I became a martial arts saint while playing games.

After Gu Yan and his entourage had eaten and drunk their fill, they entered the city.

The city of Xuancang was bustling with activity, its streets crisscrossing. The city walls stood tall, built of blue bricks, with black flags flying atop them. As the wind blew, the words "Xuancang" could be faintly seen.

Upon reaching the city center, a vermilion gate stood prominently. Above the gate, the three gilded characters "Demon Suppression Division" were written in a powerful and vigorous style. On either side of the gate stood two stone Qilin statues, their eyes wide open in anger. Beside the gate stood four guards in tight-fitting clothes, long swords hanging at their waists, their postures as straight as pine trees.

This is the headquarters of the Xuanzhou Demon Suppression Division, a core and important location guarding this region.

Once inside the Demon Suppression Division, the group dispersed to attend to their respective duties.

Fu Qinghe said to Shen Qinghan, "Lord Shen, the general is in the manor. You should go find him first. I will handle the matter of training the new recruits."

Shen Qinghan had encountered many challenges on this trip and had many important matters to report promptly. Therefore, she nodded and said, "Then I'll trouble Commander Fu."

After saying his goodbyes to Gu Yan, he departed.

New employees must first go to the Internal Affairs Department. The Internal Affairs Department of the Demon Suppression Division is located in the side hall of the west wing, and the person in charge of registration is an old clerk surnamed Wang, known as Clerk Wang.

Fu Qinghe led Gu Yan inside. Upon seeing that it was the Demon Suppression Captain personally leading the way, Wang Dianbu quickly stood up with a smile, took out his book, and picked up his pen to wait.

After the person gave their name, age, and other basic information, Fu Qinghe added, "Although this person is not on the register, they have already made meritorious contributions in slaying demons. You can verify this with Inspector Shen Qinghan."

Wang Dianbu asked, "What merits has the young man made? It would be helpful to consider his inclusion in the register and the ranking."

Gu Yan thought for a moment and said, "One peak Qi Control Great Demon, two mid-Qi Control Demon Kings, and two Qi Control Beginner Demon Kings."

Wang Dianbu nodded, picking up his brush and reading aloud, "Good, a Great Demon at the peak of Qi Control..."

But after reading only a few words, he realized something was wrong, and the brush in his hand clattered to the ground.

The old man looked up blankly and said, "Sir, didn't you just say... peak Qi Control level?"

He thought to himself that either he had misheard, or the other person had misspoke, or the young man probably didn't know what "peak Qi control" meant.

But before Gu Yan could answer again, Fu Qinghe answered for him: "I also saw the peak Qi Control level demon with my own eyes, so there's no need to verify this with Inspector Shen."

Wang Dianbu: "???"

What's going on?

You're just a trainee constable on your job, and you immediately tell the old man how many powerful demons you've killed? Is that appropriate?

Gu Yan then added, "As for the minor demons at the Solidification Realm... there are simply too many to remember the exact number. Roughly speaking, there are probably one or two hundred. Among them, there should be about ten at the peak of the Solidification Realm."

Wang Dianbu: "??????"

The old man stood there dumbfounded, his ears ringing. It was as if the boy's words had struck him like thunder, leaving him unable to understand.

He couldn't help but ask, "How...how much?"

Gu Yan repeated, "Around one or two hundred."

Wang Dianbu: ".............."

One or two hundred!?

No, it's like if all the monsters and demons just stood there and lined up for you to chop, you'd probably get cramps from chopping them all, right?

And where did you find so many demons to kill for you? Was it a demon slaughtering wholesale market?

Although Fu Qinghe had already heard it on the way, he still found it absurd to hear him repeat it now. His face twitched slightly, and he could understand the turmoil in Wang Dianbu's heart at this moment.

He coughed and said, "He came from Qingxi County, where... the situation is special. While we're talking, Inspector Shen has already gone to report the details to the general. Just keep this in mind for now."

Wang Dianbu finally came to his senses and reluctantly accepted that what the other party had just said was true.

"Okay...okay, I'll remember, I'll remember..."

He picked up the pen again, feeling his hand trembling involuntarily as he held it.

