ASER - Chapter 114
Chapter 114: Military Merit
One minute later, Yue Xingxi, bringing Yue Zhao Guang, personally visited. The three of them sat on the sofa. The atmosphere, subtle from the beginning, ended when A'Diao opened her mouth and said, "Have you eaten?"
Yue Xingxi, being older after all, thanked A'Diao on behalf of the Yue Clan for saving their lives. Her tone was very formal but also sincere, as if she didn't despise A'Diao for being the immoral person who had previously claimed to "like sister-in-law."
As long as you don't make a big deal out of it, I can make even less of a big deal out of it.
"You're too kind, it was nothing."
Don't just thank me, where's the thank-you gift?
Fortunately, Yue Zhao Guang was sensible. He immediately took out a pouch and respectfully presented it. A'Diao was delighted inwardly, but on the surface, she demurred, "This is too much..."
Yue Zhao Guang quickly said it was what they should do. Not long after, the doorbell rang. It was precisely the Li siblings who had come to deliver a gift.
Seeing Yue Zhao Guang didn't elicit much reaction, but when Li Yuankai saw Yue Xingxi, his gaze lingered for quite a while.
"Sister Xingxi is here too, that's wonderful."
This man put on an air of great enthusiasm and excessive politeness. Yue Xingxi remained aloof, bound by etiquette. A'Diao inwardly rolled her eyes hard and, feigning curiosity, asked, "Young Master Li, are you here to see Miss Yue? How did you know she was at my place?"
Weren't you here to deliver a gift? If not, were you just focused on chasing girls? Then how did you know she was at my place?
Are you stalking the Yue siblings?
One sentence, two traps. Li Yuankai's expression faltered slightly. He immediately smiled and explained, "It's just a coincidence. I was originally here to see you, Brother Zhao. Running into Sister Xingxi is just good luck."
After speaking, he immediately presented the thank-you gift.
A'Diao, as usual, feigned reluctance for a moment before accepting it. Then, she casually asked if Yue Xingxi was also an academy student.
"No, I'm a year above them, at Beichuan University."
The three premier universities: Kyoto University, Beichuan University, and Minghai University.
Those who could get in were all the crème de la crème. A'Diao hadn't expected this person to be in the same year as Chen Xun, but it was very obvious she possessed cultivation talent, and remarkably so.
Otherwise, Toilet wouldn't have classified her as top-tier.
A'Diao wanted to ask more, but Li Zhaowu interjected with a beaming smile, "Brother Zhao, you're so young, yet your cultivation is so high, it's truly amazing. I've admired such warriors since I was little. I really wonder what kind of sister-in-law would be worthy of Brother Zhao's affection."
Her original intention was to probe whether A'Diao was married.
But the Chinese language is broad and profound. When this sentence reached the ears of Yue Xingxi and A'Diao, well...
Sister-in-law? Which sister-in-law?
Yue Xingxi showed no expression. Brother Zhao Ritian seemed to have sobered up. At this moment, sipping tea, the corner of his mouth curled into a roguish smile as he said firmly, "The sister-in-law I can't have, that's the one I like the most."
Li Zhaowu: "?"
The others: "..."
The transgressive literature had leveled up. Or was it a one-sided, domineering CEO-style forceful love?
They were all people who needed to cultivate, so both groups soon departed.
As soon as Li Yuankai returned to his room, his expression changed. Gone was any trace of his earlier flirtatious demeanor. His eyes glinted darkly as he said, "Why is Yue Xingxi back? With her, Yue Zhao Guang is like a tiger that has grown wings—even harder to deal with."
Li Zhaowu also sensed trouble. "I heard she's being specially cultivated by Beichuan University, and her strength has advanced by leaps and bounds. We don't know how strong she is now, but she's definitely A-rank or above. Brother, we need to step up our investigation into He Luo and the Bandit Alliance."
Originally, their purpose in coming to the Southern Sea Region was to eliminate Demonic Spirits and gather resources. But they had suddenly stumbled upon the matter of the Bandit Alliance—wasn't this a more lucrative path?
If they succeeded, the profits would far exceed those from going out to sea to kill Demonic Spirits.
It's just that...
"It's just that Yue Zhao Guang and the others were present just now, so I couldn't very well ask Zhao Ritian to give us He Luo's body. And we don't know if this person has any contact information for the people from the Bandit Alliance."
