A Full Haul! Killing Intent Surges!

"Items could actually be refined to obtain martial arts?"

Looking at the prompt before him, Jiang Bei's heart stirred slightly, and a flicker of delight flashed through his eyes.

It seemed his golden finger was incredibly powerful!

Right now, he happened to be lacking a saber technique.

Without hesitation, he willed it to refine.

At once, 5 Merit Points vanished, but memories of a saber technique appeared in his mind.

At the same time, the panel refreshed.

Martial Arts: Xing Tian Gong (Second Layer), Blood Wolf Saber Technique (Not Yet Initiated+)

Realm: Ninth Rank Great Training

Merit Points: 18

Blood Wolf Saber Technique discovered. It can be upgraded. Requires 3 Merit Points. Upgrade?

"Upgrade!"

Jiang Bei did not hesitate in the slightest.

After raising the Blood Wolf Saber Technique to the initiation level, another prompt appeared. It could be upgraded a second time!

Blood Wolf Saber Technique discovered. It can be upgraded. Requires 10 Merit Points. Upgrade?

Naturally, Jiang Bei did not hesitate. He upgraded it once more, directly raising the Blood Wolf Saber Technique to the first layer.

In an instant, a great deal of saber technique experience flooded his mind, as though he had become a saber grandmaster who had trained for years in the blink of an eye!

"With my current strength, if I face Tie Muler again, I can take his life with a single slash!"

Jiang Bei gripped the hilt at his waist, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Once the upgrades were complete.

The group packed up their things and prepared to return to the Death Squad Camp.

Jiang Bei did not leave behind Tie Muler's head or the others' heads. They could be exchanged for military merit; one Barbarian head counted as one military merit.

On the way back, Chen Niu could not help asking, "Brother Bei, with these Barbarian heads added in, you should have enough military merit, right? You're only one mission short now. Will you be transferred back to your original camp soon?"

His tone could not conceal his envy.

"More or less."

Jiang Bei nodded slightly.

Ten military camps were stationed along Iron Horse Pass's border, ranked from the A-Rank Camp to the K-Rank Camp according to their overall strength. There was also a separate Death Squad Camp.

The Death Squad Camp they were in was a special existence positioned closest to the front line.

Most of those gathered here were criminals exiled from the various camps, and the missions they carried out were all perilous tasks where nine deaths awaited for every chance of survival.

The original owner's experience was absurd when told.

He had been doing perfectly well in the Ren-Rank Camp, but because he had failed to produce offspring with the female convict assigned to him within a year and thus failed the task of replenishing Great Qian's population, he had been exiled to this Death Squad Camp.

To leave this hellhole, one had to complete ten missions and earn fifteen military merits.

Still, the original owner had done rather well. In the month or so since arriving, including today's mission, he had already completed nine missions.

With the Barbarian heads added in, he had also gathered enough military merit.

He only lacked one final mission before he could leave this hellhole!

"However..." A cold gleam flashed in Jiang Bei's eyes. "I'm afraid someone doesn't want me to leave alive."

The Death Squad Camp was a place where nine deaths awaited for every chance of survival, not only because its members were used as expendable soldiers, but also because there was only one quota each quarter for transfer back to one's original camp.

Even if one met the required military merit and mission count, they still had to fight the others to the death.

Within the Death Squad Camp, the original owner and a man named Lin Jie had stood far ahead of everyone else.

And as luck would have it, Lin Jie was the one who had told the original owner about the intelligence regarding Sunset Village today. He had claimed there were only three to five ordinary Barbarians, but there had actually been eight or nine, including Tie Muler, a Ninth Rank Minor Training martial artist.

The truth was self-evident.

"You want me dead so you can monopolize the transfer quota? Dream on!"

Jiang Bei's knuckles turned white as he tightened his grip on the hilt, coldness flickering in his eyes.

Before long, the group returned to the Death Squad Camp.

The Death Squad Camp's base was a stockade built in the wilderness, surrounded by earthen walls. Inside stood tents and barracks.

The group first went to the Mission Hall to report their duties and update their respective military merit and mission records.

