At his first glimpse of Fahai, Zhou Yi almost thought he was looking at the monk's twin brother.
His demeanor had changed far too much.
When Zhou Yi had once enjoyed a long conversation with Fahai, the monk had been gentle as polished jade and full of compassion for the suffering world. His presence had been as radiant as the bright moon, putting others at ease.
Now he stood behind Commandant Wang, motionless and indifferent. An invisible, intangible pressure made every executioner tread carefully.
Commandant Wang introduced him. "This is Master Fahai of Golden Light Temple, one of those immortal masters of the Demon-Slaying Bureau you often talk about!"
"Amitabha!"
Fahai chanted the Buddha's name, his piercing gaze sweeping over all the executioners. Only when he saw Zhou Yi did it soften a little.
The spell for concealing his aura and presence was too low-grade to have much effect before Fahai.
Zhou Yi had originally worried about exposing his cultivation. Certain spiritual sight spells could see through cultivators stronger than their users, but it appeared Fahai had not practiced any such spells.
With seven thousand years of cultivation, Zhou Yi easily saw through Fahai. The monk had already entered Spirit Refining, joining the Upper Third Grade of Buddhist cultivators.
"Master Fahai has come today specifically to deliver the demonic woman from the Bare Body Sect, and to prevent her from using spells to escape."
Commandant Wang looked grave. "This is the first time I've handled an A-block assignment since taking this posting. Nothing can be allowed to go wrong!"
The Punishment Office's A-block had held no prisoners for seven years. Most executioners had never seen an A-block prisoner throughout their entire tenure.
"Han Er, take Master Fahai to Jail A-Nine!"
Hearing his name, Han Er's legs went weak, and he nearly dropped to his knees. He was on the verge of bursting into tears.
Demonic fiends were more dangerous than the Demon Race, and those held in A-block were the most dangerous of all.
With Fahai present, Zhou Yi did not use a spell to influence Commandant Wang. Like the other executioners, he merely looked at Han Er with sympathy.
"Rest assured, benefactor. This humble monk will keep you safe!"
Fahai's voice gave Han Er a little confidence, and he headed shakily into the depths of the Punishment Office.
Zhou Yi's assignment was Jail B-Twelve, which held a Tiger Demon that controlled Tiger Wraiths to harm people.
Refining Tiger Wraiths was the Tiger Tribe's most common innate spell. Similar incidents occurred in practically every commandery and county.
Over the years, at least seven or eight Tiger Demons had died beneath Zhou Yi's blade. The Tiger Wraiths bound to them had also suffered the complete destruction of their souls, unable to enter reincarnation.
Zhou Yi had specifically studied the state in which Tiger Wraiths existed. Neither human nor ghost, they lived and died with their Tiger Demon.
He had once considered finding a way to separate the Tiger Wraiths from their masters. They were pitiful people who had died in a tiger's jaws, and sending them into reincarnation would have been a meritorious deed.
His research revealed, however, that Tiger Wraiths were less "ghosts" than "implements."
The Tiger Demon's innate spell refined souls into magical implements, much like the Soul Banners and blood gods of the demonic path. They had become parts of the Tiger Demon, losing their independent existence.
This discovery had left Zhou Yi with a very poor impression of the Tiger Tribe's demons.
Even killing should end with a head hitting the ground. Refusing to release the Tiger Wraiths into reincarnation even after their master's death truly went too far.
Three thousand six hundred cuts later.
Only then did the Tiger Demon's life fade. With its throat sealed by magical power, it could not even let out a cry of anguish.
With Zhou Yi's self-created "Demon Dismantling Blade Art," his victim would die in precisely as many cuts as he intended-not one more, not one less.
Four years of cultivation gained.
Zhou Yi delivered the Tiger Demon's materials to the Ministry of Works, threw its remains into the Demon Refining Cavern, and waited for Fahai along the route out of A-block.
He waited for nearly half a day.
Fahai and Han Er emerged from the depths of the prison, fear still lingering on Han Er's face.
Zhou Yi pressed his palms together in greeting. "Master Fahai, it's been a long time."
"Amitabha! Benefactor Zhou, I trust you've been well."
A trace of a smile appeared on Fahai's cold face. "The teachings you imparted-Killing to Protect Life, Severing Karma and Slaying People-have only grown more profound to this humble monk over the years. Every time I recite them, I gain a new insight."
"Your roots of wisdom run deep, Master. Anyone else would have taken them as a joke."
Zhou Yi said, "Something has been troubling me lately, and I'd like to ask for your guidance."
Han Er knew when to make himself scarce. He cupped his hands and took his leave.
"Master, Old Zhou, I'm off to eat. That witch from the demonic sect scared me half to death. I need a hearty meal to recover."
Zhou Yi found a secluded spot.
The Punishment Office Prison grounds were vast. Even after nine years here, he had yet to discover their limits.
"Benefactor Zhou, ask whatever you wish. This humble monk will tell you anything he knows."