When Li Zhaowu thought about her failed seduction attempt, which had instead elicited the "sister-in-law I can't have" comment, a wave of disappointment washed over her.
What was wrong with tough guys these days? Why were they so perverse?
Meanwhile, with the Yue siblings (who were unknowingly the subject of complaint), Yue Xingxi was giving Yue Zhao Guang some advice.
"Be careful in your interactions with that Zhao Ritian. This person is not simple, and also very dangerous."
"The Li siblings likely have designs on Zhao Ritian. Their intentions are not upright. If you get in their way, they might try to trip you up. It's not that I'm afraid you can't handle it, but you need to distinguish your priorities. We came here to gain experience by killing Demonic Spirits; don't spend all your energy on other things—unless your mind is strong enough to manage both. Also, the Grand Commandant is a person who tolerates no deceit. Kyoto is their domain. Even if you manage to go there in the future, it will be very difficult to establish yourself. Your foundation is ultimately in the Five Prefectures, so protecting the Five Prefectures is your responsibility."
The Yue Clan's upbringing was the complete opposite of the Li family's. It emphasized understanding the individual in the context of the greater good; one could pursue self-interest, but not necessarily by harming others.
Yue Zhao Guang nodded in agreement, but there was one point he didn't concur with. "Sister, I think Brother Zhao is great. I think he's a very interesting and formidable person."
Yue Xingxi said nothing.
Someone who spouts nonsense all the time and doesn't care about their reputation is naturally very interesting.
Yue Xingxi didn't elaborate further on "Brother Zhao's" previous statements because, upon later reflection, she became even more convinced that A'Diao had been talking nonsense.
Of course, the reason for her judgment was that, while they were in the room, even though the top buttons of her (Yue Xingxi's) own shirt were undone—to the point where even a hypocrite like Li Yuankai, skilled in pretense, couldn't resist sneaking a couple of glances—this Zhao Ritian hadn't looked even once.
He hadn't looked. Could it be because he was infatuated with a sister-in-law?
No. If truly infatuated with a sister-in-law, one would try to minimize direct contact with her (Yue Xingxi), converse mostly with Yue Zhao Guang, and maintain an impeccably proper demeanor.
But this person didn't. They were curious when they wanted to be, spoke when they wanted to, and behaved very casually.
Such a lack of restraint meant either they were completely uninhibited or possessed a truly clear conscience.
But why would this person spout such nonsense?
A pervert?
The "pervert," A'Diao, was gleefully opening the pouches and calculating her income from the thank-you gifts.
They had given Spirit Cores and Skeletal Remains.
The Yue Clan gave 10 Level 5 Spirit Cores and 100 pieces of Skeletal Remains.
The Li family gave 15 Level 5 Spirit Cores and 50 pieces of Skeletal Remains.
Eh, the lives of these scions of prominent families were indeed precious. The thank-you gifts were very generous, high-end, and impressive. They had likely assessed "Brother Zhao Ritian's" (her) hidden background and personal strength, not daring to be perfunctory, and had even made a point to display their own family's prestige.
Look at our gifts! If it's Spirit Cores, we don't give anything below Level 5. We start at Level 5 because our family has the capability to handle Level 5 Demonic Spirits!
Look at our gifts! Just Level 5 Spirit Cores aren't enough. If we're giving, we give Skeletal Remains that even Forbidden Masters would value. Brother, since you come from a hidden family, you must know this stuff is the real high-level currency, right?
Like the Rolex gold watches in gangster movies!
A'Diao was quite satisfied. She now had 50 Level 5 Spirit Cores and over 700 pieces of Skeletal Remains.
She no longer needed to bide her time at Sea-Sky One Hue Resort Villa, nor did she intend to spend time getting to know the prodigies from the Five Prefectures gathered there. After all, she had joined ten group chats, and nine out of ten of these geniuses were likely in them.
She had chosen Sea-Sky One Hue Resort Villa because it was under the Huayao Conglomerate; the five-star hotel was equipped with a bank and safe deposit boxes. A'Diao used her access privileges to open one of the boxes and stored her items inside. However, she didn't check out, keeping the room active.
She was preparing for the worst-case scenario. If the dangers in the Southern Sea Region continued to escalate at the current rate, the human defense line would eventually be pushed back. At that point, defensible accommodations on the coast would become exceedingly scarce.
