Qingzhou Demon-Suppression Division, External Affairs Hall.
The gray-tiled, white-walled building stood tall, its vermilion gates wide open.
Figures came and went in a hurry, their faces etched with urgency.
Shen Yi quietly observed his surroundings.
Though everyone wore black brocade robes, over sixty percent of them lacked the cloud patterns on their sleeves.
Their average age was around forty, and while their auras indicated they had indeed stepped into the first realm, they seemed unstable—barely having crossed the threshold.
Were these the Demon-Suppression Captains that Butcher Zhang had mentioned, the ones who "soaked in medicinal baths"?
In contrast, the few who wore cloud-patterned robes were noticeably younger, their gazes sharper.
"The inner camp has three thousand, the outer camp over eight thousand. In total, we have just over ten thousand brothers responsible for the safety of twelve prefectures and three hundred and forty-two counties in Qingzhou," the beggar said as he approached, his tone tinged with a sigh.
"Aside from the two thousand five hundred inner camp warriors necessary to guard Qingzhou, on average, twenty men are assigned to protect a single county. That’s why our numbers roughly match this distribution. When a deputy general goes out on a mission, they usually take around twenty captains. Even if they encounter an insurmountable crisis and the entire group is wiped out, the loss wouldn’t be too significant."
After listening to their conversation for a while, Shen Yi learned the beggar’s name.
Seeing Ma Tao’s nonchalant expression, Shen Yi couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
It seemed that total annihilation was a normal occurrence in the other man’s eyes.
From the looks of it, to become a deputy general and lead a team independently, one had to at least be a Jade Marrow Realm expert.
In Baiyun County, such a person would be a local tyrant with overwhelming power.
And yet, this was considered a "small loss"?
"Don’t worry, though. As long as your death isn’t completely unnoticed, your family will avenge you within half a month at most," Ma Tao said with a grin, his tone filled with感慨.
"Take the Demon-Suppression General of Yushan County, for example. He was ambushed and killed by the three major sects in the area. They thought they had covered their tracks perfectly, but the second disciple of the Commander led a thousand men there and, in just six days, took twenty-three thousand heads. Rumor has it those heads are still piled up at the city gates."
While Shen Yi was somewhat shocked by the Demon-Suppression Division’s ruthless efficiency, he also made a mental note to himself.
He had thought that with his current strength, if not for climbing the ranks, at least he could ensure his own safety.
But it turned out the world was even more chaotic than he had imagined.
Not only were ordinary people’s lives at risk, but even renowned figures could die just like that.
"Hey, what are you good at?" Li Muyu walked out of the yamen and looked at the group outside.
"Tracking? Long-distance raids? Oh, right, aren’t you pretty good at close combat and subduing demons?"
Recalling how Shen Yi had made Fang Heng eat dirt earlier, her last sentence carried a hint of curiosity.
Hearing this, Ma Tao shrugged, slightly embarrassed, and clenched his fingers.
If two people in a team had similar martial skills, and one happened to be significantly stronger, the other would inevitably feel redundant.
Seeing Shen Yi’s puzzled expression, Ma Tao sighed and quickly composed himself, explaining, "It’s just for record-keeping. If something happens to Captain Li in the future and you’re lucky enough to survive, it’ll make it easier for other deputy generals to pick you. Don’t overthink it. Just say which martial skill you’ve mastered to the highest level."
"Is that so?" Shen Yi pondered, silently assessing his abilities.
Soon, a faint look of hesitation appeared on his face.
The others glanced at him, slightly confused.
What was there to think about? Shouldn’t he know what his main martial skill was, what he practiced as a secondary skill, which one he had just started, and which one he had mastered?
After a moment, Shen Yi looked up and said uncertainly, "Killing demons?"
Eight Treasures Body, Greedy Wolf Demon-Slaying, Heavenly Gang Blood Slaughter, Meridian-Severing Dragon Capture...
It was hard to say which one was stronger.
They all seemed quite useful.
Hearing his reply, Liu Xiujie and Ma Tao were both stunned.
"Hah!" Li Muyu was momentarily taken aback, then burst into laughter, clutching her stomach.
