"Tsk, I thought there might be a few ghosts left. I didn't expect there to be so few good ones." Stepping out of the Miracle Shield, Chen Li wore a gloomy expression.
Now who was he supposed to collect ghost loot from?
Ah, what's that? Ghosts don't drop loot? Well, never mind then.
As spiritual beings, the only thing of value ghosts possessed was themselves. However, the Longbow of Peace's "eradicate root and stem" effect was so exceptionally thorough that not even a single hair of these ghosts remained; they were burned directly to ash.
---o---
"Meow, meow, meow."
"Oh, there is a hair. And a cat." Seeing the small, spiritual kitten looking at him with fear, Chen Li picked it up by the scruff of its neck.
"Don't kill it!" Miko cried out hastily as she timidly stepped out of the Miracle Shield.
"You know it?"
"Uh, I've seen them on a person before. They seem to be specters of stray cats, and they're protecting their former owner," Miko said in a small voice.
"Relax, I'm not some bloodthirsty killer. Alright, let's go." After placing the spiritual kitten back on the ground, Chen Li turned his gaze back to Miko.
"What?" Miko subconsciously hid behind Kikyo.
"Give me a good review, please."
"Uhh..."
"What, you don't think I did a good enough job?" Chen Li's eyes widened.
"Good, good, good, it was good enough," Miko nodded repeatedly, her voice trembling.
Big shot, rein in your divine powers, please.
Although Miko was in the middle of nowhere, her phone had a signal.
Over the past hour, she had watched through a live broadcast as countless lives were turned to dust under the rain of arrows.
Even though she heard from Chen Li and Kikyo that those were all villains with Sin Values far above the standard, it was... still terrifying.
According to official news reports, the current death toll was being calculated, but it was simply impossible to keep up.
"I feel like your words aren't very sincere," Chen Li frowned.
"Very sincere, very sincere!" Miko was on the verge of tears from fright.
Professional Experience +3
"If this counts as a good review, then this Trait has some potential for exploitation." Seeing that the [Good Review Cashback] had actually been triggered and increased his Professional Experience, Chen Li was quite pleased.
It made sense when he thought about it. How many people who leave good reviews for shops do so because the product is genuinely good? Isn't it usually because the seller offers cashback?
Chen Li knew his actions were probably a bit frightening for an ordinary person, so he didn't mind Miko's discourtesy.
And seeing the Miracle Card floating beside him made him even happier.
Not only did this mean he had obtained a large number of crystals, but it also meant he had finally completed all the tasks for his third novice quest.
[The Cleaner] (Miracle Card): This world has become filthy again. This is... the time for cleaning!
Effect 1: Every act of cleansing filth will be converted into your achievements. Achievements can be used to initiate a judgment on a filthy creature, transforming it into a Slime Janitor based on the severity of its crimes to devour the world's filth. Its Sin Value determines its sentence length. You may choose to let it die or be released after its sentence is served. (Consuming achievements can extend the sentence.)
Effect 2: You can manipulate any container that can hold trash to imprison others. The duration and strength of the imprisonment are related to the target's Sin Value. (Achievements can be consumed to weave a deluxe version of the container, enhancing its effects.)
Effect 3: After completing a reasonable act of cleansing filth, you will receive a corresponding random reward.
Effect 4: Can be used to forge a Curio.
Although this Miracle Card didn't seem to have any direct combat power, it could turn people into Slime Janitors—a form of permanent transformation. How could anyone withstand that?
Effect two, while sounding a bit comical, could probably be considered a form of crowd control.
In any case, a Miracle Card with four effects was bound to be excellent.
Besides the newly acquired Miracle Card, the effects of [The Arrow That Once Slew a Million Youkai] had also been comprehensively enhanced due to Chen Li's recent slaughter.
And the immense merit (Approbation of Sublime Morality) Chen Li had gained from this cleansing proved that he had done nothing wrong.
The Miracle Card also recorded Chen Li's "cleaning" achievements.
The reward for cleansing filth? The Miracle Card itself was the reward.
The achievements were recorded on Chen Li himself, but the rewards needed to be converted through the Miracle Card.
"Only morality can judge me, and this time, morality is on my side," Chen Li said with his hands on his hips.
"What if... you do something immoral?" Miko asked cautiously.
"Then just forget I said that," Chen Li replied.
"...Your moral baseline is quite flexible."
"If your morals aren't flexible, how are you supposed to save the world?"
"..." Miko hadn't expected the young man before her to have such lofty ideals.
"No need to look at me with such admiration. I only save the world when it's convenient," Chen Li said with a wave of his hand.
And when it aligns with his interests.
Because only a world not yet destroyed would yearn for miracles.
---o---
"S-So what now?" Miko looked at the devastated wilderness with a troubled expression.
"Obviously, we each go back to our own homes and find our own moms."
"But... will someone come looking for me? After all, I was at the center of this storm of arrows. Could satellites in the sky have already looked over here?" Miko asked, extremely worried.
