Chapter 3: Cultivation

As Gu Xu stepped out of the main hall and entered the inner courtyard, he made his way along the corridor until he reached the storage room of the Exorcism Bureau.

Outside the storage room, there stood a stone stele about the height of a person, adorned with densely carved characters:

"...

"'Returning to the Origin Technique,' lower-grade cultivation method, exchange price: 500 merit points;

"'Lightning Whip,' lower-grade martial arts, exchange price: 500 merit points;

"'Dog-Beating Staff Technique,' lower-grade martial arts, exchange price: 500 merit points;

"...

"Cloud-Piercing Bow,' lower-grade treasure, exchange price: 1,100 merit points;

"'Bone-Shattering Hammer,' lower-grade treasure, exchange price: 1,000 merit points;

"...

"Spirit Gathering Pill (one piece), refines True Qi, strengthens the soul, essential for advancing from the first realm to the second realm, exchange price: 100 merit points;

"Tranquil Heart Pill (one bottle), stabilizes the mind, aids cultivation, suitable for cultivators in the first realm, exchange price: 300 merit points;

"..."

In the Exorcism Bureau of Yishui County, various missions such as ghost-hunting, gathering intelligence, and logistical tasks all earned varying amounts of merit points, with hunting ghosts being the most efficient way to earn them.

With merit points, one could exchange for a variety of items.

As an ordinary small county, the storage room of Yishui County's Exorcism Bureau didn't contain divine weapons or peerless martial arts. Instead, it held ordinary resources that were essential for cultivation.

If one desired higher-ranked manuals or treasures, they would have to go to the nearby "big city" of Qingzhou Prefecture to make the exchange.

One of Gu Xu's colleagues, for instance, had spent 2,000 merit points to exchange for a medium-grade iron-cutting saber in Qingzhou Prefecture. He proudly carried it on his back and flaunted it whenever he saw someone.

It was said that in the treasury of the headquarters of the Exorcism Bureau in the capital city of the Great Qi Dynasty, one could exchange for extremely rare high-grade cultivation methods and peerless divine weapons, such as the protective talismans personally drawn by the Imperial Tutor or the "Tai'a Sword Technique" created by the founding emperor.

Or even artifacts left behind by ascended cultivators.

Gu Xu stared at the price list for a moment, unable to help but lament his own poverty.

The night shift at the storage room of the Exorcism Bureau was manned by an old hunchbacked man.

As soon as he saw Gu Xu, the old man furrowed his brows and impatiently exclaimed, "Why is it always you?"

"Because I am an exemplary cultivator actively eliminating evil for the people, naturally earning a few more merit points than others," Gu Xu replied with a smile, handing the old man a note that read "Tranquil Heart Pill."

The old man glanced at the note, then reached into a drawer and threw a white porcelain bottle toward Gu Xu without even looking up.

Gu Xu caught it steadily with his hand.

"It's getting late, and it's not safe. Hurry home!" the old man started shooing him away.

But Gu Xu remained standing in place.

He opened the white porcelain bottle, first sniffing the fragrance inside—it was the pleasant aroma of a 300-merit-point pill. Then he carefully poured out the pills onto his palm, counting to make sure he had the correct number before returning them to the bottle.

"You brat, why are you still lingering here? Don't stand around and disrupt my work!" the hunchbacked man waved his hand impatiently, urging him once again with a stern expression.

Gu Xu finally turned around and left.

A relieved smile appeared on the old man's face as he took out the book he had hidden in his chest, "The Oil Peddler's Exclusive Courtesan" and immersed himself in its pages.

...

After obtaining the pills, Gu Xu returned to the main hall, carrying the eggs, white fungus, and goji berries given to him by Chen Jisheng. Then he left the bureau and headed back to his own home.

Gu Xu's residence was only two streets away from the Exorcism Bureau, a five-minute walk at most.

It was a small quadrangle courtyard that had been left behind by the previous occupant's parents.

Although it wasn't large in size, it was more than enough for Gu Xu to live alone.

Eight years ago, Yishui County and its surroundings were plagued by a massive wave of ghosts and monsters. The previous occupant had witnessed his parents being devoured alive by a gigantic serpent-like creature, their remains vanishing without a trace.

Since then, the seed of vengeance had been planted in the previous occupant's heart.

So, when he turned sixteen, he angrily joined the Exorcism Bureau, vowing to avenge his parents and swearing to "exterminate all ghosts and expel them from this world."

