Chapter 49 - 48: Seal and Ribbon Mutual Generation, Merit and Demerit Shape Destiny
At Chu Bai’s thought, the translucent panel only he could see materialized before him.
[Name: Chu Bai]
[Realm: Qi Cultivation First Layer (5/100)]
[Cultivation Technique: Small Qi Gathering Technique (Mastery 19/500)]
[Skill: Spirit Water Needle (Skilled 8/200)]
The data in the first few entries hadn’t changed much. Chu Bai’s gaze quickly shifted downward, sweeping past the two activated Fate Charts before finally settling on a new line of faint golden text at the very bottom.
[Acquired Fate Chart: Seal and Ribbon Mutual Generation, Merit and Demerit Shape Destiny (Inactive)]
[Source: By Receiving the Talisman and Registering, you now bear the Yun Dynasty Seal and Ribbon and are blessed by Destiny.]
[Effects:
1. Merit: By performing meritorious deeds, you can accumulate Destiny. While under the effects of Destiny, the power of all your other activated Fate Charts will be comprehensively amplified.
2. Demerit: You will accumulate Karmic Force. When burdened by Karmic Force, you will face constant misfortune, but this can temper your character, making your Dao Heart ever more lucid and resolute.]
[Note: Merit and Demerit run in parallel and cannot offset one another. Merit is merit, and a demerit is a demerit.]
Chu Bai stared at the words, his mind reeling.
This new Fate Chart was clearly tailor-made for his new status.
’Seal and Ribbon Mutual Generation...’ Chu Bai mulled over the words.
The effect was extraordinary; it didn’t directly increase his combat power or Cultivation.
If he could perform great deeds, gain the blessing of Destiny, and combine it with the highly efficient conversion from [Nourishing and Exquisite] and the ability to ignore bottlenecks from [Unceasing Labor], his cultivation speed would likely reach a jaw-dropping pace.
For someone like him who urgently needed to increase his strength, this was an absolute godsend.
As for the ’demerit’ effect, while it sounded like a punishment, its ability to temper one’s Dao Heart might have miraculous results in certain situations.
However, the specifics of how to define and acquire these ’merits’ and ’demerits’ were something he would have to figure out over time.
Just as he was lost in thought, Vice-Principal Lu He spoke again from the high platform, interrupting his reverie.
"Now that you have all Received the Talisman, you are official disciples of the Daoist School."
Lu He waved his robed sleeve, and countless streams of light shot out, embedding themselves precisely into the Gray Talisman between the brows of every student in the hall.
"This contains your class assignments. This year’s cohort of three hundred disciples has been randomly divided into ten classes according to your chosen specializations."
Chu Bai sensed the information in his Sea of Consciousness: ’Class Three.’
He turned to look at Li Han beside him.
"I’m in Class Two." Li Han gave a wry smile and shook his head. "I guess we weren’t that lucky."
"It’s alright. We’re in the same Daoist School, and we’ll have plenty of time," Chu Bai said reassuringly.
Although it was a shame he couldn’t group up with someone he knew, it was not entirely unexpected.
Afterward, Lu He briefly went over a few minor details, such as classes officially starting at 7:00 AM the next day, the location of the dining hall, and the Scripture Pavilion’s hours. After assigning everyone their room numbers for the dormitories, his figure flashed and vanished from the great hall in a streak of Escape Light.
The remaining matters were left for Instructor Sun and the other instructors to manage.
...
The Daoist School’s dormitories were located on a tranquil and secluded part of the rear mountainside.
Following the directions, Chu Bai found his assigned room: Room B-7.
As he pushed the door open, a faint wave of Clear Spirit Qi washed over him.
Although it was a quad room, the space was extremely generous. Four beds were situated in the corners, with a mahogany round table in the center for drinking tea and discussing the Dao.
Best of all, the room’s temperature was pleasant, as if it had been deliberately regulated. Although Cultivators were unaffected by heat or cold, the accommodations were a world apart from his drafty, dilapidated shack back in Anping County.
Three people were already inside, setting up their bedding.
The trio paused as Chu Bai pushed the door open. A slightly chubby young man closest to the entrance was the first to break the silence.
"Ah, our last roommate is here."
The chubby young man walked over with a broad grin, cupping his hands with an easy familiarity. "Name’s Jiang Kuo, a local from the Prefecture City. Judging by your clothes, you just got back from Receiving the Talisman too, brother?"
Although Jiang Kuo was dressed in fine clothes, and the Jade Pendant at his waist pulsed with a faint Spiritual Light—a clear sign of a wealthy background—his tone was surprisingly frank and open. He lacked the typical arrogance of a Noble Family Descendant.
