The Dongdu Demon-Purging Bureau.
Unlike the Fiend-Slaying Office, which belonged to the Sword God Dynasty, this was the Blade King Empire's official body for the supernatural.
It sat in the central district of Dongdu.
From the outside alone, its architectural style did not differ greatly from that of a secular government agency.
Coming in through the main gate that faced the street, one entered the hall of the public service centre, which handled ordinary supernatural business and took in, processed and forwarded the relevant information.
Past that hall, following the left or right corridor, one stepped into the Demon-Purging Bureau's main hall, a place utterly unlike the modern in style, built chiefly in redwood and presenting the old Chinese manner.
The main hall's ground floor was largely where the Bureau's various departments coordinated on assignments and handed work over, and there were usually two or more Blade Wielders on active duty patrolling it.
Six small doors opened on either side of the ground floor, and behind them were the offices of the different departments. The rear door of the ground floor led to the training grounds, and crossing those one could go straight out the Bureau's back gate on assignment.
The second floor was laid out much like the first, but the rooms there were mostly the private quarters of the Bureau's enrolled Blade Wielders and, in a few cases, its enrolled Sword Maidens, five to a side.
All in all, the Demon-Purging Bureau's layout had its strengths and its weaknesses, and broadly met the needs it had been built for.
After a short ride on a night bus.
Privately glad it was not too late yet, Ke Jie walked a further short stretch and arrived at the Demon-Purging Bureau's main hall.
Perhaps because the Bureau paid no overtime for night shifts? Or perhaps because as a rule nobody visited at night?
At a glance, apart from the small hanging lanterns on the several lacquered red pillars to left and right and the dim yellow glow given off by the great flower-lantern on the ceiling, there was hardly another bright light source to be seen.
The young man slumped asleep at the front desk on the main hall's ground floor did not even notice Ke Jie's arrival.
"Hello? Excuse me?"
Ke Jie walked up to the desk and called softly.
"......"
The young man went on sleeping.
At which.
"???"
Ke Jie felt as though he had come to a counterfeit Demon-Purging Bureau.
Fortunately.
Another Blade Wielder on patrol duty on the main hall's second floor heard him calling.
"Sir, is there something you need?"
A middle-aged man with a full beard, a kindly and approachable face and a mature, reliable air, wearing a light brown trench coat, came slowly down the stairs and stopped at the foot of them.
A pair of brown eyes ran up and down over Ke Jie and stopped for a few seconds on the tear in the clothing at his belly.
"Someone told me to bring this and report to the Demon-Purging Bureau's Joint Combat Division." Ke Jie took out Feng Rui's badge, perfectly composed, and showed it to the man in the trench coat.
Set beside Bai Wuxie's Judicator badge, Feng Rui's Presiding Justice badge had gone from a bronze rim to a gold one.
Almost in the instant after he made out the Presiding Justice's badge.
The man in the trench coat started slightly, and a faint warmth and feeling came into his voice.
"I see... so you're the newborn Blade Wielder mentioned in the notice from the Presiding Justice of the Judgment Hall? A pity I'm not with the Joint Combat Division any more. Killing a Quasi-Demon Tier Blade Demon on your first awakening: that really is impressive, for one of the younger generation."
"You praise me too highly, sir. This junior is Ke Jie, and what I've learned is nothing out of the ordinary." Ke Jie answered without either arrogance or servility.
"There's no need for modesty in front of me, young one. I'm Zhou Tianhao, Deputy Director of the Demon-Purging Bureau. You can call me Uncle Zhou, or you can use my code name, 'Sunken Iron'."
Zhou Tianhao laughed, open and hearty, and did not forget to step over to the front desk and rap the top of the sleeping young man's head lightly with his knuckles.
"Tok."
Along with that crisp knock.
"Ah! Who's that?"
The young man came awake on the instant, a grave seriousness on his pale face. If you overlooked the deep shadows under his eyes, he could pass for a fairly handsome young man.
