Fifty Dao Merit Earned

At her words, Jiang Yang promptly unfastened his waist token and handed it over.

Li Zhouying took it in her hand and swept a finger across it with a gleam of spiritual light. A hazy, clear radiance blossomed, its shimmering glow washing over the token. Characters flashed in a rushing stream at its center, then settled in an instant.

Li Zhouying released it, and the token flew back into Jiang Yang's hand on its own. Only then did she say:

"Dawn Rain Peak has always been generous and never harsh, but rewards and punishments must still be clear. Those who give their all will be rewarded."

She then pointed at the token and explained:

"There are fifty Dao Merit in your token altogether. Your service received an upper rating this time, which earns thirty Dao Merit by the rules. I rounded it up for you. Consider the extra twenty a reward from Dawn Rain Peak.

Dao Merit is precious, worth far more than Spirit Stones. The sect does not forbid private transfers. You may exchange it for cultivation arts and spells, or for resources and spiritual treasures to aid your cultivation. Do not squander it extravagantly."

These were words as precious as gold and jade. Clasping the token in his palm, Jiang Yang immediately cupped his hands.

"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Sister Li. I will remember your advice."

The young man bowed with graceful, composed bearing, then raised his head, his swordlike brows radiant. Li Zhouying found him pleasing to the eye, so she offered him a few extra words.

"No need. Your work here is done. You may go."

Waving a hand, Li Zhouying left him with a faint smile, then turned and departed.

Her bright yellow skirts fluttered, gauzy fabric drifting around her graceful figure. Before long, she vanished from Jiang Yang's sight.

"Tsk..."

Jiang Yang hefted the token in his hand. When he sent his spirit sense into it, he indeed found fifty Dao Merit resting quietly within.

That might not sound like much, but from what Jiang Yang knew, it was quite a substantial haul.

Three months ago, just after accepting this service assignment, Zhou Yanwei had happened to draw him into a chat. Jiang Yang had taken the opportunity to ask what the rewards for service were worth.

At the time, Zhou Yanwei had answered casually:

"There are all kinds of service assignments. Lower ratings bring penalties, upper ratings bring rewards, and each peak handles things differently. So let's leave both extremes aside and speak only of the middle. A middling rating usually earns twenty Dao Merit."

The upper and lower ratings were set apart because each peak gave different rewards and punishments. Sometimes they even depended on the steward's mood at the time, making them difficult to gauge.

A middling rating was what most disciples ordinarily received. The amount depended on how difficult the work was and how long it took, but generally fluctuated around twenty.

Zhou Yanwei had not been wrong, either. He had assumed that Jiang Yang, trying service work for the first time, would probably receive a middling rating.

At the thought, delight showed on Jiang Yang's face as he mused:

Thirty for an upper rating, twenty for a middling one. With a lower rating, I wouldn't even scrape up a single hair...

I got fifty. That's hardly a poor showing, no matter how you look at it. It should buy quite a few things for cultivation.

The sect did not openly encourage disciples to transfer Dao Merit privately, but neither did it forbid the practice. Thus, plenty of people exchanged Spirit Stones for Dao Merit, both in the market and within the small circles on the various peaks.

The things Dao Merit could be exchanged for were rare and precious, making it a hard currency. Its exchange rate therefore hovered around one to ten, and sometimes rose even higher under special circumstances.

Viewed that way, fifty Dao Merit amounted to a full five hundred Spirit Stones—the equivalent of ten years of Jiang Yang's stipend without spending a thing on food or drink.

His case was rare, after all, and hardly a useful benchmark. Still, earning around two hundred Spirit Stones for several months of hard work was no small sum for an ordinary disciple.

Yet the higher a cultivator climbed, the scarcer resources became. In the end, there was never enough. That was why disciples like Fang Xu often spent their free time after service assignments exploring hidden cave abodes or hunting demonic beasts to supplement their income.

Now that I have Dao Merit, it's time to look around the library. With so few spells to practice, I'd be in an awkward spot if I ran into danger or an enemy...

Jiang Yang weighed the matter inwardly.

Previously, he had had no need to venture outside, so it had not been an issue. Now that his cultivation was steadily advancing, he could hardly remain on the peak forever. Even without a magical artifact, he needed at least a few spells at his disposal to feel secure.

As for his future cultivation method, Shang Qingzheng's words had made it clear that choosing a path was like choosing a master. He needed to be even more cautious.

