Chapter 66: You Look So Good When You're Shameless (2)
Inside the city, things were as peaceful as ever.
The small battle outside the city did not attract much attention from the masses. One difference was that some foreign vehicles could now be seen on the roads. These vehicles came from the capital. The entrance examinations were drawing near and the visitors were starting to arrive.
Team Leader Liu saw the new vehicles as well. He said, "Don't worry. You can even skip the exam if you want. You've helped us with an Infinite Strength cult member. You've also killed a sixth-stage Great Strength cult member alone. Including your past contributions, you can easily enter a cultural research or a war academy without taking any exams."
Those words would probably drive Chen Hao mad. Skipping the examinations! Free entry! If Chen Hao learned of that, he would probably start complaining that life was unfair.
Bai Feng had previously given his two guaranteed slots to Su Yu and Liu Yue. And now, Su Yu had earned enough contributions to be exempted from the examinations. It was as though he alone had monopolized all opportunities. However, the strong would always be the strong. It was completely normal for the strong to continue gaining more.
After giving it some thought, Su Yu said, "Team Leader Liu, you can't give me the credit for the kill of the Infinite Strength cultivator. I don't want to attract reprisals from the cult. I'm still a Source Opening cultivator. I'll stick out like a sore thumb."
"If you don't mind losing the bonus marks, that won't be a problem."
Liu Pingshan smiled, "Some agencies and organizations can only see your merit points and not the source of your points. The military is in charge of the merit system. Apart from the military, no other organization or agency can get involved in the merit system. That is a system under direct supervision of the prefect. Even the Myriad Race Cult would not be able to see your information unless they manage to sneak a spy into the higher ups of the military."
Su Yu exhaled in relief. He wanted the merit points, but he was also worried that he would attract too much attention. That wouldn’t be good, especially since he was only a Source Opening cultivator. How had he helped in the battle? How big of a help was he?
If news of what he did spread, what would he do if the cult sent some Infinite Strength or even Skysoar cultivators to kill him? Thus, it was imperative that he stayed low profile. Of course, he still couldn't give up on the merit points. The merit points could increase his authority level. Additionally, the points could also be used to purchase some things he needed.
"You killed a middle-stage Great Strength cultivator by yourself, earning two merit points. You also helped with the early-stage Infinite Strength cultivator. Generally, you can get at least ten merit points for that. But since we're all fighting above our class, we will receive double the points. Additionally, we have also eliminated a cult hideout so we will be rewarded for that as well."
Liu Pingshan did not want to leave the impression of someone who would steal the contribution of others. He seriously explained, "Thus, we will earn about twenty-five to thirty merit points for this mission. Naturally, if a Skysoar cultivator was there to help us, we would only receive ten merit points. The rewards are not fixed. They will change according to the situation.
"Although you have contributed greatly with your illusion, Little Chen had...Su Yu, according to our rules, the dead will have a share of the rewards as well. At most, you will probably receive only five merit points for the kill."
Su Yu was stunned. He wasn't surprised because the reward was underwhelming. Rather, it was overwhelming. He had only performed a small distraction, but he stood to earn as many merit points as someone who had killed five early-stage Great Strength cultivators.
"Uncle Liu..."
Liu Pingshan interrupted him, "Don't think that this is too little. Including the Great Strength cultivator you killed, you can earn around seven merit points in total. Also, we can't share the spoils of war with you, but you should understand why. Of course, if one day you are officially invited on one of our missions, you will be entitled to share the spoils of that mission as well."
That was also part of the rules. Su Yu had joined the mission uninvited this time. The department was already being very kind by allowing him to join them. He was not entitled to the spoils of war. Otherwise, the department would probably be flooded with volunteers.
However, in situations where the department needed to carry out a major mission and lacked manpower, they would invite some helpers. Those helpers would be entitled to share the spoils of war.
Liu Pingshan patted Su Yu's shoulder and smiled, "I'll get someone to notify you the next time we find a small hideout. That way, it will be an official invitation and you can share the spoils of war as well. I'm afraid you will have to let the others have all the spoils this time."
In truth, the department had never invited a Source Opening cultivator to help with a mission before. Historically, they had only invited those above the seventh-stage Great Strength Realm for their missions.
Su Yu did not say anything. As far as he was concerned, he had earned a lot from this mission. Seven merit points. Coupled with the three merit points he had earned from the previous Windcatcher Department missions he had joined, he had earned a total of ten merit points from them.
The languages he knew had earned him eighteen merit points. Killing the cult member at the school had earned him three merit points. He had earned thirty-one merit points in total. Of course, excluding the seven points he was about to get, he only had ten points left.
As for his original earned merit, he only had twenty-eight points. The points from the kill at the school were credited under Chen Hao's name since he was the one who had made the claim.
It was extremely rare for someone to accumulate twenty-eight original earned merit points at the Source Opening Realm. That was extremely difficult unless one did something ridiculous like mastering twenty-eight languages.
Before they knew it, they had returned to the department. Everyone started getting off the trucks. The chief, Zeng Hua, was waiting outside the entrance. When he saw his officers getting off the truck, he nodded at them. But when his gaze landed on Liu Pingshan's arm, a look of pain covered his eyes.
As a ninth-stage Great Strength cultivator, Liu Pingshan was one of the powerhouses of the department. But with one of his arms crippled, his strength would drop greatly. He would most likely be forced into early retirement.
