Chapter 262: Waist Token

The interrogation finished, and the bald-headed monk was then pressed down and sent to the Dao prison.

Mo Hua asked Zhang Lan, "Uncle Zhang, is what the bald-headed guy said true?"

Zhang Lan pondered slightly and said slowly, "The first part is true, the latter part is unclear, probably half true and half false. This person is treacherous, his words cannot be fully believed."

Mo Hua nodded.

He definitely concealed something about the map.

But exactly what matter this map was related to, there were too few clues, and Mo Hua also had no idea.

"Should I ask that one-eyed guy again?" Mo Hua said again.

He remembered that among the criminal cultivators, there was also a one-eyed cultivator, who was considered a leader and might know more.

"Okay, I'll interrogate him when I have time. You go back first, this torture room isn't a good place."

After speaking, Zhang Lan fanned his nose, as if trying to fan away the foul smell.

"Okay."

Mo Hua also felt the unpleasant smell here and felt suppressed if he stayed for long, so he prepared to leave.

Zhang Lan suddenly said again, "I'll find you in a few days."

Mo Hua turned back, somewhat puzzled, "Find me to do what?"

"Forgotten?" Zhang Lan blinked at Mo Hua, "We agreed that if you caught the bald-headed monk, the Dao Court Division would give you benefits."

Mo Hua's eyes lit up, "What benefits?"

"You'll know in a few days."

Zhang Lan was still keeping him in suspense.

After a few days, Zhang Lan indeed found Mo Hua and handed him a brocade bag.

Mo Hua opened it and saw that inside was a bronze plaque.

The material was not precious, nor did it look like a spiritual tool. Its style looked somewhat ancient, even ancient and clumsy, dull and lackluster.

"Just this?" Mo Hua was a little disappointed.

He still thought the Dao Court Division would give him some spells, cultivation methods, pills, or array formations, and so on.

Zhang Lan said impatiently, "What do you mean 'just this'? Do you know what this is?"

Mo Hua shook his head.

"This is a Dao Court Division waist token!"

Mo Hua's mouth fell open, "Only cultivators who are not from the Dao Court Division have formal waist tokens?"

"That's right." Zhang Lan nodded, "So yours isn't a formal one."

Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, "Fake?"

Zhang Lan sighed, "External."

"Oh." Mo Hua understood.

Formal cultivators of the Dao Court Division, from the lower executive officers, standard officers to the upper deputy directors and directors, all needed to pass examinations to be employed.

The examinations were very strict, with numerous categories: spiritual roots, cultivation methods, martial arts or spells, family background, criminal record, whether there were direct blood relatives imprisoned or demonized within three generations, etc.

These were the contents of the Dao Court Division's examination.

To pass the examination, let alone one in a thousand, one in a hundred was possible.

Moreover, besides the examination, there were secretly various complex cultivator relationships and interpersonal dealings.

Mo Hua wanted to properly pass the examination and become a Dao Court Division cultivator, even just an executive officer, which was probably not too easy.

Now to be able to conveniently get an external identity was actually not bad.

"What's the difference between external and formal?" Mo Hua asked.

Zhang Lan explained, "External means outside the establishment, you can help the Dao Court Division do things in exchange for merit points, which can be exchanged for spiritual stones, cultivation methods, spells, spiritual tools, and array formations, etc., cultivation resources."

"But you are not part of the Dao Court Division's establishment, you cannot be promoted, and you have no authority. The treatment also cannot compare with normal Dao Court Division cultivators."

"Oh." Mo Hua nodded, "Working on the surface, in fact, working for hire."

Zhang Lan hummed, "Even so, many cultivators want it, and there's still no way."

Mo Hua leaned over and whispered, "Is this waist token that good?"

Zhang Lan pointed at the waist token in Mo Hua's hand, "To others, this can perhaps only be used to get a job and make a living. But you are different, you are an array master, you don't rely on this to eat, you can still use this to fleece the Dao Court Division."

Mo Hua then whispered, "Uncle Zhang, you are also a person from the Dao Court Division, instigating me to fleece the Dao Court Division, isn't that not so good..."

Zhang Lan glared at Mo Hua, "I didn't instigate."

"Don't worry, I won't tell others."

Zhang Lan was somewhat helpless, "The Dao Court unifies the cultivation world, resources are countless, the Dao Court Division below is also a big family and a big business. You can fleece the Dao Court Division, that's your ability."

