Chapter 9: The Gap

Gu Xu stood by and silently watched this battle of destruction. He felt a mixture of envy and anticipation.

Facing the same enemy, he had expended a great deal of time and energy, meticulously drawing over a dozen "Ghost-Killing Talisman" and performing flashy maneuvers, only to cause some superficial injuries that were neither painful nor itchy.

But with just one swift and decisive slash, Shi Xiaohan reduced the enemy to ashes.

The power of a second-stage cultivator was terrifying!

Seeing this terrifying disparity, Gu Xu let out a sigh in his heart.

He recalled the words of Governor Chen Jisheng: "With each advancement in cultivation, there is a qualitative leap in combat power."

Absorbing Yin Qi, condensing True Qi—this was the first stage of cultivation, the "Ghost Gate." It marked the official transformation from an ordinary person to an extraordinary cultivator.

After passing through the "Ghost Gate" came the second stage, the "Yellow Springs Road."

There was a saying, "Nine turns in the Yellow Springs."

On this long path of guidance, there were nine bends. With each turn, the depth of True Qi would multiply.

If Gu Xu's True Qi was like the faint glow of fireflies on a summer night, then Shi Xiaohan's True Qi was like a blazing torch.

At the end of the Yellow Springs Road was the third stage of cultivation—the "Naihe Bridge."

Gu Xu's immediate superior, Governor Chen Jisheng, was at this stage.

Gu Xu had no idea how powerful cultivators at the "Naihe Bridge" stage truly were because Chen Jisheng had never made a move in front of him.

But thinking of the unique prestige of Governor Chen Jisheng in Yishui County, thinking of how even the neighboring county's magistrate would bow first upon seeing Chen Jisheng, thinking of how the arrogant and self-centered Shi Xiaohan would become obedient and well-behaved in front of Chen Jisheng, and thinking of a group of bandits who gave up their criminal ways after encountering Chen Jisheng...

This superior of his was truly extraordinary!

"My cultivation is still shallow; I still need to practise diligently," Gu Xu encouraged himself in his heart.

He then took out a small notebook from his pocket and quickly made a record with a charcoal pencil:

"Supplemental Experiment on 'Ghost-Killing Talisman' Damage:

Experiment Subject: Painted Skin Ghost ('Wild Ghost' level);

Experimental Result: Feels like a scraping massage;

Experimental Conclusion: Research has not yet succeeded; comrades still need to strive."

Just at that moment, Shi Xiaohan approached him and tapped him on the shoulder, standing on tiptoes.

"Gu Xu, how was my slash just now?"

She looked at Gu Xu with a smile, her large eyes forming crescent moons, her face clearly saying, "Praise me already."

Gu Xu immediately gave her a thumbs-up. "The number one hero, truly deserving of your reputation!"

Shi Xiaohan's face bloomed with joy.

"You did well too," she said, putting her hands on her hips, exuding the air of a high-ranking official. "If it weren't for you seeing through that ugly creature's disguise and freeing me from its restraints, I would have had to pay a significant price to escape."

"Just some small tricks," Gu Xu modestly replied. "Lady Shi's earth-shattering slash was the key to breaking the situation."

"Your proficiency in talisman arts is not low, stronger than any talisman master I've seen before."

"I've never seen a sword cultivator stronger than Lady Shi."

Unconsciously, the two of them entered their familiar cycle of mutual praise.

......

After successfully dealing with the painted skin ghost, Gu Xu and Shi Xiaohan didn't immediately return to the report. Instead, they continued to search the mansion.

After confirming that there were no hidden ghosts or monsters, they decided to leave.

"Let's go, Gu Xu," Shi Xiaohan said. "The Yin Qi in this place is quite heavy. It's really uncomfortable to stay here for too long."

"Indeed," Gu Xu agreed, looking at the gray-white smoke drifting in the air like shrouds, giving credence to her words.

"To celebrate the successful completion of our mission, how about we go to Fragrant Pavilion for dinner tonight?" Shi Xiaohan smiled and happily suggested, "They have many delicious dishes there, like braised prawns, thousand-layer cake, roast chicken, as well as fish with vinegar and chili, top-quality tofu, caramelized sweet potatoes..."

"Or we could go to the bureau canteen..." Gu Xu furrowed his eyebrows.

Fragrant Pavilion was the most famous and expensive restaurant in Yishui County.

Having a meal there would cost at least three taels of silver.

As a low-ranking official with a monthly salary of only two taels of silver, Gu Xu always avoided such places for the affluent.

To him, the bureau canteen—the canteen for the Exorcism Bureau—was where he should go.

"Tonight, it's my treat!" Shi Xiaohan exclaimed.

"No problem, I've been wanting to try Fragrant Pavilion for a while now." Gu Xu's expression changed instantly.

Shi Xiaohan became even happier.

Coming from a prestigious family, she had never worried about food and clothing. Rather than money, she cared more about having someone flatter her.

Just at that moment, the chubby boy Wang Guicai, who had fainted on the side, finally regained consciousness.

At first, he had a dazed look and seemed confused.

Two seconds later, he suddenly seemed to recall his stepmother turning into a malicious ghost and exclaimed in shock, jumping up from the ground.

"W-where... where's the ghost?" he asked anxiously, looking around.

"It's already dead," Shi Xiaohan pointed to the pile of ash on the ground.

"It's... it's dead just like that?" Wang Guicai widened his eyes.

The colossal figure of the painted skin ghost, towering two stories high, and its ferocious appearance with fangs and claws had left a deep psychological impact on him.

He thought his death was imminent.

But he never expected that the ghost would be easily dealt with by the officials of the Exorcism Bureau.

His father was right.

The cultivators of the Exorcism Bureau were the guardians of the Great Qi Dynasty, a ray of light in the darkness.

In their presence, all evil spirits would eventually be vanquished.

"Two... seniors," after hesitating for a moment, Wang Guicai cautiously asked, "Can you take me away from here?"

"Leave?"

"This place... scares me." Wang Guicai lowered his head, looking at his own toes.

Gu Xu pondered for a moment.

This child had lost both his parents, his house was haunted, and he was left to live here all alone. It was too difficult for him.

Fortunately, the Exorcism Bureau had been established for over a hundred years, and they had a very comprehensive set of measures for comforting the families of victims—there was specialized personnel to handle the aftermath, so Gu Xu and Shi Xiaohan didn't need to worry about it.

"Don't be afraid, Guicai. Just wait here for a moment, and the Exorcism Bureau's officials will come to pick you up soon," Gu Xu bent down and said to the chubby boy, "They will take you to the Alleviation Institute. You'll have a new home and many peers your age."

"As for this mansion, it will still be your property. You have the right to dispose of it as you wish."

The Alleviation Institute was a welfare institution established by the Great Qi Dynasty to provide assistance to widows, widowers, and orphans.

Before joining the Exorcism Bureau, Gu Xu had lived in the Alleviation Institute for several years.

Eight years ago, when ghosts and monsters ran rampant in Qingzhou Prefecture, many orphaned children were sent to the Alleviation Institute.

Gu Xu was one of them.

That year, the Alleviation Institute faced severe shortages, and each child could only receive one steamed bun a day.

But even so, in the memories of the original host's body, the Alleviation Institute was the place that sheltered him during the darkest time of his life.

"Sir, I don't want to go to the Alleviation Institute," Wang Guicai hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Gu Xu and said, "I want to join the Exorcism Bureau, become a cultivator like you, and be a great hero who eliminates demons and monsters for the people."

Hearing his words, Gu Xu smiled lightly, unable to help but sigh at how every young person goes through a phase of youthful extravagance.

"When you grow up, we'll talk about it."