“So you wanted to ask about that.
“In the imperial court, there are three secretariats and six ministries, each with strictly defined responsibilities. The same applies to the Demon Suppression Division; every comrade has their own specific duties.
“Thus, we are divided into four divisions: Arrest, Records, Penal, and Supervision. We handle pursuit, archives, punishment, and oversight, respectively.
“To prevent the disregard for human life, collusion among officials, or the use of torture to extract confessions for the sake of claiming credit and harming the innocent, General Xu decreed that every case must be handled by at least two demon suppressors together.”
Shen Luohe chuckled and gestured with his fan toward Hua Xijian beside him.
“My junior sister is an arrest officer for the Demon Suppression Division. She is responsible for apprehending criminals and slaying malevolent demons and monsters.
“As a supervisory officer, my role is to report all matters truthfully. If any hidden details are discovered, the Records Division will report them to the Lord Clerk.
“It is simply that the common people cannot distinguish between our specific roles, so they call us all ‘demon suppressors.’”
“I see. But I still have one question.”
Nan Zhi listened intently, committing these details to memory, but her mind was still fixed on the matter of the Wenshan tiger.
“The demon tiger occupied Wenshan County for over ten years. Such a case should have been reported to the Demon Suppression Division for someone to handle.
“Yet the people of the Wenshan area say they have never seen a demon suppressor. Why is that?”
“Fellow Daoist Nan, your heart is truly upright. You ask your questions directly, making me feel quite ashamed.”
The smile on Shen Luohe’s face faded as he exchanged a glance with Hua Xijian.
“My junior sister and I came specifically for this matter. After the demon tiger was reported, the Records Division reviewed reports from various regions and found that there were indeed records of a tiger devouring people in the Wenshan area over the past ten years.
“But for some unknown reason, the local prefecture yamen withdrew the case, claiming it was just an ordinary tiger and that a righteous hero had already slain it. The Records Division then treated it as a mundane case and closed the file hastily.”
“The prefecture yamen withdrew the case? So you mean someone was interfering, intentionally suppressing the truth about the tiger?”
Nan Zhi understood immediately. “So, besides inviting me to join the Demon Suppression Division, did you two also come with a mission to investigate this in secret?”
She had suspected as much; if it were just about handing out rewards, there would be no need to send two people.
Two Qi refinement stage cultivators working together were enough to overwhelm the top martial arts experts in the secular world.
“Exactly.”
Hua Xijian’s eyes burned with intensity as she stared at Nan Zhi.
“Will you join us, Fellow Daoist Nan?”
She spoke it as a question, but her eyes clearly shouted, “Join us, join us, join us.”
She appeared to be an icy beauty, but her way of doing things was so straightforward it was almost endearing.
Nan Zhi nearly laughed at the other woman's earnestness.
Shen Luohe, however, thought she still had reservations and continued his persuasion.
“By joining the Demon Suppression Division, you can use our name to eliminate evil, accumulate merit, and practice worldly cultivation. Secondly, the division possesses all kinds of cultivation resources that you can exchange for using military merits.
“You are currently alone, Fellow Daoist Nan. Although your parents and siblings are here, you will inevitably feel isolated within the mortal world. It would be better to join the Demon Suppression Division so we can look out for one another in the future.”
Nan Zhi admitted she was tempted.
“After joining, can I really exchange for cultivation techniques and spiritual medicines?”
“Of course. The Demon Suppression Division has its own grotto-heavens and blessed lands; spiritual herbs and grasses are naturally available. If you accumulate enough military merit, even exchanging for a Foundation Establishment Pill is not difficult.”
Shen Luohe noticed that Nan Zhi seemed to have a free-spirited nature, so he added:
“Furthermore, the Demon Suppression Division is not like an ordinary government office. There is no need for a daily roll call. If you do not care for military merit and just want a stable life, you only need to take one case every three months to receive your monthly salary.”
Hua Xijian chimed in, “The salary is very good. When traveling in the mortal world, one absolutely cannot be without silver.
