Chapter 12: Handing It Over to the State

Pang Xiaolei felt like he was dreaming.

From the darkness, he plunged headfirst into a dazzling sphere of light.

The world before his eyes shifted beyond recognition. A flight of blue-jade steps, like a path leading to heaven, appeared before him, and even the air was crisp, sweet, and refreshing.

A big yellow dog wagged its tail as it ran down from the end of the steps. It circled them again and again, whining in a soft, happy, almost coquettish way.

“This is…” Pang Xiaolei’s eyes widened. The level of shock he felt was no less than when he had been dragged into the aberrant domain by the aberration.

They had gone from night to broad daylight in an instant. Had they crossed over to the other side of Earth?

“My sect.”

Carrying Pang Xiaolei on his back, Chen Yi stepped onto the stairs, and the white-jade memorial archway of the Mountain Gate appeared before them as well.

He looked up at the name on the archway and said, “The Lurker Sect.”

“…”

Even in the midst of shock, Pang Xiaolei still remembered his first impression of Chen Yi.

Those short videos that had seemed like a man pretending to be crazy and foolish now clearly seemed real. He was standing before The Lurker Sect’s Mountain Gate. Chen Yi was not only the so-called Sect Master, but all these strange abilities he possessed, including the power to fight aberrations, had probably come from this sect.

The contempt Pang Xiaolei had originally held was already gone. When they crossed the Mountain Gate and he saw the sect’s great hall, even more majestic in person than when seen with his own eyes before, with carved beams and painted rafters, Pang Xiaolei even suspected that this was some kind of secret organization, or perhaps a secret state base.

This great hall was even grander and more enormous than the palace hall where emperors held court. If it were not a large-scale institution, with an astronomical investment of money and time, it could never have been built.

Then Pang Xiaolei saw the gas stove set up at the entrance of the hall, not yet put away, as well as Village Chief Chen Jiankang, the village chief’s wife, and two children of around three years old who came out after hearing the commotion.

These people, and this environment, were incongruous, yet somehow carried a faint harmony.

“Officer Pang!?”

Chen Jiankang saw him and hurried over, only to see the injury on his hand.

“Oh my, what happened? Did you run into an aberration? Thank goodness! I knew it! I was wondering why my eyelid kept twitching all day! That injury wasn’t caused by an aberration, was it? Hurry and go down the mountain! Call an ambulance! Why bring him here?”

Chen Jiankang stamped his foot, even more anxious than the injured man himself.

Pang Xiaolei had been quietly observing. The wariness hidden in his eyes quietly faded a little under Chen Jiankang’s heartfelt concern.

“Chen Yi, what is this?”

He asked in puzzlement.

Chen Yi put him down and looked at him. “I have a cultivation method. There’s a chance it can treat your injury. Even if it can’t for now, sooner or later we’ll be able to think of a way. It’s just that this cultivation method isn’t something anyone can practice. You have to join my sect first.

“Of course, you can also go to the hospital, but the odds are high that they’ll amputate.

“You have to make this choice yourself.”

Chen Jiankang, who had been talking nonstop, shut his mouth.

When Xiang Lan saw the wound on Pang Xiaolei’s hand, she was afraid it would scare the children, so she coaxed them back into the Sect Main Hall.

Pang Xiaolei and Chen Yi looked at each other. Pang Xiaolei wanted to see more in Chen Yi’s eyes, but Chen Yi’s expression remained calm and composed, entirely open.

In the end, Pang Xiaolei could only ask, “What kind of organization is this?”

“The Lurker Sect.”

“What is The Lurker Sect?”

“A sect for cultivation.”

“It can deal with those monsters from today?”

“Generally speaking, beings with this kind of intense contaminating ability are called aberrations.”

“Was I drugged? Or did I inhale some kind of chemical?”

“Officer Pang can try grabbing your injured hand.” After a pause, Chen Yi said, “I can’t guarantee this injury can be healed either. Maybe it would be better to go to the hospital and have it amputated.”

“Hey, hey, no…” That sentence struck right where Pang Xiaolei hurt.

If someone could live with all four limbs intact, who would want an amputation?

In the end, Pang Xiaolei’s gaze landed on Chen Jiankang’s face, and he asked, “When you went to find Wang Ping’an today, it was because you wanted to tell him about this, right?”

Now that the man had already been brought in, Chen Jiankang naturally nodded.

“Why Wang Ping’an?”

“Because Ping’an is a child who grew up in our village, and he’s also the highest-ranking person I can reach. You saw it too. With something this big, ordinary people really wouldn’t dare speak up.”

At that, Pang Xiaolei’s tense shoulders eased. He squeezed out a smile and said to Chen Jiankang, “I’m sorry I wasn’t someone Village Chief Chen could entrust this to, but I promise I’ll handle this matter properly.”

