Early the next morning, Nan Zhi found the two people she had been drinking with the previous night right at her doorstep.
Their expressions were a mix of dejection and shame, their faces displaying three parts self-reproach, three parts awkwardness, three parts regret, and one part "I'd do it again" frankness.
“You're awake? Did you sleep well? That shop over there sells paper-thin shrimp meat wonton soup in the morning. Didn't you have a bowl before coming over?”
Nan Zhi greeted them warmly, making no mention of their drunken state from the day before.
“Ahem, we enjoyed our conversation with Fellow Daoist Nan so much yesterday that we let ourselves go a bit. Usually, we would never behave like that,” Shen Luohe said, feeling a bit uneasy as he rubbed the tip of his nose.
“As for the demon tiger’s rampage and the commoners claiming the Demon Suppression Division is idle... In truth, there are demon suppressors traveling abroad year-round; such a tragedy shouldn't have happened. Currently, the Dingyuan demon tiger case has been sent to the Arrest Commissioner. The higher-ups have ordered my junior sister and me to investigate who was involved and who filed false reports about the demon situation.”
“We leave today, but before we go, we had to deliver your rewards for this mission.”
“To befriend someone, one must treat them with sincerity. I felt like an old friend the moment I met Fellow Daoist Nan, which is why I drank a bit too much,” Hua Xijian added more frankly, admitting her lapse from the previous day.
“Fellow Daoist Nan, you have a bottomless capacity for alcohol. Neither of us could outdrink you. If there's a chance in the future, let's drink together again.”
With that, she reached toward her waist and produced a gray, rather unremarkable-looking pouch.
“Fellow Daoist Nan, for slaying a malevolent ghost once, you receive ten military merit points. For persuading one good demon, one point. For slaying a tiger-chang, four hundred points. For eight chang ghosts, eight points. This brings the total to four hundred and eighteen military merit points.”
“Inside this storage bag, there are also rewards: one hundred low-grade spirit stones, three bottles of Snake-Bear Pills, one bottle of Rejuvenation Pills, thirty taels of gold, and the Demon Suppression Division's cultivation technique, the 《Small Twelve Bone Forging Method》.”
“If Fellow Daoist Nan already has a cultivation technique, you may simply set it aside.”
“Don't look down on these hundred low-grade spirit stones,” Shen Luohe explained. “You should know that the annual salary of a provincial demon suppressor is only about a thousand spirit stones.”
“The Demon Suppression Division recruits based on skill, regardless of background or lineage. The more good you do, the more military merit you earn, and the cheaper it becomes to acquire cultivation resources.”
“Although you haven't received your official waist token yet, you are already under the jurisdiction of the Northwest Circuit Demon Suppression Division Arrest Office. Once your uniform and arrest token are ready, someone will deliver them to your residence. When an arrest officer travels, they rely on that token to prove their identity. It's also used to collect monthly resources; it serves as a credential.”
Nan Zhi took the storage bag, immediately understanding its use. She then asked, “With such rules, aren't you afraid that some demon suppressors might extract confessions through torture, harm innocent spirits, or catch random demons and ghosts just to claim rewards and accumulate merit?”
“Water that is too clear has no fish. The Demon Suppression Division is not a monolithic entity; there are naturally those with impure motives,” Shen Luohe said with a hint of admiration in his eyes.
“In the twenty-four circuits of the Great Song, every circuit has a Demon Suppression Monastery and a Demon Suppression Tower specifically for detention. Within each monastery, there is a Xiezhi Mirror. Whether a captured creature is a malevolent demon and what crimes they have committed can be seen instantly before that mirror. If someone has the strength to bypass the Xiezhi Mirror's scrutiny, they likely wouldn't care about such meager resources anyway.”
“I see. So, does this mean any demons I catch in the future must be sent to a monastery for trial? I cannot eliminate them on my own?” Nan Zhi frowned, finding the rule a bit cumbersome.
If she was in the middle of a life-and-death struggle, was she supposed to worry about whether to take them alive?
“No,” Hua Xijian shook her head, the red mole between her brows appearing even more vivid. “If you encounter a bloodthirsty demon, kill it. There is no need to report it. The Xiezhi Mirror reflects not only demons but also the human heart. If someone truly slaughters the innocent, they will be dealt with.”
“Then I am relieved.” Nan Zhi tucked away the storage bag and cupped her hands toward the two. “I won't delay your investigation then. Next time we meet, I'll treat you to drinks again.”
