I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 228: Chapter 131: Congratulations and the Cost

At the bedside, Yang Wenyuan sat quietly on a stool.

"Brother Wenqing!"

Hearing the noise, Yang Wenyuan turned to the door. He visibly sighed in relief when he saw Yang Wenqing.

Yang Wenqing nodded silently, then walked to the bedside and gently held his Third Grand-uncle’s withered, cold hand. It was light, little more than skin stretched over bone.

After a long moment, he let go of the old man’s hand, tucked in the corners of his blanket, and turned to look at Yang Wenyuan.

"Wenyuan, thank you for your hard work," Yang Wenqing said.

Yang Wenyuan shook his head. "Brother Wenqing, it’s my duty."

Yang Wenqing sat down on another stool, but then a thought of his younger brother and sister at home made him stand up again. He instructed Yang Wenyuan, "I’ll have to trouble you to watch over Third Grand-uncle day and night. The moment he wakes up, no matter the time, inform me immediately."

Yang Wenyuan nodded. "Don’t worry, Brother Wenqing. I won’t leave his side for a second."

Yang Wenqing glanced once more at the unconscious old man on the bed, his gaze deep. Without another word, he turned and strode out of the Quiet Chamber, which was filled with the scent of medicine and decay.

Outside Rejuvenation Hall, the afterglow of the setting sun painted the sky crimson and gold, spilling onto the bluestone road. Yang Wenqing stood at the street corner and took a deep breath of the faintly warm air.

Then, he boarded a Flying Shuttle parked to the side and flew toward Bluestone Lane.

Turning into the familiar lane, he could see from a distance two fully armed guards in patrol uniforms standing ramrod straight outside his courtyard gate. Their sharp eyes scanned the surroundings. Further away, at the various entrances to the lane, the faint figures of other patrol members could be seen.

Yang Wenqing parked the Flying Shuttle, opened the hatch, and stepped out. The guards at the gate saw him and immediately straightened up, saying in a low voice, "Yang Group Leader, Captain Xiao is inside."

He pushed open the unlatched courtyard gate. The yard was unchanged. In the spacious main hall, Xiao Liang was sitting in the Grandmaster’s Chair at the head of the room, reading a document. At a small table beside him, a woman was softly coaxing a three- or four-year-old boy as he played with building blocks.

The scene filled Yang Wenqing’s heart with a potent mix of lingering fear and immense gratitude.

Hearing the noise, Xiao Liang looked up. When he saw it was Yang Wenqing, a hearty smile immediately spread across his face. He put down the document and stood up. "Wenqing!"

Xiao Liang’s wife quickly pulled the child to his feet as well.

"This must be my sister-in-law." Yang Wenqing suppressed his turbulent emotions and forced a happy smile.

"That’s right. Quick, call him Uncle!"

"Uncle~" The little boy, held in his mother’s arms, obediently greeted him.

"Hey!"

As Yang Wenqing responded, a patter of footsteps came from the side. His younger brother and sister had heard the commotion and come downstairs. His sister then ran over and hugged him.

"Big Brother."

Yang Wenning buried her head in her big brother’s chest, while Yang Wenjian stood properly to the side.

Yang Wenqing patted his sister’s shoulder, then gently pushed her away and walked over to sit in the Grandmaster’s Chair next to Xiao Liang. Just then, Aunt Zhou came over with a cup of tea.

"Alright, everything’s fine now. Go on and play," Yang Wenqing said to his younger siblings.

His younger brother, Yang Wenjian, was very obedient. He pulled on his sister’s arm and said, "Yes, Big Brother." After replying, he tugged his reluctant sister out of the main hall. Aunt Zhou, who was waiting nearby, immediately followed them, and Xiao Liang’s wife also went out, carrying her son.

"Brother Xiao, thank you for this," Yang Wenqing said softly. A thousand words of gratitude were ultimately condensed into those five words.

"What are you saying that for!" Xiao Liang laughed casually. "Besides, I’m here to share in the good fortune. Deputy Director of Lingshan New District... you must be the youngest deputy director since Qianjiao County was founded."

Yang Wenqing shook his head and chuckled. "Teacher Qin only said it’s been decided. The official documents haven’t been issued yet."

"It’s still a done deal," Xiao Liang said with a laugh. "We have to have a good drink tonight."

"Sounds good."

Yang Wenqing then called for Aunt Zhou and asked her to prepare a table of dishes to go with drinks.

Xiao Liang’s wife also smiled and went to help. The little boy followed Yang Wenjian and his sister to play in the courtyard. Watching this scene, the last remaining gloom in Yang Wenqing’s heart gradually dissipated.

Before long, Yang Yong and Yang Tie also heard the news and hurried over, making the courtyard even more lively.

After a few cups of wine, the atmosphere became increasingly congenial. The drinking continued late into the night. By the time he saw off Xiao Liang’s family—who, though tipsy, insisted on walking back themselves—it was already eleven o’clock.

