Volume One: Menial Duties in Changshui County Chapter Thirty-Four: A Temporary Retreat from the Storm

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall was stunned.

Thunder rumbled in the sky, matching the imposing presence of Lu Jiuzhang.

For a moment, Master Wang found himself unable to retort.

Are scholars truly so easy to bully?

Scholars have always been the most vulnerable in the world—their shoulders too weak to bear burdens, their hands unfit for labor.

They cannot till the fields nor perform heavy work.

Day after day, they bury themselves in books, taking the imperial examinations, hoping to achieve fame and fortune.

Some, young and ambitious, attain success and bask in glory.

Others, white-haired in their twilight years, finally pass the exam, only to find that their path forward has vanished.

Yet such individuals are rare.

Most spend a lifetime immersed in study without ever distinguishing themselves; even putting food on the table becomes a struggle. They become the butt of village jokes, looked down upon by everyone.

From this perspective, scholars seem quite useless.

But are they truly so easy to oppress?

Throughout the ages, stories and anecdotes abound.

What are these anecdotes?

Witty tales and ancient writings—are they not born from the scholar's heart?

For centuries, story after story has been told; scholars have always played a significant role in them.

A good name may echo through the ages, and infamy as well.

Just the phrase, "Your salary and stipend come from the people's sweat and blood; the common folk are easy to oppress, but Heaven is not," is enough to be remembered for generations. Along with it comes the wrath of the people, directed at Master Wang, the county magistrate of Changshui.

He would be nailed to the pillar of shame!

On the stage, Master Wang's face flushed red, then turned ashen.

Even if he killed Lu Jiuzhang today, what would it change?

"It appears I have been mistaken. Since you have reason and evidence, let this matter rest for now," Master Wang said, suppressing his fury. "Court dismissed!"

With a sweep of his sleeve, he was the first to depart.

On the ground, the Zhang family’s scoundrel scrambled to his feet and ran toward the rear hall.

Once inside and finding it empty, Zhang Taihe immediately began to wail, "Uncle, you must stand up for me! All my life, not even my mother has struck me. What right does he have to hit me?"

"Hit you? You should look at the disgraceful things you’ve done!"

Master Wang slapped him hard. "You’ve already taken eight concubines, yet you still roam the streets harassing women?"

The slap resounded crisply, its force unmistakable.

"Do you know what it means to be cursed for a thousand years?" Master Wang rebuked. "A single careless word over a trivial matter, and a hundred years from now people will still remember. You might be long dead, but they’ll still be cursing your name!"

"Scholars—ha! So now you’ve seen what a scholar can do?"

Master Wang sneered coldly. "Sometimes, it’s not some great figure who can bring you down, but a tiny worm like that."

"Uncle, are we just going to let this go?" Zhang, the family bully, was unwilling.

"How could I possibly let it go so easily?" Master Wang's expression turned vicious. "Wait until the storm dies down, then take action. He’s just a mere licentiate—how dare he flaunt himself before me?"

…

Outside the county office, the crowd emerged in high spirits.

"Brother Lu, you’re something else! You’ve already become a ranked Confucian scholar!"

Wang Yunshan was beside himself with excitement.

While the nine Confucian ranks can’t compare to the nine ranks of the martial path in terms of battle prowess, it’s still an official recognition.

"It’s not necessarily a good thing," Lu Jiuzhang sighed deeply.

In the Demon Slayer Bureau, he had Chen Xuanfeng against him at every turn; in Changshui County, he had now offended the deputy magistrate.

One was his superior; the other, the local authority.

The road ahead would only get harder!

"What’s there to fear? With those words you spoke, I doubt he’ll dare make a move against you," Wang Yunshan said, unconcerned.

When Lu Jiuzhang uttered, "Your salary and stipend come from the people's sweat and blood; the common folk are easy to oppress, but Heaven is not," Wang Yunshan was utterly shaken.

And then, "As scholars, we must cherish justice in our hearts. The Confucian says: establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, a destiny for the people, continue the teachings of the sages, and bring peace to all generations."

That line was even more thunderous, sending chills down Wang Yunshan’s spine.

"I bet it won’t be long before these two lines spread far and wide," Wang Yunshan remarked. "When that happens, Brother Lu, your name will live forever."

In these times, who doesn’t desire eternal renown?

As long as it’s not infamy, of course.

With words as stirring as Lu Jiuzhang’s, it wouldn’t be surprising if a great scholar soon traveled to Changshui County to take Lu Jiuzhang as a disciple.

"Let’s head back," Lu Jiuzhang said, keeping his head low at the front. "I still need to return to the Demon Slayer Bureau and await orders."

The more exposed his cards were, the more dangerous things became.

Lu Jiuzhang’s trump cards were being revealed one by one, leaving him with fewer means of self-preservation.

Now that he was beginning to stand out, his adversaries would surely try to suppress him, to strangle him in the cradle.

If the roots are not eradicated, trouble will arise endlessly.

The powers behind the scenes surely understood this.

When they reached the gates of the Demon Slayer Bureau, Lu Jiuzhang turned to Zhao Chan’er. "There shouldn’t be any trouble for now. You should head home early today. As for what comes next, we’ll deal with it when it comes."

Noticing Zhao Chan’er’s lingering worry, Lu Jiuzhang added, "Don’t worry about me. And as for you all, I will not abandon you."

At this point, there were two options: either topple Master Wang and sever Zhang’s backing, which would spell the end for the Zhang family—the bigger the family, the more people would covet their assets. History was full of great clans that fell apart the moment their pillar died.

Or, leave for now, lie low, and return for vengeance after achieving success and fame.

Lu Jiuzhang truly hadn’t expected that a dignified deputy magistrate could be so brazen, openly shielding his nephew.

He had thought that, in front of so many people, Master Wang would at least show some restraint.

But now Lu Jiuzhang realized he was still too naive, unfamiliar with the ways of this world.

Some people don’t even bother putting on a pretense.

…

Given the current situation, toppling Master Wang was unrealistic.

That left only the second option: to lie low for a while, Lu Jiuzhang pondered.

"Second Brother Lu, take care. I’ll head home first," Zhao Chan’er said.

She had been worried sick by the day’s events.

But more than anything, she was concerned for Lu Jiuzhang’s safety.

Hearing him say he’d be fine, she could finally set her mind at ease.

…

After returning to the Demon Slayer Bureau, it wasn’t long before Zhou Cheng came to find him.

"I heard you’ve reached the ninth rank of the Confucian path?" Zhou Cheng asked.

"Yes, I achieved that before joining the bureau," Lu Jiuzhang replied. "I just didn’t want to reveal it so soon."

After all, the way Lu Jiuzhang entered the ninth Confucian rank was different from others—he had used the Kuixing Tower within his mind and entered the rank overnight.

"It’s a good thing. The ninth Confucian rank is highly effective against demons; if you’re lucky, the higher-ups might promote you to Demon Slayer Guard," Zhou Cheng nodded.

Though the ninth Confucian rank isn’t as powerful as its martial counterpart, it has a natural advantage against demonic creatures.

In practical terms, a ninth-rank Confucian scholar is far more useful than a ninth-rank martial artist.

Unfortunately, Confucian scholars have always looked down on the rough men of the Demon Slayer Bureau, believing they’re nothing but muscle-bound brutes.

By the same token, the men of the bureau look down on those pedantic scholars, thinking they do nothing but read sage texts all day, contributing little to home or society.