I am becoming the ultimate demon.

Chapter 41 The State Government's Watch: A New Challenge

"Young master, could you teach me the Ji family boxing style?" Yun Cui asked Ji Lin in a coquettish manner.

This little girl has been pestering him these past few days, insisting on learning martial arts.

When her pleas failed, she tried to seduce him.

Ji Lin couldn't stand it any longer, so he reluctantly gave her some pointers.

In fact, he had only just started practicing, and once he reached the basics, he felt he was almost there.

To avoid being criticized for creating a style of boxing that even he himself doesn't know.

"Come, let me see what your physical constitution is like?"

Ji Lin didn't know how to feel bones; he just casually pinched her a few times, leaving the rest to the system to identify.

"How was it, young master? Am I the legendary martial arts prodigy, one in a million?" Yun Cui asked expectantly.

"Hmm, his natural talent is average, but I wonder how his comprehension is."

Hearing Ji Lin say that, she couldn't help but pout.

It seems she won't give up until I teach this girl today.

Well, Ji Lin didn't intend for her to become abnormal, so learning martial arts for self-defense wouldn't be bad.

"Oh! Her comprehension is not bad!" To his surprise, Yun Cui mastered the basics in less than half a day.

It took Ji Lin two whole days to complete this; it's truly infuriating to compare oneself to others.

"Young master, why do we teach fist techniques instead of sword and staff techniques?" Yun Cui asked curiously.

"As the saying goes, you must first practice fist techniques before practicing swordsmanship. Fist techniques and weapons are interconnected. If you want to practice weapons later, with this foundation in fist techniques, won't it be a piece of cake?"

The two were chatting idly when a sound came from outside the door.

"Young Master Ji, the prefectural government is sending people." The county magistrate approached Ji Lin with a document in his hand.

Ji Lin's heart skipped a beat. More people had come. He had almost lost his life when the imperial court sent people before.

Now that people from the state government have come, it's definitely not going to be anything good.

Perhaps it's because he's been too popular lately; there are probably many outrageous legends about him, the young master of the Ji family, throughout Huaiding Prefecture.

"This time, the Demon Suppression Bureau will send an inspector to Xiong'an County to investigate the recent spate of unusual events."

The county magistrate briefly explained to him the purpose of the people from the prefecture.

To Ji Lin's surprise, yet also as expected, the inspector refused to see the county magistrate but insisted on meeting him, his purpose clear.

Another one has come to intimidate him, but it remains to be seen how strong this inspector of the Demon Suppression Bureau is, and whether he can keep him in check like Ouyang Zhen did before.

It's true what they say, "People are afraid of becoming famous, just as pigs are afraid of getting fat." Every time I make a little progress, I attract the covetousness of others. I can only accept whatever comes my way.

He has been paying close attention to news about the Demon Suppression Division recently. He has learned about the situation from the Demon Suppression Division itself down to the Demon Suppression Prefecture, and even some counties have established branches of the Demon Suppression Division.

The Demon Suppression Division is not a newly established institution, but rather a department for handling unusual events that originated from the former dynasty's "Imperial Observatory".

After the establishment of the Great Qian Dynasty, it was made independent and expanded, and given the power of direct military force and the authority to execute first and report later, thus forming the "Demon Suppression Division" as it is today.

Its core tenet is: imperial authority grants permission to suppress the abnormal and maintain human order.

The central government agency located in the capital was the Demon Suppression Division.

The Commander of the Demon Suppression Division is the highest commander of the Demon Suppression Division. He is usually a trusted confidant of the royal family or a peerless expert with outstanding achievements, and is directly responsible to the emperor.

They established left and right deputy commanders, each in charge of different business areas. Jiang Tianchen, whom I encountered earlier, was one of them.

Its three core departments are: the Demon Suppression Department, the Patrol Department, and the Iron Law Department.

The Demon Slayer Division is the main combat unit, filled with experts, and is responsible for handling major anomalies across regions.

The Patrol Division was responsible for intelligence, surveillance, and inspection. They held the power to assess local officials and submit confidential reports, which made them arrogant and overbearing.

The Iron Law Division manages the internal law enforcement and legal departments, oversees criminal justice and legal interpretation, and is also responsible for the recovery and research of anomalous substances.

In each prefecture, there is a Demon Suppression Office. The garrison commander of the Demon Suppression Office in Huaiding Prefecture is the highest-ranking official in Huaiding Prefecture.

Although the Demon Suppression Palace is ostensibly under the jurisdiction of the prefecture, its power actually surpasses that of the prefectural officials.

