Mysterious Merit Token

"You lost!"

Sun Biao lay on the ground, looking up at the lofty youth above him. The youth's eyes were clear and bright, and a clean, faint smile hung on his face, devoid of the pride and arrogance expected of a victor.

Yet for some reason, Sun Biao detested it, loathing the youth's clean, smiling face. He even wanted to leap up and flatten that face with a single punch.

Alas, he could not move at the moment. That full-strength strike from earlier-that palm whose might had changed the color of wind and clouds-had been received by his opponent in full, bringing back the backlash power and returning it all to him.

Right now, his chest and abdomen ached unbearably, and every breath felt like being cut by a knife. A few ribs were likely broken, and worst of all, his Dan Foundation seemed to show signs of collapsing as well.

Sun Biao turned his head away, his fierce gaze his final shred of stubbornness and dignity. He saw the woodchips and dust on the ground, along with his own discarded Black Crow-Gold Silk Gloves not far away, and then he saw the old fellows on the opposite high platform stand up, speaking of something as they slowly filed out. Next, he saw a pair of shoes and the figure of the youth walking off the ring...

The sounds beneath the stage were clamorous, making it impossible to make out what the commotion was about. Straining his neck, Sun Biao saw a familiar cluster of faces beneath the ring.

At the lead was Cui Mengshu, who was saying something to those beside him with an extremely unsightly expression before casting a cold glance at Sun Biao and turning to walk into the crowd, the rest following right behind until not a single one remained...

"Damn it, this little bastard flips his face faster than turning a book!"

Sun Biao cursed in a low voice, his mind suddenly recalling that winter in the Giant Stone Sect when he beat to death a stray dog abandoned by its companions. The moment before, it had been acting fierce and tearing wildly, and the next it lay covered in wounds in a snowdrift on the verge of death-how was that any different from his present self?

Thinking of this, grief and indignation overwhelmed him. He spat a mouthful of fresh blood and actually rolled his eyes and passed out.

He An walked slowly down the ring, looking at the surrounding crowd cheering like a boiling sea and the many people surging toward him, a somewhat dazed feeling coming over him.

Fan Dazhi's face was still wet with tear tracks. Wiping away his snot, he happily hurried forward, grabbed He An's arm, and said, "Xiao An... are you alright? You scared the life out of me just now."

He An chuckled and patted the back of his hand, his gaze drifting toward Han Chanjuan not far away. Amidst the crowd, she wore a dress of red, her gaze flowing as she bit her thin lip and smiled brilliantly.

A warmth stirred in He An's heart, and he was just about to step forward to greet her when Gu Qingzhou led a group of fellow students rushing over with smiles. Some grabbed his waist, others hugged his legs, and amid cheers, the crowd tossed He An high into the air before catching him. Even more excited students swarmed over, and the Martial Restraint Hall instantly erupted into a frenzy...

Mountain delicacies and culinary gold and jade, the wine did not intoxicate the man, but Bi Yunfei was already drunk of his own accord. Before him lay a dazzling array of rare and exquisite delicacies, while the faint and decadent sounds of string and bamboo instruments echoed in his ears. Sitting on the second floor of the Grand View Garden and looking down past the window, what met his eyes were pearly flowers, jade trees, and glittering gold and jade. Coming and going were all wealthy magnates and tycoons, and in the distance, the sparkling ripples of the Luo River were faintly visible, dotted with the lamplight of fishing boats, reflecting even the accumulated snow on the banks with an orange-yellow glow... As a cold wind blew, Bi Yunfei could not help but feel delightfully and gently intoxicated. What more could one ask of wealth and glory in life?

Pity that he was merely a guest companion; tonight's protagonists remained Gu Qingzhou and He An. Watching the others take turns offering toasts to He An, who sat in the seat of honor, Bi Yunfei felt an inexplicable sourness well up in his heart. He too raised a cup of wine, squeezed a smile onto his face, and stood up...

He An had also drunk quite a bit tonight. Under Gu Qingzhou's enthusiastic hospitality, a gathering of fellow students had downed several cups of wine, talking and laughing loudly as the atmosphere livened up.

