Just A Daoist Who Occasionally Kicks Ass
Chapter 75: Decree of Bestowal

Chapter 75: Decree of Bestowal

“Then I’ll just keep the 3,000 taels of silver Madam Feng gave me last night,” Li Yanchu said casually. “After all, you said you’re not interested in money...“

“What!?” Bai Hongtu’s eyes lit up, his voice rising with excitement. “We’ve been through thick and thin, and we’re brothers in arms. Any money earned from exorcising evil and saving lives should be split evenly!”

Li Yanchu shot back, “Didn’t you say you weren’t interested in money?”

Bai Hongtu frowned. “Did I? I don’t recall saying anything like that.”

In response, Li Yanchu cupped his hands. “I yield. You win.”

Although Bai Hongtu came from a wealthy household, Old Master Bai had been strict in managing his second son’s allowance to prevent him from becoming a frivolous playboy.

Now that Bai Hongtu had arrived in Wei City, his days of indulgence and luxury were all funded by the silver they earned from exorcising spirits, and he was living the dream.

But as of late, he had absolutely no intention of visiting the entertainment district again. After the terrifying run-in with that paper effigy woman and the two-part corpse, he had been traumatized.

Li Yanchu said softly, “Last night, Madam Feng said that this piece of broken jade was the very thing that black-robed old man was after.”

Bai Hongtu raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? This little thing caught that freak’s attention?”

“Madam Feng doesn’t know its origin either. Just thought it looked important and kept it tucked away. If those two last night hadn't been so vicious and ruthless that even handing over the Jade Fragment wouldn't have spared her life, Madam Feng would have surrendered it then and there. She thought the thing was cursed, so she gave it to me. I didn’t refuse.”

Hearing this, Bai Hongtu said, “Then this jade’s definitely got something strange about it. You’d better be careful.”

Li Yanchu nodded in agreement.

Just then, the innkeeper lady sauntered in, her movements graceful and alluring. She gave Bai Hongtu a sideways glance, then turned to Li Yanchu and asked sweetly, “Have you had breakfast yet?”

Li Yanchu blinked. “Not yet.”

“Then I’ll go prepare something for you,” she said softly.

After speaking, the innkeeper turned to leave.

“Wait, what about me?” Bai Hongtu called out.

The innkeeper turned back, gave him a glance, and held out her hand. “Breakfast is five taels of silver. We’re a small business with thin margins, so no credit allowed.”

Bai Hongtu was dumbfounded. “Who charges before the meal? And five taels for breakfast? Ma’am, that’s outrageous!”

The innkeeper chuckled lightly. “That’s just how we do things here. If the guest doesn’t want to eat, he’s free to leave.”

Bai Hongtu pointed at Li Yanchu and frowned. “Then what about him? Why don’t you charge him?”

The innkeeper gave Bai Hongtu a peculiar look and said matter-of-factly, “He’s my man. I don’t want to charge him. Simple as that.”

“....” Bai Hongtu.

Li Yanchu was also momentarily stunned. Though the two of them shared a deep and complicated bond, something beyond friendship, the innkeeper usually didn’t act this intimate in front of others, let alone outright and dominantly say “He’s my man.”

At this time, Bai Hongtu suddenly laughed, cupped his hands in mock salute, and said, “I concede. I’m out.”

With a knowing smile, Bai Hongtu walked out of the Taiping Inn without saying another word, nor did he awkwardly call for Li Yanchu to come with him.

As soon as he left, Li Yanchu suddenly felt a warm, soft body throw itself into his arms. A faint fragrance gently wafted into his nose, calming and sweet.

The innkeeper looked up at him with a hint of complaint in her eyes and wrapped one hand around his neck.

“You haven’t come by much lately. Got yourself some new friends and forgot all about me?”

Li Yanchu felt the softness of the woman in his arms and smiled. “How could I? There’s been one strange event after another in Wei City. I’ve been busy running around dealing with them.”

The innkeeper gave a charming smile. “I know. I just can’t stand that Bai Hongtu, he’s always clinging to you like you’re inseparable.”

Li Yanchu let out a helpless laugh. “Is that really how you use the term ‘inseparable’?”

The innkeeper glared at him with her almond-shaped eyes, then suddenly stood up and said coldly, “What else would you call it? If you don’t start coming by more often, then don’t bother coming at all!”

Hearing this, Li Yanchu was left stunned. That mood swing was way too fast.

