Chapter 16: Cooperating with the State

Aura Observation: can reveal cultivation, feng shui, and distinguish fortune from misfortune.

Dust-Removal Art: the immortal-cultivation version of a vacuum cleaner and washing machine.

Transport Art: depending on the depth of one’s cultivation and the strength of one’s sea of consciousness, the size and weight of objects one can transport will differ.

Aura Concealment Art...

When Chen Yi saw Aura Concealment Art, he froze for a moment.

Wasn’t this technique one of the protagonist’s early-stage “Goldfingers”?

Relying on a single Aura Concealment Art, the protagonist had played the hidden schemer in the early stages, trapping plenty of people and gaining countless benefits. That was because Aura Concealment Art could lower one’s sense of presence. Even a veteran criminal investigator with thirty years on the job could walk right past him and not retain any impression of him.

The Aura Concealment Art that had looked so awesome in the book was now placed right here for him to learn?

Tsk, tsk. So this was what people meant by enjoying the shade with a big tree at your back.

Having a sect inheritance and not having one really were completely different.

In addition, there was Five Elements Art, which allowed one to draw close to metal, wood, water, fire, and earth; Medicine Identification Art, which identified spiritual herbs; and Light Art, which had great killing power against aberrations and also functioned as illumination.

Chen Yi slapped them all into his head, then picked Dust-Removal Art to idle first.

They were all commonly used spells. They could improve quality of life, and if applied properly in battle, they could also produce an unexpected effect.

Chen Yi definitely had to learn them all.

But it also made him realize once again just how powerful his idling system was.

As long as he had spirit stones, there was no spell he could not learn.

For other people, even if they branded a technique into their minds, if they did not practice it, or lacked the talent for it, it would be very difficult to use. Never mind using it at a profound level, as smoothly as moving one’s own arm.

Techniques were also the “Dao.”

Take this Transport Art, for example. If it were learned to the later stages, would it be possible to fill mountains and move seas?

After Chen Yi finished learning all the newly unlocked techniques, he glanced at the other bookshelves that had not yet opened.

There were a tremendous number of books. A sect with who knew how many years of inheritance had collected a massive quantity of techniques, especially low-level techniques. Even if one exhausted an entire lifetime, one probably still could not finish learning everything on these shelves.

Apart from that, there was also the second floor.

The Scripture Pavilion was definitely not truly the size of the small temple it currently resembled. There were stairs leading upward inside, so it had to be related to Chen Yi’s cultivation.

Perhaps after reaching Foundation Establishment, the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion would open, and there would be corresponding, more profound cultivation methods.

After Chen Yi finished learning the newly unlocked techniques, he left the Scripture Pavilion.

He planned to take advantage of the time before the main group arrived and cultivate at double speed on the Spirit-Gathering Array for a while, rushing into the middle stage as soon as possible, and then into the fourth level.

Idling at the fourth level would take more than twenty-four hours. It was truly too slow.

He already could not wait to cultivate Gale Legs.

He cultivated at the entrance of the Sect Main Hall. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Zhao Gang running up.

When Chen Yi saw his expression, his heart sank slightly. He rose and went over to meet him.

Once Zhao Gang came near, he got straight to the point. “Sect Master Chen, someone wants to meet you. The helicopter will arrive in half an hour.”

Chen Yi raised his eyebrows, then understood.

What he had done was too big. Even Captain Pang’s position was not enough to take responsibility for it, so a leader from a higher-level organization had come to make contact with him.

It was both to understand the details and to see him in person. There would probably also be some top-level specialists evaluating him from places he could not see.

When Chen Yi thought of this, he did not feel unhappy.

The more cautious the state was, the bigger this matter was. Once they could cooperate, it would truly benefit the nation and the people.

“All right. I can leave right now, but will I come back today? I need to let my family know.”

“Hard to say.” How could Zhao Gang possibly make that decision?

“It would be best if I came back. We still haven’t found what’s on Northern Mountain, and the human-head aberrant entity at Yingchi Hotel is still a hidden danger. I still need to come back and hold the line...”

“Ahem.” Zhao Gang said, “Early this morning, Brigade Captain Pang and I returned to the county town. I made a trip there and, well... used the dagger you gave me to eliminate the aberration.”

After saying that, Zhao Gang grew very excited. “It could leave its own territory, and a roaming-level aberration counts as an A-grade danger in the Special Action Team. If you run into one, death is basically certain! But when I met it, one punch and one slash, and I hacked it to death. The cultivation method and weapon you gave me are both incredible!”

Chen Yi’s hand was clasped in his as Zhao Gang sincerely thanked him, and Chen Yi himself felt very happy too.

For the human spiritual world to be rich, one first had to establish one’s personal value, followed by one’s social value. The greater your value to this world, the happier you would feel.

Chen Yi did not know how many people shared this thought.

But at this moment, he sensed the meaning behind his transmigration into this book.

