Cautious Punishment Division

Jingye City, inner city.

The headquarters of the Cautious Punishment Division stood within towering walls of bluestone, covering nearly a thousand mu. It was the largest government compound in the inner city, even more spacious than the Demon Suppression Bureau.

In one of its courtyards, Wu Ming was undergoing the assessment to join the division.

The assessment had two parts. The first evaluated martial strength. First Blood Forging was the minimum threshold, and one's techniques also had to reach the level of Scattered Hand. For Wu Ming, it was practically a mere formality.

The second part tested practical matters in written form, evaluating such things as what choice one would make and how one would handle different situations. There were no fixed answers; it was basically all subjective judgment.

Finally,

a division inspector would question the candidate face-to-face.

In truth, this entire process of entering the division was merely a process. As long as one's aptitude was high enough, these assessments were all formalities. If one lacked sufficient aptitude, then even if they passed every prior test, they would still be screened out during the final "face-to-face questioning."

Wu Ming had earned Zhou Huaian's favor and come here upon Zhou Huaian's recommendation. Thus, the entire process was largely a formality, and even the division inspector conducting the final questioning was Zhou Huaian himself.

"My lord."

Inside a spacious, quiet room, Zhou Huaian stood behind a huanghuali wood desk, looking amiably at Wu Ming. After asking a few simple questions and hearing Wu Ming answer them all, he suddenly asked, "Some people from the Sandboat Gang died outside the city yesterday. One of them was named Guo Huai. Was that your doing?"

Wu Ming was not particularly surprised by Zhou Huaian's sudden question. As one of Jingye City's six great powers, the Cautious Punishment Division's actual authority was almost ranked first. It merely did not interfere in the disputes outside the city; that did not mean it knew nothing of them.

"Reporting to my lord, it was my doing."

Before Zhou Huaian, Wu Ming did not conceal anything and admitted it openly.

It was the norm in this world for martial artists to contend fiercely with one another. The Cautious Punishment Division's various rules and regulations applied only within the city. Moreover, Wu Ming stood upright and acted honorably. His parents had been humiliated, so it was only right and proper for him to reclaim their dignity. When he saw that Guo Huai had committed countless evils and abused innocent women, killing him in a fit of rage did not violate the division's rules either. Lu Yuan and the others had tried to surround and kill him, only to be slain one by one. They had no one to blame but themselves.

"It is a good thing for young people to have fire in their blood. If one dared not act even when one's parents were humiliated, then how could one speak of guarding the order of this city and fighting vicious bandits, evil Baleful Intent, and Demons?"

Just as Wu Ming had expected, Zhou Huaian did not condemn what he had done. Seeing that Wu Ming was forthright and concealed nothing, he even nodded slightly.

As a division inspector of the Cautious Punishment Division, since he had taken notice of Wu Ming, a slight investigation naturally revealed the full story. Guo Huai's countless crimes had long been recorded by the Cautious Punishment Division. It was only that Guo Huai committed his evils outside the city. He had caused trouble in the city only once, but the matter had not been serious and no one had been killed or injured. In addition, his elder brother Guo Xiang had ties to the Black Fiend Sect, so Guo Huai had merely been locked up for a time before being released.

Even Xu Hao did not care much about Guo Huai's death, much less Zhou Huaian, a high-ranking and powerful Principal Seventh Rank division inspector.

"Very well."

Zhou Huaian added Wu Ming's name to a stack of registers, then called out, "Someone."

"Here."

Zhao Hu came over from the rear and respectfully bowed.

Setting the register aside, Zhou Huaian said, "Take Wu Ming around to familiarize him with the various areas of the Cautious Punishment Division. Explain its benefits and rules to him. From now on, he will serve in the Night Patrol Division's Seventh Squad."

"Yes."

Zhao Hu responded, then looked at Wu Ming and said evenly, "Follow me."

With that said,

he led Wu Ming out of the room.

Zhou Huaian stood behind the desk, watching Wu Ming and Zhao Hu leave.

At the same time, atop the fifth floor of the main Division Tower, which stood at the very center of the Cautious Punishment Division like a lofty tower, a figure dressed in simple green robes gazed down over the entire division. His eyes seemed to settle precisely upon Wu Ming's departing figure. He pondered slightly, unknown what he was thinking.

