The storyteller made his exit, but the atmosphere in the tavern remained incredibly heated.
The crowd was still deeply immersed in the tale of the "immortal disciple showing her divine power and subduing the demon tiger," unable to pull themselves away.
On that day, Nan Zhi had been escorted home by the people, and the demon tiger's corpse had been paraded through the streets for all to see.
Many in Dingyuan County had seen that tiger head, which was so large it defied logic. Even those who had missed the excitement and couldn't see it with their own eyes were briefed by busybodies who had.
But in this process, many people unconsciously exaggerated the facts they had seen by quite a bit.
And so, as the story passed from one person to the next, the rumors became increasingly outrageous.
What was originally a ten-foot-long white tiger was transformed into a super demon on par with a ghost king or a demon lord.
—The senior and junior pair, Shen Luohe and Hua Xijian, listened to Nan Zhi's explanation, the mirth in their eyes becoming harder and harder to suppress.
Their two beautiful faces were turning the color of large eggplants from the effort of holding back their laughter.
Since she had already lost all face, Nan Zhi simply resigned herself to the situation and spread her hands.
“If you two fellow daoists want to laugh, then laugh. I am not the kind of petty person who holds a grudge.
“The common people fear the demon tiger and hate it to their core, and they only know of that day's battle through hearsay.
“Storytellers naturally exaggerate to attract an audience. Since you are both cultivators, you obviously understand that these are all lies.”
It would have been fine if she hadn't spoken, but her words seemed to break some sort of restraint.
“Pfft... Hahahaha! Fellow Daoist Nan, you truly have a broad mind! Hahahaha...”
Shen Luohe hid his face behind his fan and burst into a fit of wild laughter, swaying back and forth.
“To be depicted in such a way and still be able to explain it to us so calmly... it shows you have a truly good temperament, Fellow Daoist Nan.
“If it were any other daoist with a worse temper, I’m afraid they would have held the storyteller accountable.”
“Indeed.”
Even the usually silent Hua Xijian had a smile in her eyes now, looking as if she were struggling to keep from laughing.
As a result, the atmosphere among the three of them relaxed significantly. Their conversation became less formal and carried a hint of closeness.
When they touched upon the subject of the tiger-slaying, Nan Zhi didn't hide anything, sharing what she could.
Hearing that the demon tiger, while not as divine as the storyteller claimed, was still quite formidable and had already refined the transverse bone in its throat, the two disciples were surprised once again.
When they first met Fellow Daoist Nan, she was surrounded by a faint aura of spiritual energy, and the spiritual light about her suggested she was at the Qi Refinement stage.
Looking at themselves, they were disciples of Daoist Qinglong. One was at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, and the other was at the eighth. They had assumed their cultivation was roughly on par with Nan Zhi’s.
But hearing that the demon tiger could manipulate chang ghosts to bewitch people's minds, possessed bones of steel and iron, and could even ambush with poisonous mist, the two of them couldn't help but ponder secretly.
If they were alone, dealing with such a beast would not be easy. They would have to plan ahead and prepare artifacts and traps to ensure everything was foolproof.
Yet Nan Zhi had gone up the mountain in the middle of the night to save her brother. Not only had she not prepared artifacts or traps, she likely hadn't even grasped the nature of the tiger-chang.
Under such hurried circumstances, she had been able to effortlessly slay the demon tiger and leave with grace.
This proved that the person before them was certainly capable and resourceful.
—The two of them certainly didn't think those constables could have caused any real damage to the demon tiger.
The cultivation world had always respected those with strength, and this senior and junior pair were no exception.
If the two of them knew that the white tiger had actually reached the Foundation Establishment stage, they would likely be even more shocked.
“Fellow Daoist Nan, you have impressive methods. Using yourself as bait to lure the tiger and rid the people of a scourge, yet not being greedy for credit after your success... it is truly rare.”
Hua Xijian gave Nan Zhi a slight nod, making no attempt to hide her admiration.
“To be honest, we came here for two reasons. One is to handle Demon Suppression Division matters, and the other is to settle karma on behalf of our master.
