Chapter Forty-Three: The Use of Merit Points

“Ding, main quest completed. Insufficient merit points—unable to receive the full quest reward. Would you like to use substitute items to offset the deficit in merit points?”

Jiang Yan was startled. Insufficient merit points? Unable to claim the complete quest reward... So this was the true purpose of the merit point system. Although Jiang Yan had fulfilled the sect leader system’s mission, he could not receive the full reward due to his lack of merit points.

Cultivators train their spiritual power and seek to comprehend the will of Heaven. In the evaluation of the sect leader system, spiritual power is the measure of a cultivator’s rank—like Jiang Yan’s current sixth level of Qi Refinement. The will of Heaven, however, cannot be represented by any material thing; in the system, merit points serve as a manifestation of that will. The will of Heaven determines the strength of a cultivator; one’s rank is merely its outward expression. Moreover, merit points are essential for claiming rewards upon completing missions.

Now, although Jiang Yan had met all the requirements to advance through the main quest, at the final step, when he was to receive his reward, the system declared his merit points insufficient and asked if he wished to use items to compensate.

Jiang Yan summoned the translucent information panel, eager to see what items the sect leader system would require to offset his lack of merit points.

“Single-use merit point substitutes—spirit stones. The exchange rate is one merit point for every one thousand spirit stones.”

Jiang Yan was furious. It would have been one thing if merit points could be replaced by spirit stones, but the rate was outrageously steep—one thousand spirit stones for a single merit point. Even worse, spirit stones were treated as single-use items.

Single-use meant that once he used a number of spirit stones to claim this quest reward, for the next quest, if he still lacked merit points, he would have to spend the same number of spirit stones again. For example, if he spent one hundred spirit stones this time, and his merit points remained unchanged, he would need another one hundred spirit stones next time. Again and again.

“Eight hundred and thirty-seven!”

Seeing the number of spirit stones required to complete the quest, Jiang Yan cried out in disbelief. To claim his reward, he needed eight hundred and thirty-seven spirit stones! Jiang Yan was about to lose his mind—in total, he barely had fifty spirit stones in his pouch, yet the system demanded eight hundred and thirty-seven at once. Wasn’t this a death sentence?

“Young man, did you just say eight hundred and thirty-seven?” The goatee-bearded shopkeeper was startled by Jiang Yan’s sudden outburst. After Jiang Yan fell silent, the shopkeeper asked with a puzzled look.

Jiang Yan shot him an annoyed glance and replied irritably, “I’m short on spirit stones and was just worrying about where I might get some.”

The shopkeeper’s expression froze; he chuckled awkwardly, “I’m afraid I can’t help you there. Spirit stones only pass through my hands when buyers and sellers trade at auctions. As for earning spirit stones, that’s probably a secret known only to the immortals…”

“Buy or sell…” Suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed through Jiang Yan’s mind.

Jiang Yan looked at the goatee-bearded shopkeeper, his eyes shining with the light of spirit stones. He asked cautiously, “Shopkeeper, have you prepared enough lots for this auction?”

The shopkeeper scrutinized Jiang Yan, suspicion in his gaze. Could this youngster be planning to auction something himself? Stroking his goatee, he replied slowly, “If you can provide items of sufficient quality, our Marvelous Treasures Pavilion will certainly include them in the auction. But if you’re offering an ordinary wooden crane-type spiritual tool, I’m afraid not.”

Jiang Yan’s eyes glittered as he retorted with disdain, “A wooden crane hardly counts. Didn’t you say your auction’s highlight is a top-grade spiritual elixir? Well, I have here an excellent pill that can alter one’s innate constitution. I wonder if it can rival the one you intend to auction.”

Jiang Yan still possessed six Bone-Easing Pills—one reserved for Yun Ying, the other five could, for now, be put up for auction to offset his merit point deficit. Once his sect prospered, they would surely have their own alchemists. The Complete First-Tier Pill Compendium he’d received from the sect leader system last time included the Bone-Easing Pill recipe. With trained alchemists, would there ever be a shortage?

The shopkeeper’s demeanor changed instantly, a hint of reverence in his eyes, though he still asked apprehensively, “Young master—no, sir, do you truly possess a high-grade elixir?”

