Upon arriving, Bai Zhen sees the big sign above the door labeled the Merit Hall. Bai Zhen steps past the door. The hall is crowded with other Bai members; it's full of stuff that they have brought back. Bai Zhen quickly walks towards the task board and starts to look for a task that he could do.
"Hunting beasts 100 points, gathering herb 20 points, bringing back live cubs for breeding 500 points, beast cores 2000 points."
Hmm, I can't take on the riskier ones with my low cultivation. Points are worth nothing if I'm dead. It seems the only one I can take on is the herb gathering.
Bai Zhen takes the poster and goes to the elder to register.
"I'll take this task."
The frail-looking elder slightly looks up and takes the poster from his hand.
"I haven't seen you here before. Is this your first time?" the elder asks while readying the task for him.
"Yes, this is my first time, senior," Bai Zhen replies in a casual but respectful manner.
The elder does not react and hands him a clan token for the task.
"Mist dew grass? Smart choice. I've seen many young ones pick out tasks they can't handle, and the only thing that comes back is the news of their death, so be careful out there."
Bai Zhen quickly bows with his arms ahead, his fist against his palm.
"This junior is grateful for the elder's wise words. I'll keep them in mind. Also, could the senior tell me how many points I need to trade for a spirit stone?"
The elder shows a slight smile, happy with Bai Zhen's manners and politeness.
"200 for a low-level spirit stone."
Bai Zhen is dissatisfied with the high price, calculating in his mind how many tasks he would need to complete in order to get a single stone.
*200. I'll have to take on ten 20-point tasks, meaning three stones a month. It's more than what the clan gives, and this way, I'll have five stones a month instead of two.*
"This junior must leave now. Thank you for your kind words." Bai Zhen, without wasting another breath, quickly walks out. After leaving the Bai mansion, he makes his way to the southern gate of the Azure Mist to leave. He approaches the guard sitting on the side, shows him his token, and proceeds to leave. After stepping outside the gate, he is mesmerized by the sheer beauty and scale of the outside world. The Azure Mist City is grand by all measures, but the sight before him is entirely something else. Though he does not waste time to look at it, he quickly makes his way to the hill which has the mist dew grass growing on it. The hill is empty, Bai Zhen being the only person on it. Many people don't take on such low-level tasks, and those that do have found secluded places to gather these herbs, avoiding trouble. Bai Zhen quickly starts to gather. Hours go by, and the gathering has been a success for Bai Zhen. He has gathered all the mist dew on the mountaintop, surpassing the minimum amount; all the extra will get him more points. Bai Zhen tidies up the bunch he has gathered and proceeds to leave. He reaches back to the mansion, and after submitting the dew grass to the Merit Hall and collecting the merit points into his token, Bai Zhen comes back to his quarters.
*I managed to get 30 instead of 20 points due to the extra grass I brought. Fortunately, the elder told me that the grass grows fast, so I can simply go to the same spot tomorrow as well, but right now there is something else I must do.*
Bai Zhen stands up with his sword in hand. He postures himself. This is the first time he has held a sword. He proceeds to make a slash, unimpressive though.
*Hmm, I thought so. Just because I have cultivation does not mean I possess any power unless I'm able to project my cultivation in the form of violence, like Bai Xueyi did. I could always use merit points to get a technique, but that means no spirit stones. The only other way is that I make a breakthrough to the second realm, Qi Refining; that way, I can get a sword technique from the clan pavilion. But until then, I don't have any other way… unless!!!*
In that instant, Bai Zhen realizes something. Instead of getting a technique from somewhere, he could just invent his own.
*Though I shouldn't get too ahead of myself here, let's first try to channel our Qi into the sword.*
Bai Zhen held his sword tightly and proceeded to channel his Qi into it. Suddenly, intense pain shot up in his body, something he had expected due to his clogged meridians, but he persisted… and nothing, nothing happened.