Then he looked at Chen Yi, and there was a little more trusting warmth in his smile. “Sect Master Chen, I’ll be in your care from here.”

Chen Yi nodded.

He knew Pang Xiaolei had agreed to join the sect, but the system had not acknowledged it, so he could not give him the cultivation method.

So he still asked solemnly, “Mr. Pang Xiaolei, are you willing to join The Lurker Sect and, from this day forward, never leave or abandon it, and build the sect together?”

“…” Pang Xiaolei’s expression turned a little awkward. Why were those words so embarrassing? They sounded like, like that kind of thing. Still, he nodded. “As long as the sect’s purpose doesn’t involve breaking the law or committing crimes, and doesn’t conflict with my current work, I’m willing.”

Chen Yi glanced at the water mirror. Pang Xiaolei had quite a few requirements for joining, but the sect system still acknowledged him. The number of sect members had now reached six.

Chen Yi had intended from the beginning to hand the sect system over to the state. Before the apocalypse truly descended, he wanted to build a powerful force capable of handling it with ease, preserving as many people as possible.

Among those who joined, there would inevitably be many public servants like Pang Xiaolei, people with their own missions and convictions. When their duties conflicted with the state, it would be normal for them to choose the state.

Chen Yi did not mind. Before he transmigrated, he had also been a good, law-abiding citizen, with a strong sense of belonging and identification with the state. After arriving in the world of the book, he had also been able to integrate quickly.

If he could do even a little something for the country and the people, he would be happy.

After both sides found the best point of balance, Chen Yi brought Pang Xiaolei into the Scripture Pavilion.

At present, one mental cultivation art and five cultivation techniques had already been opened in the Scripture Pavilion.

It was connected to Chen Yi’s cultivation progress.

Chen Yi took the Spirit Nurturing Art for Pang Xiaolei.

This mental cultivation art was clearly the core method of the sect system. Its name sounded simple, without any heaven-toppling, earth-shattering, world-ending flair. But Chen Yi, who had cultivated to first-stage Qi Refining, felt it deeply. He could knock out newly awakened aberrations with one punch each. At the start of the book’s plot fifteen years later, an aberration of that level would still require a squad of Night Watchers to handle.

It could only be said that a good inheritance really could let people avoid far too many detours.

This time, the Xia in the book had to overtake on the curve!

…

After Pang Xiaolei received the cultivation method, he was filled with amazement. He immediately sat down cross-legged and began cultivating, unable to wait another moment.

Chen Yi set some food and drink beside him, then stopped looking after him and went to the Sect Main Hall to play with the children.

The children probably treated this trip as camping and had been excited the whole time. They clung to Chen Yi for a long while without feeling sleepy.

Chen Yi also wanted to make up for neglecting the children these past two days, so he played horsey with them, then took a picture book and told them stories. In the end, the two children finally grew sleepy and fell asleep pressed against him.

The way they nestled against him on either side, so dependent, made them look like a pair of adorable little angels.

After coaxing the children to sleep, Chen Yi finally told his parents in detail about everything that had happened tonight.

When they heard that one had escaped, his parents were both a little worried.

Chen Yi comforted them, telling them there was no need to worry. Seven had become one. Forget him; even his mother could send that thing flying with one punch.

There was also another matter.

“That aberration circled outside the village for a long time last night. I don’t know whether it disturbed something, but I feel like something’s not quite right.”

“Wh-what?”

“There’s something in the graveyard north of the village that’s about to wake up.”

Even though the light before them was bright, and they knew this place was absolutely safe, Chen Jiankang and Xiang Lan still felt a chill run down their backs at the same time.

To the north lay the burial grounds of Lishui Village from the early years, back when people were still buried in the earth. Chen Yi’s great-grandfather and great-grandmother were also buried on that mountain.

Did that not mean those dead people were going to turn back into aberrations and come out to harm people?

Xiang Lan slapped her thigh. “I told you cremation was better! No shape left. Even if they want to come out and harm people, they can’t!”

Chen Yi looked at his mother and wanted to say that aberrations could take all sorts of forms. Having a body or not made little difference.

Hadn’t that human-head balloon aberration been burned to death too? Its body had turned to charcoal, yet in the end, it had become a balloon, leaving only a huge head, and still managed to run hundreds of miles to eat him.

In principle, an aberration was a kind of twisted energy field. It fed on spiritual energy and came from humanity’s fear of death, ghosts, and monsters, giving rise in the unseen to monsters that were endowed with terrifying strength far beyond their own nature.

At least as far as the current Chen Yi was concerned, he felt he could kick down Yingchi Hotel and punch through the mass graves on North Mountain. Aside from those things looking a little disgusting, he could take on a whole crowd by himself.

Ahem!

Keep a low profile!

Stay calm!

I am the Sect Master of The Lurker Sect… The name of this sect really was chosen right. My primal power!!!

