Immortality begins with exchanging talent attributes.

The Xuanyiwei headquarters was larger than Zhou Yan had imagined.

Following Li Kun, we wandered around inside for ages, twisting and turning, but still couldn't see the end.

Along the way, Li Kun didn't stop, quietly introducing things to him.

"That's the duty room; we usually clock in and out there."

That row is the archives, a place specifically for storing case files and old documents.

Next comes the Prison of Inquiry into the Heart.

At this point, Li Kun lowered his voice.

"Some very dangerous criminals are being held there. Since you're new, it's best not to go near them."

Zhou Yan wrote them down one by one.

But actually, there are only two things that need the most attention.

arsenal.

Mission Hall.

The armory, as the name suggests, is where the Black-Clad Guards store martial arts manuals, weapons, and elixirs.

There are many good items inside, but they need to be exchanged with merit points.

The Mission Hall is where you earn merit points.

Unlike the yamen runners or shopkeepers, the Black-Clad Guards had relatively free time unless they had special missions.

At this point, you can go to the Quest Hall to accept some quests and earn merit points.

As for merit, it plays a significant role. Whether it's exchanging martial arts manuals in the armory, getting promoted in the future, or even being evaluated for merits and demerits, the word "merit" is indispensable.

To put it bluntly, the Black-Clad Guards have their own internal promotion channels.

Merit and achievements are the hard currency.

Only with merit can one exchange for resources.

Only with resources can one become stronger.

Only by becoming stronger can you continue to climb higher.

These are the rules of the Black-Clad Guards!

  

The two arrived at a quiet courtyard.

A wooden plaque hangs at the entrance.

Experience Department.

It was much quieter inside than outside.

An elderly guard in black robes was dozing off behind a desk.

Li Kun walked to the table and gently tapped the surface.

Boom boom boom!

"Old Bai, wake up!"

The black-clad guard named Lao Bai shuddered and opened his somewhat bewildered eyes to look over.

Upon recognizing the visitor as Li Kun, he immediately said in an annoyed tone:

"It's you, kid. It's not time to collect your salary yet, what are you doing here?"

As he spoke, he stretched and slowly sat up straight.

"Old Bai, you're always so free, when are we going to switch places?"

Li Kun smiled and joked.

"Get lost! I've spent my whole life as a member of the Black-Clad Guards before I finally got this good job, and you want to steal it from me?"

The old man waved his hand and said.

Li Kun pulled Zhou Yan aside and said to Lao Bai:

"Zhou Yan, Brother Zhou, you've received the notification that our Commander Lu personally entered the register, right?"

Only then did Lao Bai seem to notice Zhou Yan, and he looked up at him.

Upon closer inspection, their gaze became slightly more serious.

Zhou Yan was tall and broad-shouldered, standing there like an old pine tree, firm and sturdy.

Old Bai nodded.

"Not bad, he's a real man."

He then took out a piece of paper and said to Zhou Yan:

"Although Commander Lu has already registered your name, I still need to record it in detail here. Is that alright?"

Zhou Yan immediately clasped his hands in greeting and said:

"It's nothing, thank you for your help, senior."

Old Bai looked up again and said:

"I'm an educated man, no need to be so polite. We're in the same class, you can just call me Lao Bai."

He picked up his pen and asked:

"Zhou Yan, how old are you this year?"

"16".

My hand holding the pen trembled, and a few drops of ink spilled.

He looked up again at Zhou Yan, who was a head taller than Li Kun, with broad shoulders and a thick back, like a wall, and said uncertainly:

"16? You're 16?"

Zhou Yan nodded and said:

"That's right, you'll be 17 next year."

I freaking...

The old man felt like hitting someone.

Is he really 16? You look way too old for your age.

Li Kun almost burst out laughing.

Zhou Yan's expression remained unchanged.

He's used to it.

Since the fusion of his talents of "copper skin and iron bones" and "the strength of nine oxen and two tigers", his physique has indeed become less and less like that of a normal sixteen-year-old boy.

After asking some questions about his place of origin, the old man took out a small token of the Black-Clad Guard from below and tossed it over, saying:

"Here, keep the token safe, and your monthly salary is a gold leaf."

It is paid monthly, and there is an additional allowance if there is business travel.

Xiaoqi's monthly salary was one gold leaf, which was equivalent to ten taels of silver.

If Lu Qingshuang promotes him to captain, how much will it cost per month? Two gold leaves?

Thinking of this, Zhou Yan couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.

After speaking, Lao Bai took out a ruler and measured Zhou Yan's figure.

A moment later, he took out a set of black-clad guard uniforms and a small bag from behind and handed them over, saying:

"You can wear this for now, and come back in a couple of days to pick up your new official robes."

After he finished speaking, he pointed to the back room.

"You can change it inside."

Zhou Yan took the clothes and went into the back room.

A moment later, he came out again.

The moment he put on the black official robes, his entire demeanor changed.

His already strong features and sharp facial structure were further enhanced by his heroic air.

