This stream of Merit Qi had been sealed within that Seal and Ribbon for a long time. It was meant to be a resource for the Wild Cultivators’ rituals, but now, drawn by the Golden Seal Decree, it had found its rightful home.
Chu Bai closed his eyes, sensing the illusory Golden Talisman Decree within his Sea of Consciousness grow ever more solid and noble under the infusion of Divine Dao Merit.
This elevation, occurring on the level of his Fate Chart, not only refined his Divine Thought but also deepened the aura of dominion over mountains and rivers that surrounded him.
The process was incredibly swift, over in the span of a single breath.
Feng Qin, Pang Song, and the others nearby only sensed that the moment Chu Bai touched the Seal and Ribbon, his aura seemed to grow more imposing. They were completely unaware that the immense Divine Dao Origin had already been absorbed by him in its entirety.
’So that was their goal. Assassinating the divine official wasn’t just to steal the Seal, but for the Merit sealed within it.’
Understanding dawned on Chu Bai. Although the Seal and Ribbon in the long case still appeared mystical, the sliver of Divine Dao Origin at its core had been completely drained by him, leaving nothing but an empty husk.
His expression remained unchanged as he let his fingertips glide lightly over the Seal and Ribbon. He then unhurriedly closed the long case and re-wrapped it in the black talismanic cloth.
"It is indeed one of Water Uncle’s possessions."
Chu Bai spoke calmly, handing the long case back to Feng Qin, who was responsible for logging the items. "This artifact is of grave importance. Seal it securely, and permit no errors."
"Yes, sir!" Feng Qin accepted it solemnly.
Chu Bai turned to look at the string of Wild Cultivators bound in iron chains, and at Black Sheep, who was sprawled on the ground like a dead dog. The dark gold gleam in his eyes gradually faded.
This battle not only purged the cancer of Chaotic Bone Ridge and saw the capture of its Qi Cultivation Perfection leader, but he himself had also received an unexpected, incredible boon.
"Brother Pang, how is the cleanup of the battlefield coming along?" Chu Bai asked, looking toward Pang Song, who was directing the guards in collecting the spoils of war.
"We didn’t let a single one get away. All artifacts related to their Evil Techniques have been confiscated."
Pang Song roared with laughter, wiping the blood and grime from his face. "Younger Brother Chu, that was a damn good fight! Come on, back to Anping!"
Chu Bai nodded and cast one last glance at the sinister Chaotic Bone Ridge.
"Fall in! Return to the Department to report!"
Over two hundred elite soldiers of the Official Army, escorting a dozen deeply sinful Wild Cultivators and carrying that treasure which was now precious only in appearance, formed a long, ink-black dragon as they galloped toward Anping County in the faint light of dawn.
In the early morning, the long streets of Anping County, originally shrouded in a thin mist, had their silence shattered by the sound of steady, powerful hoofbeats.
More than two hundred elite Exorcism and Demon Suppression Guards rode through the city gates in a vast procession. Their armor was immaculate, their dark cyan cloaks snapped in the cold wind like a great black tide, and they carried with them the lingering stench of gunpowder and Slaughter Qi.
At the center of the dragon-like column, a dozen disheveled Wild Cultivators staggered forward, their collarbones pierced by heavy Spirit Locking Chains. The harsh grating of the chains on the ground was especially jarring in the dead-silent streets.
This was especially true for Black Sheep at the head of the group. The once-infamous old monster of Qi Cultivation Perfection was now like a piece of withered, charred wood, dragged along utterly devoid of Vitality. What trace remained of his former authority as a leader?
"Look! Lord Chu of the Demon-slaying Team is back!"
"Is that an Evil Cultivator at Qi Cultivation Perfection? To think he was captured alive..."
"Shh... Wild Cultivators and Evil Cultivators are not the same. Best not to speak carelessly."
The bystanders along the road all stopped in their tracks, their eyes filled with reverence and fear.
Meanwhile, colleagues from other departments who were watching from the crowd—especially those Civil Servants and Inspectors who usually prided themselves on being above such matters—all wore complex expressions, a storm of shock raging in their hearts.
"Lord Chu has only been in office for a few years, but with the God-Slaying Seal and the raid on the Breaking Evil Cave, he’s amassed so much merit that I’m afraid even the officials in the Prefecture City can’t sit still any longer."
A constable from the Water Department watched their receding figures and whispered with a mix of admiration and envy, "Once this accomplishment is reported, this small pond of Anping County will no longer be able to contain a True Dragon like him."
「Evil Suppression Department, the County Captain’s Office.」
Hot tea on the table sent up gentle wisps of steam. Zhang Cheng sat upright in the seat of honor, listening as Chu Bai and Pang Song delivered their reports.
When Chu Bai placed the long case containing the Seal and Ribbon firmly on the table and described in detail how Black Sheep had transformed his body into wood and was ultimately captured alive, the stern expression on Zhang Cheng’s face finally gave way to one of profound relief.
"Excellent! A perfect decapitation strike at Chaotic Bone Ridge!"
Zhang Cheng slammed his hand on the table and let out a long laugh, his eyes filled with praise. "Capturing a Qi Cultivation Perfection expert alive and recovering Water Uncle’s lost Origin... Chu Bai, Pang Song, the two of you have brought a new dawn to Anping County!"
Pang Song chuckled and thumped his chest. "That was all due to Younger Brother Chu’s brilliant command. If he hadn’t single-handedly suppressed that old Black Sheep, we couldn’t have closed the net so quickly."
Zhang Cheng nodded, his gaze falling on the long case as his expression grew somber. "When Water Uncle was assassinated at Threadline Gorge, all traces of energy at the scene were wiped clean. The investigation team from the Prefecture City was unable to reach a conclusion for the longest time, which put our Anping County under considerable pressure."
"Now, with both the culprits and the evidence secured and the Seal and Ribbon returned, the crime of that Wild Cultivator organization—conspiring to rebel and assassinating a divine official—is indisputable."
He stood up, walked over to Chu Bai, and spoke with earnest gravity. "With Black Sheep as a live captive, we now have a breach in the Wild Cultivator network that hides beyond Qingzhou’s Law Net."
"I will personally oversee the coming interrogation. We must, at all costs, dig up some piece of the truth about the Foundation Establishment power backing them!"
"Chu Bai." Zhang Cheng clapped a heavy, steady hand on Chu Bai’s shoulder. "After this battle, your ’Excellent’ evaluation at the Prefecture City’s Merit Department is set in stone. The time has now come for you to make your final sprint toward the Celestial Examination."

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