Merin steps inside the Four-Gate building and finds the lobby as empty as always, except for Li Mei seated behind the counter.

She notices him, straightens a little, and when he walks up to stand on the other side, she asks, “Do you want to take another task?”

Merin nods, resting his hand on the counter. “Is there any task where I can earn more merit?”

She looks him over before replying, “There is. It came a few hours ago. The task is for three days—to escort a convoy to Liulan Prefecture City.”

Merin asks, “How much merit?”

“One hundred merit,” she answers.

Merin nods slowly. “How will the merit be divided?”

He asks because escorting a convoy to Liulan Prefecture City takes three days, and one person alone cannot protect it. Normally, a team of Celestial Masters would be hired. With a reward of one hundred merit, he expects two others to be included.

But Li Mei’s reply makes him pause. “No need to divide. You are the only one for this task.”

Merin raises an eyebrow and quickly says, “Then give me another task.”

Li Mei shakes her head. “They don’t want you for protection. The convoy already has three Blood Yang martial artists. They are there to protect. You are there to detect.”

Martial artists in the Blood Yang Realm can fight against evil creatures, but they still lack the variety and precision of a Celestial Master.

Merin exhales softly. “Oh… then I’ll take it.”

She hands him a thin task paper. “They are staying at Golden Spring Inn. Discuss the pay and departure time with them.”

Merin pockets the paper and nods. “Thank you.”

She waves her hand lazily. “You can go.”

Merin lingers a moment, then says, “I have another question.”

Her black eyes fix on him as she blinks once. “What?”

“Why have I never seen other Celestial Masters here?”

“You come at odd times,” she replies calmly. “This is only the fourth time you’ve stepped into the building. Keep coming and you’ll see them. They’re busy, same as you—earning merit.”

Merin nods, satisfied, and turns to leave the building.

He walks toward the Golden Spring Inn. It stands close to the Four-Gate building, both positioned along the city’s central street. A few moments later, he steps inside.

The inn radiates wealth—an inn for the rich and noble. Even in the lobby, he notices carved runes releasing a faint floral fragrance into the air.

Merin walks to the receptionist’s desk. The young woman behind it greets him politely, “Do you need something?”

“I have come for…” Merin takes out the task paper and glances at the employer’s name. “Miss Mu Jingyi.”

The receptionist straightens at the name, her tone shifting. “Can you show me the paper for confirmation?”

Merin only looks at her in silence.

She quickly explains, “Lady Mu is an important guest of our inn. We cannot disturb her just because someone claims to see her.”

Merin responds evenly, “I am a Celestial Master,” and hands her the task paper.

She reads it carefully, then returns it with a nod.

Merin pockets the paper again. The receptionist waves at another attendant—a woman in the inn’s uniform—who approaches quietly.

“She is Meilu,” the receptionist says. “She will take you to Lady Mu’s room.”

Turning to Meilu, she adds, “Escort the Celestial Master to Lady Mu.”

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Meilu bows her head slightly, then looks at Merin with a polite smile. She gestures with her hand. “Sir, please follow me.”

Merin gives a faint smile of his own, nods, and follows her.

They ascend the staircase, passing through quiet corridors lined with ornate lanterns, until they stop before an elaborate door.

Meilu knocks softly. After a pause, the door opens, revealing a woman’s face. “Who?”

“Miss, this Celestial Master came seeking Lady Mu,” Meilu answers respectfully.

The woman’s eyes scan Merin from head to toe. “Wait,” she says curtly, before closing the door.

Minutes pass in silence. Finally, the door opens again, and the same woman steps aside. “Come in.”

Merin follows her inside. The room is lavish, draped in silks and perfumed with faint incense, and guarded by several strikingly beautiful women. Their beauty does not stir him—after all, he is a thousand-year-old monster who has seen every kind of woman, and even married four of the most beautiful himself.

His eyes settle on the figure hidden behind a delicate paper curtain. That must be Lady Mu.

A melodic voice drifts out from behind the curtain. “What is your name?”

Merin answers calmly, “My name is Lin Yu.”

“You are rather young, Mr. Lin Yu,” the voice observes. “How many tasks have you completed?”

“Two,” Merin replies.

Silence lingers for a moment before she speaks again. “Is there any reason the Four Gates would assign you this task? They would not entrust a Celestial Master with something beyond his eligibility.”

