Chapter 193 Merit is Life

A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

Chen Mu adapted to the rhythm of the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division, heading to the training grounds daily with Team C.

Lu Dachuan's Dao technique was fierce and powerful; once he unleashed his set of Wind-Breaking Dao techniques, the blade light flashed, whipping up gusts of wind that drew cheers from many newcomers. Feng Qing, meanwhile, always practiced archery alone in the corner of the target range. That iron bow was as steady as a rock in his hands, and the target a hundred paces away had long since been shot to shreds.

Ling Xiaoning's weapon was a short sword. His Moves were agile, but clearly lacking in refinement. Lu Dachuan often lectured him with his hands on his hips, calling him a "flowery display." As for the others in the team, some practiced unarmed combat, while others used spears, each possessing their own signature skills.

Chen Mu mostly watched from the sidelines, occasionally stepping in to spar with others. He deliberately restrained the might of his Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique and Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body, using only ordinary Dao techniques to trade blows. Even so, his experience from countless life-and-death battles secretly startled many of the veteran soldiers.

"Brother Chen, your Dao is ruthless enough, but it lacks agility."

After a sparring session, Lu Dachuan wiped his sweat and commented.

"Every single Move is aimed at the vital points; this style is meant for fighting for one's life."

Chen Mu sheathed his Dao and said indifferently.

"Yao Race creatures won't discuss Moves with you."

Lu Dachuan was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"That's the truth! Our line of work is all about fighting for our lives."

Zhuifeng also quickly became the darling of Team C. This little thing was incredibly intelligent and seemed to understand human speech. When its dark golden eyes looked at people, they always carried a sense of scrutiny far beyond ordinary canines. It didn't bark indiscriminately, but if a stranger approached Chen Mu's bunk or its own humble little den, it would emit a low warning. The female cultivators in the team were particularly fond of the little thing, often saving their own dried meat to feed it.

That afternoon, just as training ended, everyone sat in small groups on the stone steps in front of the barracks, chewing on dry rations with well water.

Lu Dachuan took a swig of the cloudy wine he had brought, watching the people from Team A on the distant training grounds who were still sweating profusely. In particular, the young man in the center, bare-chested with knotted muscles, wielded his sword with such ferocity that he almost overwhelmed the three people opposite him, leaving them unable to lift their heads.

"See that?"

Lu Dachuan pointed with his wine gourd and nudged Chen Mu's arm.

"That's Qin Zheng, the Team A Squad Leader. He is currently the most outstanding talent in the younger generation of our Demon Hunting Division. Only twenty-four, and he has already reached the Heart-Awakening Realm. Incredible."

Feng Qing leaned against the base of the wall, carefully adjusting his bowstring, and glanced up upon hearing this.

"His talent is strong, but his team lost five people last month."

"Tsk, you can't say it like that."

Lu Dachuan shook his head.

"Team A takes on the toughest and most dangerous jobs. The places they go have Demonic Qi so thick it won't dissolve, so it's normal to have high casualties. They also earn a lot of Merit."

"Merit?"

Ling Xiaoning's ears immediately perked up, and he leaned in close to Lu Dachuan.

"Brother Lu, I heard that if you earn Merit, you can trade it for Cultivation Techniques, Medicinal Pills, and even get promoted?"

Lu Dachuan chuckled, took another swig of wine, and then spoke slowly.

"Kid, in our Demon Suppression Division, Merit is life, it is your future. How much your basic monthly salary is depends on your Merit rating. You want a promotion? From a member of the Demon Suppression Division to Squad Leader, to General Squad Leader, to Banner Master, and even climbing up to the eyes of the Thousand-Household Lord—what do you rely on? First is strength, and second is solid, real Merit."

He counted on his fingers, listing them as if they were his own treasures.

"Furthermore, you can go to the Demon Archive Division to trade for things. That place is not simple; it stores the good items the imperial court and our division have accumulated over the years of exterminating the Yao Race—Cultivation Techniques, Secret Manuals, Sharp Weapons, as well as Medicinal Pills and Talismans. I've even heard there are treasures that help people overcome a Bottleneck."

