Chapter 38: Chapter 38: A New Lead in the Sunken Corpse Case
Yang Wenqing suppressed his excitement and observed the qi, blood, and internal organs of the projection. He discovered that this aspect of his cultivation had also entered the initial stages—a result of his Golden Core World absorbing surplus Spiritual Qi to nourish his body during his usual practice with the Gathering Spirit Array.
An idea struck him, and he turned his attention to the subsequent techniques of the Nine Refining Secret Skill.
He tried to guide his Spiritual Qi along the path of the Third Refinement, "Qi and Blood Like Mercury," to further temper his vitality. However, the moment the Spiritual Qi touched the depths of his blood vessels, he felt a sense of stagnation and a faint, bloating pain. The area representing his blood in the projection only turned faintly red; the progress was agonizingly slow.
He immediately understood. His physical body, especially his internal organs, was not yet strong enough to support such a deep level of tempering. Forcing it would likely damage the very foundation of his blood vessels.
He then attempted the Fourth Refinement, "Organs Imbued with Splendor," with even more telling results. When the Spiritual Qi flowed toward his internal organs, it felt as if it was blocked by an invisible barrier, unable to penetrate. The effect was negligible.
’One step at a time, I guess.’
Yang Wenqing wasn’t discouraged. On the contrary, the path forward became even clearer. The boost from perfecting the First Refinement was immense, but his subsequent cultivation still needed to be steady and methodical. He couldn’t get ahead of himself.
He composed himself, no longer attempting higher-level refinements. Instead, he focused on consolidating the results of the First Refinement and steadily progressing in the Second Refinement using the "Skin and Membranes Like a Drum" technique.
The only issue was that the Second Refinement required a new stabilizing Array, which he hadn’t set up. He could only perform basic Qi Refining, silently using his Golden Core to absorb Spiritual Qi and nourish his body.
When he awoke from meditation again, he glanced at the wall clock. It was already two in the morning.
He immediately stopped his cultivation for the day to repair the damage his practice had caused to his skin and membranes. Then, he deactivated the Gathering Spirit Array and took out the Cyan Blade short sword, continuing to nourish it with his Spiritual Qi while closing his eyes to rest his mind.
By the time he completed his daily nourishing regimen, the fatigue in his mind had dissipated. Outside, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
Yang Wenqing rose and walked to his desk, spreading out rune paper to inscribe the Golden Light Body Protection Spell. He could now clearly feel a significant improvement in both his control over Spiritual Qi and his mental focus. By the time he felt his Qi Sea beginning to run dry, twenty-five rune papers, shimmering with faint light, were laid out neatly on his desk!
That was a full five more sheets than before. This meant his efficiency and success rate in making talismans had both improved, and his daily income would increase accordingly.
A satisfied smile appeared on Yang Wenqing’s face as he looked at the talismans. After placing them in his Storage Bag, he glanced at the sky outside. It was already broad daylight, and the wall clock showed eight o’clock. He wasn’t in a hurry, though. The Major Case Team didn’t require clocking in on time, and if anything urgent came up, Liu Qin would notify him via the Communication Array.
Only now did he take the time to carefully consider the potential transfer Vice Director Gao had discussed last night. He was also beginning to understand the unwritten rule for promotion to a "white shirt" at the bureau: a position had to open up first. Otherwise, the most likely outcome was a transfer to another district. Bureau Director Zhang Qiming was a clear example of this. Despite passing the exam for a senior officer position, there were no openings locally, so he had to be transferred to Qianjiao County.
Now, in Qianjiao County, he was little more than a mascot. He had managed to win over the West City Public Security Office, only to have it inexplicably dissolved. He couldn’t even manage to get a sergeant transferred to the Major Case Team.
Vice Director Gao, on the other hand, was clearly more pragmatic. He had obviously broken through to the Marrow Cleansing Realm and had already reached the second stage of it, yet he wasn’t rushing to take the promotion exam. It was clear he intended to wait until Zhang Qiming was pushed out before making his move.
...
It was almost nine in the morning when Yang Wenqing finally appeared at the bureau. As he walked down the second-floor hallway toward the Major Case Team’s office, Ding Lang, who was already waiting by the door to the forensic lab, called out to him, "Captain Yang, wait up!"
