Chapter 102: Observing from Afar

Outside the city, in the medicinal herb fields.

Zhuang Jin arrived with two squads under his command. Among them, Lin Hong and Bi Kai served as squad leaders, while Qian Wende, Wu Hao, and Du Yunqi were also present.

The Shen family intended to retain a core team for the street guards, thereby supporting such arrangements. Moreover, the newly assigned street guards needed to form their own core units. By taking his trusted subordinates, Zhuang Jin freed up positions, conveniently assisting the others—a mutually agreeable arrangement, born of shared intentions.

This month’s guard duty was no longer over the previous Black Jade herb fields. Naturally, those of Sixth Meridian cultivation bore greater responsibility and were employed to full effect. They were now assigned to oversee a patch of Lotus Blossom herb fields, a primary ingredient in the Loosening Pill.

Miao Lun, also a Sixth Meridian cultivator and from the same quarter as Zhuang Jin, tended to adjacent Lotus Blossom fields.

Their district guard—the counterpart to the northern city’s quarter guard—was a Seventh Meridian martial artist named Luan Zhenyun. He was over fifty years old, with graying hair and far less sharpness and vigor than Xing Yan.

“The Lotus Blossom herb fields attract more beasts than the Black Jade fields,” Luan explained. “The frequency of beast appearances is higher, and their strength is relatively greater, sometimes even reaching the Skin-Milling stage... though beasts stronger than that rarely show up here. Your strength should suffice to handle them.”

Beasts at the Skin-Milling stage corresponded to martial artists above Seventh Meridian. Due to environmental factors, such beasts seldom appeared here, according to Luan. Most Skin-Milling beast meat listed on the merit exchange was sourced from the provincial city; the outskirts’ herb fields offered little supply. He gave only a brief explanation before departing hurriedly.

Zhuang Jin discerned that Luan Zhenyun was an aging district guard, one who simply went through the motions—completing tasks without error, avoiding trouble, and not seeking to burden his subordinates, while also hoping they wouldn’t trouble him.

Zhuang Jin assigned tasks and arranged for two squads before returning to his residence, where Chen Yun had everything in order, hanging a scroll in the center of the living room.

It was the scroll of the Moon Elder previously mentioned—the figure with one hand grasping a red ribbon, the other holding a staff, with a youthful face framed by white hair, galloping amidst neither smoke nor mist... Chen Yun had brought it here.

In this world, it was said the Moon Elder governed matters of fate and marriage. Thus, every new and full moon, Chen Yun would burn incense and offer prayers, grateful for the destined bond that united her with Zhuang Jin, and wishing for their lifelong companionship.

At first, Zhuang Jin regarded Chen Yun’s rituals as outdated and naive piety. He did not believe in gods or Buddhas, trusting instead in one’s own agency—that seeking immortals or divinations was less effective than self-determination, and chanting sutras less useful than cultivating true skill.

When he shared his views, Chen Yun did not argue. She simply said, “I once heard that sincerity brings efficacy—not because the gods hear and bless, but because such rites, like marriage, remind us of the rarity of fate, making us cherish it all the more.”

Zhuang Jin found this deeply resonant, and over time, he joined her. Initially, it was simply to accompany Chen Yun, but gradually he grew solemn and sincere himself.

The couple together paid homage to the Moon Elder.

Upon returning to the herb fields outside the city, Zhuang Jin noticed Chen Yun’s mood had visibly improved. He understood why and felt a pang of bittersweet emotion.

For the past two months in the northern city, every time Zhuang Jin went out on a mission, Chen Yun waited anxiously at home, her heart restless until she saw him return safely. Now, those worries were gone.

...

That evening, Miao Lun came over to share a meal. When they were in the northern city, the three often gathered on evenings, and he had now developed the habit.

Chen Yun prepared fine wine and delicious dishes.

“Mistress-in-law’s cooking is excellent. Now that we’re here in the outskirts’ herb fields, relieved of heavy burdens, everything tastes even better,” Miao Lun praised.

In the northern city, earning merit points came easily but with constant anxiety—those careless or reckless had long perished.

Only now, here in the outskirts’ herb fields, could they truly relax.

