Cultivation: From Poor Peasant to Celestial Lord

Chapter 192: Chapter 119: Five-Zhang Divine Thought

Hu Hao cupped his hands, his tone sincere. "I have taken everything you said before to heart. I, Hu Hao, don’t have any grand ambitions. I just want to make a peaceful life for myself here in Anping County and provide a good life for my family."

"I never wanted to pick a side, nor did I dare get involved in the clashes between titans.

But in the eyes of others, I came from the Daoist School and was your classmate. That connection can’t be severed. Whether I like it or not, they naturally see me as one of your faction."

At this, he gave a bitter laugh. "Since I can’t avoid it, I might as well stop trying."

Hu Hao raised his head, his gaze burning as he looked at Chu Bai. "I may be insignificant and my Cultivation may not be high, but if there’s anything Lord Chu needs in the future, whether it’s running errands, gathering information, or any other odd job, please just say the word."

"Here in the Evil Suppression Department, you are the only classmate I, Hu Hao, will acknowledge."

These were words from the bottom of his heart, and a weighty pledge of allegiance.

Hu Hao was a sharp man.

His background was clean, but picking a side was never that simple.

To some, refusing to help either side was a stance in itself.

Since he had already been passively tied to Chu Bai’s war chariot, he might as well take the initiative to draw closer and seek protection.

Chu Bai looked at the honest but not foolish man before him and understood.

’In this circle, it’s truly difficult to get things done by fighting alone.’

While he charged into the fray at the forefront, he did indeed need a pair of eyes and ears in the shadows to keep an eye on the minor movements for him.

Hu Hao’s strength was decent, higher than that of an ordinary Evil Suppression Guard. His background was clean, and he was a classmate whom Chu Bai knew inside and out. He was indeed a natural ally.

"Brother Hu, you’re being too serious."

Chu Bai reached out and clapped Hu Hao heavily on the shoulder. He didn’t offer any grand pronouncements, but gave a promise in a calm yet firm tone:

"I have no intention of fighting for power and profit. I only care about justice and the will of the people."

"Since we are classmates, it’s only right that we look out for each other. Just focus on your work in Team Three and don’t pay any mind to the gossip."

"But if you encounter injustice, or if someone targets you because of me..."

A sharp, cold glint flashed in Chu Bai’s eyes. "Come find me without hesitation. I still have some say when it comes to the rules of this Evil Suppression Department."

Hearing this, Hu Hao felt greatly reassured. A sincere smile appeared on his face as he nodded heavily.

"With your words, Brother Chu, I can rest easy!"

The two looked at each other and smiled, everything understood without words.

Watching Hu Hao leave, Chu Bai stood under the covered corridor, gazing at the yellow leaves that had been swept down by the autumn wind in the distance. He thought to himself:

’Now I have a pair of eyes within this Evil Suppression Department.’

’A backer...’

Chu Bai hadn’t actually considered that aspect, but Hu Hao had enlightened him.

’My ambition is to achieve justice through righteous actions, but since this is a sea of bureaucracy, conflict is unavoidable.’

’I must hold fast to my original intentions and prioritize my own Cultivation.’

’Ultimately, I cannot be trapped in this place, or I will truly become no different from those people.’

....

More than three months had passed since the Wang Sanshui case.

The scene of the blood-stained courtroom from that day felt as if it had happened only yesterday.

Chu Bai, the Patrol Banner Inspector, had been in office for just one day when he investigated a case of "fostering bandits for self-importance" with lightning-fast methods. This led to a Deputy Captain being beheaded in public and several involved team members having their Cultivation crippled before being dismissed.

Such a ruthless style instantly became the nightmare of everyone in the Evil Suppression Department.

For a time, everyone in the Government Office was on edge, fearing for their own safety.

Whether it was the arrogant elites of Team One, the overbearing dandies of Team Two who relied on their Noble Race backgrounds, or the remaining old-timers in Team Three, none of them failed to tremble with reverence upon seeing Chu Bai in his black official uniform, terrified of being targeted by this cold-faced Yama.

For the past three-plus months, Chu Bai had followed his daily routine of reviewing files in the records room and occasionally touring the various districts under his jurisdiction.

However, which of the truly corrupt criminals wasn’t a thousand-year-old fox?

Wang Sanshui had been stupidly obvious, his greed too blatant, which was why he was caught so easily.

As for the other real parasites, after witnessing Wang Sanshui’s fate, they all tucked their tails between their legs. Even those who were usually a bit crooked had become extremely restrained during this period, their books cleaner than clear water.

Relying solely on old case files, it was indeed difficult to find any major leverage in a short period.

Coupled with the authority Chu Bai had established in that one battle, the various powers had also figured out his temperament—this was a man who couldn’t be swayed by carrot or stick, who tolerated no nonsense.

Thus, all the minor attempts to probe or win him over died down.

