Spells Grinding: From Basic Sparks to Divine Arts

Chapter 239: Merit Hall

Qin Lu came to a halt in the middle of a vast plaza, his gaze fixed on the structure ahead.

It was a colossal hall rising ten stories into the sky, resembling a man-made mountain of stone and timber. The facade was imposing, featuring six massive bays and four central pillars. Flanking the entrance were four silver statues of divine generals, each separated by stone columns carved with intricate, snarling lions.

Above the entrance, a bronze plaque bore three bold, sweeping characters:

Merit Hall

This wasn’t foreign territory to Qin Lu. White Jade Market had a similar establishment—a mercenary hub where cultivators could trade labor for Spirit Stones. He recalled how Cao Mo and the other juniors from the Qin Sect often took odd jobs there, hunting demons or solving mortal disputes to earn their pocket money.

“This is the place. I’ll post a bounty for the herbs here,” Qin Lu decided silently.

He stepped through the main doors and was immediately hit by a wall of sound. The interior was a chaotic sea of noise and movement, packed with cultivators shouting, bargaining, and rushing to and fro like shoppers in a vegetable market.

Dominating the center of the hall was a golden statue, standing nearly thirty feet tall. It depicted a warrior with a stern, emotionless face, gripping a massive saber as if watching over the ants scurrying beneath his boots. The statue radiated a palpable, majestic pressure.

Whoever that is, his cultivation must have been terrifying, Qin Lu thought, impressed.

He didn’t dwell on it. His eyes swept the room, taking in the layout.

Floating light screens flickered on every wall, displaying streams of text in crisp, glowing characters. Qin Lu caught snippets as he walked:

“Escort Mission: Two passengers to Clear Water Sect. Requirement: Foundation Establishment. Price negotiable.”

“Urgently Need: Five stalks of Frost Arrow Grass. 50 Low Grade Spirit Stones.”

“Acquisition: Four [Bullfrog Beast] hind legs. 30 Low Grade Spirit Stones.”

“Wanted: Intact [Plum Moon Deer] antlers. 10 Low Grade Spirit Stones.”

Beneath the screens, crowds of cultivators craned their necks, hunting for jobs that matched their skills. Uniformed female attendants moved through the throng, offering clarifications and guidance.

Qin Lu navigated toward the rear of the hall, where a long counter served as the reception desk.

A young attendant looked up lazily. “Taking a task or posting one?”

“Posting. I need to locate three stalks of a specific herb.”

The attendant pulled out a ledger and a brush. “Name?”

“[Purple Treasure Ginseng].”

The brush paused. The attendant frowned slightly, clearly unfamiliar with the name, but he wrote it down regardless. “Posting fee is standard—one-tenth of the total reward. How much are you offering?”

“One-tenth…” Qin Lu did the math. “Little friend, what would you consider a reasonable price?”

“How old does the herb need to be?”

“Three hundred years.”

“Then you’d better offer at least six hundred Spirit Stones.”

Hiss…

Qin Lu sucked in a cold breath. He hadn’t expected the price to be that steep.

Seeing his reaction, the attendant explained, “A three-hundred-year-old herb generally trades for two hundred stones. You want three. If you lowball the offer, no one will take the contract. And if the task sits for too long, we pull it down. The fee is non-refundable.”

Qin Lu grimaced but nodded. “Fine. Six hundred it is.”

He counted out sixty stones for the fee and handed them over.

“Done!” The attendant smiled, his attitude brightening instantly. He processed the payment and handed Qin Lu a wooden token. “Keep this close. If someone submits the item, the token will vibrate. Just make sure you stay within two thousand miles of Shuntian City, or the signal won’t reach you.”

“Understood.”

Qin Lu tucked the token into his robe rather than his Storage Bag, ensuring he wouldn’t miss the alert.

Business concluded, he turned to leave. He still needed to find a hunting team to gather intel on the [Black Mysterious Grass], which grew in the territory of a second-rank Demon Beast. That wasn’t a solo trip he wanted to make blind.

However, as he neared the golden statue in the center of the hall, a commotion blocked his path.

“You insolent peasant! You dare disrespect Junior Sister Yan’er?!” “Apologize right now, or you won’t be walking out of this city!” “On your knees! Beg for forgiveness!”

The voices were familiar. Qin Lu stopped and looked over.

Sure enough, it was the captivating woman from the city gate. She stood slightly behind her three sycophantic admirers, who were currently forming a menacing circle around a lone boy.

The boy was striking. Dressed in a simple, form-fitting black robe, he had a lean build and delicate, almost pretty features. But his expression was ice-cold, and his pitch-black eyes stared at the three aggressors with zero fear.

Most notably, he carried a massive black greatsword strapped to his back. The weapon was as tall as he was, radiating a heavy, murderous aura that seemed at odds with his slender frame.

The tension was razor-thin. A fight was seconds away.

Qin Lu blended into the gathering crowd of spectators, his gaze drifting to the woman watching the scene with mild amusement.

Figures, he sighed internally. Beautiful women are just walking calamity generators.