Chapter 22: Teaching Merit

In the following days, Fang Cun still took his family’s carriage every morning, leaving early and returning late as he went to the Academy.

However, after arriving at the Academy, he just wandered around the place, not heading to Yuanzhi Pavilion or rushing to ask someone to help him find a new Instructor; only occasionally would he meet Master Lan Shuang to inquire about methods of Qi Refining.

But the early-stage methods of Qi Refining were simple by nature; what mattered was the gradual effort, and there wasn’t much to gain from guidance or inquiries.

Master Lan Shuang thought Fang Cun had only just come into contact with Qi Refining methods and was likely pondering and preparing; he didn’t know that, from the first day Fang Cun heard about Qi Refining, Fang Cun had already started practicing and, that very night, cultivated Internal Breath.

Every day when Fang Cun returned home, he would eat and drink his fill, calm his mind, and practice for three hours; because his Innate Qi was stronger than others, his progress was rapid.

In just a few days, he could clearly feel the presence of Internal Breath; after several more days, he could freely guide that Internal Breath to flow within his body, as if the eight extraordinary meridians were gradually becoming filled.

Fang Cun knew that he couldn’t rush things now.

The Breath Refining Realm was a major stage, and the most important link before cultivating the Treasure Body; its significance lay in cultivating a full internal breath through methods like breath exercises and consuming elixirs.

Only when the Internal Breath inside him was full could he attempt to cultivate the Treasure Body.

Of course, that part was still far away…

In the Breath Refining stage, reaching completion could be fast or slow depending on one’s aptitude.

Ordinary Academy Disciples might achieve completion of the Breath Refining Realm in one or two years, or even a few months, and then begin to comprehend the Seven Classics to cultivate the Treasure Body.

But those with poor aptitude and laziness might still not achieve completion even after three years.

After reflecting on himself and consulting some cultivation notes, Fang Cun guessed that he was probably a fast one.

If the Breath Refining Realm was divided into ten levels, he should have reached the second level and was about to enter the third after just a few short days.

This speed was quite satisfying; there was no need to force it, and instead of hoping to reach completion of the Breath Refining Realm faster, it was more appealing to him now to strive for the middle stage of the realm…

As Internal Breath grew full and strong, he could practice some spells.

Qi Refiners had various divine powers, incredibly refined—moving mountains to crush people, drawing seas to water flowers—many tricks, all extremely intricate.

But someone who had just stepped onto the path of Qi Refining couldn’t grasp all that intricacy.

What they could access were only the two fundamental techniques of Qi Refiners.

Manipulating Objects!

Capturing Souls!

Manipulating Objects was a method using Internal Breath to guide, generating invisible force that could affect outward things; tricks like Flying Swords, flying knives, moving mountains, or even making the body float were all derived and enhanced from Manipulating Objects.

The foundation of Manipulating Objects was Internal Breath; the stronger the Internal Breath, the stronger the invisible force.

The foundation of Capturing Souls was Innate Qi.

When a person’s Innate Qi grew strong, it could influence other beings.

Even some mortals, whether in high positions or fierce and menacing, would naturally develop an aura; sometimes, just a glance could make others freeze as if facing an abyss, which was a subtle expression of Capturing Souls.

And Qi Refiners used this much more mysteriously; if based on Innate Qi, aided by Internal Breath movement, or even ancient secret chants, invoking the wonders of Innate Qi, it wasn’t just giving someone a fright anymore.

Skilled ones could even make the other hallucinate or obey commands, playing with their minds in a single thought…

What concerned Fang Cun most now was his own Innate Qi.

His rapid cultivation progress was entirely due to his Innate Qi far exceeding others.

Since Innate Qi was so important, naturally the stronger, the better; every bit of growth brought solid benefits…

Sadly, to improve Innate Qi, he needed Merit.

But his stored Merit had been depleted when he breached the Rear Mountain earlier, leaving him with nothing now.

“It seems Merit can be obtained just by slaying demons and removing evils…”

Fang Cun sometimes couldn’t help thinking, “Could I rush out now to kill a few monsters?”

Too brutal!

But after a thought, he recalled that he still had some uncollected Merit.