Jiang Yan nodded calmly, unconcerned by the shopkeeper’s skepticism.

The goatee-bearded shopkeeper’s face immediately broke into an ingratiating smile. He bustled out from behind the counter and bowed deeply. “This way, sir, please. The Pavilion entertains honored guests on the second floor. Please forgive my earlier ignorance—if you would, this way.”

Inwardly, the shopkeeper was praying that Jiang Yan truly had a top-grade elixir. If so, as the first to deal with him, he would surely benefit—and perhaps even be promoted.

The shopkeeper bustled ahead, leading Jiang Yan into a private room on the second floor. After instructing a maid to serve tea, he excused himself and hurried off to fetch the senior appraiser.

Jiang Yan had not waited long when a middle-aged man with a dignified and amiable face entered, accompanied by a young woman in green whose face was veiled in black gauze.

The man bowed politely. “Sir, I am Ding Yuan, senior appraiser of the Marvelous Treasures Pavilion, responsible for authenticating items brought in from outside. You mentioned consigning a top-grade elixir that can alter one’s constitution. May I ask which pill it is?”

The man’s manner was warm and smiling even before he spoke, which immediately won Jiang Yan’s favor. At Ding Yuan’s words, Jiang Yan casually produced a milky-white porcelain bottle containing a Bone-Easing Pill. With a thought, his spiritual power enveloped the bottle and levitated it before the appraiser.

Seeing the bottle suspended in midair, Ding Yuan was secretly astonished. Though so young, the boy could manipulate objects from a distance—a feat requiring at least the fourth level of Qi Refinement. In the region around Linqing Prefecture, the top disciples of second- and third-tier sects were only at the sixth level, and they were all older than this youth. His future was limitless…

With this in mind, Ding Yuan resolved to befriend Jiang Yan. People in his position not only managed the auction house, but also cultivated ties with cultivators across the land. Sensing Jiang Yan’s potential, he was eager to establish a connection.

Ding Yuan respectfully received the levitating bottle and handed it to the veiled woman behind him.

She examined the bottle closely for a long time, then held it under her veil and inhaled gently. After a contemplative silence, she opened her eyes, which now blazed as she fixed them on Jiang Yan. “May I ask, sir, was this elixir refined by you?”

A blush crept across Jiang Yan’s face—who could say who had made this pill? The image of Tang Wan’s lovely face flashed through his mind. “This elixir was refined by my junior sister,” he replied offhandedly.

The woman’s eyes shone with amazement. “You appear to be no more than eighteen or nineteen—your junior sister must be about the same age. Could there truly be one born in this world with such gift for alchemy?”

Adhering to the principle that a harmless lie never hurt anyone, Jiang Yan replied, “No one is born able to refine pills, but with the guidance of a high-level alchemist, becoming a mid-tier alchemist at a young age is not so uncommon.”

Though skepticism flickered in her gaze, the veiled woman maintained her respect for the owner of such a pill. She gazed fondly at the elixir in her hand and spoke at a measured pace.

“Elixirs of fine quality are much like people—beauty appreciates beauty. Every beautiful woman values her attire: elegant, delicate, or simple. In the same way, the vessel storing a fine pill subtly reflects its excellence.”

As she spoke, she held up the porcelain bottle for the two men to see. “The milky-white glaze of this bottle is neither too pale nor too thick; the entire bottle exudes grace and serenity, much like a beautiful woman. Judging by the vessel alone, this pill is of outstanding quality.”

Jiang Yan let out a long sigh of relief. It seemed the sect leader system’s quest rewards were indeed reliable—at least, this pill had earned the recognition of the Pavilion’s expert alchemist.

With slender fingers, the veiled woman gently removed the bottle’s stopper, held the mouth of the bottle to her nose, and with a delicate wave of her hand, wafted the fragrance of the pill toward herself.

“A fine pill—an excellent elixir!” After a long moment with her eyes closed, she finally opened her lips to praise the elixir within the porcelain bottle.

She placed the bottle in her palm, supporting it with one hand, as a rich red spiritual power slowly gathered in her palm, coalescing around the bottle...