Chapter 282: Direct Superior Adjustment

Even if the village chief doesn't bring it up, Hua Tiancheng also hopes to cooperate with the immortal sect; for humanity pressed for time, there are only benefits, no drawbacks.

As long as the conditions proposed by Longyuan Immortal Sect are not excessive, they will do their utmost to agree.

Nowadays, just helping to build the sect can earn these cultivators' guidance; perhaps they even have more basic techniques there—no matter how you look at it, this deal is worthwhile.

Hua Tiancheng hurriedly spoke up to state his position.

"Great Xia once accepted the basic cultivation technique bestowed by a humanoid great demon, intends to reconcile with Longyuan Mountain, and upon learning of the immortal sect's existence, is also among the first humans to embark on cultivation, overjoyed; if cooperation is possible, it would naturally be the best."

"If the immortal sect has any needs, we will certainly not shirk our duty."

The village chief smiled and nodded, "Exactly this reasoning—heaven and earth calamity is imminent; after all, we are all kin, we ought to help each other."

These words struck Hua Tiancheng's heart, increasing his fondness for Longyuan Immortal Sect.

Although this group are the first cultivators and on good terms with Longyuan Mountain's monsters, they have no pretensions, feeling superior; compared to dealing directly with monsters, the immortal sect's people are still very easy to talk to.

Hua Tiancheng glanced at the village chief, then turned his gaze to Hu Xiaocao beside him.

From the start until now she has hardly spoken, most of the talking done by the village chief, but merely sitting there, her presence is impossible to ignore.

I wonder how strong this sect leader is?

This thought suddenly arose in his mind; Hua Tiancheng's gaze also held a hint of curiosity and inquiry: "I don't know the immortal sect's strength—could you reveal a bit, so we can have a sense of it?"

Besides probing, Hua Tiancheng also wanted to know what realm these people have cultivated to, how much they differ from ordinary folk, and how they compare to those great demons.

As the one in power, he still needs a full understanding; otherwise, based on just a few words, aiding Longyuan Immortal Sect with massive construction, if the subsequent guidance proves ineffective, what then?

As the chief of the Supernatural Cultivation Bureau, he must bear responsibility for all of Great Xia.

Hua Tiancheng's straightforward approach, with sincere and respectful eyes, is more open and aboveboard than sneaky inquiries, and thus not offensive.

"This——"

The village chief didn't reply immediately, instinctively glancing at Hu Xiaocao beside him.

Hu Xiaocao, who had hardly spoken, finally opened her mouth: "I understand the bureau chief's feelings."

Her voice was ethereal and wavering, as if coming from far away, ethereal yet tinged with a hint of chill, revealing utmost mystery.

If Hua Tiancheng agreed to them without any demands, that would indeed be strange.

Hu Xiaocao lightly tapped, and green spiritual light emanated from her fingertips, making her hands appear even more white and delicate, perfectly illustrating what is called 'fingers like peeled scallion roots'.

The green specks of light quickly filled the room; everyone stared at them, mouths agape, yet even more astonishing things were still to come.

The green spiritual light flew into the previous teacup, and the tea leaves actually floated out along the light.

Several tea leaves, bathed in the spiritual light, soon sprouted a tender shoot, rapidly growing toward the light; before anyone could react, the soft rustling sound continued without cease.

In the blink of an eye, it had grown into a tea tree!

The green leaves and light intertwined; each leaf seemed to glow, an indescribable vitality enveloping the entire room.

Those green lights slowly flowed through the branches, trunk, and leaves; compared to an ordinary tea tree, it was less like a common plant and more like something carved from glass—truly a marvel of nature, leaving everyone in awe.

A refreshing fragrance permeated the room, making everyone feel clear-headed and invigorated.

Like Hua Tiancheng, Qi Hai, Zhao En and others, having been busy with various affairs for days without sleep, their eyes were sore, their waists and backs ached, and their bodies had already sounded the alarm.

