Heavenly Official's Blessing Pill

The qi-eating ghost drifted into view, like a human shape pieced together from columns of smoke.

On his second day working for the Heaven-Listening Bureau, Wang Qilin saw a ghost in real life!

Xu Da shouted, "Seventh, run!"

He tried to drag the offering table aside and open the door to escape, but the table seemed welded to the door. Despite his tremendous strength, he could only make the wooden door shake repeatedly, unable to push the table away.

Wang Qilin wanted to run too, but every move of the Lunar Soul-Severing Saber he had just learned flashed through his mind at lightning speed-

Then the urge to draw his saber erupted!

His heart followed his will!

He drew!

A saber shadow flashed. Gripping the saber in both hands, he charged like a tiger released from its cage, slashing straight ahead in a streak of icy light.

Ever forward!

Death before retreat!

Run?

Where could he run!

The Lunar Soul-Severing Saber was a divine saber art for night battles. One slash swept through all resistance; beneath its swift blade, a thousand troops would give way!

The qi-eating ghost failed to dodge and took the slash. Strangely, a wisp of red mist rose from it, just as blood would spurt from a person cut by a blade.

Wang Qilin felt as though he had struck ice. The sharp edge sank three inches before being stopped, and a sinister chill traveled up the blade into his arms.

The qi-eating ghost counterattacked with incredible speed. Another arm formed from coiling black smoke clawed at his forehead.

In that instant, Wang Qilin pulled his saber back and turned without retreating. Saber light flickered like fireflies, stirring up a fierce wind that swept through the chamber.

Night Battle in Eight Directions!

Countless overlapping saber shadows flowed without end, like the rolling waters of a mighty river. In an instant, the ghostly arm reaching for him suffered dozens of slashes, sending the hazy black mist churning and red mist pouring out!

The qi-eating ghost looked incorporeal, but Wang Qilin knew it had a solid body, because every slash felt as though it struck ice.

Just as hard as before!

Just as cold as before!

He slashed at the qi-eating ghost with reckless abandon. A bank of dark clouds dispersed, and several beams of moonlight shone through the window lattice.

The silvery moonlight fell squarely on the blade, and an icy radiance immediately flowed across its keen edge.

It had no overwhelming momentum, only a tenacity that neither gods nor buddhas could break. Saber light blazed in the cramped ancestral hall, endlessly entwining the qi-eating ghost, leaving it nowhere to dodge or flee.

The keen blade entered the ghost's body with sharp metallic rings!

Like chopping refined steel!

At that moment, only the saber's movements could be seen in the chamber, not the man wielding it. Swift cuts flowed on and on, chopping the ghost as easily as slicing melons and vegetables!

Outmatched, the qi-eating ghost tried to flee outside.

But it could not escape!

By the final moves of the saber sequence, the qi-eating ghost had been forced into a corner.

Lights shone in ten thousand homes as the final slash fell.

That slash gathered everything he currently understood about the saber art. Lunar radiance enveloped him, and as his long saber fell, his essence, qi, and spirit surged with it. Something seemed about to burst out of his body!

Sensing danger, the qi-eating ghost shifted its form, trying to escape.

Wang Qilin swung his saber in fury. His surging blood rushed to his throat and became an angry roar:

"Where do you think you're going, demon!"

With a deafening clang, the brand-new waist saber struck the ghost's head and snapped in two.

The qi-eating ghost split down the middle like a stump beneath an axe. It lost its human shape and became a twisting column of crimson smoke.

The yin energy filling the chamber dissipated.

The Furnace of Creation appeared again, spinning as it flew out and sucked in the red column of smoke.

Once again, red flames burned beneath the Furnace of Creation.

Recalling Du Cao's remark yesterday that he had slain a vengeful fiend, Wang Qilin realized that this red column of smoke was what demons and ghosts became after they were killed. He did not know what it was, but the Furnace of Creation could undoubtedly use it.

With the qi-eating ghost slain, the chamber fell silent.

Xu Da leaned against the offering table, dumbfounded.

Wang Qilin said, "This calls for applause!"

Xu Da snapped out of his daze and jumped up. "Was that you just now? Was that you?"

Wang Qilin said calmly, "No, it was Li Liushui, the Saber God."

"Nonsense," Xu Da said. "It was clearly you!"

"If you knew it was me, why ask?" Wang Qilin snapped. "Open the door!"

