"Bronze Leopard Squad Seven has returned to the Bureau!"
The great iron-and-bronze gates slowly swung open, and a line of dust-covered riders came trotting in from outside.
They wore Mysterious Silver Lock Armor and carried Wild Goose Feather Sabers. Half their faces were hidden behind iron masks, making them look imposing indeed.
On the training grounds to either side, more than a hundred youths in plain clothes had been practicing martial arts. At the shout, they all stopped and turned their burning gazes toward the riders, their eyes full of admiration and longing.
"The lords have returned safely from slaying demons. They must have earned great merit this time, killing plenty of Evil Spirits."
"I hope that one day I can join the Demon Subduing Bureau, purge Evil Spirits, and uphold justice in the world."
"We've trained hard in Champion Camp for years for exactly this. Let's get back to it. One day, the lords will notice our efforts."
While everyone chattered among themselves, a short distance away, a youth with sharp brows and bright eyes, whose face was as fair as jade, continued practicing his fist techniques in front of a wooden post.
From beginning to end, he never once looked elsewhere. He was utterly focused.
He had been in this world for a year now. Thanks to the memories left behind by his predecessor, Ning Xiu had grown accustomed to his identity and understood the state of the world.
More than five hundred years ago, Evil Spirits had suddenly begun appearing across the land. They wreaked havoc, poisoned the people, and plunged the world into misery.
The imperial court later established the Demon Subduing Bureau, widely recruiting extraordinary people from across the land—Buddhists, Taoists, monks, and scholars—to join forces and slay demons and subdue fiends. Only then did things begin to improve somewhat.
But fighting Evil Spirits was fraught with unpredictable danger, and the Demon Subduing Bureau often suffered casualties. To replenish its ranks and make up for the losses,
the Bureau established Champion Camp under its command, recruiting boys and girls aged ten to fourteen for standardized training.
Once they turned eighteen, they could take part in the camp's selection trials. If a trainee was younger but performed exceptionally well, far surpassing the standards, they could also receive an invitation to take the trials early.
Those who passed officially joined the Demon Subduing Bureau, while those who were not selected were assigned to prefectures, counties, and local government offices across the land.
Though they could not become Demon Subduing Captains in the Bureau, they could still protect the people and investigate Evil Spirits.
After skillfully completing the set of fist techniques the instructor had taught him, Ning Xiu pretended to gather his strength and slowly let out a breath.
Primordial Yang Fist, Proficiency +1
As a voice rang in his mind, Ning Xiu nodded with satisfaction. A translucent panel slowly appeared before his eyes.
Primordial Yang Fist: Fourth Layer (599/800) Golden Bell Shield: Third Layer (211/400)
When he had first transmigrated a year ago, Ning Xiu discovered that he possessed a Proficiency Panel.
As long as he trained hard in any cultivation method or martial art, its proficiency would steadily increase, allowing him to quickly master it and even break through again and again.
Over the past year, he had worked diligently. Every day, come wind or rain, he went to the training grounds to practice more than ten times the fist techniques and Hardening Skill taught by the Champion Camp instructors.
He refused to return to his room to rest until he was utterly exhausted. His diligence and training intensity were unmatched by anyone in Champion Camp.
Thanks to that drive, Ning Xiu was especially favored by the camp's instructors.
They only needed to wait until he was a few years older and had spent another two years building up his martial arts foundation and tempering his character. Then they would recommend him to the Demon Subduing Bureau and try to secure him a chance to join.
"Ning Xiu, the Demon Subduing Captains have returned safely from slaying demons. They looked so impressive! Why didn't you go take a look?"
Just as Ning Xiu was about to practice another set of Primordial Yang Fist, a dark-skinned youth ran over to him and spoke excitedly.
The youth was He Yunlang, Ning Xiu's friend in Champion Camp. He was two years older than Ning Xiu, and his lifelong wish was to join the Demon Subduing Bureau and slay demons and suppress fiends across the land for the imperial court.
By his reckoning, he should be old enough to take part in the Bureau's selection trials this year.
