Chapter 34: Matters of Priority

Gu Changqing first flipped through the information on Awakeners and eerie entities. These beings had appeared ten years ago, causing quite a stir at the time. However, their numbers were few, and the internet was not as developed as it is now. As Awakeners were absorbed into various organizations and departments, and the eerie entities were systematically eradicated, the news was suppressed further by national information blockades and a mix of both genuine and fabricated stories.

There was a famous program back then called "Into Science," which was popular for several years. Despite this, sporadic appearances of Awakeners and eerie entities continued over the years, and nations never ceased their investigations and research. That was when they discovered Qi.

In the past six months, the concentration of Qi in the air had been steadily increasing, with the numbers of Awakeners and eerie entities rising accordingly. The corners of Gu Changqing’s mouth curled—wasn’t this a revival of spiritual energy? Qi was spiritual energy. The so-called "Circulating Qi Pill" was, in truth, a "Circulating Qi Pill."

The origin of eerie entities remained unclear. So far, they had been classified into four levels: Hatchling, Feathered, Calamity, and Catastrophe. Hatchlings posed the least threat; Feathered entities were like the ones he had encountered, though his own experience was with a weaker, undeveloped Feathered entity. The powerful Feathered ones could lay a carpet of flesh and blood across an entire multi-story building, making them extremely difficult to handle. The building itself became their domain—one had to find the core entity within to destroy it.

When Gu Changqing read this, he immediately felt a pang of hunger. To cover a building of ten-plus stories, how much vital energy would that require?

Calamity-level entities were even more terrifying. If one appeared in a city, it could devastate half a district, causing catastrophic casualties. Fortunately, most eerie entities were destroyed at the Feathered stage. Only in remote wilderness areas or isolated villages could a Feathered entity grow into a Calamity-level.

As for Catastrophe-level, only one had ever appeared, and that was across the strait in the Qi Dynasty.

Awakeners were ranked from one to nine. Level One had virtually no combat power; Level Two Awakeners possessed modest strength, able to eliminate Hatchling-level entities alone. Levels Three and Four corresponded to Feathered entities, while Levels Five and Six matched Calamity-level entities. There were only a handful of Level Seven Awakeners worldwide, and only one in Southern Chu.

Gu Changqing pondered—according to these descriptions, Level Three and Four Awakeners were roughly equivalent to the first through fifth stages of Qi cultivation. He himself should be a Level Three Awakened, while Gao Wenxin, slightly stronger, was likely Level Four, perhaps even Five.

Level Five and Six Awakeners corresponded to the sixth through ninth stages of Qi cultivation. Level Seven Awakeners had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, the peak for individuals in this world.

But Awakeners had only been appearing for ten years. Those at Level Seven must be exceptionally gifted, holding the highest resources of this world. As the world continued to revive, their strength would surely grow at a frightening pace.

“Interesting…” Gu Changqing grinned, baring his sharp white teeth. Now things were getting interesting.

After reviewing the two dossiers, Gu Changqing opened the file on spiritual equipment. So-called spiritual equipment was crafted from remnants of eerie entities or rare materials, and fell into four categories: offensive, defensive, auxiliary, and miscellaneous.

The first three were straightforward: offensive included cold and hot weapons, such as blades, guns, and bullets capable of harming eerie entities. Defensive equipment was mostly protective suits and inner armor. Auxiliary items were more diverse—most Awakeners activated their abilities with their hands, so there were gloves that amplified power, shoes for running faster or walking on walls, gear that masked one’s presence, and so on.

Miscellaneous items were unpredictable, mostly remnants left by eerie entities. They possessed unique functions, but lacked manufacturing methods and were usually single-use.

Gu Changqing wondered why he had never come across anything left by an eerie entity. Was his luck really that poor, or did these entities hold some grudge against him?

Level One spiritual equipment was mostly standard issue, but Level Two was markedly better, especially certain single-use items that packed formidable power. Two caught his attention.

