Chapter 141: Chapter 115: Evil Suppression Bureau

After staying home for a day, it was not until noon on October 5th that Sang Que ventured from her home to the woods outside Wangshan City.

She hadn’t done anything yet, and most of the National Day holiday had already passed. Sang Que felt that she might not be able to complete the task of joining the Evil Suppression Bureau before the holiday ended. By then, she would have to get her mother to ask the school for leave.

The reason, of course, would be the one she previously mentioned to Jiang Zao, so it wouldn’t be easy to slip up.

Emerging from the depths of the forest where a simple wooden door was hidden, Sang Que felt a faint warmth in her chest. Every time her Heart Lamp increased significantly, this feeling would become more pronounced.

“Have I become famous around here?”

Sang Que was puzzled but didn’t think much of it. She left the woods with Xuan Yu and headed towards the West City Gate of Wangshan City.

The day before, Kou Yushan and Xia Chan and their group had entered the city through the South City Gate.

When Sang Que arrived, she happened to see a caravan queuing to enter the city, so she quietly tagged along behind them.

Soon, more people joined behind her, some pushing wheelbarrows filled with baskets of vegetables and various mountain goods and assorted items, seemingly ready to sell in the city.

“Miss, this cat of yours looks quite spirited; do you want to sell it?”

A middle-aged man behind Sang Que took an interest in the Xuan Yu in her arms and asked with a smile.

Meow!!

Xuan Yu growled angrily, and the man chuckled, saying to those around, “See, it really is spirited; it can even understand what I’m saying.”

“The cat’s not for sale,” Sang Que replied coldly, and the man did not persist.

After registering her household documents and paying the city entry tax, Sang Que finally stepped into Wangshan City.

The streets in the city were wide, with a continuous flow of carriages and horses, showing no signs of congestion. Businesses lined the roads with shops bustling with activity, creating an atmosphere of prosperity and bustle.

Pedestrians were neatly dressed, and even merchants coming to sell goods were orderly as they set up stalls along the streets to hawk their wares.

Guards wearing uniform armor walked past Sang Que, the sound of armor clashing and their heavy and rhythmic steps giving a strong sense of security.

“Tofu pudding here~ Last half bucket left, selling out and closing the stall~”

“Buns, steaming hot buns~”

“Hey, where are you coming from, sir? Do you need a place to stay or eat?”

A young boy from the inn at the city gate, with a towel on his shoulder, approached Sang Que, seeing her in a chivalrous outfit.

Sang Que shook her head to decline, and looking at the vast Wangshan City, she suddenly wasn’t sure where to find Kou Yushan and Xia Chan. Ancient times lacked instantaneous communication tools, which was really inconvenient.

After thinking it over, Sang Que returned and asked that inn’s little waiter.

“Excuse me, where is the Evil Suppression Bureau?”

Kou Yushan mentioned joining the Evil Suppression Bureau, possibly waiting there, hoping to meet him.

Upon hearing Sang Que ask about the Evil Suppression Bureau, the little waiter’s expression suddenly became strange, with a hint of curiosity and a touch of compassion, “Are you here to attend the Evil Suppression Bureau’s recruitment exam?”

“Is there a problem?”

The little waiter immediately cracked an awkward smile, “No problem, of course no problem, the Evil Suppression Bureau is a good place, with salaries and benefits far better than regular government office constables. It’s just the time when they are in need of people. Regular government offices don’t accept women, but the Evil Suppression Bureau is open to anyone.”

The little waiter stepped down from the stairs and pointed in a direction for Sang Que, “Just follow this street straight towards the mountain base. The Evil Suppression Bureau is in the most remote place on the west side, adjacent to the mountain base, where there are few people. Go that way, you won’t be wrong.”

“Thank you.”

Sang Que headed in the direction indicated by the little waiter, enjoying the local customs of Wangshan City along the way.

Sang Que noticed that here, regardless of the size of the shop, an Eight Diagrams Copper Mirror would be hung over the doors, and even the threshold stones of the storefront would be carved with talismans, painted red with vermillion.

The flags posted at each shop’s entrance had the shop name written on one side and Evil Exorcism Runes drawn on the other.

Most of the men in the city wore Daoist robes, adorned with vermillion and peach wooden ornaments. Additionally, some walked while fidgeting with Buddha Beads, revealing that most people in Wangshan City were devotees of the Taoist Sect and Buddhist Sect.

“…Have you heard about the Purple Clouds Mountain Bandit Village?”

On the roadside, two vendors were chatting idly, catching Sang Que’s attention. She paused, noticing one vendor selling glutinous cakes, who placed a Xuanyuan Tongbao copper coin from his waist pouch.