"What's the point of watching? You'd be better off using the time to practice a few more sets of fists," Ning Xiu said, keeping his gaze on the wooden post.
After a year of training without fail, Ning Xiu had spent a great deal of time and effort just to bring Primordial Yang Fist to the fourth layer.
Golden Bell Shield, a Hardening Skill, was even more difficult to master. After a year, he had only reached the third layer.
If he joined the Demon Subduing Bureau with skills at that level and went out to slay demons, he'd be courting death.
Whether or not he could join the Bureau on the day of his selection at eighteen, Ning Xiu wanted to do everything he could to bring Primordial Yang Fist to its peak. So it was crucial to make the most of his time.
"You've practiced fists every single day this past year. You've long since mastered this set of Primordial Yang Fist and committed it to memory. Why keep practicing it? You should try staff or palm techniques instead. That would make your skills seem more varied and give you more to show the Demon Subduing Captains when you take the selection trials." He Yunlang advised.
Ning Xiu smiled. "Trying to swallow too much at once will only leave you choking. The best strategy is to focus on one thing. You wouldn't understand."
Primordial Yang Fist was a common martial art in Champion Camp, open to everyone.
According to the camp's instructors, it had been created by a Martial Dao Fifth Rank master from Great Shang. Practicing it could strengthen one's vital energy and temper one's body.
It wasn't a fist technique designed specifically for combat, but it was excellent for martial artists just starting out: it built a solid foundation, strengthened the body, and nourished the blood.
After a year of practicing fists, Ning Xiu had never once fallen ill, not even with a minor ailment. Every day, he was full of energy and strength. That was why he valued Primordial Yang Fist so highly and made it one of his main focuses.
Across all of Champion Camp, when it came to the trainees' mastery of Primordial Yang Fist, no one dared claim to be better than Ning Xiu. He was quite the unusual one.
"Practicing only Primordial Yang Fist and one Hardening Skill, while not touching any other martial arts or cultivation methods at all—you're truly the strangest trainee Champion Camp has ever had." He Yunlang shook his head and sighed.
As the two chatted, Martial Instructor Wu, who was in charge of this training ground, suddenly came striding over from a distance.
His expression was stern, clearly indicating that something unusual had happened. The trainees, who had been discussing the Demon Subduing Captains' impressive return, promptly fell silent and waited for Martial Instructor Wu to announce what was going on.
"Those whose names I call, come with me. Everyone else, carry on training. Ning Xiu, He Yunlang, Li Chang, Su Lanzhu, Wang Bing..."
Martial Instructor Wu called out more than thirty names before finally stopping.
Hearing his own name and He Yunlang's, Ning Xiu immediately stepped out of the crowd. Champion Camp was run like an army; the instructors held authority over everyone, and all they had to do was obey.
With the more than thirty trainees he had called by name in tow, Martial Instructor Wu promptly left the training ground.
The remaining trainees exchanged puzzled looks.
"Where's the instructor taking them? Could they be going to take the selection trials?"
"That can't be. Several of the ones he called aren't even eighteen yet. They're too young for the trials."
"We'll ask them when they get back."
Inside the camp tent, a middle-aged man in Mysterious Silver Lock Armor sat at the head of the room.
When Ning Xiu and the others entered and saw him, every one of them looked surprised.
Only members of the Demon Subduing Bureau wore Mysterious Silver Lock Armor throughout Great Shang. A Demon Subduing Captain had actually come to Champion Camp today. Did that mean the selection trials were about to begin?
"We pay our respects to you, Lord Demon Subduing Captain," everyone said, clasping their hands.
"Spare me the formalities. I didn't come here to hold trials today. The Demon Subduing Prison has been short-staffed lately, so I'm here to select a group of trainees from Champion Camp to help out. If you can hold on there for a while, you can be added to the Demon Subduing Bureau's rolls once the staff shortage is resolved. You won't need to take the selection trials."
"The Demon Subduing Prison?" Ning Xiu glanced curiously at Martial Instructor Wu, who stood nearby. He had never heard of such a place.
