I defeated the saint with a parry.

So that's how the memorial tablets here came about.

The number of memorial tablets is countless and cannot be counted at a glance; perhaps only the tower spirit knows exactly how many tablets are inside the Demon Suppression Division.

The Demon Suppression Division was established to prevent demonic calamities, but since there is a demonic calamity every month, the survival rate is naturally not high.

Imagine it is one thing, but seeing so many people die with your own eyes is another.

Feeling a pang of emotion, Xu Ling seized the opportunity to ask, "How exactly did the demonic calamity begin?"

Zhang Li asked the tower spirit for three sticks of incense to offer to Zhong Song. Turning around, he heard this question and was stunned: "That is a question. We only discussed when it might end, but we didn't consider how it started."

"When we go out later, I'll take you to check the files in the yamen; perhaps we can find the answer there."

The demon slayers scattered throughout the world are not just for show; there is almost nothing in this world that their Demon Suppression Division does not know.

Zhang Li was full of confidence, but the result left him dumbfounded.

"No! How could there be no one?!"

The old man who did intelligence and paperwork was quite old, and his cultivation level was also terrifying; he was at least a veteran at the third level of the Extraordinary Realm.

So Zhang Li arrived with utmost respect, but upon hearing there was no result, he exploded: "Senior!!! I know you are a transcendent expert, while I am merely a lowly demon slayer in the Condensation Realm, far inferior. But this has nothing to do with cultivation level. My brother just died on a mission, and now you're telling us the information is incomplete? In a mission, this would be considered an accident!! Today my brother might have been killed by a demon because his cultivation was insufficient, but tomorrow he might die because of insufficient information. Who can we reason with?"

"We can't risk our lives on the front lines only to be defeated by logistical and intelligence failures."

Zhang Li spoke with great confidence, showing no fear whatsoever that a low-level cultivator might have when facing a high-level cultivator.

This is extremely rare in a world where strength reigns supreme. Xu Ling had expected Senior Wang to fly into a rage, but to his surprise, the old man fell into deep thought upon hearing this.

After a long pause, the old man actually nodded in agreement: "What you say makes sense. I didn't mean to make things difficult for you. I will now consult the garrison commander to see how intelligence should be handled during this period."

The old man tossed out a sound transmission talisman, and a moment later there was an echo. The old man looked at Zhang Li, then at Xu Ling, with a strange expression.

"Our young master does indeed have this information, but it's been sealed off. Only the Demon Suppression Division in the capital has a copy. However, the garrison commander said he knows about this information. If Xu Ling wants to know, he can ask him himself."

"As for Zhang Li... you don't have enough authority. We'll talk about it when you advance to the extraordinary level."

"No!" Zhang Li was dumbfounded.

Xu Ling was also somewhat bewildered.

If Xu Ling wants to know what that means, he can ask the town garrison himself.

Zhang Li turned his head and asked in a low voice, "Junior brother, are you really not surnamed Xu?"

"Senior brother, watch your words!" Xu Ling said speechlessly.

Zhang Li said awkwardly, "You're only at the Body Tempering Realm, two realms lower than me. Why should the Guardian tell you that?"

The old man over there looked at Xu Ling with amusement, his gaze mirroring Zhang Li's earlier one.

Xu Ling was speechless, secretly thinking that the people in the Demon Division of Fancheng Town were all a bit strange, at least some of them were mentally unstable.

"Body Tempering Realm! Absolute Meridian Physique! Truly wondrous!" The old man's words further fueled Zhang Li's shrewd ambitions.

"A blocked meridian??"

This almost negates Zhang Li's other guess: if Xu Ling isn't a genius at cultivation, then he can only rely on his family background.

But unfortunately, this junior brother's surname wasn't Xu.

Could it be that there's a prominent family in the capital with the surname Xu?

Zhang Li thought about it over and over again, but to no avail. Finally, he started to wonder if it was getting dark.

The old man, having somehow found some inside information, asked another juicy question: "You entered Fancheng yesterday, and the illegitimate son of the eldest son of the Li family also entered Fancheng yesterday. Your mission in Fancheng to report on your duties is not to escort the illegitimate son of the Li family, is it?"

"Exactly!"

Xu Ling agreed, but Zhang Li's expression became even stranger. He had heard about what happened at the North Gate yesterday.

