Chapter 48: Recieving the Rewards
Kian was about to go back to the bed and continue his business.
The door swung open before Kian could lower himself to the mat.
Jia stood in the gap, one hand gripping the frame, a cloth worn over her hair. Her eyes swept the room—the crater in the wall, the chipped knife on the floor.
"What?" Kian asked casually.
"I heard something fall. Something loud." She stepped inside and walked past the knife. "Was it that wall...?"
Kian flexed his fingers and held them up for her inspection, the knuckles unmarked, the skin smooth.
"The wall broke when I was testing something."
"Oh, leave it. You’ve always been boastful!" She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, get lost." She waved her hand in an ’out, out, out’ gesture. "I have to clean this room next."
Her eyes then moved to the large mount of Spirit Stones. "Eh, where is the rest? How much is this?"
Kian looked at the pathetic mount.
"Seven thousand, six hundred and seventy-nine," he said.
Starting total was twenty-five thousand, six hundred and seventy-nine. He bought a martial technique for eleven, another for seven.
Math checked out.
But that also meant he was getting broke really quick.
"And where is the rest?" she asked.
"Spent it."
Jia blinked. "You spent eighteen thousand spirit stones in an afternoon? Where could you even spent it? Liar."
She picked up one of the pale chips and tossed it back onto the pile with a clink. "Most outer sect disciples don’t see that much in a lifetime. You are quite resourceful, so do make use of it well."
Then, she shook her head.
"Whatever. I don’t care. Take every bullshit from here, let me clean this place up."
"Want my help?"
She glared at him. "Of course. You are the only one sitting around doing nothing. It feels annoying."
Kian rubbed his nose and stood up. "What should I do?"
Jia walked around him, looking at him with an interested look. "Hmph! Let me give you a simple lesson in the subject of House Chores."
"Yes miss?"
"Never stay idling around asking what you should do again and again, okay? That’s the quality of someone slow and dumb. Go do anything you find that might be helpful. Do, do, do!"
Kian blinked.
"And?"
"Do more!"
"What should I do first?"
Jia stared at him with wide eyes, her face puffing instantly.
"Don’t you dare!"
Just then, Mia walked into the room, holding a list in her hand.
Kian laughed, rubbing Jia’s head.
"Kian, can you go buy these things in the list?" Mia said. "It’s groceries and utensils we will need in the kitchen."
"Oh sure. Anything else?"
"Yeah get some essential furniture like bedding, blankets, and pillows. Also, if available, also buy me some good bathing essentials please. Like soap."
Jia added: "I want a toothbrush!"
Kian nodded in thought.
So basically, he needed to buy the essential life things.
Mia went to the pack and took a new robe for Kian, throwing it at him. "Also, be back before sunset. The hot spring becomes crowded after sunset, so we need to finish everything before that so that we can go in for a bath early."
"Okay."
Kian caught the robe mid-air and shrugged it on over his bare shoulders.
The deep indigo fabric settled against his newly hardened skin with a whisper, and he belted it at the waist with two quick tugs.
Jia was still glaring at him, her dust rag clutched like a weapon. "Hmph, you escaped my chores."
"Heh."
He stepped forward before she could dodge, cupped the back of her head, and pressed his lips to her forehead. She made a sound somewhere between a squawk and a grunt, her hands pushing uselessly against his chest.
"You are cute when you get angry."
"Done?" she muttered.
"Not yet."
He turned to Mia, who stood with the shopping list still extended, her beauty mark crinkling as she smiled.
"Come on," she said, extending both her arms.
He kissed her on the mouth, light and quick, tasting something sweet in her mouth.
"Melted apple," she said. "There are some left in the kitchen if you want."
He broke away. "It really never gets old."
She blinked, then shoved the list against his ribs. "Go. Before I add more items."
Jia rolled her eyes, making faces at the both of them.
Kian folded the paper into his sleeve and stepped out the door.
The afternoon air hit him warm and dry, the courtyard’s neglected garden baking in the late sun, and he walked toward the gate with the pouch of remaining spirit stones bouncing against his hip.
The street beyond was quiet, just a few mortals hauling water and a stray dog sleeping in the shade of a stone wall.
Now, let’s see.
He pulled up the system with a thought.
The notification had been sitting there since the quest completed, glowing faintly at the edge of his awareness: Absorb a unique aspect of Hua Shulong’s cultivation.
He selected it without breaking stride.
A translucent panel unfolded before his eyes, the text sharp and golden against the afternoon glare.
[Select a unique aspect to absorb from Hua Shulong’s cultivation:]
[1. Art of the Blood Beasts — Infuse corpses with your blood to create obedient blood beasts. At initiation, you can control one Blood Beast.]
Kian’s eyes lit up in eagerness.
Wasn’t this the Art that Fang Ping said only the Blood Demon people could use?
He had asked the Spirit more about it, and he also knew that the blood beasts can live inside your own body if you pair this art with a technique that helps you control small beasts.
Mentioning that, Kian’s eyes moved to option 2.
[2. Yin Insect Scripture — Command and breed Qi-eating insects. Current swarms will recognize your authority.]
[3. Qi Spark Inheritance — Absorb 460 Qi Sparks directly into your cultivation base.]
[4. Blood Demon Thin Bloodline]
Kian’s stride didn’t slow, but his eyes tracked the words with the cold focus of a merchant weighing a deal.
The Qi Sparks were not that tempting—straightforward power, no strings attached, a fat chunk toward Stage 6. But anyone could grind sparks from stones.
Unique abilities couldn’t be bought in a shop.
He scratched the Insect Dominion off the list without a second thought; that technique was what got Hua Shulong from a man to a woman.
The Blood Beasts, though...
That was a tool. Oh, a tool.
A corpse soldier loyal only to him.
If he understood that correctly, if he paired it with a technique similar to Yin Insect Scripture, these pets could even become a part of his bloodstream, living within him!
As for the 4th option, Kian didn’t even glance at it. Who wanted a thin bloodline?
He took a deep breath.
After a long moment of thought, Kian tapped the first option.
That was a technique that could be lifechanging to his path of cultivation. He did not want to lose it.
The system chimed, and the golden text dissolved into a spiral of crimson light that sank into his chest like hot syrup.
Kian already knew that others could not see any of this, but still, he remained in an alley without people.
There was no reason to risk it.
Heat pooled behind his sternum and spread through his veins in a slow, deliberate burn.
His entire body’s blood started to pump on its own, as if his veins had become little hearts.
Blood. Blood. Blood.
The Art of Blood Beasts!
[Art of the Blood Beasts — Integrated into your cultivation path.]
[Proficiency: Initiate.]