Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

"That's the effect I want. Brother Ren, do you know any Demon-Slaying Officers in the Demon-Slaying Division who are skilled in hammer techniques?" Ning Xiu took the reins of a prison cart and led the horse towards the southern pipeline.

Ren Qianxing rode up and replied, "I don't know anything about ordinary Demon Subduing Captains. I do know of a 'Broken Army Hammer King' among the Bronze Leopards, who is the leader of the second Bronze Leopard team. As for the Silver Tigers, I don't know anything about them. They are all people who are rarely seen, and there is very little information about them."

"The King of Breaking Army Hammers?" Ning Xiu asked in confusion, "Doesn't he have a name?"

"Most of the Demon-Subduing Captains who can live to the Bronze Leopard level are battle-hardened experts of the sixth to fourth rank. People remember them more for the reputation they earned through their strength than for their names."

"Reputation..." Ning Xiu became interested upon hearing this and asked, "Then, Brother Ren, do you know what the reputation of the leader of my sixth team is?"

"Lord Su's reputation, let me think, it seems to be called..." Ren Qianxing pondered for a long time, and Ning Xiu looked at him expectantly for just as long.

Unexpectedly, Ren Qianxing scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, I forgot."

Ning Xiu was speechless: "You... you might as well not think about it at all, this is just teasing people."

The journey between Wendeng County and Chaotiandu takes just over an hour if one rides at full speed.

However, because Ning Xiu was carrying a 320-pound gold hammer, it greatly affected the horse's speed.

It took the two men three times longer than usual to finally arrive outside Chaotiandu with the two prison carts.

Wherever Fumowei went, he was able to get help from local officials and soldiers. When he saw Ren Qianxing, who was wearing a black silver chainmail, approaching, he was surprised.

Immediately, city guards rushed forward to lead the way for him on horseback. Unlike other civilians who had to queue to enter the city, he could enter directly through a special side gate, enjoying all the privileges.

“Brother Ning, although your hammer looks powerful and domineering, it is really too inconvenient to carry. If you have any missions that require you to travel far, this hammer will not only not help you, but will also become a burden.”

Upon arriving outside the Demon Subduing Division, Ren Qianxing suddenly spoke to Ning Xiu.

“I understand that, but I don’t know how to solve this problem,” Ning Xiu sighed.

While in the Champion Camp, Ning Xiu had already investigated and found that this world did not seem to have things like storage bags and spatial rings.

Therefore, anything a martial artist carries is a burden.

Seeing Ning Xiu sigh, Ren Qianxing smiled mysteriously and said, "Brother Ning, if you have any needs to resolve, why don't you take some time to visit Qianji Pavilion? You might be able to find the answer to your problem there."

Ning Xiu had heard of the name Qianji Pavilion before; it seemed to be a manufacturing area within the Demon Subduing Division. However, Ning Xiu had never been there before and did not know the specific purpose of the place.

But hearing Ren Qianxing say this now should be helpful to me.

He nodded and said, "Okay, I'll definitely go to Qianji Pavilion when I have some free time. Thank you for the tip, brother."

【028】Qianji Pavilion

Having already escorted the demon back to the Demon Subduing Bureau, they also imprisoned him in the Demon Suppression Prison.

The first thing Ning Xiu had to do was to go and report to Su Qianqian, giving her a detailed account of the mission.

Then the other party records it into a file and sends it to Tianmu Tower for collection.

Historically, all the Demon-Subduing Officers who went out on missions had to go through this procedure, and no one was exempt.

Ning Xiu instructed Ren Qianxing to take the Spirit Gathering Banner to the special storage place for such demonic items before parting ways with him and heading to the Fifth Trial Hall, intending to find Su Qianqian there to record the details of this mission.

As the first sword of the Shang Dynasty to slay demons and eliminate evil, and a strong shield to protect the country, the Demon Subduing Division was granted enormous power by the Shang emperor.

He could deal with imperial relatives and nobles, and execute civil and military officials, wealthy merchants and commoners alike.

The meaning behind the name "Five Trials Hall" is to examine the emperor, the royal family, the feudal lords, the officials, and the common people.

The Bronze Leopard Demon-Subduing Officer usually works here, so if the Iron Horse Demon-Subduing Officer wants to find his superior, coming here will give him the best chance of success.