He had a premonition that what he was recording today was not just the achievement of a young man who had just joined the company.

What he is recording today... may be history.

After completing the onboarding registration, Fu Qinghe followed Gu Yan on a brief tour of the company. They visited the kitchen, the dormitory, and the payroom, with a simple explanation given along the way.

After passing the corner of the central courtyard, a tall building made of blue bricks stands ahead. The plaque in front of the building bears the three characters "Musashi Sutra Pavilion," which are ancient, dignified, and imposing.

Fu Qinghe pointed and introduced, "This is where our department's martial arts archives are located. All the martial arts techniques of the Xuanzhou Demon Suppression Division are stored here."

Your demon-slaying achievements have not yet been recorded. Once reported and announced, rewards will be given according to merit. I anticipate you will be able to enter the pavilion to select martial arts as early as today. With your current record, you can freely choose any martial art at the Qi Control Realm. You can also exchange for the Qi Condensation Technique depending on the situation.

Why don't you go inside and browse the catalog today, pick out a few that suit your taste, and once you've completed the formalities, you can start studying directly.

Gu Yan thanked him. However, he didn't intend to waste time going to look through any catalog or outline beforehand.

He already knew what was stored here and what cultivation techniques were available in his previous life. He had also planned out what he would choose here and which techniques were most worth practicing.

Once the merits are verified, we'll get straight to the point and give him the martial arts he needs most; there's not much else to choose from.

After Gu Yan was settled, Fu Qinghe bid him farewell.

Before leaving, Fu Qinghe advised, "The Zhao family must be furious right now, and they are most likely to act impulsively. If you are out and about and are plotted against by everyone, the Demon Suppression Division will seek justice for you afterward, but it will be too late for you."

Therefore, you should not leave the Demon Suppression Division easily in the near future, and should avoid its sharp edge for the time being.

"Once time has passed and the Zhao family's tempers have calmed down, they may no longer dare to act so openly and thus refrain from taking rash action against you."

Gu Yan said, "I understand, thank you, Lord Fu."

Fu Qinghe laughed and said, "Brother, no need to be so polite. You can still call me 'sir' now, but in a couple of days, we might be of the same rank. When that happens, please remember to treat me to a drink."

Gu Yan readily agreed.

Fu Qinghe is gone.

Although the other party's advice was well-intentioned, Gu Yan still had no intention of listening to it.

Fu Qinghe told him not to leave the Demon Suppression Division, but Gu Yan is now planning to go out for a stroll.

Fu Qinghe had just guessed that after a while, once the Zhao family calmed down, they might stop bothering him. But Gu Yan, who had personally dealt with the Zhao family's side affairs countless times, knew that things wouldn't be that easy.

He can hide in the Demon Suppression Division for a while, but not forever. The Zhao family is determined to fight him to the death, a lesson learned from a side quest in his previous life. And the player can't stay cooped up in the Demon Suppression Division forever, so they will inevitably be harassed by the Zhao family.

According to the normal procedure, this side line is quite long.

The Zhao family will keep causing trouble for the player. If one assassin isn't enough, they'll send two, then four. Each time they come, they become stronger and their methods more insidious, leading to a series of fierce battles. As the story unfolds, an even larger conspiracy will be revealed...

Of course, that's the normal procedure.

But why would speedrunners run the normal route?

As the saying goes, the best defense is a good offense. A direct, one-step approach to speedrunning the Zhao family side quests maximizes efficiency and rewards in the shortest time – that's the speedrun style.

If you really stay in the Demon Suppression Division for a while without going out, and you don't get any demon kills, merits, or potential, then you can say goodbye to speedrun records.

Therefore, no sooner had Fu Qinghe left than Gu Yan left the Demon Suppression Division and wandered around the streets.

After a few leisurely steps, Gu Yan swaggered into the shop with the "Tongyue Inn" sign hanging on it.

Gu Yan entered the room and went straight to the counter. He spoke directly to the accountant behind the counter who was doing the accounting, saying, "Hello, is the Thief Saint here? I'm looking for him, thank you."

Accountant: "?"