Chapter 190 - 134: The Origin of the Hu Family

Chapter 190: Chapter 134: The Origin of the Hu Family

Liu Yang chuckled. "Raising their own Corpse Demons just to kill them off... the merit points would have been a freebie. If they’d been allowed to run that scheme for a few decades, the Wuling City Taiping Bureau might have ended up with the surname Hu."

Su Mu nodded in agreement.

If the Hu Family hadn’t misjudged his strength, they might have actually succeeded.

If he and Feng Zhengqian had both died here last time, Hu Guangshao would have been able to use their corpses as stepping stones to climb the ranks.

Unfortunately, one wrong move and the whole game was lost.

"Their original plan was to use the Corpse Demons to incite a rebellion in the Outer City. Then, they’d have Hu Guangshao eliminate the demons to earn special merit," Zhang Chenchen said. "But man proposes, God disposes."

"The remnants of the Profound Nether Sect stumbling into this was a fluke. If they’d truly been allowed to grow stronger, it would have become a huge problem."

Lin Qi Huan said thoughtfully, "Report this to the Bureau and submit it to Headquarters. Use the Hu Family as a lead to track down the remnants of the Profound Nether Sect."

"Yes."

Zhang Chenchen replied.

"Cong Yuanlong, you will continue to stand guard at Yi Xian Gorge for one year."

Lin Qi Huan turned to the others and said slowly, "Everyone else, your duties remain the same."

"As for you two—"

His gaze fell upon Su Mu and Luo Anning.

Although his face remained impassive, Lin Qi Huan was already cursing up a storm in his head.

’What kind of luck is this?’

’I randomly pick up a little beggar from the Outer City, and in just a few short years, he’s grown this powerful.’

’Dammit, two types of Intent!’

’I’ve only mastered one type of Intent, okay?’

’Good thing my Cultivation Realm is higher than his!’

"Master Lin, please assign more missions to us."

Luo Anning suddenly spoke up. "We need to earn more merit points. We aren’t afraid of danger, and we aren’t afraid of hard work."

Liu Yang, Ding Shiyun, Zhang Chenchen, Cong Yuanlong, and even the taciturn Zhong Guizheng all gave her a strange look.

’Are all the new recruits this intense these days?’

’Merit points are great, but you can’t just throw your life away for them.’

Lin Qi Huan: "..."

"In the Taiping Bureau, there’s no one who doesn’t need merit points," Lin Qi Huan said slowly. ’When you put it like that, you’re putting a lot of pressure on me, your senior.’

"It’s different, Master Lin."

Luo Anning explained seriously, "As you know, Senior Brother Su has reached the Body Tempering Limit."

Lin Qi Huan nodded, his expression stiff.

’Is the Body Tempering Limit such a big deal? I, Lin Qi Huan, also cultivated the First Stage of Bone Tempering to its limit, okay? It’s just that my skin, flesh, and sinew tempering were a bit worse than his...’

’Alright, fine, the Body Tempering Limit *is* pretty amazing.’

’But I’m in the Rebirth Realm!’

"Because of my carelessness, I didn’t remind him in time, so when he went through his blood exchange, he only cultivated the Seven Times Blood Exchange Technique."

Luo Anning continued, her expression grave and earnest.

Lin Qi Huan tensed slightly. ’Wait, is she calling me out?’

’I’m his direct superior. In theory, I should have been the one to remind him, but I forgot...’

’The Seven Times Blood Exchange Technique really is a bit of a waste for a physique at the Body Tempering Limit.’

"Although Senior Brother Su relied on his Body Tempering Limit physique to break through the limitations of the Blood Exchange Technique and achieve an eight times blood exchange," Luo Anning said, "it was ultimately a setback."

Everyone: "..."

Su Mu looked mortified, so embarrassed he could have dug a three-bedroom apartment with his toes.

He frantically shot glances at Luo Anning, trying to get her to stop talking. If she kept going, there would be no way to explain things away.

But Luo Anning acted as if she hadn’t seen his signals at all, continuing to look at Lin Qi Huan with a serious expression.

"It was indeed—a setback."

Lin Qi Huan felt a bit uncomfortable under her gaze and said slowly, "But there’s no way to redo the Blood Exchange Technique."

’What’s wrong with an eight times blood exchange? I, Lin Qi Huan, only managed an eight times blood exchange myself, okay?’

’Ding Shiyun and Zhang Chenchen only did a seven times exchange.’

’How is an eight times blood exchange a setback?’

’The Body Tempering Limit—so what if it’s amazing?’

"The Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect is currently firing up its cauldrons to refine Blood Strengthening Pills. If we can get one, Senior Brother Su will be able to achieve a nine times blood exchange. That would make up for the previous mistake," Luo Anning continued.

