Spiritual Energy Revival (3): 

Gu Juntian was starting to doubt his life.

He felt he shouldn’t be some depraved old man falling in love at first sight with a youthful boy.

Even if an old ox wanted to eat young grass, this wasn’t the way to do it!

How old was he already? Zhou Qinghao still called him foster father!

Still, his face wasn’t entirely beyond saving. Once he began cultivating, he could rejuvenate, and by then, the age difference between him and Zhou Qinghao wouldn’t really matter…

What was he even thinking?

Gu Juntian took a deep breath, forcing himself to shift his wandering thoughts.

It had been fifteen years since the revival of spiritual energy.

In this country, thanks to the Bureau of Demon Control, whose people risked their lives to maintain order, ordinary citizens could live relatively peacefully, without being too affected by rampaging demons.

But in some countries, chaos had erupted right from the start of the revival. Now, they were torn apart by countless cults, and common people lived in misery.

In the original storyline, because the body’s original owner had caused Zhou Qinghao’s death, their country had no one left capable of fighting the Demon King and the Ghost King. In the end, they too fell to ruin.

Now that he had transmigrated into this world, he couldn’t just sit by and do nothing.

His goal was clear: protect the people of this nation, kill the Demon King and the Ghost King, and lead the Bureau of Demon Control to glory.

Love at first sight… as an elder, how could he possibly lay a hand on someone so much younger?

Zhou Qinghao treated him with such respect. He couldn’t ruin the image Zhou had of him.

Gu Juntian finally calmed down.

Once he was sure Zhou Qinghao wasn’t injured and after offering some words of comfort to the others, he brought Zhou to the Bureau’s cafeteria for lunch.

The cafeteria was quite large, with abundant food. Some of the dishes were even made from ingredients infused with spiritual energy.

Gu Juntian hadn’t eaten breakfast that day, but due to his poor health, he didn’t feel hungry.

He swiped his staff card and bought Zhou Qinghao a variety of dishes he liked, inviting him to eat together.

Gu Juntian had little appetite, eating slowly from a small bowl of rice. Zhou Qinghao was different.

Though he didn’t eat quickly, he kept eating steadily, consuming nearly twice the normal amount. His appetite was remarkable.

Once a person started cultivating, they could eat less. At Zhou Qinghao’s current level, he didn’t even need food anymore.

But this world had changed too quickly. Most new cultivators couldn’t adapt to a foodless lifestyle. And since cultivators couldn’t get fat, most of them indulged heavily, eating whatever junk food they wanted.

The Bureau didn’t restrict them.

After all, these people risked their lives fighting demons every day—why shouldn’t they eat well?

Watching Zhou Qinghao eat so heartily, Gu Juntian found the sight oddly pleasing.

Seeing him eat even sparked his own appetite.

He picked up a piece of stir-fried beef, ready to eat, but then his eyes fell on his own wrinkled, shriveled hands.

To outsiders, he must look like a kindly grandfather watching his grandson eat.

Besides, the body’s teeth weren’t good anymore, and this beef looked a bit tough. He might not even be able to chew it.

Suddenly, Gu Juntian thought the “immortal-like elder” appearance wasn’t good at all.

Halfway through eating, Zhou Qinghao glanced up and saw his foster father’s expression darken.

Quietly, he quickened his pace.

Before his injury, his foster father had treated him very well. But in these past seven years, he could feel his foster father becoming increasingly distant.

Yet he could understand.

His foster father used to be so powerful. Now, reduced to this state, it was only natural he couldn’t accept it.

Zhou had long been searching for a way to cure his foster father. Unfortunately, despite traveling far and wide these years, he had found nothing.

Thinking of this, Zhou looked once more at the “old man” sitting across from him.

From the first time he met his foster father, he had felt an inexplicable closeness, liking him immediately.

That was why, later, when others teased him to call him “foster father,” he had shouted it out without hesitation.

And now, looking at him again, he liked him even more.

But sadly, his foster father didn’t like him.

The aura around Zhou grew colder.

After eating, Gu Juntian took Zhou back to his office to write up a report on Zhou’s latest mission.

These days, many demons were stirring up trouble across the land. On the righteous side, there were two major forces: the Bureau of Demon Control, and the Xuan Sect.

Before the revival, the Xuan Sect had remained hidden from the world. But afterwards, they emerged one after another.

In truth, they weren’t really “hidden.” Fifteen years ago, when there was no spiritual energy, their sects and clans had simply declined.

When spiritual energy returned, they slowly rebuilt their strength.

At first, they thought their era had arrived. They looked down on the Bureau, refusing to cooperate, clinging to their own ways.

But seven years ago, a terrifying ghost appeared, powerful enough to kill many members of the Xuan Sect. Forced by this, they had to join hands with the Bureau to resist.