And looking at the two corpses, Zeng Hua sighed. He bowed and saluted the two corpses silently. After greeting Su Yu with a nod, he gestured at Liu Pingshan to enter the office for a meeting. Su Yu did not linger and left the department shortly after.
...
Nanyuan Secondary School.
Liu Wenyan was also sighing. After a sigh, he cursed, "Ridiculous!"
His sigh was directed toward the two officers who had sacrificed their lives during the mission. His curse was directed toward Su Yu's rashness. With such a weak willpower, that kid actually dared to attack an Infinite Strength cultivator? Was he suicidal?
If his opponent also had a decently strong willpower, with Su Yu's weak willpower, a single moment of carelessness would result in a backlash, turning him into a madman. Fortunately, that opponent was a pure warrior without much accomplishments in willpower cultivation.
However, one ought to know that there were a lot of people who had only started physical cultivation after failing to advance in willpower cultivation. In fact, even those in the Mental Tempering Stage might shift their focus to become physical cultivators.
And if Su Yu's opponent was one such individual, he would not survive the encounter. Liu Wenyan could only rejoice that the opponent Su Yu had encountered this time wasn't such a person. But would he stay lucky forever? Challenging an Infinite Strength cultivator as a Source Opening cultivator was too dangerous.
"But...he did well."
After he was done cursing, Liu Wenyan smiled. At the very least, that kid had demonstrated valor and responsibility. Instead of pissing his pants in fear, the kid had actually volunteered to help. That was a form of unyielding valor.
"Helping in a fight against an Infinite Strength cultivator at the Source Opening Realm. That kid is getting more and more outstanding. I am starting to feel reluctant to send him to the academy..."
The old man muttered for a bit before he started cursing again, "Damn that Bai Feng. How is he qualified to teach that kid? Wan Tiansheng would be a better candidate as that kid's teacher!"
But his tone immediately shifted, "Then again, that's good. He can keep a low profile under Bai Feng. Bai Feng has decent potential as well. If he really doesn't cut it, I can still get his teacher to teach that kid."
After talking to himself for a bit, Liu Wenyan picked up the communicator on the desk and hesitated. After a short while, he dialed a number. Before long, the call connected. However, nobody spoke on the line.
Liu Wenyan remained silent as well. After almost a minute of silence, he said, "I have a promising student. After he joins the academy...watch out for him."
"Liu Wenyan, are you begging me?"
"Like hell I'm begging you!" Liu Wenyan scolded, "I won't beg you. Are you brainless? You fool! I'm only asking you to watch his back. Watch the back of an outstanding student!"
The other voice replied, "Beg me and I'll take care of him. Otherwise, I'll target him. This is the first time you're begging me in so many years."
"Beg my ass!"
"Is scolding people the only thing you've learned all these years?"
Liu Wenyan was furious, "Wu Yuehua, are you asking for a fight? Do you think I won't be able to find someone willing to help me in the academy?"
"Sure you can. But...are you willing to contact those people?" the other voice replied calmly. "Apart from me, who else can you find? Your junior brother? That Hong guy has recently gone to the Allheaven Battlefield. I don't know if he can even return alive. Are you sure you're going to look for him?"
"What? He went to the Allheaven Battlefield?"
"Yeah. Maybe he's entering a newly discovered realm. Nobody knows when he'll return."
Liu Wenyan frowned. He couldn't be bothered to ask more and said, "Cut the crap. You'll take care of my student. Also, are you stupid? Who told you to repay the merit points for me? Tell Wan Tiansheng to spit those points out!"
Liu Wenyan roared, "Fifty thousand merit points! Including the points he had deduced from me over the years, he owes me over seventy points! He better spit them all out or I'll make him pay!"
"Are they yours? Are any of the fifty thousand points yours?"
"What stupid question is that? Since you've paid the debt on my behalf, the merit points are as good as mine."
"..."
The other voice was rendered speechless. After a while, it said, "Since when are you so shameless?"
"I've always been shameless!" Liu Wenyan was still furious, "If I knew shame, I would have found a place nobody knows me and hid forever. Why the hell would I continue staying in Great Xia? If I knew shame, I wouldn't have called you. Shame? What is that?"
.
"..."
After a while, the other voice sighed and said, "I really want to see how you look when you're saying all these shameless words. So are you coming back?"
"No!" Liu Wenyan's tone turned hostile, "Why should I return? Am I supposed to return to allow the others to sneer and laugh at me? If I return, that fellow will start targeting me! Enough about all that. Just watch my student's back. I'm worried that he will be targeted by others. Ignore everything else. Also, I'm lacking money recently. Just send me a couple hundred drops of divine and devil blood. I need to forge my body. I'll pay you back when I get the money."
"Liu Wenyan...I really want to see your shameless face. Why don't I personally deliver you the blood essence? I want to see if you'll have the guts to say the same words to my face."
"Why are you saying all those useless words?" Liu Wenyan raged, "Just get someone to deliver the blood essence. If you're unwilling, so be it. Do you think I really care about some blood essence? I'm just worried that they would go to waste in your storage."
"Du...du...du..."
The call ended.
Liu Wenyan blanked out slightly before rubbing his red face. That was too embarrassing! He couldn’t believe what he just said. Since when was he so shameless?
"Sigh. Old Wang must have influenced me too much."
Liu Wenyan sighed and tossed the blame to the principal. He insisted that the principal was the negative influence, turning him into such a shameless person.