Demon Slaying Division

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Demon Slaying Division (斩妖司)
Affiliation	Great Yan Dynasty; county divisions report directly to the Qingzhou Demon Slaying Division 59
Occupation/Role	Government agency that slays and apprehends demons and monsters, supervises local regions, and monitors local officials 59 111
Status	Active
First Appearance	51

Authority and Purpose

The Demon Slaying Division was established by Great Yan’s founding emperor to slay demons and monsters while serving as a supervisory body over local officials. Its county-level rank is equivalent to that of a County Magistrate. 59 111

• It can recruit Blade Catchers to pursue wanted criminals, collect intelligence, and support official operations. 51 59
• The Division maintains bounty records, merit rosters, exchange lists, and intelligence networks. 89 118 121
• Its offices are restricted areas guarded by Division officers. 117 152
• The Division’s authority is used to intervene in local disputes when registered Blade Catchers are involved. Li Zhihe publicly identifies Silver Token Blade Catcher Li Feiyu as “one of ours” while dealing with the Clear Wind Gang. 111
• Gold Token Blade Catchers are treated as genuine Great Yan officials: they may face officials without kneeling, and ordinary yamen cannot directly arrest them. 118

Organization

Division Masters

Office	Known Division Master	Notes
Qingyun County Demon Slaying Division	Li Zhihe	A Seventh-Rank Martial Artist; recruits capable Blade Catchers and can recommend candidates for Gold Token assessment. 60 140
Canghe County Demon Slaying Division	Zhao Pingyuan	Oversees Canghe’s public bounty system and merit exchanges. 117 118
Changfeng County Demon Slaying Division	Xu Zhen	Assists in operations against the Black Mountain Rebel Army and later issues bounties for Demonic Beast hunting. 152 231

Judges

Judges are officials dispatched by the Qingzhou Demon Slaying Division to oversee Gold Token Blade Catcher assessments. During special circumstances, a Judge’s authority can surpass that of a county Division Master. 140

• Jiang Yao — A Judge sent to assess Gold Token Blade Catchers across the Canglan Three Commanderies; later serves as an Archive Seeker in Qingzhou’s Demon Slaying Division. 177 278
• Gold Token assessments normally involve a Level One bounty or a special assessment issued by Qingzhou. Successful candidates are registered in the Qingzhou Demon Slaying Division’s records. 140

Blade Catchers

Blade Catchers are auxiliary personnel recruited by the Division. In counties without active Demonic Beast threats, they primarily apprehend wanted criminals for bounties. 59

Token Rank	Requirements and Privileges
Bronze Token	Registered Blade Catcher status; may accept higher-paying bounties, access additional information, receive a monthly salary of five taels of silver, and exchange for rare Division items. Holders must complete at least one bounty every three months. 64
Silver Token	Recognized within Qingyun, Canghe, and Changfeng Counties, but not necessarily beyond the three counties. 118
Gold Token	Requires recommendation, reporting to Qingzhou, and a formal assessment. Holders are recognized outside the three counties and receive official-like legal status. 118 140

• Bronze Blade Catcher tokens bear a wolf pattern and the inscriptions “Demon Slaying” and “Blade Catcher.” 64
• Silver Tokens can identify a Blade Catcher to other county divisions and permit access to their facilities. 117 152
• Gold Tokens bear a ferocious tiger pattern. 272

Bounties and Merits

The Division uses bounties to pursue criminals, rebels, and later Demonic Beasts.

• Level Three bounties include lower-ranked criminals and monetary rewards. 60
• Level Two bounties are rarer, recorded on specially made silk, and can grant Second Class Merits. 89
• Level One bounties may be used as Gold Token assessments. 140
• Merits earned from the Qingyun, Canghe, and Changfeng divisions are interchangeable. 118
• Merit exchanges include ranked martial arts, medicinal resources, and Demonic Beast Blood. 72 118
• Canghe’s exchange roster includes multiple grades of Demonic Beast Blood, with Ninth-Rank blood costing three Second Class Merits per portion. 118

Regional Operations

Qingyun County

Qingyun’s Division had declined for more than twenty years because the remote county had no known Demonic Beast disturbances. It consisted of only a single office before reopening Blade Catcher recruitment. 59 84

A report that an unidentified force within the city was colluding with the Black Mountain Rebel Army prompted renewed recruitment, as the Qingyun Army was too conspicuous and heavily watched. 51

• The Division provides Blade Catchers with black scale-patterned armor designed to be less conspicuous than Qingyun Army armor. 67
• Its exchange resources include Black Jade Tiger Bone Paste, which Su Mu finds more effective than ordinary White Jade Savage Bone Paste. 76
• Li Zhihe uses the Division’s authority and records to investigate the Black Mountain Rebel Army’s Lin Family Manor stronghold. 140

Canghe County

Canghe operates a public bounty system with separate black and red lists.

• The black list contains ordinary bounties, including targets up to the Eighth-Rank Bone Forging Realm. 117
• The red list includes higher-value targets, such as Seventh-Rank Muscle Tendon Transformation martial artists, whose capture can earn merits. 117
• Public bounties attract escorts and martial artists, making Canghe’s Division more prosperous than Qingyun’s. 117
• The system also creates risks: informants or criminal accomplices can identify bounty-takers and warn targets in advance. 117

Changfeng County

Changfeng’s Division works closely with the county government and army during the conflict with the Black Mountain Rebel Army.

• Xu Zhen assists in preparing the execution of Yuan Dong, using it as part of an operation intended to draw out Yuan Wuming. 152
• The Division later issues bounties for Demonic Beast hunting after increased activity in the Qifeng Mountain Range and the loss of many strong fighters during the Changfeng battle. 231
• Hunters receive both bounty payments and government purchases for Demonic Beast carcasses. 231

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Blade Catcher recruitment — Following intelligence about Black Mountain Rebel Army collaborators in Qingyun, the Division begins recruiting more Blade Catchers. Shi Feng later introduces Su Mu to the organization. 51 59
• Li Feiyu’s registration — Su Mu, under the identity of Li Feiyu, completes bounties and receives a Bronze Blade Catcher token from Li Zhihe. 63 64
• Rise of Li Feiyu — Li Feiyu’s defeat of Zhou Tiande earns recognition from the Qingyun Army and improves Shi Hong’s view of the Division. 69 70
• Cross-county reputation — Li Feiyu claims bounties in Canghe, where his strength impresses Zhao Pingyuan and Wang Zhen. 117
• Gold Token candidacy — Li Zhihe recommends Li Feiyu for Gold Token assessment and explains the Judge-led evaluation process. 140
• Changfeng execution operation — Xu Zhen recruits Li Feiyu to assist against a possible Black Mountain Rebel Army rescue attempt during Yuan Dong’s execution. 152 153
• Gold Token assessments — Jiang Yao is dispatched from Qingzhou to assess candidates across the Canglan Three Commanderies. 177
• Donglai infiltration — Gold Token Blade Catcher Li Xuan infiltrates the Flood Dragon Blood Gang before revealing his identity during an operation against Liu E. 272
• Donglai controversy — The Donglai Demon Slaying Division reports that an impersonator disrupted a long-established undercover network, escalating the matter to higher authorities. 278