Demon Suppression Division

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Demon Suppression Division
Original Name	镇魔司
Affiliation	Subordinate force of the Demon Suppression Sect; operates with imperial authorization 56 447
Occupation / Role	Military and law-enforcement organization responsible for suppressing demons, yao, Demon Monsters, and dangerous criminals 56 144
Status	Active; maintains branches across the Nine Provinces, including Jade City, Jiang City, and Central Province headquarters 121 320 426
First Appearance	Chapter 56

Background / History

The Demon Suppression Division is an imperially authorized military department tasked with eliminating demons and protecting the emperor. Its personnel may “execute first and report afterward,” an authority that causes local yamen and city officials to treat its arrival as a matter of life and death. 56

Its field work includes pursuing rebel Demon Persons, suppressing yao and Demon Monsters, investigating criminal martial artists, and responding to sectarian threats. Demon Monsters are Demonic Path cultivators driven mad by contamination; the Division encounters them rarely compared with yao monsters and ordinary martial criminals. 57 144

By the Jiang City arc, the local branch is revealed to be weakened by factionalism, greed, and infiltration. The hunt for He Qianshou’s Wordless True Scripture draws its forces into a mountain ambush by the Esoteric Sect, where Little Banner Tong Gang betrays the Division and contributes to a major defeat. 134 137

The aftermath exposes internal political conflict: testimony concerning Tong Gang’s betrayal is manipulated during the joint inquiry, while Prefect Yuan Tu protects interests tied to Tong Gang’s promotion. Kong Dagui later arrives from Jade City to investigate the betrayal and the Heavenly Corpse Sect’s presence in Jiang City. 140 169

Authority and Responsibilities

• Imperial enforcement authority — May act before submitting a report, giving its officers exceptional power over local institutions. 56
• Demon suppression — Pursues yao, Demon Persons, Demon Monsters, ghosts, and hostile demonic factions. 56 134 144
• Criminal enforcement — Handles martial artists who commit serious crimes or create unrest. 144
• Investigation and tracking — Its members describe the Division as “born to track traces,” and it conducts organized investigations into infiltrators and sect activity. 135 169
• Merit administration — Members receive battle merit for confirmed kills and can exchange mission-earned Merit Points for treasures through Merit Hall. 212 290
• Skill transmission — The Division maintains a Skill Transmission Pagoda; entry requires both a merit-point jade tablet and verified organizational identity. 282

Organization

Documented Ranks and Offices

Rank / Office	Known function or status
White Cloak Guard	Lowest documented cloak-guard rank. 127
Green Cloak Guard	Rank above White Cloak Guard. 127
Red Cloak Guard	Rank above Green Cloak Guard; many Jiang City members were Half-Step Viscera Refiners. 127 136
Little Banner / Small Banner	Command position above cloak guards; enjoys significant operational freedom and may mobilize without the approvals required of a Chief Banner. 127
Chief Banner	Commands Little Banners; subject to higher-level restraints on mobilizing subordinates. He Qianshou held this rank. 127
General Flag	Senior combat officer; Sun Zhen and Gui Yong served in this capacity during the Jiang City expedition. 137
Jianshou / Overseer	Senior branch leadership beneath the prefects; Chen Xi led the Jiang City detachment and was a Four Viscera Realm expert. 137 139
Prefect	Top leadership of the Jiang City branch; its three prefects are Five Viscera Realm experts. 139
Pacification Commissioner	Provincial superior; Cang Changzhen serves as Jade Province’s Pacification Commissioner. 211
Great Marshal	Highest documented Division office; Li Bufan leads from Central Province headquarters. 426

Branches and Headquarters

• Jiang City branch — A major but overcrowded branch whose personnel are largely Red Cloak Guards; it is led by Prefects Taishu Yan, Yuan Tu, and Zhao Junshan. 121 136 139
• Jade City branch — Home branch of He Qianshou, Kong Dagui, and later Zhang Lingshan’s Chief Banner post. 103 180
• Central Province headquarters — Led by Great Marshal Li Bufan and connected to other provinces through the Eight Directions Divine Pillars. 320 426
• Mist Realm Post Stations — The Division uses Mist Realm post stations and Demon Bull Transport Envoys for interprovincial travel. 320
• Hammer-Wielding Hall — A special hall created for Zhang Lingshan. Its Hall Master has rank, salary, authority to recruit up to three hundred official personnel, and broad punitive authority against those who provoke the Division. 290 303

Methods and Resources

Combat Doctrine

The Division equips its personnel with high-grade cultivation methods, techniques, and battle formations. During the Esoteric Sect ambush, coordinated guards briefly gained the advantage despite being outnumbered. 137

• Demon Subduing Saber Technique — A simple foundational saber art taught to local yamen runners during the pursuit of Dan Xiong. 57
• Combined Attack Technique — A four-person square formation using the Demon Subduing Saber Technique to trap an enemy. 57
• Bone Whistles — Issued to yamen runners so they can call for aid after encountering Dan Xiong. 57
• Standard sabers — Used to identify battle merits through the distinctive traces of an officer’s killing technique. 212
• Lotus Crown hat — Used by Kong Dagui to purify Dongfang Hua after his Demonization. 173

