Chapter 7: Chu Li Is the Latter Kind of Person

【Ding】

【Congratulations! You have completed a one-star quest: Bandits on the Western Outskirts】

【Quest rating: Perfect】

【Your cultivation realm has been improved】

【You have reached the Mid-Stage of the Acquired Realm!】

【Your martial arts proficiency has increased】

【Demon-Repelling Sword Technique: Minor Accomplishment】

(Martial arts proficiency: Beginner, Novice, Minor Accomplishment, Major Accomplishment, Mastery)

Outside the western road, Chu Li leaned against a tree wearing a bamboo hat, looking speechless as he stared at the system prompt.

“System, I just followed the quest instructions and cut down two roadside bandits, and you actually gave me so many rewards?”

“Those two bandits were, at best, at mid-stage Qi Drawing Realm—you sure you’re not cheating for me?”

【???】

That one sentence from Chu Li left the system stunned for a whole year.

All these years as a system, it had only ever seen hosts complain about leveling up too slowly. It had never met anyone who complained about leveling up too fast!

【Can’t you see I leveled you up?】

【This is the Peerless Martial God System! Do you have any idea how much weight the prefix ‘Peerless’ carries? If you don’t level up fast, how would I still be a Peerless Martial God System?】

The system was indignant, feeling deeply insulted.

【Besides, what do you mean cheating? There’s no cheating here! It’s just a technical adjustment!】

【If a Sword Saint can emerge from Ten Mile Slope, why can’t killing bandits help you level up?】

“Ah, yes, yes, yes!”

“Thank you, Brother System, for looking out for me!”

Seeing that the system was being serious, Chu Li quickly offered his thanks. He knew the system was doing this for his own good.

Normally, without the aid of heavenly treasures or other resources, breaking through from early-stage to mid-stage Acquired Realm would take at least a year of hard training. Given that he only had five years to live, how could he afford to waste time on that?

As for improving martial techniques, in this world it was even harder. Advancing just one level often took years of bitter practice—and even then, success wasn’t guaranteed.

However, correspondingly, improvements in martial techniques have a very direct impact on combat strength.

For example, Chu Li’s Demon-Repelling Sword Technique was a basic technique passed down by the Chu clan’s ancestor. It could only be cultivated up to the Innate Realm and was mainly intended to help clan disciples build a solid foundation. Everyone in the Chu family could learn it, but its power wasn’t particularly impressive.

Yet once it reached the Minor Accomplishment level, things started to change.

As he brushed his hand across the longsword, Chu Li suddenly felt his internal energy stir restlessly, even showing signs of spreading along the blade.

You should know: only martial artists at the Innate Realm could usually wrap their qi around their weapon—allowing them to casually split rocks or even cleave through mountains.

But the fact that the Demon-Repelling Sword Technique could have such an effect even at Minor Accomplishment? Chu Li had never heard of anything like that before. And compared to a normal Innate Realm warrior, this technique even seemed to carry a faint aura of righteous, upright energy.

“As expected of something handed down by the ancestor… truly extraordinary.”

“But with this body of mine… cough, cough… I’m not sure if I can fully unleash its potential.”

As he said this, Chu Li coughed lightly and looked toward the sunset, which was almost completely gone from the sky.

Night hadn’t fully fallen, yet Chu Li had already stopped to rest—not because he didn’t want to keep going, but because he simply couldn’t.

Even though he’d only fought two bandits at the Qi Drawing Realm, it still counted as actual combat. Earlier, when asking directions from the villagers, he’d managed to hold on, but once the surge of qi and blood faded, darkness clouded his vision, and he nearly collapsed right there on the road.

【Sigh… your body is still too weak. Your qi and blood can only erupt in short bursts, not last steadily.】

The system let out a heavy sigh.

【That’s why I’m trying to help you improve quickly. The tasks you’ll face next won’t be so easy.】

Hearing this, Chu Li turned to check the quest panel.

【Ding】

【You have received a new quest】

【White Poplar Inn】

【Recently, there have been rumors of monster activity around Baiyangdian, outside the Imperial Capital. Travelers often vanish without a trace, and even after relatives search or the local authorities investigate, there’s been no progress. Yet strangely, business at the nearby White Poplar Inn has become increasingly prosperous.