...

Gu Xu unlocked the door, stepped over the threshold, passed by the partition screen, and walked straight into the main building, which faced north.

Inside the house, the candles suddenly lit up one after another, casting a vibrant orange hue throughout the quadrangle courtyard.

"Young Master, you're back!" A young servant boy dressed in a gray cloth stood at the doorway, bowing slightly.

"Fetch me a cup of tea, I'm about to begin my cultivation," Gu Xu instructed.

"Yes, Young Master."

As Gu Xu took off his shoes and changed into comfortable clothing, he found himself seated cross-legged on a bamboo mat. A steaming cup of tea was already placed in front of him.

But the young servant boy had vanished without a trace.

On the folding screen behind Gu Xu, a portrait had appeared without his knowledge—a portrait of the young servant boy, wearing a smile and bearing an uncanny resemblance to the clothed servant boy who had stood at the doorway.

The way of talismans was ever-changing.

They could exorcise ghosts or infuse the characters within the painting with spiritual essence.

Unfortunately, Gu Xu's current strength was still meager. The servant boy he drew could only serve tea for now.

Gu Xu picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then retrieved a small white porcelain bottle containing the "Tranquil Heart Pill" He removed a round, light green pill from it and swallowed it.

Then he closed his eyes.

A sweet and refreshing taste began in his throat and swiftly spread throughout his body.

All distractions in his mind instantly vanished.

His inner world became tranquil and serene, unaffected by the turbulence of the world around him.

He began silently reciting scriptures and operating his cultivation technique.

Unlike the cultivation novels of his past life, the Great Wilderness, this land lacked the so-called "spiritual energy of heaven and earth."

There was only pervasive deathly Yin energy.

Yin energy was the source of power for demons and monsters but was harmful to humans.

It was only with the advent of cultivation techniques that people attempted to forcibly channel Yin energy into their meridians, refining it through repeated tempering and condensing it into "True Qi."

However, this process was extremely perilous.

A moment of carelessness would result in losing control of one's mind, with the soul and body consumed by Yin energy, ultimately turning into mindless monsters.

Hence, it was often said that cultivation was a journey to court death.

Every step forward was a mad exploration under the watchful eye of the King of Hell.

Sensing Yin energy, opening the body's acupoints, condensing True Qi—these marked the first realm of cultivation, the "Gate of Ghosts."

The "Gate of Ghosts" was said to be the first checkpoint for souls entering the underworld after death.

Advancing to the "Gate of Ghosts" realm meant officially embarking on the treacherous path of cultivation, with no possibility of turning back.

Gu Xu jokingly referred to it as the "first suicidal step."

And the "Tranquil Heart Pill" helped him stabilize his mental state during this process, protecting him from the erosion of Yin energy.

As Gu Xu softly chanted the scripture of his cultivation technique, the deathly Yin energy between heaven and earth instantly transformed into whirlpools, surging and pouring into his body.

His complexion turned unusually pale, akin to a corpse.

Faint whispers echoed in his ears, ethereal and beguiling, tempting him to open his heart, plunge into the darkness, and embrace even more powerful forces.

Yet, shielded by the Tranquil Heart Pill, his mental state remained as calm as still water.

An hour later, the effects of the Tranquil Heart Pill dissipated.

The turbid Yin energy had been filtered, leaving behind pure true Qi that flowed through his meridians like the melting spring snow.

He then took out another pill and swallowed it...

By the time the effects of the third pill had dissipated, dawn had arrived.

Golden sunlight streamed through the window, casting speckled spots of light on the ground, illuminating the young man's pale and refined face.

Late stage of the first realm.

This was the result of Gu Xu's cultivation so far.

Any other person would undoubtedly celebrate and rejoice at the extraordinary speed of his progress.

But Gu Xu couldn't find any joy in it.

A bottle of Tranquil Heart Pill contained nine pills, and he had consumed three in just one night.

This meant he had spent 100 merit points in a single night, and he would have to kill ten more fiends just to earn them back.

"It seems like I'll have to find a few lucky fiends today," Gu Xu stretched and yawned, "Hopefully, the ghosts I encounter today will put up a bit more of a fight. Otherwise, my experiment won't be able to proceed."

With that in mind, he donned his green robe, put on his shoes, and wrapped his scarf around his neck, full of spirit as he set off for work at the Exorcism Bureau.