Chapter 130 - 129: Return to the Spirit Puppet Tower and Gather Materials

Chapter 130: Chapter 129: Return to the Spirit Puppet Tower and Gather Materials

After leaving the Recruitment Bureau, Lu Zhao followed Wang Ping’s directions and found cave-dwelling A-316 in a rather secluded corner of the Outer Disciple residential area. Its entrance was well-hidden, tucked beneath a grayish-brown cliff face covered in ivy.

When Lu Zhao knocked, the Restriction was disarmed, and the door was opened by an ordinary-looking middle-aged Cultivator. His eyes, however, held a shrewd glint, and he naturally exuded the aura of a Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer cultivator. This was Wei Tong.

"Junior Brother Lu? I’ve received Junior Brother Wang’s message. Please, come in." Wei Tong had clearly been waiting for some time. With a smile, he led Lu Zhao into the cave-dwelling, his enthusiasm warm yet measured.

The interior of the cave-dwelling matched its exterior in its extreme simplicity: a few Spirit Wood tables and chairs, a Coarse Pottery Tea Set, and several old, half-empty storage shelves against the wall. On them were scattered a few Jade Scrolls and a stack of Beast Hide Maps held down by a Paperweight Stone.

The two sat down, one host and one guest. Wei Tong didn’t beat around the bush. "Brother Wang has already given me the gist of your situation, Junior Brother Lu," he said, getting straight to the point. "Fifteen ordinary Sect tasks—consider it handled. As for the rules, I’m sure Brother Wang has already explained them. The fee is calculated based on Merit. One point of Merit for ten Lower Grade Spirit Stones, two points for twenty, and so on. So, how many tasks are you planning to ’complete’ this time, and how much Merit are you targeting?"

A thought flickered in Lu Zhao’s mind. He asked tentatively, "Brother Wei, this number of ’completed’ tasks and the amount of Merit earned... are there any upper limits I should know about?"

A knowing smile touched Wei Tong’s lips. He leaned in and spoke confidentially, "Looking to ’do’ a bit more, are we? To rack up some extra Merit? It’s a good thought, but you can’t be too greedy. The General Affairs Hall isn’t staffed by idiots. If a disciple completes an absurd number of tasks or accumulates a ridiculous amount of Merit in a single year, it’s bound to attract unwanted attention. And if they investigate, it won’t do either you or me any good."

He held up two fingers and lowered his voice. "That’s why our line of work has its own code. To play it safe, one person can be ’credited’ for a maximum of twenty ordinary tasks per year, and the total Merit gained must not exceed one hundred points. That’s a relatively safe threshold. As long as we stay within it, we can keep this going for a long time."

Lu Zhao’s mind raced. ’I’m exempt from mandatory tasks for two years, but I still have to complete ten ordinary tasks annually. With the five I missed last year, that’s fifteen tasks for this year and ten for the next. If I go through Wei Tong, I can ’clear’ this year’s required fifteen tasks, and maybe even get the maximum one hundred points of Merit.’

’Besides, there’s no actual limit on ordinary tasks. I could easily take on twenty, earn some extra Merit, and be better prepared for getting in line for a Foundation Establishment Pill.’

"Alright!" After a brief moment of deliberation, Lu Zhao agreed decisively. "Then I’ll have to trouble you, Brother Wei. Please arrange twenty ordinary tasks for me. We’ll aim for the maximum Merit—a full one hundred points!"

A sharp glint flashed in Wei Tong’s eyes. He was slightly surprised by Lu Zhao’s large order, but more than that, he was pleased, like a predator spotting its prey. He stroked the short beard on his chin and nodded. "You’re a straightforward man, Junior Brother! But twenty tasks and one hundred Merit is a significant amount. A single transaction would leave too obvious a trail. To be safe, it’s best we do this in two installments."