"Are you joking?"

Lin Qi Huan was silent for a long moment before he finally couldn’t help but say, "I admit I have some standing in the Taiping Bureau, but even I can’t get my hands on a Blood Strengthening Pill."

"We don’t need your help, Master Lin."

Luo Anning shook her head. "You just need to assign us more missions so we can earn more merit points. I’ve already spoken with Master Wan. As long as I can save up one hundred thousand merit points, he will help me trade for a Blood Strengthening Pill."

"Senior Brother Wan?"

Lin Qi Huan’s brows furrowed. If it was Senior Brother Wan, then it was indeed possible.

"Even if Senior Brother Wan is willing to help you, do you have any idea how hard it is to get one hundred thousand merit points?" Lin Qi Huan said.

He thought to himself, ’If Su Mu and Luo Anning were to ask, I could consider lending them one hundred thousand merit points.’

’Luckily, I’ve been slaying demons in the Daxing Mountains all these years without slacking off, so I have some savings. Otherwise, if they really asked to borrow them and I couldn’t produce one hundred thousand merit points, wouldn’t that be a huge loss of face?’

’But it’s fine now. One hundred thousand merit points... I happen to have just that amount.’

At this thought, Lin Qi Huan calmed down considerably. He clasped his hands behind his back, tilted his head up slightly, and said, "These men have been Taiping Captains for years. Why don’t you ask them how many merit points they’ve saved up? One hundred thousand merit points aren’t that easy to come by."

"I’ve earned and spent, spent and earned over the years. Right now, I only have two or three thousand merit points on hand," Liu Yang said. "If we’re talking about the total I’ve ever earned, it’s probably around fifty or sixty thousand merit points over the years. They others are about the same as me. Oh, but Junior Brother Cong is way behind."

Cong Yuanlong’s face darkened. ’Just talk about yourself. Why the hell did you have to bring me into this?’

"I’ve done the math."

Luo Anning tilted her head slightly, thought for a moment, and said earnestly, "Senior Brother Su and I solved the Corpse Demon case this time. Between the two of us, we should get about thirty thousand merit points. If we take on a few more missions after that, one hundred thousand points won’t be that hard."

The others were simultaneously speechless. ’Everyone else earns merit points individually. How come when it’s your turn, you earn them as a pair?’

’Earning them as a pair is one thing, but dammit, your luck is so good! You run into a whole nest of Corpse Demons right off the bat and rake in thirty thousand merit points in one go!’

’They might not earn that much even after several years of hard work.’

Lin Qi Huan had been waiting for Luo Anning to ask to borrow the merit points. Then, as her senior, he would casually toss out one hundred thousand points and say nonchalantly, "Take them. No rush to pay me back."

But he never expected Luo Anning to declare that earning one hundred thousand merit points "won’t be that hard."

’Are you doing this on purpose?’

"Master Lin, Junior Sister Luo is just kidding."

Su Mu spoke up, a little embarrassed. "To be honest, the Blood Strengthening Pill is just something we were dreaming about."

"I’m not kidding. I’m serious," Luo Anning said, shaking her head firmly.

Su Mu: "..."

’Talking like that isn’t good for team unity! Be low-key, low-key!’

’I never even said I did an eight times blood exchange!’

"You don’t have to go to the trouble."

Lin Qi Huan slowly turned around, his back to them. He clasped his hands behind him, gazed up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, and spoke in a light, unconcerned tone.

"I was the one who taught Su Mu his initial martial arts. Though we aren’t master and disciple in name or in practice," Lin Qi Huan continued, "since I was the one who guided him onto this path, I’ll cover the one hundred thousand merit points."

Everyone: "..."

"Don’t refuse. One hundred thousand merit points may be a monumental affair for you, but to me, it’s a trivial matter."

A muscle in Lin Qi Huan’s face twitched.

’One hundred thousand merit points are not trivial at all. My heart aches.’

"I wasn’t going to refuse," Luo Anning said earnestly. "Master Lin, you’re truly a good person."

Ding Shiyun, Zhang Chenchen, and the others looked at each other, their expressions odd.

’The boss gets called a "good person" and just like that, he’s out one hundred thousand merit points?’

’Junior Sister Luo looks so quiet, gentle, and harmless, but she’s a reaper in disguise. She even harvested the boss.’

"You all clean up the battlefield. I’m going to see if there are any fish that slipped through the net nearby."

Lin Qi Huan said, then headed up the mountain without looking back. As he climbed the peak, he actually slipped several times and nearly fell.

"Master Lin... he’s truly my benefactor."

Watching Lin Qi Huan’s figure disappear over the mountain’s peak, Su Mu couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.