“Yes,” Zhuang Jin agreed. Even during the latter half of last month, when the war seemed to go smoothly, he remained wary and tense. Only now did he feel at ease, savoring wine and food, watching clouds roll by, and chatting about the ever-changing world outside... this was life.

“We owe this moment to those Fourth and Fifth Meridian warriors who went north voluntarily,” Miao Lun teased. “I think many went with hopes of ‘merit loans,’ expecting to snatch easy merit points, but it likely didn’t turn out as they wished.”

His tone carried a hint of bitterness. When the ‘merit loan’ system was introduced, he had already broken through Sixth Meridian and thus missed out on the benefits. Others, like Duan Tao, had benefited—after failing to refine the Loosening Pill, he recovered from injuries on September eighteenth and then applied for a merit loan to obtain another pill, finally breaking through.

Zhuang Jin nodded slightly. “The Medicine King Guild gave me the impression of being cunning and ruthless, like wolves. Anyone who goes in with the mindset of picking up merit points off the ground is bound to get into trouble.”

“Indeed, it’s a pity our brother Duan isn’t here. Then our East Bridge Hollow Iron Triangle could have gathered again,” Miao Lun sighed.

Due to pressure from the Shen family headquarters and the Fourth and Fifth Meridian warriors in the outskirts, each quarter in the northern city had to relinquish at least two street guard positions this month. More would be better, but Duan Tao, burdened with his ‘merit loan’ debt, could not come.

“It’s not that Duan can’t see the situation clearly, but to push through the bottleneck for a second Loosening Pill, he’s trapped by this merit debt,” Miao Lun said.

Speaking of bottlenecks, he sighed, “I was stuck between Fifth and Sixth Meridian for many years. Only after the sudden rise of the Medicine King Guild, challenging the Shen family and starting to refine the Loosening Pill, did I have a chance. Otherwise, I’d have been stuck there forever.”

“Yes, upheaval brings opportunity.” In some respects, Zhuang Jin was also a beneficiary of this background; otherwise, he might never have encountered such extraordinary chances.

Thinking of Zhuang Jin’s background, Miao Lun continued, “Since the Loosening Pill’s release in May, casualty numbers among northern city warriors have nearly matched those in the southern city. Recruitment of martial students has expanded twice; now, like the Medicine King Guild, they don’t even charge the one or two silver registration fees.”

“But that’s not good news for these martial students,” Miao Lun added. “The battles in the northern city are no longer what they used to be. Coming here means…” He shook his head, leaving it unspoken.

‘The free things are often the most costly!’ Zhuang Jin thought.

What was once a decent opportunity for recruitment had now become too risky, with slim chances of standing out.

“Enough of that—no use worrying! Back to the bottleneck. After breaking through Sixth Meridian, accumulating experience at this realm, one must face the bottleneck between Sixth and Seventh Meridian…”

Miao Lun poured Zhuang Jin a bowl of rice wine, filled his own, drank deeply, and exhaled slowly. “The bottleneck between Sixth and Seventh is even harder than between Third and Fourth. The Loosening Pill won’t help... Ah, I fear in this life…”

Zhuang Jin, having no such bottleneck, could not feel that bitterness and comforted him: “The Loosening Pill has been released now; there’s still hope.”

“The Loosening Pill? Ha! Not so easy. One pill costs six thousand merit points. Even after saving enough and reserving one, you must wait in line; who knows when you’ll get it!”

Miao Lun gave an example: “Take our quarter guard Lord Xing. He reserved a pill in the first month it was released, but still hasn’t received it, as the ten and eleven Meridian warriors take precedence. For us Sixth Meridian, even if we gather enough merit points, we’re at the back of the queue. When will it come? Who knows.”

“Our Shen family’s rivalry with the Medicine King Guild, as you said, brings opportunity amid chaos, but it’s just a narrow opening—too narrow for most to cross!” Miao Lun’s lament was filled with frustration.

Zhuang Jin listened with mixed feelings: ‘I’m lucky to have no bottleneck. If even the early ones are this tough, what about later stages…’

It could only be said that as he advanced, his talent would become terrifyingly limitless, leaving his peers far behind.

