New Home

Once he entered the community, the feeling immediately changed. The noise outside was completely shut out. The road beneath his feet was paved with some unknown black stone, smooth enough to reflect people's silhouettes, yet not slippery to walk on.

Both sides of the road were lined with spirit plants such as green pines, cypresses, and jade bamboo. The Spirit-Gathering Formations buried beneath the trees made the spiritual energy here far denser than outside. Even taking a breath left him feeling refreshed.

As Yang Wenqing walked, he looked around. The outskirts of the community were filled with high-rise buildings, all coated in light gray. Silver runes of various sizes were inscribed across the walls of every building. Some reinforced the structures, some gathered spiritual energy, and others were clearly practical formations for temperature control and dust removal.

Before long, he reached Building Three. The entrance had two heavy spiritwood doors carved with intricate cloud patterns. He inserted the brass key into the lock and gave it a slight twist. A faint sound of mechanisms turning came from within the lock, and the cloud patterns on the doors lit up one after another. Then, with a soft click, the doors opened.

The hallway was well lit, and the stair railings were made of some warm black wood, polished to a smooth finish. He climbed to the third floor and quickly found his room. It was more spacious than his old dormitory, with only five units on each floor.

Standing before his door, Yang Wenqing gripped the key and felt the spiritual energy flowing through the air before inserting it into the lock.

The key turned, and the door opened at once.

The first thing he saw was a neat little living room. Afternoon sunlight streamed unobstructed through the glass doors of the south-facing balcony, filling the entire space with brightness and warmth.

The floor was covered in light wood-grain tiles, solid and steady beneath his feet. The walls were freshly painted white, while faint, delicate silver lines could be seen where the walls met the ceiling. Those were the rune circuits for the basic soundproofing and protective formations.

The living room was simply furnished. A brand-new set of rattan table and chairs stood against the wall, with a storage rack of the same material beside it. Its shelves were clearly divided and could hold quite a few things. What pleased him most was the wide hardwood desk and backed chair placed by the window. They would be perfect for studying cultivation notes and legal documents in the future.

Yang Wenqing entered the room and set down the suitcase that looked utterly out of place in the clean, tidy space. He stepped forward and pushed open a wooden door on the left side of the living room. Inside was the bedroom, with a sturdy wooden bed against the wall already covered in a thick cotton mattress. There was also a wardrobe beside the bed.

Lastly, he entered the private bathroom he had been looking forward to. The moment he looked inside, a smile appeared on his face.

Then he returned to the living room and looked at the open kitchen on the other side. It had its own stove and sink, which were also things he had long wanted.

Yang Wenqing went out onto the balcony and looked toward the professional outdoor training grounds in the distance. After a long while, he let out a breath, then returned inside and unpacked his clothes and miscellaneous belongings. He had planned to cook a meal, only to discover that the stove had no power core.

He immediately went out and bought the most ordinary civilian power core from a general store beside the community's outer gate. It was the size of a fist, its surface inscribed with simple energy-gathering runes. A trace of weak spiritual power was enough to activate it, and it could support a kitchen stove for several months.

Back in his new home, he fitted the core into the slot beneath the stove. Listening to the steady, low hum coming from the furnace core, the sense that this was truly his home grew even stronger.

After that, Yang Wenqing deftly made more than ten rice cakes. With a little pickled vegetables, he ate his first meal in the kitchen of his new home. The taste was nothing special, but the meaning was extraordinary.

After eating, he rested for a while before going into the bedroom. He sat cross-legged on the bed with its new mattress and tried cultivating.

The moment he entered meditation, he clearly sensed that the spiritual energy gathering around him was more than twice as dense as it had been in his old dormitory. He soon immersed himself in cultivation, only naturally waking when the sky outside gradually darkened and the illumination runes at the distant training grounds lit up one after another.

After glancing at the mechanical clock on the wall, he saw that it was almost time for the gathering at seven that evening. Yang Wenqing got up, changed into a clean set of casual clothes, carefully tucked his gun at his waist, and pinned his badge onto his belt.

When he left Building Three, the streetlamps along the community roads and the illumination runes on the buildings made the entire community as bright as day.

