97: Chapter 97: The cattle and horses of Nanzhou all have great potential!

Lin Feng's iron-fisted new policies were like the most potent stimulant, completely igniting the long-rusted war machine that was the Nanzhou Demon Suppression Division.

The grind! An unprecedented grind!

The entire Nanzhou region was thrown into chaos because of this bunch of adrenaline-fueled workers.

In the past, when Demon Slayers went on missions, they emphasized careful planning and steady, incremental progress.

Now?

Now it's all about speed and passion!

"Big Brother! A Peak Second-Tier Ghost-Faced Demon Spider has been spotted in the Black Wind Forest to the west! The intel says it has eight legs, is extremely venomous, and excels at illusions!"

"So what if it has eight legs? Does it have three heads and six arms? Grab your gear, let's do this! Whoever gets to it first gets the credit!"

"But there are only two of us..."

"So what if there are only two of us? Master Lin took down Black Wind City all by himself! What's wrong with us catching a spider? If you're too scared, I'll go alone! I'll take all ten times the merit points myself!"

"No, no, no! Big Brother, I was wrong! I'll go right now! I'll be the bait for you!"

Similar conversations took place every day at the Nanzhou Demon Suppression Division.

For merit points, for resources, and for that damn KPI, everyone had gone mad.

They were no longer content with completing tasks by the book; instead, they began to research all sorts of unheard-of, bizarre tactics.

In the east of Nanzhou, there was White Snake Lake, where a Peak Third-Tier White Snake Great Demon resided. It was immensely powerful, and many experts from the Demon Suppression Division had fallen at its hands.

One day, a young, handsome Demon Slayer dressed as a scholar came to the lakeside. His name was Xu Xian. He carried no blade or sword, only an oiled-paper umbrella and a pot of fine realgar wine.

He played the zither, sang songs, and recited poetry by the lake for three consecutive days.

Just when everyone thought he had lost his mind, that fearsome White Snake Great Demon in the lake was actually lured out by him.

Then...

Then Xu Xian pointed in the direction of Nanan City and said to the white snake with a look of deep affection: "Bai Suzhen, to be honest, I am the Wenqu Star descended from heaven, and we have a predestined relationship spanning three lifetimes. However, as my earthly ties are not yet severed, I must cultivate in the mortal world. If you truly have feelings for me, follow me back to the Demon Suppression Division and help me slay demons. When the day of my Karma reaches Perfection, I will take you to heaven, and we shall be a pair of immortal lovers."

The White Snake Great Demon was moved to the depths of its soul, deeply touched. It immediately transformed into a stunningly beautiful woman and shyly followed Xu Xian away.

When the news reached the Demon Suppression Division, everyone was stunned.

"Holy shit! You can play it like that?!"

"Damn, what a talent! This guy is a goddamn talent!"

Once someone set a good precedent, the others immediately followed suit, and some even surpassed the master.

In the northern suburbs, there was Lanruo Temple, where an extremely formidable female ghost resided.

She excelled at absorbing the vital essence of men, and countless lecherous fools had become ghosts under her skirt.

A Demon Slayer who was also dressed as a scholar, named Ning Caichen, volunteered to take on this mission.

He entered the temple in the dead of night and chatted extensively about poetry, literature, and romance.

He chatted with the female ghost until she developed feelings of love and considered him a soulmate.

Finally, Ning Caichen told her.

"Xiaoqian, humans and ghosts walk different paths; continuing like this is not the Righteous Path. I know a highly powerful commander who has heaven-defying means; perhaps he can help you transcend the cycle of Reincarnation and re-enter the human realm. Come back with me, and I will introduce you to him."

The female ghost was moved to tears, immediately withdrew her Divine Ability, and obediently followed Ning Caichen, moving into the urn he had prepared.

"..."

The members of the Demon Suppression Division were already numb.

They felt their worldviews being refreshed every day by this group of "grind kings."