“One cent worth, please.”

She loved these sticky treats at home, glutinous cakes had always been her favorite, wondering if ancient ones differed from modern ones.

“Here’s your cake, careful, it’s hot.”

One cent bought a sizable piece, Sang Que stood by the roadside to eat, and the two vendors continued their conversation.

“Yesterday, news spread throughout the city that the Purple Clouds Mountain Bandit Village was wiped out by a mysterious Yin Walker.”

“One Yin Walker? That impressive? Wasn’t it said the Purple Clouds Mountain Bandit Village had lots of zombies and invincible Jumping Corpses?”

“It’s the truth; those who fled from the Purple Clouds Mountain Bandit Village witnessed it firsthand. It was a Yin Walker hidden in the mist. Later, our Evil Suppression Bureau’s Captain He even went with Fifth Master and Sixth Master there, but they couldn’t find the Yin Walker afterward.”

“Anyone who catches Captain He’s interest must be skillful; a single person took down the entire Purple Clouds Mountain Bandit Village, something even Captain He couldn’t manage.”

“Exactly, rare to have Yin Walkers willing to do good. Hopefully, this person can join the Evil Suppression Bureau and live longer.”

Hearing this, Sang Que realized why she felt her Heart Lamp strengthening immediately upon arrival.

Although she hadn’t revealed her identity, the person everyone was discussing was her. Those who escaped were sincerely grateful to her.

But she didn’t know how much the Heart Lamp increased; she’d check it out when entering the Nine Netherworld tonight.

Walking a bit further, there were fewer and fewer people. Sang Que suddenly felt puzzled—why was Wangshan City bustling near the city gate, but getting colder and quieter as she went further in? The attire of those around was not as rich as those at the city gate.

“Elder sister!”

Suddenly hearing Xia Chan’s voice, Xuan Yu jumped from Sang Que’s arms onto the ground, running through the crowd towards the alley entrance.

Sang Que turned, seeing Xia Chan and Kou Yushan standing at the alley entrance.

Kou Yushan came over, saying, “Little Chan and I just had lunch, thinking of going to the West City Gate again to wait for you. Have you eaten?”

Sang Que nodded, “I have. Where are you staying?”

Little Chan was playing with Xuan Yu, while Kou Yushan and Sang Que walked to the roadside, and Kou Yushan said, “We’re staying in the west of the city. Initially, I thought residents of Wangshan City liked to live close to the Evil Suppression Bureau, but after coming, I found that most avoid the area where the Evil Suppression Bureau is.”

“Why is that?” Sang Que was puzzled.

“The Wangshan City’s Evil Suppression Bureau is the headquarters, below which many evil spirits and ghosts are imprisoned and sealed. You know about the incident in Fengning City, right?”

Fengning City, that was the city wiped out by the Yin Child; Sang Que nodded, Yan Daozi had already informed her.

“Fengning City suffered because an Evil Ghost sealed at the Evil Suppression Bureau broke free, ultimately leading to its destruction. So here in Wangshan City, more people live near the city gates, but few live at the mountain base in the west of the city where the Evil Suppression Bureau is located.”

Sang Que understood; different environments shape different living habits. If it were her, she would also prefer to live where escape was possible at any time, and the bricks of the city walls had things embedded with ghost-repelling effects, naturally having a greater effect nearby.

No wonder the city entrance was so bustling and lively, while the deeper into the city, the colder it became.

“When does the Evil Suppression Bureau’s recruitment exam start?” Sang Que asked Kou Yushan.

“The announcement was posted yesterday; recruitment will continue for a month. I’ve seen the notice; the Evil Suppression Bureau offers excellent benefits. You wouldn’t believe it, but just living in Wangshan City requires paying a hundred cents monthly per person for various taxes.”

“Joining the Evil Suppression Bureau exempts all city taxes, and you won’t be forced into marriage either. Even the most basic constable earns three thousand coins a month, with a small estate provided for living, clothing, and weapons all supplied by the Evil Suppression Bureau.”

Sang Que thought about it; tax exemption and exemption from forced marriage were great, three thousand coins a month equaled three taels of silver. Her mother calculated East Yang County’s prices, converting five cents for a bushel of rice, a thousand cents is one tael of silver, so three taels of silver is equivalent to modern…

Eighteen thousand bucks!

The main point being housing provided too; if this were modern times, wouldn’t people fight to the death for it?

“Are there many people signing up now?”

Regarding this, Kou Yushan’s expression became as peculiar as the previous shopkeeper’s.

“Currently… no one has signed up!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep