"I'll delete all surveillance footage from the nearby streets, silence everyone who knows what happened, and change the report to say that you assisted me in killing that monster. I'll take the official credit."
Captain Huang's tone was calm but steady. "In return, I can personally guarantee that your Glory Citizen ID card will be ready in three days at most."
He paused, then added, "In this way, the risk and attention fall on me. You won't receive the Federation's reward, but in exchange, I'll pay you 100,000 Federal Credits out of my own pocket — immediately."
Two paths stood before him:
One promised fame and reward.
The other offered safety and anonymity.
Liang Xiao thought for a moment. "Then… if I choose the first option, how long will it take for the Honor Citizen ID card to be processed?"
"You know your own situation," Captain Huang said evenly. "Killing a first-tier demonic beast right after becoming a cultivator — that's something many people won't believe. The higher-ups will definitely investigate. It'll take at least a month, possibly longer."
He continued, "The Federation issues the official reward together with the Glory Citizen card, so you won't receive anything until that process finishes — again, at least a month."
A month…
Liang Xiao frowned slightly. A lot could happen in a month. If someone with ulterior motives coveted his "secret method" of repairing his Dantian, he could easily be targeted again and again.
But once he obtained official Glory Citizen status, those people might be more cautious.
Still, one hundred thousand credits right now could buy him ten Qi Gathering Pills — enough to complete the second layer of his Golden Core Technique.
With that breakthrough, his strength would undoubtedly soar.
After weighing his options carefully, Liang Xiao said firmly, "I choose the second one."
"A wise choice," Captain Huang replied with a satisfied smile. "I appreciate rational people. Don't worry — I won't take advantage of you for nothing. I'll hold onto those official rewards in trust. When you reach the Qi Refining Perfection Stage, I'll return them to you. Assuming, of course, I'm still alive by then."
Captain Huang was now at the peak of Qi Refining, one step away from building his foundation.
For an ordinary cultivator, that climb — from first level to the peak — took thirty years.
A genius might do it in half that time.
Even for someone as talented as Liang Xiao, it would still take at least ten.
By then, a mere hundred thousand credits would be meaningless. And if Liang Xiao truly rose to greatness, returning the resources — or even doubling them — would earn Captain Huang a powerful ally.
"Thank you, Captain Huang," Liang Xiao said sincerely.
"No need to thank me," Huang replied. "I have my own selfish reasons. I've already reached Qi Refining Perfection, but I lack the resources to break through. Consider this my gamble — trading my current resources for a bit of luck."
He turned, unlocking a sleek gold sports car nearby. "Get in. I'll take you to the Law Enforcement Department to register your information. Don't worry about your exam — you can take it tomorrow. Your Glory Citizen ID will be ready the day after."
"Understood."
Liang Xiao opened the passenger door and climbed in.
With a roar, the gold sports car sped off like a streak of light.
"Do you want your reward in cash or in Qi Gathering Pills?" Captain Huang asked while driving. "If you choose pills, I can give them to you at the Honorary Citizen price — nine thousand per pill."
Without hesitation, Liang Xiao answered, "Qi Gathering Pills."
"Alright."
Captain Huang flipped his hand, producing a small jade bottle. "Here — ten Qi Gathering Pills. And I'll transfer an additional ten thousand credits to your account. Give me your number."
Liang Xiao accepted the bottle, then shared his account information.
Moments later, his phone chimed.
He pulled it out and saw a new deposit: 10,000 Federal Credits.
A wave of relief and joy washed over him. Now he had both cultivation resources and enough money for food.
When I created the first layer of the Golden Core, I only used one Qi Gathering Pill.
Even if the second layer required more, ten pills should more than suffice — maybe even leave some extra.
Within three days at most, he could complete the second layer. His strength would make another leap forward.
"Captain Huang, may I ask something?"
"Go ahead," Huang replied.
"In Changlin City, the defensive formations should prevent anyone from leaving, right? Then how did those spies from the cultivation world escape earlier?"
Captain Huang snorted softly. "The spies from the cultivation world are crafty. Our city's defensive arrays can't completely restrain them. They use teleportation talismans — one-use charms that let them tear open space over short distances. That's why they can wreak havoc and vanish so easily."
"I see," Liang Xiao said thoughtfully.
Huang nodded. "The cultivation world has many infiltrator factions, but the most active one here is the Longevity Cult. This incident likely traces back to them."
"The Longevity Cult…" Liang Xiao murmured, repeating the unfamiliar name. It was his first time hearing it.
About ten minutes later, the golden sports car came to a smooth stop before the most luxurious building in Changlin City.
Three bold characters glimmered above the entrance: Law Enforcement Department.
The department might have seemed distant to ordinary citizens, but to cultivators, it was a name that carried immense weight.
It was their Guardian Bureau — overseeing both internal and external threats, responsible for maintaining order and eliminating instability.
Captain Huang led Liang Xiao through the vast, marble-floored lobby and approached the reception counter.
"Xiao Lin, register this cultivator — Liang Xiao."
As he spoke, he took out a crystal sphere and handed it to Liang Xiao. "Inject a bit of your True Qi into this."
"Alright."
Liang Xiao placed his palm over the sphere and channeled a wisp of True Qi.
The transparent crystal immediately glowed blue, but halfway through, the color flickered — part of it shifting toward gold, while the rest remained clear.
Captain Huang's eyes widened slightly. He pressed his hand on the device to stabilize it.
"Bang!"
The crystal ball shattered.
The receptionist, Xiao Lin, jumped in surprise. Liang Xiao blinked, confused.
"What the hell? The quality of these testers is terrible!" Huang snapped, frowning as he crushed the fragments. "Bring me another Qi-quality detector!"
"Y-yes, Captain!" Xiao Lin stammered, startled but obedient. She quickly fetched another crystal sphere.
Captain Huang handed it to Liang Xiao. "Again."
"…Okay."
Liang Xiao repeated the test, channeling his True Qi.
This time, the crystal emitted a soft white glow — pure and steady.
"White-grade quality. Average," Huang said aloud, handing the crystal to Xiao Lin. "Register the aura and True Qi quality."
"Understood." Xiao Lin used a handheld scanner to sweep Liang Xiao's body, locating his record via facial recognition. Then she updated his file with the aura signature and energy quality.
At that moment, a quiet voice sounded in Liang Xiao's mind — Captain Huang's spiritual transmission.
"Before you find a strong backer or have enough power to protect yourself, never test your True Qi quality in public again."
Liang Xiao's heart stirred. He understood immediately.
The earlier blue hue must have been his true quality — too high to reveal safely. The white test result was merely camouflage.
He silently nodded, grateful.
"Captain Huang, registration complete," Xiao Lin reported.
"Good. Send me his file. I'll add some notes and submit it personally," Huang said.
"Yes, Captain."
Huang turned back to Liang Xiao. "You can go now."
"So soon?" Liang Xiao asked, surprised. He'd expected the process to take longer.
Then again, technology was advanced — especially for cultivators. Law enforcement didn't need paper forms or waiting rooms. Facial recognition and energy scans made everything instantaneous.
He clasped his hands respectfully. "Thank you, Captain Huang. Goodbye."
With that, Liang Xiao turned and walked toward the exit.
Captain Huang watched his back disappear down the corridor, his face calm — but his thoughts turbulent.
He's only a quasi-cultivator, Huang realized. Not even fully at the first level of Qi Refining.
A quasi-cultivator capable of killing a Tier-One early-stage demonic beast… what kind of monster is he?
Huang couldn't shake the image of the earlier blue glow. The detectors in Changlin City could only register up to "blue quality." That meant Liang Xiao's True Qi was likely beyond measurable range.
Such geniuses usually only appear in the great metropolitan cities directly under the central government…
He let out a quiet breath.
"Well, the stronger the better. Changlin City hasn't produced a real genius in ten years."