"Brother Shen!"
"Hmm!"
As Shen Changqing walked down the road, he would greet or nod at acquaintances he encountered. But regardless of who it was, everyone's face lacked any superfluous expression, as if they were indifferent to everything. Shen Changqing had long since become accustomed to this.
This was because this place was the Demon-Subduing Division, an institution maintaining the stability of Great Qin. Its main duty was to slay Demon Evils and Strange Monsters, though it naturally had some other side businesses. It could be said that in the Demon-Subduing Division, everyone's hands were stained with much blood. When a person becomes accustomed to life and death, they grow indifferent to many things. When Shen Changqing first arrived in this world, he felt somewhat uncomfortable, but as time passed, he got used to it.
The Demon-Subduing Division was vast. Those who could stay in the Demon-Subduing Division were either powerful experts or individuals with the potential to become such experts. Shen Changqing belonged to the latter category.
Within the Demon-Subduing Division, there were two professions: Defender Envoy and Demon Hunter. Anyone entering the Demon-Subduing Division would start as the lowest level of Demon Hunter and then gradually get promoted, with the hope of eventually becoming a Defender Envoy. Shen Changqing's predecessor had been a probationary Demon Hunter in the Demon-Subduing Division, the lowest rank among them.
Possessing his predecessor's memories, he was very familiar with the environment of the Demon-Subduing Division.
It didn't take long for Shen Changqing to stop in front of a certain pavilion. Unlike the other solemn and lethal areas of the Demon-Subduing Division, this pavilion stood out like a crane among chickens, exuding a unique sense of peace amidst the bloodiness of the Demon-Subduing Division. At this moment, the pavilion's gate was wide open, with occasional individuals entering and exiting. Shen Changqing hesitated for only a moment before striding in.
Upon entering the pavilion, the atmosphere suddenly changed. A scent of ink intermingled with a faint smell of blood wafted towards him, causing his brows to instinctively furrow, though they quickly relaxed. The bloody odor clinging to the people of the Demon-Subduing Division was almost impossible to wash away completely. Becoming accustomed to the smell of blood was a prerequisite for staying in the Demon-Subduing Division. Others were like this, and so was Shen Changqing.
"Huang Department's probationary Demon Hunter Shen Changqing requests entry to the Scripture Pavilion!"
"Hmm."
The old man sitting in front of the pavilion, who had been dozing off, opened his bleary eyes. An almost imperceptible glint of blood-red light flashed within them. In that instant, Shen Changqing felt as though he were being watched by a Fierce Beast, making the hairs on his body stand on end. If he hadn't been sure that everyone was on his side, he would have turned and fled.
However, Shen Changqing also understood that the individual guarding the Scripture Pavilion was one of the powerhouses within the Demon-Subduing Division. The instinctual sense of crisis he felt was merely a slight leakage of the other's aura.
"Show your Identity Token."
"Please take a look."
"Probationary Demon Hunter, you have the right to enter the first level of the Scripture Pavilion for a stay of up to two hours. Do not overstay."
"Thank you!"
Shen Changqing retrieved his Token, and the old man closed his eyes again, seemingly already deep in sleep. He paid it no further mind and walked straight past the old man, officially entering the Scripture Pavilion.
The rules of the Demon-Subduing Division were few, but violating any one of them could be fatal. One such rule was to refrain from prying into others' privacy and to avoid excessive curiosity. Over the years, there had been numerous instances of Demon Hunters who, driven by excessive curiosity, stirred up trouble by prying and were ultimately slain by others.
While killing each other was strictly forbidden within the Demon-Subduing Division, killing someone didn't necessarily require a direct confrontation. Moreover, though the individuals in the Demon-Subduing Division weren't madmen, quite a few were impulsive and prone to fits of anger. If rage truly took hold, a killing might simply happen.
Although Shen Changqing had been in the Demon-Subduing Division for nearly five days, he had yet to witness such an incident. But his predecessor had been in the Demon-Subduing Division for almost a month, and during that time, had heard of several such cases. As someone who had inherited his predecessor's memories, Shen Changqing was deeply wary of these things.
「The Scripture Pavilion.」
It was where the entire Demon-Subduing Division stored its Martial Arts. Attempting to contend with Demon Evils and Strange Monsters using only the mortal Flesh was naturally impossible. Only by cultivating high-level Martial Arts could one possess the basic means to resist Demon Evils and Strange Monsters. Thus, the Scripture Pavilion existed to allow members of the Demon-Subduing Division to enhance their strength as much as possible.
Furthermore, as the Demon-Subduing Division was an institution dedicated to protecting Great Qin, it needed to cultivate a sufficient number of experts. Consequently, there weren't many requirements for comprehending and practicing the Martial Arts stored within. As long as one had an Identity Token, they could freely enter and exit the Scripture Pavilion without any additional fees. However, to prevent individuals from immersing themselves solely in the Scripture Pavilion—thereby avoiding Demon-Subduing Division tasks or becoming so-called experts in Martial Arts with no actual combat experience—the Division established rules limiting the duration and frequency of each person's visits.