Following Zhao Hu around and familiarizing himself with the various areas of the Cautious Punishment Division,

Wu Ming discovered that the headquarters' internal layout bore quite a few similarities to the Seven Martial Alliance's outer hall. It likewise had a martial courtyard dedicated to honing techniques, a Dining Courtyard responsible for meals, and a main Division Tower that served as the central hub overseeing all kinds of affairs.

The Cautious Punishment Division had five subordinate divisions: the Night Patrol Division, Arrest Division, External Affairs Division, City Guard Division, and Internal Affairs Division. The Night Patrol Division was responsible for Jingye City's nighttime patrols. The Arrest Division specialized in pursuing and capturing all manner of fierce bandits. The External Affairs Division handled certain matters outside the city and often coordinated with the Demon Suppression Bureau. The City Guard Division maintained order in Jingye City during the day. As for the Internal Affairs Division, it guarded the inner city headquarters and handled internal files as well as coordination with every other government office.

Generally speaking,

young martial artists with higher aptitude would, upon first entering the Cautious Punishment Division, perform some leisurely duties in the Internal Affairs Division while focusing on martial cultivation. Once they broke through to Second Blood Forging, they would be assigned to divisions such as the Night Patrol Division and Arrest Division to undergo tempering.

The Cautious Punishment Division offered generous benefits. First, it provided basic arrangements for food and lodging. Second, all registered officers received salaries. The lowest Ninth-Rank officers earned fifteen taels of silver per month, Eighth-Rank officers earned thirty taels, and Seventh-Rank officers earned sixty taels.

Beyond that,

all members of the Cautious Punishment Division whose overall evaluation reached "A" could receive an additional portion of Seven Flavor Blood Nourishing Powder every month to nourish their Blood Qi. The primary evaluation criteria were age and realm: the younger one was and the higher one's realm, the higher the score. After that came talent in martial techniques, and finally one's performance in actual service.

"As long as you are under twenty, the points from your age alone will reliably bring you up to the 'A' standard. If you are under twenty-two and can reach Second Blood Forging, you can likewise meet the 'A' standard. If not, you will need talent in martial techniques or meritorious achievements in actual service before you can rise to the 'A' standard."

Zhao Hu gave Wu Ming a simple explanation.

After hearing this, Wu Ming understood. This tiered division of benefits was, on one hand, meant to focus on cultivating gifted and sufficiently young talents. On the other hand, it also gave those of middling aptitude some incentive.

Of course, the "meritorious achievements" earned through service were also important. For example, during the Night Patrol Division's routine nighttime patrols, one could earn basic merit even if nothing happened that night. If one participated in battle, captured a flying thief, killed an evil bandit, or slew Demons that had infiltrated the city, one could earn even more merit.

These merits not only formed part of one's overall evaluation, but could also be exchanged within the Cautious Punishment Division for all kinds of resources, such as profound martial techniques, resources that nourished Blood Qi, or even rare and expensive hundred-forged weapons, soft inner armor, and the like.

Just as Wu Ming entered the Cautious Punishment Division, became a Ninth-Rank Patrol Officer with an official post, and learned about the division's internal workings,

at the Sandboat Gang's base far outside the city,

"Have you investigated the matter clearly?"

The Sandboat Gang's Great Leader wore a black cloak as he sat upon a stone chair, looking at the gang member before him as he spoke in a deep voice.

His face was somewhat deathly pale. He did not look like a Blood Forging martial artist overflowing with Blood Qi, but rather like an ordinary man of frail health. Yet an almost imperceptible oppressive aura permeated from his body.

"Reporting to Great Leader, the situation should be as follows..."

After hearing the gang member's report, the Sandboat Gang's Great Leader immediately furrowed his brow and muttered, "Wu Ming... killed ten bandits in one night... the Cautious Punishment Division?"

After pondering for a moment, he shook his head and said, "Send the news to the Black Fiend Sect and inform Guo Xiang. Do not do anything unnecessary."

Once the matter involved the Cautious Punishment Division, it became difficult to handle.

These days, he avoided the Cautious Punishment Division as though it were a viper or scorpion, terrified of drawing its attention. Guo Huai had often caused trouble outside. Had he not been Guo Xiang's biological younger brother, the Great Leader would have fed him to the Water Ghost long ago... Now, all that could be said was that losing this troublemaker was also a good thing.