The inspectors under their jurisdiction were usually three people, who served as deputy inspectors and were responsible for supervising the affairs of each prefecture.

The guy sent this time was one of them.

......

"I heard that the Ji family is now in charge of Xiong'an County, and that young Ji is quite famous lately. I've received quite a few memorials about him." The garrison commander put down the file in his hand.

"Go and find out what's going on with this kid. If he really has connections with the rebels or has independent ambitions, given his current strength and reputation, he'll be more than ten times more terrifying than Bai Zhan."

"Zhang Liang, I'm entrusting this task to you. Give him a good talking-to and let him know that in my territory, he may disobey the imperial court, but he absolutely cannot disobey my Demon Suppression Bureau."

"Yes, sir. I will certainly not disappoint you."

Inspector Zhang Liang cupped his hands in greeting, then turned and walked out the door.

As soon as he reached the gate of the Demon Suppression Mansion, someone stopped him.

"I don't know why the master won't let me go this time. If possible, please help me get rid of this brat." The man winked.

"Why? This person is of great importance, and I cannot disobey the master's wishes. Let's see how things go." Zhang Liang was puzzled at first, then showed a troubled expression.

"It's just a past grievance, no need to force me." The man handed over a gold ingot.

"I'll do my best." Zhang Liang took the gold ingot and set off for Xiong'an County with a five-person elite team.

The group rode their horses at high speed from morning until evening, finally arriving outside Xiong'an County.

Ji Lin, along with Liu Qingmei, Huang Yu, and several members of the night patrol team, were already waiting.

He sized up the group of people, noting their extraordinary attire and imposing presence, and became certain that they were the people he was looking for.

Judging from this lineup, it seems they don't intend to hide their strength. Should we say they are being honest or shrewd?

"This must be the famous Young Master Ji." Zhang Liang's sharp eyes scanned the group repeatedly.

"Not at all. I have prepared some simple wine for you gentlemen. Please follow me into the city."

Ji Lin cupped his hands and said, scanning the group with his Insight.

[Martial Artist: Zhang Liang]

[Level: Transcendent]

Martial Arts: Phantom Sword, Swift Wind Movement Technique

The others were all Grandmasters, and there was also a mid-level Awakener.

Sure enough, is it another case of transcending the ordinary and attaining sainthood? They really think highly of him, this small landlord in the county.

The range of strength between the extraordinary and the saintly is quite large. Just like the intermediate level of abnormality, the strength of the initial stage and the top stage is often worlds apart.

I wonder what the strength of this inspector is.

The group slowly dismounted and let the night patrol members take over the reins.

Zhang Liang was dressed in a slim-fitting, graphite gray outfit, with a dark cloak without any markings over it, and a sword at his waist.

It is easy to hide in any lighting conditions and does not attract attention.

His eyes were sharp, his posture relaxed, and he walked silently, exuding a sense of detachment as if he were scrutinizing everything.

The remaining few were all dressed in dark red, almost black, armor.

The awakened one whispered a few words in Zhang Liang's ear.

Upon entering the city, Zhang Liang was surprised by what he saw. The city was well-managed, with patrol teams marching in unison every so often, as well as some hidden sentries on the rooftops.

There were still porridge distribution points at the city gate, and few refugees were seen freezing or starving to death on the road. The vendors and people on the street had rosy complexions and were dressed neatly.

There were no fights or brawls, let alone bandits or outlaws. It was a completely different world from the skeletal, hellish scene outside the city.

He didn't believe this was Ji Lin's mercy; on the contrary, it revealed his ambition to dominate.

"Young Master Ji, it seems that Xiong'an County is being managed quite well!" Zhang Liang sneered.

These seemingly complimentary words sent a chill down Ji Lin's spine.

The inspector was saying that Xiong'an County was being managed by the Ji family, not by the county magistrate, which was clearly putting him in a very difficult position.

This move to bypass the administrative body is a sign that they are preparing to declare themselves independent.

"Yes, look how imposing our magistrate's soldiers are! They've scared those arresting people so much they don't dare show their faces."

Ji Lin went along with him, not refuting him, but simply brushing it off with a smile.

The group quickly arrived at the Ji residence by walking along the main street.

Zhang Liang saw two martial arts masters with knives at the door, standing as straight as pine trees, with imposing presence. Their hands had distinct knuckles, and their fingertips and the base of their thumbs were covered with calluses.

His temples bulged high, and his chest seemed to be surging with internal energy with each breath.

He cursed inwardly, "What kind of family is this? Even the doorman is a martial arts master..."