I Cultivate in a Government Office

As it spoke, it raised a sharp talon and traced a pattern in the air. Specks of deep blue Spiritual Light gathered with its movement, quickly outlining a Dharma Seal. Within the center of the seal, the faint silhouettes of two birds—one large, one small—could be seen nestled together.

"This is the Contractual Dharma Seal. It is not bound by many restrictive rules," Lian Xing’s voice sounded again. "Imprint your Divine Sense into it, and you will establish the most direct conscious link with this child. You will understand each other’s thoughts, watch over one another, and offer mutual support. This contract is built on fate and trust."

Its gaze fell upon Yang Wenqing, as tangible as a physical touch. "Though there are no compulsory rules, you can trust in this bond. In the future, you will understand the depth of this trust."

Yang Wenqing replied solemnly, "I will take it to heart."

The moment he finished speaking, he focused his mind. A wisp of Divine Sense extended from between his brows and gently merged into the deep blue Dharma Seal. The seal trembled slightly, connecting his wisp of Divine Sense to the small bird silhouette at its core, the one representing the chick.

At the same time, the little one in the ball of blue fluff seemed to sense something. It struggled to lift its head and let out a soft but clear chirp. Then, Yang Wenqing felt a joyous consciousness echo within his Spirit Sea.

Then, the light of the Dharma Seal slowly converged, finally transforming into two barely perceptible blue dots of light that disappeared into Yang Wenqing’s brow and the little one’s forehead, respectively.

The contract was formed!

"CHIRP!"

The little one let out a joyful cry. Its once clumsy body suddenly became nimble. It flapped its not-yet-fully-feathered wings with all its might and wobbled into the air from its nest of dry grass.

Yang Wenqing instinctively reached out to catch it, but the little one deftly swerved, avoiding his palm. With a SWOOSH, it dove into the breast pocket of his uniform jacket. Only its fluffy little head peeked out, its jewel-blue eyes narrowing in satisfaction as it affectionately nuzzled the edge of the pocket.

Immediately after, Yang Wenqing clearly felt the Spiritual Qi refined by his Golden Core World being silently absorbed by the little one in his breast pocket through their newly established Divine Sense connection.

And as the little one absorbed the energy, it also sent back a kind of extremely subtle aura with a Spiritual Attribute, which quietly nourished his Divine Sense.

This wondrous symbiotic cycle felt incredibly strange to him.

Then, it all felt surreal. Everything had happened so fast. ’In the blink of an eye, I now have a Blue-feathered Night Owl—a companion countless Cultivators dream of?’

"Her name is Lan Ying. From now on, I entrust her to your care."

"Thank you for making this possible, Senior. I will not disappoint you!"

"Mm, you should go. Your master is getting impatient."

Lian Xing spread his wings and soared, flying toward the outside.

Just then, a little girl’s voice sounded in Yang Wenqing’s Spirit Sea. "Hurry up and go. They’re already getting annoyed with me for interrupting their time together."

Yang Wenqing was momentarily stunned before realizing it was his new companion speaking. Her tone carried a trace of a little adult’s impatience.

Perhaps sensing Yang Wenqing’s thoughts, Lan Ying spoke again in his Spirit Sea. "Daddy has been complaining that I took up his favorite resting spot, and Mother always listens to whatever he says. He couldn’t wait for me to find someone who could take me away to cultivate."

Hearing this, Yang Wenqing glanced down at the little one already fast asleep in his breast pocket. A strange warmth flooded his heart, and he quickened his pace toward the exit.

The roar of the waterfall still thundered, and sunlight scattered through the curtain of water, casting dappled spots of light.

Stepping out of the cave behind the waterfall, the sound of the water and the bright sunlight made Yang Wenqing feel as if he had just returned from another world. In his breast pocket, Lan Ying was sleeping soundly. Only the gentle rise and fall of her fluff and the sense of contentment in his mind served as reminders that what had just happened was not a dream.

Qin Huaiming and Director Li were waiting by the pool. Seeing Lian Xing and Yang Wenqing emerge so quickly, they both subconsciously took a step forward. At first, Qin Huaiming’s brow furrowed slightly, thinking things had not gone well. But when his gaze swept over the small, extra tuft of blue on Yang Wenqing’s chest, his usually calm and profound eyes instantly widened, his face etched with disbelief.