Aunt Zhou and the maids cleaned up the mess. Yang Wenqing stood in the courtyard, looked up at the starry sky for a moment, and then led Yang Yong and Yang Tie into the study.

"Brother Wenqing, here are the detailed accounts for Four Seas Trade for the past few days. The losses are mainly from the interruption of several cooperative projects and overstocked goods, totaling about one hundred and fifty thousand in cash equivalent. However, Director Wang helped out behind the scenes and stabilized some of our old clients, so the losses are smaller than expected," Yang Yong reported clearly.

Yang Wenqing took the ledger, flipped through it quickly, and nodded. "The money is a small matter; what’s important is that everyone is safe. As for Third Grand-uncle, you and Wenyuan need to put in extra effort. Use the best medicinal ingredients, don’t be stingy."

"I understand," Yang Yong replied. He then took out a Storage Bag and said, "These are the cultivation materials you asked us to procure before. The quality is all top-grade, as you requested. We have less than fifty thousand left in our accounts."

Yang Wenqing took the Storage Bag and swept his Divine Sense over it briefly. He said to Yang Yong, "Good work. A batch of Spirit Grass from the estate will be ready for harvest soon. Keep an eye on it. Alright, it’s late enough tonight. You two have been tired these past few days, so go home and rest."

After sending Yang Yong and Yang Tie off, Yang Wenqing put away the Storage Bag. He didn’t go to the Quiet Chamber immediately, but instead went up to the second floor to check on his sleeping younger siblings.

Wenjian’s brow was slightly furrowed, as if he couldn’t find peace even in his dreams. Wenning, on the other hand, was hugging her pillow and sleeping soundly, a faint smile on her lips.

Afterward, Yang Wenqing descended the stairs, crossed the silent courtyard, and pushed open the door to the Quiet Chamber in the back.

The Quiet Chamber was as simple and empty as ever.

He first took out the "Warm Meridian Jade," which was as gentle and smooth as water. Following the diagram of the Circulation Meridian Array recorded in the *Nine Refining Secret Skill*, he used his own Spiritual Qi as a guide to carefully trace the Array Patterns on the floor.

The Array Patterns used the Warm Meridian Jade as their core, extending outward in countless fine tributaries that corresponded to the body’s Twelve Main Meridians and their associated channels. Each stroke he drew was accompanied by a faint flicker of Spiritual Light, subtly in sync with his breathing.

It took a full half-hour before the intricate Array, about ten feet in diameter and shimmering with iridescent light, was finally complete.

The moment the Array was formed, the Spiritual Qi within the Quiet Chamber was slowly drawn in, gathering within the formation. This was especially true for the core area where the Warm Meridian Jade was located; the Spiritual Qi there was dense yet gentle, carrying a unique vibration that nourished the meridians.

Next, he took out a palm-sized, purple-bronze incense burner engraved with Gathering Spirit and Mind Guarding runes. He placed a small piece of dark-colored, fragrant Soul-Condensing Spirit Calming Wood inside it.

Then, Yang Wenqing sat cross-legged on the cattail cushion at the Array’s core.

He did not immediately light the Spirit Calming Wood, nor did he operate the Array at full power. Instead, he first closed his eyes, regulated his breathing, and allowed his mind to become completely tranquil.

The joys, sorrows, angers, and gratitude of the day flashed through his Sea of Consciousness like fleeting shadows. They were gradually smoothed over by his powerful will, eventually sinking into silence.

When the last stray thought had dissipated, the Heart Method for the Fifth Refinement of the *Nine Refining Secret Skill*, "Meridian Passage and Expansion," began to circulate automatically within him. A powerful stream of Spiritual Qi started to surge through his already wide and resilient Twelve Main Meridians.

At the same time, with a flick of his fingertip, a spark of Spiritual Fire fell into the incense burner.

TSSS...

After a barely audible sizzle, the Soul-Condensing Spirit Calming Wood was lit. A wisp of extremely faint yet incredibly distinct cyan smoke curled upwards. It did not disperse or overflow, but lingered in the air of the Quiet Chamber. The gentle medicinal power contained within the smoke, which nourished the Divine Sense, slowly seeped into Yang Wenqing’s body with each breath, reaching all the way to the ancestral aperture between his brows.

There, the thumb-sized space of his Sea of Consciousness, like parched earth receiving a timely rain, began to glow faintly. The point of ethereal Spiritual Light from his meditation became more stable, and its rhythmic, breath-like expansion and contraction grew more pronounced.

Beneath him, the Circulation Meridian Array activated. A gentle and peaceful stream of Spiritual Qi, like a trickling brook, flowed along the Array Patterns and into his body. It nourished and cleansed his meridians, alleviating the subtle strain caused by the high-speed circulation of Spiritual Power and making his cultivation smoother and more efficient.

Before long, Yang Wenqing completely entered a deep state of cultivation, forgetting both himself and the world around him. With every breath, his Cultivation slowly sublimated.