Old Bai stroked his chin and commented seriously:

"As expected, clothes make the man and a saddle makes the horse. After changing clothes, I look almost half as dashing as I did in my youth."

Li Kun curled his lip.

"Come on, if you really looked like this when you were young, you wouldn't still be single now."

Old Bai's face darkened.

"Get out, get out now!"

Li Kun chuckled and pulled Zhou Yan outside.

Before leaving, Zhou Yan clasped his hands in a fist salute and said:

"Thank you, Lao Bai."

Old Bai waved his hand.

After leaving the Bureau of Experience, Li Kun led Zhou Yan toward the armory.

The armory and the Bureau of Experiences are completely different.

The gate was heavily guarded, with two black-clad guards holding swords at their waists and sharp eyes.

Zhou Yan took out the waist token he had just received, and the guards in black robes checked it before letting the two of them in.

Upon entering the armory, the first thing that catches the eye is rows of bookshelves filled with books.

"These are some simple materials, including local gazetteers and some basic martial arts knowledge."

It's all free to watch. You can come and take a look whenever you have free time; it might be helpful.

Li Kun explained from the side.

Zhou Yan nodded.

These things are indeed very useful.

Much of his current understanding of this world comes from the original owner's memories and oral accounts from others.

It's time to learn more about it.

The two walked to the registration desk and handed their waist tags to a black-clad guard in charge of registration.

The guard in black glanced at Zhou Yan, his eyes expressionless, and handed back a small booklet along with his waist token.

Looking at the booklet, Zhou Yan was somewhat confused.

"This booklet contains only inferior martial arts techniques; you can choose one for free."

Li Kun explained from the side.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan opened the booklet.

The homepage is a directory.

It is divided into three main categories: swordsmanship, knife skills, and hidden weapons.

Zhou Yan's eyes lit up when he saw the hidden weapon. He now had fist techniques, knife techniques, and lightness skills, but he did not have any long-range attack methods.

Flip directly to the page on hidden weapons.

In a short time, a dazzling array of names for hidden weapon martial arts appeared.

Each name is followed by a few lines of brief description.

Zhou Yan looked at it carefully.

Flying Locust Stone, a low-level hidden weapon martial art.

When mastered, one can throw stones from several meters away, accurately striking the enemy's pressure points with perfect accuracy.

Willow leaf throwing knife, a low-level hidden weapon martial art.

When mastered, one can throw special willow-leaf throwing knives that can penetrate iron armor, possessing considerable power.

……

One martial arts technique after another came into view, including one that Zhou Yan was familiar with.

The interrogation needle is a low-level hidden weapon martial art.

The Xuanyi Guard's method of interrogation and acupuncture involves using three-inch silver needles specifically designed to puncture acupoints, which can disrupt the flow of qi and blood and force the true words to be revealed.

To be honest, all these martial arts techniques are quite good, leaving him unable to make a decision for the time being.

Just then, the black-clad guard in charge of registration brought over a knife and a small bottle and handed them over.

"The bottle contains Replenishing Pills, which are also part of the benefits. One bottle is given every half month, with five pills in each bottle."

Li Kun said.

"Alright, go back and take your time looking at them. You can come back and change them whenever you've made your selection."

Upon hearing that this was possible, he immediately put the booklet into his pocket, picked up the knife and the Qi-replenishing pill, and followed Li Kun out of the armory.

As Li Kun walked, he said to him:

"Commander Lu has been recuperating from her injuries these past few days. She told me before that she would take care of what she promised you once she recovered."

He paused for a moment, then continued:

"Just stay home and rest these next couple of days, and come in to check in every day."

After hearing what the other party said, Zhou Yan clasped his hands in a fist and sincerely said:

"Thank you very much, Brother Li."

Li Kun patted him on the shoulder and said:

"Don't be so polite. We're practically brothers who've been through thick and thin together. If you ever need anything, just ask me, and I, Li Kun, will never hesitate."

Zhou Yan nodded vigorously, keeping this kindness in her heart.

Afterwards, Li Kun took him to the Mission Hall.

The place was bustling with activity.

The huge lobby was almost overflowing with people.

A huge notice board was placed in the very center.

Li Kun explained:

"The tasks here are divided into mandatory tasks and non-mandatory tasks. Mandatory tasks are generally ordered by the commander, the chiliarch, or the centurion, and the personnel under their command must carry them out."

"Non-mandatory tasks are more flexible; you can take them on your own or complete them in cooperation with others, and the merit points will be calculated based on the difficulty and contribution."

Zhou Yan nodded to indicate that he understood.

Looking at that huge notice board.

At the very top, a notice in black lettering stands out prominently.

Mandatory Mission: Order all Xuanyi Guards at or above the Acquired Realm level within the government office to pursue the remnants of the Wusheng Sect.

Posted by: Wu Yunshan, Commander of the Xuanyi Guard of Jiande Prefecture.

The Wusheng Sect!

Zhou Yan's eyes narrowed little by little.

The heavy rain in Qingzhou City seemed to fall again before my eyes.

……