“Once, when my master was traveling with my senior brother, they didn't realize that the mortal world does not accept spirit stones.
“They had a grand feast but had no silver to pay. They were nearly kicked out for trying to eat for free. Later, Master had to pawn the wine worm he had raised for many years before they could get away.
“Fellow Daoist Nan, while silver may seem useless to us, it is truly impossible to manage without it.”
She spoke as if she still felt a lingering fear over the experience of her master and senior brother.
“That was only once! Just once! How old was I then? It was Master who was unreliable,” Shen Luohe quickly hid his face behind his fan, gritting his teeth.
“Junior Sister, my dear junior sister, there is no need to repeat such stories in front of Fellow Daoist Nan.”
Nan Zhi burst into laughter at the pair.
She finally understood why Hua Xijian had glared at Shen Luohe when she offered to treat them to a meal earlier.
Who said cultivators were devoid of desires and lived only on air? She felt that this senior and junior pair were the true cultivators—flesh and blood, real and unpretentious.
“It is no matter. Though I do not come from a prestigious sect like you two, I still have some family savings. I certainly have enough to treat you both to a meal.”
With that thought, Nan Zhi called over the waiter and ordered several signature dishes in one go.
She ordered braised mutton, fried quail, shrimp buns, fish wrap noodles, steamed chicken with wine, carp noodle cakes, and stir-fried wild delicacies. For drinks, she selected perilla mint water, peach rice wine, and lychee soup.
She then called over Qi-ge'er from outside and asked for candied cherries, papaya brew, honeyed tangerines, and stir-fried ginkgo. Bowl after bowl and plate after plate were stacked together, a colorful and magnificent spread that made one’s mouth water.
Shen Luohe and Hua Xijian had eaten such things before, but they were usually traveling in haste and did not pay much attention to food. Their knowledge of Great Song delicacies was actually less than that of the newcomer, Nan Zhi.
Hearing Nan Zhi rattle off a long list of dishes, Shen Luohe was practically in awe.
“You practice worldly cultivation, Fellow Daoist Nan; no wonder you know more than others. But about joining the Demon Suppression Division...”
Hua Xijian didn't even pick up her chopsticks, staring at Nan Zhi as she waited for an answer.
“Since I will be working with you two in the future, we will surely have much to do with each other. I will have to ask for your guidance often. For one meal, I feel like I am getting the better end of the deal.”
Nan Zhi pushed the freshly served braised mutton toward them and said with a smile:
“This shop’s braised mutton is excellent. The sheep's heart, stomach, intestines, and face are marinated and then stir-fried. Not only is there no gaminess at all, but if you taste carefully, there is also the fragrance of pepper. Why don't you try some first?”
She had, of course, eaten it before.
Whenever she didn't know what to eat at home, she would send someone to a restaurant to buy food, then withdraw it into reality to enjoy.
Truth be told, the mutton here was incredibly delicious; even compared to the skills of some star-rated chefs, it was likely not lacking in the slightest.
“Good! Fellow Daoist Nan, you are indeed straightforward. I will have someone order your uniform and token immediately; they will arrive within seven days at the latest.
“As for the reward for slaying the demon tiger, it will be delivered to your residence tomorrow.”
Shen Luohe folded his fan and urged Hua Xijian, “With such a joyous occasion and such a fine feast, how can there be no fine wine? Junior Sister, hurry and bring out your treasure. Let the three of us drink to our hearts' content!”
“You lost yours, so now you are plotting for mine,” Hua Xijian huffed, but she reached for her waist and pulled out a red-skinned gourd no larger than a palm.
The gourd seemed to have grown naturally to that size, with a bit of withered vine still attached to its mouth.
Hua Xijian opened the gourd, and without any apparent effort, a steady stream of fine wine flowed out.
The wine was as mellow as liquid jade, so thick it almost seemed to clump together. As it landed in the cups, the fragrance was truly intoxicating and overwhelming.
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