Daoist Qinglong

The Demon Suppression Monasteries of the Great Song's Twenty-Four Circuits each had their own unique features.

For instance, in the bustling capital of Bianjing, the Demon Suppression Monastery was constructed like an imperial garden or an immortal sanctuary. In contrast, the Northwest Circuit was remote and rugged, finding beauty in its desolate winds and shifting sands. Consequently, its Demon Suppression Monastery was built atop steep cliffs and craggy precipices amidst a forest of bizarrely shaped rocks.

For a hundred li around, there was no sign of human habitation—only the vast, boundless Gobi Desert. Amidst the clusters of giant boulders sculpted by wind, sand, and time, the pointed tip of the Demon Suppression Tower just barely peeked through.

Nan Zhi and Shen Luohe rode together, one in front and one behind, on an extremely exquisite and lovely jujube-pit boat, flying all the way to the skies above the Demon Suppression Monastery.

Taking in the sight, she could not help but ask:

“Is that the Northwest Circuit's Demon Suppression Tower? Why does it look exactly the same as the one in Bianjing? Even the sarira on top looks quite similar.”

“Of course they are identical. You must understand that although the world sees twenty-four Demon Suppression Towers across the Twenty-Four Circuits, in reality, there is only one.”

Shen Luohe explained:

“The Demon Suppression Tower is a sacred instrument of state, possessing countless transformations and the power to suppress and lock down spiritual pulses. The twenty-four towers emerge from one, multiplying and dividing. The ones in each Demon Suppression Monastery are merely illusory clones. No one knows where the true body of the Demon Suppression Tower actually resides.”

“The tower imprisons evil cultivators and wicked demons. How is the case you and Fellow Daoist Hua were investigating? Has there been any progress?”

Nan Zhi recalled another matter.

For decades, the demon tiger in the mountains had been eating humans, yet the Demon Suppression Division had remained entirely oblivious. There must have been some dereliction of duty.

“It was a case of official dereliction of duty. Some merchants bribed the local county yamen to withdraw the reports of the demon tiger eating humans, all so they could smuggle medicinal herbs and mountain delicacies for personal gain. That is why the tiger's ravages went unchecked.”

Shen Luohe spoke with his back to Nan Zhi, making it impossible for her to read his emotions:

“The Demon Suppression Division only captures demons and does not interfere in political affairs. The rest of the culprits have already been sent to Kaifeng Prefecture, and they no longer have anything to do with us.”

Was it really just official dereliction of duty?

Nan Zhi did not believe it for a second.

In the Locust God's memories, the white tiger had constantly blocked roads to devour humans. Blessed with natural talent, it eventually grew into a ferocious Demon King that ruled over the lands, until the entire Great Song became its hunting ground.

The magistrates of each county yamen were mere mortals; how could they not fear death?

If no one had been covering for the white tiger, how could it have remained hidden right under the nose of the Demon Suppression Division for so long?

The Northwest Circuit Demon Suppression Monastery was definitely not clean.

Huiyuan's co-conspirator might very well be in this very monastery.

But among the four commissioners, she did not know who had participated in the matter.

She then pretended to casually ask about the monastery's four commissioners. Oblivious to Nan Zhi's suspicions, Shen Luohe earnestly explained to her:

“In the past, Empress Shenlong made a pact with the cultivation world that Foundation Establishment practitioners must not disturb the mortal realm. Disciples of the cultivation world who enter the red dust to temper their minds can travel under the name of the Demon Suppression Division. Thus, most members of the division nowadays are sect disciples out on trials.

“In our Northwest Circuit monastery, the positions of Arrest Commissioner and Records Commissioner are currently vacant. Senior Mo Chenghuai, the Supervisory Commissioner, was recalled by his sect half a month ago and has not yet returned. Currently, my master is the only commissioner left in the monastery.”

He left in such a hurry?

Half a month ago... wasn't that exactly when the Yin Yang Road was in turmoil and she was being hunted?

In that case, this Daoist Master Mo Chenghuai was highly suspicious.

“So, you and Fellow Daoist Hua are also sect disciples, Fellow Daoist Shen?”

Nan Zhi changed the subject. Shen Luohe gave an embarrassed smile, his tone tinged with regret:

“My master indeed hailed from a famous great sect. Unfortunately, in his earlier years, he was hunted by enemies, and his wife and children met with disaster. Because of that, he volunteered to station himself in the mortal realm for a hundred years. He later took in orphans like us as his disciples, passing down martial arts and cultivation methods, raising us as his own children.

