As soon as he stepped out of the cultivation room, Liang Xiao immediately saw a line of people gathered at the entrance to the living room.
Yes—they were lined up, waiting in order.
Inside the living room, Grandpa Liang Wen looked completely bewildered, clearly having no idea what was going on.
"Greetings to the Honorary Enforcement Captain!"
Upon seeing Liang Xiao emerge, the entire group hurriedly bowed.
They were all cultivators, though their cultivation levels were not high—most were around the first level of Qi Refining, and the strongest among them had only reached the third level.
Behind them stood a few ordinary people, waiting nervously at the very back of the line.
"Fellow Daoists, what is this?"
Liang Xiao looked at the cultivators at the front and suddenly remembered Captain Huang's words about a possible 'surprise.'
Could it be… this?
Sure enough, one of them stepped forward and said respectfully, "We've come to congratulate the newly appointed Honorary Enforcement Captain!"
"That's right, Captain Liang," another said quickly. "I'm the owner of Galen Materials Company…"
"I'm a manager at Hongfeng Technology Company…"
"I am…"
One by one, they introduced themselves.
Because, in theory, an honorary enforcement captain held the authority to visit their companies, conduct inspections, or even shut them down—a terrifying thought for any business owner.
In this world, how many wealthy people were truly clean?
Moreover, Liang Xiao had been granted the right to act first and report later.
To prevent him from ever using that power against them, every faction chose to proactively make peace.
Liang Xiao immediately understood their intentions. With a polite smile, he waved them inside.
"We've just moved in, so there isn't much to offer. Please, don't stand on ceremony, fellow Daoists."
"Not at all," one said quickly. "It was our fault for coming without notice. Please forgive us for intruding!"
"Yes, yes…"
The visitors spoke humbly, and before even sitting down, they began presenting their congratulatory gifts.
In a normal situation, anyone would politely decline, but Liang Xiao recalled what Captain Huang had said—and he had indeed been poor for far too long.
So, he accepted every single gift, thinking: better to take it than leave it.
Out of respect, however, he asked his grandfather Liang Wen to record each gift and the name of the giver—so he could remember who had extended goodwill.
At first, Liang Xiao thought this would be just a handful of local forces sending their regards.
But he was very wrong.
As soon as the first wave of visitors left, the second wave arrived.
Then the third, the fourth...
He spent the entire day receiving guests, barely getting a moment to rest.
By the time the sun set, the stream of visitors finally stopped.
The living room was now overflowing with gifts.
"Ah Xiao, these are all the gifts we received today. Take a look."
Grandpa Liang Wen handed him the notebook he had been using to record everything, his calloused hands trembling slightly.
Liang Xiao took the ledger curiously—and immediately felt his scalp go numb.
Silver Wolf Health Products: 300 boxes
Maotai: 741 cases
Qi-Gathering Pills: 47 bottles
Iron Wolf Meat Canned Food: 31 boxes
Health Wine: 412 cases
Health products were considered luxury goods. Ordinary people, unable to prolong their lives like cultivators, relied heavily on such tonics—no matter how uncertain their effects were.
Even Iron Wolf Meat was rare and prized; it was food meant for cultivators.
Altogether, these gifts likely totaled over 70 million Federal Credits.
Most of it was for mortal use—but those forty-seven bottles of Qi-Gathering Pills alone were worth 4.7 million Federal Credits!
Could it be… that every single power in Changlin City came here today?
Liang Xiao was stunned.
Some small companies had only sent a single case of wine or health products—others sent far more.
Even so, it was beyond imagination.
Who knew being an honorary law enforcement captain was so profitable…
"Grandpa, you can handle these however you like. Sell what you don't need and keep the rest for yourself."
He put away the forty-seven bottles of Qi-Gathering Pills, picked up a box of Ironclad Wolf Meat, and said with a smile, "I'm going to cultivate now. Don't call me for meals."
With so many pills in his possession, Liang Xiao felt confident he could weave the third layer of his Golden Core in record time.
Because for him—there were no bottlenecks.
Inside the cultivation room, he stored the Ironclad Wolf Meat within his dantian, then adjusted the simulated environment to a serene mountain wilderness.
Finding a quiet spot, he sat cross-legged and began swallowing the Qi-Gathering Pills.
As he activated the Refining Essence into Qi technique, the medicinal properties of the pills rapidly transformed into pure true Qi.
Liang Xiao guided these threads of energy—extending from the second layer—and began weaving the third layer of his Golden Core.
Time flew by.
When dawn broke, half the third layer was already complete. Six Qi-Gathering Pills had been consumed.
His refinement speed had noticeably increased.
"I'll definitely finish weaving the third layer today. My cultivation will reach the second level of Qi Refining."
Opening his eyes, Liang Xiao glanced at the clock on his phone. It was almost 9:00 AM.
He stood up and left the cultivation room.
At exactly 9:00 AM, a flying car bearing the logo of Cultivation Home descended into Changlin Residential Area, hovering in front of Building Three.
Moments later, a figure flew out from inside—a Foundation Establishment cultivator!
Liang Xiao was stunned. A Foundation Establishment cultivator… just to deliver a package?
The courier was a middle-aged man with short hair, dressed in white armor, and carrying a white briefcase.
He approached calmly.
"You must be Liang Xiao. Please show me your Honor Citizen ID card."
Liang Xiao nodded, taking out his card.
The man scanned it across a lockbox—and with a click, the box automatically opened.
Inside was a smaller case.
"Please sign here."
He handed Liang Xiao a tablet, and Liang Xiao signed directly on the screen.
"The cultivation techniques and spells purchased from the Cultivation Home Mall are strictly forbidden from resale or transmission. Unauthorized teaching is a federal offense. Please remember this. My mission is complete. Goodbye."
Although this man was at the Foundation Establishment stage, he displayed no arrogance whatsoever. Perhaps this was the composure of true power.
After he returned to his vehicle and flew off, Liang Xiao quickly carried the box back inside.
He entered the cultivation room again and carefully opened the case.
This small box held something worth ten million Federal Credits.
Inside was a handwritten notebook and a memory stick.
The notebook was filled with Teacher Xiao Jia's detailed notes and cultivation experiences regarding "Yin-Yang Explosion."
The last few pages were written recently—just yesterday—with warnings, precautions, and possible adverse effects noted in neat handwriting.
Liang Xiao felt a twinge of gratitude.
I owe her again… Is she investing in me—or is she just this generous with everyone?
He shook his head, inserted the memory stick into his phone, and projected it onto the wall.
A video began playing.
In it, Teacher Xiao Jia stood in a vast wilderness, her five fingers spread wide as she suddenly grasped at the air.
Instantly, a massive energy vortex, over a hundred meters wide, erupted in the distance, pulling dirt and rock toward its center.
A second later—
Boom!
A violent explosion tore through the land, leaving behind a crater more than ten meters deep and nearly eighty meters wide.
Liang Xiao's eyes narrowed.
So powerful… But this must be the level of a Foundation Establishment cultivator's full strength, right?
The video lasted only a few seconds before switching to a PPT document, ready for study.