The Buddhist School placed the greatest weight on cause and effect. Zhou Yi had helped Fahai overcome his Heart Demon, and the Buddhist verse about Killing to Protect Life had subsequently become Fahai's path.
For the favor of guiding him toward the Great Dao, Fahai would not have considered even repaying Zhou Yi with his life excessive.
"Starting a year ago, the number of demons, monsters, and ghosts in the Punishment Office has at least doubled. Some of the demons brought here..."
Zhou Yi chose his words carefully. "Before dying, they all cried that they'd been wronged, claiming the Demon-Slaying Bureau had lured them in or that they'd fallen into a trap. Do you know what's going on, Master?"
Rather than answer directly, Fahai asked, "Then do you think they were wronged, Benefactor Zhou?"
"No!"
Zhou Yi answered without hesitation.
For instance, the wolf demon caught in a sting had already been secretly eating people. Other members of the Demon Race had fallen into the Demon-Slaying Bureau's traps the first time they ate a human, but their sentences were all reasonable under Great Qian Law.
Great Qian was a human dynasty, so its laws naturally favored humans. Their founding premise was that humans committed no crime by killing demons, while demons broke the law by eating humans.
The demons in the Demon-Slaying Bureau's prison were not simply captured and thrown inside. They were also tried by officials from the Ministry of Justice. Those with lighter offenses were imprisoned; only the serious offenders were thrown into the Demon Refining Cavern.
Zhou Yi was not about to let softhearted sainthood take hold and pity demons. He simply sensed instinctively that something had changed in the outside world.
"Excellent, excellent! A benefactor who could voice the Buddhist principle of killing to protect life truly understands reason."
Fahai smiled, reddish-gold Buddhist light shining from his body. "A year ago, a thorough investigation in the Capital uncovered hundreds of hidden demons. If even the Capital, a place of such importance, was like this, what must the commanderies and counties be like?"
"His Majesty, who had neglected state affairs for fifteen years, attended court and denounced the Demon-Slaying Bureau Commander for occupying his post and drawing his salary without doing his duty. He then issued sixteen demon extermination decrees in succession."
"His Majesty set performance targets for the Demon-Slaying Bureau branches in all sixteen provinces, and ordered the Palace Attendants Bureau to monitor the local authorities. Anyone who fails to meet the standards for slaying demons and exorcising fiends will face severe punishment."
Zhou Yi asked in puzzlement, "I heard most of the Demon-Slaying Bureau's immortal masters aren't actually members of the imperial court. Is that right?"
After nine years in the Punishment Office Prison, whether through fragments of overheard conversation or information gleaned from searching the souls of demons and ghosts, Zhou Yi had long since gained a thorough understanding of the Demon-Slaying Bureau's origins.
The Demon-Slaying Bureau had been founded during Emperor Guangming's reign. Back then, demons had risen throughout Great Qian, and more than half its sixteen provinces had fallen into rebel hands.
Emperor Guangming revised Great Qian Law, cleansed the administration, and joined forces with Buddhism and Daoism to establish the Demon-Slaying Bureau. Legend held that hundreds of thousands of demons had been thrown into the Demon Refining Cavern in its first year alone.
Peace swept across the realm.
Though founded later, the Demon-Slaying Bureau overtook its predecessors and became the foremost of the Four Immortal Bureaus.
Centuries later, the Demon-Slaying Bureau had become a colossal institution, its commander a senior court official comparable in standing to the Three Excellencies.
The one thing that had changed little was the main source of the Demon-Slaying Bureau's strength. It still relied on Buddhism and Daoism sects, which sent disciples every year to join the bureau and slay demons and exorcise fiends.
First, it allowed them to gain experience in the mortal world, tempering their character and honing their spells.
Second, it declared their willingness to serve Great Qian.
The imperial court had always sought to change the Demon-Slaying Bureau's situation, and had successively trained Demon-Exorcising Commandants and Demon-Slaying Commandants. Unfortunately, their strength fell far short of the cultivators of Buddhism and Daoism. They could only kill minor demons and fiends, leaving them as assistants to the two orders.
Cultivators outside Buddhism and Daoism preferred to join the prestigious, undemanding Immortal Stipend Bureau rather than risk their lives in the Demon-Slaying Bureau.
Given that, how had Emperor Jingtai managed to drive Buddhist and Daoist cultivators to risk their lives fulfilling their "performance targets"?
Slaying demons and exorcising fiends had never been easy work. Demons, monsters, and ghosts would not stretch out their necks for slaughter, and the Demon-Slaying Bureau's death rate certainly could not be low.
A translucent, lustrous pearl appeared in Fahai's hand. Irregularly oval in shape, it dispelled all the dark Killing Intent the instant it appeared.
Within the Punishment Office Prison, where sinister energy hung all year round and cold seeped into the bones, faint threads of warmth actually began to rise.
"To cleanse all under heaven, His Majesty opened the Heaven and Earth Dao Treasury. Meeting the performance targets earns rewards; exceeding them earns lavish rewards."
"This humble monk captured the Naked Body Cult Saintess. His Majesty bestowed this Arhat Relic upon me!"
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