"Gulp."
Uncle Xiong struggled to swallow, his Adam's apple bobbing.
He was a rough man, but also a straightforward one.
Since he'd misjudged Lu Chen, he'd own up to it.
"Of course it counts! Absolutely!"
Uncle Xiong slapped his thigh so hard that the wolf's head on the counter jumped.
The shock on his face quickly faded, replaced by undisguised admiration and enthusiasm.
"Not bad, kid! You've got some real talent!"
"You killed three Green-backed Demonic Wolves single-handedly in half a day and came back without a scratch. Even among the Silver Token Blade Catchers in our guild, there aren't many who could pull that off!"
As he spoke, Uncle Xiong deftly pulled a fine wooden box from beneath the counter.
"I was blind before, brother. Old Xiong underestimated you. You didn't just complete the Pledge Token—you did it beautifully!"
He opened the box. Inside lay a token about the size of a palm.
The token was a deep bronze color, with a drawn sword carved on the front and a hideous ghost's head on the back.
A Bronze Token!
The martial artists nearby saw the token, and envy immediately shone in their eyes.
Blade Catchers had a strict hierarchy: Iron Token, Bronze Token, Silver Token, and Gold Token.
Ordinary newcomers started out with Iron Tokens. They could only take low-level jobs like running errands, providing escorts, or finding lost items, and the pay was pitiful.
Only after accumulating enough points and experience could they be promoted to Bronze Token.
And only Bronze Token Blade Catchers qualified for the real "killing" jobs, which paid handsomely and came with a very different level of status.
Lu Chen had skipped straight past Iron Token and obtained a Bronze Token!
It was a complete endorsement of his strength.
"Thank you."
Lu Chen took