*It seems I'm unable to channel Qi into the sword. Well, that much should've been obvious. Regardless, since I can't channel it into the sword, I could simply concentrate it into my arm and then swing the sword as hard as I could. That way, I should be able to deal some damage, and finally, I could combine that with the basic sword moves guide given by the clan.*
What Bai Zhen had come up with could not be called a technique, but it certainly made up for it, somewhat. For the next week, Bai Zhen continued his normal routine. He would work quickly to finish his duties and then pick up herb-gathering tasks and finish them, and after returning, he would practice his self-invented so-called sword art and afterwards cultivate the entire night.
*It's been eight days since I've started doing these tasks, and right now I have 190 points, and after completing today's, I'll have enough to trade for a spirit stone. Though today, for some reason, the grass is less. Maybe I should simply go to the next hill.*
Bai Zhen starts to make his way to the next hill. After walking for a bit, he is suddenly mortified at the sudden presence of a boar beast.
*That's!! It's not good. I have to get away quickly.*
Bai Zhen throws down his batch of herbs and tries to run away, but the boar outpaces him and blocks his path.
*Shit!!!*Bai Zhen recalls from what he had read that the beast in front of him is a low-rank one mist boar beast, essentially having equal cultivation to him, but beasts on average are stronger than their human counterparts, and this one has set its eyes on Bai Zhen.
Bai Zhen draws out his sword, understanding that he has no option but to fight. He is too far away from the city, and he has not seen anyone else around in this area.
*Alright, I guess this was eventual. Regardless, I must get out alive today. I won't die, not to a boar.*
Bai Zhen was reactive but calm and composed, his mind going through possibilities, moves to make. He started to channel his Qi into his arm as he had practiced, but the boar was not going to let him have a chance; it attacked right away. The boar charged at Bai Zhen with extreme speed, its tusk aimed at Bai Zhen's chest.
"Shit! This thing is too fast." Bai Zhen jumped to the side in order to dodge the thrust, but he didn't manage to dodge it entirely. The boar managed to hit one of his legs slightly. The leg was intact but bleeding, but Bai Zhen was still able to maneuver, but before he could catch his breath, the boar thrusted again, this time hitting his left shoulder, but Bai Zhen again managed to avoid a fatal blow. He is bleeding from two places now.
*!!! This is bad. I must get away. At this rate, I can't keep up.* Bai Zhen was being overwhelmed; the beast was relentless, but then Bai Zhen caught it. The boar was closing its eyes when charging; essentially, it was blind while attacking. Bai Zhen knew he had only one chance. The boar again charged, but this time, Bai Zhen also swung his sword. The boar managed to hit Bai Zhen's other leg, but Bai Zhen managed to chop off its tusk, a fatal blow. Now, both bleeding, Bai Zhen from three places and unable to jump or run.
*I'll have to finish it in one strike or I'll die.*
The boar did not charge right away, as it had lost its tusk. It calculated and eventually attacked, seeing that the human was more wounded than itself, but this would turn out to be a mistake. Bai Zhen had channeled most of his Qi into his arms. The boar aimed for his leg again and charged… and in a single blow, Bai Zhen chopped off its head, but the boar managed to break Bai Zhen's leg.
"(panting heavily) Damn thing, hahaha." Bai Zhen had managed to escape death. Even in his previous life, he was very athletic and no stranger to being physically overwhelmed, but this was different; this was life or death, and he managed to survive. He lay on the hill for some breaths but quickly got up, fearing that the smell of blood would attract more beasts. He picked up the herbs and the boar's body; he now had something to sell on the market. He walked, limping, back to the mansion, bloodied. He submitted the herbs and got the merit points and put the boar's body into his quarters and afterwards made his way to the medicine hall. There, he received treatment for the next entire week.
*Hmm, it's been a week. The boar shouldn't have gone bad yet, at least that's what the book said. It'll sell for a good amount.* Bai Zhen had mostly recovered, his leg healed, but the entire week he could not cultivate or complete tasks. But at least he was alive, and most importantly, he had real combat experience now, and his so-called art had worked.