Chapter 115: A New Shuffle

Daily Tip: Humanistic merit is the purest power between heaven and earth, containing the ultimate truths of the world. Injecting it into a magical artifact can transform it into a Humanistic Merit Artifact. Killing with such an item incurs no karmic consequence, and slaying demons grants additional humanistic merit.

A new daily tip appeared under the interface.

Humanistic Merit Artifact.

Su Yang didn't feel much about the "incurring no karmic consequence" part. However, the second sentence, "slaying demons grants humanistic merit," deeply intrigued him. He had already witnessed the benefits of humanistic merit—it possessed all the functions of incense, and potentially more that remained to be discovered. Given its grand reputation, it surely had other uses.

If he used the merit from his interface to forge a Humanistic Merit Artifact, he could go out and slay demons to obtain a continuous stream of merit. As the saying goes, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." This artifact was the fishing net, while using merit directly to boost his strength was merely the fish.

He could afford to wait on increasing his strength. With six points of incense per day, and the prospect of gaining one hundred points daily once Zhang Qingshi’s child was born, his cultivation would advance rapidly. Furthermore, as his offspring grew and achieved things that brought honor to the family, he would earn even more incense. Therefore, Su Yang decided to hold onto his current merit for future opportunities to refine an artifact.

One thing puzzled him: what exactly was a "magical artifact"? At least in Yanggu County, he had never heard of such a thing.

Right. He could ask Huo Luoluo about it.

With this in mind, Su Yang impatiently summoned her.

"Master, why did you call for me?" Huo Luoluo, dressed in red, looked as though the gloom that had weighed on her for days had vanished. "In these past few days, I have already mastered the basics of the Fire Dragon Overlord Triple Spear. I should have full control over it before long."

"It’s not about your training. I want to ask, do you know what a magical artifact is?" Su Yang asked, his expression curious.

"Oh, a magical artifact?" Huo Luoluo was slightly startled, then her face lit up with surprise. "Why, Master, have you obtained one?"

"Not yet, I’m just curious to know what they are," Su Yang replied.

"Magical artifacts, commonly known as blood weapons, are weapons that can be controlled using vital energy (qi and blood). By infusing them with your essence, you can unleash far greater power. They have endless miraculous uses. Simple, famous examples like flying swords or Vajra bowls are all magical artifacts."

"Even within the Su Manor, such items are extremely rare. But if you like, Master, I could go home and find one for you. You would just have to come back to the Huo family with me," Huo Luoluo said.

"Why is that?" Su Yang was overjoyed at the prospect of acquiring an artifact, but hearing he had to accompany her home, an ominous feeling arose.

"If you marry me, my father will surely bestow upon you his most prized artifact," Huo Luoluo said, her face flushing as she dropped this bombshell before turning and running away.

Su Yang stood alone in the room, brow furrowed. "Is it possible that I’m about to become a kept man again?"

He quickly shook his head. No. Huo Luoluo was the eldest daughter of the Huo family, a prominent clan far more powerful than the Su family. He already had a legitimate wife, Zhang Qingshi, and no one could shake that status—especially since Huo Luoluo’s talent was only of the 'Yi' grade. How could the Huo family tolerate their eldest daughter becoming a concubine to the master of a small county family? The resulting fury was something he could not handle.

For now, they were simply close friends; that was fine. But if their relationship turned romantic, Su Yang feared the Su family might cease to exist by tomorrow. Even the patriarch of the Wei clan, a fifth-grade expert, acted like a lapdog around her, obeying her every command. If the Huo family sent even a few fourth-grade experts to suppress him, he would be finished.

He would have to abandon the idea of getting a freebie from Huo Luoluo. However, if he saved up enough resources in the future, he could use her connection to purchase an artifact. That path was feasible.

The existence of magical artifacts felt exactly as he had imagined—if there were demons, there must be heaven-defying heroes. This world was becoming increasingly exciting, and he needed to stay cautious. There is always someone better, and a sky beyond the sky.

He surmised that the humanistic merit he received was likely due to his slaying of two demon clan leaders, forcing many demons to flee Yanggu County and sparing countless civilians from persecution.

Wait, could others also obtain humanistic merit? He should ask Huo Luoluo about this as well.

After closing his interface, Su Yang left his room and found Huo Luoluo. Perhaps triggered by their earlier conversation, she was lost in a daydream.

"Ahem!" Su Yang coughed twice. Huo Luoluo snapped out of it and walked out, her face lighting up with joy upon seeing him. Had he finally changed his mind about coming to the Huo family? If so, that would be perfect—she would not only gain a husband but also be able to break off her engagement to that other man!

"Master, have you decided to come home with me?" she asked eagerly.

"I can go home with you, but not right now," Su Yang said.

"Then when?" she pressed.

"At least when I am capable of defeating your father, or the strongest person in your house," Su Yang said. "Before then, I think it is better if we remain as good friends."

