Chapter 130: Plans

Fang Yue opened his eyes, feeling a sharp pain in his head. He hurriedly felt his body, confirming that his limbs and extremities were all intact, which allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Junior Brother, you're awake!"

Fang Yue heard a joyful cry from the bedside, followed by a soft embrace. Before he could react, the door creaked open. The sound startled Bai Taoru, who realized the impropriety and hastily released him.

"Junior Brother Fang, are you alright?" Qiu Shiyan glanced at Bai Taoru before turning her gaze to Fang Yue, who was lying on the bed.

"I'm fine," Fang Yue replied, shaking his head and sitting up halfway. He was not seriously injured; it was just a minor head wound from the impact that still throbbed. With Qiu Shiyan and Bai Taoru present, he could not use his merit points to heal it just yet.

"Junior Brother, you scared me to death," Bai Taoru said, her eyes still red, though her face now showed signs of relief.

Fang Yue looked at the two of them, and seeing their genuine concern, he felt a warmth in his heart. "It was just a small accident. I'm fine now."

As they spoke, Bai Fu, Niu Chuming, and others, having heard that Fang Yue was awake, all crowded into the room to check on him.

"Young Master Fang, you're awake."
"Junior Brother Fang, are you alright?"

The room became a chaotic buzz of voices. Fang Yue smiled and said, "Thank you all for your concern, I am quite alright."

Seeing the crowd surrounding him, Qiu Shiyan frowned slightly and said, "Alright, Junior Brother Fang just woke up and needs to rest. Don't crowd him."

...

In the middle of the night, the moon was obscured and the wind was howling. Fang Yue sat in his room with a bandage wrapped around his head. In truth, he had already used his merit points to heal the minor injury, but he still needed to keep up the appearance.

He summoned the Merit System.

Fang Yue—
Merit: 15,230 points
Supernatural Abilities: Deduction, Illumination, Soul Extraction
Arts: Dragon-Turtle Breath-Holding Technique (Second Level)
Martial Skills: Enlightenment Technique (Fifth Level), Fire-Iron Body (Second Level), Flame Palm (Second Level), Long Wind Fist (Second Level), Long Wind Sword Technique (Second Level), Chasing the Wind and Catching the Moon (First Level), Basic Saber Technique (First Level)

"I only have about 15,000 merit points left. That is far from enough, whether I want to continue deducing techniques or cleanse the negative emotions from the incense offerings."

Fang Yue began to fret over his lack of merit points. Both were major drains on his resources, and both were urgent. Deducing techniques to strengthen his physical body was the top priority in this dangerous world. As for the divine statue, the accumulation of incense offerings also brought with it a buildup of distracting thoughts and desires. A small amount could be suppressed, but if it grew, it would risk corrupting his divinity and causing his divine form to degenerate into an "Evil God," so it could not be delayed.

In short, Fang Yue was in desperate need of merit points.

"The industries around Fish Head Town have accumulated some wealth, even if I haven't expanded them significantly due to certain considerations. I can use part of it for the development of Fish Head Town and Green Fish Town. But using it elsewhere to perform good deeds and gain merit points is difficult. The imperial order is stable; large-scale, unauthorized relief for disaster victims or the poor would only arouse the government's suspicion."

Fang Yue felt a bit frustrated; these days, even doing good deeds required walking on eggshells.

"If possible, I should try to obtain an official status to make things easier, or support a local official, donating money and goods for them to act in the name of the imperial court."

He plotted in his mind, but these were distant solutions for an immediate thirst. For now, hunting down ghosts and monsters to gain merit points was the most convenient path. The merit points gained from killing such creatures were quite substantial.

"The merit points I collect should accurately be called 'Humanitarian Merit.' Ghosts and monsters are born from the grievances and malice of the world, harming the people, who deeply loathe them. It is no wonder that slaying them yields such generous rewards."

Now that he had reached the Innate Realm, Fang Yue decided to follow his original plan: join the White Cloud Palace in Yun Prefecture and become a retainer. With the information provided by the White Cloud Palace, he wouldn't have to wander the world searching for ghosts himself.

...

A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in, it's unlocked."

Qiu Shiyan pushed the door open and walked in.

"Senior Sister, what brings you here?" Since they hadn't scheduled a discussion on techniques for tonight, Fang Yue was curious about her sudden visit.

Qiu Shiyan shot him a look and asked, "Can't I come to see you if there's nothing wrong?"

"Oh?" Fang Yue felt her tone was inexplicably unkind. Unable to fathom why, he could only attribute it to the "monthly cycle" women were said to have.

The candlelight flickered, and neither of them spoke for a moment.

Finally, Qiu Shiyan said, "You were unconscious for nearly a day. Are you truly alright?"

Fang Yue replied, "I encountered some issues after breaking through to the Innate Realm, but I'm fine now."

Qiu Shiyan looked at him in surprise. "You broke through to the Innate Realm? So quickly?"

Martial arts breakthroughs were notoriously difficult, requiring persistent effort and could never be rushed. Although Fang Yue had been on the verge of it, it had been less than a month since she began teaching him the "Long Wind Technique." Excluding the time spent studying, he had essentially broken through overnight.

A look of worry crossed Qiu Shiyan's face as she asked anxiously, "You didn't force the breakthrough and damage your foundation, did you? Is that why you fainted?"

Fang Yue smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry, that's not it. I'm truly fine. Look."

As he spoke, he released his aura. The Innate True Qi was balanced, calm, and vigorous, showing no signs of the weakness that would accompany a damaged foundation.

Seeing that he was indeed fine, Qiu Shiyan sighed with relief. Her mood was complex as she said, "I never expected you to break through to the Innate Realm so quickly and become an Innate Master. What are your plans now?"

She knew that Fang Yue’s main reason for joining the Fengyang Martial Arts Hall was to obtain an Innate-level technique. Now that he had achieved that, the hall held little significance for him. She looked at him, waiting for his answer with a sense of trepidation; she wanted to know his true character.

Sensing her odd gaze, Fang Yue understood her concern and spoke earnestly, "Since I joined the Fengyang Martial Arts Hall, I am a member of it. I will not renege on my word just because I have achieved my goal. What I promised you, I will never go back on."

Qiu Shiyan’s heart settled. She looked down at her embroidered shoes and said, "It’s not that I demand anything of you, as long as you still remember me... us, that is enough. We shouldn't rush things regarding the martial arts hall. There were rumors that we possessed a Martial Saint's secret manual. If the news of your breakthrough to the Innate Realm gets out now, it will easily lead people to make associations. We need to wait a while."

Fang Yue nodded, agreeing with her. It was indeed not the right time for the news of him becoming an Innate Master to spread. The people outside were nearly driven mad searching for the Martial Saint's manual; drawing their attention would be a major headache.

"I plan to take a trip to the White Cloud Palace in the provincial capital to obtain a retainer status. Senior Sister, how much do you know about the White Cloud Palace?"