At this moment, their discomfort vanished completely, as if they had slept for several days; their vital essence was fully restored, their expressions blissful and intoxicated, as though they were enjoying nature's bounty in the wild.

Gazing at the tea tree floating in midair, the Cultivation Bureau's personnel gaped, unable to close their mouths for a long while.

It's truly too real!

It didn't resemble any trick or magic at all; indeed someone couldn't help pinching himself, feeling no pain, wondering if he was really dreaming.

On the contrary, his companion nearby grimaced and blurted, "Why are you pinching me!"

He repeatedly apologized, "Sorry, I actually meant to pinch myself to see if I'm dreaming."

Many others around him, equally astonished, couldn't help whispering, "It's amazing—is this tea tree real?"

"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I could hardly believe it."

"Is this the legendary spell?"

"The scenes described in novels and TV dramas have finally become reality!"

Hu Xiaocao's jade-white visage, bathed in the green radiance, became even more extraordinary—like a goddess of the mythical Mount Gu descending into the mortal world, making it impossible for everyone to look away.

"On this first visit I brought no gift; this little tea tree will serve as my token of goodwill."

Hu Xiaocao's words pulled everyone back to reality, their respect and awe rising even further.

A mere point of her finger could revive withered tea leaves to a second life—even more impressive than dead wood meeting spring.

Although the power before them wasn't as great as that displayed by monsters, the shock it gave the crowd was still no small matter—who as a child hasn't fantasized about spells and divine abilities?

Everyone watched the tea leaves fly out of the cup and then grow into this tree; such impact simply overturned their worldview.

Fortunately, having previously endured the monsters' impact, Hua Tiancheng and company were not especially flustered; they quickly adjusted.

"Heavenly Pivot Sect Leader, your methods are superb! They've truly opened our eyes."

Hu Xiaocao smiled faintly, like melting ice and snow; in an instant the whole room glowed—even today's hottest female celebrity falls short of a third of her beauty.

It's only natural, after all—how could ordinary mortals compare to cultivators? Not to mention looks; even this demeanor creates a huge gap.

"Just that."

Her tone was flat and straightforward, without boasting or false modesty, as if she were merely describing something quite ordinary.

Yet precisely this is what astonished Hua Tiancheng and the others—to them it seemed like a divine technique, but in Hu Xiaocao's hands it was utterly mundane.

Even the village chief beside them wore an accustomed expression, making them seem a little overreactive.

Either they are putting on an act, or such means are nothing to the Longyuan Immortal Sect; compared to the former, they naturally prefer to believe the latter.

The Cultivation Bureau's people gained a rough understanding of Longyuan Immortal Sect's strength—perhaps they can't match those great demons, but their power is already an anomaly among humanity.

If we can befriend the immortal sect, even select a batch of loyal soldiers to study there, Great Xia's strength will undergo a comprehensive boost!

Hua Tiancheng collected himself, striving to calm his mind, "The sect leader is too humble."

Originally the Cultivation Bureau already held the immortal sect's people in high esteem; after Hu Xiaocao displayed this, their reverence deepened, making the ensuing matters easy to discuss.

The 749 Bureau and the village chief finalized the specific matters.

The village chief used to handle all village affairs; although he is now said to have become the Great Elder of the Immortal Sect, handling matters comes easily to him, and besides, their requests are simple—they only need Great Xia's help to build the sect.

Hua Tiancheng hoped the Immortal Sect could provide guidance; if so, after the sect is built, he would let more Great Xia people study there—their ideas coincided, and they could be said to have hit it off.

Once the rough framework was settled, details could be discussed later; seeing that it was already late, it was also time for Hu Xiaocao and the village chief to leave.

"We've been out for a long time; it's also time to say goodbye."

Hua Tiancheng wanted to detain them, saying, "It's not easy to come all this way; why don't the Heavenly Pivot Sect Leader and the Great Void True Person stay a while longer so I can properly entertain the two of you?"

The village chief shook his head and said, "Thank you, Bureau Chief, for your kindness, but the sect still has many matters awaiting our return to handle."

