Chapter 474: The Merit Exchange Manual (III)

“Do you not feel it?” Zhang Liang asked. “It goes without saying that your armor will be stronger, but you’ll also be able to lead a hundred troops as a company leader. Their accomplishments will bring you some additional merits since you are their leader. That is one aspect. The second is that your wages will increase. As a soldier, you receive one such cultivation stone a month. Company leaders receive three, troop leaders receive ten. You can collect them at the end of every month...”

He Yong was still uninterested.

It’d be faster for me to just trade for the stones. One hundred points means one hundred stones. If I took wages of two a month, it’ll take me four years to gain the same amount.

“As company leader,” continued Zhang Liang, “You have the right to use one hundred sets of black armor. You can activate one hundred of them, but those who are to use them must pass the military’s background inspection. You can freely make use of them if they pass muster!”

“......” He Yong blinked, as did Li Hao. “So Deputy Commissioner Zhang means that I can recruit my own men if I’m a company leader?”

“Yes!” Zhang Liang nodded. “But they’ll need to be vetted by Supervisory first.”

“Deputy Commissioner Zhang...” Li Hao asked. “I actually have one hundred sets of armor, but I er... when the eastern defenders fell previously...”

“I understand!” the deputy commissioner responded calmly. “But those that leave the city or are captured have their access revoked. They become ordinary armor that is not connected to the military system. As a troop leader, you can activate one thousand sets. However, those who utilize the armor must fulfill our requirements!”

What requirements?

“Are the requirements difficult?” Li Hao asked with agitation.

“Not that difficult. First, there is a temporary moratorium on accepting practitioners of energy. There is another military unit for them, we are not of the same system. Second, they must be strong of body and mind. We do not accept the feeble! Third, they must pass through the inspection from the Visitor Pavilion to prevent infiltration by unstable factors. Fourth, they must participate in the rookie training.

“You guys are temporarily reprieved from training as it is currently at a standstill and needs time to reactivate. You must wait for the system to be operational again before you can recruit new soldiers. Li Hao, you entered through a different channel and the other two received guest authorization. If any of your people also obtain that authorization, they can skip training as well.”

“Do you mean that key?” Li Hao asked.

“Yes!” responded Deputy Commissioner Zhang. “The key does not appear for just anyone! One must be of upright morals! Those without cannot obtain the key—they will see it without being able to touch it...”

He Yong blinked.

Are you talking about me? My morals are just fine!

Li Hao and Hong Yitang also looked at him. Does this one... have a suspect character? He Yong could find nothing to defend himself with!

“Upright morals simply means a lack of enmity toward Battle Heaven.” Zhang Liang looked at him with empty eyes. “The Visitor Pavilion possesses such a verification system.”

“It can manifest my thoughts?” Li Hao couldn’t help himself. “Not to mention... to be honest, we’re here for treasure. How did Hong Yitang receive his, then?”

The young man made direct reference to Hong Yitang’s name. The man flashed a half smile back at him.

You guess!

“Seeking treasures does not mean enmity,” Zhang Liang continued. “It is normal to be curious about ancient ruins. It is perfectly expected to want to harvest some gains. But those who bear certain greed and desire toward the city at the core of their being will not be accepted!”

Li Hao still didn’t understand, but he caught a keyword—desire! Control of desire! Hong Yitang seemed to have controlled his well, so he received a key. Meanwhile, He Yong’s was too strong for him to be offered one!

The young man turned his thoughts to considering his proposed exchange instead. “I want the Building Five Bridges method and another ten Mind Fruits...”

That was 130 points. He had 186 merits total and wanted to use the remainder for energy stones. That would give him the equivalent of approximately five hundred mysterious power stones.

“There is supposed to be an energy shortage inside the city,” Li Hao couldn’t help himself. “Why does Military Supplies still have mysterious power stones available for exchange?”

“The energy we need is not of this kind! Let me put it in a better way, it is the energy of life! The greater the powerhouse, the more they carry. This was not necessary at first and killing others to reawaken the city is not what we wish. We had protective plant spirits around us and didn’t need to do so. But General Pagoda has fallen silent and the stones you speak of are what we have in abundance. We ourselves are already dead and do not have sufficient life energy to activate certain formations or systems...”

Li Hao only seemed to half understand. It wasn’t this kind of energy that Battle Heaven lacked, but another kind. General Pagoda? Did he mean the pagoda tree outside the spirit? A plant spirit? The passageway they’d taken to reach the city was the inside of a tree!

“Then I’ll trade the rest of my merits for energy stones!”

“I want a copy of Building Five Bridges and eleven Mind Fruit!” Hong Yitang declared crisply. He had 140 points and no need for mysterious power stones.

He Yong looked on with a conflicted expression. He wanted a promotion as that seemed useful, but... he also wanted treasure!

