Reversing Gang Qi

The light rain stopped. The moonless night lay dark.

The journey back was smooth.

Tang Lingwei returned to the Evil Extermination Division with her exhausted subordinates.

Several colleagues looked over, then quickly looked away.

As members of the Evil Extermination Division, they had long grown used to such sights.

Getting wounded was the lesser outcome. Some were carried back beneath white sheets.

"Gao Quan, compile a report on what happened today and submit it," Tang Lingwei said, her expression conflicted.

On the way back, she had come to understand.

With Qin An's talent and abilities, she could not keep him under her command.

Qin An deserved the greatest credit for today's mission.

He had slain two enemies at Body Infusion Realm Perfection. Perhaps by tomorrow, he would hold the same rank as her.

Advancing from Prefecture Clerk to Bronze Captain required a major achievement, along with plenty of Demon and False God blood on one's hands.

When Prefecture Clerks went on missions together, their performance was reported after the mission ended.

If, as on this day, they had braved danger and risked their lives to slay Demons, the credit would be shared among them.

The credit for two Body Infusion Realm enemies was substantial, but it would amount to much less once divided.

Qin An, however, had earned the lion's share. He alone had slain the Demon and the False God; everyone else would receive very little.

Such a chance at promotion took more than luck in encountering two Body Infusion Realm enemies. It also took strength.

Without Qin An's strength, how could he have claimed that credit?

As for stealing credit, that was impossible in the Evil Extermination Division.

The higher-ups had made themselves clear.

Everyone here risked their lives for the common people. Anyone who stole a colleague's credit would chill the hearts of those who fought beside them. Even if royalty stood behind them, they would be dragged to the marketplace and beheaded.

Gao Quan glanced at Qin An fearfully, nodded, and quietly left the courtyard.

He recalled how he had called Qin An his brother, then remembered the might of Qin An's Black Blade today. He wanted to slap himself twice.

How had he dared to treat such a man as a close friend?

Qin An asked, "How long before I can exchange my credit for Cultivation Methods?"

Rank and position did not matter. The Cultivation Methods did.

He had stored up a great deal of blood qi and wanted to use a new Cultivation Method to conduct a derivation.

Tang Lingwei said, "Someone from the Internal Affairs Division will come for you tomorrow. You're tired today. Go back to your room and rest."

Qin An nodded and headed toward his room.

Tang Lingwei watched him go, lost in thought for a long while.

Back at his quarters, Qin An unfastened the Black Blade and set it beside his bed.

He had gained much today, but no Cultivation Methods. Once they arrived tomorrow, he could conduct his derivation in earnest.

The night was already late.

Qin An disliked staying up and preferred to keep his energy at its peak.

Even with proficiency, he would rather practice during the day.

Besides, with the Monkey Demon and Tree Lord of Azure Cloud Valley eyeing him, Qin An needed to remain in peak condition at all times.

Staying in the Evil Extermination Division did not guarantee his safety. If he wanted to be safe, he could rely only on himself.

The Oil Lamp flickered, casting mottled shadows.

Qin An blew it out and went to sleep early...

The next day.

A knock sounded at the door.

Qin An's eyes snapped open. He grabbed the Black Blade. "Who is it?"

A voice came from outside.

"Internal Affairs Division. I've brought your rewards."

Qin An got up and opened the door, but kept the Black Blade unsheathed.

A young man stood outside in dark robes. From his appearance, he carried no Killing Intent, a far cry from the people of the External Affairs Division.

When Qin An opened the door, the young man held out a tray.

Qin An took it and looked inside. A bronze waist badge lay on the tray.

A coiled azure dragon adorned the badge, which emanated a fierce, baleful air.

There were also two spare sets of dark robes.

After a moment's thought, Qin An hung the badge at his waist.

The young man immediately cupped his hands. "This subordinate greets Lord Qin."

A Bronze Captain held status in Ling Prefecture, a rank one could reach only with considerable Demon and False God blood on one's hands.

