"I wanted to climb higher in the future, and I needed a platform."
"And it had to be a major sect."
"From what Han Qingsong said, the more varied your cultivation, the more likely you seemed to die."
"Major sects had systems passed down through generations. People had already tested and corrected the path ahead, allowing those who came after to go farther."
"As one of the Hundred Schools of Thought under the Great Tang Dynasty, the Demon Extermination Hall might not measure up to a major sect, but it couldn't be too far behind."
"The Demon Extermination Hall was backed by the Hundred Schools of Thought. It seemed like a hodgepodge."
"Uneven in quality. Maybe I could fish in troubled waters."
Li Qing mulled over the countless bits of information in his mind. In this world, advancing further wasn't easy.
He drew a deep breath and made up his mind.
"I'll give it a try."
"If there's a problem, I can always slack off."
With that, he headed for the Demon Extermination Hall.
When he reached the gate, two guards were already scrutinizing him.
"What brings you here, sir? This is an important government office. Unauthorized visitors are not allowed inside."
Li Qing smiled faintly. "Wen Taiquan sent me. He invited me to join the Demon Extermination Hall."
The two guards looked surprised.
One of them said, "Wait here. I'll go find Wen Taiquan."
Li Qing nodded. "All right."
A moment later, two figures emerged from the Demon Extermination Hall.
Wen Taiquan looked at Li Qing with a broad smile. "Hahaha, Mr. Qin finally came after all."
"Please, come in."
Li Qing cupped his hands slightly. "Sorry for the trouble."
His heart tightened. The other party had already found out that his surname was Qin. Though it was a false surname, only the people at the Escort Agency knew it.
It looks like there are Government Office people or informants inside the Escort Agency.
He grew wary of the court's reach.
They crossed the small garden in front of the Demon Extermination Hall and soon reached a side hall.
Li Qing observed in silence. The Demon Extermination Hall seemed to cover a vast area. By his rough estimate, it stretched at least a hundred zhang in either direction.
In the side hall, Wen Taiquan and Li Qing sat facing each other.
Wen Taiquan asked, "Would you like to join the Demon Extermination Hall?"
Li Qing nodded. "Yes."
"I'd like to learn about the rules first."
Wen Taiquan laughed. "The Demon Extermination Hall is actually a very relaxed place."
"All resources here must be exchanged for merit points."
"Once you join, you'll be a Demon Extermination Captain, a ninth-rank official of the Great Tang Dynasty."
"The salary is ten taels a month, enough to guarantee you can get by in this city."
"As for any other cultivation resources, you'll have to exchange merit points for them."
"Our Jade City is just a small city in the Border Wilderness. We mainly have three kinds of missions: Grade A, Grade B, and Grade C."
"Grade A is the highest, Grade C the lowest. The most dangerous missions won't involve anyone above the peak of the True Method Realm."
"Each year, you must complete at least one mission."
"Also, each person may refuse a special conscription mission once."
"But after refusing one, the cultivation resources you exchange with merit points the following year will cost twice as much."
"Furthermore, as Demon Extermination Captains, we cannot break the law."
"If we knowingly break the law, our punishment will be increased by one degree."
"Our main targets are cultivators who have undergone Aberration, as well as Anomalies that appear in cities."
"We protect ordinary people in the city from the influence of cultivators and Anomalies."
"Other than that, you're basically free to come and go. No one will restrain you."
Li Qing pondered this in silence.
"Seems like a decent path."
He nodded slightly. "If I want to join, what procedures do I need to go through?"
Wen Taiquan smiled faintly. "Nothing special. We'll register you and issue you a waist token."
"You're a normal cultivator, so that's enough. But once you're no longer normal, you'll automatically be dismissed."
With that, he led Li Qing away.
They came to a hall with a plaque that read Archives Hall.
An old man sat amid a sea of books inside, apparently handling documents.
Wen Taiquan brought Li Qing before him and said with a faint smile, "Elder Huang, I've brought a newcomer."
Elder Huang was an old man who looked to be in his sixties or seventies.
His gaze fell on Li Qing, and a faint green light flickered in his eyes.
The green light transformed into a pair of mysterious pupils that examined Li Qing from head to toe.
Li Qing was startled. He felt as if this man could see right through him.
"Heh, not bad. Your vital essence is pure, without a trace of impurity."
"Your cultivation method is orthodox. I haven't seen it before, but it should be a genuine orthodox method."
"You're only at the Essence Refining level, but Killing Intent flickers faintly around you. You must have seen blood."
"Have you checked his identity?" He glanced at Wen Taiquan.
Wen Taiquan nodded. "I have. There's no problem."
At those words, Li Qing's heart stirred. Checked?
"What's your name?" Elder Huang looked at Li Qing.
"My name is Qin Wuming."
Elder Huang nodded slightly. He took out a token, and a wash of green light flashed across his hand.
The character Qin appeared on the back of the token, while the front bore the words "Demon Extermination."
Elder Huang flicked his hand and tossed the token to Li Qing. "From now on, go to the Mission Hall to take missions, and to the Treasury Hall to exchange for things."
"This is a simple magical artifact. It will record all your information."
Li Qing nodded and cupped his hands. "Thank you."
Wen Taiquan laughed. "Brother Qin, come on. Let's go to the Mission Hall first."
"To prove you've joined the Demon Extermination Hall, you'll need to complete an assessment mission."
Li Qing's brows furrowed at that.
Wen Taiquan said, "Don't worry. Most assessment missions are just formalities."
"They're all very simple. With your abilities, you'll have no trouble completing one."
Li Qing nodded silently, planning to take a look before deciding.
With Wen Taiquan leading the way, they arrived at the Mission Hall.
There weren't many people inside, and they wore all kinds of clothing.
As people came and went, many greeted Wen Taiquan.
He responded cheerfully each time. He seemed to have quite a lot of friends.
Li Qing observed in silence.
Inside the main hall, a wall stood before them.
Jade plaques of various colors hung on it.
Wen Taiquan explained, "The blue jade plaques are Grade A missions. They're basically all for cultivators in the True Method Realm, so we shouldn't touch them."
"The green jade plaques are Grade B. As long as you've reached the Human Tribulation, you can take those missions. There are fewer than ten a year."
"The white jade plaques are Grade C. Cultivators at the Essence Refining and State-Forming levels can take them."
"I'm your guide. To determine whether you're qualified to become a Demon Extermination Captain, you need to take a Grade C mission."
"You'll have to complete it alone. Want to give it a try?"
Li Qing considered this. "Since you're my guide, Brother Wen, is there anything you can teach me?"
Wen Taiquan smiled faintly. "Most Grade C missions involve Anomalies in the city."
"Beforehand, specialists from the Government Office and the Demon Extermination Hall gather all the information. Then experts from the Demon Extermination Hall analyze it and pinpoint the target."
Li Qing frowned. "Have they ever gotten it wrong?"