, the mastermind Ma San is already dead. I am afraid I must trouble you and our fellow officers with the remaining matters.”
Dealing with people of this personality gave Nan Zhi the biggest headache. Thus, keeping a polite smile on her face, she hid the umbrella where Wanniang resided behind her back:
“Right now, many people on the boat are unwell, and several children are suffering from illnesses. Please arrange for them to disembark as soon as possible, Officer, and have people from a medical clinic examine them.”
“What 'Officer' this or that? It sounds so distant for no reason. The demon suppressors across the twenty-four circuits of the Demon Suppression Monastery operate independently, and I am not your superior. Just call me A-Zi; everyone who knows me calls me that. Have them sent straight to the Demon Suppression Monastery. We have demon suppressors well-versed in the medical arts. Once they are cured, we will notify the twenty-four circuits to help them find their families.”
Seeing that umbrella, a trace of doubt flashed in Xu Zi's eyes, and she seemed to hesitate.
Yet she didn't expose it on the spot. She merely nodded and called over the transport clerks to clear them quickly.
Having received the order, Mo Buwei hurriedly instructed his men to clear the vessel. The people from Kaifeng Prefecture weren't in a hurry to leave either; instead, they stayed behind together to help look after the common folk on the boat.
For a moment, the atmosphere had a strangely harmonious feel to it.
...
Nan Zhi finally saw Kaifeng Prefecture's Demon Suppression Monastery.
Deserving of its status as the head of all Demon Suppression Monasteries in the land, this place was truly magnificent and imposing.
The monastery faced a bluestone main street. Before the gate stood two jade lions playfully frolicking with spiritual vibrancy. From afar, it nestled against the mountains and waters, surrounded by lush grass and blooming flowers.
Most striking was a high tower standing atop the mountain peak. It had eighteen stories, with a pointed apex and a rounded body.
A large, rounded bead set upon the top of the tower glittered brightly even in broad daylight, drawing everyone's gaze.
Within the monastery, over a hundred splendid small pavilions were concealed behind white mist, vague and hazy, impossible to discern clearly.
Flocks of birds beat their wings and soared high, vanishing into the mountains in the blink of an eye.
She recalled reading in unofficial historical anecdotes that land in Bianjing was notoriously expensive. Wang Anshi, Prime Minister of the Northern Song Dynasty, couldn't afford a single house even after saving several years of official salary, leaving him with no choice but to rent.
Yet in Bianjing, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, the Demon Suppression Monastery had actually claimed an entire mountain range. They were truly extravagantly wealthy.
“That is the Demon Suppression Tower. Criminal demons and evil ghosts in the capital who violate the precepts and receive punishment are imprisoned there. If there are monstrous, hopelessly wicked cultivators who commit heinous crimes, they are also incarcerated there, guarded daily by people from the Department of Judicial Affairs.”
Xu Zi pointed to the Buddhist bead atop the tower and introduced it to her with great enthusiasm:
“That bead is the Buddhist bone relic left behind by the great monk Hui Zhong before his reincarnation. At night, that relic radiates seven-colored Buddhist radiance. It glitters so brightly and looks so pretty!”
A relic?
Wouldn't that make it rainbow ashes? Were the people of the Demon Suppression Monastery walking around with a rainbow disco ball above their heads every single day?
Slaying demons by day, clubbing by night?
If put together with the White Tiger Demon Core, could one even hold it in their hand and rub it around a couple of times like a pair of stress balls?
What a dark humor joke.
Although it was somewhat disrespectful, Nan Zhi really couldn't hold back and thoroughly imagined the scene in her head.
As if guessing what was on her mind, Xu Zi took Nan Zhi's hand:
“See? I told them that keeping it stored in the warehouse was inferior to using it to suppress the tower. Great Monk Hui Zhong has already reincarnated into his second life for who knows how many years. He left behind a bit of mortal remains; how did that become some rare treasure worthy of being enshrined? Isn't it just a glowing bead? What's so special about it? Yet Ling Shou never lets me touch it, saying it's disrespectful.”
“'The Bodhi tree is originally not a tree, nor is the clear mirror a stand.' To put it plainly, a Buddhist bone relic is nothing more than the bones of an eminent monk after death.”
Nan Zhi chimed in, following her train of thought:
“Whether it is a treasure or a stone is merely a halo imposed on it by worldly people. If it is simply placed on a high shelf and locked away in a treasury, even Master Hui Zhong himself would probably find it absurd. Using it to suppress the evil spirits in the tower fulfills its purpose far better, bringing his merit to completion.”
A look of instantly hitting it off bloomed on Xu Zi's face:
“Aiya, your personality is so to my liking! Why didn't your mother and father give birth to you a few decades earlier? That way, we could have played together much sooner! Get a good rest tonight, and tomorrow, I will take you to a fun place. I guarantee it's full of good things you've never seen before!”
Nan Zhi had only been imagining it—how come, listening to the girl, it sounded like she had actually taken down the relic and rubbed it around like a plaything before?
Right, verdict delivered: this was a spoiled, bratty child.
An extra-large-sized one, at that.
Nan Zhi was instantly enlightened.
Rate on N.U.
