I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 164: Chapter 107: Fourth Refinement Completion, Entering the Fifth Refinement

Liu Rong opened his mouth, but closed it with a sigh. He hadn’t actually wanted to investigate this case. His time in New Town had mostly been spent idly, as if on vacation. But after Director Zhang chewed him out today, he was left feeling incredibly frustrated with no way to vent. Now, he was genuinely determined to get to the bottom of it.

Wu Yan, for his part, simply listened.

Yang Wenqing observed their reactions. After a few seconds of silence, he continued, "This case isn’t over. Vice Director Gao has given new orders."

At these words, a flicker of movement crossed Wu Yan’s eyes, while Liu Rong immediately sat bolt upright, his gaze unusually bright.

Yang Wenqing didn’t try to be mysterious. He relayed Vice Director Gao’s instructions in the simplest terms, then looked at them both seriously and said:

"You two will be in charge of this. Don’t make any moves until you have results. Even if issues arise, don’t act without requesting instructions. Also, since Director Zhang has taken notice of you, you should stay in the city for the time being."

Wu Yan listened, then nodded. "I have people in mind. We’ll handle their identities and equipment properly."

Liu Rong also nodded forcefully, the fighting spirit rekindled in his eyes. "Don’t worry, Yang Group Leader! This time, we’ll keep our eyes peeled and see what kind of monsters are really out there!"

"Good." Yang Wenqing looked at them. "Pick your people. You don’t need to report back to me; just make the decisions yourselves. If there are any expenses, you can file a report with Liu Qin. I’ll prioritize its approval."

"Yes, sir!" the two responded in unison, then rose and left.

Yang Wenqing watched the door close. The turmoil in his heart, stirred up by Director Zhang’s crude interference, gradually subsided. The chess pieces had been repositioned. All that remained was to wait.

That evening, he returned to his new home on Bluestone Lane. Feeling that his mind had not yet completely settled, he didn’t immediately begin the brutal cultivation with the Five Elements Spiritual Medicine. Instead, he simply circulated the most basic version of the Nine Refining Secret Skill in his Quiet Chamber to nourish his organs and soothe his Spiritual Veins, allowing the day’s schemes and tension to slowly fade away.

The next day at work, Director Zhang was back at the branch office, and the atmosphere in the bureau tensed up once more. On the surface, however, everything was as usual, as if the turmoil in Lingshan Town the day before had never happened. Director Zhang never brought the matter up again, and Yang Wenqing was happy to play dumb. He handled the Major Case Team’s various duties by the book, attended the necessary meetings, and managed everything impeccably.

「A month passed in the blink of an eye.」

The month had been quiet. Nothing happened in the direction of Lingshan Town. The frequent disappearances from before had vanished completely. But this eerie quiet only made Yang Wenqing more certain that there were unknown secrets hidden beneath the surface.

At the county bureau, Director Zhang seemed to have turned his attention to other matters. Vice Director Gao, on the other hand, became more reclusive, focusing on consolidating his own cultivation and managing his internal network. A tacit stalemate had formed between the two bigwigs.

Yang Wenqing’s life also fell into a highly regular rhythm. His days were filled with burdensome paperwork and endless meetings, while his nights were spent cultivating in the Quiet Chamber at home.

He did not advance rashly, strictly adhering to a frequency of cultivating with the Spiritual Medicine once every three days.

Each attempt was accompanied by the extreme pain of his internal organs being repeatedly torn apart, as well as immense mental exhaustion. After each session, he needed a long time to regulate his breathing and recover.

But the results were also obvious. Under the clear projection of the Golden Core World, he could see his organs growing tougher and more transparent with each violent impact. The five-colored Spiritual Light grew more solid, and the circulation between them became increasingly harmonious.

Yang Yong did not fail him. Half a month ago, he delivered the remaining five matched sets of the Five Elements Spiritual Medicine to Yang Wenqing on time.

On this day, the air was somewhat hot and dry. It was an early morning in the height of summer, and the sky had brightened exceptionally early.

In the Quiet Chamber in the backyard, the light of the Five Qi Returning Yuan Array had already receded after a night of nourishment, leaving only a faint spiritual aura. Yang Wenqing sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, but did not immediately begin his new day of routine cultivation.

With his eyes slightly closed, he submerged his consciousness into his body.

His blood and qi coursed through his body, the sound faint like rolling mercury—powerful and condensed. The Spiritual Light surrounding his five organs was brilliant: the platinum of his lungs was sharp yet calm; the azure wood qi in his liver pulsed with vitality; the abyssal blue water of his kidneys was serene and profound; his Heart Fire was a restrained crimson; and the yellow light of his spleen’s earth was heavy and stable.

These five colored radiances flowed ceaselessly, forming a stable and powerful internal cycle.

At this moment, the tempering of his organs had reached an unprecedented peak. Every inch of tissue overflowed with vitality and Spiritual Qi. He was just one final catalyst away—a single push was all he needed for everything to fall into place. Then, he could guide his qi, blood, and Spiritual Qi to merge, allowing him to officially step into the brand new world of the Fifth Refinement: Opening Channels and Expanding Meridians.

However, this final step, while seemingly within reach, might require more accumulation and a perfectly timed flash of Spiritual Light.

He opened his eyes. A five-colored brilliance flashed within them before they returned to a deep calm.

The completion of the Fourth Refinement was just around the corner. After breaking through, he could directly obtain the rank of Police Superintendent, which would open the door to a much larger stage.

In truth, this was already Yang Wenqing’s state three days ago.

He had originally thought that by following his previous pace, he could use the final set of Five Elements Spiritual Medicine, supplemented with energy crystals, to forcibly shatter the barrier and reach the perfection of the Fourth Refinement in a single go.

However, yesterday, after he endured the extreme pain and completely absorbed and refined the medicinal power and Spiritual Qi, the expected feeling of completion did not arrive as anticipated.

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