Volume One: Menial Work in Changshui County Chapter Four: The Importance of Appearance

That attic had always been silent, but today, with the appearance of the demoness, it trembled incessantly.

Could it be that my golden finger has awakened?

Lu Jiuzhang tried once again, but still could not push open the attic door within his mind.

This was truly frustrating.

With little enthusiasm, Lu Jiuzhang headed home.

“Er Lang!”

Just as he was about to open the door, his neighbor, Aunt Zhao, called out to him.

“Er Lang, your elder brother has passed away. My condolences. My daughter wanted to comfort you, but you know, it wouldn’t be appropriate,” Aunt Zhao said.

Aunt Zhao had a daughter about the same age as Lu Jiuzhang. When they were children, she and Lu Jiuzhang often played together. As they grew older, the difference between men and women became more pronounced, and she stayed inside, rarely going out.

This world was similar to the ancient times of the world Lu Jiuzhang had crossed from, but there were subtle differences. Older girls, though not strictly confined to their homes, still went out rarely before marriage.

When Lu Jiuzhang’s elder brother was alive, Aunt Zhao was quite kind to him, since Lu Huaigu worked at the Demon-Slaying Bureau, holding an official post.

But after his brother’s death, in the eyes of these people, the Lu family had undoubtedly fallen from grace.

Perhaps they thought Lu Jiuzhang was weak and talentless, no better than a useless man.

“It’s all right, Aunt Zhao. Just let her stay at home,” Lu Jiuzhang replied, then opened the door and went inside.

He had already taken the will, but the ashes remained on the table.

Lu Jiuzhang believed that in the end, people should return to their roots, to rest in the earth.

His elder brother, Lu Huaigu, had been vain in life, always seeking grandeur, often visiting brothels and drinking.

A quarter of his monthly salary went to Lu Jiuzhang; the other three quarters were squandered in pleasure.

All these years, he never married nor had children. The Red Fragrance Courtyard made quite a profit from him.

At least he enjoyed himself.

Now that he was gone, there was no point in pursuing the matter.

There was no silver left in the house, only the thirty taels of condolence money.

A lavish funeral was out of the question, but at the very least, Lu Huaigu deserved a coffin, a tombstone, and a memorial tablet.

Lu Jiuzhang could write the inscription himself, but he had no scholarly title, and it would not suit the honor his brother deserved.

After much thought, he decided to entrust the coffin to Carpenter Li at the east end of the street.

For the tombstone and tablet inscriptions, he would ask the scholar two streets away.

...

With this in mind, Lu Jiuzhang went out again.

The coffin cost about two taels of silver, made of top-quality cypress.

Hiring the scholar to inscribe the tablet would not be cheap either.

Scholars had official standing.

Though at the lowest rank, ninth grade, they were already extraordinary.

The Confucian path was divided into nine grades; the ninth was roughly scholar level, bearing the aura of Confucian luck. Their brushwork carried a faint literary power.

They quoted the classics, spoke eloquently, cultivated righteous energy, immune to evil.

If one had not yet entered the ninth grade but became a scholar through the imperial exams, the academy would bestow luck upon them, helping them break through in one go.

The scholar’s surname was Zhou. Locals respectfully addressed him as Master Zhou.

Master, after all, means one who imparts knowledge and resolves doubts.

Outside the academy, Lu Jiuzhang waited for several minutes.

After the servant announced him, he entered.

This was the first time in half a year since his rebirth that Lu Jiuzhang had stepped into the academy.

“Master is teaching now, please wait a moment,” the servant in coarse clothes said.

“All right,” Lu Jiuzhang nodded and wandered inside.

It was a courtyard with three entrances and exits, consisting of the main gate, side rooms, main hall, and rear chambers.

Most students studied in the east and west wings. Lu Jiuzhang glanced over and saw the master leading a group of children in reading the works of sages.

Master Zhou was forty-two, but perhaps because of his official standing, he looked much younger than his peers.

He wore a blue robe, hands behind his back, nodding and swaying as he walked between the desks of the young scholars.

The children mimicked his movements, reading while swaying their heads.

After half an hour, Master Zhou finally approached.

Upon seeing Lu Jiuzhang, he bowed first.

Goodness, this made Lu Jiuzhang uneasy.

Masters held high status everywhere, respected by those around them.

Though Lu Jiuzhang was a transmigrant, others saw him as an idle, dissolute youth.

“Master, please don’t,” Lu Jiuzhang hurried to stop him.

“This bow is for your elder brother. For exterminating demons in Changshui County and preserving its peace, he deserves this salute,” Master Zhou said.

His voice was unique, gentle, and soothing.

“Then let me thank Master Zhou on behalf of my brother,” Lu Jiuzhang returned the gesture.

“I heard from the servants that you came to ask me to write inscriptions for your brother’s tombstone and memorial tablet. Respect is respect, but payment is necessary,” Master Zhou said. “The usual rate is ten copper coins per character, but for tombstones and tablets, the price triples.”

“It’s about thirty characters, so I’ll charge you one tael of silver.”

“Come with me to the study,” Master Zhou said, walking ahead.

The students saw Master Zhou enter the study and began whispering among themselves.

Students of the Great Zhou Dynasty had few holidays, most commonly resting every ten days.

Most of the time, they were confined to the academy, reciting the Four Books and Five Classics and the works of sages.

...

Inside the study, three walls were lined with bookshelves filled with yellowed books.

Master Zhou sat at the desk, found a sheet of fine paper, and began to write.

Lu Jiuzhang wandered around the study.

Looking at all these books, he couldn’t help but sigh. There was a saying, “scholarly wealth fills five carts,” which surely applied to Master Zhou.

All these yellowed books together surely exceeded five carts.

But as he approached the bookshelf, Lu Jiuzhang’s heart suddenly raced. In his mind, the towering attic flickered into view.

On the door of the attic, the once blank plaque now revealed three large characters: “Kui Star Tower.”

Those characters flowed like dragons and snakes, bold and vigorous. Just one glance revealed profound mystery, an inexplicable aura.

Kui Star Tower? What could it mean?

Lu Jiuzhang truly did not know.

His consciousness returned to his body, and he stared intently at a book on the shelf.

It was this book that made the Kui Star Tower tremble.

Seeing Master Zhou still writing, Lu Jiuzhang boldly took the book from the shelf.

On its yellowed cover, three large characters were written: “On Discernment.”

The author was someone named Lu Shiyi, a relative of Lu Jiuzhang.

Opening the book, the first sentence read: “The ancients said, when seeing profit, think of righteousness; when seeing beauty, also think of righteousness, and then evil thoughts will cease...”