Perhaps it was the relaxation in the outskirts’ herb fields or the reflection on martial hardships that stirred his thoughts. At midday, Miao Lun, slightly tipsy, spoke much—expressing gratitude for Zhuang Jin saving his life, lamenting his brother in the southern city, a Seventh Meridian cultivator whom he had always tried to catch up to since childhood, but remained stuck at Fifth Meridian, wasting years in the northern city. Now at Sixth Meridian, he felt even more despair.

Under normal circumstances, no one would suspect that this usually amicable, good-natured man harbored so much turmoil.

“Husband, Miao district guard…” Chen Yun brought over a sobering soup.

“I’ll see him home,” Zhuang Jin said, helping Miao Lun back to his residence. That night, stars glittered brilliantly, casting their shadows long and slender.

...

October third.

At noon, Miao Lun came rushing in. “Zhuang brother, a major incident happened last night in the northern city.”

“Last night, our Shen family launched another offensive there. Guess what? The Medicine King Guild took advantage of the start of the month to secretly transfer some Sixth Meridian warriors from the southern city, arranging six Sixth Meridian street guards under one quarter… it’s utterly reckless!”

Zhuang Jin listened, slightly alarmed: ‘I knew the Medicine King Guild wouldn’t concede; a fiercer counterattack was bound to come—and here it is.’

This time, the Medicine King Guild’s actions were even more over the line, skating the edge of rules but not outright violating them. Monthly street shifts were normal, but this month the northern city’s Medicine King Guild had a slightly stronger junior leader.

“Zhuang brother, you really hit the mark. Luckily, we...” Even if they had remained in the northern city, disaster might have been avoided, though a harrowing ordeal was unavoidable. Miao Lun felt even more indebted to Zhuang Jin, counting the life-saving favor from August seventeenth among them.

“This is the misfortune that fortune leans upon. Leaving at month’s start seemed foolish to many, but now looks wise.”

Zhuang Jin asked, “How heavy were Shen family’s losses this time?”

“Not light,” Miao Lun answered. “Even with ‘merit loans,’ our quarter’s street guards didn’t meet the threshold; combined with another quarter, it’s still tight. Besides, with Shen family headquarters and the Fourth and Fifth Meridian warriors in the outskirts demanding rotation, each quarter sent two ‘merit-grabbing’ fighters... Against such forces, Shen family took a significant hit.”

“Of course, the most casualties were among those ‘merit-grabbing’ connections... haha, this time they ran headlong into the gunfire, eager to go, and got a huge blow.”

His tone held some schadenfreude, clearly disapproving of those connections. “With their deaths, the positions Shen family held in headquarters and the outskirts become vacant. Even staying a few more months—or longer—becomes possible.”

From this perspective, the deaths of those connections were beneficial to them.

Zhuang Jin nodded slightly and asked, “How about East Bridge Hollow’s situation?”

“We’re doing okay there.”

Miao Lun tallied for Zhuang Jin: “Brother Duan took another ‘merit loan’ to get a Loosening Pill and broke through Sixth Meridian; Du Shi Yuan and Wei Xun each took ‘merit loans’ to break through Fifth Meridian; two newly arrived Fourth Meridian also broke through using ‘merit loans.’ Another allied quarter, Pingshui Bo, sent two Fifth Meridian this month. Because of ‘merit loans,’ they ended up with two Sixth Meridian and four Fifth Meridian warriors.”

“Altogether, that’s four Sixth Meridian and eight Fifth Meridian. The Sixth Meridian ratio is six to four, but there are eight more Fifth Meridian. Since those connections have weaker combat power, they suffered losses fighting against superior forces, but retreat wasn’t difficult... If we two were still there, we might have turned the tide.”

Indeed, after the defeat on the evening of the second day, Xing Yan had lamented, “If Zhuang Jin were under my command, it wouldn’t have come to this.” That was three days since he’d been missed.

“That’s good. Those in power must handle their affairs—moreover, now that we’re over here in the outskirts’ herb fields, even if we wished to intervene, our reach is limited.”

Zhuang Jin raised his cup. “Let us drink this bowl before us, and watch the rivers flow eastward with a smile.”

“Well said! Well said!” Miao Lun clinked his cup, splashing wine, mirroring the turbulent situation in the northern city.

A gentle breeze stirred as the two sat facing each other, drinking rice wine, savoring small dishes, discussing last month’s northern city, then the southern city, then the Medicine King Guild... until all worldly affairs were swallowed down with the wine.

...