After being shouted at, Xu Da instinctively wanted to glare and throw his weight around. Then he recalled Wang Qilin's godlike saber work and immediately became meek and adorable. "This way, boss."

Leaving the mortuary, Wang Qilin looked up at the night sky.

The bright moon rose over Tianshan, amid a boundless sea of clouds.

Slaying ghosts with a swift saber-what a delight!

It was late, and he felt weak all over after the fierce battle, so rather than travel back to the station in the dark, the two slept at the clinic.

The Lunar Soul-Severing Saber was a divine saber art, after all. With no internal energy, completing the entire sequence without collapsing from exhaustion was already proof of his robust constitution.

Morning.

The clinic's front door creaked open. Zhang Changgeng and the men of his family peered inside from the doorway.

The sight of them infuriated Wang Qilin. "Get over here!"

After killing a ghost last night, he felt he had suddenly acquired both a baleful aura and the imposing air of an official.

The Zhang family was overjoyed to see him and Xu Da unharmed.

Zhang Changgeng cried excitedly, "My lords, your might is truly awe-inspiring! Have you subdued that ghost?"

"We slew it," Xu Da declared proudly.

He was no good at killing ghosts, but when it came to showing off, he was number one.

As the Zhang family poured out their gratitude, Wang Qilin grabbed Zhang Yuning. "You nearly got me killed! What did you tell me yesterday?"

Zhang Yuning's excited expression turned blank. "Lord Wang, what did I say?"

"You said no one died last night!"

Zhang Yuning said innocently, "That's right, last night..."

He whipped his head toward Zhang Changgeng. "Grandfather, didn't Yuhu go to the temple to find the Chan master?"

Zhang Changgeng's face darkened. "That evil ghost killed him during the midnight watch yesterday. I knew how close you brothers were and feared you might do something foolish..."

Still in Wang Qilin's grasp, Zhang Yuning's legs gave way, and he fell to his knees, sobbing.

Wang Qilin did not think he was pretending. It seemed he had not deliberately deceived him, so he could only release him and stop holding him responsible.

He turned a dissatisfied look on Zhang Changgeng. "Your youngest grandson was killed by a ghost last night. Why didn't you tell us?"

Zhang Changgeng said cautiously, "No one asked me."

Wang Qilin was so angry that he was about to leave. Seeing their displeased expressions, Zhang Changgeng took out a brocade box and offered it to them.

The lid opened, releasing a medicinal fragrance. Inside lay two deadwood-colored pills, each the size of a thumb pad.

Zhang Changgeng cupped his hands. "My lords, not only have you resolved a great problem for our clinic, but you have also avenged my youngest grandson. I have no way to repay you, so I can only offer each of you a Great Replenishing Pill."

Xu Da exclaimed in surprise, "Nine-Herb Great Replenishing Pills? The legendary imperial court tonic?"

Zhang Changgeng nodded. "Yes. Our ancestors really did serve in the previous dynasty's palace, though not as imperial physicians, but as pharmacists. These Nine-Herb Great Replenishing Pills were made from a secret recipe passed down by our ancestors. They contain nine superior medicinal ingredients, including ginseng, ambergris, fleeceflower root, and snow lotus. Taking them invigorates the blood, dispels blood stasis, replenishes qi, and strengthens yang. Their benefits are endless!"

Xu Da and Wang Qilin exchanged a glance and quickly reached for them.

Replenishing qi and strengthening yang did not matter; what they valued was invigorating the blood and dispelling blood stasis.

There was no helping it. Working for the Heaven-Listening Bureau meant frequent bruises and injuries.

When they returned to the station, Du Cao was absent. Wang Qilin went back to his room and reached for the Nine-Herb Great Replenishing Pill, intending to store it away safely, only to find it gone!

Experienced this time, he sat cross-legged at once and entered his sea of consciousness to find the Furnace of Creation.

Sure enough, flames roared beneath the Furnace of Creation, and a white pill slowly tumbled above its mouth.

Once refined, the pill automatically dropped before him. This pill was a size larger than the previous one and had turned pure white. Four tiny characters had also appeared on it: Heavenly Official's Blessing.

The rich medicinal fragrance had become the fresh scent of plants and trees. After a moment's thought, Wang Qilin put it in his mouth.

The large pill began dissolving as soon as it touched his saliva.

As he swallowed, a warm current flowed from his mouth into his dantian, then spread from there through every limb and bone.

Ah-ha?

Oh, oh!

Oho!!