I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 229: Chapter 132: Follow-up Investigation

When Yang Wenqing’s consciousness surfaced from deep meditation, daylight was already streaming through the window.

He glanced at the window before sinking his awareness into his body. His Dantian’s Qi Sea was brimming, and Spiritual Qi surged like a river, flowing smoothly along the wide, resilient Twelve Main Meridians. He deliberately pushed his Spiritual Qi to its limit. His meridians grew slightly warm, but he felt no sense of saturation or painful pressure.

Yang Wenqing silently calculated in his mind. ’If I keep cultivating with the Circulation Meridian Array like last night, and factor in my ability to absorb and refine Spiritual Qi—which is far beyond others at my level—I might be able to perfect the Fifth Refinement before the end of the year.’

His awareness then shifted to the space between his eyebrows. In his thumb-sized Sea of Consciousness, the ethereal point of Spiritual Light he had visualized last night was slightly brighter. With a mere thought, his Divine Sense spread outward like flowing mercury, appearing to extend three centimeters farther than before his cultivation session.

’It might seem like a negligible distance, but perfecting the Sixth Refinement only results in a range of a hundred meters. This means this step will only take me a year, which is incredibly fast. Ordinary cultivators can only make slow, painstaking progress here. Many get stuck for decades, or even their entire lives. Even geniuses with superior aptitude need several years for this.’

In reality, the Golden Core World in his mind meant he had been cultivating his Divine Sense ever since he was a child; he just hadn’t been able to actively use it.

But all of this was predicated on having a steady supply of cultivation materials.

His gaze drifted to the incense burner, where the Spirit Calming Wood had completely burned away. ’That stuff is really expensive—over two thousand a gram, and it’s often unavailable even if you have the money. It’s mainly just very difficult to cultivate. Yesterday’s batch alone cost over thirty thousand, a price that makes even me hesitate to use it freely.’

WHOOSH~

Yang Wenqing let out a long breath.

He didn’t rush to get up. Instead, he carefully controlled his Spiritual Qi and took out several blank jade tablets he had prepared earlier. He sealed the core structure and activation method for the array into them, refining them into a simple, portable Array Plate.

After finishing, he put away the Array Plate, stood up to stretch his slightly stiff body, and then pushed open the door to the Quiet Chamber, heading straight for the adjacent training ground.

By the time he finished his drills, the morning sun had fully risen, bathing the training ground in golden light.

Yang Wenqing’s mood brightened. He cast a Dust Clearing Skill on himself to whisk away the light sweat and dust before heading to the front hall.

At the breakfast table, his younger brother, Wenjian, and younger sister, Wenning, were already seated. Wenjian was quiet as usual, but his eyes were much clearer than the day before. Wenning, on the other hand, was chattering away about fun stories from school. Her eyes lit up when she saw her older brother walk in.

”Big Brother!” Wenning exclaimed, pouting playfully.

Yang Wenqing ruffled her hair and sat down at the table. ”Eat up.”

Aunt Zhou served warm rice porridge and a few light side dishes. As he ate, Yang Wenqing listened to his sister’s chatter and his brother’s occasional replies, savoring the simple but precious warmth of his family.

After breakfast, Yang Wenqing piloted his Flying Shuttle to work. As he approached the precinct building, he could hear people in the reception area discussing him in hushed tones.

”...Did you hear? The Lingshan Town promotion is a done deal. The deputy chief appointed Yang Group Leader directly.”

”Hasn’t the public notice period for his promotion to head of the Major Case Team just ended? He’s rising way too fast...”

”You’re forgetting how brilliantly he handled that last case. Chief Zhang... ahem, after Zhang Qiming and his cronies fell, Yang Group Leader was the one who made the biggest contribution. Who else would the higher-ups promote?”

”True...”

The chatter was a mix of envy, awe, and scrutiny, but it was notably free of the doubt and insubordination that might have surfaced in the past.

The firestorm ignited by the Lingshan Town case and the fall of Zhang Qiming were enough to silence anyone with ulterior motives. It also allowed Yang Wenqing, through his concrete achievements and the capability and sense of duty he displayed at a critical moment, to earn the fundamental respect of the rank-and-file.

His face calm, Yang Wenqing strode steadily through the lobby, acting as if he hadn’t heard a word of the gossip as he headed straight for the Major Case Team’s floor.

He hadn’t been sitting in his office for long when there was a soft knock on the door.

”Come in.”

The door opened to reveal Liu Qin, dressed in a crisp uniform. After several years of experience, the girl who was once a bit green had become an indispensable and highly capable member of the Major Case Team. The last traces of immaturity had vanished from her expression, replaced by an air of proficiency and calm.

”Group Leader Yang.” Liu Qin walked to his desk, stood at attention, and saluted.

”These are the case files that came in from Lingshan Town this morning.” She placed a tidy folder on his desk.

Yang Wenqing casually flipped open the folder and glanced inside. Sensing that Liu Qin wasn’t leaving, he looked up, puzzled. ”Is there something else?”

Liu Qin took a deep breath, her gaze meeting Yang Wenqing’s directly. ”Group Leader Yang, I... I want to follow you to the Lingshan New District.”

Yang Wenqing wasn’t particularly surprised. Over the past few years, Liu Qin had used the bonuses from the third squad’s private coffers, along with her accumulated merits, to trade for a considerable amount of cultivation resources. She was clearly on the verge of breaking through to the Qi Cultivation Stage.

”Have you discussed it with your family?” Yang Wenqing asked.

”No, but I doubt my parents will object,” Liu Qin answered truthfully.

She quickly added, ”Group Leader Yang, I’ve been with you for years. I’m familiar with your work habits and thought processes. I am confident I can still handle the work, and I definitely won’t cause you any trouble.”

Yang Wenqing tapped his fingers lightly on the desktop. ’Liu Qin has a clean background and isn’t deeply entangled with the various factions in the county, which makes her reliable. Her capabilities are proven, and she’s an excellent assistant.’

’Taking her to the New District would be beneficial, both professionally and personally.’