At the Martial Arts Arena, the tense atmosphere finally eased as Instructor Lei Lie announced the end of class.
The new students dispersed in twos and threes, still fervently discussing the heart-pounding battle that had just taken place. Their gazes toward Chu Bai now held a genuine sense of awe.
Zhang Shan saw Instructor Lei Lie off before quickly hurrying back, the guilty expression on his face yet to fully fade.
He looked at Chu Bai, who was surrounded by his roommates as they fussed over him. Zhang Shan sighed again, his voice tinged with lingering fear. "Chu Bai, about what happened today... I was truly reckless.
It’s a good thing you weren’t hurt. Otherwise... not only would the ten Daoist Merits for this Teaching Assistant mission go down the drain, but Instructor Lei’s opinion of me would also plummet. It would probably be difficult to accept any more missions from him in the future."
He wasn’t complaining, but rather expressing relief after a close call.
However, the words were spoken casually, but Chu Bai listened with intent.
Chu Bai keenly picked up on a few key phrases: "Teaching Assistant mission," "ten Daoist Merits," and "mission evaluation."
’An idea sparked in his mind.’ He quickly waved a hand to show he was fine, then took the opportunity to ask, cupping his fists respectfully. "You’re being too serious, Senior Zhang Shan. But from what you said, it sounds like there are more ways to earn Daoist Merit in the Daoist School than I’m aware of?"
Chu Bai had, of course, spent the past month doing his research on Daoist Merit.
He knew it was the only real currency within the Daoist School. While he didn’t know many ways to obtain it, he was very clear on its value.
The purchasing power of one Daoist Merit was slightly greater than one tael of fine silver from the outside world, but the two could not be exchanged.
For instance, the Spiritual Cuisine on the second floor of the dining hall, which could enhance one’s Cultivation, could be paid for with silver, but the price was much higher. It was far more economical to use Daoist Merit.
And core locations like the Scripture Pavilion only accepted Daoist Merit, not gold or silver.
Over the past month, Chu Bai had taken on a few odd jobs posted by the Daoist School in his spare time.
Sweeping, dusting, organizing teaching materials... The work was menial, but it was steady, and each task earned him one or two Daoist Merits.
After a month, he had managed to save up fifteen Daoist Merits.
If converted to silver, that income was equivalent to a full fifteen taels. Back in Anping County, that would be enough for an ordinary family to live on for several years. It was a significant perk the Daoist School provided for students from humble families.
But for a Cultivator, this amount of Daoist Merit was a drop in the bucket.
Chu Bai had gone to the Scripture Pavilion to check, and even a basic Magic Technique for the Qi Cultivation Stage cost over a hundred Daoist Merits to acquire.
Trying to save up that much just by doing odd jobs would take an eternity.
Seeing Chu Bai’s eager, knowledge-hungry expression, Zhang Shan didn’t hold back. After all, he had almost made a huge mistake. This was a small chance to offer some guidance and make amends.
"What you’re talking about are the general-purpose tasks posted by the school’s administration office. The barrier to entry is low, so anyone can take them. Naturally, the rewards aren’t very high."
Zhang Shan led Chu Bai to a stone bench at the edge of the Martial Arts Arena and sat down. He began to explain in detail, "The real way to earn a lot of Daoist Merit is through the Instructors, or through assigned missions and bounties posted periodically by the Daoist School’s leadership."
"Take me being a Teaching Assistant for Instructor Lei today, for example."
Zhang Shan pointed to himself and gave a wry smile. "This was a mission assigned to me personally by Instructor Lei.
The new students’ combat class needed someone strong enough to set a standard, but who also knew how to hold back. I happen to be on good terms with Instructor Lei, and I often ask him for advice on Body Cultivator techniques, so he trusts me. The job naturally fell to me. I get twenty Daoist Merits for a single class. Isn’t that better than doing odd jobs for half a month?"
Chu Bai’s eyes widened in sudden understanding. ’So it’s also about who you know.’
He praised him sincerely. "I see. But you’re incredibly strong, Senior Zhang Shan. You definitely deserve the position of Teaching Assistant. And those Wood Element Techniques you used earlier were a real eye-opener."
The compliment was genuine.
Zhang Shan’s level of Cultivation, along with his masterful application of Magic Techniques, was genuinely impressive.
"Hardly, hardly."
But upon hearing Chu Bai’s praise, Zhang Shan didn’t look pleased at all. Instead, he shook his head with a wry smile, and a weight and pressure that seemed out of place for his age appeared on his normally laid-back face.
"You might not feel it now, but in another year, you’ll understand."
He looked at the new students in the distance, who were still chattering excitedly, and said quietly, "When you first enter the Daoist School, pretty much everyone is at the Qi Cultivation First Layer. There’s not much difference in Cultivation, so you can’t see any obvious gaps. But after a year, when you become second-year students, the real dividing line appears."
"Some people, those with family techniques or a better foundation, will have had enough time in a year to push for the Qi Cultivation Third Layer. Meanwhile, most people are still stuck on the Second Layer, like me."
"At that point, the Instructors will naturally give priority for the good missions to students with higher Cultivation and greater strength. The allocation of resources will also be skewed in their favor. In this way, the strong get stronger and the weak get weaker, and the gap only widens. In my year, the difference in treatment between the Qi Cultivation Second Layer and the Third Layer is already like night and day."
"So," Zhang Shan said with a self-deprecating laugh, "don’t think I’m so impressive just because of how I looked in front of you all today. In my year, there are plenty of people stronger than me.
If I don’t work my tail off earning Daoist Merit to trade for Pills and Talismans to help my cultivation, I’m afraid I’ll soon be overtaken by those behind me, or even left completely in the dust."
On the path of cultivation, everyone is just building their foundation during the Qi Introduction stage.
But once they formally break through to the Qi Cultivation stage, the gaps begin to show.
This is especially true after entering the Daoist School. After just one year, the differences become even more pronounced.
These weren’t empty words; he was speaking from experience.
Here, to stand still was to fall behind.
Seeing Chu Bai’s pensive expression and the growing determination in his eyes, Zhang Shan nodded to himself in approval.
’This kid isn’t just talented; his mental fortitude is far beyond that of his peers. He’s got what it takes to accomplish great things.’
When he thought back to the dangerous moment from the fight, his guilt deepened.
"Chu Bai," Zhang Shan said suddenly, his tone turning serious. "Seeing how keen you are on earning Daoist Merit, and on top of what happened today, I feel truly guilty... How about this? I know of a job that pays quite well. Are you interested?"
"Oh?" Chu Bai looked up, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Please, tell me more, Senior."
"Consider it a small way of making it up to you." Zhang Shan lowered his voice. "I’m not sure about the specific task, but Dean Chen is often short-handed. The thing is, he doesn’t take anyone who has already broken through to the Qi Cultivation Second Layer. I can recommend you. The pay is quite good."
"As for whether or not you’ll get it, that will depend on the Dean’s specific requirements for the task."

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