Early the next morning, Nan Zhi found the two people who had been drinking with her the day before right outside her front door.
Looking haggard and filled with shame, their faces displayed three parts self-reproach, three parts awkwardness, three parts regret, and one part sheer brazenness that said, “I'll dare to do it again next time.”
“You're awake? Did you sleep well last night? That shop sells paper-thin shrimp wonton soup in the morning—didn’t you have a bowl before coming over?”
Nan Zhi greeted them warmly, making no mention whatsoever of their drunken state from the previous day.
“Cough, cough, yesterday’s conversation with Fellow Daoist Nan was so delightful that we indulged a bit too much. The two of us are normally never like this.”
Feeling somewhat uneasy, Shen Luohe rubbed the tip of his nose:
“As for the demon tiger wreaking havoc and the common folk claiming the Demon Suppression Division does nothing... in truth, demon suppressors travel outside year-round, so such a tragedy should never have occurred in the first place.
At present, the Dingyuan Demon Tiger Case has been forwarded to the Arrest Commissioner’s office. The higher-ups have ordered the two of us to thoroughly investigate who was involved and falsely reported the demon situation.
We are departing today, but before leaving, we had to deliver Fellow Daoist Nan’s rewards for this incident.”
“When interacting with others, one must treat them with sincerity. I felt an immediate bond with Fellow Daoist Nan upon our first meeting, which is why I drank a bit too much for a moment.”
Hua Xijian was far more candid, admitting her lapse from the previous day:
“Fellow Daoist Nan has great capacity for liquor; the two of us combined couldn't outdrink you alone. If there is an opportunity in the future, let's drink together again.”
With that, she patted her waist and retrieved a dusty, rather unassuming pouch:
“Fellow Daoist Nan, for slaying an evil ghost once: ten military merit points; for persuading one benevolent demon: one military merit point; for slaying one tiger-chang: four hundred military merit points; for eight chang ghosts: eight military merit points—totaling four hundred and eighteen military merit points.
Inside this storage bag, there is also a reward of 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 arrest cultivation technique, 《Small Twelve Bone Forging Method》.
If Fellow Daoist Nan already possesses a cultivation method, you may simply set it aside.”
“Do not look down on these one hundred low grade spirit stones. You should know that a whole prefecture's demon suppressor receives an annual salary of merely over a thousand spirit stones.”
Shen Luohe explained:
“When the Demon Suppression Division recruits, it disregards origins and asks nothing of lineage, looking only at capability. The more good deeds you perform, the more military merit you accumulate, and the cheaper it becomes to acquire cultivation resources.
Although you haven't received the Demon Suppression Division waist tablet yet, you are already registered under the Northwest Circuit Demon Suppression Division's Arrest Bureau. Once your garments and arrest token are crafted, someone will deliver them to your residence.
When an arrest officer of the Demon Suppression Division travels outside as an itinerant emissary, they rely on the arrest token to prove their identity. Collecting monthly cultivation resources also depends on it as credentials.”
Nan Zhi took the storage bag, understanding its use at once, and followed up:
“With rules like these, aren't they afraid that some demon suppressors might extract confessions under torture, harm demon spirits, and indiscriminately capture ghost-demons to claim bounties and amass military merit?”
“Water that is too pure has no fish. The Demon Suppression Division is not a monolith either, so there are naturally individuals with crooked intentions.”
A hint of appreciation surfaced in Shen Luohe’s eyes:
“In the Great Song's twenty-four circuits, every circuit is established with a Demon Suppression Monastery, as well as a Demon Suppression Tower specifically responsible for detentions.
A Xiezhi Mirror is set within the Demon Suppression Monastery. Whether a captured creature is an evil demon and exactly what misdeeds it committed can be seen at a glance once reflected before the mirror.
If someone truly possessed the strength to evade the examination of the Xiezhi Mirror, they likely wouldn't care for such petty cultivation resources anyway.”
“I understand. But in that case, must the demons and monsters I capture in the future be sent to the Demon Suppression Monastery for interrogation first, rather than being eliminated privately?”
Nan Zhi frowned, feeling that this rule was rather cumbersome.
—When in the middle of a battle, in a life-or-death crisis, was she supposed to agonize over whether to take them alive?
“No need.”
Hua Xijian shook her head, the red mole between her brows appearing even more vivid:
“If you truly encounter bloodthirsty demons or monsters, killing them on the spot is fine without needing to report it. The Xiezhi Mirror reflects not only demons and monsters, but also the human heart. If someone truly slaughters the innocent indiscriminately, someone will naturally deal with them.”
“Then I am relieved.”