Before the helicopter arrived, Chen Yi and Zhao Gang each made several calls.

Zhao Gang was asking for instructions, requesting that Chen Yi return to the sect that night to hold the line.

Chen Yi called his father and mother separately. Recently, his father was brimming with a sense of achievement, extremely happy to be handling matters for the state. His mother was taking care of the children, and with Da Huang helping, she was not tired either.

However, his mother said over the phone, “Wang Xiaosi came looking for you. I said you weren’t in the mountains, but he insisted you were over by the orange grove. Does he know? I saw him go out and head toward the orange grove again.”

Unfortunately, Chen Yi did not manage to wait until Wang Pingyuan came over. The helicopter flew in from the other side of the mountain.

There was nowhere suitable to land in the mountains, so it hovered above Chen Yi and the others and dropped a rope ladder.

The old Chen Yi definitely would not have been able to climb up, but now Chen Yi was at the third level of Qi Refining and had Spirit-Charge Fist backing him. His arm strength was extremely great. Grabbing the rope, he climbed up with a few swift movements.

Wang Xiaosi was one step too late. He had just come out of the village when he saw Chen Yi boarding the helicopter.

His mouth hung open as he stood blankly at the village entrance, unable to recover for a long while.

A helicopter had come to pick someone up?

A helicopter?!

What exactly was Chen Yi doing here?

Even a helicopter had come to pick him up!

…

On this side, it was Chen Yi’s first time riding in a helicopter, but he acted very composed.

He was, after all, the sect master of The Lurker Sect. Although he did not have the ambition to establish a “state within a state,” he still hoped to receive sufficient respect.

Respect was not given by others. It was earned by oneself.

Speech, bearing, behavior, and thought would all be converted into a score in the other party’s eyes.

So although the helicopter flew for more than forty minutes, by the time they returned to the provincial capital, Chen Yi had still performed very calmly.

Zhao Gang took all this in.

As the guard of a major leader, he would occasionally ride in helicopters as well. Sometimes, when he met someone riding in a helicopter for the first time, their excitement and nervousness could be seen at a glance.

Sect Master Chen had broad-minded bearing, steady presence, and his own seasoned experience in handling people and affairs... Most importantly, his awareness was truly out of the ordinary.

After Chen Yi got off the helicopter, a special car had already been waiting for some time. Without the slightest delay, they left directly from the helipad.

Returning to the provincial capital again, Chen Yi had never imagined it would be like this. Yesterday, he had still been thinking about coming back to cancel his rental lease and pack his luggage in miserable defeat. Today, he had been delivered by helicopter and seated in a special car.

So, as expected, Papa State’s thigh was sturdy indeed.

The original owner had studied, married, and had children in this city. He had lived here for a full eight years, so he was fairly familiar with the place.

Relying on rummaging through his memories, Chen Yi could match everything up one by one.

In this way, quietly, they entered the gates of the Provincial Bureau.

This was a place ordinary people normally could not enter without a reason.

Chen Yi got out at the entrance. Pang Sen was already waiting there. When he saw Chen Yi, he gave him a reassuring smile and led him into the Provincial Bureau.

Zhao Gang followed behind.

They entered the elevator and reached the third floor. Chen Yi was sent into a huge conference room, where three middle-aged men were already seated.

Chen Yi swept his gaze over them. One of them was someone he often saw on the state broadcaster, while the other two had appeared on the provincial news channel.

These were true major leaders.

Chen Yi, who did not belong to this world, remained fairly composed.

He stepped forward and shook hands with the three leaders, then sat on the sofa opposite them.

Perhaps because they were afraid Chen Yi would feel as though he was being interrogated, Pang Sen sat on Chen Yi’s side, facing the three men opposite.

Zhao Gang did not come in. He stayed outside the door.

After everyone took their seats, the room was quiet for a while.

In the end, the person in the middle spoke. “Sect Master Chen, thank you very much for your contribution to the state. However, this matter is of great importance. Could I hear it again from the beginning? Start from when you obtained the sect inheritance and learned about the Spiritual Energy Revival.”

Chen Yi nodded.

He had long since prepared his draft. With an unhurried posture, he spoke at length and with confidence.

Before transmigrating, he had never experienced any major occasions, but status, position, and his own strength could increase his confidence. On top of that, Chen Yi did not harbor the slightest bad intention, so dealing with such a scene was not difficult.

After he finished in one breath, the conference room was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Seeing their silence, Chen Yi thought for a moment, then said, “Leader, I happen to have just learned a new technique. Please take a look.”

After saying this, Chen Yi used Dust-Removal Art on the ashtray by the leader’s hand.

A clear breeze blew past.

The ashtray, which had held several burned-out cigarette butts and white ash, became clean as new in the blink of an eye.

The leaders had steady temperaments. The surprise that appeared in their eyes was exactly right.

Pang Sen was also very surprised. He asked, “What is that?”

Chen Yi said, “Just a few minor techniques that can be used once one’s cultivation reaches a certain level.”

