As the storyteller exited the stage, the tavern's atmosphere remained exceedingly lively.
The patrons were still thoroughly engrossed in the tale of “the immortal disciple showing great divine might to subdue the demon tiger,” lingering in the excitement for a long time.
On that day, Nan Zhi had been escorted home in grand reception by the crowd, who also paraded the demon tiger's corpse through the streets for all to see.
Many people in Dingyuan County had caught sight of that unnaturally massive tiger head. Even those who came late to the spectacle and missed it in person had meddlesome busybodies eagerly filling them in.
In the retelling, however, many people couldn't help but exaggerate what they had seen by just a tiny bit.
Thus, passed from mouth to mouth, the rumors grew more preposterous by the telling.
What had originally been a zhang-long white tiger was blown completely out of proportion into a super-demon rivaling a Demon King or Demon Lord.
Having heard Nan Zhi's explanation, Shen Luohe and Hua Xijian could hardly keep their laughter in check any longer.
Two perfectly attractive faces were strained purple, looking like two oversized eggplants.
Since all her dignity was already down the drain, Nan Zhi simply threw caution to the wind and spread her hands:
“Fellow Daoists, laugh if you must. I am hardly the petty sort to hold a grudge.
“The common folk feared the demon tiger yet hated it to the bone; regarding that day's battle, they only know hearsay.
“A storyteller naturally makes the tale as dramatic as possible to draw an audience. As fellow cultivators, you two surely understand that none of this is real.”
It would have been fine had she stayed silent, but the moment she spoke, whatever restraint they had held broke completely.
“Pfft—hahahahaha! Fellow Daoist Nan is truly open-minded! Hahahahaha...”
Shielding his face with his folding fan, Shen Luohe erupted into wild laughter, rocking back and forth:
“To be fabricated like that by rumors and still explain it to us with such calm composure truly shows what a good temper you have.
“Were it any ill-tempered fellow Daoist in your shoes, they would probably hunt down the storyteller to settle scores.”
“Indeed.”
Even the usually taciturn Hua Xijian had laughter dancing in her eyes, struggling to suppress a chuckle.
With this, the atmosphere among the three grew considerably lighter. Their conversation was no longer stiff or reserved, carrying an easy warmth instead.
When the conversation turned to slaying the tiger that day, Nan Zhi did not hide everything either, sharing whatever details she could.
Hearing that the demon tiger had indeed refined the transverse bone in its throat—even if not as fantastical as in the storyteller's yarn—the martial siblings were startled once again.
Just moments ago, seeing that Fellow Daoist Nan carried faint traces of spiritual energy around her and emanated the spiritual glow typical of the Qi Refinement stage, they assumed her cultivation was on par with theirs.
Looking at the two of them, they studied under Daoist Qinglong. One was at Qi Refinement level 7, and the other at Qi Refinement level 8.
Yet, hearing that the demon tiger could manipulate chang ghosts to bewilder minds, possessed an iron-hard body, and could spit venomous mist for sneak attacks, the two could not help but ponder:
If either of them had faced the beast alone, it would have been no simple feat. Only with advance planning, prepared magical artifacts, and traps could they guarantee success without mishap.
Yet Nan Zhi had rushed up the mountain in the middle of the night just to rescue her brother. Not only had she lacked the time to prepare artifacts and traps, she probably hadn't even figured out the background of those chang ghosts.
Under such hurried circumstances, she had cleanly slain the demon tiger and walked away at ease.
This alone proved that the woman before them possessed genuine skill and formidable capability.
Neither of them believed for a second that mortal yamen constables could have inflicted any meaningful harm on a demon tiger.
The cultivation world had always revered strength, and the two disciples were no exception.
Had they known that the white tiger actually possessed cultivation at the Foundation Establishment stage, they would have been even more dumbfounded.
“Fellow Daoist Nan possesses remarkable skill. Using yourself as bait to lure the tiger and rid the people of a scourge, yet not claiming glory after success—that is truly admirable.”
Hua Xijian gave Nan Zhi a slight nod, making no attempt to conceal her admiration:
“To be completely frank, our visit today was for two matters: first, handling business on behalf of the Demon Suppression Division; second, resolving a karmic tie on our master's behalf.