After making these arrangements, A'Diao paid it no more mind. She cultivated for a day, waiting... waiting for someone.
Qin Yin arrived the next day, bringing A'Diao a points badge.
"Your identity records are all included. The points badge will record your points and access rights. You can also log into the Five Prefectures Coastal Frontline System, which has a points exchange system. Your current points are 100. Thank you for your contribution to the stability of the Five Prefectures."
After giving a military salute, Qin Yin hurriedly departed, likely because the battle situation was becoming increasingly perilous.
After A'Diao received the desired badge, she immediately logged in to check. Her objective wasn't the resources, so she skipped directly to the military merit exchange list.
Soon, at the very bottom, she saw the position of External Decurion.
Decurion was the lowest rank in the military, and "External" was a step below even that. However, it essentially corresponded to a military position and was officially recognized, just not part of the formal establishment system.
The downside was that she wouldn't be considered a true soldier and couldn't be fully integrated into the military as one of their own. The upside, however, was that the military couldn't compel her service as per formal enlistment, yet she could still enjoy certain honors and privileges.
Toilet said, "You want this official position to convert your military merit from exterminating Demonic Spirits into tangible benefits, and to shed your current status as a commoner."
What was a commoner? It meant an ordinary person without official authority. Regardless of how powerful one was, they were still a commoner, unless they were strong enough to disregard all rules.
A'Diao was planning her future, preparing to detach her status and authority from Chen Ran. She wanted Chen Ran to be subject to her, but even if she left Chen Ran, she aimed to establish her own independent power base.
Military merit was the best path forward.
"Being outside the formal establishment is fine; in fact, it gives me a certain freedom. As long as I have this position and earn enough military merit to be registered with the military, I'll have status and privileges. It will give me a position from which I can advance or retreat."
After binding the badge, A'Diao confirmed with the hotel that she would not be checking out. Then, she left the coastline and flew towards the sea region.
What she didn't know was that just as she flew out from Sea-Sky One Hue Resort Villa, someone among the people coming and going in a distant hotel transmitted a message.
"She's left, heading to the sea region."
There was no response from the other side.
But in a shadowy corner, Mysterious Person A put down his book and stepped out of the darkness, his cold face filled with sinister ruthlessness.
"This person has ruined my grand plan. They must be killed."
A wisp of blood-red energy writhed on his fingertip before he sealed it into a small bottle.
Gone to the sea region?
That was perfect. There were plenty of Demonic Spirits there that could act on his behalf.
Meanwhile, Gu Yuntang reported the situation to his academy and also mentioned to his family that they should investigate Zhao Ritian.
"This person's origins are a mystery. I fear they might be a hidden pawn from some academy. It would be best if we could neutralize them."
"Also, Yue Xingxi has returned. It's highly probable that people from other universities will also rush back to the Southern Sea Region to gather resources. See if you can use connections to obtain the guest list from Sea-Sky One Hue Resort Villa."
Gu Yuntang was about to end the call when the person on the other end suddenly added, "The family sent a group of people not long ago to support you. After all, you're short-handed, and those B-rank and A-rank individuals from Qingzhou aren't sufficient. But for some reason, we suddenly lost contact with them just now. Is the situation there already so perilous? Logically, it shouldn't be. I instructed them not to venture into the sea region to take risks before meeting up with you. Under normal circumstances, they should have taken a safe route. How could this happen?"
Gu Yuntang was shocked. He subconsciously thought of the recently reported fog layer incident. Could they have perished there?
But the family's airship was top-class; the fog layer shouldn't have been able to interfere with it. So, what exactly had gone wrong?
What he didn't know was that in a sea region approximately three thousand meters from Sea-Sky One Hue Resort Villa, his family's support team lay dead, their bodies already cold.
One person's head was pinned under a foot. Though the sunlight was bright, it failed to bring any warmth to the corpse's deathly pale face.
The figure standing there was as pale as a ghost. With a slight twitch of his fingertips, the blood from the corpses was drawn out, flowing towards the staff in his hand and seeping into it, inch by inch.
"Killing humans is indeed far more profitable than killing Demonic Spirits,"
he murmured, as if he had discovered a new continent.
After all the bodies had turned into desiccated husks, with a flick of his finger, a cluster of blood-red flames shot out, instantly incinerating them to ash. Then, he flew up, heading towards Sea Region B.
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