I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 81: Chapter 78: Official Announcement

He paused and said to his wife, "Later, ask around the clan and see if there are any well-behaved women of a suitable age. This Yang Wenqing comes from a Clan, so he must value it greatly. If we can arrange a marriage between a member of our Sun family and his Yang Family Village—even if it’s just with a branch family member—it would forge a long-term bond. It might yield unexpected returns in the future."

A glint flashed in Lady Sun’s eyes. Suppressing the sadness within them, she said, "If that’s the case, why not arrange a marriage with him directly?"

Sun Ming shook his head. "A Qi Cultivator this young probably won’t waste time on romance. Otherwise, would this opportunity even be ours? Gao Zhen would have already found a way to arrange a marriage with him. If you approach him directly, not only will he refuse, but you’ll also offend Gao Zhen, and his influence in the county is considerable."

Lady Sun nodded. "That’s true. Anyone who has achieved anything on the path of cultivation must have cherished every second when they were young. It’s the same even for geniuses."

「Meanwhile.」

It was nearly nine o’clock by the time Yang Wenqing walked back to Dongning Community. He was unaware of Sun Ming’s subsequent plans, but the dinner tonight had once again made him feel the complexity and subtlety of the human relationships within the circles of power. He needed greater strength, a more stable position, and resources and power that wouldn’t leave him beholden to others.

And the idea of opening a shop to connect the clan’s lands with the county seat was indeed a good one, but the specific implementation plan would require thorough consideration.

After washing up, Yang Wenqing sorted through his somewhat chaotic emotions. He then walked to the center of the living room, brought out the specially-made alloy Array Base, sat on it, and began his cultivation for the night.

BOOM!

A raging torrent of Spiritual Qi and medicinal power, like a river bursting its banks just as it had last night, savagely rushed into his body. It frantically tempered the membrane of his skin all over his body, and an extreme sensation of itching, stinging, and burning instantly overwhelmed his senses.

With his previous experiences, Yang Wenqing thought he had already adapted to this kind of pain, but the inhuman agony still made his entire body tremble.

Time seemed to pass much more slowly than usual tonight. When the first ray of sunlight fell upon the balcony, Yang Wenqing awoke from his meditation.

The Spirit Gathering Array stopped operating at that moment. As the colorful light of the Gathering Spirit faded, his face immediately turned pale, and he was soaked through as if he had just been pulled from the water.

His eyes, once clear and sharp, were now as cold and indifferent as a deep pool, as if the inhuman agony he had just experienced had nothing to do with him, or as if all his emotions had been frozen within that endless pain.

His ten hours of cultivation last night, which amounted to twenty attempts, meant ten consecutive hours of battling extreme pain. It left his mind in a state of extreme exhaustion and unusual sensitivity.

He tried to get up, but his movements were stiff and strange. He subconsciously avoided any direct friction between his clothes and skin. He raised his arm with a cautious slowness, as if his skin had become so fragile that any slight touch would trigger a new illusion of excruciating pain.

This was a self-preservation mechanism triggered by extreme stimulation, a conditioned reflex to the memory of pain.

He walked to the mirror and looked at his reflection.

It was still the same young face, but his eyes were terrifyingly deep, exuding a chill that warned others to keep their distance. He then gently flexed his fingers, feeling the changes in his body.

Under the clear projection of the Golden Core World, he could see that the membrane of his skin had been completely renewed. Its fibers were dense and full of resilience, glowing with the subtle luster of jade, as if covered by an invisible suit of armor. Beneath this membrane, his qi and blood surged, filled with a sense of immense power.

The Second Refinement of the *Nine Refining Secret Skill*, ’Skin Membrane Like a Drum,’ was already nearing perfection. With just a final bit of effort, it would be complete. At that point, his skin’s defensive capabilities and its ability to channel power would both reach an entirely new level.

However, the price paid was also enormous. The Stone Marrow Liquid was completely used up, 100,000 worth of energy crystals had been invested, and more importantly, there was the mental toll.

"I still need more resources," Yang Wenqing whispered to his reflection in a hoarse, cold voice. He then walked out onto the balcony to breathe in the fresh air.

He checked the time and left, heading first to the Rain Pavilion to ask when the Stone Marrow Liquid would arrive. The shopkeeper told him the earliest it could be delivered was tomorrow afternoon.

By the time he arrived at the branch office, it was already 8:30. A crowd had gathered near the public notice board, as today was the day that job transfers for all departments and public security offices were being announced.

Yang Wenqing paid them little mind and walked straight to the Major Case Team’s floor. At a corner in the hallway leading to the detention cells, he ran into Zhao Qin, Wu Yan, and Liu Rong, who were just coming out. They seemed to have just finished a routine interrogation of the Wang family father and son, and their faces all showed a hint of exhaustion and helplessness.

Zhao Qin, being sharp-eyed, was the first to spot Yang Wenqing. He immediately forced a smile onto his face, but it looked rather stiff due to the effort and nervousness.

"C-Captain!"

Zhao Qin’s voice was an octave higher than usual, dripping with obvious sycophancy. "Congratulations on your promotion to Deputy Head of the Major Case Team, Captain! You’re truly... truly gifted to be promoted so quickly..."

The words were so awkward, yet he forced them out anyway. Listening from the side, Liu Rong almost couldn’t stop himself from laughing out loud.

Yang Wenqing stopped and his gaze fell upon Zhao Qin. His mood was already cold and detached at the moment, and seeing Zhao Qin’s behavior stirred no emotion in him. So, he responded with some indifference, "It’s just a public notice. There’s still the competition to go through. Don’t go around shouting about it before the final result is decided."