“Fellow Daoist Nan, you first slew the Painted Skin Ghost, then subdued the red fox, and later eradicated the chang ghosts and the demon tiger on Wenshan. Every single one of these merits is recorded in the records of the Demon Suppression Division.
“I wonder if Fellow Daoist Nan might be interested in joining the Demon Suppression Division to protect the Great Song alongside us?
“Not to speak of grand platitudes like restoring peace and prosperity for the common folk, but simply following a cultivator's true heart: slay evil, suppress demons, do good deeds, reap good karma.”
Slay evil, suppress demons, do good deeds, reap good karma.
“Which senior spoke those words? Though only twelve words long, they are plain and straightforward, yet on deeper reflection, carry quite a profound Zen meaning within.”
Nan Zhi mulled over the words carefully. Though plain, they perfectly encapsulated the code of conduct of the Demon Suppression Division.
“These were penned personally by Master Xu Daizi, a Nascent Soul master and Supervisory General of the Demon Suppression Division. The original calligraphy hangs directly in the main hall of the Demon Suppression Division Yamen in Dongjing.
“Anyone who enters the Demon Suppression Division knows this saying of Master Xu's.”
Shen Luohe chimed in, though casting a somewhat helpless look at Hua Xijian.
His junior sister suffered from what was probably a common ailment among sword cultivators:
Single-minded, blunt, and painfully direct.
She hadn't even asked whether the other party had a sect master, nor had she explained the benefits of joining the Demon Suppression Division. Asking someone to join using only a single slogan—only a fool would agree on the spot.
Xu Daizi?
That sounded like a woman's name.
Had there ever been such a figure in the history of the Great Song?
Nan Zhi did not immediately agree. After a moment of thought, she pressed further:
“I was born and raised in the countryside and have never had dealings with people from the Demon Suppression Division. May I ask what kind of place the Demon Suppression Division actually is?”
Naturally, it is an institution in the mortal realm that manages demon affairs and balances Yin and Yang.
Just as Hua Xijian was about to answer, Shen Luohe gestured for her to hold back, signaling that he would explain:
“The Demon Suppression Division was founded over three hundred years ago. During the Shenlong era of the Great Zhou dynasty, Empress Wu ascended the throne, performed the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, and communed with heaven and earth. She established a covenant with the Heavenly Court, laying down the rule that the cultivation world and the mortal realm must never interfere with one another.
“Afterward, she decreed that Shenlong General Shangguan Wan'er establish the Demon Suppression Division to command the Shenlong Army, and appointed Princess Taiping as General Overseer of the Demon Suppression Division. A separate department was carved out from the Court of Judicial Review, the Court of the Imperial Guards, and the Directorate of Military Weapons to serve as the headquarters of the Demon Suppression Division.
“This division was created specifically to manage demons and cultivators who broke laws in the secular world. It gradually declined in subsequent eras, until our dynasty's founding emperor, Emperor Taizu, donned the yellow robe and revived the Demon Suppression Division once more.”
Empress Wu, Shangguan Wan'er, Princess Taiping, and Emperor Taizu of Song.
Hearing these familiar yet foreign names made Nan Zhi all the more certain that this was by no means the historical Great Song she knew.
In history, Wu Zetian had never gone to Mount Tai for the Fengshan ceremony; she had gone to Mount Song.
Shangguan Wan'er had never been any Shenlong General, and Princess Taiping had perished early in a power struggle, never heading any Demon Suppression Division.
The anecdote of Zhao Kuangyin donning the yellow robe seemed unchanged, yet something about it felt strangely skewed.
Seeing Nan Zhi lost in thought, Shen Luohe did not rush her, continuing his leisurely introduction of the Demon Suppression Division:
“In the mortal realm, all cases involving fiendish evils or Daoist cultivators are escalated by local yamens to the Demon Suppression Division for handling.
“Though the Demon Suppression Division has 'Demon' in its name, it is by no means an unreasonable place that slaughters the innocent indiscriminately.
“In fact, there are far more humans imprisoned in the Demon Suppression Tower than demons or ghosts. If you ask me, that name should have been changed long ago.”
“Treating demons and humans alike with impartial fairness—it truly lives up to the words of slaying evil and reaping good karma.”
Nan Zhi nodded in understanding, then asked:
“Earlier, when Fellow Daoist Shen introduced yourself, you mentioned being a Supervisory Officer of the Demon Suppression Division. May I ask what that role entails?”
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