"I’m Chu Bai, from Anping County." Chu Bai returned the gesture, his demeanor neither servile nor overbearing.
"Anping County? A fine place."
Jiang Kuo replied casually, then pulled a packet of tea leaves from his Storage Bag. As if performing a magic trick, he brewed a cup for each of them. "Here, here, give it a try. This is the ’Cloud Mist Spirit Tea’ from my old man’s private collection. It’s not Top Grade or anything, but since it’s our first day, let’s wet our whistles."
The gesture seemed welcoming, but it was also a silent demonstration: ’I’m the one with resources in this room. Stick with me, and I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.’
"Many thanks, Brother Jiang."
The one who accepted the cup was a skinny youth with exceptionally sharp eyes. His name was Zhou Tong. He was also from the Prefecture City, but his clothes were plain; he’d mentioned that his family ran a general store.
Zhou Tong was clearly a sharp fellow. With just a few well-chosen words, he had Jiang Kuo grinning from ear to ear. At the same time, he didn’t neglect Chu Bai or their other roommate, demonstrating a smooth and tactful way with words.
The last roommate was named Chen Shi, and he was from the remote Lishan County.
The young man had a dark complexion and a taciturn nature, silently arranging his own slightly worn-out bedding.
When Jiang Kuo offered him the Spirit Tea, he seemed somewhat ill at ease. He accepted it with both hands, muttered a quiet "thank you," and retreated to his corner.
The four of them sat around the table, and over tea, the atmosphere gradually grew more congenial.
There were none of the melodramatic clichés you’d find in novels, with some villain mindlessly mocking the others.
Anyone who could get into the Daoist School, regardless of background, was generally well-educated and knew how to read a room.
As long as there were no conflicts of interest, everyone was happy to maintain a veneer of civility.
"So," Zhou Tong began, "what do you guys think they actually teach at this Daoist School?"
Although Zhou Tong was well-informed, his knowledge was limited to street rumors. Now that he was inside this prestigious institution, he felt a bit out of his depth and couldn’t resist starting a conversation. "I’ve heard plenty about the Daoist School’s reputation back in the Prefecture City, but now that I’m actually here, I’m completely in the dark. Haven’t even seen a class schedule."
"I actually heard my old man mention something about that."
Jiang Kuo set down his teacup and cleared his throat, a hint of smugness on his face as if he had inside information. "I hear our first three months are mostly ’General Knowledge’—basically, building a foundation."
"Stuff like Spirit Plant Recognition, an Initial Understanding of Talismans, the Demon Beast Atlas... we have to learn it all."
"What’s more, the assessments during these months are supposedly really strict. If you can’t keep up, they’ll deduct something called ’Daoist Merit’."
"Daoist Merit?" Chen Shi, who had been silently arranging his bedding, paused and turned his head, a look of confusion in his eyes.
"It’s like the currency here at the school, I think." Jiang Kuo wasn’t entirely certain himself, rubbing his chin. "I don’t know the specifics of how it works, but my dad said that stuff is even more useful than Spirit Stones in here. Apparently, you can trade it for special resources."
"Can you trade it for Cultivation Techniques?" Chen Shi suddenly pressed, a flicker of desperate hope in his eyes.
"I’d guess so...?" Jiang Kuo was taken aback by the question. He then turned to Chu Bai, who had been quiet for the most part. "Brother Chu, you were the Top Scholar from your county. Didn’t the examiner let anything slip on the way here?"
Chu Bai smiled and shook his head. "The examiner only told us to attend the lecture tomorrow at 7:00 AM. I’m afraid we’ll have to wait until then to learn the specific rules. But since this is a Daoist School, I’m sure there’s no shortage of cultivation techniques and scriptures."
"That’s true," Zhou Tong chimed in, his face full of yearning. "I heard the Scripture Pavilion is nine stories tall and even contains Great Dao True Skills that lead directly to Foundation Establishment! Even though we’re just Beginners now, as long as we save up enough of that... what was it, Daoist Merit, we’ll get to go inside and see for ourselves sooner or later."
Chu Bai’s interest was piqued.
Obtaining a new Cultivation Technique was his current top priority.
"We’ll find out at the lecture tomorrow," Chu Bai agreed with a nod.
As night fell, the four of them turned in.
Lying on the soft bed, Chu Bai could feel faint wisps of Spiritual Qi gathering around him.
His roommates seemed easy enough to get along with. In this unfamiliar environment, it was a good start.