The first time he encountered the Celestial Merit Record, he saw he had accumulated six thousand units of Merit, gained from slaying demonic evils around Willow Lake City before.

Yet this Merit wasn’t complete; earlier, he had uncovered the demonic form of Lady Qingmeng in the brothel, then secretly ordered someone to inform Master Qin at the tea shack outside the city to find an opportunity to eliminate the Fox Demon…

Once the Fox Demon was slain, some Merit would fall upon him.

“I wonder when Master Qin will act…”

Fang Cun pondered slightly.

Based on Master Qin’s habit, after taking his job, he usually acted in seven to eight days at soonest, or a month at latest.

This wasn’t Master Qin being lazy; it was a rule Fang Cun set!

If someone he visited died immediately afterward, any fool would suspect him.

So, when Fang Cun had this idea to eliminate demons, he established the rule: he just handed over the job, and the other party could act whenever; as for any extra people harmed by these Demonic Evils during the delay, Fang Cun didn’t bother worrying.

Others removed evils fast to avoid more victims; Fang Cun didn’t care about that—he only wanted cleanliness and efficiency!

Thus, Fang Cun lived idly.

After all, he didn’t need to stay in pavilions listening to lectures daily like others; he could just wander at will, roam around the Academy, or read leisurely in the Academy library.

If ever bored, he could skip the Academy altogether; this world had its good points, at least unlike his past life with daily roll calls, where a teacher would chase him asking his class if he ran.

But this carefree life didn’t last long; in a blink of half a month, Fang Cun was in the Academy library late one evening, then boarded his carriage, swaying homeward, when he was stopped…

“Brother Fang, greetings.”

Hearing a light laugh outside, Fang Cun opened the carriage curtain.

He saw his fellow classmate—if he counted himself as a Yuanzhi Pavilion Disciple—Shen Shiming, along with three or four sturdy men in scholar robes blocking the carriage, arms crossed, legs jiggling lazily, grinning as if stylishly, saying to him, “Brother Fang, you entered the Academy half a month ago, yet after all this time, you haven’t seen the Instructor once, and you skip daily greetings—that attitude is quite disrespectful, isn’t it?”

Hearing this, Fang Cun felt amused, “Doesn’t Yuanzhi not want to teach me—didn’t you know?”

Shen Shiming straightened up, tidied his robe, and smiled, “The Instructor was just angry briefly; as disciples, we shouldn’t argue with our teacher. However upset he gets, if we students go and apologize sweetly, it ends. Are you holding a grudge?”

Fang Cun smiled slightly and shook his head, “Why have you come here, Brother Shen?”

Shen Shiming gave an ambiguous smile at his words, “Not for anything major; I just saw that you haven’t been to Yuanzhi Pavilion for half a month.”

“After all, we’re classmates and have old friendship—I can’t let you waste this way. I promised earlier to guide your cultivation, and today I came specially to confirm some magic techniques with you!”

“Huh?”

Fang Cun heard that and was stunned.

Come to him to confirm magic techniques?

The sneaky smile and eager mind looked so familiar.

“Ha ha, Brother Fang, don’t mistake me; this brother means no harm. Actually, sparring is common in our Academy, and there’s a rule: minor duels can’t be refused, or you’ll be the joke of the whole Academy.”

“Of course, I won’t really hurt you; I’ll just help uncover flaws in your basics…”

Shen Shiming was still explaining with a smile full of false warmth.

Inside the carriage, Fang Cun was dazed, quiet for a while.

He wasn’t affected by Shen Shiming’s words; instead, he narrowed his eyes, gazing at the screen that appeared before him.

The Celestial Merit Record, which vanished after he spent all his Merit, appeared actively and fresh ink characters emerged down it: “Impudent youths run wild, corrupting morals. Though not great evils, they breed hidden risks. To teach them diligently, to guide well with kind words. Lead them to righteousness, enlighten their nature—a mighty good deed indeed…”

“Enlightening disciples yields three thousand units of Merit!”

“Disciplining disciples yields one hundred units of Merit!”

Ignoring Shen Shiming’s rambling threats outside, Fang Cun was mesmerized by the contents; after reading it a few times, he understood and his face lit with delight.

“Just by beating them, I can gain Merit?”

“The celestial version of ‘hire-a-hitting app’?”