Merit points and breakthroughs
As for the cultivation manual,Zach set it price at two thousand five hundred and fifty merit points. This was equivalent to merit points worth more than five years of guard duty. These may seem alot for a cultivation manual,but actually it was not,since there were a dozen ways for the guards to earn merit points.
Apart from guarding duty, resource gathering and spirit beast hunts the other ways for them to earn merit points were through breakthroughs,for the body forging realm,each breakthrough was rewarded with ten merit points.
As for the spirit qi gathering realm,a low stage breakthrough was awarded fifty merit points,a mid stage breakthrough was awarded a hundred and fifty merit points,a high stage breakthrough was awarded three hundred merit points while a peak stage breakthrough was awarded five hundred merit points.
This was as to motivate the guards to increase their cultivation bases.
As for those at the foundation establishment realm,a low stage breakthrough was awarded a thousand merit points and the rank of a lieutenant,the merit points doubled per stage, with a mid stage breakthrough receiving two thousand merit points,a high stage breakthrough receiving four thousand merit points and a peak stage receiving sixteen thousand merit points.
Zach had reserved the rak of captain to those in the core condensation realm.
The higher ones cultivation was,the more the merit points one received,at the same time,the merit points required for exchange of resources tripled due to the availability and supply of required herbs and materials being scarce.
The fourth method of earning merit points was through battles,for each enemy killed below ones realm,ten merit points were awarded,as for those in ones realm, fifteen merit points were awarded,as for those above ones realm by two stages,fifty points were awarded.
For the guards,taking part in battles and wars was the easiest way to amass a tonne of merit points.
Merit points could also be earned through competitions among the guards,escort tasks, information gathering, exploration and exchange of ones craft with the logistics unit, which had not been established yet as the lieutenant,who was the only exception managed the small guard unit.
"Award every guard who took part in the exploration with ten merit points for each day and a bonus ranging from five to fifty to all those who made discoveries..."
"Yes sir..."
Zach instructed the lieutenant..
"Also an extra ten merit points a day are to be awarded to the exploration leaders..."
"Thank you sir..."
The lieutenant bowed as this last reward was meant for a her.
"As for the six guards have them meet me tomorrow at noon,the guard with most points should be given first priority..."
Zach planned on making ten copies of the Black Serpent Rebirth cultivation manual,and hand over one to each of the six guards and store one copy at the shop.
This one will be priced at five gold coins,that was equivalent to a hundred thousand copper coins. An amount that even he did not have.
After dismissing the lieutenant,whose name was Sarah,Zach went to welcome the new residents. He had sent some guards to guide them to camp.
That night was one filled with merry as the new residents were welcomed to the camp. They were surprised to see that the camp was close to the same size as their settlement,the buildings were well planned and there were cabins made of pure wood,some made of both wood and stone, with a few having bricks mixed within.
To them,they knew they had made the right decision volunteering to join Zach's camp. Most of these people were between the mid twenties and late forties. There were no children among them.
After seeing to it that everyone was comfortable,Zach had the modified cart taken to his cabin,where he stored all the refined jars of spirit beast essence in his storage room before unlocking his first bronze chest,which took him a couple of minutes to go through the gains,and about half an hour for him to overcome the shock,but the same could not be said for Timothy who had accompanied him.
Zach walked among the heaps after heaps of resources, bottle of pills and the little piles of copper coins.
"Hahaha...!"
Zach could just laugh,as he had not anticipated for all this,his whole backyard,that covered a twenty metre radius from the back of his cabin, was practically full.
"Timothy..."
"Yes sir..."
A still astounded Timothy replied in a timid voice.
"Help me store these coins in the my cabin's storage room..."
Zach requested as he shoved hundreds of copper coins into his robe pockets. It took them several trips to store all the copper coins,the cultivation pills,the rolls of silk and the rolls of cotton,these were kept in his bedroom as there was not enough room in the storage room.
As for the rest of resources and, Timothy would task some residents to take them to the warehouse for entry.
As for the copper,Zach had plans for it. The circulation of copper coins in his camp was practically non-existent,he was going to not only forged his cauldron,but also smelt a unit unit of copper to manufacture a couple hundred copper coins.
These would be used to cover this week's wages and any previous debts. The copper coins would also be used to trade with residents of Evergreen Settlement.
Dawn saw to some rumours spreading among the residents,as they had witnessed cart after cart leave the lord's cabin, fully loaded with resources. As for the man responsible for all this,he was busy making copies of the previous night rewards.