Upon entering the vast Fifth Trial Hall within the Demon Subduing Bureau, Ning Xiu was immediately greeted by a rusty iron tablet hanging from the roof beam.

Two lines of inscription on the stele:

Our lifelong wish is to restore a prosperous and peaceful world, where people can live and work in peace and contentment, and travel without worry.

'Slay all demons, monsters, and evil spirits in the world, and reclaim the twenty-four provinces beyond.'

This rusty iron monument is clearly a product of several hundred years ago, because at that time there were only twenty-four states outside the capital.

In recent decades, the Demon Extermination Bureau has continuously increased its manpower and has regained the land and people of four states, leaving only twenty states remaining.

"The senior who carved the words on the iron tablet must have been one of the earliest Demon-Subduing Guards. His generation dreamed of restoring the prosperity of the thirty-six states of the Great Shang Dynasty, but unfortunately, this goal is still far away today," Ning Xiu sighed inwardly.

However, the will of our predecessors, like the inscription on this iron monument, has been well passed down.

This ensures that every member of the Demon Extermination Bureau is fully aware of their goal in joining the Bureau.

My only wish is to fulfill my ancestors' aspirations while I am still alive.

To the left of the main gate, there is a wooden box about half a person's height. On top of the box are writing brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone, and there is an opening just big enough for a person to put their hand in.

Ning Xiu went over to take a look and realized that this was a slogan selection event recently held within the Demon Subduing Division. The purpose was to post it at the Champion Camp so that the new apprentices could shout it during training.

Boost the morale and ambition of the apprentices.

Any demon-slaying officer can write down a slogan they think is good, leave their name, and then throw it into the wooden box.

If your slogan is approved and selected by the higher-ups, you will receive a mystery reward.

Ning Xiu naturally wouldn't miss out on an event that was a win-win situation no matter what, and immediately picked up his pen and wrote a few lines.

'Today I am proud of the Demon Subduing Division; tomorrow the Demon Subduing Division will be proud of me.'

'When the youth are strong, the Demon-Subduing Bureau is strong.'

'I'll train like crazy as long as I don't die. I'll train for a thousand days straight, and I want to join the Demon Slayer Division!'

After blowing the ink off the paper and placing it in the wooden box, Ning Xiu turned and walked into the Fifth Trial Hall.

After asking around, Ning Xiu successfully found Su Qianqian's office, a room no more than ten steps long and wide.

At this moment, Su Qianqian was sitting at a wooden table, examining the files that had just been delivered from Tianmu Tower.

Hearing someone enter from outside, she subconsciously looked up. When she saw that it was Ning Xiu, Su Qianqian was quite pleased: "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?"

The chances of Iron Horse Demon Slayers dying in foreign lands due to failures in their investigations and missions have always been high. Leaving Chaotiandu may mean never being able to return.

So when Su Qianqian saw Ning Xiu, the newlywed, return safely, she was naturally overjoyed.

Ning Xiu walked to the wooden table and said calmly, "Lord Su, I have investigated the case of more than ten people drowning in Wendeng County. I have also brought back the demons who were behind the trouble and sent them to the Demon Suppression Prison together with Ren Qianxing."

"Well done. I only wanted you to investigate the cause of that strange drowning case, but you exceeded expectations."

Su Qianqian looked at Ning Xiu with satisfaction, but then her gaze involuntarily shifted to the golden hammer he was holding.

Upon seeing the orange-red talismans on the surface of the drummer's golden hammer, Su Qianqian's expression instantly changed from curiosity to shock.

"Where did you get this golden hammer?!"

Ning Xiu glanced at his hammer: "I met a friend in Wendeng County who generously gifted it to me. Does Lord Su perhaps know of this Weng Jin Hammer?"

Su Qianqian looked incredulous: "The orange talisman inscriptions on the hammer are orthodox immortal thunder magic, extremely profound, and only immortal cultivators can inscribe them."

Of all the Thunder Masters in the Demon Subduing Division, only one used the Golden Hammer as a weapon. If I'm not mistaken, the owner of this Golden Hammer should be the deceased Purple Thunder Master.

"You have a good eye, sir. That's exactly what the seller from the Wanbao Caravan said when my friend bought this gold hammer."