Since the conversation had reached this point, Hua Tiancheng could not detain them any longer and respectfully saw the two to the door.

At this moment the sun was setting; the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the surrounding clouds in extraordinary brilliance, fiery clouds spread layer upon layer across the sky, each spot shimmering with rippling light as if dotted with countless flecks of gold.

The village chief turned back and said, "Please stay."

Just as Hua Tiancheng was about to ask how they intended to return,

Only to see the sunset's afterglow spilling over Hu Xiaocao's body, a holy halo rose behind her, making her face look ever less mortal, and her whole body emanated a faint, elusive light.

Everyone stared dazedly at the scene before them, as countless evening clouds fell from the heavens like a stairway to the sky.

Hu Xiaocao and the village chief waved at them, then turned and left, merging into the sunset; in an instant the light blazed forth, instantly enveloping their silhouettes.

When the 749 Bureau finally came to its senses, the spot was empty—no trace of them remained.

The air fell into stillness again; no one knew how long had passed before someone finally broke the silence, "Truly, this is the work of immortals."

At this moment they finally understood why the people of the Longyuan Immortal Sect had arrived so quickly—possessing such mysterious and unfathomable arts, how could they not be swift?

If only they could also learn such arts, everyone's longing grew stronger.

Hua Tiancheng and the others returned to the 749 Bureau, still digesting the information the village chief had just revealed.

"What do you think of the Longyuan Immortal Sect?"

Qi Hai pondered for a moment and said, "Although the Heavenly Pivot Sect Leader is terse and seldom talks with us, he is young and accomplished, his strength formidable; the divine abilities he displayed are truly shocking—no wonder he is the sect's leader, his power is mighty."

Although Hu Xiaocao seldom speaks, her presence is intensely strong; no one can overlook her—just by being there, she is a special sight.

Zhao En added from the side, "There's also the Great Void True Person—his countenance is kind and amiable, giving rise to a feeling of closeness from the heart; although he shows no apparent strength, he is equally unfathomable, causing people to let down their guard unconsciously."

Everyone was able to take this seat, still able to read people's expressions; after some exchange, the astonishment in their hearts grew ever stronger, and their reverence for the Immortal Sect deepened continually.

Whether it is the Heavenly Pivot Sect Leader or the Great Void True Person, both are formidable existences.

During the conversation, the Great Void True Person also briefly introduced the members of the Immortal Sect.

Most of them come from the villagers of Longyuan Village; they live near Longyuan Mountain and were also the first to detect the demons.

"If we too could have detected them early and made contact with these demons, wouldn't we now be of another kind?"

Thinking of this, Hua Tiancheng's breath grew hurried, and he also felt some regret, hating that he had not realized all this sooner.

If they had discovered it earlier, perhaps now many people would be like the Longyuan Immortal Sect, possessing numerous strong powers, and perhaps they would have a firmer grasp on immortal cultivation civilization.

Unfortunately, no one has a god's-eye view, cannot perceive the subtle signs; the anomalous situation that occurred on Longyuan Mountain initially did not attract the attention of the higher authorities.

A flicker of regret appeared in Hua Tiancheng's eyes, but this cannot be blamed on the local officials; back then these matters were indeed not a big deal and were inconspicuous.

Who would have thought that Longyuan Mountain harbored demons?

If someone brought these few matters to him and claimed that demons exist in the world, Hua Tiancheng would surely think that person mad.

Qi Hai spoke up to console him, "Old Hua, we also know your thoughts, but this is too extraordinary; it's only with all this evidence and the investigation laid before us that we believe—had it been back then, no one could say for sure."

Zhao En nodded, "Exactly; the demons of Longyuan Mountain did not reveal themselves, hiding so deeply that they clearly did not want people to notice—how could we have known?"

Thus, some things are fated in the dark.

Hua Tiancheng is not one to nitpick; at least the Immortal Sect's people have shown great goodwill and are willing to help—by assisting in building the sect, they are also indirectly helping him.