The innkeeper recently launched a new specialty: the “Fragrant Beauty” buns, drawing many daily customers… but you sense something suspicious…】

【Objective: Uncover the truth behind the White Poplar Inn】

【Quest difficulty: Two-star】

Seeing this quest, Chu Li fell silent.

In fact, he already knew the truth about the White Poplar Inn.

The innkeeper, the cook, and the waiters were actually a gang of pig demons in disguise, who specialized in slaughtering travelers passing by on the official road.

In the past, they killed sparingly, so they avoided attention. But recently, the lead pig demon had broken through to the Acquired Realm, greatly increasing its appetite—gradually revealing traces of what was really going on.

The buns called Fragrant Beauty were actually made by soaking the remains of human corpses in wine—and because they were so richly filled with meat, they ironically became famous far and wide.

In the novel, those pig demons would continue to run rampant for a while, only being hunted down when the lead pig demon advanced to the later stage of the Acquired Realm and a demon-slaying squad from the Shengwu Academy was finally dispatched to eliminate them.

But this time, they wouldn’t get off so easily.

“If we wait until it reaches the later Acquired Realm, who knows how many more innocent lives will be lost… The people of Great Xia have already suffered enough…”

Muttering softly, Chu Li hugged his sword and looked up at the moon in the sky, a wave of compassion welling up in his heart.

After several hours walking through the capital and its outskirts, the excitement he’d felt when leaving the Chu family had completely faded—replaced instead by sights that were painful to behold.

These were chaotic times. Demons and monsters roamed the land; human life was worth less than grass; injustice was everywhere.

Outside the Demon-Slaying Office, villagers whose families had been massacred by demons knelt in the street, wailing and crying tears of blood, begging the court to send troops to quell the monsters.

Outside the Martial God Hall, drums beat endlessly as commoners, who had been bullied and harmed by lawless martial artists, knelt and kowtowed, pleading for justice.

The world was in such chaos that, if Chu Li hadn’t been traveling alongside them, a group of villagers entering the capital might have been slaughtered; chaos so deep that travelers on the official road could be lured into an inn by demons and turned into minced meat.

Some people, after suffering hardship, come to hate the entire world, wishing death on everyone.

But others, after experiencing suffering, only hope that no one else must ever endure the same pain.

And Chu Li was the latter kind.

“I can only live for five more years—time is short. Better to act early.”

【Hmm? Don’t you want to rest a bit longer?】

Hearing Chu Li’s murmured words, the system couldn’t help but ask with concern.

He had almost coughed up blood earlier, and now, after resting less than an hour, he wanted to set out again?

But the young man simply lifted his head, smiled freely, and gazed at the sky.

At that moment, dark clouds blanketed the heavens, obscuring the moonlight. The east wind blew steadily, and swaying branches hinted at a chilling, murderous air.

“Tonight, under a dark sky and rising wind—it’s the perfect time to slay demons and purge evil.”

“If we keep hesitating, what are we waiting for?”

“No more waiting. Let’s go.”

【Very well—then let’s catch these pig-brained monsters completely off guard!】

“Haha, that’s exactly what I had in mind.”

Laughing heartily, Chu Li lifted his longsword, jumped down from the tree branch, and his figure slowly disappeared into the darkness.

At the same time, over at Baiyangdian, outside the White Poplar Inn lit by lanterns, a group of people was lying in ambush.

Their group numbered about ten people, but most were merely martial artists at the Qi-Gathering Realm.

At the front stood a young lady whose skin was as fair as porcelain and whose beauty could topple a kingdom—yet she was dressed in martial attire.

“Miss, we really ought to leave… Just these dozen or so people—how could that be enough to slay demons?”

“What’s there to fear? I’ve already made inquiries: this inn only has three demon beasts at the Qi-Gathering Realm. Once we slay them, we’ll get ten points added when we return to the academy.”

“Ten points… Miss, it’s not as if you’re lacking points, right?”

“I’m not lacking now—but that may not be true in a few days.”

Looking at her maid, who kept trying to dissuade her, the girl named Nangong Shi shook her head and said:

“I heard that soon, the young master of the Chu family will be entering the academy. He’ll definitely compete for the rankings. If I get an extra ten points now, I can stay ahead of him!”

“But…”

The maid at her side still wanted to say more, but Nangong Shi stopped her with a confident wave of her hand.

“It doesn’t matter. Just three at the Qi-Gathering Realm.”

“Tonight—we will slay these demons!”