She turned and walked back inside, saying, "Alright, write it down. He says he’s good at killing demons."
A short while later, Li Xinhan finished the registration and walked out, giving Shen Yi a somewhat helpless look.
Back in Baiyun County, he had known that Shen Yi’s training was all over the place, but he hadn’t expected the man to lack even a clear focus.
Should he ask a family elder to take a look at Shen Yi’s bone structure and help him figure out a direction for the future?
"Xiao Er, arrange the carriages. We’re heading to Linjiang County, Shuiyun Village," Li Xinhan said, nodding to the short, childlike man, who cupped his hands in acknowledgment and left silently.
Li Xinhan led the group out of the Demon-Suppression Division.
"Captain Li seems a bit tense," Liu Xiujie whispered, noticing the man’s unease.
"His rank is low, so all the good assignments get snatched up by other deputy generals. Rescuing Lord Lin was a merit, but until he returns, we can’t publicize it."
"Counting his achievements, if he handles one more demonic incident related to the Jade Marrow Realm, Captain Li can be promoted to deputy general... I wonder if this trip will yield anything."
Speaking of merits, the two long-time partners’ eyes lit up.
After all, they were both from prestigious families.
Joining the Demon-Suppression Division was about making a name for themselves.
Shen Yi finally noticed that the cloud patterns on their sleeves were double-layered.
It seemed Li Xinhan was indeed eager for achievements, and his subordinates had benefited as well.
"Don’t be envious. If you participate in five Jade Marrow Realm demonic incidents or take the lead in one, you’ll get another layer. By then, being granted an internal technique will be a given," Liu Xiujie said as they stepped out of the Demon-Suppression Division and onto the main street.
Both men instinctively put away their smiles.
As they passed, pedestrians quickly stepped aside to make way.
Only after the group had moved on did the people resume their activities.
When they reached the towering city gate, Xiao Er was already waiting with the demon horses.
"This is our scout. At full speed, he can make a round trip between Baiyun County and Qingzhou City in just one day. If you ever need to send a message, he’s your guy," Liu Xiujie said with a grin as he jumped onto the carriage.
Xiao Er shot him a glare, then nodded politely at Shen Yi, saying simply, "I can deliver. Fast."
Once everyone was seated, Li Muyu tugged on the reins and took the lead on horseback.
Shen Yi sat inside the carriage, a realization dawning on him.
Even who rode the horse and who sat in the carriage had its significance.
The one with the highest cultivation level needed to stay alert for long periods and be ready to react to any sudden situations.
"..."
Li Xinhan leaned against the carriage, his fingers tapping rapidly on the back of his hand.
He seemed deeply troubled.
"It’s not that bad, is it?" Ma Tao waved a hand in front of Li Xinhan’s face.
"Even though we’re short on manpower this time, we’re just going to Shuiyun Village to look for a few people, right?"
Liu Xiujie took the opportunity to explain the mission to Shen Yi.
"A few captains went to Shuiyun Village for surveillance. According to protocol, they were supposed to send a letter back home every fifteen days, but we haven’t heard from them... It’s probably nothing serious. Shuiyun Village has a River God. If something happened to the River God, the villagers would’ve stormed Qingzhou by now."
Li Xinhan remained silent for a long time before pulling out a blood-stained waist token from his robe.
"This was delivered by the Linjiang County yamen. The External Affairs Hall just handed it to me."
He then looked at Shen Yi.
"Originally, I wanted to take you out to get familiar with things... but you have no experience fighting real demons. Be careful."
Hearing this, Liu Xiujie and Ma Tao both held their breaths.
They knew about Shen Yi killing the dog demon and the ape demon in Baiyun County.
To say he had no experience...
Did that mean the opponent was at the Jade Marrow Realm?
Ma Tao recalled his earlier comment about avenging deaths and felt a pang of guilt.
He had meant to lighten the mood, but now he shot Shen Yi an apologetic look.
"Ugh, my big mouth," Ma Tao muttered.
Shen Yi slightly turned his head, and Xiao Er expressionlessly wiped the spit off his face, silently glaring at Ma Tao.
(End of Chapter)