“My junior brothers and sisters were all adopted by Master. Even I used to fight with wild dogs for food on the streets. If Master hadn't saved my life...”

Shen Luohe's tone grew heavy.

“The Temple Master is truly a person of great love, possessing the heart of a deity,” Nan Zhi sighed in sincere admiration.

...

Daoist Qinglong's Demon Suppression Monastery looked more like a secluded retreat.

“Master prefers quiet and dislikes being disturbed by outsiders, so he placed the Demon Suppression Tower here. In the past, when our cultivation was insufficient, we had to scale the cliffs, climbing up and down like monkeys just to return to the monastery.”

Shen Luohe put away the flying boat magic treasure they had ridden. Seeing Nan Zhi's curious expression, he smiled again and said:

“Among the four commissioners of the monastery, the one with the highest cultivation is respected as the leader. My master is the Judicial Commissioner of this circuit, and he is highly skilled in artifact crafting and alchemy.

“Therefore, every fellow Daoist in our monastery has one of these flying boats. Once you finish your debriefing, I expect you will receive one as well.”

“There's such a good perk? Won't I be getting a massive bargain then?”

Nan Zhi landed right behind him in front of the monastery. She saw that the gates were wide open, and the people inside were sparse. Only a round-faced little Daoist boy with his hair in child-buns sat by the entrance.

“Senior Brother! Senior Brother Shen, you're back!”

The moment the Daoist boy saw Shen Luohe, he happily hurried over. Accustomed to this, Shen Luohe pulled a package of pastries from his sleeve, handed it to him, and asked:

“Why are you the only one here? Where are the rest of our junior brothers and sisters?”

“There's trouble with water ghosts in both Qingxi and Sifang. Senior Sister Chen and Senior Brother Liu took some people to investigate. Also, plague ghosts have appeared around Huainan and Jiangxi. Those places were short-handed, so the Temple Master ordered Senior Brother Wang and the others to lead a group to relieve the disaster victims.”

The Daoist boy grabbed a pastry, mumbling with his mouth full:

“Right now, there are only a few of us left in the monastery. If you hadn't come back today, there would be no one to cook, and the Temple Master and I would have starved!”

Nan Zhi was somewhat surprised.

This Northwest Circuit Demon Suppression Monastery was truly different from what she had imagined.

A Golden Core Master who actually went hungry.

An eldest senior brother who was a refined, elegant gentleman on the outside, but cooked meals on the inside.

It was a picture of cheerful harmony.

“Ahem, cough, cough... Fellow Daoist Nan, the monastery has been extremely short-handed lately. It isn't usually like this—”

Shen Luohe let out an embarrassed cough, twirling his fan repeatedly before finally sighing in defeat:

“The Northwest Circuit isn't as prosperous as Bianjing, and we aren't very good at managing mundane affairs. On top of that, my master is extremely charitable, often distributing porridge and medicine to help the common folk. Thus...”

She understood. They were simply broke.

No wonder they had no money to pay for their meal at the tavern back then and had to offer a wine worm to Wanniang as collateral.

She figured the most valuable thing in the entire monastery was probably that Demon Suppression Tower.

Nan Zhi began to piece together a rough image of Daoist Qinglong in her mind.

...

As it turned out, Nan Zhi was still underprepared.

When Daoist Qinglong received the two, he was currently brawling with a tall, massive white crane inside a pavilion, devoid of even a shred of a Golden Core Master's dignity.

“You beast! You egg-born, moisture-born, ungrateful bastard! If this Daoist Master hadn't hatched you from your egg back then, you would have long since ended up as food in some golden eagle's belly!”

“Hurry up and shut your beak! I only managed to hide this jar of wine when Xijian wasn't looking. If she finds out I've been sneaking drinks again, she'll definitely fly into a rage—”

The scruffy Taoist wore a plain robe with patched sleeves. He grinned, refusing to let go of the wine jar cradled in his arms despite the dark circles under his eyes. His only response, however, was a sharp, resounding cry:

“Gaaah! Gaaah!!”

The white crane seemed absolutely furious. It spread its wings and whipped up a violent gale. The wind transformed into blades and its feathers into swords, charging straight toward the pavilion with a deafening roar—

“Boom!!”

“Boom! Boom!”

Thousands of pristine white crane feathers rained down from the sky with earth-shattering power. The resulting gale instantly pulverized the bamboo pavilion into splinters.

What a powerful demon beast!

Nan Zhi could not help but click her tongue in amazement.

Just a casual strike was already this formidable.

Yet in the next instant, the crane feathers suddenly shifted their trajectory, and thousands of needle-like feathers shot straight toward Nan Zhi's face!