Recruitment and Advancement

• Cloak guards and officers are expected to survive repeated trials and retain personal trump cards. 137
• Seniority is determined by strength rather than age; He Qianshou must accept being addressed as “Little He” by the stronger Yan Zheng Gang. 169
• Demon Suppression Envoys are honorary positions that may accept missions for Merit Points but do not automatically command subordinates. 290
• The Hammer Wielder differs from an ordinary Envoy by possessing formal rank, salary, and recruitment authority. 290

Internal Problems

Factionalism

The Jiang City branch is divided among the factions of its three prefects:

• Taishu Yan favors old associates and veterans, including Chen Xi. 139
• Zhao Junshan promotes young talents; Wu Feng was associated with his faction. 139
• Yuan Tu controls much of the remaining personnel and had promoted Tong Gang. 139

The joint inquiry after the mountain ambush demonstrates how these loyalties can obstruct accountability. Survivors deny Tong Gang’s betrayal despite Chen Xi’s accusation, and Chen Xi concludes that Yuan Tu had prepared the outcome in advance. 140

Infiltration

• Tong Gang secretly served the Esoteric Sect, murdered Wu Feng after his breakthrough, and helped turn the mountain engagement into a rout. 137
• Heavenly Corpse Sect activity is uncovered through Tong Gang’s Corpse Script correspondence, prompting Kong Dagui’s investigation. 169
• Kong Dagui later asks Sikong Wanjin to help identify Heavenly Corpse Sect infiltrators within the Division. 183
• Zhang Lingshan later infiltrates a Division site as Li Bufan, loots its treasury, and kills several Hidden Mansion Realm cultivators to weaken it. 441

Contested Conduct

Jin Tingchen alleges that the Division exiles major criminals to the Mist Demon Pool so Demon Evils can pass through them, grow stronger, and become controlled by the organization. This claim is presented as Jin Tingchen’s account rather than independently confirmed fact. 370

Relationships

• Demon Suppression Sect — Parent sect; the Division functions as its subordinate force. 405 447
• Great Yu imperial authority — Grants the Division its mandate to protect the emperor and act before reporting. 56
• Yan Yuqing — Rising Division figure who led the hunt for rebel Demon Person Dan Xiong and taught the local force its basic combat techniques. 56 57 81
• He Qianshou — Jade City Chief Banner and Three Viscera Peak expert; connected to the Sha and Jiang Families and central to the Wordless True Scripture incident. 103 127 134
• Chen Xi / Chen Jianshou — Jiang City Overseer and Four Viscera Realm officer; led the detachment ambushed by the Twelve Zodiacs. 137 139
• Kong Dagui — Jade City investigator and trusted subordinate of Pacification Commissioner Cang Changzhen; investigates Tong Gang and the Heavenly Corpse Sect. 169 211
• Cang Changzhen — Jade Province Pacification Commissioner and Kong Dagui’s superior. 211
• Li Bufan — Great Marshal of the Central Province headquarters; created the Hammer Wielder position for Zhang Lingshan. 290 426
• Zhang Lingshan — Initially cooperates with the Division as a subordinate and later becomes Jade City Chief Banner and Hammer Wielder; he eventually infiltrates and weakens a Division site. 180 290 441
• Esoteric Sect — Major hostile force responsible for the Twelve Zodiacs ambush and Tong Gang’s betrayal. 137
• Heavenly Corpse Sect — Covert hostile sect whose infiltration becomes a major target of Kong Dagui’s investigation. 169 183

Story Role / Major Arcs

Dan Xiong Pursuit

Yan Yuqing arrives at the yamen to hunt rebel Demon Person Dan Xiong, threatening execution if he is not found within three days. The Division supplies the Demon Subduing Saber Technique, Combined Attack Technique, and Bone Whistles to support the hunt. 56 57

Jiang City and the Wordless True Scripture

The Jiang City branch initially refuses accommodation to Ma Dongge’s group due to overcrowding. Later, He Qianshou enlists the branch to recover his stolen Wordless True Scripture, but its officers mobilize largely because they want a share of the prize. 121 134

Mountain Ambush and Joint Inquiry

The Division’s expedition is ambushed by the Esoteric Sect’s Twelve Zodiacs. Tong Gang’s betrayal causes severe casualties, including Wu Feng’s death, and Chen Xi is badly wounded. The subsequent joint inquiry becomes a struggle between the prefects’ factions rather than a straightforward investigation. 137 139 140

Kong Dagui’s Investigation

Kong Dagui arrives with Jade City experts, recognizes Tong Gang’s encoded letter as Corpse Script, and divides his team to investigate the Heavenly Corpse Sect’s influence in Jiang City. Zhang Lingshan and Dongfang Hua are assigned to investigate young Division talents. 169

Zhang Lingshan’s Rise

Kong Dagui appoints Zhang Lingshan Chief Banner of the Jade City branch after the Mountain God Temple incident. Li Bufan subsequently establishes the Hammer Wielder office for him, granting the new hall three hundred official recruitment slots. 180 290

Central Province Conflict

Li Bufan later places sentries around Purple Cloud Ridge after suspecting Zhang Lingshan. Zhang Lingshan recognizes that the Division possesses more hidden experts than its public reputation suggests and begins reassessing its strength. 431 432