Li Gou was still in high spirits when he was abruptly interrupted, and he seemed quite displeased. "Xuanze, what day is a good day?"
The tone wasn't very friendly, indicating that Chen Xuanze should provide a reasonable explanation for him to enjoy the treatment similar to Nanmen Puyu.
Chen Xuanze took out a toothpick from his pocket and leisurely picked his teeth. Vaguely, he said, "It's the Ghost Festival! The day when the Ghost Gate opens. What are you guys celebrating? You don't need to guard the Yellow Springs Road anymore, or are you planning to let Lord Commander patrol Kyoto at night?"
The group fell silent. Today was the ninth day of July, and in a few days, it would be the fifteenth day of July, the Ghost Festival, as Chen Xuanze accurately pointed out.
Even the newcomers had some knowledge of it, as it had been emphasized during their training. Every year on the Ghost Festival, all personnel on missions from the Demon Suppression Bureau must put down their tasks.
The members of the Xuanzi Group would guard one of the Yellow Springs Roads, Huang Groups 1 and 2 would be responsible for patrolling Kyoto at night, and Huang Groups 3 and 4 would be in charge of guarding the extremely Yin areas around Kyoto, primarily places like chaotic graveyards.
Lord Commander Wang and Deputy Lord Commander Qiu would preside over the Demon Suppression Bureau.
There were nine Yellow Springs Roads in total across Kyushu: five within the Da Liang territory, one in the northern Mongolian region, one in the plateau Buddhist country, and one in the northwestern Daliao region.
There was still one road that had never appeared—the one that would only surface once one of the eight Yellow Springs Roads deteriorated or became blocked.
Among the five Yellow Springs Roads in Da Liang, one of the exits was within the Demon Suppression Bureau.
The enthusiasm of Li Gou's team's old folks instantly dissipated. There was no point in watching, as they all had tasks at hand.
Though nothing significant usually happened during the Ghost Festival, anyone who didn't take it seriously might as well reside in the Yellow Springs Road. Just ask the former head of Ma Bai, where he ended up.
After finishing his teeth, Chen Xuanze, about to return to his room for a nap, heard his newly recruited member, Taoist Wang Qingxuan, say, "I've heard of Yanzhi Street. Generally, businesses like theirs avoid such days. They wouldn't choose odd-numbered days like one, three, five, or seven for grand openings, so why would they host a competition on the Ghost Festival?"
His words were like a thunderbolt, causing Li Gou to instantly stand up and rush out of the dining hall. He was probably going to report the situation to Ma Bai's household.
Common sense, the easiest thing to neglect! Perhaps even Ma Bai's people were regretting not having time to join the excitement during the Ghost Festival.
Ma Bai's residence was a small courtyard, not very large, surrounded by a wall, with two rooms and a large elm tree in the courtyard.
Sure enough, as Chen Xuanze was about to return after finishing his teeth, he heard Ma Bai's newly returned resident, Zhao Bai, complaining under the tree, "What kind of day did they choose? We are honored guests of Yanzhi Street. If we don't go, won't we miss out on a lot of fun?"
Zhao Bai, also known as Zhao Jun, was said to be a distant branch of the Da Liang royal family, perhaps a descendant of an emperor from more than two hundred years ago. You could tell from his round face, reminiscent of the royal family's large, round faces.
He hadn't recovered yet, and Huang Group 1 had just returned from two consecutive months of arduous tasks. In a soft and gentle voice, he continued, "Exactly! Lord Commander worked hard to give our group a ten-day break, thinking that while they host the competition, we can have some fun. Now it's ruined. We've saved some money."
While the two sighed, Lord Commander Li Gou didn't even knock. He pushed open the small door and hurried into the courtyard.
Looking at the two adults under the tree, I stopped in my tracks and respectfully bowed, "Greetings, distinguished individuals. I wonder if you've heard about the event in Yanzhi Street on the fifteenth of this month at the Yanzi River?"
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Ma Baihu was already irritated, scolding without a good mood, "Don't you know to knock when you enter? Also, being a commander, why are you paying attention to all sorts of things happening in the market every day?"
Alright, Li Gou understood. Their own Lord Commander was making the same kind of common-sense mistake.
"Lord, on the fifteenth of this month, it's the Ghost Festival!"
The more Ma Baihu looked at Li Gou, the more irritated he became, "I don't know it's the fifteenth? Do I need you to remind me? Planning to take a leave for the Ghost Festival?"
A series of questions almost made Li Gou's head crash. He quickly added, "Lord, the businesses in Yanzhi Street avoid Yin influences. Doing such things on the Ghost Festival might be..."
He didn't finish his sentence, leaving it for the Lord to interpret.
Ma Zhengyang and Zhao Jun stood up from their chairs and rushed through the courtyard, causing the wind to lift the hem of Li Gou's clothes as they passed by.
