Chapter 25: The Chief of the Exorcism Bureau

The headquarters of the Exorcism Bureau is situated atop a hill in the northwestern suburbs of Luojing, the capital of the Great Qi Dynasty.

From this vantage point, one could gaze at the vast expanse of stars above and overlook the entire city below.

On the observatory platform of the bureau, a man dressed in a crane robe sat leaning against the railing, playing the guqin and wafting the fragrance of incense.

This man had a refined appearance, with an elegant and captivating demeanor that seemed to transcend the mortal world.

He was none other than the current Chief of the Exorcism Bureau, Luo Chuan.

At this moment, he appeared completely immersed in the melodies of the ancient guqin, unaffected by the bustling lights of Luojing city or the trivial matters of the bureau.

After a while, footsteps echoed from the nearby staircase.

A young girl in a light green dress approached him with quick and light steps.

This girl had a slender figure and delicate waist, with a pretty oval face. Though not exceptionally beautiful, she possessed a charming and delicate aura, akin to that of a jade-like beauty.

"Chief, Senior Brother Chu just sent you a message using a transmission jade talisman," the girl raised her hand to her forehead and bowed to Luo Chuan. "He said he encountered a little trouble in Yishui County and urgently needs your help."

This girl was named Shangguan Jin.

Like Chu Fengge, she also served as a physician at the headquarters of the Exorcism Bureau.

Both of them were personally groomed by Chief Luo Chuan and considered his unacknowledged disciples, addressing each other as "Senior Brother" and "Senior Sister."

"That brat Chu Fengge, he's grown up but still hasn't matured. He only knows how to bring trouble to me," Luo Chuan sighed lightly but didn't stop playing the guqin. "Jin, have a seat and tell me in detail what kind of trouble that kid has gotten himself into this time, requiring me to clean up after him."

Shangguan Jin adjusted her clothes and knelt beside Luo Chuan, placing her hands on her knees obediently. She said softly, "Senio Brother Chu said that our Exorcism Bureau's centuries-old and extraordinary Heavenly-Origin Stone has inexplicably shattered into countless fragments, rendering it useless."

Upon hearing this, Luo Chuan continued to play the guqin, his expression calm, without an immediate response.

However, the once soft and melodious sounds of the qin suddenly pierced the night sky like a broken silver bottle, transforming into an army of a hundred thousand iron cavalry, trampling through the frozen rivers.

Clearly, Luo Chuan's mood was not as tranquil as it appeared.

Seeing Luo Chuan's silence, Shangguan Jin picked up a teapot from the table and poured a cup of fragrant tea for him, speaking gently, "Chief, please don't be angry with Senior Brother Chu. He possesses exceptional talent and cultivation. Sometimes, he becomes overly confident and forgets your teachings, which leads to troubles."

"Not like me. Due to my limited abilities, I can only stay quietly at the headquarters and listen to your guidance, Chief," she said, a mix of praise and subtle criticism—praising Chu Fengge's extraordinary talent while subtly mocking his arrogance and disobedience towards Luo Chuan.

Luo Chuan chuckled and finally stopped playing the guqin.

He picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said, "Jin, this time it's not Chu Fengge's fault that the Heavenly-Origin Stone is broken. He doesn't have that capability."

Shangguan Jin widened her eyes.

Working under Luo Chuan alongside Chu Fengge, they often competed and vied for superiority, wanting to outdo each other in everything.

She had thought that this time, with the Heavenly-Origin Stone damaged, she could take the opportunity to let Chu Fengge receive a scolding from Chief Luo Chuan, maybe even get him confined for a few days...

But it turned out there was another reason.

Thinking of this, she immediately bowed to Luo Chuan and said, "Please enlighten me, Chief."

Luo Chuan simply said, "The Heavenly-Origin Stone is a tool used to deduce heavenly secrets. If it shatters, there is only one possibility—it has seen something it shouldn't have."

"Something it shouldn't have seen?" Shangguan Jin was confused.

According to Chu Fengge's description, there was indeed a genius with third-grade aptitude in Yishui County.

However, in the hundred years of the Exorcism Bureau's history, while third-grade geniuses were rare, they were not unheard of—there had even been two with second-grade aptitude.

But they never caused the Heavenly-Origin Stone to break.

"Jin, how long did it take you to reach the first stage of cultivation?" Luo Chuan asked.

"Three years, Chief."

"And what about Chu Fengge?"

"Two and a half years."

Shangguan Jin had always been resentful of Chu Fengge's faster progress in cultivation.

"That young man, Gu Xu, who participated in the assessment in Yishui County, achieved it in less than a year," Luo Chuan said calmly.

"Less than a year?" Shangguan Jin was shocked.

If Chu Fengge's description was accurate, this Gu Xu was just an ordinary clerk from a humble background, both parents deceased.

His family clearly couldn't provide him with expensive resources for cultivation.

Even so, Gu Xu managed to become a cultivator of the first stage of cultivation at a speed that made countless geniuses feel inferior.

Was this really the talent a normal human should possess?

A faint smile of deep mystery appeared on Luo Chuan's face as he continued:

"The third-grade 'Radiance of the Blazing Sun is merely an illusion and not Gu Xu's true aptitude.

"In my view, the potential of that kid Gu Xu might already surpass the limits the Heavenly-Origin Stone can calculate, perhaps even surpassing second-grade aptitude. That's why the internal formation of the Heavenly-Origin Stone collapsed.

"This makes me very curious about what kind of brilliance he will display on the stage of Great Qi in the future."

Above second-grade?

The legendary first grade that only exists in myths?

Shangguan Jin couldn't fully grasp the concept.

But at the same time, she felt a hidden satisfaction in her heart: finally, someone could surpass Chu Fengge in talent. That guy named Chu would no longer dare to boast easily!

"Chief, should we re-evaluate Gu Xu's aptitude?" she asked.

"No need," Luo Chuan shook his head. "A tall tree attracts the wind. We will announce the results according to the calculation of the Heavenly-Origin Stone This is to protect Gu Xu and prevent him from becoming too arrogant.

"As for what I just told you, Jin, consider it a secret known only to the two of us, buried forever in our hearts."

"Yes, Chief," Shangguan Jin obediently nodded, then asked, "Also, Chief, Senior Chu has sent the theoretical examination papers for this promotion assessment through a formation method. Are you interested in taking a look yourself?"

"Send them to the Princess's Mansion!" Luo Chuan closed his eyes in contemplation for a few seconds before answering. "I think Princess Zhao Ning, who is the examiner and the proponent of the Shenji Camp project, will be very interested in Gu Xu's answers.

"Furthermore, go and inform Chu Fengge that I want to slightly increase the difficulty of Gu Xu's practical assessment tomorrow. With the long night approaching, I don't want Great Qi's geniuses to be fragile flowers that can't withstand the wind and rain."

"Yes, Chief."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Jin suddenly felt a sense of sympathy for the young man named Gu Xu—what Chief Luo Chuan referred to as "slightly increased difficulty" was enough to make countless exceptional geniuses shed tears and doubt their lives.

She wondered if Gu Xu would be able to withstand this challenging test.

Afterward, Shangguan Jin took her leave.

As she left the observatory platform, she unintentionally looked up at the vast starry sky.

The Milky Way spanned the heavens, with sparse stars and a faint moon, drifting clouds passing by.

Only the Purple Micro Star, situated at the celestial pole, shone brightly.