Chapter Sixteen: The Howling Soul Hound

Jiang Yan was suddenly startled. The Rewarding Good and Punishing Evil series of tasks had begun—so soon! He remembered that in the game he’d played, this task only unlocked after the sect leader advanced to the peak of the Qi Refining stage. This time, it seemed to have come earlier.

Once the Rewarding Good and Punishing Evil task was initiated, the Sect Leader System would evaluate the merit points of all disciples and then calculate the sect’s total merit points. The amount of merit points would directly determine whether the sect could advance, whether it could complete the main tasks issued by the Sect Leader System, and whether the rewards would be halved or receive a bonus.

For the disciples, merit points played an even greater role. The amount of merit points directly affected whether they would attract heavenly tribulation during advancement, and the severity of such tribulation.

If a cultivator’s merit points were negative, then to advance, they would have to endure heart demons and a body-forging lightning tribulation. If they were lucky and strong enough, they might succeed in building their foundation or forming a core. But those less fortunate could be reduced to ashes under the tribulation.

If the merit points fell below negative one hundred, the body-forging lightning tribulation would become exceedingly perilous. A careless cultivator might be obliterated. At this stage, forming a core was almost impossible; the Foundation Establishment stage would be the peak of such a cultivator’s journey.

If merit points dropped below negative one thousand, well, then congratulations were in order—for heaven itself would not tolerate such an evildoer. Lightning tribulation would descend immediately, striking the cultivator to ash, with no second chances. Only those who committed countless atrocities, murderers beyond redemption, would reach such a state.

Jiang Yan’s brow furrowed with mixed feelings. The initiation of merit points brought both advantages and pressure. The advantage was that the Sect Leader System now had a function to check merit points, allowing him to directly predict the likelihood of a cultivator’s advancement. The downside was that, to enjoy the same merit point benefits as his disciples, he, as sect leader, would need to raise the sect’s merit points to ten times what was required for a disciple before he could enjoy the advancement assistance.

Jiang Yan shook his head helplessly. From now on, he’d have to strictly urge his disciples to do good and punish evil. If any of them committed too many evil deeds and dragged the sect’s merit points into the negative, he, as sect leader, would have to face heart demons and lightning tribulation during his own breakthroughs. He wondered what his merit points currently were.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yan’s mind stirred, and a transparent information panel floated before his eyes. On the panel, a series of Rewarding Good and Punishing Evil tasks appeared. With another thought, Jiang Yan pulled up his own status panel.

Name: Jiang Yan
Sect: Mount Hua
Position: Sect Leader
Cultivation: Qi Refining, Level Four
Weapon: None
Cultivation Method: First-rank, Mid-grade Green Wood Technique
Merit Points: [value]

Jiang Yan’s brow lifted in delight. When the Rewarding Good and Punishing Evil task first activated, the merit points of the disciples weren’t included in the calculation. At this time, the sect leader’s merit points were solely his own. Only after the system evaluated the disciples’ merit points would it recalculate his own.

This meant Jiang Yan had done quite a few good deeds. Excluding the merit points just rewarded by the system, he still had a notable number remaining—a rare accomplishment!

Now he understood how he’d managed three breakthroughs in a single day, surging past the fourth level of Qi Refining. It was all thanks to these merit points.

According to the system’s rules, if a Qi Refining cultivator had merit points between one and ten, they could break through the first barrier of the Qi Refining stage—level four. While Jiang Yan’s own spiritual accumulation and the marrow-washing effects of the Bone-Easy Pill had played a role, so too did these merit points.

Earning merit points was extremely difficult. The ones Jiang Yan had prior to the system’s reward were entirely from completing Rewarding Good and Punishing Evil tasks. If he’d relied solely on such deeds, he’d have needed to slay villains or save one hundred and forty good people—without committing a single evil act—to gain just one merit point.

He was very curious how his body’s previous owner had acquired so many merit points. Gazing at the small merit point detail box on the interface, he checked the history.

The screen shimmered and revealed the origin:
Merit Points Source: Sect Leader Jiang Yan slew 106 bandits in the Year of the Cycle, rescuing thirty-four townsfolk of Qingyang.

Just a single line, but it told the story: the previous Jiang Yan had slain over a hundred bandits to earn these merit points. With their help, Jiang Yan had broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refining—a feat his master, Ding Yuan, had never accomplished. Clearly, saving lives and punishing evil truly brought immeasurable merit!

“Ding, merit point tally complete. Mount Hua, merit points: [value].” The system reported the final calculation.

Jiang Yan shook his head, unsurprised. As expected, merit points were hard to come by. Aside from himself, Mount Hua had only this one merit point for the entire sect.