"Oh, don't worry about that. As long as you were standing within that Miracle Shield, nothing could get a clear look at you, because I pixelated the feed from the shield. Besides, you rode your bike here, leaving no tracks. Your privacy is protected to the greatest extent."
"But..."
"I know what you're worried about. Here, take this megaphone and let's sign a Friend contract. If anyone manages to follow some minuscule clue to you, notify me immediately, and I'll summon you to another world." Chen Li placed the Curio megaphone into Miko's hands.
"But I don't want to leave my home and hearth behind."
"Who said you have to leave? Once you're safe, I'll come back over and kill everyone who wanted to capture you. Won't that solve the problem?"
"..." Now Miko was even more terrified.
This peer of hers was good, but... too good. Unsettlingly so.
"Ahem, just kidding. Here's a Merit Coin for you. It can help you avert disaster and neutralize causality." Chen Li handed Miko a gold coin-like "Approbation of Sublime Morality."
Chen Li figured most people wouldn't understand a mouthful like "Approbation of Sublime Morality," so he used a more conventional name.
But the moment the Merit Coin touched Miko's hand, it instantly vanished.
"What... what just happened?"
"It means it already helped you avert a disaster, so it was used up. Forget it, just take 10. No change needed." Chen Li placed a small bag of coins directly into her hands.
Another Merit Coin disappeared before the rest remained still.
Seeing this, Chen Li felt relieved.
Chen Li was a moral Curio Forger, and protecting his client's confidentiality was a reasonable part of his after-sales service.
Besides, Chen Li had just gained hundreds of thousands of "Approbations of Sublime Morality" in one go. This small loss was well within an acceptable range.
The Scales of Merit was truly a useful Curio.
"Thank you!" Miko, who suddenly felt a sense of relaxation in both body and mind, let out a huge sigh of relief.
"So, do you need me to send you back?"
"Huh, you can do that?"
"I have a spatial teleportation skill. It's not very accurate, but since you're holding Merit Coins, the worst that could happen is falling from a height of one meter. You won't get hurt," Chen Li said.
Chen Li had already acquired the Herrscher of the Void's model, but he hadn't practiced with it. However, he had faith in the power of the Merit Coins!
"I think I'll pass. I'll just ride my bike back... Wait, where's my bike?"
"It seems to have been returned to the factory, in a very literal sense. Are you sure you want to walk back?"
"Could you please send me back after all," Miko said, dejected.
Walking home from here would probably break her legs.
"Alrighty then! This is my first time using this skill! Sit tight and hold on! The bus is departing! Remember to text me that you're safe when you arrive!"
"Departing from where?" Miko looked around in a panic, only to miss the pitch-black hole that instantly opened beneath her feet.
"Ahhhh!"
---o---
"Is she really going to be okay?" Kikyo asked with some concern after watching Miko get swallowed by the hole.
"Don't worry, Merit Coins can avert disaster. They're very useful. Oh, look, she texted. Says she fell from two meters up but luckily landed in a big pile of cardboard boxes, so she's not hurt," Chen Li said, looking at Miko's reply.
Meanwhile, Chen Li's proficiency with the Herrscher of the Void's abilities had increased from 2% to 2.3%.
"That's good."
"Alright, it's time to say goodbye. Take these two Merit Coins back with you, one for you and one for your sister. Consider them souvenirs."
"...Thank you."
Although Kikyo often couldn't understand how Chen Li could be so accepting of everything, she respected and understood his actions.
At the very least, he was trying to make this world a better place, even if his methods were a bit extreme.
"You're welcome. Let me know when you use them up."
After returning the Longbow of Peace to Kikyo and watching her get repatriated by the Friend System, Chen Li once again looked up at the sky of this world.
Using Merit Coins to save people also earned Chen Li merit. He had just given away thirteen coins and had already regained five.
If he hadn't been so generous, he could have easily broken even.
But Chen Li wasn't worried, because giving Miko the Merit Coins was a guaranteed return on investment.
Although Chen Li had killed who knows how many ghosts, he certainly hadn't killed them all.
Just as good people can turn bad, good ghosts can become bad ghosts, and this world was constantly producing more of them.
The world's trash could never be completely cleaned up.
Considering Miko's unlucky constitution, coupled with her best friend's strange spirit-attracting physique, there would be plenty of opportunities for the Merit Coins to work their magic. And when they did, Chen Li would get new ones.
---o---
"I'm suddenly having some regrets." Looking at the devastated landscape, Chen Li suddenly felt a pang of heartache.
He had just annihilated so many ghosts in one go. Who knew how many of them possessed rare Entries?
Maybe there was even a ghost with a divine Entry.
"Next time, I'll either not use the Longbow of Peace, or I'll definitely forge a Curio that can collect loot! Otherwise, it's a real loss." With a pained expression, Chen Li summoned the Gate of Return, stepped through, and left this world for good.
However, after cleansing the world again with the Longbow of Peace, the bow itself seemed to have become a bit more handsome, faintly showing the qualities of a holy relic.
Curios, by achieving miracles, could be strengthened.
Everything seemed perfectly reasonable.