Chapter 28: Achieving Merits for the Xia Clan of Humanity

Lord Si An continued, “Lady Siliang Hong is a Title-ranked Magician, and she has already lived for over five hundred years! Normally, the lifespan of an ordinary human does not exceed two hundred years. However, Siliang Hong successfully transformed herself into a Blood Demon, thereby vastly extending her life. This ancient hag, who has lived beyond five hundred years, possesses immeasurable power. Her Blood Demon Tower is filled with countless perils; even Transcendent Beings are reluctant to enter.”

“The Si Clan is also the number one family in Qinghe Prefecture! The Prefect of Qinghe, the General of the Prefecture City Guard, and the Mayors of cities like Yishui and Fengcheng—all of them, nearly eight to nine out of ten, are members of the Si Clan! Many key positions across the region are also occupied by the Si family.”

“In other words,” Lord Si An said calmly, “in Qinghe Prefecture, the Si Clan holds absolute power.”

Dongbo Xueying was astonished, “The Prefect, the General, and so many city mayors—all Si Clan members?”

“That’s how the entire Empire works.”

“This is not a world for ordinary mortals—it is a world of the Transcendent!” Lord Si An explained. “Although Old Hag Siliang Hong is not a Transcendent, she is close to one. She maintains excellent relations with many great clans possessing Transcendent Beings, thus gaining control over Qinghe Prefecture. All power lies in the hands of the Si Clan. Therefore, in Qinghe, if the Si Clan declares you guilty—you are guilty even if you are innocent! If they declare you innocent—you are innocent even if you are guilty!”

Dongbo Xueying was deeply shocked, “This… this…”

“Have you forgotten,” Lord Si An continued, “although your parents were nobles, they were still taken away because of a single imperial decree?”

Dongbo Xueying’s expression darkened slightly.

“Transcendent Beings have the authority to issue decrees! Within certain limits, they can override the law!” Lord Si An said.

“Does the Mo Yang Clan have a Transcendent Being?” Dongbo Xueying quickly asked.

Rescuing his parents had always been his driving pursuit.

“There is one, but it’s a False Transcendent,” Lord Si An replied. “Such False Transcendents are the weakest among Transcendents. I suspect even Old Hag Siliang Hong and that madman Xiang Pangyun possess power on par with the Transcendent of the Mo Yang Clan.”

“A False Transcendent?” Dongbo Xueying was puzzled.

“The Mo Yang Clan has a long heritage. Its founder was an extremely powerful True Transcendent. However, after that Transcendent’s death, the Mo Yang Clan declined. Fortunately, their foundation was deep enough. Decades ago, one of their Title-ranked Knights managed to ascend to the realm of Transcendence through some unconventional means. However, he only reached the lowest level of Transcendence. Some of the most elite Title-ranked warriors might even be able to defeat him!”

Dongbo Xueying immediately recalled something.

In his studies, he had once read about that ‘woodcutter knight’ who awakened his ancient bloodline.

That Woodcutter Knight, even at the Title-ranked level, had slain a Transcendent with a single axe strike! Defeating a Transcendent as a Title-ranked warrior was entirely possible.

After becoming a Transcendent, he became unmatched among his peers, earning the title of ‘Strongest Transcendent’ of his era.

“Transcendent matters are too distant for now,” Lord Si An smiled. “What I want to tell you is—never provoke a Title-ranked warrior. Each of them possesses terrifying power! And Siliang Hong and Xiang Pangyun are the two most fearsome figures in Qinghe Prefecture. They are like the two heavens above Qinghe.”

“The Si Clan is deeply entrenched.”

“As for Xiang Pangyun, he is an extremely terrifying and monstrous madman,” Lord Si An continued.

“A madman?” Dongbo Xueying asked, puzzled.

“Yes,” Lord Si An said. “Among the assassins on the Blood Blade List, few dare to reveal their true names. However, Xiang Pangyun is one of the rare exceptions. He has an extreme love for slaughter. Since each of his killings is carried out as a mission from the Blood Blade Tavern, he commits no crime.”

“Killing with impunity through missions of the Blood Blade Tavern?” Dongbo Xueying was confused.

“You can also place missions at the Blood Blade Tavern, but the bounty… is determined by the Tavern itself!” Lord Si An explained. “The Tavern takes eighty percent of the bounty, leaving only twenty percent for the assassin. The bounty price is determined based on the target’s noble rank, strength, background, and other factors. These prices are always extremely high.”

Lowering his voice, Lord Si An added, “Let me put it this way—The Blood Blade Tavern has existed for countless millennia in the history of this plane. Alongside the Temple of Earth, they are the two oldest powers in existence.”

Dongbo Xueying nodded.