That battle was brutal. It was then, as the main force against the ghost, that the body’s original owner was gravely injured, damaging his foundation.

His lifespan was greatly reduced because of it, while the Bureau actually gained benefits.

Since then, the Xuan Sect cooperated with the Bureau, even sharing cultivation methods and sending their young disciples to join.

The original owner always believed that if he’d had access to cultivation earlier, he wouldn’t have been so badly injured.

So he resented the Xuan Sect, and envied the young cultivators of the Bureau.

Most of all, he envied Zhou Qinghao.

His Zhou Qinghao was just that outstanding! Gu Juntian couldn’t help but glance at him again.

“Foster father, since the report is finished, I’ll head back now.” Zhou Qinghao looked over.

Gu Juntian replied, “Qinghao, I’ll go back with you.”

As the Bureau’s director, he was free enough to accompany Zhou home.

But the real reason was that he feared Zhou might secretly cut himself again to give him blood.

Before seeing him, Gu Juntian had already resolved never to drink Zhou’s blood again. Now, facing him, he was even more determined.

He would never drink human blood!

He needed to have a proper talk with Zhou about this.

With that thought, Gu Juntian looked at him once more.

Since losing his parents, Zhou had become quiet, cold in temperament.

Later, when he went on missions at a young age and was often looked down on, he grew used to keeping a stern, icy expression.

It was… kind of cute.

Gu Juntian found it hard to take his eyes off him.

He didn’t know why, but every time he saw Zhou, he felt a surge of affection.

But as Zhou’s foster father, such feelings were best left unsaid.

The original owner had never actually adopted Zhou. The “foster father” title had started years ago as a joke from friends.

But after so many years, their “father-son” relationship was widely known, impossible to shake off.

For him to pursue Zhou now would be shameless.

Heavy with thoughts, Gu Juntian accompanied Zhou back to the dorms and entered his room.

The original owner had kept some unsavory things at home. Though carefully hidden, Gu Juntian feared Zhou might stumble upon them.

Better to stay here in Zhou’s place.

His room was clean and simple, with few belongings.

In a whole year, Zhou spent less than a month living here.

People in the Bureau were always busy. The original owner once had so little time he barely slept, and Zhou was now the same.

This child had it far too hard.

When Gu Juntian first absorbed the original’s memories, he had already felt pity. Now, that feeling deepened.

He must train more people, so Zhou could shoulder less.

“Qinghao, I need to talk to you,” Gu Juntian said.

“What is it, foster father?” Zhou asked.

“Qinghao, your blood is useless to me. You mustn’t give it to me anymore.”

Zhou froze, holding his breath.

Gu Juntian continued, “My body can’t retain medicinal power. Drinking your blood doesn’t help me at all. Don’t do such foolish things again. Take care of your own body first.”

Zhou stayed silent.

Gu Juntian sighed. “I didn’t know before. You’ve wasted seven years of blood for nothing. If you do this again, I’ll be angry.”

Finally, Zhou spoke: “Rest assured, foster father. I won’t do it again.”

“That’s good. Qinghao, get some rest.” Gu Juntian smiled and left his room.

Zhou saw him off, shut the door, then stood motionless behind it for a long time.

His foster father had said he only learned of this recently, but Zhou knew that wasn’t true.

His foster father was extremely sensitive to the smell of blood. He couldn’t possibly have been unaware.

And his blood carried spiritual power. Claiming he’d used rare treasures to make nourishing soups couldn’t fool him—such treasures weren’t so easily obtained.

Though unspoken, they had both always known the truth.

That was why, even though his foster father disliked seeing him, he still summoned Zhou back to headquarters every month.

He knew it was because his foster father needed his blood.

But now that his foster father claimed he didn’t need it anymore, would he still have reason to return each month?

The thought of running missions endlessly, never coming home again, left Zhou with an emptiness inside.

His parents were gone. His foster father was his only family. The Bureau was his home.

Coming back every month gave him a sense of belonging.

If he couldn’t anymore…

His expression grew colder, sharper.

Meanwhile, Gu Juntian thought of how Zhou had devoured his food at lunch, and then of the hardships Zhou had endured during this mission, and felt a pang of pity.

This time, Zhou had led a team against a ghost.

That ghost excelled in illusions, trapping them for days.

Inside the illusion, they had nothing to eat, starving for days.

Zhou had even grown thinner.

As Bureau director, the original owner had always had access to the Bureau’s resources, and the state had been generous to him as a former hero.

So he had plenty of valuable items on hand.

Before, even knowing they did him little good, the original owner still used them. But now…

Gu Juntian resolved to give all those nourishing, energy-filled treasures to Zhou instead.

After so many years of bleeding for him, Zhou needed to be replenished.