Merin says smoothly, “Perhaps because my first two tasks were outside the city.”

“What were they?”

“An inferior ghost,” Merin answers, “and a demon rat.”

“It seems you have strength,” the voice admits. “But I want to confirm it.”

Merin doesn’t want to lose such a high-merit task, so he asks directly, “What do I need to do?”

“You will fight one of my maids.”

Merin nods. “When?”

The woman’s voice carries a faint smile. “You are not going to ask the realm of the maid you will face?”

Inside, Merin reminds himself—stay in character. He cannot appear too monstrous. He is truly a third-ring Celestial Master now, but revealing that would be reckless. In this fight, he will show the strength of a peak first ring, then, in two weeks, display a breakthrough to the second ring. That way, his rise will seem believable.

Aloud, he says, “My realm is only a first-ring Celestial Master. So the lady should not assign me an opponent higher than the second realm of martial artists.”

The voice replies, “Wu Si will fight you. She is a Blood Yang realm martial artist. But don’t worry, she will only gauge your strength. If she says you pass, you are accepted.”

Merin exhales a convincing sigh of relief. “When will the test be held?”

“The room is large enough,” the woman answers lightly. “Do it right here and now.”

Merin frowns slightly. “I didn’t bring my sword, nor the runes I have drawn.”

“No worries,” the voice assures him. “This is not a fight to the death. She will only test your skill—and we have plenty of swords.”

Merin nods. “Ok.”

A maid steps forward and hands him a sword. Merin tests its weight awkwardly, like a novice. Another maid, Wu Si, walks out from the side and raises her blade, facing him with calm composure.

Merin studies her, then slashes forward with the clumsy movements of someone untrained in swordsmanship. Wu Si blocks his strike easily, as expected. In truth, if Merin had used even a fraction of his real skill, blood would already be flowing. To his eyes, her defence is riddled with gaps, but he keeps his disguise.

After only a few exchanges, Merin staggers back, panting. Lin Yu’s body is still that of a mortal, and swinging such a heavy sword without technique eats away at his strength quickly.

“Be careful,” he warns.

He pulls a rune paper from his sleeve and presses it to his right hand. With a flicker of spirit power, the rune ignites. “Spirit Hold!”

A giant palm of light manifests and grasps toward Wu Si.

Wu Si instantly flares her Blood Yang energy, shattering the palm. The rune disperses, and Merin lowers his hand, stepping back.

He turns to the paper curtain. “This is my full strength.”

Silence follows until the melodic voice speaks. “Wu Si?”

Wu Si bows slightly. “His physical skill is inadequate. Even a mortal with proper training could defeat him. But his rune technique—if aimed at anyone under Blood Yang Realm—would be extremely difficult to block. For martial artists below my realm, his spirit attacks are dangerous.”

The voice says, “So, he passed.”

“Yes, my Lady,” Wu Si answers.

The woman behind the curtain speaks again. “Mr. Lin Yu, please arrive with your belongings at the western city gate in a couple of hours. We will be leaving today.”

Merin bows lightly, then walks out of the room.

As he makes his way back home, his thoughts darken. I must find a way to strengthen this body. It is far too weak.

But martial arts are barred to him. Martial Artists walk the Yang path of the body, while Celestial Masters tread the Yin path of spirit.

The two cannot be cultivated together. If one advances too far as a Celestial Master, they lose the foundation to form qi for the third realm of martial arts.

If one advances too far in martial cultivation, their spirit cannot grow to become a Celestial Master.

Merin knows this is not the truth; Yin and Yang can be cultivated together.

But not in weak realms, and now he is only a sliver of divine consciousness of the main body.

He does not have the strength to suppress the conflict of Yin and Yang.

Yet with his knowledge of vitality, he can create a body-tempering technique that only strengthens flesh without cultivating energy.

Until then, his spirit is his only weapon—though he knows he cannot remain so fragile forever.

Merin returns home and informs his brother and sister that he will be away for a task lasting a week.

Both are reluctant for him to leave, since he has been gone for not more than two days before, and now he will vanish for much longer.

Travel to Liulan City is far more dangerous than walking to nearby villages.

He softens their worry with a promise that he will bring them gifts upon his return.

After eating the meal his sister cooks, he leaves the house.

As he rides away, he thinks to himself that his sister is already ten years old.

After returning, I should admit her to a school.

Riding his donkey, Merin arrives at the western city gate.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep