Chapter 145. Go Kill the Chief Overseer!
‘At this rate, I should need about another month and a half to break through to the Extraordinary Meridians. It really is taking a bit longer than before.’
Looking at the progress on his panel, Xu Yuan thought to himself.
Still, it was acceptable.
After all, according to Qin Chuan, for anyone else to break through into that realm, without five or six years of accumulation and a large number of Meridian-Opening Pills, it was simply out of the question.
By comparison, his speed was already horrifying.
...
Not long after the three of them entered the Chief Overseer’s residence, the other two seven-meridian martial artists also arrived in quick succession.
One of them was even an old acquaintance of Xu Yuan’s, or rather, his former direct superior, Han Li.
Han Li had long known that Xu Yuan would be assigned here, so he was not surprised in the least.
It was just that when he thought about how this former subordinate had taken his place, risen to the same level as him, and now had to exchange false pleasantries with him as an equal—
He could not help but wear the same awkward fake smile as Yang Cang.
As for the other seven-meridian martial artist, his surname was Zhang. He was around forty years old, with bulging muscles all over his body and vigorous qi and blood. Clearly, he was in the full prime of life.
The group put on a familiar front and exchanged a round of polite greetings.
After that, they each returned to their own posts.
In the Level Four zone, each seven-meridian martial artist oversaw three streets, with each area positioned to support the others.
So Xu Yuan no longer needed to rush to the front lines from time to time the way he had in the Level Three zone.
Most of the time, this place was rather idle, but once battle broke out, it would be a major fight.
After returning to his station, Xu Yuan got acquainted with his subordinates, offered a few routine words of encouragement, and then returned to his residence to begin cultivating.
...
Once life started repeating itself, time passed very quickly.
In the blink of an eye, a month had gone by.
That afternoon, the setting sun dyed everything around him in a wash of orange-yellow light.
Xu Yuan stood in the middle of the small courtyard, his eyes shut tight, his upper body bare.
Thick qi and blood surged out from within him like a rushing river, coursing through all eight meridians before finally settling deep into his flesh, sinews, and bones.
He slowly exhaled and gave a low shout, the sound making the fallen leaves in the courtyard tremble faintly.
A pale bronze sheen suddenly spread over his skin, as though countless invisible currents of force were weaving and flowing over the surface of his body. It was like forged steel, like molten bronze.
Then, all at once, he raised his hand into a guarding stance, and from between his arms there faintly came the sound of clashing metal.
Xu Yuan’s body gave a slight tremor, and the surrounding air seemed to be forced back by an indestructible wall of force.
Then he once more returned to stillness, yet he stood there like an Arhat cast from bronze and iron, naturally carrying an aura of absolute invincibility.
【Skills: Jade Platform Stance Art (Perfection 69%) Thunderclap Fist (Perfection 91%) Golden Bell Shield (Minor Accomplishment 1%)】
【Aptitude: 40 (one in ten thousand)】
【Martial Seed (0): Berserk, Paralysis】
Xu Yuan slowly exhaled a turbid breath, withdrew his stance, and felt the changes brought about by this external martial art.
During this past month, he had spent most of his time on the Jade Platform Stance Art and the Golden Bell Shield, and his progress had been quite gratifying.
Among them, the stance art had already reached nearly seventy percent, while the Golden Bell Shield had completely passed the Entry stage.
This powerful bodily defense had even given him the illusion that nothing could destroy him, that his body was unbreakable.
Only after a long while did Xu Yuan put those thoughts aside. He wiped the sweat from his body and put his clothes back on.
‘Still, the expense over this past month has also been terrifying. I burned through nearly a thousand battle merits, and now only a little over seven hundred remain.’
“My purse is nearly empty.”
Before Xu Yuan had much time to lament it, the servant Xiao Qi suddenly walked in and respectfully said, “Chief Overseer Qin has invited you over to discuss matters.”
Xu Yuan pondered briefly, then nodded. “Understood.”
After this much time had passed, the Bai Family had probably begun making moves as well.
He tidied himself up a little, then headed out and got into a carriage.
The wheels rolled on, passing several streets, and before long, he arrived at the Chief Overseer’s residence.
When Xu Yuan stepped into the meeting hall, he was surprised to find that this time, it seemed only he had been invited.
After seeing Xu Yuan, Qin Chuan invited him to sit down. Then he personally poured him tea and said with a smile,
“How has Battle Overseer Xu been adjusting to things in the Level Four zone? If you need any manpower under your command, just tell me.”
“For now, there’s no need. Chief Overseer Qin has troubled himself.”
As Xu Yuan spoke, he narrowed his eyes slightly. This man was always shrewd and only ever willing to do things that cost him nothing. So why was he suddenly currying favor like this?
“A small matter, only a small matter.” Qin Chuan waved it off, then began flattering him again.
“When Battle Overseer Xu was still at the seven-meridian level, you were already able to face the Bai Family’s eight-meridian Chief Overseer without falling behind. That alone shows just how strong your combat talent is. In the past two months, your deeds have even been promoted as a model example!”
Xu Yuan was not dazzled by the praise. He merely wore a faint smile, offered a few modest replies, and waited for the man to finally show his hand.
After lavishing him with praise for a while, Qin Chuan discovered that Xu Yuan’s expression had remained calm the entire time, without the slightest trace of pride. He sighed inwardly, then finally stopped circling around the point and stated his true purpose.
“I’ve heard some news. That Bai Jinwu has secretly arrived in the Level Four zone. I fear he may upset the balance here. Battle Overseer Xu, do you have any interest in earning a great merit?”
Me... me?
Xu Yuan was stunned on the spot. Then he gave the other man a long look. “Chief Overseer Qin wants to make a move against him?”
This was no small matter.
Not to mention how difficult it would be to kill an eight-meridian Chief Overseer like Bai Jinwu, or what price would have to be paid, even if he could be killed, it would draw far too much attention.
Just hearing the name made it obvious that this man was one of the Bai Family’s descendants, and on top of that, he was one of their public faces.
If you actually killed someone like that, it would be like slapping the Bai Family across the face again and again, then throwing them to the ground and stomping on them afterward.
Something like that might look glorious, but it would not bring much actual benefit. Naturally, Xu Yuan had no real interest in it.
“I’m only seven-meridian at present. Even if I wanted to... I simply don’t have the strength for it.” Xu Yuan sighed, looking like he wished to help but could not.
“Of course not right now. I mean after Battle Overseer Xu breaks through to the eight-meridian realm... I have great confidence in you. Presumably, those bottlenecks won’t be able to stop you. Breaking through should only be a matter of two or three months.”
Qin Chuan observed his expression, then continued, “The attack on Battle Overseer Xu before was orchestrated by that very man... Surely you don’t mean to say you have no desire for revenge?”
“Of course I do. I would dearly love to kill him as quickly as possible. It’s just that this matter carries too many implications and must be handled with caution.”
Naturally, Xu Yuan wanted to return the favor in kind, but there was one major premise: he could not allow himself to fall into a disadvantageous position.
He understood one thing very clearly. What mattered most right now was to keep his head down, avoid recklessness, and steadily complete his accumulation in the Meridian Opening Realm.
Only then would the world truly open up before him in one great step. Compared to that, everything else was secondary and could be set aside for now.
Seeing that Xu Yuan remained unmoved, Qin Chuan sighed inwardly at how troublesome he was.
‘Damn it, this guy really doesn’t seem like some green eighteen- or nineteen-year-old brat. He’s more like an old fox!’
But something like this could not be forced. Otherwise, not only would it offend the man, but even if he agreed, he would likely only go through the motions without truly putting in effort, and in the end that would only ruin everything.
After thinking it over, Qin Chuan got straight to the point.
“One thousand five hundred battle merits. I’ve heard that Battle Overseer Xu’s expenses over the past month have been rather high. You ought to be in need of a fresh sum of battle merits by now, shouldn’t you?”
...