With a snort, the innkeeper turned on her heel and headed into the kitchen.

Li Yanchu raised his hand, sniffed it lightly, and murmured, “You smell amazing...”

Immediately, the innkeeper’s footsteps paused. A faint blush spread across her cheeks, and she let out a soft, embarrassed tsk. Though her face remained stern, the smile tugging at her lips and her light, lively steps betrayed her true mood. She clearly wasn’t as cold as she tried to appear.

Breakfast was the usual big, fluffy, steaming buns. One bite, and the savory juices would spill from the corners of one’s mouth.

At this time, Li Yanchu glanced at the bun in his hand. It seemed even larger than usual, so big it was hard to grip with one hand.

Meanwhile, Bai Hongtu was wandering the early morning streets alone, searching for a breakfast stall. His silhouette looked oddly lonely and desolate against the dawn.

“I’m clearly more handsome and dashing, so why did the innkeeper fall for Yanchu at a glance, and won’t even spare me a second look? Do women actually like these young Daoist types?”

Bai Hongtu had always believed he was more appealing to women than Li Yanchu, but in Wei City, he had been repeatedly snubbed, leading him to start searching for reasons from every possible angle.

By the time Li Yanchu returned to the Daoist temple, Bai Hongtu was already back. He had locked himself in his room, apparently training some secret technique.

Li Yanchu checked his merit points, and he now had a total of 8,720. Next, he took out the Jiaoslayer, imitating the sacred tones that echoed in his mind from the Great Dao.

“Decree of Bestowal!”

That familiar tide of the Great Dao surged over the saber, and the ancient, unadorned weapon began to emit an even more sharpened and intense aura. Its saber glimmered with a cold light, so bright it could reflect one’s face like a mirror.

Li Yanchu checked his merit points again; he had used exactly 1,000 merit points.

This saber truly lives up to its name as a legendary weapon, it's just like a talisman imbued with spiritual resonance, Li Yanchu thought to himself.

After the enhancement, the Jiaoslayer now exuded an even more intense aura of killing intent. He gave it a few experimental swings, thereafter there was a faint echo of tiger roars and dragon cries in the air, and the room became chillingly cold.

Then, Li Yanchu took out the martial arts manual, Primordial Chaos Technique.

“Decree of Bestowal!”

He used another 300 merit points. Li Yanchu examined the manual, and the technique had become slightly more profound, but still hadn't reached the level of first-rate martial arts.

“Decree of Bestowal!” Another 500 merit points was consumed. This time, the originally second-rate martial art, Primordial Harmony Technique, was upgraded into a first-rate martial art!

The upgraded qi shield now carried evil-repelling properties. It was blazing hot, highly defensive, and especially effective in suppressing ghosts and spirits. It was a martial art of extreme hardness and pure yang. The qi shield could now attack at range, and as its power increased, so would the distance of its external strikes.

Li Yanchu then proceeded to enhance both the Divine Astral Hands and the Six Yang Saber Art to the level of first-rate martial arts.

After two enhancements, Divine Astral Hands gained thirty-six new forms. It was now overbearing and ferocious, and once mastered, it could grant the user strength on par with dragons and elephants.

This reminded Li Yanchu of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Art practiced by Golden Wheel Monk in The Return of the Condor Heroes[1].

The Six Yang Saber Art, once enhanced, expanded into sixty-four levels. When slashing, it produced the illusion of flames igniting on the saber, radiating extreme heat.

This meant the Six Yang Force had reached an exceptionally high level, drawing from one's qi and blood as its foundation, and converting it into a ceaseless wellspring of Six Yang Force.

Not only could it suppress demonic energies, it could also inflict damage upon souls, spirits, and yin entities to a considerable degree. Of course, such effects would only manifest fully after mastering all sixty-four levels of the technique.

1. This technique, often called "龙象般若功" (Dragon Elephant Prajna Art) in Chinese, symbolizes immense power and inner strength. The name draws from Buddhist imagery: the dragon and elephant are sacred beasts representing spiritual might and physical force, while "Prajna" (a Sanskrit word) refers to transcendent wisdom in Buddhism. The art combines overwhelming brute strength with profound spiritual cultivation.

In the novel, each level of this technique exponentially multiplies the user’s power. At the highest levels, it gives a monk the strength to shatter boulders or create shockwaves with a palm strike. It’s not just about raw power, but also inner mastery, making it both fearsome and profound. ☜