"Wenqing... Did... did it work?!" Qin Huaiming’s voice was tinged with a shrillness he himself didn’t notice. He rushed forward, craning his neck, his gaze burning as he stared at the sleeping little one.

"Yes, Master," Yang Wenqing nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting into an irrepressible smile. "The little one and I share a fated connection. The contract is formed. Her name is Lan Ying."

"Good! Good! Good!" Qin Huaiming repeated the word three times, unable to suppress the grin spreading across his face. He clapped Yang Wenqing firmly on the shoulder. "This is a tremendous stroke of fortune! I never expected this... I truly never expected this trip would actually succeed!"

The excitement in his heart was practically overflowing.

Although he had high hopes when planning this for his disciple, he also knew that a Spirit Beast choosing its master was entirely up to fate. He had long prepared himself to return empty-handed. Now, with this sudden, joyous surprise, even with his profound Cultivation, he couldn’t help but lose some of his composure. The heartfelt joy and pride he felt were even stronger than if he had gained the benefit himself.

Seeing this, Director Li, who was standing beside them, also let out a long sigh. His tense shoulders relaxed, and a smile of relief mixed with complex emotions appeared on his face.

"Congratulations, Director Qin! Congratulations, Director Yang!" he said, cupping his hands in salute, but he couldn’t hide the deep-seated envy and amazement in his eyes.

His sigh of relief wasn’t just because he had finally completed the "cooperation" mission assigned by his superiors, but also because a great weight had finally been lifted from the minds of certain people in the Provincial Government.

It was just that... for this prize to end up with a young director from a local branch... The surprise of it, and a faint feeling that this was a waste of a precious treasure, left him with truly mixed feelings.

But what could be done? The will of a Spirit Beast was the highest law. They only ever acknowledged one master in their lifetime. It couldn’t be forced, and envy was useless.

Just then, Lian Xing, perched on the giant rock, let out a clear, long, and melodious cry. It was filled with obvious delight and a hint of farewell. Hearing it, Shuanghua, who was beside him, finally tore her attention away from her mate for a moment. Her sapphire-blue figure shot up like a streak of light and circled once above Yang Wenqing’s head.

Yang Wenqing felt a cool, gentle aura brush past him, leaving behind a spiritual imprint that was imperceptible yet incredibly resilient. This was Shuanghua’s blessing, but also a final admonition from the proud mother to the stranger taking her child away. It was a clear message to Yang Wenqing: he must treat her child well.

After doing all this, Shuanghua didn’t linger. She immediately flew back to Lian Xing’s side, affectionately nuzzled her mate’s neck feathers, and let out a low, gentle cry. Lian Xing responded tenderly. The pair snuggled together as if no one else was there, as if nothing else in the world mattered.

Watching this scene, Yang Wenqing couldn’t help but recall Lan Ying’s "little adult" complaints in his mind. He was now even more convinced that her parents might really be so deeply in love that they found her, their little third wheel, to be a nuisance.

"Ahem..."

Director Li coughed lightly twice, pulling his gaze away from the pair of lovey-dovey Spiritual Birds. His expression reverted to its usual business-like seriousness. "Director Qin, Director Yang, since the contract is formed, it’s not wise to linger here. Please follow me out of the Forbidden Garden as soon as possible. I will handle the subsequent procedures, such as the official registration and entering the Spirit Beast into the registry."

He then specifically instructed Yang Wenqing, "Director Yang, a Blue-feathered Night Owl chick grows quickly. At this stage, it needs to be fed high-quality fresh meat three times a day. In about a month, she will grow a full set of flight feathers. Her mobility will increase greatly then, so you’ll need to watch her carefully to make sure she doesn’t get into trouble or hurt herself."

As he spoke, he took a book he had prepared in advance from his Storage Bag and added, "All the specific details and precautions are recorded in this book."

Hearing this, Qin Huaiming nodded repeatedly. "We’ve troubled you, Director Li. Wenqing, did you get all that?"

"I will remember, and thank you for the advice, Director Li," Yang Wenqing replied earnestly, accepting the book from Director Li with both hands.

"Let’s go. You two should head directly back to the city. Don’t linger in the Provincial Government, or there will surely be a lot of trouble once the news gets out," Director Li advised before leading the way out.

Yang Wenqing and Qin Huaiming exchanged a look and followed Director Li’s footsteps, quickly departing the pine-filled ravine along the same mossy path they had taken to arrive. They left the two blue figures, still immersed in their own world, and the roaring sound of the waterfall far behind them.