“My apologies. I have been rude.”
The man was startled for a moment, then quickly cupped his fists with a righteous and polite air.
“I am Zhan Zhao, an imperial guard of the Kaifeng Prefecture. My style name is Xiongfei, and I am a native of Changzhou.
“I just saw that your expression and appearance bore a resemblance to my Lord, and for a moment, I was dazed. I meant no offense.
“I simply wanted you to know, miss, that we are not frivolous or disrespectful men who would intentionally make a mockery of you.”
What Zhan Zhao did not say was that while the girl before him only shared thirty percent of Lord Bao’s physical features, her entire aura was a seventy percent match.
He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
But one thing was clear: the way she spoke and moved, the way she looked up or turned her head—from beginning to end, her gaze remained peaceful. There was no trace of unnecessary emotion when she looked at others.
It was as if everyone in her eyes was exactly the same.
He suspected that even if his Lord’s personal attendants were here, they would have a momentary illusion of familiarity upon seeing this girl.
No wonder Xu Zi was so adamant that the person before them must be related to Lord Bao.
...
While Zhan Zhao was observing Nan Zhi, her eyes were also fixed on him.
So this was Zhan Zhao.
This was the man.
The very one depicted in the stories of Justice Bao—upright, selfless, and filled with a hatred for evil. The loyal hero who remained by Justice Bao’s side year after year, the one known as the Southern Hero.
A hint of wonder flickered in the depths of Nan Zhi’s eyes.
She studied him closely. His face was handsome, his stature tall, and in his bright red official robes, he looked truly heroic and extraordinary.
He possessed a classic, noble beauty that perfectly fit the traditional aesthetic—tall, broad-shouldered, and looking quite powerful.
In short, he was nothing like the “frail hero” types born from certain modern, distorted aesthetics.
He fit the image of the Royal Cat from the novels perfectly.
Nan Zhi couldn't help but feel a faint sense of absurdity, which finally added a touch of isolation and loneliness to her life in this strange world.
A character who had appeared countless times in films and television was actually standing right in front of her.
“Nan Zhi, fourth-class arrest officer of the Northwest Circuit. I am a native of Dingyuan. So it is Lord Zhan I am addressing.
“Everyone says that Lord Bao judges cases like a god, that he is knowledgeable of the living and the dead, and that he is famed as ‘Justice Bao.’ They say villains tremble at the sight of him, and even ghosts and gods are startled by his name.”
Nan Zhi smiled, then looked toward the girl in purple.
“However, this young miss is mistaken. I am but a lowly arrest officer from a family of butchers. How could I dare claim any connection to Lord Bao?
“Though my appearance was given to me by heaven, I must ask that you no longer use it as a subject for jokes and amusement.”
While she didn't care about her game character's appearance, it didn't mean she was willing to be treated as a laughingstock.
“What’s there to mock? It’s their own lack of vision. They only care about skin and bone; they wouldn't recognize an immortal even if one stood right in front of them.”
The girl in purple explained seriously to her:
“When a Star Lord descends to the mortal realm, their appearance is bound to be unique. Ordinary people couldn't look like Lord Bao even if they wanted to.
“I find you quite charming and likable, as if you were born with an immortal affinity. I'm sure your path in cultivation will be smooth, and you will enjoy a long and blessed life.
“I am Xu Zi, a second-class arrest officer of the Bianjing Demon Suppression Monastery. I heard that a demon suppressor was escorting civilians victimized by beast-craft sorcery into the capital, so I came specifically to welcome you.
“The one next to me, the one in the red robes wrapped up like a firecracker, is a fourth-rank imperial guard of the Kaifeng Prefecture. He holds a fourth-rank official position, but as for his skill... well, he’s a bit worse than me.”
Having said that, she wrinkled her nose and quite proudly took Nan Zhi’s arm, showing off to Zhan Zhao.
“The people from your Kaifeng Prefecture arrived late! Nan Zhi belongs to our Demon Suppression Division; she has nothing to do with your prefecture!
“Nan Zhi, wouldn't you say I'm right?”
Xu Zi’s actions were incredibly natural. Even the way she reached out to hook her arm through Nan Zhi’s was open and unreserved, as if she were accustomed to being this close to people.
Hearing this, Zhan Zhao simply rubbed his nose and didn't argue. He merely nodded as if humoring a child.
“Yes, Officer Xu has a point.”
There were twenty-four circuits of the Demon Suppression Division in the Great Song, and under each Demon Suppression Monastery, there were four commissioners and eighteen demon suppressors.
The demon suppressors were divided into four ranks, promoted annually based on their merit and the number of demons they eliminated. This girl before her was so young, yet she was already a second-class arrest officer?
Nan Zhi couldn't help but feel surprised.
However, she could still distinguish whether someone was lying or telling the truth.
The girl before her was only sixteen or seventeen, about the same age as Nan Ye, but her speech was full of innocent playfulness.
One could tell at a glance that she had been well-protected and had likely never suffered any grievances in her life.
Only someone like that would say whatever came to mind without the slightest attempt to hide her emotions.
