Chapter 263: Waist Badge
After the interrogation, the Bald Monk was escorted away and sent to the Dao Prison.
Mo Hua asked Zhang Lan, "Uncle Zhang, was what the Bald Monk said true?"
Zhang Lan pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "The first part was true, the latter part is unclear—probably half true, half false. This man is cunning; you can't fully trust his words."
Mo Hua nodded.
He was certain the monk had hidden something about the map.
But what exactly the map was connected to—there were too few clues, and Mo Hua had no idea.
"Should we ask that one-eyed guy as well?" Mo Hua suggested.
He remembered there was a one-eyed cultivator among the criminal cultivators, a fairly prominent figure, who might know more.
"Sure, I'll interrogate him when there's time. You go back for now; this interrogation room isn't a good place to linger," Zhang Lan said, fanning the air in front of his nose as if to drive away the stench.
"Alright."
Mo Hua also found the smell unpleasant and suffocating, so he prepared to leave.
Then Zhang Lan said, "I'll come find you in a few days."
Mo Hua turned back, puzzled. "To see me for what?"
"Forgot? We agreed that capturing the Bald Monk would bring you rewards from the Dao Court Division," Zhang Lan winked.
Mo Hua's eyes brightened. "Rewards? What kind?"
"You'll know in a few days."
Zhang Lan was still teasing him.
A few days later, Zhang Lan indeed came to Mo Hua and handed him a brocade pouch.
Mo Hua opened it and found a bronze badge inside.
The material wasn't precious, nor did it seem like a spiritual artifact. The design was simple, even crude, plain and stiff.
"Just this?" Mo Hua felt a little disappointed.
He had expected some spell, cultivation method, pill, or formation method.
Zhang Lan frowned. "Just this? Do you even know what this is?"
Mo Hua shook his head.
"This is a Dao Court Division waist badge!"
Mo Hua's eyes widened. "I thought only official Dao Court cultivators had proper waist badges?"
"That's correct," Zhang Lan nodded. "So yours isn't official."
Mo Hua paused. "Fake?"
Zhang Lan sighed. "Unofficial."
"Oh," Mo Hua understood.
Official Dao Court cultivators, from the junior posts to the deputy and chief positions, must pass strict assessments to be recruited.
The tests were rigorous and extensive: spiritual roots, cultivation methods, martial arts or spells, family background, criminal records, whether any direct relatives within three generations had been imprisoned or corrupted, and so on.
Passing these tests wasn't one in a thousand—it was maybe one in a hundred.
Besides assessments, there were also intricate personal connections and networks among cultivators behind the scenes.
Mo Hua knew it would be difficult to pass the assessment properly, even just to become a junior officer.
So being able to casually have an unofficial status wasn't bad at all.
"What's the difference between unofficial and official?" Mo Hua asked.
Zhang Lan explained, "Unofficial means you're outside the official roster. You can help the Dao Court Division with tasks, earn merit, and exchange it for spiritual stones, cultivation methods, spells, spiritual tools, formations, and other resources."
"But without official status, you can't be promoted, you have no authority, and your treatment isn't comparable to a regular Dao Court cultivator."
"Oh," Mo Hua nodded. "Basically a hired hand."
Zhang Lan snorted. "Many cultivators want this, and most can't even get in."
Mo Hua leaned closer, whispering, "Is this waist badge really that good?"
Zhang Lan pointed to the badge in Mo Hua's hand. "For others, it's just a way to get a small task and a meal. But you're different—you're a formation master. You don't rely on this to survive, but you can use it to take advantage of the Dao Court Division's resources."
Mo Hua murmured, "Uncle Zhang, you're technically part of the Dao Court Division, encouraging me to exploit it… isn't that a bit wrong?"
Zhang Lan shot him a glare. "I didn't encourage you. Don't worry—I won't tell anyone."
He sighed. "The Dao Court controls the cultivation world and has countless resources. You being able to use the Dao Court Division's resources is your own skill."
Zhang Lan thought silently: you're probably the only one in Tongxian City who could make a Division chief willingly hand you a waist badge…
Mo Hua grew curious. "How do I use it to my advantage?"
Although it was a Dao Court Division badge, it only had simple patterns, no inscription—just an ordinary bronze plate, nothing special.
Even if Zhang Lan said it could be exploited, Mo Hua didn't know how.
After asking, he felt bad about always questioning Zhang Lan and patted his chest, saying generously, "Today, eat and drink as you like, I'll pay."
After all, it was his family's restaurant.
Zhang Lan smiled wryly, shaking his head. "Helping the Dao Court Division without this badge would only be a personal favor. Favors can be small or large; they might not be fully recognized."
"But with the badge, the favor becomes merit. Merit can be exchanged for spiritual stones, pills, and spiritual tools."
"For example, you helped us catch the Bald Monk. Without the badge, it's just a personal favor acknowledged by me and the chief, but not other cultivators. With the badge, the favor becomes recognized merit, officially recorded in the merit ledger—real achievement that can't be denied."
Mo Hua nodded, beginning to understand. He asked, "How is merit calculated?"
Zhang Lan sipped his tea and continued:
"First, it's classified by grade. You're at the Qi Refinement stage, so all your merit counts as first grade."
"Second, it's divided by merit level: A, B, C, D. Each level can be exchanged for different rewards, though there's still a share for each."
"For helping catch the Bald Monk, the chief recorded your merit as 'B'. In spiritual stones, that's about a thousand."
"So much?" Mo Hua was shocked.
Over twenty people helped catch the Bald Monk, and Mo Hua alone would get a thousand spiritual stones.
"That's just the merit calculation. There are other bounties, miscellaneous rewards, which add up too."
"The Bald Monk is that valuable? Catching a few more wouldn't we make a fortune?"
"Thinking what?" Zhang Lan ruffled Mo Hua's hair gently. "You think the Bald Monk is just a radish? You can't just catch a few more."
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then nodded.
Indeed, among that group of criminals, the Bald Monk was a 'big brother'—even if a radish, the largest one.
"But it's best to save this merit for later; exchanging it for spiritual stones now would be a waste," Zhang Lan added.
"Any particular reason?"
"The Dao Court Division is backed by the Dao Court, with deep heritage and resources. Rewards may not be the most precious, but they're comprehensive. In cultivation or formation practice, you might encounter rare but not expensive items. Even with spiritual stones, you might have nowhere to buy them. That's tricky," Zhang Lan explained patiently.
"With this badge, you can directly exchange at the Dao Court Division's warehouse, saving a lot of trouble."
Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.
Without Zhang Lan's guidance, he wouldn't have known this.
Then Mo Hua worriedly asked, "If I take this badge, do I have to obey the Dao Court Division's orders?"
He didn't want to become a 'Dao Court lapdog,' forced to act only under their instructions.
"Relax," Zhang Lan raised an eyebrow. "That's another benefit of this bronze badge: 'Obey in task, not in command.'"
"The Dao Court Division can call on you, but they have no real power to command you. As long as you don't rely on this job for survival, you can always throw away the badge. No one can make you do anything."
"Is this what 'desireless and firm' means?"
Zhang Lan considered, then nodded. "Sort of. As long as you don't scrabble for petty gains, it's actually very relaxed."
Mo Hua felt relieved.
As a formation master, he didn't rely on this for living. The badge was just for taking advantage of resources.
He sighed, "My identity is getting a bit complicated."
He was mainly a formation master, also a demon hunter, and now a little scoundrel taking advantage of the Dao Court Division.
(End of Chapter)