A visible thing like this was indeed more persuasive than the vague and intangible entry into Qi Refining. It was also far clearer at a glance than cultivation-method combat skills.

Had Chen Yi not only just arrived, performing a magic trick right before their eyes, the scene before them would probably truly have been a mysterious method that science could not explain.

Sometimes, using the right method produced twice the result with half the effort.

The leaders’ expressions changed, and the way they looked at Chen Yi changed as well.

Pang Sen also took the chance to say, “The aberration at Yingchi Hotel was resolved by Zhao Gang. He had only entered Qi Refining and cultivated Spirit-Charge Fist. That aberration was something we previously couldn’t even make contact with. We could only grope for its rules and then possibly eliminate it, but Zhao Gang shattered the aberrant domain with just one punch.

“I was there at the time as well. I personally witnessed the miraculous nature of the cultivation method.”

“Rain in the nick of time.” The major leader’s face was full of praise. “Comrade Chen Yi, the contribution you have made to the state and to the common people will be remembered by us and by the nation.”

“You’re too kind, Leader. This is what I ought to do.”

The major leader smiled, then his expression turned serious. “Then let us discuss your predictions for the future. I want to confirm how you obtained this information.”

“The sect inheritance.” Chen Yi had already prepared before he came. He said, “The opening of the inheritance contained a passage of text. I can only roughly recite it...

“Spiritual Energy Revival, A Hundred Ghosts Walk the Night, ancient and terrifying lifeforms will be released from the folded universe. They will enslave humanity and feed upon humans. Even bacteria from the ancient past will be able to kill vast numbers of people with ease...

“The Spiritual Energy Revival and A Hundred Ghosts Walk the Night mentioned here have already come true. Next, there are the keywords ‘ancient lifeforms,’ ‘folded universe,’ and ‘ancient pathogens’...

“Perhaps they will descend in the next second. Perhaps there is still time. But I believe the system would not speak falsely. In the future, these great terrors will definitely appear.”

“Are those words still there now?”

“No.”

“All right. I understand.”

After that, Chen Yi chatted with the leaders for a long time. Once both sides had established sufficient trust, the leaders shook hands with Chen Yi and parted from him, once again expressing their gratitude toward him.

Next, an impressive young man wearing glasses and a suit came before Chen Yi.

Pang Sen introduced him. “This is Tang Qirui, Minister Tang. He works in the Secretariat Office, and he is now specifically responsible for communicating with you and planning the sect’s development. From here on, you can discuss matters slowly. We will do our best to implement the work item by item.”

Chen Yi shook hands with him while sizing him up. The other party was also sizing up Chen Yi.

Tang Qirui’s appearance suited the needs of this profession very well. His gaze was clear, his features upright, and he possessed an outstanding temperament, along with a kind of seriousness that would not allow anyone to muddle through.

Tang Qirui was steady. His words and actions represented the state, so after a simple handshake, Tang Qirui took the first step and made a request of Chen Yi. “I heard that Sect Master Chen intended to return today. I wonder if you could stay one more day. The special organization recently encountered an especially thorny aberration. Not only have two civilians already died, but when our dispatched personnel investigated this uncanny incident, two of them died and three were injured.

“Since Sect Master Chen is in the provincial capital, may we trouble you to help resolve it?”

Before transmigrating into the book, Chen Yi had worked inside a government-affiliated unit. Although he had only been the most ordinary civil servant, he was still fairly familiar with this kind of communication style.

To put it simply, the state had already shown its sincerity. Now, it was his turn to demonstrate his ability.

The higher his value was, the better treatment he could receive.

This exchange of interests might be rather nakedly realistic, but reality was that the bigger and more important something was, the more it needed to emphasize fairness.

You received as much as you gave.

Chen Yi did not reject this. If he had been aloof and arrogant, he would not have chosen to cooperate with the state.

Honestly speaking, with his dimensional downgrade transmigration and the sect inheritance, even if he could not develop, expand, and strengthen his forces, when chaotic times arrived, relying on these to become a regional lord was still possible.

But who asked him to have no grand ambitions?

It was still the same line: peace and prosperity for the nation and its people was enough.

“All right. I’ll call my family. I won’t be going back tonight.”

Tang Qirui nodded and smiled, watching Chen Yi leave.

He spoke with his parents, then comforted his son and daughter for a while. Finally, Chen Yi solemnly handed the work of looking after the children to Da Huang.

Compared to the elderly, the children clearly liked the big doggie who devoted himself entirely to playing with them even more.

After hanging up and returning, Tang Qirui and Pang Sen were still standing in place, talking. When they saw him return, they stopped their conversation.

Pang Sen took out a document and said, “Sect Master Chen, this is the killing pattern our fighters found. It may not be completely accurate, but they have already used their lives to prove that this is one path. Please take a look.”

Chen Yi took the file and noticed that the folder bore a “top secret” stamp, numbered 018.

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