At least to be able to let the director proactively send a waist token, throughout Tongxian City, there's only you...

Zhang Lan thought silently.

Mo Hua thought for a bit and asked curiously, "How to fleece?"

It was said to be a Dao Court Division waist token, but there were only some simple patterns on it, no engraved words, it looked like an ordinary copper card, and there was no special place.

Even though Zhang Lan said he could fleece, Mo Hua didn't know how to fleece.

After Mo Hua finished asking, he felt that it wasn't particularly good to always ask Zhang Lan things like this, so he patted his chest again and said generously:

"You eat and drink as much as you want today, I'll pay."

Anyway, the restaurant was opened by his family.

Zhang Lan couldn't help but laugh, shook his head, and then said to Mo Hua:

"You helped the Dao Court Division with a busy task. If you didn't have this waist token, it could only be considered a personal favor, and a personal favor can be light or heavy, and it might not necessarily be taken seriously."

"But with the waist token, you can record merit points, and merit points can truly be exchanged for spiritual stones, pills, and spiritual tools."

"For example, you helped us catch the bald-headed monk. If you caught him, it counts as us owing you a favor. I and the director know about this, but other cultivators don't know, and may not necessarily recognize it."

"Now with the waist token, this favor can be counted as merit points, recognized by the director, and recorded in the merit book. This is real merit, passed the surface, and others can't deny it."

Mo Hua probably understood, and asked again, "Then how are these merit points calculated?"

Zhang Lan took a sip of tea and continued:

"First, it's divided according to grade. You are in the Qi refining period, so all these merit points are only first grade."

"Secondly, it's divided into four classes based on the size of the merit: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding. Merit points of different classes can be exchanged for different things, but there are also quotas."

"This time you helped catch the bald-headed monk, and the director recorded it as 'Yi' class for you. If you exchange for spiritual stones, it's probably about one thousand."

"So much?" Mo Hua was shocked.

There were twenty or more people who helped catch the bald-headed monk in total, and Mo Hua alone could get a thousand spiritual stones.

"This is just based on merit points. There are also some bounties, which add up to quite a bit."

"Is the bald-headed monk so valuable? Then if I catch a few more, won't I get rich?"

"What are you thinking?" Zhang Lan gently rubbed Mo Hua's head, "Do you think the bald-headed monk is a radish? You can catch as many as you want."

Mo Hua thought for a moment and nodded.

That's right, in that group of criminal cultivators, the bald-headed monk was at least a 'big brother'.

Even if he was a radish, he was the biggest one.

"But it's best to save these merit points for later use. Exchanging them for spiritual stones is a bit wasteful." Zhang Lan added.

"Is there something particular about this?"

"Behind the Dao Court Division is the Dao Court, its inheritance and resource foundation are deep and wide. The things used as rewards are not necessarily the most precious, but they are the most complete."

Zhang Lan patiently explained, "Whether it's cultivation or drawing arrays, in the future, you will inevitably encounter some things that are not precious but rare. Even with spiritual stones, you have nowhere to buy them. This situation is the most tricky."

"And if you have this waist token, you can directly exchange from the Dao Court Division's warehouse, which will save a lot of trouble."

Mo Hua kept nodding as he listened.

If Zhang Lan hadn't pointed out this kind of thing, he might really not have known where to find it.

Subsequently, Mo Hua was somewhat worried, "If I take this waist token, do I have to obey the commands of the Dao Court Division?"

He didn't want to one day truly become a 'running dog of the Dao Court Division', only able to do things under the instructions of the Dao Court Division.

"Don't worry." Zhang Lan raised his eyebrows at Mo Hua, "This is another benefit of this bronze waist token, you listen to orders but not announcements."

"The Dao Court Division has the right to call you, but no real power to command you. As long as you don't rely on this job to eat, at worst, you can throw away the waist token and say 'I quit'. No one can do anything to you."

"Is this 'no desire, then strong'?"

Zhang Lan pondered for a bit and nodded, "You could say that. As long as you don't scheme and try to climb the ranks, it's actually very easy."

With such words, Mo Hua was relieved.

He was an array master and indeed did not rely on this to eat. This waist token was just for fleecing.

Subsequently, Mo Hua sighed, "My identity is a bit complex now."

He was mainly an array master, then a demon hunter, and now also a little scoundrel who fleeces the Dao Court Division.