Ding Lang wore his usual faint smile. As Yang Wenqing approached, he lowered his voice and said, "We have a new discovery regarding Chen Dayong’s body. It’s been in the purification Array for over a month."
Yang Wenqing’s interest was piqued.
"What did you find?"
"Follow me, Captain Yang," Ding Lang said, heading into the forensic lab.
Yang Wenqing immediately followed.
The forensic lab was brightly lit, and the air was filled with the scent of purifying incense.
The two of them passed through two sets of sealed metal doors into an enclosed room. The most striking feature was a circular Array in the center, with a ball of soft white light hovering at its core.
"We obtained consent from Chen Dayong’s wife to use this refining Array on his body. The entire process took more than a month."
Ding Lang pointed to a special glass dish at the edge of the Array. At the bottom of the dish sat a few fine, crystalline particles that shimmered with a faint blue light. The blue color had an unnatural and unsettlingly cold sheen.
"This is it."
Ding Lang carefully picked up a particle with a pair of tweezers and examined it under the light. "It’s not any known mineral or Demon residue. Its structure is incredibly stable; even the refining Array couldn’t break it down. We could only just barely separate it from the flesh."
He looked at Yang Wenqing, his tone grave. "This is very likely the culprit—or at least the medium—that caused Chen Dayong’s life force to be drained so rapidly after his heart was pierced. It contains an extremely subtle energy, but it doesn’t feel evil."
Yang Wenqing stared at the blue crystals, his brow furrowed.
"Can we trace its source?"
he asked.
Ding Lang shook his head. "It’s probably a man-made Magical Artifact with neutral properties. You might want to let Director Gao take a look. He’s been with the Major Case Team for forty years; he’s seen more cases than you can imagine."
Yang Wenqing carefully sealed the few blue crystals in a special evidence bag. The clue was still faint, but at least it pointed to a new direction for the investigation!
"Right. I’ll go see Director Gao now."
He then looked at Ding Lang and said, "Thank you, Forensic Doctor Ding."
Forensic Doctor Ding shook his head. "Just doing my job."
Yang Wenqing exchanged a few more pleasantries before leaving. He didn’t even stop by his own Third Squad office, heading straight for Vice Director Gao’s. Reporting a potential new lead to his superior was standard procedure.
He knocked on the office door. After receiving permission, he entered. Vice Director Gao was sitting behind his desk, reviewing documents. He looked up, saw it was Yang Wenqing, and gestured for him to take a seat.
"Director Gao, Forensic Doctor Ding made a new discovery regarding Chen Dayong’s body." Yang Wenqing got straight to the point, placing the special evidence bag on the desk. "After his body was processed in the refining Array, these blue crystals were left behind."
Vice Director Gao put down his pen, picked up the evidence bag, and held it up to the light to examine it closely. The moment he saw the crystals shimmering with a faint blue light, his brow furrowed. The relaxed expression on his face vanished, replaced by a rare look of gravity.
"Spirit-Sucking Crystals. They’re also Forbidden Item No. 329 from the City Defense Bureau."
"Spirit-Sucking Crystals?" This was the first time Yang Wenqing had heard the name.
"Yes." Vice Director Gao placed the evidence bag back on the desk and leaned back in his chair. "It’s a type of crystal whose creation and use have been strictly prohibited. What’s more, crafting it requires a Cultivation of at least the Foundation Establishment Stage."
He pointed to the blue crystals and explained, "This thing may look stable, its energy neutral and harmless. But once implanted in a living being, it will silently leech the host’s flesh, Spiritual Attribute, and life essence until their life force is completely drained!"
"Prohibited? Does that mean they were widespread at some point?" Yang Wenqing seized on the key detail.
"Correct. As far back as eighty years ago, headquarters issued an explicit ban on the creation and use of this type of Magical Artifact. They’re too insidious and are often used for vile sacrificial rituals or life-extending Evil Skills." Vice Director Gao tapped his fingers on the desk. "I never thought I’d see one used on an ordinary fisherman."
He looked at Yang Wenqing, his tone serious. "This case, it seems, isn’t so simple. Go back to your office for now. I’ll pull up the files on this. And don’t breathe a word of this to anyone."