“Senior brother, why are you shaking your head?” Yun Ying, cradled in Jiang Yan’s arms, looked up with wide, sparkling eyes, curiosity shining in her gaze. She reached out with her plump little hand and poked Jiang Yan’s nose. “Senior brother, Yun Ying isn’t afraid of that bad person outside. Don’t shake your head anymore.”

Jiang Yan chuckled and ruffled her hair. “If you cultivate the technique I taught you diligently, you won’t need to fear that brat. Work hard in your cultivation. If you see that rascal again, give him a beating, understand?”

Yun Ying nodded obediently. “Mm! I understand, senior brother. I’ll train hard, and when I see that bad boy again, I’ll beat him up.”

Behind them, Steward Ning was sweating nervously. Was this really how one ought to teach a child? He recalled Jiang Yan’s heroic slaughter of over a hundred bandits, and now seeing how he instructed his junior sister, Steward Ning’s anxiety only grew. He hurried forward, coming to Jiang Yan’s side. “Young Master Jiang, my son Ning Qian has something to report to you.”

...

“Dong, dong...” In the distance, the night watchman’s wooden clappers sounded. Night had fallen.

Jiang Yan stood in a patch of woods, his expression solemn, staring toward a brightly lit inn in the distance. Behind him stood two gray-robed youths; the one on the left was Sun Yang, while to his left was a handsome and gentle-looking boy.

Not far behind the three, a white Hound of Heaven lay lazily on the ground. Next to it, a golden-eyed hawk perched with its neck hunched, looking drowsy. On the hawk’s back was a white cloth bundle, inside which little Yun Ying slept soundly.

Jiang Yan watched the inn’s bright little courtyard for a long while before glancing back at the two youths. “You’re sure the weasel that’s been stealing the town’s poultry is living in this courtyard?”

The handsome youth beside Sun Yang, his face warm with a courteous smile, replied respectfully, “Sir, Ning Qian and Sun Yang have investigated for several days. Every day, chicken feathers and gnawed pig bones are thrown out from here. Based on this, we judge the weasel is very likely hiding here.”

This was Ning Qian, son of local official Ning Er. After Jiang Yan had disciplined Sun Yang, Ning Qian brought Sun Yang to seek him out, claiming to have found the thief stealing the townspeople’s poultry. Jiang Yan had followed them here and watched the inn’s courtyard in secret.

After Ning Qian’s explanation, Jiang Yan glanced at Yun Ying asleep on the hawk’s back, confirming her safety, then turned to continue watching the brightly lit courtyard.

Creak—the window of the main building opened a crack. A streak of black light shot out, leaping nimbly onto the wall—heading straight toward the three of them.

As the black figure landed on the wall, Jiang Yan finally saw it clearly: it was a Hound of Heaven, jet-black and silent. If he hadn’t known his own Hound of Heaven was just behind him, he might have mistaken this one for his own.

With a puzzled gaze, Jiang Yan stared at the black hound. The transparent information panel appeared before him.

Spirit Beast: Hound of Soul, Tianshan Sect
Rank: First-grade, lower
Special Skill: Soul-Seizing Howl, first-grade, lower-level offensive skill

A faint smile curled Jiang Yan’s lips. So, it was a kin of his own Hound of Heaven. If he could capture this one, wouldn’t he have found a companion for his pet?

Jiang Yan sent a command through the Spirit Link Technique. At once, his Hound of Heaven leaped to his side, standing proudly and staring at the black Hound of Soul on the distant wall. Upon seeing it, his own hound tilted its head in confusion—this dog looks awfully familiar!

The Hound of Soul had already noticed the three. As it landed on the wall, it sensed the presence of its kin. Fixing its gaze on the white hound by the gray-robed youth’s feet, it slipped from the wall like a shadow, silently appearing before them, sizing up the white Hound of Heaven.

“Woof woof...” The Hound of Heaven was the first to bark, issuing a questioning call to its counterpart.

“Woof woof...” The Hound of Soul replied in kind.

Jiang Yan formed a series of ancient seals with his fingers, faint light flashing between them. In moments, a Spirit Link Technique was complete. With a flick of his finger, he sent it toward the Hound of Soul.

The Hound of Heaven, sensing agitation in its kin, barked softly, comforting the black hound.

Seeing the Hound of Soul make no move to dodge the spell, Jiang Yan was delighted. The Spirit Link Technique allowed the caster to communicate with a spirit beast and, without the beast realizing, win its favor, eventually making it a companion. The Hound of Soul remained still—Jiang Yan could almost see the future: the Hound of Soul joining Mount Hua, following behind Yun Ying, the pair of white and black hounds bouncing merrily at her heels.

The Spirit Link entered the Hound of Soul soundlessly. The spirit beast trembled, and then a stream of unfamiliar information flooded Jiang Yan’s mind—the Hound of Soul’s confusion communicated directly to him, wave after wave.