Spiritual Energy Revival (8): 

Zhou Qinghao didn’t sleep all night.

He was a cultivator, so going several nights without sleep wasn’t a problem. The next day, from his appearance, nothing seemed amiss.

In the morning, he received a message from Gu Juntian, inviting him to have breakfast together.

When Zhou Qinghao opened the door, he immediately saw Gu Juntian with his kind, gentle expression, and his heart ached bitterly.

If not for the accident seven years ago, his foster father would only be forty this year, in the prime of his life.

Zhou Qinghao followed Gu Juntian to the cafeteria and ate silently.

“Qinghao, I’ve been revising a cultivation method recently, and I even compiled one that suits you. Come find me this afternoon, and I’ll teach you.” Gu Juntian said.

Yesterday, he hadn’t taught Zhou Qinghao because he wanted him to rest properly, but this afternoon he had time to pass on the technique he had worked out.

“Alright,” Zhou Qinghao agreed.

His foster father had never cultivated before, so logically he shouldn’t understand cultivation, much less cultivation techniques.

Zhou Qinghao didn’t believe his foster father could actually revise a technique, but since his foster father no longer bore him hostility and was willing to spend time with him, he couldn’t ask for more.

After arranging this with Zhou Qinghao, Gu Juntian went off to attend to his duties as director of the Bureau of Monster Control.

Their country was vast, and ever since the resurgence of spiritual energy, incidents of demons and monsters causing trouble were endless.

Although there were branch offices of the Bureau in different regions, each with cultivators stationed there, many matters couldn’t be handled at the local level and had to be referred to headquarters.

In the original story, the former host had carelessly assigned tasks, sending Zhou Qinghao’s friends to their deaths. But Gu Juntian was different.

With his knowledge of the plot, he arranged for the most suitable people to handle those demons and monsters.

While Gu Juntian was dealing with various affairs, Zhou Qinghao went to the Bureau’s training grounds used for cultivation.

The Bureau had built a very large cultivation facility. There were rooms for meditation and alchemy, and also wide open spaces for combat training.

Zhou Qinghao didn’t go to a private room. Instead, he casually found a spot near the training ground, where he absorbed spiritual energy while watching others practice spells.

Suddenly, a nearby door opened, and a young man in his twenties with a baby face walked out, grumbling nonstop: “Damn it, why are talismans so hard to draw… Captain Zhou?”

The young man immediately came over to him. “Captain Zhou, where have you been the past few days?”

“Out on a mission,” Zhou Qinghao said.

“The director sent you out again?” The baby-faced youth pouted, clearly feeling indignant on Zhou Qinghao’s behalf.

“I was the most suitable choice.”

“But they can’t always send you! Captain Zhou, don’t you think this is unfair?” the young man pressed.

The Bureau’s younger members all admired the powerful Zhou Qinghao. Among those who were closer to him, some were openly dissatisfied with how he was being treated.

Over the years, Zhou Qinghao had earned countless merits and brought back many precious items.

But he hadn’t received any rewards. All those rare treasures had gone to the director.

“I don’t think it’s unfair,” Zhou Qinghao replied without hesitation, then frowned at the youth. “Su Xuancheng, stop sowing discord.”

Su Xuancheng, the baby-faced youth, was furious. He was speaking up for Zhou Qinghao, yet ended up accused of stirring up trouble!

Zhou Qinghao was too blindly filial!

He couldn’t understand it. The director wasn’t even Zhou Qinghao’s real father. Why was Zhou so loyal to him?

Su Xuancheng was from the Xuan Sect, and one of the most outstanding among its younger generation.

Four years ago, he and Zhou Qinghao had fought a monster together, and ever since then he had admired Zhou Qinghao deeply, eventually joining the Bureau because of him.

He liked Zhou Qinghao very much, even wanted to pursue him. But Zhou Qinghao only had eyes for Director Gu, never sparing him a glance. Naturally, he felt resentful.

“Zhou Qinghao, you… you’re acting like one of those ‘bootlickers’ people talk about online.” Su Xuancheng wanted to curse at him, but when he saw Zhou Qinghao’s face, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

He didn’t dare anyway—he couldn’t win against Zhou Qinghao.

And he wouldn’t dare insult Gu Juntian either. Anyone who spoke ill of Gu in front of Zhou would get beaten up.

“Just take it that I am,” Zhou Qinghao said, then turned and walked away.

Su Xuancheng couldn’t help but mutter a few more curses.

Zhou Qinghao went to find Gu Juntian.

Su Xuancheng calling him a bootlicker felt accurate. His behavior was indeed about the same.

Only, unlike other bootlickers who might eventually succeed, he had no such chance.

