Cultivation: From Poor Peasant to Celestial Lord

On New Year’s Eve, the heavy snow had just let up.

After several days of heightened patrols, Anping County had finally seen the New Year in peacefully.

Amid the festive atmosphere, with countless homes lit up and firecrackers crackling, Chu Bai requested leave from his department. He seized this rare moment of leisure, mounted a swift horse, and hurried back to Chu Family Village.

Before he even reached the village entrance, he could see a crowd gathered under the old locust tree at the village head.

Chu Bai was no longer the scholar from a humble background who had moved to the city to eke out a living. He was now a Regular Ninth Grade "Demon Slaying Officer," a title renowned for a hundred li in every direction.

Especially in the villages surrounding Chu Family Village, who didn’t know the Chu Family had produced a scion, one who had slain a Pseudo-God and commanded the Official Army?

"Look, it’s Lord Chu!"

"Greetings, Lord Chu!"

Cheers and awestruck gazes washed over him like a tide.

His fellow villagers crowded around him. Some carried homemade cured meats, others offered dried fruits, their words a mixture of reverence and pride.

Though Chu Bai wasn’t one for pleasantries, he didn’t put on official airs with his simple kinsfolk. He smiled and exchanged courtesies with the clan elders one by one. After properly greeting everyone, he made his way through the adoring crowd to his family’s courtyard gate.

He pushed open the courtyard gate. The low, dilapidated mud-and-thatch house of his memories was gone.

Thanks to the salary and rewards Chu Bai had earned over the past six-plus months, the old Chu Family residence had been completely renovated.

With its blue bricks, large roof tiles, and soaring, upturned eaves, it looked exceptionally grand and dignified out here in the countryside. The courtyard was swept spotless, and neatly posted red couplets added to the festive New Year’s atmosphere.

"You’re back!"

Hearing the commotion, his mother, Mrs. Li, hurried out from the kitchen, still wearing her apron. She nervously wiped her calloused hands on it, her face breaking into a wide, blossoming smile.

Looking at his parents, Chu Bai felt a stir in his heart.

Nourished by plentiful silver coins and meat, his father Chu Xianglin stood much taller. The look of hardship that had once etched his features was gone, replaced by a healthy, ruddy complexion. His Spirit, Essence, and Qi were in excellent condition.

Mrs. Li was no longer thin and haggard from the toil of housework. Dressed in a new, clean, cotton-padded jacket, she looked much more hale and prosperous.

His nine-year-old sister, Little Manx, looked much tidier with her hair in two pigtails.

Chu Bai had arranged for her to study at the Cyan Cloud Academy in the County, so she was, in a way, following in his footsteps.

Chu Bai had old acquaintances there and naturally made sure his sister was well looked after. After a few months of study, a new liveliness and scholarly grace shone in Little Manx’s eyes.

His younger brother, on the other hand, had become a complete rascal. He tugged at the hem of Chu Bai’s official robes, peering about curiously before running around the courtyard.

"It’s good you’re home, so good. Quick, the food is ready. Wash your hands and come eat!"

A delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen.

Mrs. Li had pulled out all the stops today. The large table was piled high with chicken, duck, fish, and other meats.

As the family gathered for their New Year’s Eve dinner, the hardships and anxieties of past years were gone. The air was filled with harmony and laughter as they ate and drank together.

Chu Bai took several boxes of Spirit Tea from his basket and personally brewed a pot for his parents.

"Father, Mother, this is Spirit Tea that Senior Brother Lü brought from the Prefecture City. Its medicinal properties are very gentle and it’s excellent for nourishing a Mortal’s body. You should drink it often."

Chu Xianglin held the teacup, inhaling the refreshing, soul-soothing aroma. He took a small sip, the corners of his wrinkled eyes growing moist.

He was a perceptive man. He knew that while his son enjoyed immense prestige in the city, that prestige was built upon countless unseen dangers.

To avoid causing his son trouble, he mostly kept to himself, playing chess with the village elders and never engaging with the Stewards from the city’s Noble Races. Anyone who tried to use him as a connection to Chu Bai was bluntly refused.

In his eyes, his greatest duty as a father was to look after his own small plot, to not bring shame upon his son, and to not hinder his son’s official career.

Mrs. Li didn’t think so far ahead. Looking at their bright, spacious house and her two children, her heart was filled with nothing but contentment for their present life.

She cheerfully placed a piece of braised pork in Chu Bai’s bowl, then reminded Little Manx to study hard so she could one day help her brother shoulder his burdens.

Outside the window, fireworks soared over Chu Family Village, the sound of firecrackers rolling in from near and far.

Chu Bai sat at the table, watching the candlelight flicker across his parents’ serene, smiling faces.

’I fight and I cultivate, I navigate the treacherous, cutthroat world of officialdom one careful step at a time... isn’t it all for this single moment of peace and security?’

On this New Year’s Eve, he wasn’t the cold Demon Slaying Officer. He was an eldest son, watching over the lamp, sitting with his parents.

The sound of firecrackers bid the old year farewell, and the spring wind brought warmth to the New Year’s wine.

As the bell tolled for Midnight, the last of the fireworks faded from the sky. Chu Family Village, boisterous for the entire day, finally sank into the deep silence of the snow-covered night.

His parents and siblings were only Mortals, after all, and couldn’t stay up all night. Exhausted but happy, they each went to their rooms to sleep.

Chu Bai blew out the red candles in the main hall and returned to his own room.

His Cultivation had reached the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer. His Spirit, Essence, and Qi far surpassed that of a normal person, so a few moments of meditation were all he needed to replace several double-hours of deep sleep.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, his eyes gently closed. He didn’t rush to absorb Spiritual Qi. Instead, he began to circulate the Guardian Scripture, a skill for honing his Divine Thought.

Cultivating Divine Thought was extremely difficult, progressing far more slowly than his Cultivation realm. Even with the boost from his Fate Chart, he was still only at the "skilled" level. The benefits, however, were tangible.

As the Secret Technique circulated, Chu Bai felt a faint warmth in his brow. An invisible ripple emanated from him, spreading silently outward like a spider’s web.

Ten zhang, fifteen zhang, twenty zhang...