Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 43 Transformation into a Dragon
"Here's the case file, take it!"

With a gloomy face, Han Juan slapped the case file at Lei Zhen. Lei Zhen chuckled and didn't seem to care about her rude attitude. "We'll have to cooperate more in the future. Thank you for your cooperation, Inspector Han."

Lei Zhen casually touched his bald head and said, "I'm taking Gao Wu with me too."

"Here you go." Han Juan gestured to the person next to her, "Go and bring the person over. Remember, make sure all the handover procedures are in order, so we don't have to take the blame if something goes wrong."

Several inspectors rushed to improve the military, and several supervisors from the Supervision Department followed closely behind.

Personnel handover is no small matter. Han Juan's attitude is so bad, don't try to make trouble out of it.

After much back and forth, and a simple physical examination of Gao Wu, confirming that he was in good health, mentally sound, and without any external injuries, the supervisory department finally signed off on his acceptance.

As Gao Wu followed the inspectors out of the Public Security Bureau, he felt the sunlight outside was blinding, and his legs felt weak and unsteady, as if he were walking on cotton.

He didn't eat anything for breakfast, just drank a bottle of water. He has a strong constitution and a very fast metabolism, so he was starving.

Once inside a black mid-sized SUV, Gao Wu saw the old man in the back seat.

Shang Hongyi smiled at Gao Wu: "Are you hungry?"

He handed Gao Wu a few Tai Chi energy sticks. Gao Wu was so moved that he almost cried when he took them. His grandfather still loved him the most.

After wolfing down five energy bars, Gao Wu finally felt alive again.

"Slow down, don't rush..." Lei Zhen, sitting in the passenger seat, turned his head and couldn't help but laugh when he saw Gao Wu's disheveled appearance. "After you make a statement at the local office, you can go home."

Gao Wu was a little surprised. He looked at the old man, who nodded. "Director Lei is an old friend of mine. If he says it's nothing, then it's nothing."

"Thank you, Uncle Lei," Gao Wu quickly expressed his gratitude.

"Human life is at stake, and according to procedure, you should be detained for at least 48 hours. Fortunately, the video is enough to prove your innocence, so there's no need to make a fuss."

Lei Zhen said solemnly, "You killed the followers of the Demonic Cult; you are a young hero and should be commended."

"I wouldn't dare say that, I was just forced to defend myself." Gao Wu was content to escape, he wouldn't dare dream of such a good thing.

Lei Zhen understood Gao Wu's concerns and smiled, "Don't worry, you have video evidence, the situation is very clear. I'm handling this case, there won't be any twists and turns."

He paused for a moment, then said, "I'll help you apply for an award. Getting a medal for bravery shouldn't be a problem. It'll even give you extra points on your college entrance exam. There's also a bonus. You deserve it, don't be shy."

Gao Wu looked at the old man, who said, "The video has spread widely, so there's no way to keep a low profile. It's certainly a good thing to receive an award."

The old man looked at Lei Zhen: "This won't put you in a difficult position, will it?"

"With so many people watching online, giving Gao Wu an award will satisfy everyone. It will also serve as an encouragement and example." Lei Zhen waved his hand, indicating that it was just a small matter.

"Thank you, Uncle Lei." Gao Wu was somewhat moved; the old man was such a considerate friend!

Lei Zhen smiled and said, "Don't worry, the Public Security Bureau messed things up this time, and someone will definitely have to take the blame. They will never dare to interfere in this matter again."

Gao Wu felt a surge of satisfaction, but outwardly he appeared completely unconcerned: "It's all official business, I understand."

There's no need to act like a smug little man in front of Lei Zhen. He's shrewd enough to understand that.

Besides, Lei Zhen is also a government employee.

Lei Zhen was also a little surprised. Gao Wu seemed cheerful and sunny, yet he actually possessed such composure that he could hide his true emotions. Old Shang's grandson is quite something...

"At such a young age, he possesses a magnanimous and tolerant demeanor, as well as decisiveness and bravery; he is truly a man of great talent..."

Lei Zhen had already done a favor, so naturally he had to reciprocate by praising Gao Wu to Shang Hongyi.

Gao Wu appeared humble on the surface, but inwardly he was overjoyed. Looking at the balding Lei Zhen, he found the old man pleasing to the eye and secretly marveled at how he could become a deputy director.

Even the old man was beaming with joy from the praise...

It turns out that Lei Zhen is not only good at saying nice things, but also efficient and decisive in his actions.

