Chapter 27: Assimilation (Revised)

Ling Chi spurred his horse forward like the wind. As his horse-slaying saber left its scabbard, it carried the force of thunder, a flash of cold steel cleaving straight for the black serpent’s belly. The serpent was too slow to evade; a wide gash split open its underside. The onslaught did not cease—one blow followed another, each aimed at the creature’s vital points. Realizing it was outmatched, the serpent tried desperately to flee, twisting its massive body in retreat.

But Ling Chi would not allow it. He drove the tip of his saber into the serpent’s unmentionable part, pressing the blade’s spine as lightning surged through his entire frame. The saber sliced through the serpent’s belly as easily as if it were tofu, spilling a mess of viscera onto the ground, and amidst the gore lay the tiny skeleton of a child.

“My poor boy, your mother is useless, she couldn’t save you!” wailed a woman, breaking into heart-rending sobs at the sight of the remains. Ling Chi could find no words of comfort, feeling awkward and helpless as he stood aside.

“Brother, thank you for your righteous aid. If not for you, we would have suffered terrible losses today. My name is Pei Shinan, and we are all hunters in these mountains,” said the burly man with the steel trident, his companions helping him to his feet as he offered his thanks.

“To slay monsters and exorcise demons is our duty, Brother Pei. No need for such formality,” Ling Chi replied.

“To be honest, I’ve come here today looking for you all,” Ling Chi said, cupping his fist and smiling.

Pei Shinan’s face paled with shock. So, they had finally come for them?

“Don’t be alarmed, Brother Pei. I’m not here because of the matter of desertion.”

“It’s just that I happened upon a group of bandits and heard that you’d escaped with your men, but instead of plundering, you chose to farm and hunt for a living. I’ve come, first, to make friends, and second, to invite you to join my Peacekeeping Division. I can’t promise you riches, but at least you’ll never want for food or drink,” Ling Chi declared his intentions openly.

Now that he knew the youth before him belonged to the Peacekeeping Division, Pei understood why he possessed such skill. Yet, after only just tasting freedom, how could he be willing to give that up?

Seeing his hesitation, Ling Chi continued, “Brother Pei, even if you’re not thinking of yourself, you must consider the future. Look at the children here—skin and bones. Clearly, life hasn’t been easy for you. I am Ling Chi, the Constable of Willow Town in Crane County. I won’t pursue your past. Go to Willow Town and register anew.”

“At present, Willow Town is accepting large numbers of refugees—no one cares about your former lives. Besides, in recent years, strange cases have become frequent. Hiding in these mountains, sooner or later something will happen. I’ve said all I can; the rest is up to you.”

As Constable of the Peacekeeping Division, Ling Chi could appoint two Banner Commanders and eight Deputy Commanders.

Some things required manpower—he would be worked to death if he tried to handle everything alone.

Pei Shinan was torn. After discussing with his companions, he finally decided to join the Peacekeeping Division. Having a legitimate identity under the sun was better than living forever branded as a deserter.

Ling Chi watched as they packed up their belongings, handing out some of his own dried meat to a few of the younger children.

“Brother Pei, when did you bring your families here?” Ling Chi asked offhandedly.

“I was framed and forced to flee the camp with my brothers. At the time, we sent a few clever men disguised as refugees to bring our wives and children here. Sadly, my elderly parents refused to leave their homeland. A son wishes to be filial, but his parents are no longer there,” Pei Shinan replied, his tone tinged with sorrow.

“It’s alright. Settle in Willow Town first, then quietly fetch them later,” Ling Chi said unconcernedly.

In the past two years, deserters from the southern battlefields had become all too common. The current head constable, Zhou Shan, was also a deserter. In chaotic times, it was always the common folk who paid the price.

Their belongings were few, and food was even scarcer. Before leaving, Ling Chi set fire to the wooden huts, lest they become a haven for bandits. He also collected the serpent scales—perhaps he could forge some armor back in the county.

