Cautious Punishment Division

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Cautious Punishment Division (慎刑司)
Affiliation	Yong Country court; Jingye City
Occupation/Role	Martial law-enforcement body responsible for Jingye City's order and the management of its martial artists 31 45
Status	Active; led in Jingye City by Division Master Dai Yuan following Liu Muyuan's departure 185
Headquarters	Inner City, Jingye City; a bluestone-walled complex of nearly one thousand mu 48
First Appearance	Chapter 10

Background / History

The Cautious Punishment Division is one of Jingye City's two highest-ranking court departments alongside the Demon Suppression Bureau. As a purely martial force in a country that reveres martial arts, it holds extensive authority over city order and the city's tens of thousands of martial artists; other government offices fall under its jurisdiction or function as subordinate branches. 31 45

Its authority is principally concentrated inside Jingye City. Conditions beyond the city walls are largely governed by the law of the jungle, while unprovoked killing and crimes against civilians within the city fall under the division's enforcement. 47 49

The division's Night Patrol officers responded to the Yin Sha-related evil-spirit incident at Chen's Apothecary, where Zhou Huaian ordered the destruction of lingering evil-spirit thoughts and prohibited witnesses from discussing the event. 34

After investigating a bandit raid on the apothecary, Zhou Huaian recruited Wu Ming for the division. Wu Ming formally entered as a Ninth-grade officer and joined the Seventh Team of the Night Patrol Division. 43 48

As demonic calamities intensified, the division reassigned Night Patrol teams to external duties and later dispatched multiple squads to support the Demon Suppression Bureau. 54 90

Liu Muyuan later relinquished the Division Master's seal after reaching Sixth Blood Forging. Dai Yuan, a Fifth Blood Forging expert from the Royal Capital, succeeded him as Division Master of the Jingye City branch. 184 185

Organization

Subdivision	Responsibilities
Night Patrol Division	Conducts nighttime patrols and maintains nighttime order in Jingye City. 48
Arrest Division	Pursues and apprehends notorious criminals and fierce bandits. 48 69
External Affairs Division	Handles matters outside the city and frequently coordinates with the Demon Suppression Bureau. 48
City Guard Division	Maintains daytime order within Jingye City. 48
Internal Affairs Division	Guards the Inner City headquarters, manages records, coordinates with other government offices, and oversees the treasury and martial resources. 48 71

Command and ranks

• The Division Master is Jingye City's nominal highest authority when the Demon Suppression Bureau's master is absent. 104
• Directors oversee the major subdivisions; Wu Ming later became Director of the Arrest Division. 157
• Seventh-rank Patrol Officers command patrol units, generally with at least five Patrolmen. 90
• A Seventh-rank Deputy Patrol Officer may command all personnel under their superior's jurisdiction; after his promotion, Wu Ming oversaw five teams covering Jingye City's northern district. 83

Jurisdiction and Law

• The division's city laws severely punish martial artists who persecute civilians:
  • Killing fewer than three civilians without cause results in forced labor in the mines.
  • Killing three or more civilians results in execution. 49
• Martial artists' disputes receive comparatively lenient treatment when they have a valid cause, do not harm civilians, and cause no major destruction. Agreed duels may not draw intervention even if one combatant dies. 49
• Night theft, robbery, human trafficking, and rape are treated as serious offenses. 49
• The law prioritizes commoners because they sustain tax and resource production, while martial artists are treated more leniently as major consumers of resources. 49
• Night patrols serve chiefly as deterrence: the division lacks the manpower to cover the entire city continuously, and many criminals avoid patrol routes before acting. 29 52
• The division's authority can be compromised by influential families and sects through covert dealings, and Wang Wufeng notably abused his office in an attempt to seize the Chen family's members for questioning. 49 79

Recruitment, Treatment, and Merit

Entry requirements

The standard entrance assessment has three components:

1. Martial assessment — requires at least Second Blood Forging and proficiency in the Scattered Hand technique. 48
2. Written assessment — tests judgment in practical law-enforcement scenarios without fixed answers. 48
3. Patrol Officer interview — the final selection stage, where aptitude can determine acceptance regardless of earlier results. 48

The division claims to recruit regardless of background, but openly recruited candidates normally require at least above-average aptitude. Exceptional candidates receive support and training, with the prospect of eventually becoming Seventh-rank Patrol Officers. 43

Salary and evaluation

Official rank	Monthly salary
Ninth rank	15 taels of silver 48
Eighth rank	30 taels of silver 48
Seventh rank	60 taels of silver 48

• Officers with an overall A evaluation receive a monthly portion of Seven Flavor Blood Nourishing Powder. 48
• Evaluations prioritize age and cultivation, followed by martial skill talent and actual service performance. 48
• Routine patrols earn basic merit; combat, arrests, bandit suppression, and demon extermination earn more. 48
• Merit may be exchanged for advanced martial arts, blood-energy resources, weapons, armor, and other treasury items. 48 71

Headquarters and Resources

• The headquarters is the largest government office in Jingye City's Inner City, exceeding even the Demon Suppression Bureau's compound in size. 48
• Its facilities include a Martial Academy, Dining Courtyard, central headquarters building, archives, cultivation chambers, and an Internal Affairs treasury. 48 49 71
• The archives contain city laws, criminal case files, wanted notices, martial texts, and restricted Daoist material such as Daoist Arts Unveiled. 49 50
• Tranquility Lane, located behind the headquarters, provides relatively secure housing for officers' families and receives day-and-night patrol coverage. 47 51

Major Operations

Operation	Division involvement	Outcome
Yin Sha evil-spirit incident	Night Patrol officers entered Chen's Apothecary under Zhou Huaian, destroyed remaining evil-spirit thoughts, and silenced discussion of the event. 34	The immediate supernatural threat was contained.
Black Wolf Gang siege	Three Night Patrol teams under Zhou Huaian, Luo Wei, and Lin Yongchuan raided the gang's stronghold to capture Black Cloud Bandit He Tian. 62 64 65	He Tian was killed; the Night Patrol Division processed the stronghold, while follow-up pursuit passed to the Arrest Division. 69
Demon-calaming reinforcement	The division coordinated with the Demon Suppression Bureau and dispatched six squads from several subdivisions to confront escalating demonic activity outside the city. 90 91	Personnel were assigned to reinforce defenses and patrol nearby villages.
Martial law in Jingye City	Acting Director Wu Ming ordered martial law while most Directors were away at the border, authorizing severe punishment for disorder and on-the-spot execution of those who disrupted city order. 158	Wu Ming's personal crackdown suppressed thieves and gangs within several days. 158

Notable Personnel

• Dai Yuan — Current Division Master in Jingye City; a Fifth Blood Forging expert transferred from the Royal Capital. 185
• Liu Muyuan — Former Division Master; reached Sixth Blood Forging, accepted Wu Ming as a disciple, and transferred authority to Dai Yuan. 105 185
• Huang Lin — Chief Officer of the Night Patrol Division; participates in high-level decisions and supported cooperation with the Demon Suppression Bureau. 31 90
• Zhou Huaian — Zheng Qipin Patrol Officer and Night Patrol commander; recruited Wu Ming and led the operation against He Tian. 43 48 62
• Wang Mingxuan — Sixth-rank Chief Officer of the Arrest Division and head of the influential Wang family within the division. 71 90
• Wu Ming — Former Night Patrol officer who rose to Deputy Patrol Officer, Patrol Officer, and eventually Director of the Arrest Division. 48 83 157