More drinking?
At the mention of alcohol, the two were reminded of the scene where this person before them remained sober after a thousand cups while the two of them combined couldn't outdrink her.
Not to mention Shen Luohe's drunken slip of the tongue that almost got him struck by lightning.
Alcohol truly leads to trouble!
Was this Fellow Daoist Nan poisoned or something? After drinking so much, how could she look so radiant the next morning, appearing even more energetic than the two of them?
“My head still hurts quite a bit. I think the drinking won't be necessary. This morning, I already sent a flying message to Senior Brother Li in our sect regarding your situation. I expect a reply soon.”
Shen Luohe's lips twitched as he bowed. “My junior sister and I have urgent matters to attend to. We won't stay. Fellow Daoist Nan, take care.”
“Take care.”
Hua Xijian also cupped her hands in farewell. Gripping her sword, she and Shen Luohe vanished around the corner of the alley. Their retreating figures seemed to carry a hint of a hasty escape.
...
...
【《Small Twelve Bone Forging Method》 (Green Quality): An introductory body tempering technique of the Demon Suppression Division. When used with Snake-Bear Pills, it opens the shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, head, chest, spine, waist, hips, knees, ankles, and internal organs. It is a method for tempering muscles and bones and strengthening the physical foundation.】
【Snake-Bear Pill × 10: Consumption increases Constitution by 1 point and grows physical strength. When used with body tempering techniques, the effect is excellent. (After Foundation Establishment, the effect diminishes until it disappears.)】
【Rejuvenation Pills × 10: Restores 150 health points upon consumption. Can heal external injuries and dispel hidden ailments.】
【Low-grade spirit stones × 100: Common currency of the cultivation world.】
Inside the storage bag, besides these items, there was also a pure white jade talisman.
Hua Xijian had explained how to use it. Nan Zhi placed it against her forehead and tapped it lightly. A list several meters long appeared before her eyes, reading from left to right.
This was the Demon Suppression Division's military merit exchange list.
Whether it was techniques, spirit pets, spiritual medicines, or dharma treasures, everything could be exchanged for military merit.
【《Myriad Dao Longevity Clone Art》: 10,000,000 military merit】
【《Vermilion Bird Yin-Yang Saber Art》: 9,000,000 military merit】
【True Dragon Pearl: 6,000,000 military merit】
【Vermilion Bird Egg: 8,000,000 military merit】
【Chaos Twin-Bean Lamp: 7,000,000 military merit】
...
【Zhen Bird Feather: 12,000 military merit】
【《Wood Spirit Manual》: 10,000 military merit】
【East Mountain Wutong Leaf: 10,000 military merit】
【Dongsheng Shenzhou Lingzhi Grass: 9,000 military merit】
【North Sea Jiao People's Tears: 9,000 military merit】
【Ten Thousand Great Mountains Ginseng Spirit: 9,000 military merit】
【Guhuo Bird Eye: 8,000 military merit】
Treasures, some familiar and some strange, appeared on the list, each followed by an astronomical figure. Nan Zhi could only sigh in frustration.
Expensive. Far too expensive.
Even the Mirage Pearl she had been wanting was there, but it required three thousand military merit points.
Three thousand! With only four hundred and eighteen points in her hand, how long would it take to save up?
Nan Zhi wished she could be reborn and slay that tiger all over again.
She gripped the jade talisman and looked at it for a while longer before reluctantly putting it down.
Mirage Pearl, wait for me! Once I've saved enough merit, I'll take you home.
Nan Zhi’s gaze then fell upon the 《Small Twelve Bone Forging Method》.
Given how this game named things, if there was a 《Small Twelve Bone Forging Method》, there should be a 《Large Twelve Bone Forging Method》 as well.
She was currently practicing two techniques: the 《Small Huanzhen Manual》 and the 《Moon-Worshiping Breathing Method》. The former was for Qi Refinement, and the latter was for body tempering, and they complemented each other.
The 《Moon-Worshiping Breathing Method》 was a Purple Quality technique passed down from the ancient Tushan Clan. Whether in terms of quality, origin, or significance, it was far superior to this bone forging method.
Thus, this bone forging manual wasn't of much use to her.
But...
An idea suddenly struck Nan Zhi.
In principle, the Demon Suppression Division's techniques were not to be shared with outsiders. However, perhaps she could use this as a stepping stone to attempt contact with the official government agencies in the real world.
Rate on N.U.