No wonder the two of them were in a hurry. This wasn't just meddling with the Lord Commander; a group of monsters was dancing on the face of the Demon Suppression Bureau, acting recklessly.
Left with nothing to do, Li Gou, who stayed behind, decided to return to the dining hall to find his subordinates. With four new recruits left, he needed to make proper arrangements.
Back at the dining hall, not finding Chen Xuanze and the two new recruits under his responsibility, Li Gou assigned the remaining four to the four old folks on duty and went back to rest.
On Chen Xuanze's side, walking towards their residence with the two new recruits, Daoist Wang Qingxuan asked nervously, "Chen Ge, did I make an impromptu remark just now? The Lord Commander seemed to react strongly. Is it appropriate for us to leave like this?"
No wonder he was anxious. Li Gou's reaction was indeed significant. Their own Lord Commander was a bit negligent, just like them, violating common sense.
"Ge, on such days, it's better to say less and observe more. The fewer people know, the better. Understand?" Chen Xuanze reminded him.
Daoist Wang Qingxuan nodded, finally realizing the complexity of the situation.
As they continued walking, Daoist Wang Qingxuan hesitated and asked, "Chen Ge, aren't we worried about what might happen on the fifteenth of this month? Shouldn't we do something?"
Chen Xuanze smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry too much. We have our own ways in the Demon Suppression Bureau. Once it's confirmed that something is amiss, rewards won't be spared."
The Daoist looked surprised. It seemed strange that nobody blamed him for speaking recklessly, and there might even be rewards. This kind of bureau was something he had never heard of before.
San Zang, on the other hand, remained indifferent. He had no concept of these human interactions.
Unlike Wang Qingxuan, who had occasionally left the mountain to perform rituals in recent years, San Zang was a true novice. Without Wang Qingxuan, he might have starved to death a long time ago.
Watching the subtle expressions on Wang Qingxuan's thin face, Chen Xuanze was pleased. He, too, had gone through such times, and back then, it was Li Gou who explained things to him.
Perhaps, this was the tradition of the Demon Suppression Bureau.
"Don't think too much. In the Demon Suppression Bureau, although it's called a bureau, you can think of it as independent of the court. Conventional views may not be suitable for us."
After a pause, he patted Wang Qingxuan's shoulder again. "Qingxuan, you did the right thing today. If you think there's a problem, speak up. That's the way we operate in the Demon Suppression Bureau. Rest assured, once it's confirmed, you'll be rewarded."
The Daoist looked astonished. What? Not only was he not scolded for making an unfounded statement, but he might also be rewarded? Strange, he had never heard of such a bureau.
San Zang, standing beside them, remained indifferent. He had no concept of these human interactions.
Feeling the thin expressions on Wang Qingxuan's face, Chen Xuanze was pleased. He, too, had gone through such times, and back then, it was Li Gou who explained things to him.
Perhaps, this was the tradition of the Demon Suppression Bureau.
"Don't think too much. In the Demon Suppression Bureau, although it's called a bureau, you can think of it as independent of the court. Conventional views may not be suitable for us."
After a pause, he patted Wang Qingxuan's shoulder again. "Qingxuan, you did the right thing today. If you think there's a problem, speak up. That's the way we operate in the Demon Suppression Bureau. Rest assured, once it's confirmed, you'll be rewarded."
The Daoist looked astonished. What? Not only was he not scolded for making an unfounded statement, but he might also be rewarded? Strange, he had never heard of such a bureau.
San Zang, standing beside them, remained indifferent. He had no concept of these human interactions.
Feeling the thin expressions on Wang Qingxuan's face, Chen Xuanze was pleased. He, too, had gone through such times, and back then, it was Li Gou who explained things to him.
Perhaps, this was the tradition of the Demon Suppression Bureau.
Perhaps, this is the legacy of the Demon Suppression Bureau.
"Don't think too much. Although we call ourselves a bureau, you can understand it as being independent of the court. Conventional perspectives may not be suitable for us."
After a pause, he continued, "If there's really a reward, you should take it. Just don't forget to get a catty of loose tea for the Commander. Head out of the north gate, walk east for four hundred meters, and there's a wine shop on the north side of the road. Five big coins per catty. Remember, when you go, tell them you're from the Demon Suppression Bureau, and ask for five-coin tea. The owner knows."
After giving these instructions, he didn't care about the thoughts of the two new recruits. Chen Xuanze strolled back to his room and took a nap.
He was still thinking about waking up and going fishing.
As for going fishing today after discovering the sunken corpse yesterday, it was not within his consideration.
When it came to tasks in graveyards, the members of the Demon Suppression Bureau were skilled at dismantling bone structures and cooking. In the words of Commander Li Gou, it had a unique taste.