As a result, Chu Bai found himself with a rare period of leisure.

Apart from his routine duties, he spent his days secluded in his quiet room, engrossed in his Cultivation.

Late one night, inside the quiet room, the scent of sandalwood smoke drifted lazily.

Chu Bai sat cross-legged, his aura calm and condensed. A faint golden light swirled indistinctly at the spot between his eyebrows.

Following a faint tremor from the depths of his Sea of Consciousness, it felt as if some invisible shackle had been broken.

Chu Bai’s eyes snapped open, a sharp light bursting from within them. In that instant, an almost tangible pressure radiated from his body.

Divine Thought released!

His Divine Thought, which before could only struggle to extend one zhang with blurry perception, now spread out in all directions like a vast, invisible net.

One zhang, two zhang, three zhang... all the way to five zhang!

Within this range, even the dust motes floating in the air, the spider crawling in the corner, and even the sound of a colleague flipping through a book in the adjacent quiet room were reflected in his mind with perfect clarity, every detail exposed, with nowhere to hide.

’A radius of five zhang...’

Chu Bai retracted his Divine Thought, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

This distance was enough to cover a medium-sized room, or to control every blind spot in an entire combat zone.

Within this range, he was the absolute master, truly capable of perceiving the smallest detail.

With a thought, his attribute panel appeared before his eyes:

[Guardian Scripture: Skilled (1/100)]

More than three months of arduous training, plus the sudden enlightenment from that "Merit on the Body" incident, had finally pushed this obscure Divine Soul Secret Technique to the Skilled Realm!

The increase in his Divine Soul’s strength brought not only sharper perception but also a qualitative change in his control over Spiritual Power. His casting speed for Magic Techniques was now at least twenty percent faster than before.

Besides his Divine Soul, the progress in his Cultivation was even more gratifying.

[Realm: Qi Cultivation Third Layer (97/100)]

[Cultivation Technique: Guiyuan Technique (Perfection 99/???)]

Looking at the nearly full progress bar, a wave of heroic sentiment surged in Chu Bai’s heart.

Over the past three months, with the Fate Chart boost from Merit and Demerit Shape Destiny and the nourishment of the Pure Qi within the Evil Suppression Department, his cultivation speed could be described as advancing a thousand miles a day—it was incredibly fast.

’Ten days.’

Chu Bai silently calculated, ’At most ten days, and the Five Elements Spiritual Power in my body will accumulate to its peak.’

’At that time, I will break through to the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer and step into the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation!’

Unlike others who were apprehensive when breaking through, worried about getting stuck at a bottleneck or suffering from cultivation deviation, for Chu Bai, it was merely a matter of course, something that would happen naturally once the progress bar was full.

Just as Chu Bai was immersed in the joy of his impending breakthrough, a series of light but distinctly rhythmic knocks suddenly came from outside his quiet room.

’Who could it be this late?’

Chu Bai’s brow twitched slightly. He didn’t get up to open the door. Instead, with a thought, his Divine Thought—which had just broken through to the Skilled Realm—spread out like an invisible ripple, instantly passing through the heavy wooden door.

Everything within five zhang was laid bare before his eyes.

Standing outside the door was a middle-aged man wearing the standard-issue Profound Armor of an Evil Suppression Department captain.

The man was thin, with a pale, clean-shaven face and deep-set eyes. Under the dim corridor light, his eyes held a hint of gloominess.

His aura was restrained and profound. To Chu Bai’s Divine Thought, he felt like a bottomless pool of stagnant water, faintly exuding an uncomfortable, damp chill.

That was a characteristic unique to those who had cultivated water and earth-type Spiritual Power to an advanced level.

’Pang Song?’

Chu Bai’s heart stirred as he recognized the visitor.

Pang Song, the captain of Evil Suppression Team Three.

This man was a veteran in the Evil Suppression Department. Although his Team Three had many slackers, his own strength was not to be underestimated.

It was said that he had a Cultivation at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer, making him a genuine Late-stage Qi Cultivation expert.

Over the past three-plus months, although they worked together in the same Government Office, Chu Bai’s independent status as a Patrol Banner Inspector, combined with Pang Song’s gloomy, solitary, and taciturn personality, meant the two had almost no interaction. Aside from occasionally nodding to each other from a distance during roll call and learning each other’s names, they had barely crossed paths.

What’s more, Chu Bai had previously executed his deputy, Wang Sanshui. Although Wang Sanshui had brought it upon himself, the saying goes, "you have to consider the master before you beat the dog." No one knew what Pang Song truly thought about it.

’He wouldn’t visit without a reason.’

Chu Bai withdrew his Divine Thought, a trace of suspicion flashing in his eyes.

After a moment of thought, Chu Bai waved his wide sleeve. A gentle stream of Spiritual Power shot out, and the door bolt slid open on its own.

"The door is unlocked. Come in as you please, Captain Pang."