Gu Juntian, unaware of Zhou Qinghao’s thoughts, had lunch with him and then went to his residence, teaching him the cultivation method he had devised: “Qinghao, once you learn this technique, your cultivation speed will increase greatly.”

Zhou Qinghao didn’t believe Gu Juntian could truly improve a technique, but he practiced earnestly.

Then he discovered that Gu Juntian had been telling the truth.

The method Gu Juntian taught really did allow him to absorb surrounding spiritual energy much faster.

“I’ve also developed some spells. Once I finish organizing them, I’ll teach them to you,” Gu Juntian added.

“Thank you, foster father.”

“No need to thank me,” Gu Juntian said, secretly sighing.

Why did he have to transmigrate into Zhou Qinghao’s foster father?

Now, whenever he thought about having feelings for Zhou Qinghao, he felt like a beast.

Seeing Gu Juntian’s downcast look, Zhou Qinghao immediately thought of his foster father’s poor health.

He couldn’t help asking, “Foster father, your body… have you ever considered dual cultivation?”

He didn’t dare say “harvesting,” so he chose a gentler term.

Gu Juntian was startled, then said, “Qinghao, my body is really fine.”

The original owner had indeed considered it—he had even thought about harvesting.

The best candidate, of course, would have been Zhou Qinghao.

With his high cultivation and innate spiritual body, Zhou’s spiritual energy was pure. Harvesting him would have caused minimal harm.

But the original owner quickly gave up on that idea.

First, the effect wasn’t much better than drinking Zhou Qinghao’s blood. Second, the original owner didn’t like men.

Though he didn’t mind harvesting a man to survive, he thought Zhou Qinghao would never agree. Worse, Zhou might kill him in fury. So he abandoned the thought.

The original owner didn’t have the power to imprison Zhou Qinghao and drain him daily anyway.

Zhou Qinghao didn’t believe Gu Juntian’s words.

Gu looked weak and frail—how could that be “fine”?

But since his foster father didn’t want to say more, he wouldn’t press.

After thinking it over, Zhou Qinghao decided he would sneak into his foster father’s room that night to examine his condition.

That evening, after dinner with Gu Juntian, he returned to his own room to cultivate.

Watching him leave, Gu Juntian sighed.

Though Zhou Qinghao treated him respectfully, his personality was far too cold.

That night, Gu Juntian sat cross-legged on his bed as usual, cultivating.

After a while, he remembered that his cultivation method didn’t actually require sitting upright.

So he lay down instead, continuing cultivation.

Tempering his body with spiritual power was still painful, and soon sweat covered him.

While cultivating, he suddenly sensed movement at his door.

Startled, he wondered who would sneak into his room so late at night.

Extending his spiritual sense, he discovered it was Zhou Qinghao.

The Bureau’s doors weren’t easy to open, but that clearly couldn’t stop someone of Zhou Qinghao’s level.

But why had Zhou come? Did he discover the original owner’s secrets and come to search his room?

Thinking of the contraband the original owner had hidden, Gu Juntian grew tense.

Just then, he smelled a faint fragrance. At once he realized it was an anesthetic drug.

The original owner, weak as he was, would’ve passed out instantly. But Gu Juntian’s strong spiritual sense shielded him.

He lay still, pretending to be unconscious, already planning how to explain himself when Zhou found those things.

But Zhou Qinghao didn’t rummage through the room. Instead, he walked over to the bed and took Gu Juntian’s hand.

At the same time, Zhou’s spiritual energy flowed into his body.

Gu Juntian immediately realized what Zhou was doing.

Zhou was examining his health.

He hadn’t wanted to drink Zhou’s blood, and now Zhou was worried.

This foster son of his was far too filial—so filial it made him feel guilty.

And yet he dared to harbor thoughts about him…

Gu Juntian stayed still, letting Zhou’s spiritual energy probe through him.

The original owner had practiced demonic techniques, while he himself had tempered some of his organs. But without a thorough examination, Zhou wouldn’t notice that.

What Zhou would find was simply that his body was in very poor shape, far from healthy.

Not long ago, he had sworn never to lie to Zhou, yet here tonight he had been caught lying.

Gu Juntian felt embarrassed, and then noticed Zhou’s grip on his hand tightening.

Zhou must have felt distressed. He truly treated him like his own father, unable to bear the thought of losing him…

As he thought this, Gu Juntian suddenly felt Zhou leaning closer.

What was Zhou trying to do? Sleep beside him like when he was a child?

But then—his face was kissed.

Zhou had kissed his left cheek!

Then his right cheek! And then, Zhou kissed his lips!

In the middle of the night, Zhou Qinghao had snuck into his room just to kiss him!