"He An, formidable! Usually so scholarly and gentle, I never imagined your martial arts were so impressive!" That mature and steady student was named Tian Wenbin. His face flushed red from drinking, he clapped and praised.

"Needless to say, I've had high hopes for He An all along. Not for anything else, I just feel... this brother has a steady and enterprising drive to him. Reliable!" Interjected a student with pimples on his face named Xu Zhen.

"Brother He An, you fought wonderfully on the stage today; those few moves you pulled off were truly dashing. Sigh, sigh, when are you going to teach me a thing or two? Little brother is willing to take you as my master." The cross-eyed student sidled over. This fellow named Zhuge Guagua was usually the most active of all, practically the resident joker among them. Touching his chin, he said with a yearning expression, "If Brother wouldn't begrudge bestowing your teachings and is willing to teach me a trick or two, that would be good. Even if I can't become a supreme expert, having the chance to show off in front of beauties... Hehehe, that would be simply wonderful."

As several disdainful gazes turned toward Zhuge Guagua, one person slapped the table and stood up, declaring, "Utterly short-sighted! A great man born between heaven and earth... instead of thinking of repaying the country, you only harbor such sentimental, petty-minded thoughts! Simply disgraceful!"

The moment these words came out, everyone at the table was startled. They saw that this person had a tall and upright figure, upright and square facial features, and a righteous aura about him. Cupping his fists toward He An, he said in an earnest tone, "Brother He today subdued a formidable enemy and raised the prestige of our kind. Little brother deeply admires Brother's martial arts, but trash like Zhuge Guagua must never be trusted... Brother might as well teach me instead."

At this, the tense lines on his face relaxed, and he smiled with crooked brows and squinted eyes, saying, "I also want to... show off a thing or two in front of the lasses!" As soon as this fellow finished speaking, his eyebrows gave a frivolous twitch, his face instantly filling with a lewd air.

The speed at which this person changed his face caught everyone off guard. Amidst the uproarious laughter of the crowd, Zhuge Guagua hurled a chopstick and laughed scoldingly, "Mei Chuxi, are you trying to laugh me to death so you can inherit my seat next to the lasses?"

Amidst the laughter and banter, cups and goblets were exchanged, and both host and guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Gu Qingzhou was in exceptionally high spirits entertaining everyone today, already three parts drunk. Affectionately wrapping his arm around He An's shoulders, he said, "Never imagined brother was actually so formidable, managing to break through to the Qi Transformation Realm right there on the arena stage today. Your future martial dao cultivation will be boundless... If there's a chance in the future, you must still guide this foolish brother a bit or two..."

"Brother Gu flatters me too much. Brother was merely relying on luck-a fluke, a mere fluke!" He An smiled modestly, adding, "As for the martial dao, I am willing to discuss and explore it together with Brother Gu in the future..."

"Good! Brother beat that arrogant fellow to the ground today; presumably the Cui Family will exercise some restraint from now on. If they still don't know what's good for them... rest easy, big brother will back you up. Mere Cui Family, I truly don't put them in my eyes..." Gu Qingzhou clinked cups with He An. With a gaze of overlooking all around, he caught sight of Bi Yunfei drinking alone in sorrow by the window and Fan Dazhi bowing his head in sole concentration on eating, and laughed heartily, "Brother Yunfei, Brother Dazhi, come... let's all drain our cups together!"

After a round of lively exchanges, everyone unconsciously grew somewhat intoxicated. Gu Qingzhou and He An struck up another conversation on the topic of cultivation, while Bi Yunfei could not get a word in on the sidelines, merely drinking his sorrows away as a profound sense of exclusion welled up in his heart.

With hazy, drunken eyes, Gu Qingzhou raised another cup, draped an arm around He An's shoulder, and-emboldened by the alcohol-masked a slightly awkward expression as he said, "Brother... do you know... actually... Wenruo likes you very much, and usually loves to be close to you... but... big brother has... liked Wenruo... for a very long time... that... um!"

He An listened with a blank expression before realizing what was happening, and could not help smiling as he said, "Brother Gu... you worry too much. I view Wenruo just like a younger sister, without any other improper thoughts... Please rest easy, Brother Gu!"

