I Cultivate in a Government Office

Yang Wenqing wiped the bloody water from his face and pressed his badge, his voice remaining clear over the howling wind and the wailing of the barrier. "Damage assessment for the Port District’s first barrier has been uploaded. It’s currently being maintained by overloading the Gathering Spirit Array, but it won’t hold for long. Requesting command to evaluate: should we abandon the first line of defense and pull back to fortify the second? Repeat, should we abandon the first line of defense?"

He had to present the worst-case scenario and the most pressing reality. Holding the line to the death was his duty, but a pointless sacrifice and a total collapse of the defenses would be a dereliction of that duty.

The order didn’t come down immediately. Command was clearly in a frantic deliberation, and every second they took was accompanied by the overwhelmed wailing of the barrier.

Just as Yang Wenqing felt the metal railing in his grasp begin to heat up, as if the first barrier would completely shatter in the next second, the sky high above the distant sea—previously filled with waves of blood and chaotic energy—flashed without warning.

Immediately after, Yang Wenqing clearly felt it: the intangible, suffocating pressure that had permeated the world, along with the frenzied will madly assaulting the barrier, had weakened immensely.

"WHOOSH—!!!"

A gale far more violent than before swept in from the sea, so strong it was nearly impossible to keep one’s eyes open. At the same time, the tsunami pressing down on the golden barrier receded as swiftly as the tide.

"The pressure... the pressure is dropping!" A technician’s disbelieving yet ecstatic shout came over the comms channel.

But what followed was a stench of blood that instantly intensified several times over, making it hard to breathe. The smell carried with it the desolation and deathly stillness of an ancient behemoth’s life essence completely dissipating, filling the space between heaven and earth.

Yang Wenqing subconsciously looked toward the distant sea, now once again shrouded in darkness and foul seawater.

’It’s over.’

The Sea Monster, at the peak of the Entry realm, had likely been completely destroyed by the two Entry-level Cultivators from the City Bureau, though at some cost. But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, a new order finally came from command:

"All coastal defense units, attention! Target confirmed neutralized! I repeat, the deep sea threat has been eliminated!"

"All units on the first line of defense, assess damages immediately. Perform emergency repairs on critical nodes and maintain minimum alert status!"

"Second line of defense and all combat personnel, maintain highest alert! I repeat, maintain highest alert!"

"Operation Pure Sea is entering its second phase. Clean up coastal contamination and prevent its spread."

As command’s orders were clearly relayed, Yang Wenqing’s nerves, stretched to their absolute limit, suddenly relaxed. What followed was a mixture of exhaustion from having survived the ordeal, awe at witnessing such immense power, and an irrepressible yearning.

Yang Wenqing slowly released his grip on the railing with his other hand. His palm was filled with cold sweat and sticky, bloody grime. He stood up straight, letting the sea breeze buffet his soaked uniform, but his gaze couldn’t help but drift back to that stretch of sea that had returned to darkness.

It was right there, just moments ago, in a part of the sea beyond the sight and senses of ordinary mortals, that two Entry-level Cultivators had fought a terrifying Sea Monster at the peak of the Entry realm to the death.

The power they wielded had stirred the very heavens and whipped up an apocalyptic tsunami.

’Entry...’

Yang Wenqing mused silently. He was currently at the Qi Cultivation Third Refinement, already considered the cream of the crop among his peers in the Qianjiao County City Defense Bureau. But tonight, he had witnessed what true power was.

This time, his perception of it was far more tangible than during the last Spiritual Qi eruption, and it ignited the yearning in his heart.

’One day...’ He secretly clenched his fists.

’One day, I’ll have that kind of power, too. I’ll see a wider world and face even greater challenges.’

But for now, he had to focus on the task at hand: cleaning up this coastline, contaminated by the behemoth’s blood. This, too, was a necessary step toward that goal.

「Port District Command Center.」

Yang Wenqing stood before the sand table, listening to progress reports on the contamination cleanup from various locations. The contamination was no longer severe, having been diluted by the seawater, but if an ordinary person came into contact with it, they would inevitably fall seriously ill. In severe cases, it could even be fatal, so a thorough cleanup was imperative.

After the sea had become completely calm, Vice Director Gao sent him an order to remain on standby, maintain stability in the Port District, and await further instructions.

The wait lasted through the night.

The cleanup work could only be carried out cautiously within the limited area protected by the barrier. They would have to wait to access the other areas.

Yang Wenqing didn’t sleep a wink, remaining in charge at the command center. It must have been Liu Qin’s first time pulling an all-nighter, as she looked rather worn out.

Around eleven in the morning, another order finally came from Joint Command, further lifting the combat alert. The barrier was to switch to standard monitoring mode.

Shortly after the order was passed down the chain of command, the chief of the Port District’s Public Security Office—who had personally led an elite unit beyond the maritime cordon—returned, weary and smelling of the sea. He gave Yang Wenqing a brief handover.

Yang Wenqing returned to the deputy leader’s office of the Major Case Team. He had just changed out of his bloodstained uniform and cleaned up when a new round of work was already piling up.

Yang Wenqing once again buried himself in paperwork.

Time flew by as he worked, and the sun gradually began to set outside his window.

At four in the afternoon, a clear and steady announcement finally came over the precinct’s internal PA system: "Attention all personnel. It has been confirmed by command that the coastal defense phase of ’Operation Pure Sea’ has been successfully concluded. All special alert statuses are now officially lifted. All systems are to resume normal operations. Thank you all for your struggle and perseverance over the past day and night."

The announcement echoed through the hallways three times.