Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

On the stone platform, only a large pool of charred and foul-smelling residue remained.

Yue Shan staggered back two steps, using his knife as a crutch, his chest heaving violently, his face completely bloodless.

Inside the house, the Soul-Sealing Granny had already died from the backlash of the complete destruction of the Divine Child.

Wu Tong leaned against the wall, severely injured, while Chen Mo stood at the door, his face pale.

Outside, the butcher was executed, while Li Tie and Zhou Ling remained on guard.

"Clean up the scene, tally the casualties, and burn all... the remnants of evil."

Yue Shan gave the order in a hoarse voice, his words unusually weary, "Chen Mo, Wu Tong, you did a great job."

. . . . . .

Across the street from Rat Alley, several men in black stood silently in the shadows under the eaves, like shadows blending into the night.

They looked at the armed soldiers guarding the perimeter of the dyehouse not far away, and then at the flames shooting into the sky inside the dyehouse. Their eyes were calm and unwavering, as if they were looking at something that had nothing to do with them.

"The Soul-Sealing Woman and her gang have probably met with some misfortune," a man in black standing at the front said in a low voice, his tone calm and revealing no emotion.

"Master Liu, we originally planned to deliver the Blood of the Crimson Moon before midnight, but now..." A slightly shorter man in black hesitated.

"Plans can't keep up with changes."

Master Liu waved his hand, interrupting his subordinate, "The Zhenyi Division acted decisively and swiftly this time. It seems that Yue Changkong is determined to cleanse this area. The Soul-Sealing Granny and her ilk did not hide well enough and their methods were inadequate, so they have no one to blame but themselves."

He paused, his gaze still fixed on the dye house engulfed in flames: "The aura of the divine child has completely vanished... What a pity, I was hoping to see what kind of thing they could raise."

"Then... the blood of the Crimson Moon?" the subordinate asked again.

"Take her back and sell her to those lunatics at Tianwang Temple. Yue Changkong is personally overseeing things in the county town, so it's best not to make any further moves." Master Liu said indifferently, "The Soul-Sealing Woman is finished, but our preparations for the Holy Moon Ceremony cannot stop."

"Yes!" the men in black replied in low voices.

Master Liu glanced one last time in the direction of the dyehouse, his eyes deep: "Let's go. There are only two days left. We absolutely cannot afford any mistakes."

Several dark figures, like ghosts, silently disappeared into the deeper darkness.

. . . . . .

The next day, just after six o'clock in the morning, a light drizzle began to fall.

By the time Chen Mo reached the assembled tent on the slippery stone path, the rain had intensified, with large raindrops pattering against the roof of the tarpaulin tent, making a dense sound.

The tent was already lit by electric lights, but the light was still dim and yellowish.

Yue Shan and the other two were all present, but Wu Tong was not; he was obviously still recuperating at the medical center.

Yue Shan changed into a clean uniform, and the traces of bandages could be vaguely seen on his body, but his back was straight, and he regained his usual cold and dignified demeanor.

When Chen Mo entered, all three of them looked over.

Zhou Ling smiled at him, Zhao Tie nodded slightly, and Yue Shan pointed to an empty stool next to him: "Sit down."

The atmosphere inside the tent was more relaxed than yesterday.

"Wu Tong's injury is stable, but he needs to rest for a few days and will be unable to return to the team for the time being." Yue Shan got straight to the point. "I have submitted last night's action report, and the bureau has approved the results. The merit points have been transferred to everyone's accounts."

He looked at Chen Mo: "You're a newcomer, so you might not know the use of merit points yet. Let me explain it briefly."

The latter immediately sat up straight; everyone who joined the Zhenyi Division did so for his own benefit.

"Merit points are a universally accepted measure and redemption certificate for merits within the Inspection Bureau and the Town Special Division."

"Completing tasks assigned by the department, submitting valuable spoils or intelligence, making special contributions, etc., will all be evaluated and rewarded with corresponding merit points based on the difficulty and results."

"For tasks completed independently by individuals or teams, merit points are allocated to the individual or team. For joint operations like last night's, which involved military cooperation, merit points are allocated based on the individual's specific performance and contribution during the mission. The team leader evaluates and reports the results, which are then approved by the department."

"Merit points have many uses, but the three main ones are: merit points and merit points." Yue Shan held up three fingers.

"First, you can exchange for cultivation resources, including cultivation manuals, pills, talismans, and special materials, which require merit points."

"Second, you can exchange for weapons, equipment, and magical artifacts. Standard equipment is provided free of charge, but weapons and magical artifacts with special effects require merit points to exchange for."

"Of course, some high-end items not only require merit points, but also the corresponding level of access."

"Third, promotion and benefits. Accumulating enough merit points is an important basis for promotion and increased authority."

"At the same time, merit points can also be exchanged for some living benefits, such as better accommodation, or even the opportunity to seek guidance from experts within the department and exchange for time to cultivate in secret chambers."

Yue Shan looked at Chen Mo: "The merit point system of the Inspection Bureau and the Zhenyi Division is the same. If you are transferred to the Zhenyi Division in the future, the points you accumulate in the Inspection Bureau can be transferred to it at the same time."

"Based on your performance in last night's mission—breaking through the formation, disrupting the enemy, crucially destroying the divine child, and coordinating the final attack—you have earned 120 merit points."

"For a newcomer's first mission, this amount is not small."

120 points?

Chen Mo silently pondered, wondering how much purchasing power 120 points would have.

Seemingly noticing his confusion, Zhou Ling interjected, "For a newcomer, don't worry about the low price. A mid-grade mortal cultivation technique that isn't widely available on the market will probably cost between 50 and 100 points."

"A decent healing pill, the Muscle Regeneration Powder, costs about 10 points. As for good magical artifacts, those are expensive, costing several thousand or even tens of thousands of points."

Chen Mo understood; these 120 points didn't seem like much.

"Captain, what about Senior Wu Tong...?" Chen Mo asked.

"Wu Tong, as the main frontal combatant, restrained Butcher Liu and was the most severely injured. His merit rating is set at 150 points."

"Zhou Ling sniped Butcher Liu from a distance, providing crucial support, rated 130 points."

"Zhao Tie's deployment to trap the enemy and his early warning and monitoring are rated 100 points. As the commander and main attacker, I will be rated separately." Yue Shan briefly explained the allocation. "This is a preliminary assessment, and the final assessment will be subject to the department's approval, but there usually won't be much difference."

"Merit points will be recorded in your identity badge and departmental files. You can check and redeem them at any time at the merit point in the camp or at the department's archives after returning to the city."

Zhao Tie opened his eyes at this moment and added, "Before exchanging, it's best to do your research. Some things may look good, but they may not be suitable for your current stage. Be especially careful when exchanging cultivation techniques. It's best to consult with seniors or experienced people."

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Zhao." Chen Mo nodded and noted it down.

These are all valuable experiences.

Yue Shan added, "Besides merit points, the evil magic books and items seized from the Soul-Sealing Granny last night, after being assessed by the department, may also be converted into merit points or directly distributed as mission rewards to the relevant team members if they are deemed to have research value but no direct harm. However, that will take time."

"I understand." Chen Mo had no objection to this.

"Alright, that's all for the merit points."

Yue Shan changed the subject, his expression turning serious again, "After the Soul-Sealing Woman's gang was wiped out, it seems that the people in the other places got wind of it and withdrew from Linhe County overnight last night."

"The missions for the next two days are canceled. You all get some rest. Meet here tomorrow evening; we must evacuate Linhe County before dark..."