"That explains it." The old man's smile deepened. "I heard about the difficulty of this case as soon as I arrived at the yamen this morning. Not only were there demons at the Nascent Soul Realm blocking the way, but also cultivators raised by the Li family... It is said that even evil cultivators at the Spirit Platform Realm failed to take the life of the Li family's illegitimate son. I just don't know if it's true or not."

"What do you think, senior?" Xu Ling sensed that the old man was trying to test him.

The old man's smile remained unchanged: "You know the garrison commander?"

Xu Ling shook his head.

"The document you submitted yesterday was signed with the name of the garrison commander."

Xu Ling was shocked upon hearing this: "What?"

Last night, during the performance review, wasn't it Senior Xu Huaixu who signed it? So, Senior Xu Huaixu is the garrison commander?

"Is our garrison commander surnamed Xu?"

Zhang Li gave him a look that said, "Brother, you just found out?" and replied, "Yeah, that's right."

Suddenly it makes sense.

No wonder Zhang Li specifically asked him if his surname was Xu after reading his performance review.

Xu Ling quickly explained, "Please don't misunderstand, gentlemen. Last night I came to report on my duties, and only the garrison commander was sitting in the yamen. It was my first time here, so I didn't know him and assumed that he was the clerk here."

"Hahahahahahaha." Zhang Li's doubts vanished, and he laughed without any pressure. He patted Xu Ling on the shoulder and said, "In our Fancheng Demon Division, you are definitely the first person to have the garrison commander take you to report on your duties."

Zhang Li added, "Your days in Fancheng are probably not going to be peaceful; the Li family is going to be in chaos."

"But you don't need to worry too much. Our Demon Suppression Division only cares about demons and evil spirits and stability. As for the rest, if they dare to provoke us, our superiors will definitely stop them for you."

The old man nodded in agreement: "That's right. You're just providing escort. As long as the Li family members aren't stupid, they won't target you."

"....."

Xu Ling remained silent, only frowning. He was more concerned about other things, such as whether he had said anything wrong to offend his superior last night.

"What about the garrison commander..."

Seeing that Xu Ling was not worried about the Li family but was worried about this, Zhang Li and the old man both laughed out loud.

"Don't be afraid, the garrison commander is very easy to talk to. He asked me to tell you that he has personally verified what you submitted." The old man waved the communication talisman in his hand, relaying the garrison commander's message: "All the rewards and the supplies you wish to exchange will be prepared for you."

"Another tension..."

The old man looked at Zhang Li: "The garrison commander has a task for you. After Xu Ling returns from his meeting with the garrison commander, you two can go together."

After saying that, the old man waved his hand to shoo people away.

Zhang Li, cursing and swearing, led Xu Ling to the innermost courtyard of the yamen. He stood guard outside the courtyard, not daring to go in.

Although he was not far from the Transcendent Realm, he was still at the peak of the Condensation Realm and had not entered the core of the Demon Suppression Division, so he was still a little timid when he saw the guard.

The innermost courtyard didn't resemble a government office, but rather a garden he had seen in Jiangnan in his previous life. When Xu Ling entered, Xu Huaixu was sitting in a lakeside pavilion, sipping tea and feeding fish.

"Greetings, Lord Garrison Commander."

"Hmm, don't rush, come and have a cup of tea."

Xu Huaixu held a cup of tea in his hand. He looked up and with a slight beckoning of his free hand, Xu Ling was uncontrollably drawn to the pavilion in the middle of the lake.

"This tea is tribute tea, please try it."

Xu Ling had never been fond of tea in either of his two lives, but when he heard the words "tribute tea," his eyes lit up a little, and he thought that no matter what, he had to have a cup.

He cupped his hands in greeting, sat down opposite Xu Huaixu without any hesitation, and downed the cup of tea in one gulp.

After finishing the tea, he smacked his lips, trying to find the lingering taste on his tongue: "Huh? It seems no different from what I've had before."

Xu Huaixu's hand, which was brewing tea, froze: "You'd better not drink it; it's a complete waste."

"Tell me, why do you want to know the origin of the demonic calamity?"

Xu Ling chuckled twice: "I told Zhang Li about Zhong Song's matter, and then I went to the True Spirit Tower to take a look. I just said it on a whim."

"What's wrong?" Xu Huaixu wasn't surprised; he knew everything Xu Ling did. "You want to figure things out and solve the problem once and for all?"

"Yes."

"His level of understanding is not high, but his ambition is quite large."