Chapter 150: Merit Points
Chapter 150: Merit Points
An hour later, Tang Jinbiao and Jia Longwu were walking along a sixty-meter-wide main road towards the northern area.
“Tang Jinbiao, once we turn at the intersection ahead, we’ll arrive at the Admissions Department. You only need to register there. With your Body Refining Third Tier cultivation level, passing the test shouldn’t be difficult!”
Jia Longwu walked ahead, strides bold and posture heroic. Turning back, he spoke to Tang Jinbiao.
“Mm, thanks beautiful. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known how to get here.”
A faint smile touched Tang Jinbiao’s face.
Earlier, the two had intended to listen to Zhang Tianyi’s lecture. But an old rascal remained an old rascal—he started talking about discovering beauty, appreciating beauty, repeating the word “beauty” incessantly, making it sound utterly profound.
Essentially, he was teaching how to be shameless scoundrels. Many listeners with poor tolerance simply left immediately. Female cultivators vanished entirely. Only about a dozen out of the original hundred-plus stayed to listen.
Naturally, those who stayed were old foxes. This demonstrated that while the Divine Wind Academy boasted itself as the premier academy on the Divine Wind Continent, when the woods grew large enough, there were all kinds of birds.
As expected, Tang Jinbiao and Jia Longwu were among the weak-toleranced group—they left without even listening.
Now, they were heading to help Tang Jinbiao register, as he wasn’t yet an official student of the Divine Wind Academy.
A quarter-hour later, after turning a corner, they arrived before a pavilion far taller and grander than the average courtyard.
“Mm, I’ll wait here for you. Just go in and register yourself. Once you come out, I’ll take you to find the student dormitory.”
Standing before the pavilion, Jia Longwu said this without planning to accompany Tang Jinbiao inside further.
“Mm, alright. Then I’ll trouble you.”
Tang Jinbiao glanced at the pavilion, then at Jia Longwu, speaking with profound gratitude.
He then walked towards the pavilion.
“This person should be suitable.”
Watching Tang Jinbiao’s figure disappear, Jia Longwu gazed curiously at the spot where he had vanished, a look of calculation in his eyes.
…
Whoosh!
Half an hour later, the Restriction on the pavilion loosened again, revealing Tang Jinbiao stepping out with a pleased expression.
Tang Jinbiao had changed clothes and now wore a blue robe.
“How did it go? Are you registered?”
Seeing Tang Jinbiao emerge, Jia Longwu stepped forward to meet him, face framed by a slight smile.
“OK, all set!”
Tang Jinbiao shook a Token in his hand, grinning as he spoke.
“Aokai? What is that?”
Jia Longwu frowned, bewildered.
“Haha, never mind. Everything’s handled. My dorm is at Zone 17, Compound 6, West District!”
Tang Jinbiao handed the Token to Jia Longwu, still smiling.
“Oh, let me see!”
Jia Longwu took that token, examined it for a moment, and seemed to realize the location. She then said, “Hmm, I know where it is. Come with me. We’ll take a beast carriage, it’s too far to walk!”
“Mmm, alright. But I’ll have to trouble you to pay this time. I only have spirit stones on me, haven’t exchanged them for Merit Points yet. I have to rely on you!”
Tang Jinbiao didn’t oppose and directly agreed. At the same time, he took back his own token and stored it in his Storage Pouch.
During the journey earlier, Jia Longwu had already explained to him that although the Divine Wind Academy had no explicit rule prohibiting flight, unless one had urgent business and a sufficient reason, no one would choose to fly.
Generally, people traveled on foot or by beast carriage. However, taking a beast carriage required the Divine Wind Academy’s unique currency: Merit Points!
Actually, Merit Points weren’t some mysterious thing. Every student who became part of the Divine Wind Academy received a small amount of basic Merit Points. These points were stored within that token.
But that single Merit Point amounted to very little, merely equivalent to one Spirit Stone.
Within the Divine Wind Academy, whether purchasing elixirs, cultivation techniques, martial techniques, or magic treasures, one didn’t use Spirit Stones but Merit Points.
Of course, Spirit Stones could be exchanged for Merit Points. One low-grade Spirit Stone could be exchanged for one Merit Point, simply by going to the administrator in the residential area.
However, exchanging Merit Points for Spirit Stones required two Merit Points for one Spirit Stone. The price difference was income for Divine Wind Academy. After all, such a large academy needed funds to operate. Naturally, that differential was negligible considering the academy’s vast scale.
As for using Merit Points, it was very simple. It was just like depositing money into a credit card and then swiping it for purchases.
Of course, the main reason Divine Wind Academy did this was to prevent students from carrying too many Spirit Stones, lest they attract covetous gazes from lawless people outside. If exchanged into Merit Points, they could only be spent within Divine Wind Academy. Even if one wanted to exchange them back into Spirit Stones, they could only do so within the academy.
“Mmm, anyway, we’re classmates now. Pay me back when you have some later. If you want to give me Spirit Stones instead, that’s fine too. Let’s say… one hundred Spirit Stones for you!”
Jia Longwu wore a faint, somewhat sly smile as she said this.
“I…”
Tang Jinbiao was speechless.