In the Death Squad Camp, military merit could not be exchanged for any rewards.

Otherwise, with Jiang Bei's achievements today, he would have received some benefits.

But he did not care about such things now. With the Merit Panel, those rewards were merely icing on the cake.

What he needed to do now was leave this hellhole of a Death Squad Camp as quickly as possible!

As the outpost camp closest to the border, the Death Squad Camp was always the Barbarians' first choice of target when they attacked.

The original owner had encountered two or three attacks over the past month or so. Surviving them had been nothing but luck.

Jiang Bei did not want to lose his life in his sleep one day!

Though killing enemies could make him stronger, he first needed to transfer to a relatively safe camp. He could still carry out missions and kill enemies then, while also receiving the rewards he deserved. It would be a hundred times better than this Death Squad Camp!

On the western side of the Death Squad Camp, the curtain of a barracks was suddenly thrown open.

"Brother Jie, Brother Jie! Something terrible has happened!"

A man rushed in frantically and shouted at the young man polishing a Horizontal Saber, "Jiang Bei... Jiang Bei came back alive!"

"What?!"

Lin Jie's hand paused sharply as he wiped his saber. He sprang to his feet. "Sunset Village had Tie Muler, a Ninth Rank Minor Training martial artist. How did Jiang Bei escape back alive?!"

"N-not only that!" The man swallowed. "He came back carrying Tie Muler's head!"

"He killed Tie Muler? He entered the ranks too?!"

Lin Jie's expression changed again, turning gloomy. Suddenly, he slammed a fist onto the wooden table. "Well played, Jiang Bei. You hid yourself deeply! You actually entered the ranks just like me. I underestimated you!"

He paced back and forth inside the tent, his boots grinding deep tracks into the dirt.

"He should have gathered enough military merit by now. He only needs one more mission before he can apply for a transfer... No! That quota must be mine!"

Suddenly, Lin Jie stopped walking, a cold glint flashing through his eyes.

"Jiang Bei..." Lin Jie ground out the name through clenched teeth. "You brought this upon yourself! If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for coming at the wrong time. This quota... can only belong to me, Lin Jie!"

With that, he threw open the curtain and strode outside.

Meanwhile, Jiang Bei had just returned to his own barracks.

As he was removing the Horizontal Saber from his waist, a burly figure suddenly barged in.

This man was Liu De, who had previously carried out missions with him.

"Jiang Bei! I heard you took the Sunset Village mission? Is that true? There was a ranked Barbarian there!"

Liu De dropped onto the straw mat beside him, his eyes full of disbelief.

"When did you all learn about that?"

Jiang Bei frowned.

"The Deputy Camp Commander said it himself this morning."

Liu De scratched his thick beard. "He asked who was willing to take it. If nobody went, we'd have had to draw lots... Who would have thought you'd actually take it voluntarily afterward?"

"This morning?" A cold flash passed through Jiang Bei's eyes. "Was Lin Jie there?"

"He was." Liu De suddenly realized something, lowering his voice. "Was he the one who told you about this mission? But he didn't mention the ranked Barbarian?"

Jiang Bei nodded.

"That bastard!"

Liu De punched his knee, then whispered to Jiang Bei, "He was deliberately trying to get you killed! For that quota to leave the Death Squad Camp, that guy will do anything. Now that he's only one step from the finish line, he definitely won't let this go. You need to be careful!"

"Mm."

Jiang Bei nodded, his hand unconsciously tightening around the hilt of the Horizontal Saber beside him as killing intent rose in his heart.

Lin Jie feared that Jiang Bei would take the quota from him.

And how could Jiang Bei not worry that Lin Jie would take his quota?

What Lin Jie had done today had already forged a mortal enmity between them.

When the opportunity came, he had to strike first and turn that beast into Merit Points!

"Brother Bei!"

Just then, Chen Niu rushed in hurriedly and said, "Th-that Lin Jie is here to see you!"

"Lin Jie?!"

Jiang Bei's expression shifted slightly. He grabbed his Horizontal Saber and shot to his feet.

He came rather quickly!