As he reached the street in front of Fengtai Building, he saw that the other members of the Second Squad had already gathered. Ye Yong was animatedly gesturing as he said something to Zhu Lin. Wang Yuanfeng, Li Ming, and Zhou Kun were chatting together, while Captain Xiao Liang stood off to one side speaking with Sister Liu. It was Yang Wenqing's first time seeing his teammates in casual clothes.

"Wenqing, over here!" Ye Yong was the first to spot him and waved vigorously.

Yang Wenqing hurried over, but before he could say anything, Ye Yong threw an arm around his shoulders and said, "We've been waiting for you. We have to drink properly today!"

"Everyone's here. Let's go in." Xiao Liang spoke, his gaze lingering on Yang Wenqing for a moment before he gave a slight nod.

The group entered Fengtai Building and was led to a private room on the second floor. The room was spacious, and a large round table in the middle had already been set with cold dishes, cups, and plates.

As everyone took their seats, Ye Yong and Zhou Kun directly pushed Yang Wenqing into the seat beside Xiao Liang. "You're sitting here today." Ye Yong grinned. "Don't try to refuse."

Yang Wenqing had no choice but to sit down. He was not used to this sort of occasion, much less to receiving so much attention. Fortunately, everyone was quickly drawn to the food and wine on the table, and the atmosphere gradually became livelier.

Xiao Liang was the first to raise his cup. "Come on, the first toast is to congratulate Wenqing on his breakthrough!"

Everyone raised their cups. Only after downing his drink did Yang Wenqing realize that no one had brought their family members today. They had probably taken into account that he was alone in the county.

After several rounds of wine and dishes, the conversation gradually shifted from congratulating Yang Wenqing to amusing stories from the squad's past and their plans for the future.

Ye Yong had the loudest voice, shouting that he would go to the branch bureau to mooch off Yang Wenqing in the future, drawing laughter from everyone. Zhou Kun and Li Ming occasionally toasted Yang Wenqing as well, offering blessings such as "May your future be bright" and "Don't forget your old brothers."

Yang Wenqing responded earnestly. The meal lasted nearly two hours, and only when the table was a complete mess of empty cups and plates did everyone rise reluctantly to leave. Outside, Sister Liu's husband had already been waiting for a long time. After parting with Sister Liu, Yang Wenqing chatted idly with the other teammates for a while before they finally went their separate ways.

On his way home, Yang Wenqing discovered that Xiao Liang was headed in the same direction.

"Captain, do you live in Dongning Community too?" Yang Wenqing asked.

"Mm, I live in Building Five. I've been there for years." Xiao Liang nodded. The two naturally walked side by side. "Are you getting used to the new environment?"

"It's great. The spiritual energy is much denser than in my old dormitory." Yang Wenqing answered honestly. After a pause, he added, "Thank you for looking after me this past year, Captain."

Xiao Liang waved it off. "You earned it yourself. Once you get to the branch bureau, everything will depend on you. The competition there is fiercer. Talk less and do more. First, build a solid foundation. Also, if you have enough money, refine a Spirit-Gathering Formation as soon as possible. The spiritual energy needed for cultivation at the Qi Refining Stage can't be compared to before."

"Alright!" Yang Wenqing committed the advice to memory.

They chatted as they walked, with Xiao Liang mostly pointing out details and interpersonal matters Yang Wenqing needed to watch out for at the branch bureau. Before long, they arrived at the entrance to Dongning Community. After verifying their identities, they entered. At this hour, the community lights were much softer.

Near Building Three, Yang Wenqing stopped. He took the key that had belonged to his old dormitory from his pocket and handed it back to Xiao Liang. "Captain, this... I'm returning it to you."

Xiao Liang accepted the key and weighed it in his hand, his voice carrying a trace of emotion. "Get some good rest. Don't be late tomorrow." He patted Yang Wenqing on the shoulder, then turned and headed toward Building Five.

Yang Wenqing watched his captain's figure disappear among the buildings before turning around and going upstairs to his new home.

The room still carried a faint sense of newness. After resting for a while, he cast Dust-Cleansing Technique on himself, then sat in a rattan chair in the living room and thought about a few things. Before he knew it, he had fallen into a deep sleep.

He woke at the same time the next morning. As usual, Yang Wenqing sat in meditation to cultivate his qi. When it was time for work, he changed into his crisp uniform, carefully checked the pistol at his waist and the badge on his chest, then opened the door and walked steadily toward the county branch bureau, ready to begin a brand-new chapter in his career.