Martial Instructor Wu's real name was Wu Yan. He had once been an Iron Horse Demon Subduing Captain in the Demon Subduing Bureau, but during an operation to slay demons, he had been injured by an Evil Spirit and could no longer serve. That was why he had retired early from the Bureau and come to Champion Camp to become an instructor.
He should know about the Demon Subduing Prison.
"The Demon Subduing Prison is where the Demon Subduing Bureau keeps Evil Spirits locked up. Lately, cases of Evil Spirits near Chaotian Capital have surged, and many have been captured. But there aren't enough executioners, so they need to send in more people. You'll go with this lord to help at the prison. If you can hold out, you'll be able to join the Demon Subduing Bureau directly afterward, saving yourselves a lot of trouble," Wu Yan explained.
The trainees he had named today were all promising youngsters he had thought highly of for a long time.
It was rare for the Demon Subduing Bureau to come to Champion Camp asking for people. This was a valuable chance to make an impression on a Demon Subduing Captain, so Wu Yan had naturally chosen to send Ning Xiu's group.
"Yes!"
Working for the Demon Subduing Bureau was every trainee in Champion Camp's dream. With a Demon Subduing Captain personally coming to recruit them, naturally no one would refuse.
Seeing that the more than thirty trainees had arrived, the Demon Subduing Captain lingered no longer. He stood up and led Ning Xiu and the others out of Champion Camp, straight to the Demon Subduing Bureau's headquarters.
The Demon Subduing Bureau's headquarters stood in Great Shang's capital, Chaotian Capital, just beyond a wall from Champion Camp.
What Ning Xiu never expected was that the Demon Subduing Prison lay beneath Chaotian Capital, a place completely cut off from the light of day.
They followed the Demon Subduing Captain down a thousand steps and passed through dozens of gates weighing a thousand jin each before finally reaching the prison entrance.
The main gate was shaped like an iron tiger's maw. An iron plaque above it bore the words "Demon Subduing." Torches and oil lamps were the only sources of light, and the atmosphere was chillingly eerie.
"Go on in. Someone inside will assign you work. If you make it through this stretch, I'll personally bring you into the Demon Subduing Bureau." Standing outside the tiger's maw, the Demon Subduing Captain showed no intention of entering. Instead, he spoke to Ning Xiu and the others.
"Thank you, sir."
They had no choice but to comply. After bidding farewell to the Demon Subduing Captain and entering the prison, He Yunlang immediately hurried over to Ning Xiu, speaking excitedly. "I can't believe I actually get to work for the Demon Subduing Bureau this time, and I've even gotten to see the Demon Subduing Prison, a place outsiders don't even know exists. Ning Xiu, it looks like it won't be long before we become Demon Subduing Captains."
"Be careful. The Demon Subduing Prison is full of Evil Spirits, and their ways of harming people are beyond imagination. Don't get excited too soon," Ning Xiu said quietly.
Back in Champion Camp, besides practicing basic fist techniques, Ning Xiu spent most of his time reading the books in the camp.
They recorded all kinds of information about Evil Spirits. For example, one kind of Evil Spirit was known as a Nightmare Fiend. It could kill people in their dreams, striking silently and without a trace.
Another kind was a Ghoul Servant, the transformed soul of a person eaten by a tiger. They became the tiger's servant, luring unsuspecting passersby into its clutches so the tiger could devour them.
One kind of Evil Spirit was known as the Night-Wailing Child, the transformed spirit of a child who had died young. It looked like a child and often appeared at night, playing on children's beds and keeping them from sleeping peacefully. If it wasn't driven away, the child would fall gravely ill.
It was because he had read about these things that Ning Xiu didn't look as excited as He Yunlang. Instead, he was extremely cautious.
Their work for the Demon Subduing Bureau at the Demon Subduing Prison might not be as simple as they imagined.
As soon as they entered the prison, a burly man dressed as a jailer came over. After looking Ning Xiu and the others up and down, he said, "You're here to help, right? Pick any cell from Huang Zone No. 17 to No. 132. All you have to do is execute the Evil Spirit locked inside. Once you're done, you can rest for the day."
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