Chen Yi decided to steady himself.

And by steadying himself, he steadied himself all the way to three in the morning.

He was startled awake by a ding in his mind.

After one night of sleep, he had reached the beginner second stage of Qi Refining. Sword Manipulation had reached proficiency, and Spirit-Charge Fist had reached practiced familiarity.

The feeling of instantly becoming stronger—this was how awesome a Goldfinger user was!

The increase in cultivation also let his energy recover quickly. He had fallen asleep at ten and woken up now at three, but it felt like he had slept for eight or nine hours. He was full of vigor.

Light shone endlessly within the sect. Chen Yi gently pushed open the doors of the Sect Main Hall and slipped outside, feeling as though it were daytime.

He glanced in the direction of the Scripture Pavilion, quietly closed the hall doors, then walked out.

Outside the Scripture Pavilion, Pang Xiaolei was waving his arms and legs as if practicing something. When he saw Chen Yi coming, he approached with high spirits despite not having slept all night.

“Sect Master.”

He had thought about how he should address Chen Yi, but everything felt unsuitable, so he simply called him Sect Master.

Chen Yi smiled. “You’ve entered the path?”

Before going to sleep last night, he had checked Pang Xiaolei’s aptitude. Thirty years old, aptitude: “outstanding.” Much better than his parents.

Reality proved that cultivation speed was indeed related to talent. In the time it took Chen Yi to sleep, Pang Xiaolei had not only entered Qi Refining, but had even cultivated Spirit-Charge Fist to practiced familiarity.

Of course, this was also related to Pang Xiaolei’s own persistence in professional training.

“Yes.” Pang Xiaolei had suddenly come into contact with something unfamiliar and maintained an extremely high level of interest. He had practiced Spirit-Charge Fist back and forth who knew how many times already.

Unlike Chen Yi, he did not have an idling function. These cultivation techniques had to be practiced personally, with his own effort. During the process, he could feel that each time spiritual energy traveled through the meridians of his arm, it also slowly nourished his injured hand.

Originally, it had been only a charred layer of skin wrapped around bone, so painful it had lost all sensation. Now not only had the pain faded significantly, there was even a numb, itchy feeling.

How could Pang Xiaolei not understand? His hand, which had been sentenced to death, was meeting spring after withering. It could be saved!

When he first noticed the change, he had been so moved he shed tears.

Now his emotions had already stabilized, but when he looked at Chen Yi again, his eyes were still full of gratitude. “I thought I’d be like this for the rest of my life. I never imagined there would still be a chance to recover. Thank you.”

Chen Yi carefully supported Pang Xiaolei’s hand and examined it, then said, “The reason you chose Spirit-Charge Fist was also because the flow of spiritual energy through the meridians covers the arm, right?”

Pang Xiaolei nodded.

“Keep cultivating. It’ll heal even faster.”

Pang Xiaolei nodded, then shook his head. “If The Lurker… if this sect is really to follow your plan, then I have to go down the mountain tomorrow. If my prediction is right, incidents similar to yesterday’s aberration harming people have already appeared all over the country. Maybe a special response department has already been established.”

After saying this, he paused and looked at his own arm, his expression dimming. “Without the correct cultivation method, who knows how many people will die? My hand isn’t important. I need to bring this cultivation method back.”

Chen Yi knew that many, many people would die.

They would die protecting the people, die protecting their homes and country. Each of them was an elite chosen from a hundred.

There were also the civilians who would be affected, the innocent passersby who would be caught up in it. Every darkened number made one’s heart ache.

Chen Yi would not stop Pang Xiaolei.

But he still said, “Right now, how are you going to make them believe you?”

Pang Xiaolei said, “I’ve thought about it. First of all, this injury of mine is not ordinary. When the investigation is carried out, I’ll tell the truth too. Don’t worry, they won’t send me to a psychiatric hospital. At the very least, my family will follow my trail and find their way here. When they see all of this before their eyes, they’ll believe what I said.”

Chen Yi raised his eyebrows. “Family?”

Pang Xiaolei smiled confidently without speaking.

Chen Yi understood as well.

He had not expected that after the old man went down the mountain and failed to find Wang Ping’an, he had actually brought back someone even better.

Just Pang Xiaolei’s sense of responsibility, as well as his courage when facing danger, were not things an ordinary team or family could cultivate.

Chen Yi looked at Pang Xiaolei’s heroic, upright face and nodded. “Then I’ll have to trouble you tomorrow. There’s also an aberration hiding in Yingchi Hotel. With your current strength, you don’t need to fear it. It’ll be too busy hiding from you.”

“I’ve already reached your level?”

Chen Yi smiled, his face full of mystery and confidence. “I am the Sect Master, after all.”

As a Goldfinger user, as long as I have spirit stones, no one can surpass me.

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