After taking Gao Wu's statement at the supervisory office, Lei Zhen returned all of Gao Wu's personal belongings and personally escorted Gao Wu and the old man to the door.

Back at the old house, Gao Wu looked at the quiet courtyard and couldn't help but feel as if he had been transported to another world.

"Don't go to school for the next couple of days, lay low for a while," the old man said. "I'll go buy some groceries, and we'll have a nice meal tonight to get rid of the bad luck."

After the old man left, Gao Wu first took out his phone and sent a text message to Song Mingyue: "I'm out, everything's fine, thank you."

"Ah."

"I won't go over tonight; I'll keep the old man company. I'll come see you tomorrow."

"it is good."

Song Mingyue's reply was as concise as ever, leaving Gao Wu speechless. He knew very well that his escape this time was largely thanks to Song Mingyue's efforts behind the scenes.

He knew all too well that this was a very difficult matter. Not to mention anything else, just the fact that he had to withstand the pressure from the police department to release the video would require an unknown amount of resources.

He truly didn't know how to repay this enormous favor.

After hanging up the phone, Gao Wu contacted Shang Qingjun again. Shang Qingjun had probably been waiting for his message, because she replied as soon as he sent it.

She sent a super surprised emoji and a super big hug emoji, saying, "I'm so glad you're back safe and sound!"

Ever since receiving her grandfather's call that morning, Shang Qingjun had been waiting for news. Now, she finally felt a weight lifted off her shoulders.

Even though they were thousands of miles apart, Gao Wu could feel Shang Qingjun's joy, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face. The old man cared about him, and Song Mingyue cared about him too, but Shang Qingjun's care was different from theirs...

The two chatted for a long time until Shang Qingjun went to class.

I had a sumptuous dinner with the old man in the evening and we also had a long chat.

The main topic of conversation was demonic cults and demonic gods. The old man served in the military and often went to suppress followers of demonic cults, so he was quite knowledgeable about them.

The old man rarely talked about these things in the past because the world has improved in the last twenty years, and it is rare to see any trace of the Demonic Cult.

In recent years, however, the situation has changed, and the evil cult seems to be making a comeback.

"It is said that the Pantheon has twelve demon gods, each with strange supernatural powers. The demon gods are not subordinate to each other and may even fight each other. Therefore, the Pantheon cannot be regarded as a whole, but rather as a collective term for many demonic sects."

The old man spoke of these things with a solemn expression. In the past, the evil cult had wreaked havoc, causing numerous casualties. Those who believed in the evil cult were like madmen, fearless of death and utterly irrational.

He said, "According to records, the followers of the Demonic Cult are actually divided into nine levels. The lowest level is believer, attendant, and assistant priest. At the assistant priest level, one must be at least a high-level martial artist."

"The higher-ranking deacons, priests, and high priests, and at the very least, warriors. These people are also blessed by demons and possess various supernatural abilities, making them extremely terrifying."

"As for the higher-level followers of the Demon God, I'm not sure..."

Finally, the old man instructed, "There is no affection among the followers of the Demonic Cult. However, you are currently too prominent, so be careful of retaliation from the Demonic Cult members. Do not go to White Dragon Mountain in the morning, and do not go out at night."

"Mmm...I know."

After dinner, Gao Wu practiced boxing and swordplay in the courtyard until his whole body was steaming hot before going back to his room to take a shower.

Back in his room, Gao Wu practiced the Nine Forms of the Dragon Form several more times before going to bed to rest.

There was no sound coming from downstairs; the old man must be asleep. Gao Wu touched the sword beside him; its weight filled him with a sense of security.

With everything prepared, Gao Wu opened the Book of Boundless Merit, which contained 250,000 merits.

In just one day, he gained over 70,000 merits. This rate of increase delighted Gao Wu.

If this can be sustained for ten days or half a month, one can accumulate millions of merits.

Unfortunately, this is clearly impossible. The merit that a single video can generate is limited. Moreover, he cannot maintain such a massive flow of traffic.

The news of his release has already spread, and the hype will quickly die down tomorrow. In just two or three days, this wave of attention will be completely over.

Gao Wu chuckled again. He was already thankful that this matter had ended so well. The extra amount of merit he gained was a pleasant surprise; he couldn't be too greedy!
With 100,000 merits invested into the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra, Gao Wu's mind was shaken, and countless azure divine lights shone and converged, transforming into an azure dragon roaring to the sky!

In a daze, Gao Wu felt as if he had become one with the azure celestial dragon, soaring freely through the endless天地 (heaven and earth)...

(End of this chapter)