Once there stood a Demon Suppressing Pass

"The food's on the table—heat it up yourself." "Tomorrow's the Awakening Assessment. Don't stay up late tonight." A middle-aged man in a slightly worn yet immaculately neat suit had a rose in his mouth as he carefully fixed his hair in the mirror. Though middle-aged, his good looks lent him a unique mature charm. That devil-may-care smile on his lips, in particular, was enough to make middle-aged aunties fall head over heels for him. Yu Sheng sat at the dinner table, seeming lost in thought, and mumbled a perfunctory reply. Once he was ready, the middle-aged man took out a tiny bottle of perfume with great care, sprayed it into the air, and let the scent wrap around him evenly. "If there's nothing else, I'm off to my date!" "Good luck with your assessment tomorrow!" With that, the middle-aged man hummed a tune and left the house. After he was gone, Yu Sheng pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and put it to his ear. "Excuse me, is this the police?" "I want to file a report." "Tonight, around eight o'clock, at Sophie's Inn. There might be an indecent act taking place in Room 302." "Yes, I'm sure. I saw his room key." "Our relationship?" Yu Sheng paused for two seconds. "He's my father." "It's fine. Serving the people is my bounden duty." "Alright, thank you, officer. Goodbye." Hanging up, Yu Sheng drifted off into his own thoughts again. His name was Yu Sheng, and the man who'd just left was his father, Yu Sanshui. Only the word "father" was a blurry concept in his memories. He'd grown up in Sin City, and it was only a few months ago that he'd even learned he had a father. Sin City was a place of utter darkness. No rules, no laws, not a shred of fairness to be found. To survive, one would stop at nothing. Until he finally got that precious spot and escaped Sin City. Tomorrow would be his eighteenth birthday, and his Awakening Ritual. But... just how many patterns would his egg hatch with? And what about that scroll that had been in his mind since he was a child, as lifeless as a stone—would it change after his Awakening? The more Yu Sheng thought, the more his mind wandered. The sky grew dark little by little. Yu Sheng sat at the table and ate his meal slowly and carefully, chewing each bite thoroughly. It was just plain, simple food, yet to him, it was the most precious thing in the world. Yu Sanshui? Yu Sheng glanced at the time—it was already past nine in the evening. Had the officers from the Guard Department failed? "Speak." Yu Sheng answered the phone, his voice lazy. On the other end, Yu Sanshui's voice was filled with frustration. "Some bastard reported me! I'm at the Guard Department, and they're insisting I was soliciting prostitutes." "It was consensual—how is that soliciting?" "Hurry up and bring some money to bail me out, or I'll be stuck here for days!" Yu Sheng's voice was calm and flat. "I don't have any money." "I know you don't. Go to my bedroom, there's a box under the bed." "There's a key in the box." "Turn left when you go out—the key opens the back door of Widow Wang's house." "There's a vegetable jar by the back door; the money's under it." "Be careful opening the door, though! She has a mean dog!" The plot twist was nothing short of dramatic. It was a miracle Yu Sanshui had blurted it all out in one go. "Okay." Yu Sheng hung up, followed Yu Sanshui's instructions, and sure enough, found a stack of red banknotes under the vegetable jar. About two thousand yuan, give or take. He pocketed the money without a flicker of emotion, returned home, washed the dishes, swept the floor, and made his bed. A little while later, the phone rang again—this time, it was the Guard Department. Yu Sheng answered. "Yes, I'm Yu Sanshui's family." "I'm not bailing him out." "I think this kind of bad behavior needs to be stopped to purify the social environment better." "So please, give him the most thorough correction possible." "Yeah, it's fine—time isn't an issue." "As long as he can become a useful member of society, it'll all be worth it." As he spoke, Yu Sheng's expression turned solemn. "Prosperity, Democracy, Civilization, Harmony, Justice, the Rule of Law, Patriotism, Dedication, Integrity, Friendship! These are the positive values the Mo Pavilion has always upheld!" "Even as ordinary people, we stand ready at all times." With that, Yu Sheng hung up, lay down on his bed, and fell asleep to the cover of night. In his dreams, an ancient scroll unfurled slowly in his mind. Faint shapes seemed to be painted on it, but they were too dim and blurry to make out. A wisp of starlight filtered through the window and wrapped around him. ... Dawn broke. Yu Sheng opened his eyes, washed up, and made breakfast. When everything was ready, he slung his schoolbag over one shoulder and headed out for school. For someone who'd grown up in Sin City, going to school was a novel experience. At first, he'd been full of anticipation when he stepped through the school gates, but after getting to know his classmates, he'd thought it was nothing special. A little childish, even. A bunch of kids who'd never seen blood, daydreaming about how they'd conquer the world, be invincible, and safeguard world peace when they grew up. At the school gate, many parents were there, excitedly seeing their children off. The annual Awakening Assessment would determine the fate of most people. Without enough talent, one would likely end up as a wage earner for life—unless some extraordinary luck came their way. If they were lucky and had connections, they might get into the Guard Department and live a comfortable life. Yu Sheng spotted a few classmates on the way, but he didn't greet them, and they all ignored him almost instinctively. In the classroom, their homeroom teacher stood on the podium, his face cold. Liu Qingfeng, a veteran who'd served on the front lines. Rumor had it he'd fought at the Demon Suppression Pass, but a monster had torn off his pinky on his right hand, making it impossible for him to grip a sword ever again. So he'd come to this remote little city to work as a teacher. He always had a stern look on his face and trained the students like they were in the military, making them complain nonstop. Behind his back, they called him Madman Liu. "The Awakening Assessment starts in one hour!" "Right now, you're probably dreaming of awakening with incredible talent, cultivating fast, slaying monsters, defending cities, and being admired by all." "But how many of you will actually make that a reality?" "Bleeding to slay enemies and protect the prosperity of the human race is indeed admirable." "But serving the people from the rear—what's so bad about that?" "So calm your nerves!" "Use this last hour to get yourselves ready." Liu Qingfeng's cold, realistic words hung in the air, and the classroom fell silent. No one argued. Because they all knew he was telling the truth. "Serving the people..." "Or being the people being served..." Yu Sheng's voice drifted out, soft yet clear, cutting through the hush of the classroom. In an instant, all his classmates froze, stunned into silence. It was a second blow, one that left them feeling helpless and miserable. So... they weren't even worthy of serving the people? They'd all thought it deep down, but hearing it spoken out loud... it was hard not to feel a heavy weight in their hearts.