The group made their way in a long procession. By the time they returned to Willow Town, it was dusk. Ling Chi arranged for them all to stay at the Peacekeeping Division headquarters, and those who wished could apply to the county office for empty houses.

The town authorities provided settlement silver for Pei Shinan and the other soldiers. Only after making sure everything was in order did Ling Chi return to his own cultivation.

Several days passed in a blur. The clerks and law officers assigned by the county had all arrived, and the Peacekeeping Division was finally operational.

Below the Constable, Willow Town’s Peacekeeping Division had two Banner Commander positions—currently only Pei Shinan filled one, the other remained vacant until someone cultivated to the Open Meridian stage. Beneath that were eight Deputy Commanders, all appointed by Pei Shinan, for familiarity’s sake. Ling Chi had no interest in managing such trivial matters.

Content with the peace and quiet, Ling Chi devoted himself to cultivation on Little Ox Mountain just outside Willow Town. At first, thunder rolled through the hills, terrifying the townsfolk, but gradually they grew accustomed to it. Having a powerful cultivator in town made everyone feel much safer.

The Golden Thunder Body-Refining Technique had been altered beyond recognition by Ling Chi; now it would be more apt to call it the Thunder-Body Golden Form. Through countless rounds of lightning tempering, his flesh and blood had been honed to the utmost.

His blood ran thick as mercury with a golden sheen, and his bones were harder than black iron.

To advance further would require a stroke of fortune, or perhaps, when the spiritual energy he absorbed reached a certain threshold, quantity would transform into quality.

The sensation of bathing in thunder had become addictive for Ling Chi. The pain was still excruciating, but he had grown accustomed to it. Once one adapts to a certain degree of suffering, it is the nerves that are trained. His reaction speed had become sharper than ever.

Within his internal energy vortex, the original golden arcs of lightning now held a trace of purple. The dual-colored divine thunder was far more formidable than before. His relentless assault on the Yang Heel Meridian had finally borne fruit—last night, he succeeded in breaking through, reaching the seventh level of the Open Meridian stage.

The process of growing stronger made him forget the passage of time, until Pei Shinan himself came to fetch him, drawing Ling Chi out of his ascetic practice.

“What is it, Old Pei? No trouble in town, I hope?”

“Congratulations, Constable Ling, on your breakthrough! It’s truly worthy of celebration!” Pei Shinan offered his compliments. With his own cultivation at only the fourth level, standing before Ling Chi made him uneasy. He suspected Ling Chi was not far from the Qi Sea stage.

“It was just an ordinary breakthrough, not worth mentioning. Why come in person? Where’s Hei Wa, who brought me food yesterday?” Recently, it had been Hei Wa delivering his meals—one per day, with the rest of his time spent in cultivation.

“Hei Wa was kept after class by the teacher. He was told to write twenty big characters, but he got thirteen wrong and nearly drove the teacher mad. The teacher kept him behind for extra lessons,” Pei Shinan replied with a laugh. Hei Wa was the son of Wang Chuan, Pei’s deputy and a ninth-level body-refiner. The boy, only seven or eight, was already learning martial arts.

The town had hired a private tutor to teach the children to read. Thirty or forty youngsters kept the teacher busy, both suffering and finding joy in his work.

“Constable Ling, someone from Li Village reported a case before noon. Several deaths, and the Deputy Commanders you sent to investigate are back, waiting to report their findings,” Pei Shinan finally revealed the real reason for his visit.

This was Ling Chi’s established rule: first assess the suspect’s strength, then report collectively, and he would decide whether to handle the case himself or delegate it.

Now that he had capable subordinates, only the most heinous criminals or supernatural monsters merited his personal attention—it was, after all, a matter of absorbing spiritual energy.

Ling Chi’s cultivation site was close to town; he arrived within the time it took to burn an incense stick.

“Tell me, what’s the case in Li Village, and what have you found?” He seated himself boldly in the main chair. Though still young, he already radiated an impressive air of authority.