The first floor of the Scripture Pavilion was vast. When Shen Changqing arrived, quite a few people were already lingering inside, browsing through the books. Some he recognized, while others were complete strangers. After all, the Demon-Subduing Division was enormous, and new recruits were frequently brought in. Even though his predecessor had been there for a month, the number of people he truly knew was limited.
No one noticed Shen Changqing's arrival. Everyone was using their limited time to memorize the Martial Arts they needed to practice. Shen Changqing paid them no mind. He approached a bookshelf and skillfully pulled out a book from the many neatly arranged ones.
The cover of the book displayed a few large characters: *Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training*!
The characters were unique to Great Qin and quite different from the script Shen Changqing knew from his past life. But with his predecessor's memories, he had no difficulty understanding them.
Having taken out the *Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training*, Shen Changqing sat down cross-legged beside the bookshelf and began to read in silence.
「Time passed.」
Two hours went by quickly. Shen Changqing returned the book to its place, then stood up and walked outside. As he left, the old man guarding the Scripture Pavilion opened his bleary eyes for a moment, then closed them again. In that instant, Shen Changqing felt a prickling sensation on his back, compelling him to quicken his pace as he left.
Before long, he returned to his residence.
Once someone joined the Demon-Subduing Division, they belonged to it, whether in life or in death; there was no possibility of leaving. Therefore, everyone in the Demon-Subduing Division, even the lowest-ranking Demon Hunter, received extraordinary treatment. For instance, the place where Shen Changqing currently lived was an independent courtyard equipped with wooden dummies, stone locks, and other Martial Arts training tools.
After returning to his residence, he didn't immediately start to cultivate but calmed his mind and focused—
Name: Shen Changqing
Organization: Great Qin's Demon Suppression Division
Identity: Probationary Demon Hunter
Martial Arts: *Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training* (Uninitiated, Upgradeable)
Slaughter Value: 3
"Success!"
Seeing the word 'Upgradeable' on the panel, a smile immediately appeared on Shen Changqing's face. After coming to this world, the reason he felt confident enough to stay in the Demon-Subduing Division was his discovery of his own 'golden finger'—a cheat-like ability. The panel seemed plain and simple, but Shen Changqing understood that it was the foundation for his survival and progress in this world.
Without any hesitation, he focused his will on the *Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training* and silently thought, Upgrade!
As the thought settled, his Slaughter Value decreased by one. The characters for *Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training* twisted violently, changing from 'Uninitiated' directly to 'First Level'.
At the same time, a powerful force surged within Shen Changqing's body. His qi and blood roiled, and his bones erupted in crisp popping sounds as if withstanding some tremendous pressure. Before he could react much, another strong pressure bore down on his internal organs.
PTOO!
Shen Changqing spat out a mouthful of black blood, his face contorted in sudden, intense pain. But soon, the painful sensation disappeared, replaced by an unprecedented feeling of comfort that thoroughly cleansed his body.
"Whew!"
The comforting sensation made Shen Changqing completely forget the earlier discomfort. Regaining his composure, he stood in place and moved his limbs, acclimating to his body's state after the breakthrough.
My strength and speed have both improved somewhat. The increase isn't massive, but defeating my pre-breakthrough self wouldn't be too difficult! But the main purpose of the *Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training* is to enhance the Flesh's defense. Having successfully advanced to the first level, my Flesh's defense should have improved more significantly than my strength and speed. Still, I'm far from being able to withstand blades with my bare body.
After moving about, Shen Changqing pinched his skin. Its color hadn't changed, but its toughness had increased considerably. He was quite satisfied with this degree of improvement.
Indeed, one must completely memorize a Martial Art before beginning to practice it. Rashly practicing after only a cursory glance will only bring harm to oneself.
Thinking of how his predecessor had recklessly practiced the *Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training* and died from the resulting backlash, Shen Changqing shook his head helplessly. Too impulsive! Practicing a Cultivation Technique without fully understanding it... dying as a result was no one's fault but his own.
Shortly after, Shen Changqing calmed his mind again and focused on the panel.
Name: Shen Changqing
Organization: Great Qin's Demon Suppression Division
Identity: Probationary Demon Hunter
Martial Arts: *Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training* (First Level, Upgradeable)
Slaughter Value: 2
Upgrading the *Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training* by one level only consumed a single point of Slaughter Value. It seems the cost of upgrading Martial Arts is even lower than I anticipated. This means my strength can be significantly improved again in a short period!
Shen Changqing was quite pleased. He wasted no more time and, with another thought, began the next round of enhancement.