“Haha, just teasing you! Going to the West District would cost us both at most just five Merit Points. It would make me seem incredibly stingy to ask you to pay back such a tiny amount. Consider it on me. We’ll be classmates—I’ll count on your help later!”
Seeing Tang Jinbiao’s tension, Jia Longwu laughed and explained.
“Alright!”
Tang Jinbiao didn’t know what else to say.
The two walked silently towards the place where they could board a beast carriage.
After a short while, they arrived at a structure resembling a platform and stood there quietly, waiting for the beast carriage.
However, along the vast paths of Divine Wind Academy, there was an air of lifelessness throughout the journey. They encountered very few people. Tang Jinbiao felt puzzled and asked, “By the way, why is such a huge Divine Wind Academy seemingly so empty? It almost feels like an abandoned city!”
“Haha, it’s not exactly that. Most people inside right now are new students. The older, more experienced students are either secluded in their courtyards for rigorous cultivation or out on training expeditions. As for seniors at the Core Formation level or above, they’ve mostly gone to the Hundred Thousand Mountains. I’ve heard the past two years have been very chaotic there, so many senior students have taken their trainings there. If nothing unexpected happens, I might head there myself in a few months. After all, that place brims with danger but also hides countless treasures. Many seniors return from expeditions there laden with valuable finds.”
Jia Longwu leaned against a wooden post, arms crossed over her chest, appearing rather “slack.” A slight smile played on her lips as she glanced around, not looking directly at Tang Jinbiao while she spoke.
“Oh, I see!”
Tang Jinbiao nodded, seeming to understand something.
A few days earlier, while conspiring with Chu Zhongtian and others in Chuyun City to ambush Chu Yunyun, Chu Zhongtian had mentioned something gone wrong in the Hundred Thousand Mountains. It forced all cultivators at the Core Formation stage or higher to enter and join the fight.
“Oh, right, Miss Jia,” Tang Jinbiao suddenly recalled something he wanted to ask. “What exactly is your Cultivation Level? I can’t sense it at all. And why are you so enthusiastic towards me? Don’t tell me you’ve taken a fancy to me?”
Along this whole journey, Tang Jinbiao had been completely unable to sense Jia Longwu’s specific Cultivation Level; she seemed like an ordinary person to him. Furthermore, he couldn’t fathom why Jia Longwu showed him such warmth—he certainly didn’t believe in convenient favors dropping from the sky.
“You!”
However, it seemed she had heard something, for Jia Longwu’s face fell, tinged with displeasure.
“What’s wrong?”
Tang Jinbiao was somewhat puzzled.
“What kind of person calls someone ‘假姑娘’ (Miss Jia is pronounced the same as ‘fake girl’ in Chinese)?”
Jia Longwu complained with an unhappy expression.
“I… I…”
Tang Jinbiao froze momentarily before quickly understanding, his face coloring with awkwardness as he moved to apologize.
“Fine, I won’t tease you! But you can guess—what is my Cultivation Level? And why am I interested in you? You can guess that too!”
Seeing Tang Jinbiao’s tension, Jia Longwu asked with a sly glint in her eyes.
“Uh…”
Tang Jinbiao had nothing to say.
He had no desire to guess a woman’s mind—was a Mortal even capable of understanding it?
“I won’t guess!”
Tang Jinbiao refused outright.
“You really are a block of wood!”
Jia Longwu muttered under her breath before continuing, “My Cultivation Level… well, that’s a secret for now. You’ll know soon enough. As for why I’m interested in you—it’s because I need your help with something. Something only you in the entire Divine Wind Academy can help with, and the only person I trust to help!”
“Oh? With what?”
Tang Jinbiao’s interest was piqued.
“Hehe, but you must promise me first—no telling anyone. And this matter must wait three months. You have that long to consider!”
Jia Longwu said, her expression shrouded in secrecy.
“What could be so mysterious?”
Tang Jinbiao scrutinized Jia Longwu again, thoughts churning inwardly. He mused: What is she scheming? First, she escorted me to registration, then insisted on taking me to my dorm. She looks about my age, with a Cultivation Level around Mid Core Formation Stage—nothing too outrageous. If she needs my help, it must be because I’m a Body Refiner. There are few of us in this academy, after all.
“Dammit! That cursed Old Dog Wei… One day I’ll settle the score!”
The thought of Body Refiners immediately brought Wei Wuya to mind. The humiliation and torment Tang Jinbiao endured on his first day still stung. If Zhang Tianyi hadn’t intervened, he wouldn’t have been back on his feet in three days, let alone three months.
“Hmm… That Zhang Tianyi isn’t so bad deep down. I really ought to thank him when I get the chance.”
Recalling Zhang Tianyi’s aid, Tang Jinbiao silently acknowledged the debt he owed the man.
“What are you muttering about over there?”
Noticing Tang Jinbiao hadn’t answered her question but instead seemed lost in whispered soliloquy, Jia Longwu inquired curiously.
“Oh, nothing!”
Tang Jinbiao snapped back to his senses. “Just tell me straight—what do you need my help for? I’ll think about it if it’s feasible.”
“Seriously, such an odd person…”
Jia Longwu murmured but pressed on, “Actually, what I need your help with is…”