—Though there was no malice, for someone who required a sense of boundaries, she was a bit too much.
“It was all a misunderstanding, then. I will take Officer Xu’s kind words to heart. Actually, I find Officer Xu very pleasant to look at as well.
“As for this kidnapping case, the perpetrator Ma San is already dead. I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you and our colleagues with the remaining matters.”
Nan Zhi found this kind of personality the most difficult to deal with, so she could only maintain a smile while hiding the umbrella where Wanniang resided behind her back.
“Many people on the boat are currently unwell. Several children are suffering from pediatric ailments. Please arrange for them to go ashore as soon as possible, Officer, and have someone from a medical clinic examine them.”
“What’s with all this ‘Officer’ talk? It sounds so distant for no reason.
“The demon suppressors of the twenty-four circuits don't usually interact, and I'm not your superior. You can just call me A-Zi; everyone who knows me calls me that.
“We'll just send them straight to the Demon Suppression Monastery. There are demon suppressors there who are experts in the medical arts. Once they're cured, we'll notify the twenty-four circuits to help them find their families.”
Seeing the umbrella, a flicker of doubt crossed Xu Zi’s eyes, and she seemed to hesitate.
But she didn't expose anything on the spot. She simply nodded and called for the transport officials to clear the way immediately.
Having received the order, Mo Buwei hurried his men to let them through. The people from the Kaifeng Prefecture didn't rush off either; instead, they all stayed behind to help look after the civilians on the boat.
For a moment, the atmosphere was filled with a somewhat strange harmony.
...
Nan Zhi finally saw the Demon Suppression Monastery of the capital.
This place truly lived up to its reputation as the head of all Demon Suppression Monasteries in the world. It was magnificent and imposing.
The monastery faced a broad bluestone street. In front of the gates, two jade lions played and frolicked with a spiritual quality. From a distance, the place was nestled against mountains and rivers, surrounded by lush greenery and flowers.
The most striking feature was a tall tower at the peak of the mountain. It had eighteen floors, with a sharp point and a rounded body.
A large, lustrous pearl sat atop the tower, glowing brightly even in broad daylight, drawing everyone's gaze.
Within the monastery, hundreds of beautiful small buildings were hidden behind a white mist, appearing blurred and indistinct.
Flocks of birds flapped their wings and soared high, disappearing into the mountains in the blink of an eye.
She remembered reading in unofficial histories that land in Bianjing was expensive. Wang Anshi, the Prime Minister of the Northern Song, couldn't afford a single house even with several years' salary and had to rent.
Yet in this city where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, the Demon Suppression Monastery actually occupied an entire mountain. They were truly wealthy and powerful.
“That is the Demon Suppression Tower. The criminal demons and evil ghosts who have broken the precepts in the capital are all imprisoned there.
“If there are cultivators who are utterly depraved, heinous, or have committed monstrous crimes, they are also detained there, guarded daily by the people from the Judicial Division.”
Xu Zi pointed at the pearl atop the tower and introduced it to her with great enthusiasm.
“That pearl is the Buddhist bone relic left behind by the Great Monk Hui Zhong before his reincarnation.
“At night, that relic even emits a seven-colored Buddhist light. It’s all sparkly and beautiful!”
A relic?
Wouldn't that mean it was rainbow-colored ashes? Did the people of the Demon Suppression Monastery walk around with a rainbow disco ball over their heads every day?
Slaying demons by day, raving by night?
If she put it together with the White Tiger Demon Core, could she hold them in her hands and fiddle with them like meditation beads?
What a dark joke.
Although it was a bit disrespectful, Nan Zhi couldn't help but imagine it vividly.
As if she could guess what Nan Zhi was thinking, Xu Zi grabbed her hand.
“You see, I told them it’s better to use it to suppress the tower than to just leave it in the warehouse.
“Great Monk Hui Zhong has been reincarnated for who knows how many years in his second life. Leaving behind some mortal remains there... how is that some rare treasure worth worshipping?
“It’s just a glowing bead, nothing special. Ling Shou always stops me from touching it, saying it’s disrespectful.”
“The Bodhi is not a tree, nor is the bright mirror a stand. To put it bluntly, a Buddhist bone relic is just the bones of a high monk after death.”
Nan Zhi followed her lead and added a comment.
“Whether it is a treasure or a stone is just a label forced upon it by the world. If it were only placed on a pedestal and hidden in a treasury, I’m afraid even Master Hui Zhong himself would find it ridiculous.
“It’s better to use it to suppress the evils in the tower. That way, its merit is truly fulfilled.”
Xu Zi’s face immediately lit up with a sense of having found a kindred spirit.
“Oh my, your personality is just too much to my liking! Why didn't your father and mother have you a few decades earlier? Then we could have played together much sooner!
“Get some good rest tonight. Tomorrow, I'll take you to a fun place. I guarantee you'll see things there that you've never seen before!”
Nan Zhi had only been thinking about it, but from the sound of it, this girl had actually taken the relic down and fiddled with it before?
Well, assessment complete: this was a wild child.
And an oversized one at that.
Nan Zhi understood immediately.
Rate on N.U.