Su Qianqian continued, "Master Zi Lei wields a pair of golden hammers. The orange talisman hammer is named 'Thunderclap,' and the purple talisman hammer is named 'Purple Lightning.' Only by wielding both hammers together can the true power of these weapons be unleashed."

With a wave of its hand, it can summon thunder and lightning; with the help of the Thunder God, all evil will be warded off.

Ning Xiu never expected that the true power of this Golden Hammer would be so great.

According to Su Qianqian, the hammer in his hand is the Thunder Hammer, and he is still missing another hammer, the Purple Lightning Hammer.

If the two hammers can be used in unison, they transcend the category of weapons and become something akin to a 'magic weapon'.

This is the true power of a weapon used by a Daoist immortal.

In an instant, Ning Xiu looked at the Thunder Hammer in his hand and liked it more and more, becoming more and more satisfied.

He then asked, "Sir, although I bought this Thunder Hammer with money, if the Demon Subduing Division finds out, will they take it back? After all, you said that True Man Purple Thunder was once a Demon Subduing Officer."

Su Qianqian shook her head: "You don't need to worry. Any items left behind by any Demon-Slaying Officer who dies in battle are considered unclaimed property. Whoever is capable can claim them. The Demon-Slaying Division will not interfere."

Furthermore, we are happy that the relics of these predecessors can be inherited by their descendants, which can be seen as Master Zi Lei still fighting for the Demon Subduing Division in another way.

Just take it and use it without worry; nobody will bother you.

"I understand," Ning Xiu replied.

"Recently, things haven't been peaceful in Chaotian City. After the fact that Chunmange was harboring evil spirits was anonymously exposed by someone, the entire Chaotian City is now thoroughly investigating evil spirits inside and out to prevent the existence of a second Chunmange."

Several Bronze Leopard squads recently went out to slay demons, so the department is somewhat short-handed. Since you've returned to the capital at this time, you should take on the task and join the Demon Subduing Division's thorough investigation.

"It's alright, Lord Su, I'm not afraid of being tired."

After recounting the details of his trip to Wendeng County, Ning Xiu left the Fifth Trial Hall after Su Qianqian finished writing the dossier.

The monthly salary and merits of the various ranks of the Demon Subduing Captains are different. For example, Ning Xiu, a Demon Subduing Captain of the Iron Horse Cavalry, can receive fifty taels of silver and a dozen merits per month.

If you have any missions to complete this month, you will receive extra silver and merit points at the end of the month based on the mission completion status.

Silver is used for daily life, while merit points can be exchanged for the opportunity to enter the Three Saints Temple to learn new techniques.

You can exchange them for rare medicinal herbs and pills from the Spirit Storage, and for armor and weapons from the Forging Cave. If you have the materials ready, you can also have the artisans of the Demon Subduing Bureau custom-make for you.

The quality of these items is incomparable to that of things made by craftsmen in the countryside.

Therefore, when newcomers join the Demon Suppression Division, the first thing they usually do with their merit points is to buy better clothes to increase their survivability.

After leaving the Fifth Trial Hall, Ning Xiu was somewhat lost. As arranged by Su Qianqian, he joined a hastily assembled investigation team.

But this team's shift is at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), which is still several hours away.

During this time, he really didn't have anywhere else to go. Could he ask Su Qianqian again to let him go to the Demon Suppression Prison as a temporary executioner?

Just then, Ning Xiu suddenly remembered the Thousand Machines Pavilion that Ren Qianxing had mentioned to him earlier.

The problem of the Thunder Hammer being inconvenient to carry around definitely needs a solution. Otherwise, carrying a 320-pound hammer all the time might look impressive, but it can be quite tiring at times.

……

The Thousand Machines Pavilion is located in the eastern corner of the Demon Subduing Division. I had assumed it was a place similar to a main hall.

But when Ning Xiu finally found the place by asking for directions, he was shocked by the scale of the Thousand Machines Pavilion.

Upon entering the Qianji Pavilion, one is greeted by a vast, tidy plaza paved with white stone slabs, which appears clean and orderly.

In this square, there are numerous stalls with umbrellas and wooden mobile carts on wheels, and further in, you can see rows of shops.