"Xiao Fang, stop sleeping. This is your new teammate from now on, the newborn Blade Wielder, Ke Jie." Zhou Tianhao straightened his expression and stepped in to make the introduction for Ke Jie.
"H-hello... I'm Fang Zheng, one of the members of Team B, Joint Combat Division. Blade Wielder code name 'Dreamhaze'. Sorry you had to see that, I didn't fall asleep on purpose."
Fang Zheng scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.
"So I can see."
His expression as level as ever, Ke Jie's mouth turned up, showing the resignation he felt.
Another interesting soul, much like Bai Wuxie. As for the sleeping, that was probably the Blade Spirit's doing.
It looked as though the days ahead, working at the Demon-Purging Bureau under his Blade Wielder identity, would not be very dull.
"Tell you what, I won't get in the way of you young people getting acquainted. Xiao Fang, take Ke Jie up to that empty room on the second floor to settle in, then come back and find me." Zhou Tianhao swept a gratified look over the two of them and gave his instruction.
And so.
After that.
Ke Jie and Fang Zheng went up to the second floor side by side.
On the way, Fang Zheng warmly and unprompted told Ke Jie all about what he had seen and heard at the Demon-Purging Bureau, and above all about his time working in the Joint Combat Division: amusing stories about his teammates, strange encounters on assignment, hair-raising fights.
Ke Jie listened quietly and with real interest, putting in a question here and there to draw Fang Zheng out further, quietly gathering intelligence he might be able to use.
For a while there.
Fang Zheng's voice rang the length of the second-floor corridor.
"You know, Ke Jie, I actually only awakened and joined the Joint Combat Division three months ago. I've always wanted a friend my own age like you."
"You're asking about the Joint Combat Division? The Joint Combat Division is a department our Demon-Purging Bureau runs and manages jointly with Dongdu's official Sword Maiden powers. It handles the irregular assignments the two sides cooperate on. By founding date it splits into Team A and Team B, five to a team, usually three Blade Wielders and two Sword Maidens."
"Speaking of Team B, our old captain was Uncle Zhou, and after he was promoted the captain's seat opened up. Right now the former deputy captain, Cheng Fang, is acting captain. Besides that, the team has Wu Yuan from the Pilgrim Court and Annie from the Execution Corps, those two Sword Maidens."
They talked and talked.
"Here we are. This is your room from now on, right next to mine. I'm off to file your records with Uncle Zhou. See you tomorrow."
Realising they had already reached the end of the second floor's left corridor, Fang Zheng, rather reluctant to stop, opened the door of the empty room next to his own for Ke Jie and handed over the key he had been keeping.
"Thank you. See you tomorrow."
Ke Jie said his goodbyes to Fang Zheng politely.
Then he stepped into the empty room that was his, and locked the door behind him with the key in his hand.
To his surprise, though the decoration matched the main hall outside, the room's internal fittings were on a par with a rather good hotel.
"I'll spend tonight here, then."
Having thought it over, Ke Jie, somewhat worn out by the Blade Demon attack, decided as much.
Before long.
He checked over the various parts of the room briefly, ruled out any risks, and made all the preparations for sleep.
Body and mind eased, Ke Jie changed and washed for a little while, put on the sleepwear the room provided, walked straight over to the big soft bed and lay down, and slowly closed his eyes.
What had happened tonight was, to him, nothing more than the beginning of the road of revenge.
Even if that road was fated to be crooked and painful, even if there had to be sacrifices, he would go forward all the same.
But why... why did he keep thinking of Bai Wuxie without meaning to, and not want to drag her into it?
Carrying that question with him, Ke Jie slipped quietly into a good dream.
***
The next day.
Ten in the morning.
"Tok, tok-tok."
A knocking came from outside the door.
And with it Fang Zheng's call:
"Ke Jie! Get up, Uncle Zhou wants me to introduce you to everyone on Team B of the Joint Combat Division!"