Joy bloomed across Gu Qingzhou's face. Satisfied, he patted He An's shoulder, laughed out loud, and drained the wine in his cup in one gulp. Feeling the crisp, clear, and exceptionally mellow taste, he could not help crying out loudly, "Fine wine!"

"Fine wine!" Su Qiu praised in a loud voice, draining the wine in the porcelain bowl in a single gulp.

Wei Zhilin smiled, leaned down to pour another bowl, and said, "This is top-grade Yique Dukang. Junior Brother Zi Ya has pestered me for it many times; if not for you, Head Constable Su, I really would have been somewhat reluctant to take it out..."

Su Qiu picked up the bowl, unceremoniously gulped it down, wiped the wine stains from the edge of his lips, and looked at Wei Zhilin with a smile. "Academy Head calling me over is probably not just for tasting wine, right?"

"Nothing can ever be kept from an old fox like you from Six Fan Gate!" Wei Zhilin stroked his beard with a laugh, then picked up the wine jar to pour Su Qiu a full bowl before standing up, walking slowly to the bookshelf in the corner, and taking out two small tokens from a hidden compartment to hand to Su Qiu.

Frowning, Su Qiu accepted them and examined the two palm-sized black tokens closely. They felt icy cold to the touch, resembling both iron and wood, and for a moment he could not discern what material they were made of.

Carved upon the tokens were figures of tiny people in various postures, with faint lines also drawn across their bodies.

Somewhat uncertainly, Su Qiu asked, "These are... Cultivation Technique Diagrams?"

Wrinkles crinkled at the corners of Wei Zhilin's eyes as he said noncommittally, "Try cultivating with them and see how it feels..."

Su Qiu was also a martial dao expert. Hearing this, he secretly circulated his True Qi, and upon the very first try, he felt that although the True Qi circulation pathways carved by the lines ran completely counter to common sense, they could nonetheless form an entire circulation cycle.

Su Qiu could not help but be astonished. "This cultivation technique is somewhat bizarre, reversing the flow while concealing profound mysteries. It's completely different from the techniques of this world. Where did these tokens come from?"

Wei Zhilin sighed and said, "These two tokens were found by my late mentor. Two years ago, his old self sensed some anomalies in the Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy, though he couldn't pinpoint where the problem lay. On a night in July the year before last, his old self perceived what seemed to be shooting stars streaking across the beyond-heaven, with primordial energy fluctuating incessantly. Upon investigating, he discovered that over a dozen black objects had plummeted from the sky at extreme speeds. Because the speed was too fast and the locations too scattered, he only managed to get his hands on two, while the others scattered to various places, their whereabouts unknown..."

When Wei Zhilin reached this point, his brow knitted tightly, his expression filled with worry as he continued, "The ones in your hand are the two obtained by my mentor. My mentor's research revealed that the cultivation techniques carved upon them differ from all techniques in the world, and are extremely toxic. While they can rapidly elevate one's cultivation realm, they heavily consume vital blood and affect the mind. As one's cultivation realm advances, it gradually becomes difficult to control one's own consciousness. Cultivating this technique... it is estimated one can live twenty years at most."

Su Qiu blurted out, "Such a toxic cultivation technique-where did it spread from? And who is behind it?"

Wei Zhilin said, "My mentor investigated for a long time without finding a single clue, until recently... I accidentally discovered a bit of a lead..."

"Oh...?" Su Qiu's expression shifted. "I'm all ears!"

Wei Zhilin detailed the sparring match between He An and Sun Biao from start to finish, then mused, "According to the description by my Hall of Martial Knowledge master, this Sun Biao very likely practiced a similar technique. The affairs of the Knowledge and Practice Institute are heavy and complex, and I truly cannot spare the time. That's why I asked you here-to entrust you with investigating this matter!"

Su Qiu lowered his head in brief contemplation, then smiled teasingly, "Very well, as the saying goes, those who eat others' food are short-handed and those who take others' gifts are soft-handed. I've just downed several bowls of your wine, so this errand is one I can't refuse even if I wanted to!"

With that, he stood up, tightened the belt around his waist, and walked out the door.

"The moment there's any news, I will report back promptly!"