He felt it necessary to set boundaries early. Yanggu County had been brought under control, and the Su Manor would likely be next. When Huo family warriors began roaming the area and came looking for her, if she were to impulsively claim she was his woman, he would be unable to clear his name. His woman was his, but he didn't need to force a confrontation. Of course, if it came down to it, he didn't know if his reason would prevail over his impulses, but he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

"Humanistic merit is often written about in books, but it is an ethereal concept. No one has ever actually obtained it," Huo Luoluo said. "Why are you asking about this, Master?"

"Oh, it's nothing, just curious."

Su Yang was delighted. It seemed that in this world, only he could obtain—or at least recognize—humanistic merit, storing it within his interface. Perhaps others obtained it without knowing, and it simply seeped into their bodies, affecting their cultivation in ways they mistook for epiphanies. If others believed it didn't exist, that was even better for him.

Leaving Huo Luoluo’s room, Su Yang felt refreshed and headed out to look at Yanggu County. The bluestone streets were stained with blood; the authorities hadn't had time to clean them yet, and households were only just dragging out the foul-smelling corpses to be burned. Fortunately, there was no plague, which would have been a true disaster.

There were few people on the streets. Su Yang estimated that at least two-thirds of the population had perished. The survivors were gaunt and sickly. Some were carrying bowls of thin gruel back home, while others were hurrying toward the county office. Su Yang followed the crowd.

In front of the office, ten porridge stalls had been set up, each with a long line. The attendants serving the people were young men around twenty, energetic and idealistic—newcomers he had never seen before. They were not from Yanggu County.

"Oh, a true official! We finally have a righteous official in Yanggu County!"

"Yes, that dog of a County Magistrate Zhou is finally dead. He bled us dry, and now he’s met a fitting end!"

"Why aren't the Wei and Chen families dead yet? They weren't any better!"

"And what about the Su family? Building such a huge mansion so quickly—they must have squeezed the lifeblood out of us commoners!"

"Nonsense! If the Su family hadn't built that mansion and given us work and food, we wouldn't have survived until now. They never withheld a single cent of wages, and they hold no official titles. How could they have exploited us?"

"Then... where did they get so much silver?"

"You're just jealous! Who cares where they got it? Have you ever seen a single person suffer at the hands of the Su family? Have you?"

"That's true. The Su family is different from the Chen and Wei families. They never exploited us."

"You lot, what are you saying? How did our Wei family exploit you?" Just then, several figures approached—servants of the Chen family. The people talking quickly shut their mouths and returned to waiting in line.

"Go!" Su Yang signaled to Zhao Shu. With a few of his own servants, they approached and gave the arrogant Chen family servants a sound beating.

"Li Yeniu, go back to the warehouse, take some demon corpses, and trade them at the Wei and Chen families for grain. The more, the better. Report the price to me when you return," Su Yang ordered.

"Understood!" Li Yeniu left.

Now that some peace had returned and grain could be brought in from outside the city, the Wei and Chen families knew the price of grain was dropping. If someone were willing to trade demon corpses—a rare luxury in peaceful times but useless now—for grain, they would be eager to make the deal.

Since he intended to take root in Yanggu County, he needed the support of the people. There was a reason why wealthy businessmen often sought the title of philanthropist. If he could win the people's hearts now, future business monopolies would be much easier to achieve.

The government was providing porridge; Su Yang would too, though perhaps slightly less than the official amount.

"Who do you think you are? Don't you know I'm a servant of the Chen family? Aren't you afraid of offending them?" The bruised servant on the ground wailed, drawing jeers and cheers from the crowd.

"The Chen family?" Su Yang stepped forward, bowing to the dense crowd. "I am Su Yang, a scholar of Yanggu County!"

"Scholar Su? Is he that son-in-law of the Wang family, the master of the Su house?"

"He looks like quite the talent. How did he end up with the Wang family's daughter?"

"Didn't he move out to set up his own household? That mansion is his."

"The one bigger than the county office?"

"This young man looks like a decent person, unlike those bullies from the Chen family."

The people waiting for relief grain spat at the Chen servants.

"You lot, bullying your neighbors like this is truly despicable. If you don't get out of here, don't blame me for what happens next." The servants, knowing they were outmatched, scrambled to their feet and fled.

Su Yang resolved to discipline his own servants later; he would never allow such behavior to tarnish his family's reputation.

"Magistrate Ma's decree!" A bailiff rushed out of the office, pinning a notice to the board. "Magistrate Ma declares that order in Yanggu County is being restored. We are recruiting bailiffs and constables. Those with a clean background and martial arts skills will be prioritized, but ordinary people may also apply."

"Former bailiffs from seven days ago are summoned to report for duty."

"Furthermore, the Black Wolf Gang and the Incense Society are declared enemies of the people. Anyone who finds their remnants is ordered to execute them on sight. Those who provide information leading to their capture will be handsomely rewarded!"

Yanggu County was beginning a major reshuffling.