Thinking of Shang Qingzheng, Jiang Yang paused. The reason he had not left immediately was that he was waiting for her.

Shang Qingzheng had not come by for four or five days, but Jiang Yang had told her the date in advance during her last visit. Unless something else had delayed her, she should be arriving about now.

Dawn Rain Peak was, after all, a True Person's cultivation sanctuary. Ordinary people could not approach it freely. Jiang Yang had only been able to come here through his service assignment. Now that the three months were over, returning without the proper status would be difficult beyond measure.

It was precisely because he wanted to say goodbye to Shang Qingzheng that Jiang Yang lingered here instead of leaving.

The sea of clouds was clear of dust, bathed in heavenly light.

Shang Qingzheng hurriedly dropped her talisman brush. Paying no heed to the ink splattered across her desk, she gathered her cuffs and rushed outside.

The moment she left the hall, she rose on the wind, radiance swirling around her as she shot into the sky.

"Mrow!"

Hearing the commotion, Little Sixteen came racing out on all fours and cried up at Shang Qingzheng in midair, anxiously spinning in circles.

At the sound, Shang Qingzheng stopped. Pressing a hand to her forehead, she turned back and landed to scoop up the cat before shooting skyward again.

She had been so frantic that, in her headlong rush outside, she had actually forgotten Little Sixteen.

Shang Qingzheng frowned within the magical wind and murmured to herself:

"It's my fault for being unskilled in talismans and wasting so much time. Please don't leave before I get there..."

With that thought, Shang Qingzheng pressed her lips together and fell silent. She quietly poured in more magical power, speeding her flight and trailing a long wake through the air.

Just as she emerged from the main peak's great formation, she encountered a woman coming toward her. The woman had a slightly pointed chin, long, slender brows, faintly prominent cheekbones, and slightly hollow cheeks. A pair of bright, large eyes dominated the upper half of her face, their fluttering gaze strikingly distinctive.

Dressed in vivid red, she blocked Shang Qingzheng's path and smiled.

"Slow down, Junior Sister. Where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?"

However anxious Shang Qingzheng was, the sight of that foxlike face forced her to rein in her magical wind and answer:

"No need to concern yourself, Senior Sister. I'm going to the Rain Listening Pavilion."

The woman smiled before speaking, blinking her eyes as an alluring air spilled from her. With a look of realization, she said:

"Mm... it's for that jade bamboo essence, isn't it? There's no need to hurry, Junior Sister. With the True Person's decree and Steward Zhou Ying watching over it, nothing can possibly go wrong.

An anxious heart runs contrary to the essentials of cultivation. You should put refining your realm first."

Shang Qingzheng drew a deep breath, suppressed her inner agitation, and thanked her.

"You're right, Senior Sister."

"Hehehe..."

The woman covered her mouth and chuckled, her smiling eyes turning toward Little Sixteen. Seeing the cat's round little head, she reached out playfully.

"What a clever little kitty. Be good and let Auntie hold you."

But before her fingers could come close, Little Sixteen reared up in Shang Qingzheng's arms and bared sharp teeth at her.

"Hiss..."

"Don't be rude!"

Shang Qingzheng hastily raised a hand to intervene, drawing the cat's head back against her chest.

Startled, the woman withdrew her hand. A hint of displeasure crossed her face, but she still smiled and smoothed things over.

"A noble breed by birth, after all—proud, untamed, and sovereign unto itself. No ordinary person may presume to touch you. What a fine cat! What a fine spirit beast!"

Seeing her chance, Shang Qingzheng immediately took her leave, bending her knees in a courteous bow.

"The little cat doesn't know any better and has offended you. Please don't take it to heart, Senior Sister. Qingzheng bids you farewell."

The woman had already regained her composure. Gathering her crimson sleeves, she said:

"It's nothing. Go ahead, Junior Sister."

Looking up to find the sun high overhead, Shang Qingzheng grew anxious again at the time she had lost along the way.

Could I be too late...?

She flew without stopping to the Rain Listening Pavilion and landed. Heading deep into the bamboo grove, she ran toward the stone table where the two of them often sat and talked.

At first glance, not only was the young man nowhere to be seen, but even the stone table and stools had vanished.

The empty ground sent a chill through Shang Qingzheng's heart, and regret welled up within her.

We agreed not to leave until we met. Could you really not wait that long?