"Regarding the Immortal Sect, we must handle it as soon as possible, letting the Wu Du government fully cooperate in building the sect—not just Wu Du, but the surrounding cities and provinces must also fully assist!"

"If necessary, we should personally go to Wu Du; the training halls all over the country can temporarily halt for a period."

Training halls nationwide are also meant to popularize basic cultivation techniques, but now that they know the Longyuan Immortal Sect exists, they can later select talents from all over and send them here to study, which would be far more useful than the training halls.

Hua Tiancheng seemed to think of something and quickly added, "Right, the Great Void True Person earlier said there are two police officers at the Wu Du Police Bureau who have also entered the Longyuan Immortal Sect; send people to retrieve and encrypt their files."

Although they know the Immortal Sect exists, for now the sect and the demons are alike—it cannot yet be fully disclosed to the public.

These two officers have had much contact with Longyuan Mountain; if anyone investigated, they would easily notice something amiss, which is why Hua Tiancheng took this measure—also to keep it secret.

Wu Du, Police Bureau.

The news of Sun Zhenbang's resignation spread quickly through the police bureau, and many could not believe it.

"Why is this? Officer Sun is giving up a bright future and resigning; I heard that when the bureau chief retires, this position will most likely go to Officer Sun."

"Who says it isn't? No one knows what he's thinking; the bureau chief valued him so much, grooming him as a successor, yet he said he'd resign and did—rumor has it the bureau chief tried to retain him to no avail."

"Could something have happened at Team Leader Sun's home? He resigned so hastily; given his usual work ethic, I thought he'd be a police officer for life."

"Not only Team Leader Sun, but his disciple also resigned, which infuriated the bureau chief; they said the reason for resigning was to go cultivate immortality."

"You're not joking, are you? How could that be? Cultivating immortality is too absurd."

"Back then I went to the office to deliver documents and happened to hear them say a few words—it's absolutely true, Team Leader Sun really said that, and I was dumbfounded at the time."

"It's utterly ridiculous; Team Leader Sun must have been brainwashed by something."

Recently, the entire police bureau has been discussing nothing but Sun Zhenbang's resignation.

After all, Sun Zhenbang is quite well-known in the bureau, having always stood his post and worked diligently; for twenty consecutive years he has been rated an outstanding officer, and can be said to be a model for everyone.

Now he suddenly resigns, using this excuse—how could it not be surprising?

Later, police bureau colleagues went to Sun Zhenbang's home to persuade him to return, only to find the place empty—he had already left, and nobody knows where he went.

As for the sudden resignations of Sun Zhenbang and Xie Yixuan, this added further mystery, causing the whole police bureau to buzz with discussion.

If that were all, it would be fine, but then Xiao Zhang, who manages the archives, suddenly brought a bombshell, pushing the matter to a climax!

"Just now, the higher-ups issued a red-headed document demanding that the files of Sun Zhenbang and Xie Yixuan be transferred!"

What on earth is going on?!

They actually want to transfer the two people's files!

This even surprised the bureau chief; he couldn't fathom why the higher-ups would issue such an order—just two police officers from Wu Du, yet they could get a red-header document sent directly?

This shows how much importance the higher-ups attach to this matter!

Facing the bureau chief's indirect questioning, the higher-ups were also vague and did not give a detailed explanation.

The bureau chief's heart was roiled by huge waves; he simply couldn't understand the reason behind it.

After Sun Zhenbang and Xie Yixuan's files were transferred, a new wave of heated discussion arose in the police station, with some saying they must have done something wrong, which is why the higher-ups noticed them.

Others said they were to carry out a special mission, so they resigned suddenly to avoid drawing attention, prompting the higher-ups to transfer their files.

In short, opinions were divided, with all kinds of theories circulating.

However, the bureau chief recalled what Sun Zhenbang had said when he resigned earlier.

"Resign to cultivate immortality..."

Could it really be true? (End of chapter)