75: Chapter 75 Table of Contents...How to Choose?

A trace of imperceptible shock flickered in Commander Chu Xiong's eyes!

If the previous appetizers were only enough to catch his attention,

then the head before him... completely and utterly shocked him!

In his eyes, Shen Yi was nothing more than a minor official who had gotten lucky, opened a wonder from a blind box, and subsequently made his fortune.

Being able to defeat the Black Fiend Bandits and kill them all was merely due to this Spirit Demon Storm and the Dao Soldiers he had luckily acquired under his command!

Mostly luck, mostly good fortune... as for actual strength.

Forget about it!

Noble Families never held children of humble origins in high regard, because their foundation was too weak.

How weak, exactly?

A gust of wind could blow them over.

Take the calamity in Taiping County before them, for instance... in reality, this calamity spread far wider than what Steward Zhao had described.

It even included cities controlled by many Noble Families and powerful clans!

Although the cities controlled by the Noble Families and powerful clans suffered some damage, they did not reach the level of extermination-level blood sacrifices!

Just like the Huo Family, they relied on teleportation formations to quickly repel the cultists!

As for the cities that were subjected to blood sacrifices, most were like Shen Yi's situation, or even smaller Families that couldn't even be ranked as first-grade!

They were like roadside weeds, trampled to death at will, not worth mentioning!

In his heart, Shen Yi was no different from these people.

He was just relatively lucky.

However, the appearance of this Level 9 Qi Refining head could not be summed up by the word 'luck' alone!

If one were to classify Level 9 Qi Refining according to the quality of martial artists, it would be at the very least the Realm of a Peak 3rd-grade or even a 4th-grade martial artist.

Such a martial artist would be enough to dominate the Chuannan region...

Ordinary Yao Beasts would find it difficult to get close.

A Level 9 Qi Refining Cultivator of the Immortal Dao would possess even more Daoist Magic, and their methods would be even more treacherous.

And a Level 9 Qi Refining Cultivator of the Evil Path had bizarre survival techniques.

Severing a tail to survive, or earth-escaping techniques, and fleeing techniques were all their specialties.

To kill a Level 9 Qi Refining Evil Cultivator amidst the chaos of the Spirit Demon Storm...

This Shen Yi... did not seem so simple behind the scenes!

Last time, Chu Sheng told him about Shen Yi offering lingyuan rice.

He thought he was just a lucky kid... it seems.

Behind this person, there must be the support of a Noble Family or a powerful Immortal Dao figure!

A white glove?

This is very common...

The Jing Kingdom suppressed the four traditions of Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, and Immortality, not daring to lift their heads... If Immortal Dao Cultivators wanted to participate in the grand scheme, they would inevitably need to conspire with Noble Families.

Helping Noble Families hold down a region, or even drilling troops, strengthening the Noble Families, and promoting officials!

Some Immortal Sects chose Noble Families, some chose powerful clans, some chose generals or border armies, and some chose local officials governing a region!

And there were quite a few Immortal Sect Cultivators who chose to cultivate from scratch.

Climbing step by step!

This Shen Yi might be taking that path.

Thinking of this, the disdain in Commander Chu Xiong's eyes quietly vanished, replaced by a smile.

His appearance looked rough, but to have reached this point, who wasn't an old fox?

He laughed heartily, not even asking how it was killed.

He simply pressed his palm, as large as a cattail-leaf fan, onto Shen Yi's shoulder.

"A good man... and good methods!"

"Brother Shen... your abilities are truly mysterious."

"Even if I were to encounter this Level 9 Qi Refining, I would turn and run!"

"I didn't expect it to fall into Brother Shen Yi's hands!"

"This head can be exchanged for three Major Merits!"

The Ministry of War's merits were divided into Special Merits, Major Merits, and Minor Merits.

Ten Minor Merits could be exchanged for one Major Merit, and so on!

The value of Minor Merits was enough to exchange for some special Medicinal Pills, armor design blueprints, or powerful weapons, armor, crossbows, and even warhorses containing the Bloodline of a Yao Beast.

Even supplementing the iron blood armor was not impossible.

And the uses for Major Merits were even greater...

The Ministry of War had some secret weapons, kept under wraps, with extremely strict review and distribution processes.

They could not be exchanged without Major Merits.

Even Noble Families and great clans needed to exchange them through merits.

Such things possessed the ability to change the course of a battle...

For instance, that battle technique could be exchanged with Major Merits!

It could not be considered anything but precious.

These three Major Merits were enough to make the troops under Shen Yi's command even stronger!

A smile appeared on Shen Yi's face; he understood what Commander Chu Xiong meant.

"Since that's the case, then many thanks, Commander Chu!"

Commander Chu Xiong waved his hand... his eyes said with some hesitation.

"It's just... I have a question, brother, and I don't know if I should ask."

"Please go ahead, Commander Chu..."

Commander Chu Xiong took a deep breath and said in a deep voice.

"Brother Shen... I don't know if that person behind you... oh no, I don't know if you have any information on other remnants of the Evil Path."

"This matter is of vital importance to Taiping County!"

"If you do, Brother Shen, you can certainly sell it to me... my Chu Family will definitely reward you handsomely!"

These words fell into Shen Yi's heart, causing him to involuntarily ponder.

This Commander Chu Xiong did not use the imperial court to pressure him, but used the Chu Family instead.

In other words, this was a private transaction...

He also had the willingness in this regard... but how much benefit could it bring him?

Just as Shen Yi was thinking... the mechanical voice of the Intelligence Probability appeared in his ear!

[Choice 1: You choose to keep the directory. Such a major event occurring in Taiping County is a disaster for others, but for you and Qinghe Town, it is an opportunity!]

[Use the directory to kill Evil Path Cultivators and exchange for merits. Return rate: 214%]

Shen Yi frowned... a return rate of 214% was not too low.

But according to Steward Zhao's intelligence, this blood sacrifice involved hundreds of thousands of ordinary people and was bound to be fraught with danger... judging from previous intelligence probabilities.

The return rate shouldn't be this low.

Come to think of it, he was afraid he would also suffer quite a few losses.

As he thought this, the voice in his ear continued to change.

[Choice 2: You choose to hand over the directory to Commander Chu Xiong of the Ministry of War. Commander Chu Xiong will be overjoyed and will give you a reward... Return rate: 55%]

[Choice 3: You choose to hand over the directory to the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce... Your favorability with Steward Zhao will increase to the maximum... Return rate: 497%]

Shen Yi was stunned for a moment, then looked at Commander Chu Xiong strangely.

What the hell does this 55% return rate mean?

A lower return rate than taking action and killing them himself?

Could it be... that this bastard wants to welsh on the deal?

Probably not... the change in his attitude should be because he guessed I had someone behind me, so naturally he wouldn't offend me.

Thinking it over... it's just that this guy wants to do it himself to claim the merits, but he doesn't have the strength and would die halfway there?

And then the Chu Family wouldn't acknowledge it?

My high return rate is because I have Pei Lingshu as my sugar daddy... oh no, sugar mommy, as a backer.

It seems that must be it...

However, the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce's capabilities are actually this terrifying?

Seeing this, Shen Yi... slowly shook his head.

"I only bought the land deed for Shuhe Ancient Town and discovered it by accident."

"There are witnesses who can be asked... but there are no other clues about Evil Path Cultivators."

Seeing this, Commander Chu Xiong sighed.

"Is that so... then thank you for your hard work, Brother Shen."

"Chu Sheng... take Brother Shen to the treasury to select some items."

"I have other matters to attend to, so I won't host you any longer."

"Take care, Commander Chu..."