“Fellow Daoist Nan, you first killed the Painted Skin Ghost, then subdued the red fox, and finally eliminated the chang ghosts and the demon tiger of Wenshan. Every single one of these merits has been recorded in the Demon Suppression Division's official documents.
“I wonder if you would be interested in joining the Demon Suppression Division to protect the Great Song alongside us?
“I won't give you empty talk about returning the world to a stable and prosperous age for the people. Just follow the true heart of a cultivator: slay evil, suppress demons, do good deeds, and reap good rewards.”
Slay evil, suppress demons, do good deeds, and reap good rewards.
“Which senior said those words? Though they are only twelve characters long, they are straightforward and easy to understand. Upon deeper reflection, they even carry a bit of Zen sentiment.”
Nan Zhi chewed over the words, feeling that while they were blunt, they perfectly explained the Demon Suppression Division’s code of conduct.
“This was personally written by the Supervisory General of the Demon Suppression Division, the Nascent Soul master Xu Daizi. The original calligraphy hangs right in the main hall of the Demon Suppression Division yamen in Dongjing.
“Anyone who enters the Demon Suppression Division knows this quote from Master Xu.”
Shen Luohe took over the conversation, but he looked at Hua Xijian with a hint of helplessness.
This junior sister of his likely suffered from the common ailment of sword cultivators.
She was single-minded and far too straightforward.
You haven't even asked if she has a master, nor have you mentioned the benefits of joining the Demon Suppression Division. To just ask with a single quote... only someone with a broken brain would agree.
Xu Daizi?
It sounds like a woman's name.
But is there such a person in the history of the Great Song?
Nan Zhi didn't agree immediately. She thought for a moment before asking further:
“I have lived in the countryside all my life and have never dealt with anyone from the Demon Suppression Division. I wonder, what kind of place is it exactly?”
It is, of course, the institution in the mortal world that manages demons and monsters and balances yin and yang.
Hua Xijian was about to answer when Shen Luohe pressed her hand down, signaling that he would speak.
“The Demon Suppression Division was established over three hundred years ago. During the Shenlong era of the Great Zhou Dynasty, when Empress Wu ascended the throne, she performed the Feng Shan sacrifices at Mount Tai and connected with heaven and earth, establishing a covenant with the Heavenly Court. This set the rule that the cultivation and mortal worlds would not interfere with each other.
“Later, she ordered Shenlong General Shangguan Wan'er to establish the Demon Suppression Division and command the Shenlong Army. She appointed Princess Taiping as the General Overseer of the Demon Suppression Division, creating a separate office from the Court of Judicial Review, the Court of the Imperial Guards, and the Directorate of Military Weapons to serve as the headquarters for the division.
“This office was specifically created to manage demons and cultivators who committed crimes in the mortal world. It gradually declined over time, until the founder of our current dynasty draped himself in the yellow robe and revived the Demon Suppression Division.”
Empress Wu, Shangguan Wan'er, Princess Taiping, and the Great Song's founder.
These familiar yet strange names made Nan Zhi even more certain that this was definitely not the Great Song recorded in the history she knew.
In history, Wu Zetian never went to Mount Tai for the Feng Shan sacrifices; she went to Mount Song.
Shangguan Wan'er was not some Shenlong General, and Princess Taiping died early due to a power struggle and certainly never commanded a Demon Suppression Division.
The story of Zhao Kuangyin draping himself in the yellow robe seemed the same, but something still felt off.
Seeing Nan Zhi lost in thought, Shen Luohe didn't rush her. He leisurely continued his introduction of the Demon Suppression Division.
“In the mortal world, any case involving the supernatural or cultivators is reported to the Demon Suppression Division for handling by the local government.
“Although the word ‘Demon’ is in the name, it is not a place that kills indiscriminately without distinguishing right from wrong.
“There are actually far more humans imprisoned in the Demon Suppression Tower than there are demons and ghosts. If you ask me, the name is long overdue for a change.”
“Treating everyone equally, whether they be demon or human, and acting with justice... it truly lives up to the words ‘slay evil and reap good rewards.’”
Nan Zhi nodded in understanding, then added:
“You mentioned earlier that you are a Demon Suppression Division Supervisory Officer. I wonder, what does that mean exactly?”
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