This world indeed had deities.

The Temple of Earth had appeared not long after this plane’s birth, its history almost as ancient as the plane itself. It was the only temple officially recognized by the Empire today—any others were considered cults of false gods or demons.

The Blood Blade Tavern, serving only assassins, was equally ancient and enduring.

Lord Si An continued, “Xiang Pangyun is a terrifying madman, but he rarely appears. Unless someone puts a bounty on your life at the Blood Blade Tavern. The Si Clan, however, is different—they have infiltrated every corner of Qinghe Prefecture. You are very likely to encounter their people. When you do, you must endure. Because they can arrest you on any fabricated pretext.”

“Unless you attain Title-ranked strength and receive the Bronze Token!” Lord Si An smiled. “Then you will possess significant authority. The Si Clan will no longer have the right to deal with you at will. If you become a Transcendent, the Si Clan will have to tremble before you… provided you are a True Transcendent, not a False one.”

“The authority of the Bronze Token?” Dongbo Xueying asked curiously.

“Exactly.”

“This is what I was about to explain next,” Lord Si An said, flipping his hand. A thick book and a scroll appeared in his palm.

He handed the scroll to Dongbo Xueying, “The Xia Clan has stood firm in this world because countless powerful warriors have continuously emerged. Long ago, a great Alchemist Magus of our Xia Clan established a set of rules. He divided all the arduous and bloody tasks into different levels of missions for our warriors to carry out.”

“Those who succeed earn Merit Points.”

“Merit Points can be exchanged for almost anything you desire.”

Lord Si An handed the other thick book to Dongbo Xueying. “This is the Merit Exchange Compendium. From mundane gold coins to extraordinary magical artifacts… even if you wish to kill a Transcendent or become the Emperor of the entire Empire! As long as your contributions to the Xia Clan are great enough, and your Merit Points are sufficient, you can even ascend to the throne.”

Dongbo Xueying was stunned.

The rules established by the great Alchemist of the Xia Clan were truly audacious! Could Merit Points truly make anything possible?

“What about rescuing my parents?” Dongbo Xueying couldn’t help but ask.

“With enough Merit Points, even wiping out the Mo Yang Clan would be a simple matter of words, let alone rescuing your parents,” Lord Si An said with a smile. “Of course, everything depends on Merit Points! It all comes down to how much you contribute to humanity and your clan. These Black Iron-level missions offer very few Merit Points. With such meager rewards, do you really think you could ever destroy the Mo Yang Clan? Even after ten thousand years of effort, it would remain hopeless.”

Dongbo Xueying looked at the scroll.

Each mission was listed clearly.

For example: Slaying a certain notorious bandit leader—reward of ten Merit Points!

For example: Entering the Ruin Mountains to retrieve a lost special necklace—reward of fifty Merit Points.

…

Looking at Dongbo Xueying, Lord Si An said, “This Black Iron Mission List and the Merit Exchange Compendium are the most important things… You should study them carefully. Once your accumulated Merit Points exceed one thousand, you will automatically gain immunity from most laws, except for a few unbreakable Imperial Edicts. Even Transcendent Beings can override most laws, but some ironclad decrees remain beyond their reach.”

“One thousand points?” Dongbo Xueying was speechless.

Killing someone like Gai Bin might only earn ten Merit Points.

Venturing into the Ruin Mountains to search for lost treasures was dangerous, time-consuming, and success was uncertain—yet it only offered fifty points.

How difficult would it be to accumulate one thousand points?

“Black Iron-level missions usually offer between ten to one hundred Merit Points,” Lord Si An smiled. “Bronze-level missions start at one thousand points at the very least.”

“I would like to ask,” Dongbo Xueying said, “how can I rescue my parents as soon as possible?”

“There are many methods within the Merit Exchange Compendium,” Lord Si An replied. “However, we must find the method that requires the least expenditure of Merit Points. I will immediately use our Longshan Pavilion’s intelligence network to investigate your parents’ current situation. Based on their condition, we will find the most feasible way to rescue them.”

Dongbo Xueying could hardly contain his excitement, “Please, Lord Si An, I beg you to act quickly! Please find out how my parents are doing now!”

“Leave it to me,” Lord Si An said. “Since the Mo Yang Clan is located in the Eastern Province, it will take some time. I estimate it will take about a month to determine your parents’ current situation. Then I will help you find the easiest possible way to rescue them.”

“Thank you,” Dongbo Xueying’s heart raced.

Father, Mother—are you both alright now?

“Alright then, I must take my leave,” Lord Si An stood up. “Every month, our Longshan Pavilion will deliver an Imperial Gazette and a new Mission List. You may accept missions at any time and contribute to the glory of our entire Xia Clan.”