Innate Primordial Qi

Xiaolian lowered her head and looked at the token. Her expression changed instantly, and her tone turned respectful. "Th-this is the young lady's Demon-Catching Token?!"

She hurriedly accepted the token and examined it carefully. Then she looked up at Lu Feng, her attitude completely transformed. "Please wait a moment, both of you. I'll report this to Deputy Commandant Qin Shuang right away!"

With that, she turned and hurried into the residence.

Before long, Xiaolian came running back out. "Deputy Commandant Qin wants to see you," she told Lu Feng. "Come inside with me."

Lu Feng cupped his hands in thanks, then turned to Chen Hu. "Wait here. I'll be out soon."

Chen Hu nodded at once. "All right, go on!"

Lu Feng followed Xiaolian into the residence. Wu Li and Yang Shan took the opportunity to sidle up to Xiaolian and strike up a conversation, eager to ingratiate themselves, while Chen Hu stayed where he was, full of anticipation and a little nervous.

Inside the main hall, a beautiful woman dressed in a fitted white martial outfit sat upright in the seat at the head of the room. She had a cold, aloof bearing and sharp eyes, and a faint pressure radiated from her.

She was the only person in the hall. Presumably, this was Deputy Commandant Qin Shuang.

Lu Feng bowed respectfully. "Your subordinate Lu Feng greets Deputy Commandant Qin!"

Qin Shuang raised her eyes and looked at Lu Feng. "Rise," she said casually. "Tell me, how did you come by this Demon-Catching Token?"

Lu Feng stood and gave a detailed account of how he had met Su Ying on North Mountain and how she had given him the Demon-Catching Token, concealing nothing.

After listening, Qin Shuang nodded and motioned for him to put the token away. "Since the young lady gave it to you, you can stay."

"From now on, you'll be a demon-slaying guard under Su Prefecture. Follow Xiaolian for now and familiarize yourself with the Demon-Slaying Bureau's rules. If there's anything you don't understand, ask her. Once the young lady returns, we'll arrange specific duties for you."

"Yes! Thank you, Deputy Commandant Qin!" Lu Feng took the token and cupped his hands in thanks again.

He paused, then spoke again. "By the way, Deputy Commandant Qin, there's another person who came with me. His name is Chen Hu, and he's already at Late Ming Jin. He also wants to join the Demon-Slaying Bureau. Please make an exception for him, Commandant."

Qin Shuang's expression did not change. She waved a hand dismissively. "For such a small matter, just have Xiaolian handle it as well."

Lu Feng felt relieved. After thanking her again, he turned and left the hall.

By then, Wu Li and Yang Shan had already left. Xiaolian was waiting at the entrance, and when she saw Lu Feng come out, she immediately turned and went back inside the residence.

"Lu Feng! How did it go? Did you make it?" Chen Hu hurried over and asked, his face full of eagerness.

Lu Feng smiled and nodded. "We made it. Both of us can join the Demon-Slaying Bureau."

"Both of us?!"

Chen Hu's eyes went round. His face was full of disbelief. "That easily? We passed just like that, without even taking a test?"

When Lu Feng nodded again, Chen Hu nearly jumped for joy. He was just about to burst out laughing when he suddenly remembered that they were at the Demon-Slaying Bureau. He hurriedly covered his mouth and lowered his voice, but the wild joy in his eyes was impossible to hide.

Just then, Xiaolian came out of the residence.

When she looked at Lu Feng, her face was full of smiles. Her attitude had done a complete one-eighty from before, and she was especially warm.

"Big Brother Lu, my name is He Lian. Just call me Xiaolian!" she said with a smile. "From now on, you'll be a demon-slaying guard just like me, directly under Deputy Commandant Qin."

"What about me? Where am I assigned?" Chen Hu hurried forward and asked eagerly.

Xiaolian looked at him and replied calmly, "Inspector Li Mu happens to be short of people right now, so you'll serve under him. I'll let him know later."

She turned back to both of them and added, "You've just arrived at the Demon-Slaying Bureau. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me. There's no need to be polite."

Lu Feng spoke up at once, his tone sincere. "May I ask, Miss Xiaolian, how can I obtain a Nei Jin cultivation technique?"

That was his main reason for coming to the Demon-Slaying Bureau-only by obtaining a Nei Jin cultivation technique could he break through to the next realm and become stronger.

Xiaolian explained with a smile, "With merit! Everything in the Demon-Slaying Bureau, whether cultivation techniques, pills, or treasures, can be exchanged for merit."

"And merit can only be earned by taking demon-slaying or investigation missions at the Demon-Slaying Hall and completing them."

At that, she changed tack. She took a yellowed cultivation manual from her robes and held it out to Lu Feng. "But Deputy Commandant Qin specifically ordered me to give you a Nei Jin cultivation technique for free. Only you may cultivate it, though."

Delighted, Lu Feng hurriedly accepted the manual with both hands. Four bold, vigorous characters were written on the cover-Innate Primordial Qi.

"This is the first half of the technique. Cultivating it to its limit can bring you to Nei Jin Perfection," Xiaolian added. "You'll have to exchange merit for the second half yourself."

"Come on, I'll take you to your quarters. You'll be living here from now on."

With that, Xiaolian led the two of them toward the residential area at the back of the Demon-Slaying Bureau.

When they reached the residential area, Xiaolian pointed to a neat row of rooms. "All the rooms in this row are empty. Pick whichever ones you like. I live in the third room over there. If anything urgent comes up, just come find me."

"Thank you, Miss Xiaolian." Lu Feng took ten taels of gold from his robes and held them out to her. "A small token of my appreciation. Please accept it, and sorry to trouble you to look after us."

"I can't accept this!" Xiaolian hastily waved her hands in refusal, looking a little uneasy.

"Why be so formal, Miss Xiaolian?" Lu Feng smiled and pressed the gold into her hand. "Sorry to trouble you with many more things in the future. This is just a small gift."

Xiaolian looked at the gold in her hand and hesitated for a moment, but ultimately accepted it.

She quickly glanced around, afraid someone might see, and hurriedly said, "Then I'll head back first. Once you're settled in, come find me anytime if you have questions."

With that, she hurried away.

"Lu Feng, which room are you picking?" After Xiaolian left, Chen Hu looked at the row of rooms and asked excitedly.

Lu Feng casually pointed to a room near the middle. "This one."

"Then I'll take the one next to you!" Chen Hu's eyes lit up. He strode to the next room, pushed open the door, and went inside. "I'll get settled first. I'll come find you later!"

Lu Feng also pushed open the door to his room and went inside.

The room was small but very tidy, with simple furnishings: a bed, a table, and a chair. In the corner was a small secret chamber, just right for cultivation.

Lu Feng wasted no time. He immediately entered the secret chamber, sat down cross-legged, and locked the door from the inside.

He carefully opened Innate Primordial Qi. The writing within was archaic and obscure:

"Sit in the mountains and forests, forgetting all, or still the heart in a quiet room. Be not bound by form; seek only to relax. Relax the body: begin at the crown of the head, like snow slowly melting, passing between the brows, descending to both shoulders, following the spine downward to the Yongquan points in the soles, relaxing joint by joint..."

Although Lu Feng did not yet understand its deeper meaning, he still forced himself to commit the entire text to memory.

With a thought, he opened the system panel. Sure enough, information on the Innate Primordial Qi technique had appeared on it.