Chapter 12: Will Not Let the Chu Family Off

Early the next morning, when Chu Li opened his eyes, Nangong Shi had already left.

The entire Baiyang Inn was empty, with only a faint, lingering fragrance by the bedside as proof that she had been there.

Turning his head, he saw a wooden box placed on the nightstand.

Sitting up, he opened the box to find an exquisitely crafted bell inside.

Chu Li also clearly understood its purpose.

A Life Bell.

This was the name of the bell, a highly precious item crafted by the Nangong family using secret techniques.

Legend said that the Life Bell was made from the essence of the blood of the Nangong family’s newborns, a process taking several years. Usually, there was one main bell and two auxiliary ones—a total of three—and its function was simple: to protect life and call for help.

By using the internal energy of one’s body to activate the bell, no matter how far apart, the other two bell owners would receive its location and could come to the rescue.

Such a thing was unquestionably meant for the closest relatives. Normally, the two auxiliary bells were given to parents or children.

But what Chu Li didn’t expect was that Nangong Shi had given one of the bells to him.

“A-Li, this time you saved my life, so I must save yours someday as well—that’s only fair, isn’t it?”

Recalling these words from the playful and adorable Nangong Shi, Chu Li couldn’t help but shake his head and smile.

In the original story, Nangong Shi also gave Chu Li a Life Bell, but that happened a whole year later at the Saint Martial Academy tournament, after they had resolved their misunderstandings and reconciled.

Unexpectedly, in reality, Chu Li received the Life Bell a full year earlier.

And that was not all.

Besides Nangong Shi’s Life Bell, Chu Li also found a purple token beside his pillow, inscribed with several large characters:

[Order to Slay Demons]

“This is the purple order of the Slaying Demon Division, allowing the mobilization of twenty officers from any Slaying Demon Division location.”

“Looks like she still doesn’t fully trust me,” Chu Li sighed, deeply feeling the weight of the beauty’s kindness.

The two had originally been strangers passing by; saving her had been nothing more than a chance act by Chu Li. Yet Nangong Shi treated him with such kindness.

Moreover, what she intended to do was clearly more than just this.

After hearing about Chu Li’s ordeal last night, Nangong Shi’s resentment toward the Chu family was very apparent.

“The Chu family dared to treat you like this? Don’t worry, A-Li, this matter absolutely will not end just like that!”

Obviously, as Chu Li’s nominal fiancée, Nangong Shi planned to cause trouble for the Chu family.

But what did this have to do with him?

The Chu family had treated him like that all along; if they were capable of doing such things, why be afraid of others knowing?

Besides, he had long since left the Chu family. Since they didn’t care about his life or death, why should he care about them?

Getting out of bed and dressing, Chu Li inspected the inn.

The corpse of the pig demon still lay inside. It was still early, and there were few passersby, so no one had noticed yet.

But soon, officials would probably arrive—and with them, a heap of trouble.

“I’d better leave first, to avoid the hassle.”

With this thought, Chu Li picked up his bamboo hat and left Baiyang Inn ahead of time.

Walking along the official road, he pondered his next move.

At that moment, the system’s notification sound rang out.

【Ding】

【You have received a new mission】

【Blood Claw Mountain Shrine】

【Recently, thick mists have swirled atop Yunlong Mountain, with ominous blood-colored air filling the sky. Woodcutters at the foot of the mountain have gone missing frequently, and the recluse scholars living there have lost contact.

Some say that a disrespectful person has angered the mountain’s guardian spirit, as giant blood claw marks have been spotted inside the mountain shrine, causing unrest among the villagers at the foot of the mountain.】

【Please investigate the truth behind the mountain shrine】

【Mission Level: Two and a half stars】

“Hm?”

“I haven’t seen this mission before.”

Looking at the mission in the system, Chu Li raised an eyebrow slightly.

After slaying the pig demon at Baiyang Marsh this time, Chu Li had originally thought that his next quests would also follow the original plot—but now it seemed that wasn’t the case.

This mountain shrine quest didn’t appear in the original work—or at least, he had no memory of it.

And judging from the quest description, it shouldn’t be an easy task.

“Thick swirling mists, blood-colored air filling the sky… that doesn’t sound like something an ordinary Postnatal Realm demon could cause.”

“But then why is the quest level only two and a half stars?”

“The demons on Yunlong Mountain must be far stronger than that pig demon, right?”

Hearing Chu Li mutter to himself, the system’s voice sounded:

【Very simple: because the quest level is based on your current strength.】

【Now that you’ve reached the late stage of the Postnatal Realm, the quest difficulty naturally increases too.】

“I see.”

Chu Li nodded slightly, already forming a plan in his mind.

In the fight at Baiyang Inn, he had used a clever advantage: Nangong Shi had already battled the pig demon for quite a while, which allowed him to claim the final victory.

But Yunlong Mountain would be different. He had no idea what had happened there, nor did he know how many demons there might be.

After his falling out with the Chu family, his health had worsened further. With his current condition, there was a real risk he might faint midway through the fight.

“I must find some pills; only then can I hold out.”

“Looks like I’ll have to make a trip back to the Martial Academy.”

Thinking this, Chu Li joined a caravan heading into the capital and made his way back to the Imperial Capital. Knowing the roads well, he headed straight for the Imperial Martial Academy.

The Martial Academy was founded by the current Emperor Wu after he took the throne, with branches across the country. Its purpose was simple: to recruit talented martial artists from every region.

If the Saint Martial Academy was where the younger generation of the great clans and powerful factions competed, then the Martial Academy was a cradle for civilian-born geniuses.

Although the Martial Academy’s cultivation resources couldn’t compare to those of the Saint Martial Academy, there was no shortage of highly gifted students there. Coupled with instruction from renowned teachers, while the chance of success wasn’t as high as at the Saint Martial Academy, it was still far better than training alone.

Of course, none of this came for free.

Students at the Martial Academy had to sign a contract upon enrollment: they couldn’t join any private sects, and when taking positions, they had to give priority to the Great Xia imperial court.

Such contracts did limit the freedom of Martial Academy students to some extent—some people cared a lot about that, but Chu Li didn’t mind.

Would joining a sect mean true freedom? Wouldn’t you still be bound by the sect’s rules?

Compared to entering a sect, he’d rather be at the Martial Academy. At least there were fewer restrictions—and besides, the Martial Academy had indeed been growing stronger year by year.

The proof was that on the Great Xia’s Top 100 Heaven’s Chosen Ranking, there were now gradually names of Martial Academy students appearing—something unimaginable in the past.

In earlier days, the ranking was entirely dominated by the younger generation of major clans and powerful factions—when had there ever been room for commoners?

Stepping through the gates of the Martial Academy, though it was still early morning, Chu Li could already see many students diligently practicing.

And soon, the man wearing the bamboo hat drew the attention of others.

“Hm? Isn’t that Chu Li?”

“Chu Li? You mean the expert ranked among the top three of the academy?”

“That’s right, it’s him.”

People nearby began to murmur among themselves, and quite a few even cupped their fists respectfully toward him.

Obviously, Chu Li’s years of hard work hadn’t been in vain. As a member of the Martial Academy, he had already earned considerable respect here.

At that moment, a voice came from behind Chu Li.

“Chu Li, it’s been a long time.”

“Hmm?”