“Can merits be transferred?” Li Hao suddenly asked.

“Yes!” Zhang Liang responded. “Ordinary soldiers cannot do so, but company leaders can reward soldiers with some merits through setting missions. Troop leaders can do the same, but the results need to be verified by the Supervisory Guard so that under-the-table dealings do not occur. That would be an insult to the merits. If discovered, all merits will be confiscated and some punishment might be in order!”

Li Hao looked at He Yong to see that the man was still hesitant. “That soldier protected me before, can I award him ten points?”

“You can try issuing that mission through the silver armor. You can if the Supervisory Guard approves. If not... then probably not.”

“Will my merits be withdrawn?”

“If it’s your first time doing so and you’re a rookie, probably not.”

Alright then, Li Hao looked at He Yong. “Martial Uncle He, I’ll try rewarding you with ten points. Being a Black Armor is too low level. It’s best if you secure a promotion and the Building Five Bridges.”

He Yong grinned widely and quickly nodded. Li Hao studied his army for a bit and attempted to issue the mission. He began waiting for the Supervisory Guard’s answer.

“If I want to become a general... one of the Gold Armors, how many merits do I need?”

“Not many, just ten thousand!”

“......” Li Hao wanted to cry. He’d lost ten thousand merits for no good reason at all—no, nine thousand!

As one of the eight families, he was eligible to be directly made a general. But he’d been so weak that the Gold Armor demoted him straight off the bat!

“Can we exchange for Water of Life?” asked Hong Yitang.

“You could before!” Zhang Liang shook his head. “Not anymore. General Pagoda has fallen silent and can no longer supply us with any. There are traces left in some places around the city. The Hibiscus Garden that you guys stayed at before holds some dregs!”

Hong Yitang found this regretful, then thought of the storage ring he’d picked up. Apart from the three big pieces of mysterious power stones, there was also a small flask of liquid. He strongly suspected that it was Water of Life. So that was the last of it! Then... why had he picked up some? It wasn’t as if there was no one inside the city. Although they were all dead, could they not see even a storage ring?

Zhang Liang spoke no further. After a while, Li Hao received a message that the mission was accepted and approved. A delighted He Yong looked at his increased merits. He wanted to use them for mysterious power stones, but decided to go for a promotion first. There were more enemies outside the walls!

There was still a chance to earn money. Obtaining that promotion first would be convenient. At least he’d be able to directly talk to Li Hao and not have to rely on Hong Yitang each time instead.

......

Zhang Liang walked into the back, coming back out after a while with a bundle of items for each of them. “The Mind Fruits are kept in the storage ring. They will certainly still have an effect, but perhaps a weaker one since so many years have passed. It won’t be much use for you, but there should be something there.

“Don’t be in a hurry to utilize the Building Five Bridges method. Read it first, understand its meaning, then try.” He turned to Li Hao and Hong Yitang. “Work hard! Although Military Supplies isn’t the designated exchange agency, we have a sword method that is very suited to you too! The Voidbreak Incantation was created early on by a supreme personage...”

Hong Yitang’s eyes lit up when he heard the sword method’s name.

“You... look like you’ve heard of it?” Zhang Liang turned empty eyes toward the man.

“Yes.” Hong Yitang nodded frankly. “But I was unable to obtain a copy of the secret art. It is said that its creator was an invincible existence in the ancient civilization.”

“Of course!” Zhang Liang nodded, his ripples carrying respect and admiration. “That was indeed an invincible personage. Although this is just his early work, it will be an immense benefit for any of you sword cultivators. The Sword Sovereign from the Li family once received pointers from him...

“The Sword Sovereign is also an invincible entity.” Zhang Liang turned to Li Hao. “But he received quite a bit of tutelage in the beginning and later on from the owner of the Voidbreak Incantation. If you can obtain it, that will be of enormous help to you!”

Li Hao grew lost in thought. His ancestor had received help from the master of this sword method? What kind of personage could he be?

“Was... was my ancestor very strong, back in the day?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“Of course!”

“How about compared to the one who named Battle Heaven?”

“I don’t know.” Zhang Liang shook his head after momentary silence. “The two didn’t spar later on. It would certainly be the Sword Sovereign in the beginning. He left for a period of time and continued to develop then, but it is too far for us to consider!”

Li Hao didn’t ask further since it was apparent there were no answers to be had.

“Let us speak to here!” Zhang Liang grew impatient when Li Hao wanted to ask other questions.

“Wait, how much for that sword method?”

“It’s not expensive, just ten thousand points!”

“......”

Go fuck yourself!

Li Hao nearly cursed.

What was the point of saying all that? You might as well leave it since it’s that expensive. I have to kill ten thousand Solars for that, who are you kidding??