The first was a specially designed stun grenade. Ordinary flashbangs didn't even count as Level One spiritual equipment, but this one alone was a Level Two item. It was said that even a high-tier Feathered entity would be knocked senseless for half a minute if hit. Its blast radius was about fifteen meters—the smaller the space, the deadlier its force.

Gu Changqing estimated that high-tier Feathered entities corresponded to the fourth or fifth stage of Qi cultivation. If he threw this at Elder Three of the Yu family, he might have a chance to take him out. The only issue was the limited range.

Then his attention shifted to another item—the Mist Pouch, a remnant from an eerie entity. Place it in water, and it would emit a dense fog covering a radius of five hundred meters, lasting for an hour. During that time, neither wind nor rain nor fire could disperse it; it would cling as if rooted. The outside could not see in, and sounds within the mist rarely escaped, yet movement through it was unobstructed. Visibility inside the mist was about ten meters.

The Mist Pouch was left by a Level Three entity, but had little effect on eerie entities themselves. Awakeners using it would also be affected, so it was classified as Level Two spiritual equipment. It could still be used twice.

Gu Changqing quickly made up his mind. If used well, the Mist Pouch could swallow up most of the Yu family's forces in Pingyao in two attempts, and would make his own exit much easier. Though it had no offensive or defensive capabilities, it suited his needs perfectly.

“Mist Pouch!” Gu Changqing handed the file over directly, waiting to see where the other party would retrieve it from. After all, these items were just sitting in storage; might as well see if he could borrow one.

“Are you sure about the Mist Pouch? It’s in the main warehouse at Yong’an; it can be delivered tomorrow,” the logistics officer glanced up at Gu Changqing. It was rare for someone to exchange for a single-use item like this… In fact, until now, he’d only handled one Level Two equipment exchange.

“What about the stun grenade?” Gu Changqing asked.

“That also needs to be transferred from headquarters,” came the reply.

“Everything has to come from headquarters?” Gu Changqing raised an eyebrow.

“Well, we’ve only just set up here, and headquarters can deliver within a day.”

“Then I’ll take the Mist Pouch,” Gu Changqing said with a hint of regret. He’d have to find an opportunity to map out the delivery routes from headquarters someday. Once this chance was used up, he’d have to earn points through fieldwork to exchange for items.

But that didn’t bother him; eerie entities were valuable to him as well.

He absentmindedly pulled a wad of cash from his pocket, which fell onto the table. “I’m curious—what kind of Level Three spiritual equipment is there? I’ve always been a curious person.”

The logistics officer eyed the stack—about a thousand. “I’m curious too… but the information on Level Three equipment hasn’t been sent here.”

“Fill out the application form,” Gu Changqing said.

“Also, your uniform and Circulating Qi Pills will be ready in two hours. Not many people are as tall as you.”

“We’re colleagues. Let me buy you some tea; just fill it out for me!” Gu Changqing tossed the cash over and turned to leave.

The logistics officer found himself liking this newly arrived senior officer. Exceptionally polite.

…

At dusk, Gu Changqing picked up his uniform and Circulating Qi Pills, then returned to his second rented apartment. He raised his binoculars to check the opposite room—nothing unusual. With nothing else to do, he called Meng Xi out to dinner.

Late at night, just as Gu Changqing was advancing into the fray, his phone rang. It rang again and again until, impatient, he answered, “Who is it?”

“Emergency situation. All personnel report to headquarters,” Gao Wenxin’s voice came through.

“Minister Gao, damn it, I’m in bed with a woman! I’m pretty damn busy myself!” Gu Changqing retorted.

Some matters were more urgent than others, and his was clearly the most pressing! Eerie entities weren’t going anywhere.

“I’ll give you three minutes. That should be enough. Then report immediately!” Gao Wenxin’s voice held a trace of amusement before she hung up.

“Three minutes? Who do you take me for?” Gu Changqing kicked the cabinet into splinters, shut off his phone, and dove back into bed.

If there was a traffic jam in the middle of the night, what could he do?