The next morning came with an unusual stir across the camp.
Rumors had already spread of the night's feast and the casual revelations that Han Yu's group had made, but now a more official summons came.
One of the inner sect disciple had personally gone from tent to tent, politely but firmly informing Han Yu and his companions that they were requested in the central pavilion where High Elder Qing was waiting. The words alone were enough to tighten every disciple's chest.
Han Yu rose to his feet quickly, brushing the dust from his robes, his heart thundering inside his chest. Fatty Kui groaned about having only just fallen asleep after his indulgent meal, while Wu Shuan was already tidying his sash with a solemn expression.
Xuan Qing and the others gathered together as a group nearby, all of them sensing that what awaited them was far from ordinary.
The central pavilion was an imposing structure of white canvas, supported by black steel rods and reinforced with arrays. Unlike the smaller tents of the disciples, this one had a presence that weighed heavily on the mind, and walking into it was like stepping into another world.
Inside, the air was clean and fragrant with the faint aroma of incense. Rows of glowing jade lanterns hung from the ceiling, and seated at the far end was High Elder Qing himself.
High Elder Qing was a man whose age could not be guessed from his face alone.
His hair was pure white, his skin pale yet healthy, and his eyes sharp like blades forged of ice. He sat cross-legged upon a raised platform, his robes pristine and his bearing immovable, as if no force in the world could shake him. The moment the group entered, every disciple instinctively bowed, their foreheads nearly touching the ground.
"You have done well," High Elder Qing said, his voice calm yet echoing with a strange resonance that filled the pavilion. "Your discovery has already shaken the sect to its roots. The repository you uncovered, along with its contents, has been examined by many elders and peak heads. Its value…" He paused for a moment, letting his words hang. "…is beyond imagination."
The disciples straightened themselves, though none dared to look directly into his eyes.
Fatty Kui, who was usually careless with formality, now stood stiff as a post, his round face taut with nerves. Wu Shuan's breathing was controlled, but the slight tremor of his hands betrayed his tension.
Even Xuan Qing, who was usually composed, had a flicker of unease in her gaze. Han Yu himself swallowed hard, wondering if they were about to receive rewards—or punishment for revealing too little.
High Elder Qing lifted a jade slip into the air, and it hovered before him as runes glowed faintly. "The worth of the pills alone, if we were to assign value in terms of sect merits, would be close to one hundred million."
A sharp intake of breath echoed from every disciple present. Fatty Kui's eyes bulged so much that he nearly staggered. Xuan Qing's lips parted slightly, her normally steady poise shaken. Wu Shuan clenched his fists to control his emotions, his jaw tight.
Han Yu felt the words like thunder crashing directly into his skull.
'A hundred million merits?'
That was an amount he could not even dream of before. His head swam as if he were drunk, his knees already weak.
High Elder Qing's tone remained calm, unaffected by their disbelief. "And this is only the value of the pills. The worth of the manuals, scriptures, and secret techniques we have found within the repository… even I cannot calculate such a sum.
Many of those books hold knowledge that has not been seen in the sect for centuries if not more. To quantify such value in terms of merit points would not only be impractical, but insulting to the legacy of our ancestors."
The disciples exchanged looks, their awe growing.
To think that their group had unearthed something of such significance, that even the High Elder himself admitted its value could not be measured, filled them with a surreal pride.
"For that reason," High Elder Qing continued, "we, the elders and peak heads, have discussed long into the night. A decision has been made." His eyes sharpened slightly, causing several of the disciples to straighten unconsciously. "For the pills you have discovered, you will each be allowed to claim your share from them if you have not already done so. In addition, each of you will receive ten million merit points."
The silence that followed was absolute.
'Ten million. Each.' Han Yu's legs gave out entirely and he dropped to his knees without thinking, his hands shaking as if possessed.
His eyes blurred for a moment with sheer exhilaration.
He had lived every day since entering the sect carefully calculating how to scrape together a few thousand merits at a time, rationing his ambitions to match his poverty. But now… ten million merits.
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"Eeek!" Fatty Kui let out a strangled noise, halfway between laughter and crying.
He grabbed Wu Shuan's sleeve as if needing confirmation that this was not a dream. Wu Shuan, for all his cultivated stoicism, had his mouth slightly open in stunned silence, his usually steady eyes wide. Xuan Qing's composure cracked into a rare smile, her cheeks flushing as the weight of the number sank in.
"This is… this is…" Fatty Kui stammered, his voice breaking. "Ten million merits each?"
"Silence," High Elder Qing said gently, though the weight of his voice pressed down on them again.
The pavilion quieted instantly.
Han Yu pressed his feet hard to the floor, his heart racing uncontrollably.
He wanted to shout, to laugh, to cry, but he forced himself to remain respectful in front of the elder. His mind spun wildly, already envisioning the things he could finally accomplish. The jade heart silk, the reverse blood fruit, all of which were beyond his reach before, ones he had to work hard to obtain could now be obtained easily.