If the two above only relied on personal charm to win, then the next one was a true business genius.

In the west of Nanzhou, there was a gang of fierce bandits who claimed the mountain as their kingdom, known as the Juyi Hall. Their leader, the Winged Tiger Lei Heng, was at the Second Level of the Divine Sea Realm, and he had thousands of brothers under his command, all of whom were desperate outlaws and extremely tough nuts to crack.

A Demon Slayer who looked burly and fierce, with a face full of rugged flesh, looking even more like a bandit than the bandits themselves, sneaked up the mountain alone.

He didn't resort to violence but went directly to Lei Heng and got straight to the point.

"Big Head Lei, I am a Demon Slayer of the Demon Suppression Division. My surname is Song, and my given name is Jiang. I didn't come here today to fight and kill; I came to talk to you about a big business deal."

Then, he held a three-hour investment and franchise mobilization meeting for Lei Heng and the group of bandit leaders.

He first analyzed the grim situation and bleak prospects of the current robbery industry.

Then, he introduced the Demon Suppression Division's brand-new merit point system and its bright future in detail.

Finally, he raised his arm and shouted.

"Brothers! How much money can you make robbing people? The risk is also high! Why not work with us instead! As long as you all surrender collectively and buy into the Demon Suppression Division, I guarantee that you will not only be able to clear your names, but you can also earn merit points by capturing other demons, trade them for Secret Manuals of divine skills, and reach the Peak of your lives!"

"Join now and get a beginner's gift pack! The first one hundred people will have their merit points doubled!"

The gang of bandits was so fired up by his smooth talking that they immediately expressed their desire to abandon darkness for light. Carrying all their belongings, they followed Song Jiang down the mountain in a grand procession, intending to go to the Demon Suppression Division for an interview.

When the news spread back, the entire Nanzhou region was stunned.

"Damn it! They even started a pyramid scheme! Is there anything they won't do?!"

"It's too competitive! This is just too competitive! There aren't enough demons and monsters to go around!"

The demon circles and the Demonic Path of Nanzhou were thrown into an unprecedented panic because of this.

"Have you heard? Those lunatics at the Demon Suppression Division aren't killing people anymore; they've switched to recruiting heads!"

"Yeah! My third grand-uncle's second grand-uncle's neighbor's seventh cousin, a chicken demon that had cultivated for a hundred years, was just scratching for food in the fields the other day when it was swindled by a Demon Slayer named Colonel Sanders, who said he would take it to see a paradise full of chickens. It went and never came back!"

"It's too terrifying! There's no way to survive in this world anymore! Brothers, pack your things; let's move to Central Province overnight! I heard the people there are gullible and rich, it's easier to get by!"

Thus, under these bizarre tactics, Nanzhou—that chaotic land which once made countless Demon Slayers tremble with fear—actually achieved a state of having no demons within a mere month, in an extremely strange way.

In front of Lin Feng's courtyard, all kinds of prison carts were parked every day, filled with prey who were crying and questioning their lives.

And Lin Feng finally returned to his simple, unadorned, and boring life, where he was fed and clothed by others, and only needed to sit at home every day waiting for his takeout to arrive.

[Ding! Successfully killed the Peak Third-Tier White Snake Great Demon!]

[critical hit multiplier increased to 1200x! Obtained 500,000 critical hit points!]

[Ding! Successfully killed the Third-Tier female ghost!]

[critical hit multiplier increased to 1250x! Obtained 400,000 critical hit points!]

[Ding! Successfully killed the Divine Sea Realm Third Level fierce bandit Lei Heng!]

[critical hit multiplier increased to 1300x! Obtained 800,000 critical hit points!]

Looking at his critical hit points and critical hit multiplier, which were soaring upwards like they were riding a rocket, Lin Feng's mouth was almost twisted from smiling.

"Not bad, not bad, the workhorses of Nanzhou have great potential!"