I Cultivate in a Government Office

Three days had passed since Yang Wenqing joined the Major Case Team. After reactivating the Third Squad’s Communication Array, he spent his time poring over old case files to familiarize himself with the team’s investigative methods.

During these three days, he also met the captains of the other two squads. One of them was Wang Jianchao, whom Xiao Liang had mentioned. The man was incredibly busy, making himself scarce for most of the day. The captain of the Second Squad was a female sergeant named Liu Xin, who was also extremely capable. After a brief meeting with Yang Wenqing, she had led her squad members out on a case.

This left Yang Wenqing feeling a bit restless in the office. Aside from reading case files, he had spent the past two days in the records room, looking through the files of some senior sergeants. He wanted to strengthen the Third Squad and had secretly considered two candidates, but he rejected both of them.

He had actually favored Li Ming, but unfortunately, his wife had just given birth, and he didn’t want to join the Major Case Team. The other person was his former classmate, Liu Rong, but he was still recovering from an injury.

At the same time, he hadn’t let his cultivation fall behind during these three days. After all, his goal had never been to simply remain in the Qi Cultivation Stage, though it was hard not to feel a little complacent after his recent promotion—especially when faced with the ’nine refinements’ that comprised the rest of the stage.

But he still forced himself to set a goal of reaching the Fifth Refinement. Once he reached the Fifth Refinement, he would be eligible to take the examination for promotion to Police Specialist. His file would also be transferred directly to the city-level department, opening up more opportunities in the future.

...

That day, while Yang Wenqing was studying case files again, Liu Qin, who was monitoring the Communication Array, suddenly received a message. She hurried over to Yang Wenqing’s desk and said nervously, "A message from the case center. A crate containing a decomposing body was found under a public pier at the West City Port. It’s suspected to be part of an evil ritual."

Hearing this, Wu Yan, who had been meditating out of boredom nearby, immediately stood up from his seat. He picked up his well-maintained pistol from the desk and holstered it. Yang Wenqing’s expression also turned serious as he picked up his newly issued Type 1 military pistol. The handgun held twelve rounds and had an effective range of nearly fifty meters.

"Let’s go check it out!"

Yang Wenqing had been poring over so many case files lately that he was eager for some fieldwork. With that, he holstered his gun. He was in plainclothes, his holster under his arm. Like Wu Yan, he wore a warm, protective leather jacket on the outside.

The Third Squad had a Flying Shuttle, an older "Fengxing-B" model. The two of them rushed to the garage. Wu Yan pulled open the driver’s door and got in, with Yang Wenqing following close behind into the passenger seat.

HUMMM—

With a low hum, the Flying Shuttle steadily lifted half a meter off the ground, then slid silently out of the garage and onto the street.

About twenty minutes later, the Flying Shuttle left the bustling city center, traveling at sixty kilometers per hour. As the salty, humid scent of the sea breeze grew stronger, the two spotted a busy port through the windows.

The West City Port was built around a natural crescent-shaped bay. A massive breakwater extended into the sea like an arm, shielding it from the open ocean’s wind and waves.

Inside the harbor, the water was relatively calm, dotted with moored ships of all sizes. There were old cargo vessels powered by sails and simple Spiritual Qi Arrays, as well as massive new steel freighters covered in dense runes, emitting faint steam and a Spiritual Light.

The pier area was constructed from sturdy timber and concrete. Everywhere you looked, there were mountains of shipping containers, enormous crane arms, and busy dockworkers and sailors in various uniforms.

The Flying Shuttle was stopped by two port guards at the harbor entrance. After Wu Yan showed his Major Case Team badge, they were allowed to pass. He drove the shuttle slowly along the main road of the pier area, finally stopping at a relatively secluded public pier near the base of the breakwater.

A police cordon had already been set up. Several officers from the Port Security Office were maintaining order, while a crowd of curious dockworkers and sailors gathered outside the tape, pointing and murmuring.

Yang Wenqing and Wu Yan stepped out of the Flying Shuttle and were immediately hit by a thick fishy smell mixed with an indescribable stench of decay. Wu Yan didn’t even furrow his brow, clearly long accustomed to it.

Yang Wenqing, however, discreetly circulated his Spiritual Qi to block out the overwhelming odor.

A sergeant from the Port Security Office hurried over to greet them. After verifying Yang Wenqing’s identity, he smiled and said, "I’d heard the Major Case Team transferred in a young captain. Captain Yang, hello. I’m Yan Kuan, captain of the Port Security Office’s First Patrol Squad."

"Hello, Captain Yan!"

Wu Yan, standing beside him, asked in a low voice, "What’s the situation here?"

Yan Kuan glanced at Wu Yan before turning back to Yang Wenqing to explain. "About an hour ago, a recreational diver discovered a wooden crate. He thought it was something valuable, so he and a few others hauled it up. When they opened it and found a body, they were terrified and called the police. We initially thought it was a standard murder case, but during the investigation, we found traces of a sacrificial Array on the seabed where the crate was placed. We immediately contacted the case center."

Yang Wenqing had excellent eyesight and could already see the wooden crate, which a senior officer was guarding. He asked, "Where are the statements from the divers?"

"Right here!"

Yan Kuan opened the file folder he was carrying and took out a document.

Yang Wenqing didn’t read it immediately. He took it and handed it to Wu Yan, then followed Yan Kuan over to the wooden crate. The corpse inside was so bloated that its features were unrecognizable; it was more like a pile of rotten flesh.

He extended his left hand and, with a light tap, formed the Dharma Seal for a ’Tracking Technique,’ recording the residual bloodline signature from the corpse. This would help in identifying the victim.

Next, his gaze fell upon the crate. The pried-open lid had clear runic lines on it, and there were also distinct runic traces on the inside.

"This looks a lot like a Five Elements Life-taking Array!"

Wu Yan was very experienced; he had clearly encountered similar cases before.

Yan Kuan nodded in agreement. "It’s highly likely. You’ll need to solve this case quickly. If the culprit succeeds, a crazed monster might suddenly appear in the county."

Yang Wenqing nodded silently. He knew of the ’Five Elements Life-taking Array.’ It was a final, desperate act by those on the verge of death from old age, attempting to seize the lifespan of others. However, in most cases, they would just turn into twisted monsters.

Just then, the Major Case Team’s forensics unit arrived. Yang Wenqing already knew the man leading them, an elderly expert named Ding Lang. He ignored the corpse, instead ordering his subordinates to collect various samples from it. After carefully observing the runes on the crate and getting an update on the situation, he asked, "Let’s go check the seabed where the crate was placed."

He then looked at Yang Wenqing. "Captain Yang, you know the ’Water Avoidance Spell,’ right?"

Yang Wenqing nodded. He had learned quite a few Spells over the past three days. He knew what Ding Lang was thinking and had planned to do the same, but first, he turned to Yan Kuan. "The victim was likely someone from around the port. I’ll have to trouble you, Captain Yan, to look into any recent missing persons reports from the harbor."

Yan Kuan smiled and replied, "Don’t worry. This is our case too, in a way. I’ll have results for you by tomorrow morning at the latest."