Night fell.

  Stirling didn't lie down in bed but sat at the table, waiting for something in the hush. After a while, Stirling, who was napping, suddenly opened his eyes. It was as if he sensed something. At this moment, the restlessness of last night returned. Stirling glanced at the clepsydra and realized it was already midnight.

  This Yearning Malice appears at the same time every night. Stirling thought there must be a talisman array working behind it. Stirling held back the urge to light the oil lamp. He was eager to see what was so special about these tranquilizing pills. Soon, Stirling seemed to feel something, and his brows jumped.

  Last night, when the Yearning Malice hit Stirling, he felt a strong heat all over. He even sensed a sexy woman seducing him. This sexual dream was so real that he still remembered all the details. Today, when the Yearning Malice attacked, Stirling felt a brief stir inside him. But it faded in a heartbeat; then, a certain part of him became unresponsive, like a eunuch.

  In other words, it was impotence.

  Holy crap...

  Stirling was in shock. He wondered if a man born with impotence had come along, wouldn't he have been able to run wild here? No kidding, while this elixir could resist Yearning Malice, would it be okay if he took too much?

  Stirling shuddered at the thought and lit the oil lamp on the nearby table at once. The fiery red flame brought a slight warmth to Stirling, and he saw the familiar message.

  [You have refined Yearning Malice, lifespan +0.1 days]

  [You have refined Yearning Malice, lifespan +0.1 days]

  ...

  There's no other way. Let's make do with it for now and find a solution as soon as possible. Stirling thought to himself, watching the message flash before him.

  The next morning, Stirling rose and left the house, preparing to visit the Night Watch. The Farfield City Night Watch, affiliated with the city government. It was an official military force under the Saxon Empire. The Night Watch patrolled the city. They focused on tough cases, such as malice disasters, robberies, and murders.

  Without saying, the entry bar must be set very high for a violent group with law enforcement powers. But Stirling had no other choice. Gaining longevity meant interacting with much malice. Right now, the Night Watch was the best option.

  Soon after some inquiries, Stirling arrived at the Night Watch's building in the outer city, which was a common compound, but much bigger than Stirling's. There was a guard at the gate and a no-entry policy. In fact, there were few pedestrians outside the Night Watch. The residents seemed fearful of them like a tiger, and they took a detour when passing by. Stirling stood at the intersection, staring at the Night Watch. Doubt washed over him.

  Just go up and ask? As Stirling hesitated, he heard two people whispering as they walked by.

  "The Night Watch is so unreasonable. They made a big commotion in the Six Horses district yesterday."

  "Is that Sternberg? I heard he had his teeth broken and was arrested for scolding at the Night Watch."

  "Shh, stop talking nonsense."

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  "If I were a samurai, I'd want to join the Night Watch too. How prestigious!"

  " Do you think you deserve? Why don't you take a piss and then look at yourself?" As they chatted, the two men kept walking. Then, they quickly disappeared from Stirling's sight.

  Night watch... it seems you have to meet certain requirements to join. This is going to be troublesome. Stirling muttered, grumbling to himself. He now had basic blade techniques and had developed the Aether skills. But as soon as Monk Green and William saw him, they both declared he was not a samurai. No doubt, the samurai must have some apparent and unique features.

  Thinking of this, Stirling glanced at the Night Watch over there, then quietly left. Needless to say, with his current capabilities, joining the Night Watch was unlikely.

  Leaving the Night Watch station, Stirling lowered his head in thought. By chance, he noticed a growing number of pedestrians. Unable to resist, he looked up and saw a large mansion in front of him.

  In contrast to the Night Watch, this mansion was bustling with people, some coming and going. This involuntarily drew Stirling's gaze to the wrought-iron sign hanging at the gate.

  Kim Martial Arts Dojo.

  Stirling's pupils constricted, and he muttered to himself. He followed the crowd down the street and reached the mansion's entrance. Oh yes, Dojo is a school.

  Stirling got an idea. Looking at the open door of the Martial Arts Dojo, his eyes rolled. Then, he immediately followed a man into the school.

  Entering the courtyard, Stirling saw an old man sitting at a square table in the center. A handful of people stood in front of the table, looking as if they were registering something.

  In front and to the left of the front hall entrance stood two muscular, shirtless men. Their hands clasped behind their backs. And they watched the passers-by entering the courtyard like two watchdogs.

  Stirling scanned the courtyard before approaching the table where the old man sat. He was intent on seeing what they were registering.

  "Registration fee: 30 silver coins. Monthly food allowance: 10 silver coins. Total: 40 silver coins!" The old man said to the first man waiting at the table.

  "I know, here is my registration fee!" The chubby boy pulled a small cloth bag from his pocket and handed it to the old man, piety filling his face. The old man took the bag, opened it, and peered into it at random. He then weighed it in his hand, nodded, and took out the roster to register.

  "Name."

  "Mosley!"

  "Age."

  "21."

  "Well, take the sign and go in."

  The old man fished a sign from under the table and handed it to the man named Mosley. Mosley bowed in thanks to him and trotted toward the lobby with a flushed face.

  Stirling, standing behind the team, was stunned by the scene.

  What the hell? Forty silver coins? No kidding?

  This is a bloody robbery!

  Although he was ready for the high registration fee, the actual amount still shocked him. And Mosley's showing of forty silver coins was even more incredible to Stirling. Aren't they supposed to be slums in the outer city? How could someone be so rich? To Stirling's astonishment, a second person also began paying to register. It gave Stirling an idea.

  It's not that there are no rich people in the outer city; it's just that I cannot access them.

  Stirling sighed, touched the three silver coins he'd been hiding at his waist. He then walked out of the Kim Dojo, driven to distraction.

  On his way home, Stirling felt the surrounding scenery was gray, like a faded old photograph. A sense of melancholy filled him.

  Forty silver coins—where could I get them?

  Without money, I couldn't enter the dojo.

  Without entering the dojo, there is no way to become a samurai.

  Without becoming a samurai, I couldn't enter the Night Watch.

  Without entering the Night Watch, my life would be like a stream without a source, and one day it would dry up.

  This is a vicious cycle. What should I do?

  By the time Stirling returned to his courtyard, it was almost noon. On the way, he took a moment to order a bowl of oatmeal from a street vendor. Despite the sugar, it tasted bland. Like a lost soul, Stirling racked his brain to find solutions for the entrance fee.

  But once Stirling returned home, sat down, and drank a sip of cold water, his mind calmed down a bit. Then, a new idea popped up. He hurried to the yard, dug out a small piece of mud, moistened it with water, and shaped it into the form of a gold coin.

  Next, Stirling used a wooden stick to carve the word "gold" into the mud. He gazed at the mud in his hand, waiting for the prompt. After a breath, the familiar words appeared in Stirling's vision, but this time Stirling felt no joy at all.

  [Current enhancement requires a lifespan of one year and three months. Enhance?]