Chapter 1441: Tallying Merits

"One! One hundred thousand!"

Yin Jian's eyelid twitched.

Ling Feng was clearly asking for an outrageous price.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Ling Feng shrugged, completely unconcerned. "Of course, you can also choose not to treat it. I really don't mind."

Yin Jian felt his heart ache.

Inside, he cursed Ling Feng as a bloodsucker. Fortunately, war points could not be traded privately. Otherwise this vampire would probably drain every last one of them.

"N... no problem."

Yin Jian took a deep breath.

His left eye possessed the ability to sense fortune and danger. If it could be restored, then one hundred thousand contribution points would absolutely be worth it.

With a clenched jaw, Yin Jian handed over the seventy thousand contribution points he still had, along with a body-tempering spirit herb worth roughly thirty thousand contribution points. He placed everything into Ling Feng's hands.

After this exchange alone, Ling Feng had already earned the one hundred thousand contribution points required to apply for the promotion assessment, with plenty left over.

Sure enough, a horse only grows fat from grazing at night, and a man only grows rich through sudden windfalls. Taking advantage of the situation truly was the fastest way to make a fortune!

After collecting Yin Jian's hefty consultation fee, Ling Feng did not disappoint him.

He used the Profound Art of Acupuncture and Moxibustion to stimulate the acupoints around Yin Jian's left eye. Before long, Yin Jian felt a strange numb and itchy sensation spreading through the area.

"Alright. Your eye suffered a direct injury, but luckily you came in time. If you had waited another ten days or so and the eyeball completely died, even I would have had no way to fix it."

Ling Feng finished inserting the needles and applying the medicine in one smooth motion. Only then did he add calmly, "It should take about half a month before your sight returns. As for whether your pupil ability will recover, that depends on your luck."

"Yes. Thank you, Junior Brother Ling!"

Just hearing that he would be able to see again already satisfied Yin Jian. The possibility that his pupil ability might return was an added blessing.

"I took your money and solved your problem. There's no need to thank me." Ling Feng glanced at him and said casually, "Still, when you handle things in the future, try not to keep one eye open and the other closed. Otherwise I would have treated that eye for nothing."

Yin Jian's face flushed red.

"Yes, yes..."

He nodded repeatedly. After this incident, he had truly learned his lesson. From now on, he would never look down on newcomers again. Who knew whether another "monster" like Ling Feng might appear among them?

The night passed quietly.

Because Ling Feng had displayed astonishing medical skill the night before and treated nearly everyone's injuries, his reputation among the group soared. Even though the treatments were far from free, he had essentially saved their lives.

As a result, Ling Feng's prestige among the disciples rose sharply. It even faintly surpassed that of Yin Jian, the leader of this mission.

Early the next morning, the group set out again.

Yin Jian asked about the barbarian remnant leader and what had happened to Su Ming. Ling Feng simply said that he had fought a fierce battle with the barbarian leader and eventually killed him. As proof, he produced the gaunt old man's head along with his identity token.

As for Su Ming, Ling Feng said he had never encountered him.

When Yin Jian saw the severed head, he believed the story immediately. After witnessing Ling Feng beat that giant octopus monster into submission in the swamp lake, he had no reason to doubt his strength.

This meant Ling Feng had secured the greatest merit in the mission. The reward would be ten thousand war points and an Astral Dragon Shield.

Such a prize naturally made everyone else envious.

If this had happened before, Yin Jian might have tried some trick to steal Ling Feng's credit. Now he would not dare even if someone gave him three times the courage. Provoking Ling Feng was the last thing he wanted.

"Congratulations, Junior Brother Ling, on claiming the greatest merit. You've only just arrived at the Hall of War, yet you've already achieved something like this. Your future is bound to be bright."

Yin Jian looked at Ling Feng with clear envy.

At Ling Feng's monstrous level of talent, it would not take long before he entered the ranks of the Heaven Slaying Ten Absolutes. He might even become the strongest among them!

Comparing people truly was depressing.

He and Feng Shaoan had once been praised as the most promising candidates to enter the Heaven Slaying Ten Absolutes. One carried the title of the strongest expert below the Great Emperor level. Yet both of them had suffered losses at Ling Feng's hands.

Their strength had been suppressed inside the Dead Soul Devil Abyss, but Ling Feng's terrifying brute force and endless methods made him dangerous anywhere. Even outside the abyss, Yin Jian could not say with confidence that he would win.

By now, Ling Feng had practically become an uncrowned king. His strength was comparable to the Ten Young Emperors of the inner sect!

...

Three days later, the group finally returned safely to the Hall of War.

Zuo Feiqing, the Tempest Wind Hall Master, personally led several high-ranking elders to welcome these returning "heroes."

After the gaunt old man died, the enemy could no longer use swarms of snakes, insects, and rats to spy on the decisions of the Hall of War. On the main battlefield, the Hall of War had gained the upper hand for the first time.

Because of this, even before Yin Jian's group returned, the Hall of War already suspected their mission had succeeded.

What no one expected was how heavy the casualties would be.

However, Ling Feng's team returned without a single loss. That alone felt like a miracle.

Of course, no one knew the real reason. Because they had been forced away from the main group and acted independently, they managed to preserve their perfect record.

As for the conflicts that occurred inside the Dead Soul Devil Abyss, everyone silently agreed to keep quiet.

After returning to Mountain City, officials quickly arrived to record the merits and verify the casualty numbers.

Recording merit was simple. Each disciple only needed to submit proof of their kills. Enemy identity tokens, severed heads, or even corpses could serve as evidence. These items would later determine their final rewards.

A group of more than ten disciples was led to an open courtyard. A massive stone table stood at the front. One by one, they stepped forward and placed their proof of kills on the table for verification.

The person responsible for the count was a middle-aged officer in armor. His expression looked stern and imposing. He swept his gaze across Yin Jian and the others before raising his voice.

"Alright. Captain Yin, you first."

Yin Jian took a deep breath and strode forward. With a clatter, he placed three barbarian tokens on the stone table.

"

Hm?

"

The officer picked them up and frowned slightly.

"Yin Jian, are you telling me you didn't claim the top merit? These are only tokens from ordinary barbarian guards."

Yin Jian shook his head and sighed bitterly.

"Reporting to Elder Cai. The greatest merit in this mission does not belong to me."

"If it wasn't you, then it must be that kid Feng Shaoan."

The officer recorded Yin Jian's results before shifting his gaze to Feng Shaoan.

"Feng Shaoan, step forward."

Feng Shaoan took a deep breath and placed two identity tokens onto the table.

They were also tokens from barbarian guards. None belonged to the barbarian leader.

The officer's eyelid twitched slightly.

"Not you either? Then who killed the barbarian leader? Don't tell me he died together with Su Ming."

He looked back and forth between Yin Jian and Feng Shaoan. Both of them wore strange expressions, as though they wanted to say something but held themselves back.

The officer shook his head.

"Alright. Next!"