Chapter Thirty-Three: The Blessed Abode

The Mountain Gate.

The group, well-practiced in the routine, returned to the Hall of Enforcement and submitted their proof of mission completion.

Upon reading the mission description, the duty-bound Taoist at the desk furrowed his brow and murmured a few respectful incantations.

A buzzing sound filled the air! Countless flying red ants, swirling like mist, converged to form a human shape.

“I am the Right Steward of the Hall of Enforcement. Is what you report true?”

The steward’s entrance was nothing short of spectacular.

To save time, many Taoists chose to deposit their divine intent into a living creature or object, sending it forth to act on their behalf. Though they could not multitask in this state, it was at least safe and saved the effort of traveling back and forth. Such beasts and objects that could house divine intent were exceedingly rare and priceless; the moment they appeared, they were quickly bought up. Others would venture to the back mountain or even beyond, hoping to find one by chance.

“Everything is as we reported. Please, Steward, see for yourself.”

Yu Ci, seemingly prepared for this, produced the remains of the toad demon and the severed heads of Jin Yang and his companions.

“Distribute merit points to them. Five for the basic mission, and a bonus of forty-five for the extra task.”

After checking the items, the steward set them down and left.

Unless otherwise specified by the mission, all items acquired during a task belonged to the Taoists themselves.

It was no wonder the Hall of Enforcement made such a fuss. After all, for a group of low-ranked Taoists to have slain two high-level practitioners and several others was truly astonishing—almost unbelievable.

In the open courtyard, Han Tang, Yu Yan, and Lu stood together, making five in all.

“Merit points have been distributed. For this mission, Lu Qian takes primary credit, Han Bingli secondary. They may select two items first,” Yu Ci announced to the group.

He and Yan Xinglie then untied their bundles, pouring out a heap of goods.

There were the remains of the toad demon, several bottles of herbs, talismans, various weapons, and a pile of gold, silver, and jewels.

The money was divided equally, and the cultivation manuals were copied for each person.

Unfortunately, Jin Yang’s Sunfire Qi technique and body-refining methods were nowhere to be found. The old fox must have hidden them somewhere.

“Well, I accept your courtesy,” Lu Qian said with a carefree gesture, choosing the toad’s eyes and venom—both highly valuable medicinal ingredients from a demon of such power. Even if sold, they would fetch a dozen merit points.

Han Bingli picked a bottle of Bat Stealth Pills, which concealed the user’s presence and scent, and a hundred-forged steel dagger, together worth eight merit points.

The remainder was divided among the others.

“My friends, I’ll take my leave. Until fate lets us meet again.”

Han Bingli smiled radiantly, her pale jade hand extending to exchange contact paper cranes with the group.

A flash of light, and her figure vanished into the distance.

“Farewell! If you need weapons, you know where to find me!” Yan Xinglie left his contact details and departed as well.

“Farewell!”

The others exchanged paper cranes and went their separate ways.

“With what I had before, I now have fifty-five merit points. How should I spend them?” Lu Qian pondered.

That was equivalent to a Taoist’s base salary for fifty-five months.

It was more than enough for spells—there was no use in being greedy and biting off more than he could chew.

If he wanted to buy an exotic steed, it was far from enough—the cheapest went for at least a hundred merit points.

Unconsciously, Lu Qian wandered to the Medicine Mountain.

The Peach Blossom Grove.

Peach blossoms bloomed in dazzling profusion.

An old man, thin and past fifty, dressed in a blue Taoist robe, sat drinking alone.

Li Du gazed at the golden hall atop the tallest distant peak.

“Master Li, I’ve returned,” Lu Qian greeted with a bow.

That golden hall, Thunderfire Hall, was said to be the residence of the Daoist Tongyou—a forbidden place within the temple. Why would Li Du be looking at it? Could he have some connection with Tongyou?

“Oh, you’re back,” Li Du replied, turning and wiping wine from his goatee with his sleeve. “Hmm? Your cultivation has deepened. You must’ve had quite an adventure.”

Lu Qian recounted his experiences, omitting the Jiao Dragon map stirring in his mind.

When he finished, Li Du burst out in hearty laughter. “You lucky rascal! Survived certain death—great fortune awaits! How much merit did you earn?”

“Fifty-five, and I’m at a loss for how to spend it,” Lu Qian replied with a laugh.

Indeed, thinking back, he’d been quite fortunate.

Li Du twirled his beard thoughtfully. “My advice: buy a dwelling cave.”

“A dwelling cave?”

“Don’t think it’s just an ordinary house. The right to buy a dwelling cave is the greatest privilege a Taoist can have,” Li Du said, with a knowing look.

A dwelling cave was a Taoist’s personal cultivation territory.

It allowed for meditation, the planting of spiritual herbs, refining tools and elixirs—everything one needed for daily practice.

Not just any place qualified for such a construction. Generally, they had to be built where the earth’s energy converged, where sun and moonlight were plentiful. Cultivating in such a place yielded twice the results for half the effort, and spiritual herbs grew much more readily. Formations could be carved outside to ward off disturbances.

“How much do they cost?” Lu Qian was enthralled.

“In the old days, you could live wherever you pleased, but now they’re worth a fortune,” Li Du said, pointing to a spot near the back mountain, at the sect’s edge.

“There are fifteen auspicious caves there—top grade for two hundred fifty merit, mid-grade for a hundred fifty, and basic for a hundred. The eight caves on the mountain you entered are all basic. They’re out of the way, never used. By the way, you could put part of the payment on credit.”

Lu Qian stood frozen for a long moment before recovering, nearly in tears.

“Why do I have to be a mortgage slave even here?!”

“Isn’t there a free option?” he asked hopefully.

“There is! The temple encourages pioneers—if you find an appropriate spot, it’s yours,” Li Du grinned. “But as far as I know, in sixty years, no one has found a suitable place. All the good ones are already taken.”

Lu Qian felt a headache coming on.

Basic, mid, and top grades depended on the density of earth energy and celestial essence.

A hundred merit points for the lowest grade—no small sum. No wonder family background was part of the entry assessment. The wealthy lived in the best caves, used the finest pills, practiced the top methods, and advanced much faster than their peers. That, too, was a kind of innate advantage.

“Maybe I should buy on credit?” Lu Qian thought.

After hearing Master Li’s explanation, the advantages of a cave dwelling seemed enormous. With all his secrets, he’d have nothing to fear from prying eyes.

“But there’s another option—caves left vacant after their owner’s death. There’s just such a mid-grade one behind Medicine Mountain; the earth energy has waned, so it’s now considered basic. Only those from the medicine hall are eligible.”

Each hall had similar arrangements.

At this point, Li Du winked at Lu Qian. “The asking price is a hundred and twenty merit, and the deed happens to be mine. For my disciple, I’ll let it go cheap—fifty-five merit. Heh heh…”

“Master… I’ll buy it!” Lu Qian agreed, though it pained him; it felt as if the price had been set based on his own savings! If he’d known, he’d have claimed he only had twenty.

“However, if you become a first-rank apothecary within a month, I’ll only charge you twenty merit,” Li Du said, as if reading Lu Qian’s mind, smiling at his disciple. The boy had talent, but lacked the peace of mind. After being away so long, he seemed to have forgotten he was first and foremost an apothecary. He needed to be reminded not to grow arrogant.

Lu Qian’s face brightened, and he said, “Master, I already advanced to first rank before I left the mountain. I was in such a rush, I forgot to report it.”

With that, he produced a jade bottle. “Please, Master, have a look!”

“What?” Li Du took it, and his expression immediately turned tragic.