Commander of the Demon Suppression Guards
To eat is the privilege of life!
Never before had Lu Xun felt such unbridled joy in devouring meat as he did today.
Three men and a tiger tore into their meal with wild abandon.
The young apprentice Peanut had stopped crying, his mouth watering as he swallowed.
Big Mouth, while gnawing on a bone, handed a piece of meat to Peanut.
Peanut took it and bit down eagerly.
Other apprentices, drawn by the commotion, soon joined the feast.
...
"No more eating!" Dr. Chu sternly stopped the apprentices who, though full, still reached for more.
These children from poor families rarely saw meat all year; if they gorged themselves now, they might well eat themselves to death.
The pot was enormous, enough to cook half a cow.
A meal like this would stave off hunger for the next day at least.
Still, no matter how voracious a group of half-grown boys might be, they couldn't compare to a tiger's appetite.
Lu Xun, in his tiger form, swallowed half the pot's cooked meat by himself. With his belly full, a soothing warmth spread through his body. The tingling weakness ebbed, replaced by familiar strength. Even his wounds ached less.
Weighed down by exhaustion, the tiger yawned mightily.
Awooo!
Lu Xun, licking his lips, turned his head.
Several apprentices, terrified, tumbled backward; even Dr. Chu kept his distance.
His three brothers stood frozen or stiff.
He was no longer a black cat but a striped, majestic tiger. Even an unconscious tiger's roar sounded like the growl of a predator.
No matter that Big Mouth knew this tiger was really their three-legged old cat—instinctive fear of a great beast remained.
Lu Xun had to lower his voice; the tiger's roar faded, becoming a hoarse cough.
"We should leave now and let our... patient rest," Dr. Chu said, breaking the awkward silence.
At their master's words, the apprentices quickly fled. Dr. Chu, summoning his courage, checked the wounds: well-stitched, with no sign of bleeding. He instructed Peanut to prepare medicine.
"We should go tell the boss," said the clever, small apprentice.
"I'll go too—" Zhuangzi swallowed his words under Big Mouth's glare.
...
A tiger's vision, unlike a toad's, was quite similar to a black cat's—mostly shades of black, white, and gray.
In this three-toned haze, hints of brown, yellow, and blue appeared. The tiger's field of view was wider than a human's in some ways, narrower in others, but depth perception was sharp, and he could see the night clearly without a flame.
To the tiger-eyed Lu Xun, nighttime felt much like twilight.
His sight was perfect—no nearsightedness or astigmatism, everything was distinct.
He rose slowly; pain from hairline bone fractures spread out like a web.
The good news: none of his vital organs were harmed. The flesh wounds were stitched, with no signs of infection or inflammation. With enough food, he might recover in ten days or so.
"That scoundrel still won't confess—he smashed the clay idol and we're suffering for it," Zhuangzi grumbled.
"If it weren't for the three-legged—" Big Mouth broke off as the striped tiger shrank suddenly into a four-foot black cat.
Though he'd witnessed this transformation before, seeing it so plainly was still astonishing. What kind of power was this, what manner of monster?
Lu Xun ignored their shock.
His mind wandered beyond the world.
In truth, his consciousness was immersed in a strange space.
The tiger's battered head, cast aside, bore many wounds.
His thought fell upon it.
[Do you wish to use ashes to repair the 'Fierce Tiger of the World' head?]
"Yes."
[One qian of ashes consumed.]
A shallow scar on the tiger's head was repaired.
Lu Xun rejoiced—the tiger's head was his greatest weapon. If he could quickly restore it to perfect condition, he'd once again have the power to contend with the Five-Tongued God.
Of course, at best he could only protect himself. That monster was formidable—immense strength, sorcery at his command. Lu Xun had nearly died at his hands.
Yet, this did not dampen Lu Xun's resolve; if anything, it fueled his desire for the brains of great monsters.
The black cat leapt from the bed, bounded to the rooftop.