Ling Xiaoning listened with wide, glazed eyes; even Shi Yong, who had been silent the whole time, couldn't help but look up.

Chen Mu's eyes flickered slightly.

Cultivation Techniques, Sharp Weapons, Medicinal Pills... these were exactly what he urgently needed. Advancing the Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body required a massive amount of Lifespan, but if he had suitable Medicinal Pills and higher-tier Cultivation Techniques to assist, perhaps he could achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Just as he was thinking this, Feng Qing suddenly interjected.

"Merit also has Ranks. Ordinary patrols or dealing with low-level Yao Race creatures only earns Grade D Merit, which accumulates slowly. To really trade for good things, you need Grade C or higher. Like that time a while ago when we lost two brothers..."

He paused, his tone devoid of fluctuation.

"The target was a vicious alligator that was about to transform into a dragon. If we had succeeded, everyone would have earned at least Grade C-Mid Merit. Unfortunately, the intelligence was wrong; that beast achieved a Breakthrough right in the middle of the battle."

Everyone fell silent for a moment. The fallen colleagues, the unearned Merit—the cruelty of reality needed no further words.

Ling Xiaoning shrank his neck and asked in a low voice.

"Then how do you earn Merit? Just by going on missions to kill the Yao Race?"

"Most of it, yes."

Lu Dachuan nodded.

"Each division has different responsibilities, so the ways to earn Merit also differ. For example, the Medicine Demon Division earns Merit by practicing Alchemy to save people and developing new medicinal formulas. The Demon Interrogation Division earns Merit by prying open the mouths of captured Yao Race creatures to dig out important intelligence. The Demon Archive Division can also earn contributions by maintaining archives and treasures. But the most direct and fastest ways are still through our Demon Hunting Division and the Demon Search Division."

He looked at the eager, inquisitive gazes of the two newcomers, Chen Mu and Ling Xiaoning, coughed lightly, and continued to explain.

"Especially the Demon Search Division. Don't think they just handle intelligence. A piece of crucial intelligence—such as accurately locating the lair of a great Yao Race creature, figuring out its weaknesses and habits, or predicting the movement of a Yao Race horde—can save how many brothers' lives? How many detours can it save us from taking? When such intelligence is submitted, the Merit rating is often not much lower than us personally slaying the Yao Race creatures, sometimes even higher."

"Our Demon Hunting Division is the blade, while the Demon Search Division is the eyes and ears. Without them, we are deaf and blind, blundering around, not even knowing how we died. Like Flag-bearer Qi..."

He mentioned Qi Huan with a tone of respect.

"He is in charge of the Demon Search Division, and his subordinates, the scouts and informants, are spread all over the Prefecture and beyond. Many tough battles are won because of them; they deserve the primary credit. When both sides cooperate well, you get twice the result with half the effort. If the cooperation is poor or the intelligence has errors..."

He didn't finish, but everyone understood the unsaid meaning. Feng Qing's hand, which was wiping the bow, paused for a moment, his knuckles turning slightly white.

The conversation gradually shifted elsewhere, talking about which places inside and outside the Prefecture had the most severe Yao Race infestations, which Yao Race creatures were the most troublesome, and which person in which team had obtained some fortuitous encounter and greatly advanced their cultivation.

Chen Mu mostly just listened, silently noting down these fragmented pieces of information.

He discovered that the Yao Race creatures in the Prefecture were indeed far higher in level and more diverse than those in Yunmeng. Under the command of the Yao Race kings entrenched in the deep mountains and vast marshes, there were often thousands of Yao Race soldiers and generals. Some ancient evil spirits had even more bizarre methods that were impossible to guard against. Some Yao Race creatures had even reached a delicate balance or trade agreement with certain human factions.

This caused the desire to hunt in his heart to gradually boil over.

Lifespan. He needed more Lifespan.