Nan Zhi tucked away the storage bag and cupped her hands toward the two:
“Then I won't hold you back from investigating the case. Next time we meet, if there's a chance, I'll treat you to drinks again.”
Drink again?
At the mention of drinking, the two recalled the scene of the person before them being impervious to a thousand cups, where both of them combined couldn't outdrink her.
Not to mention the fact that Shen Luohe had slipped up after drinking, leaked heaven's secrets, and nearly got struck by lightning.
Drinking really causes mistakes!
Was this Fellow Daoist Nan a menace?!
After drinking so much wine, how could she wake up the next morning still full of vigor, looking even more energetic than the two of them?
“My head still aches a bit, so I think drinking won't be necessary at all. This morning, I already sent a flying letter with your message to Senior Brother Li back in the sect. I expect it will arrive shortly.”
The corner of Shen Luohe’s mouth twitched, and he offered a bow:
“The two of us have important duties to attend to, so we won't stay. Fellow Daoist Nan, take care.”
“Take care.”
Hua Xijian also cupped her hands in farewell. Holding her sword, she and Shen Luohe vanished around the corner of the alley, one on the left and one on the right.
Only, their retreating figures somehow carried the distinct vibe of fleeing in panic.
...
【《Small Twelve Bone Forging Method》 (green quality): An introductory body tempering art of the Demon Suppression Division. Aided by Snake-Bear Pills, it opens the shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, head, chest, spine, loosens the waist, opens the hips, knees, ankles, and internal organs. It is a method for physically conditioning muscles and bones, strengthening root bone.】
【Snake-Bear Pill ×10: Consumption increases Constitution by 1 point and ingesting it increases physical strength. When used in conjunction with body tempering cultivation methods, the effect is extraordinary. (After Foundation Establishment, the effect diminishes upon consumption until completely obsolete.)】
【Rejuvenation Pills ×10: Restores 150 HP after consumption; heals external injuries and purges hidden ailments.】
【Low grade spirit stone ×100: Universal currency of the cultivation world.】
Inside the storage bag, aside from 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 gently, whereupon a meter-long list extending from left to right materialized before her eyes.
This was the Demon Suppression Division's military merit exchange list.
Cultivation methods, spirit pets, spirit medicines, dharma treasures—everything could be redeemed with military merit.
【《Myriad Dao Longevity Clone Art》: 10,000,000 military merit points】
【《Vermilion Bird Yin-Yang Saber Art》: 9,000,000 military merit points】
【True Dragon Pearl: 6,000,000 military merit points】
【Vermilion Bird Egg: 8,000,000 military merit points】
【Chaos Twin-Bean Lamp: 7,000,000 military merit points】
...
【Zhen Bird Feather: 12,000 military merit points】
【《Wood Spirit Manual》: 10,000 military merit points】
【East Mountain Wutong Leaf: 10,000 military merit points】
【Dongsheng Shenzhou Lingzhi Grass: 9,000 military merit points】
【North Sea Jiao People's Tears: 9,000 military merit points】
【Ten Thousand Great Mountains Ginseng Spirit: 9,000 military merit points】
【Guhuo Bird Eye: 8,000 military merit points】
Treasure after treasure, some familiar and some strange, appeared on the list, each trailed by an astronomical figure, leaving Nan Zhi with nothing to do but sigh in futility.
Expensive.
Far too expensive.
Even the Mirage Pearl she had always wanted was listed, but it required three thousand military merit points.
Three thousand! With only four hundred and eighteen military merit points currently in her hands, how long would it take to save up that much?
Nan Zhi wished she could turn back time just to chop that tiger up all over again.
She held the jade talisman and looked at it for a little while longer before reluctantly putting it down.
Mirage Pearl, wait for me!
Once I save up enough military merit, I'll bring you home.
Nan Zhi’s gaze fell back upon the manual, 《Small Twelve Bone Forging Method》.
According to this game’s naming tendencies, if there was a 《Small Twelve Bone Forging Method》, there ought to be a 《Great Twelve Bone Forging Method》 as well.
Currently, she cultivated two arts: first, the 《Small Huanzhen Manual》, and second, the 《Moon-Worshiping Breathing Method》—the former for refining qi and the latter for body tempering, complementing each other perfectly.
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 vastly superior to the bone forging method.
Therefore, this bone forging method was actually of little use to her.
However...
An idea suddenly sparked in Nan Zhi’s mind.
In principle, Demon Suppression Division techniques could not be passed to outsiders.
Yet perhaps she could use this as a springboard to attempt making contact with official organizations in reality.
Rate on N.U.