Though members of the Internal Affairs Division came from sects and Lineages, they still had to respectfully salute a Bronze Captain of the External Affairs Division.

Qin An nodded. "Can I go to the Confidential Archives to exchange for my rewards?"

He had the Merits and the rank of Bronze Captain. What Qin An needed now were Cultivation Methods.

He already knew that both Cultivation Methods and intelligence were kept in the Confidential Archives.

The young man lowered his head. "Your Merits have been recorded, Lord Qin, so of course you may go. You can also collect your Bronze Captain's monthly pay at the Resource Hall."

They all lived with blood on their blades, so money was hardly scarce. Their monthly pay was enough to spend lavishly.

Qin An nodded and left his room.

He first went to the Resource Office to collect this month's pay, then headed to the Confidential Archives.

As before, Qin An handed over his waist badge.

This time, the Internal Affairs Division Prefecture Clerk who checked it showed no contempt. He returned the badge with a respectful expression.

"My lord, you may select three Body Infusion Realm Cultivation Methods and take copies with you," the Prefecture Clerk said.

Under the rules, a Prefecture Clerk could select no more than two.

A Bronze Captain could choose one more. It was a privilege of the rank.

Qin An took back his badge, entered the Confidential Archives, and began examining the shelves one by one.

The books on the shelves bore only names and descriptions, not their contents.

This prevented anyone with an unfailing memory from memorizing them all.

Before arriving, Qin An had already decided what he wanted.

His blade technique and Mind Method had both reached great mastery and were not far from perfection. His movement technique, however, was still at the Qi Concealment Realm and was holding him back.

Beyond that, Qin An needed a Defensive Method and a fist technique.

He had only just begun learning fist techniques and wanted to improve.

The Defensive Method had always been Qin An's weakness. He badly needed one.

The Confidential Archives held a vast number of Cultivation Methods, but the Internal Affairs Division Prefecture Clerks had sorted them by category, making them easy to find.

Qin An looked for a fist technique and a movement technique first.

The fist technique was called the Sky-Rending Fist Technique.

It was tremendously fierce, much like Qin An's Crimson Flame Mountain-Breaking Hand.

The movement technique was called the Serpent Form Movement Technique. It focused on shifting position within a small area.

Azure Bird Leap used broad, sweeping movements, like a wild goose skimming past. It fell somewhat short when it came to maneuvering in tight spaces.

If Qin An derived it together with Azure Bird Leap, perhaps he could make up for that weakness.

With the movement and fist techniques chosen, only the Defensive Method remained difficult.

Standing before the shelf, Qin An considered, I don't have a profession related to the Defensive Method. If I can't derive one, I'll need to start a new profession.

A moment later, Qin An made up his mind. He would choose a Defensive Method that made it easy to unlock a profession.

Every Cultivation Method had a detailed description. Qin An patiently read through them one by one.

Before long, one Cultivation Method was in Qin An's hand.

—Reversing Gang Qi.

Just then, a Bronze Captain from the External Affairs Division walked past.

Seeing the Cultivation Method in Qin An's hand, the Bronze Captain shook his head and offered a well-meaning warning. "Don't choose that one. It's very difficult."

Reversing Gang Qi involved turning Qi into tiny needles and driving them into the major acupoints throughout the body to generate Gang Qi, which then protected the body.

What made the Cultivation Method difficult was the excruciating pain of practicing it—pain that cut to the bone and that ordinary people could not withstand.

Qin An read it through, then picked up all three Cultivation Methods and walked on.

The Bronze Captain found that strange, but when Qin An ignored him, he said no more.

If Qin An chose wrong, that was his fate. He could blame no one else.

The Bronze Captain had offered a friendly warning. If Qin An would not listen, so be it.

Qin An completed the registration and quietly left once the Internal Affairs Division Prefecture Clerk had brought out copies of the Cultivation Methods.

He already had a plan for a new profession. First, he would derive the movement and fist techniques.