Sitting cross-legged within the Array, Yang Wenqing closed his eyes and focused, practicing the foundational Heart Method of the Nine Refining Secret Skill. He allowed the Spiritual Power in his Qi Sea to slowly circulate throughout his body. The Spirit Gathering bracelet on his wrist silently activated, feeding a stable stream of Spiritual Qi into his meridians and providing support for his upcoming attempt.
Once his mind was completely tranquil, his breathing long and steady, and his physical state adjusted to its peak, Yang Wenqing immersed his consciousness into the specific techniques of the Nine Refining Secret Skill’s Third Refinement: "Generating Essence from Blood and Flesh."
The technique’s circulation path was far more complex and intricate than that of the Second Refinement. It required Spiritual Qi to permeate the deeper muscle tissues, vascular networks, and even the outer layers of his bone marrow. Guided by a specific rhythm, its purpose was to stimulate the inherent life activity within his very flesh and blood.
In theory, this process was quite dangerous and shouldn’t be attempted without a supplementary Array. However, Yang Wenqing had his Golden Core World, which allowed him to observe his own projection and circumvent any risks.
He followed the technique, cautiously mobilizing the Spiritual Qi from his Qi Sea and circulating it along the path of the Third Refinement. Like fine threads, the Spiritual Qi slowly delved into the depths of his flesh and blood, bringing a faint, tingling itch and a gentle warmth.
His projection in the Golden Core World manifested in sync. Upon close observation, one could see the turbid energies and metabolic waste generated by the circulation of his qi and blood being dislodged by the vibrating Spiritual Qi. This waste was then slowly expelled through his pores or even deeper channels, while his qi and blood grew more vibrant under the constant nourishment of the Spiritual Power.
Thanks to his Golden Core World having already nourished his qi, blood, and vital organs while he practiced the first two refinements, his execution of the Third Refinement’s technique was now exceptionally smooth. He felt almost no blockages or pain. The Spiritual Qi moved through his flesh and blood like a fish in familiar waters, naturally guiding the refinement of his qi and blood.
An hour of cultivation passed quickly.
Yang Wenqing slowly withdrew his power and opened his eyes. A mellow, restrained light flashed in their depths before vanishing. He then stretched his arms and legs, a sense of comfort washing over his entire body, as if he had just awoken from a deep sleep or enjoyed a top-tier medicinal bath. He felt a lightness and vitality radiating from within.
Thanks to the prior nourishment from his Golden Core, he had already achieved initial success in the Third Refinement. Intentionally guiding his cultivation now gave him an indescribable sense of satisfaction, and the vigorous life force deep within his body had strengthened by a sliver.
This increase, while insignificant when measured against the standard of mastering the Third Refinement—perhaps not even one-thousandth of the total progress—was clearly visible within his projection in the Golden Core World, which was incredibly reassuring.
...
The next morning, Yang Wenqing walked into the main City Defense Bureau building in high spirits. He habitually glanced at the Third Squad’s office before walking over to the small storage room across from Vice Director Gao’s office. The place had been completely transformed.
Two young officers from the General Affairs Department were already waiting for him. When they saw Yang Wenqing, they immediately came over and handed him the key to his office. The original door had been replaced with one of sturdy, solid wood. Next to it was a brand-new nameplate engraved with the words: "Major Case Team, Vice Group Leader’s Office."
The room was neat and tidy. A wide desk and a high-backed chair were placed by the window. On the desk sat a pen rack, a runic seal inkpad, and several stacks of blank official documents. A small filing cabinet stood in the corner, and next to it was a small Rune Board used for connecting to the internal Communication Array.
Yang Wenqing sat down in the high-backed chair, his eyes landing on an instruction manual on the desk. The manual explained how to use the various runic Arrays in the office. The first step was to activate them with his badge. The activation method was incredibly simple; he just had to place his badge on the core of the small Rune Board.
He gave it a try. The Array on the desk’s surface activated instantly, and a Water Mirror Screen immediately appeared. It was connected to the main City Defense System. All closed case files from the Major Case Team would require his final review here before they could be officially entered into the system and sent to the Court for trial.
Through this system, he could also investigate the personnel files of almost anyone registered in Qianjiao County, including low-ranking staff from the Civil Affairs Bureau and the City Defense Bureau.
He had barely settled in when a female sergeant in her forties knocked and entered. She was Huanmin, the communications specialist for the First Squad. Previously, Yang Wenqing had only ever bumped into her in the hallways.
"Yang Group Leader, these are the matters you need to handle today."
As she spoke, she placed the large stack of files she was carrying onto Yang Wenqing’s desk. "This is just a portion of it," she added. "It’s mostly routine paperwork and case files that need immediate attention. There are some less urgent items that I’ll bring over for you this afternoon."
Yang Wenqing looked at the files on his desk and raised an eyebrow. "Why are there so many?" he asked.
He didn’t recall ever seeing Vice Director Gao handle this many documents. Wang Jianchao, for his part, had only ever needed to focus on cases and never dealt with any of this.
Huanmin explained, "Vice Director Gao hasn’t handled the team’s daily affairs for many days. This is all the backlog."
It dawned on Yang Wenqing. He remembered that Vice Director Gao had been busy with the Zhenyuan Mining case for the past few days. ’In the end,’ he thought, ’this is all because of something I started.’
Huanmin continued, "Also, Vice Director Gao has instructed that from now on, you’ll be managing the Major Case Team’s finances, Yang Group Leader. I’ll have someone from the warehouse come by later to reconcile the accounts with you. Furthermore, this month’s personnel attendance and performance reports need to be filed as soon as possible. Everyone’s salary in the Major Case Team depends on it."
Yang Wenqing nodded in silence.
Huanmin added, "There’s also the matter of approving special items from certain companies. You’ll need to pay close attention to that, Yang Group Leader. Vice Director Gao should have an established protocol for it; you can ask him about it when you find a moment."