As the two men approached, Qin An instinctively tightened his grip on the Black Blade at his waist.
Seeing this, the tall man smiled. "Careful, aren't you, Brother Qin? I mean no harm. My name is Gao Quan, and he's Yao Feng. From now on, we're all brothers serving under Lady Tang."
The short man, Yao Feng, cupped his fists. "Let's look out for each other."
Both men spoke with the air of martial wanderers rather than officials.
Qin An frowned and loosened his right hand slightly. "Sorry for the trouble."
Gao Quan chuckled. "Brother Qin, now that you've dealt with the demons in Ding County, you can ask us anytime if there's something you don't understand."
Yao Feng chimed in. "Once we return, be careful, even with your Evil Extermination Division status."
Qin An raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
He could tell Yao Feng was hinting at something.
Yao Feng said slowly, "A lot of people die in the Evil Extermination Division every year, and a lot of new people join. Risk your life, and you can gain something."
"But a lot of the time, people don't lose their lives while hunting demons."
"Put Liu Ruohu aside for now. The faction he relies on is in Ling Prefecture, and he's guilty of a crime. They won't dare make a move."
"The Monkey Demon is more troublesome."
Qin An rubbed his chin and waited for Yao Feng to continue.
Tang Lingwei had mentioned this before. Qin An knew his trip to Ling Prefecture would hardly be simple.
Now that Yao Feng had said as much, Qin An grasped the point.
The Evil Extermination Division's work meant licking blood from a blade's edge.
Humans slaughtered demons, and demons killed humans.
Once enough blood stained their hands, demons would seek revenge. Members of the Evil Extermination Division could lose their lives the moment they let down their guard.
That fit exactly with what Yao Feng had said.
Once Sect Leader Liu's backers heard the news, they would likely be desperate to cut ties with him. After all, they were a human faction in Ling Prefecture and wouldn't dare act recklessly.
Demons were different.
Yao Feng meant that the faction behind the Monkey Demon was formidable.
Seeing Yao Feng put on a mysterious air, Gao Quan gave him an annoyed slap. "Get to the point."
Yao Feng rubbed the back of his head and glared at Gao Quan. "The faction behind the Monkey Demon is Azure Cloud Valley, one of the most powerful demon factions in Ling Prefecture. Just be careful."
Qin An nodded slightly.
He didn't need to know anything more. Knowing they were powerful was enough.
Having entered this world, Qin An already understood what danger meant.
He had joined the Evil Extermination Division to obtain more Cultivation Methods and Blood Crystals, then sweep those dangers aside.
As they talked, they drew ever closer to Ling Prefecture.
Along the way, they encountered several people escorting County Magistrate Zhang, who joined their group.
County Magistrate Zhang's face had gone ashen. He knew he had little time left, and he looked at Qin An with hatred.
Qin An felt nothing about it.
All he wanted now was to obtain new Cultivation Methods as soon as possible and grow strong enough to keep danger from finding him.
It took half a month to travel from Ding County to Ling Prefecture.
Ding County's remoteness was precisely what had allowed County Magistrate Zhang to get away with his crimes for so long.
Ahead, the imposing outline of a city came into Qin An's view.
Ling Prefecture was countless times more prosperous than Ding County.
Several soldiers guarded the gate. When they saw the token at Tang Lingwei's waist, they let the group through at once.
Inside the city, a clamor rose around them.
Pedestrians streamed endlessly along both sides of the street.
The bustle of ordinary life washed over Qin An, prosperous yet familiar.
Qin An followed the group toward a part of Lingzhou City.
The townspeople glanced over from time to time, watching Qin An and the others with awe and curiosity.
After the time it took an incense stick to burn, Qin An narrowed his eyes at the imposing building before him.
Amid vermilion towers and jade tiles, an air of menace struck him head-on.
A plaque hung above, bearing the words "Evil Extermination Division."
The characters swept across it like dragons in flight and phoenixes in dance. One glance was enough to feel killing intent soaring to the heavens.
Beyond the gate lay a vast courtyard. People came and went, all members of the Evil Extermination Division dressed in dark robes.
Tang Lingwei glanced at Gao Quan. "Take Qin An to collect two sets of clothes and register him while you're at it. I'll take County Magistrate Zhang to report back."
With that, Tang Lingwei led her people away.
Chen Chun went with her.
He was to become a full member, but not necessarily one of Tang Lingwei's subordinates. The Evil Extermination Division would decide his assignment.
Gao Quan said helplessly, "That's just how Lady Tang is. Brother Qin, come with me to collect your clothes. I'll explain the Evil Extermination Division along the way."
Qin An nodded and walked with Gao Quan toward a building.
Gao Quan talked as they walked.
"The Evil Extermination Division has two branches: the Internal Affairs Division and the External Affairs Division. Most of the people you saw in the courtyard belong to Internal Affairs. They handle intelligence and classified documents."
"We're External Affairs. Every hard, thankless job involving the subjugation of demons falls to us."
Hearing this, Qin An asked, "Chen Chun said you have to risk your life to join the Evil Extermination Division, and risk it even more once you're in. How do people get into Internal Affairs?"
Gao Quan gave a false cough. "Risking our lives... that's for those of us who entered the Evil Extermination Division through the martial world or the Yamen. Internal Affairs is full of well-connected people coasting through their days."
Gao Quan went on to explain.
"The Evil Extermination Division isn't the only power in Ling Prefecture. Aristocratic Clans, sects, and other factions are tangled together like roots."
"Every year, people from those factions join Internal Affairs and settle in. As for why..."
"First, it keeps the factions steady by letting them cling to the Evil Extermination Division's leg."
"Second, it gives us leverage over them."
Qin An frowned. "Leverage? How?"
He understood the first reason, but not the second.
Gao Quan said slowly, "Demons are entrenched everywhere, and the False Gods sow chaos. If Ling Prefecture's factions decide to rebel, what would the Evil Extermination Division do?"
Qin An rubbed his chin. "So you have key members of those factions join as hostages?"
Gao Quan nodded. "Exactly. It's the only way to keep the situation stable."
Holding key members hostage was indeed a good way to keep those factions in check.
Even if it never came to that, should the Evil Extermination Division need manpower, would those factions dare refuse?
Qin An continued, "And what are the False Gods?"
By then, Gao Quan and Qin An had arrived before a tall building.
Gao Quan stopped explaining. "Let's go in and get you two sets of clothes first. I'll tell you about the False Gods afterward."
Qin An nodded and went inside.
Following Gao Quan's lead, he collected two sets of clothes.
One was a spare; he changed into the other.
Before long, Qin An came back out in dark robes, the Black Blade hanging at his waist.
Gao Quan's eyes lit up. "Not bad. They fit you like they were made for you, Brother Qin. On me, they look like they're hanging off a bamboo pole."
Qin An also held two books: the Blazing Flame Cultivation Method and the Demon Subduing Blade Techniques.
He had already learned both, but he put them away as the rules required.
Gao Quan was about to continue when a hand suddenly reached out and hooked around his shoulder.
Before Gao Quan could react, a flippant voice rang out.
"Has Tang Lingwei used her Bronze Captain privileges again to recruit some worthless misfit?"
Before you continue