Big Mouth hurried after him, calling out, "Last night Chief Zhao said to eat at the county office at noon."
The black cat paused, nodded, and trotted off.
Lu Xun left the city gates and headed straight for the mass graves.
...
By late morning, Lu Xun trudged back into the city, crestfallen; he'd found no ashes.
The local authorities were alarmingly efficient.
The shamaness and her witchcraft had swept the place clean, leaving nothing behind.
"Shall I crush Chen Sheng's head?"
[Do you wish to crush the head of 'Dragon of the Waves, Chen Sheng of Toad Dragon Stronghold'?]
"No."
He refused at once.
He had chosen that head for use in the modern world.
Strangely, the shallow wound on the tiger's head in the otherworldly space seemed to have lessened.
Lu Xun paid it little mind; his thoughts were consumed with finding ashes to repair the tiger's head.
But food still had to come first.
He made his way, as he had many times before, to the county office.
...
"My apologies for not welcoming you sooner."
The county magistrate, Lord Lü Qian, stepped out of the yamen to greet the constable sent from the province.
Wearing a blue robe and scholar's cap, with a leopard-like face, piercing eyes, a swallow's jaw and tiger's whiskers, he stood eight feet tall, powerfully built. He wore a round-collared indigo uniform embroidered with floral rondels, a sword case on his back, a saber at his side, a red cord threaded through his badge and hung from a jade belt. The dark blue badge was gilded with the bold characters: 'Office of the Earth.'
The man introduced himself.
"Under the jurisdiction of the Three Law Offices, Earth Division, Demon-Suppressing Captain, Gao Qingzhi."
"Gao..."
"Just call me Captain," Gao Qingzhi cut off Lü Qian's bureaucratic pleasantries.
"The county has prepared a banquet to welcome Captain Gao—please!"
"Meilan County—this way, please!"
Lü Qian was cautious. Though their official ranks were equal, this special military post outranked civil officials by half a grade—and more importantly, this man was dispatched from the province to hunt demons. His status was exceptional.
At the banquet, Gao Qingzhi removed his hat and showed no restraint. He drank and ate heartily, devouring both meat and vegetables, even chewing bones to powder and swallowing them.
He swept the table clean as if a storm had passed.
The only one who could match him in appetite was Chief Constable Zhao Jia.
The magistrate, county assistant, county constable, and six department clerks barely ate a thing.
The county assistant raised his wine cup in flattery, "The general is truly bold!"
Gao Qingzhi accepted every toast, draining half a jar in one go before belching contentedly.
His appetite sated, Gao Qingzhi glanced around and spoke calmly, "Ordinary monsters would have fled at the mere scent of me, but you... you came right up."
As he spoke, he picked up a chopstick to strike.
"Master!"
At Zhao Jia's call, Gao Qingzhi paused, a hint of realization dawning. "This is the one you mentioned in your letter?"
"Yes, Master."
"Hmm."
Gao Qingzhi nodded slightly, lowering his chopsticks.
On the eaves outside, the black cat Lu Xun's beastly eyes widened.
For a moment, he felt as if he were once again facing the awe-inspiring Five-Tongued God.
That chill, cold to the bone, made his fur stand on end.
Magistrate Lü Qian was aghast—he had never heard from Zhao Jia that he had a master, let alone one who was a provincial Demon-Suppressing Captain.
Remembering how unfairly he'd treated Zhao Jia before, Lü Qian felt a pang of guilt and hastily raised his cup. "Constable Zhao is our chief in Meilan County—so he is your disciple!"
Gao Qingzhi cupped his hands, "My disciple is grateful for Meilan County's guidance and care."
"Not at all..."
"I need to question those who have seen the monster."
"Constable Zhao will assist Captain Gao in every way," Lü Qian said with a smile, looking at Zhao Jia, "Nephew, you know these matters best. You may use anyone in the county office as you see fit."
"Thank you, Magistrate!"
Zhao Jia rose to fetch those held in the jail.