He pinched his fingers, making a quick calculation. "Here’s the plan. In three months, you come to my place and pick up the first batch of completed task Tokens, corresponding to ten tasks and fifty points of Merit. Then, six months from now, you’ll come back for the second batch—another ten tasks, another fifty Merit. As for the Spirit Stones, you can just pay on the spot each time you collect the Tokens, according to the amount of Merit. What do you say, Junior Brother Lu?"

"Whatever you arrange is fine, Brother Wei." Lu Zhao had no objections to the plan. After clarifying a few more key details, he stood up and took his leave.

Upon leaving Wei Tong’s cave-dwelling, Lu Zhao didn’t pause for a moment. He immediately rushed to the Bixia Marketplace and walked straight into the Spirit Puppet Tower.

Shopkeeper Lin Yuanshan looked up, startled to see Lu Zhao. A wide smile quickly spread across his face, but his tone carried a half-joking complaint. "Aiya! Mr. Lu! Not a peep from you in over a year. I, Lin, was beginning to think you’d found a better connection and were looking down on my humble little shop now!"

Lu Zhao cupped his hands in apology. "Forgive me, Fellow Daoist Lin. I, Lu, did not mean to break my promise. The truth is, I was bound by a mandatory Sect mission. I was dispatched to Lingze County to serve as a guard and was gone for over a year. The situation was beyond my control; it was impossible to get away or make contact."

"Lingze County?" At these words, an expression of understanding and sympathy crossed Lin Yuanshan’s face, and his voice dropped. "So you were banished to a place like that! No wonder! No wonder! The fact that you made it back in one piece, Mr. Lu, is a testament to your incredible abilities!" His words revealed he had some knowledge of Lingze County. ℯℯ𝘭.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Lu Zhao stopped talking and took out all the stock he had accumulated in his Storage Bag over the past year. Ironwood Guards, Ice Wind Wolf Puppets, Water Spirit Turtle Puppets... a wide assortment was arranged neatly on the counter, the quantity truly impressive.

Lin Yuanshan inspected the puppets for a moment, a brilliant light shining in his eyes. He exclaimed with sincere admiration, "Mr. Lu, it seems your Puppet Refining skills have reached even greater heights of mastery!" Not one to dither, he quickly calculated the payment and handed Lu Zhao a heavy Spirit Stone Bag on the spot, containing nearly fifteen hundred Lower Grade Spirit Stones.

As he accepted the Spirit Stones, Lu Zhao’s mind stirred, and he began to calculate silently. ’Counting my previous savings and this new income... I now have close to ten thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones! With the Merit points I’m getting, and since my Cultivation is already at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer, I could go directly to the Merit Hall, pay the Spirit Stones and corresponding Merit, and officially get in line for the Foundation Establishment Pill I’ve been dreaming of!’

The thought was like a red-hot branding iron searing his mind, sending a scorching thrill through him. But in the next instant, he took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the burning excitement.

The Foundation Establishment Pill was crucial, but his Cultivation still wasn’t quite ready. Even though Lu Zhao’s Cultivation had reached the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer, he wouldn’t go and get in line just yet.

After all, he still hadn’t gathered all the Spiritual Materials needed to refine the corpse of the Tier One High-Grade Ape Demon Beast, and that would cost a fortune in Spirit Stones. On top of that, there were the Pills he needed for his ongoing cultivation and the Spiritual Materials for other Puppets. All of these things cost Spirit Stones, and none of them were expenses he could cut.

"Master Lin," Lu Zhao said, pulling his thoughts together and facing Lin Yuanshan. "For the next two years, I, Lu, am not required to perform any mandatory missions, so the supply of Puppets will resume as normal. In addition, there is another matter I must trouble you with, Fellow Daoist Lin."

"Please, feel free to speak, Mr. Lu," Lin Yuanshan said, his smile widening.

Lu Zhao was concise, getting straight to the heart of the matter. "I, Lu, wish to attempt refining a Tier One High-Grade puppet, and I urgently need a large quantity of fresh Tier One High-Grade Ape Demon Beast corpses to serve as the Main Material. I was wondering if your tower could provide a stable supply? What would be the price? And how many could you provide?"