New Home

Upon entering the community, the feeling changed immediately. The clamor outside had been completely filtered away. The road beneath his feet was paved with some unknown black stone, so level it reflected people's silhouettes, yet not slippery to walk on.

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

As he walked, Yang Wenqing looked around. The outer perimeter of the community was filled entirely with high-rises, their exterior walls coated in pale gray. Silver runes of varying sizes were inscribed across every building's walls. Some reinforced the structures, some gathered spiritual energy, while others were clearly practical formations for regulating temperature and clearing dust.

Before long, he reached Building Three. Its entrance was guarded by two heavy spiritwood doors engraved 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 cylinder, and the cloud patterns on the doors lit up one by one. Then, with a soft click, the doors opened.

The stairwell was well lit. The railings were made from a kind of warm, dark wood, polished exceptionally smooth. He followed the stairs up to the third floor and quickly found his room. It was roomier than his old dormitory, with only five households on each floor.

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

The key turned, and the door opened at once.

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

The floor was laid with light wood-grain tiles, solid and steady beneath his feet. The walls had been painted snow white, and faint, delicate silver lines could be seen where the corners met the ceiling. Those were the rune circuits forming the basic soundproofing and Protective Formation.

The living room was simply furnished. A brand-new set of woven rattan table and chairs stood against the wall, with a storage shelf of the same material beside it. Its tiers were clearly divided and could hold quite a few things. What pleased him most was the large hardwood desk and backed chair placed by the window. They could not have been more suitable 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 home. He stepped forward and pushed open a wooden door to the left of the living room. Inside was the bedroom, with a sturdy wooden bed against the wall, already covered with a thick cotton mattress. There was also a wardrobe beside the bed.

Finally, he entered the independent bathroom he had been longing for. The moment he looked inside, a smile appeared on his face.

Then he returned to the living room and looked toward the open kitchen on the other side. It had its own stove and sink—things he had also longed for.

Yang Wenqing walked onto the balcony and gazed at the professional outdoor training grounds in the distance. After a long while, he let out a breath, then returned indoors and put away his clothes and miscellaneous belongings. He had intended to cook himself 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 the grocery shop beside the community's outer gate. It was about the size of a fist, its surface engraved with simple energy-gathering runes. A trace of weak spiritual power was enough to activate it, and it could support the 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 solid feeling of having a home grew a little stronger in his heart.

After that, Yang Wenqing deftly made more than ten rice cakes. With a little pickled vegetable, he ate his first meal in his new home's kitchen. The taste could not be called particularly good, but its meaning was extraordinary.

After eating, he rested briefly before entering the bedroom. Sitting cross-legged on the bed with its new mattress, he tried to cultivate.

The instant 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 previous dormitory. He then immersed himself in cultivation, until the sky outside gradually darkened and the illumination runes at the distant training grounds lit up one by one. Only then did his internal body clock naturally awaken him.

A glance at the mechanical wall clock showed that the gathering at seven in the evening was not far off. Yang Wenqing rose, changed into a clean set of casual clothes, carefully concealed his gun at his waist, and pinned his badge to his belt.

When he walked out of Building Three, the streetlamps lining the community roads and the illumination runes on the buildings lit the entire community as brightly as day.

Upon reaching the block in front of Fengtai Building, he saw that the other members of the Second Squad had already gathered together. Ye Yong was animatedly gesturing as he explained something to Zhu Lin. Wang Yuanfeng, Li Ming, and Zhou Kun were chatting together, while Captain Xiao Liang and Liu-jie stood to one side talking. This was the first time Yang Wenqing had seen his teammates in casual clothes.

"Wen Qing, over here!" Ye Yong spotted him first and waved vigorously.

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

"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, with cold dishes and cups already arranged on a large round table in the middle.

As everyone took their seats, Ye Yong and Zhou Kun directly pressed Yang Wenqing into the seat beside Xiao Liang. "You sit here today." Ye Yong grinned. "No refusing."

Yang Wenqing had no choice but to sit down. He was not particularly accustomed to occasions like this, much less skilled at dealing with too much attention. Fortunately, everyone was soon drawn to the food and wine on the table, and the atmosphere gradually warmed.

Xiao Liang was the first to raise his glass. "Come, the first toast—to congratulate Wen Qing on his breakthrough!"

Everyone raised their glasses. Only after downing the wine did Yang Wenqing realize that no one had brought their families today. They had most likely considered that he was alone in the county.

After three rounds of wine and five flavors of dishes, as everyone traded cups and drinks, the conversation gradually shifted from congratulating Yang Wenqing to amusing stories from the squad's past and plans for the future.

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

Yang Wenqing responded earnestly. The meal lasted nearly two hours, and only when the cups and plates lay in complete disarray did everyone rise reluctantly to leave. Once outside, they found Liu-jie's husband had been waiting for some time. After parting with Liu-jie, Yang Wenqing and the other teammates chatted idly for a while longer before going 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. It's been some years now." Xiao Liang nodded. The two naturally walked side by side. "Are you getting used to the new environment?"

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

Xiao Liang waved a hand. "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, plant your roots firmly. 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 is nothing like before."

"Alright!" Yang Wenqing committed every word to memory.

They walked and talked, with Xiao Liang mostly offering pointers about details and interpersonal relationships Yang Wenqing would need to watch out for at the branch bureau. Before long, they reached 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 originally 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 tone carrying a trace of emotion. "Get some proper rest. Don't be late tomorrow." He patted Yang Wenqing's shoulder, then turned and headed toward Building Five.

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

A faint trace of new-home scent still lingered indoors. After resting for a moment, he cast a Dust-Cleansing Technique on himself, then sat in the rattan chair in the living room, thinking about things. Before he knew it, he had fallen into a deep sleep.

He woke at the same time as usual the next morning. Like every other day, Yang Wenqing sat in meditation and practiced Qi Refining. 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 pushed open the door and strode steadily toward the county branch bureau, ready to welcome an entirely new chapter in his career.