Chapter 193 : Underlying Currents Stirring

Chapter 193: Underlying Currents Stirring

“What mission?” Chen Beiwu grew interested.

A flash of spiritual light flickered between Zhao Heng’s fingers, and a sect mission bounty slip appeared in his hand. He presented it with both hands.

Chen Beiwu took it and looked.

Bounty Mission: Capture Sect Criminal Cultivator Li Buwei

Mission Grade: Mid to High Grade of Class B (Recommended for Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators)

Issued by: Hall of Justice

Criminal Traits: Li Buwei was once Vice-Market Master of Luoxia Market, cultivation at late Foundation Establishment, dual spiritual roots of water and wood, an old sword scar over his left brow bone, accustomed to wielding a Purple Bamboo Whip (Second-Tier High-Grade).

Crimes: On the seventh day of the seventh month, Yuanfeng Year 978, he drugged and ambushed Market Master Li Qinghe (late Foundation Establishment) and Judicial Inspector Meng Yao of Luoxia Market (mid Foundation Establishment), slaughtered Luoxia Market cultivators, and plundered the Third-Tier Core Formation spiritual treasure [Endless Golden Sand].

Capture Requirements: Life or death unimportant; return the Endless Golden Sand to the sect.

Mission Reward: 8,000 contribution points and the Third-Tier Core Formation treasure Endless Golden Sand.

Note: Li Buwei cultivates demonic arts, suspected demonic cultivator of the Wanyou Cult, extremely dangerous.

After reading the bounty slip, Chen Beiwu’s brows furrowed slightly. His eyes looked at Deacon Zhao Heng in surprise.

“Senior Brother Zhao, you’re not joking with me, are you?”

If not for Deacon Zhao Heng having run about and helped him so much recently—though not meritorious, at least hard-working—Chen Beiwu would have already started cursing the very instant he saw the mission details.

To send a Qi Refining cultivator to capture a late Foundation Establishment one—how was that any different from sending him to his death?

“I’m not joking. This mission is actually not as difficult as you imagine.”

Zhao Heng glanced around, then lowered his voice to explain: “Junior Brother, do you know of Jiang Yuyan, Jiang the True Disciple?”

“The one ranked ninth on the Mirror Moon Rankings?” Chen Beiwu asked, eyes doubtful.

“Exactly. Senior Sister Jiang is a Core Formation seed of the sect. With her making a move, the criminal Li Buwei would have no way to escape,” Zhao Heng said.

Hearing this, Chen Beiwu’s expression grew even more doubtful. “Senior Brother Zhao, what do you mean?”

“Thirty thousand lower-grade spirit stones.”

“Senior Sister Jiang enjoys mentoring juniors.” Zhao Heng made a gesture with his hand. “If Junior Brother is willing to pay thirty thousand spirit stones, Senior Sister Jiang will take on this capture mission together with you.

After completing the mission, you’ll receive fifteen thousand contribution points, while the Endless Golden Sand goes to Senior Sister Jiang.”

Good heavens—wasn’t this just like hiring a substitute in a game?

Chen Beiwu instantly understood.

“This is a rare opportunity,” Zhao Heng reminded. “If not for the Endless Golden Sand, thirty thousand spirit stones wouldn’t be nearly enough to move Senior Sister Jiang.”

“I don’t have that many spirit stones on me. Allow me to think it over,” Chen Beiwu said after a moment’s thought.

He did not doubt Jiang the True Disciple’s strength, but he doubted her character.

But there was an old saying—one mustn’t reveal wealth.

If he suddenly took out so many spirit stones, who could guarantee Senior Sister Jiang wouldn’t be tempted?

In the wilderness, if Senior Sister Jiang had evil thoughts, he would truly be doomed.

Watching Chen Beiwu’s departing figure, Zhao Heng’s heart sank.

…

Tuoyue Peak, Shuyu Residence.

Zhao Heng waited outside the cave-dwelling.

Only after waiting a full hour did the cave doors finally open.

“Come in.”

Hearing this, Zhao Heng quickly entered. At a glance, he saw Jiang the True Disciple half-lying on a jade bed.

“How was it? Did he agree?” Jiang Yuyan opened her eyes and looked at Zhao Heng.

“Junior Brother Chen said he needed time to consider,” Zhao Heng swallowed hard.

“Am I that frightening?” Jiang Yuyan cast him a sidelong glance. “Come here.”

Zhao Heng’s pupils shrank, his body trembling slightly. “Senior Sister Jiang, I…!”

Before he could finish, Jiang Yuyan’s cold voice cut him off.

“Come here. You know what happens if you defy me.”

Zhao Heng took a deep breath, forced his feet to move, and walked up to Jiang Yuyan.

“Good. Kneel.”

As Zhao Heng’s forehead touched the ground, Jiang Yuyan lifted her right foot, the cloud-embroidered shoe pressing onto his head. She activated the Supreme Yang Concordant True Solution.

“W hum!”

With the flow of Supreme Yang mana through her body, Zhao Heng’s face visibly turned pale, while Jiang Yuyan’s complexion grew a shade rosier.

“Enough, you may go. Chen Ziang, Feng Yushu, and Gu Yunsi can be cultivated slowly. But the other newly entered Sequence Disciples must be quickened.”

As her words fell, a bottle of spirit-replenishing pills appeared before Zhao Heng’s eyes.

Only after Zhao Heng’s figure vanished and the cave doors closed did Jiang Yuyan lift her head toward the sky. For the first time, her calm face revealed a hint of viciousness.

“Damn Wuqi Spirit Body, damn Yu Zhaoli!”

All sect disciples knew she had twice failed her Core Formation breakthrough. After her Mirror Moon Ranking fell drastically, her personality had changed, and she became fond of mentoring her peers.

Yet in truth, she had no choice. She had deliberately failed, only to cultivate a secret art—to kill her master Yu Zhaoli, and carve out a path to Core Formation in blood!

…

Mission Hall.

As soon as Chen Beiwu stepped into the great hall, Ma Dongmei, who was in charge of missions, came forward to salute.

“Greetings, Senior Brother Chen.”

Chen Beiwu gestured for her to dispense with courtesy, his eyes already fixed on the mission wall.

After carefully examining for a while, he found a task with a generous reward. Its only flaw was that it was far away—the mission location lay in the Black Gauze Sea Region.

“Junior Sister Ma, please help me take on this mission.”

Ma Dongmei’s eyelid twitched. Her gaze shifted between Chen Beiwu and the mission slip, her voice tinged with surprise. “Senior Brother Chen, are you sure you want to take this one?”

The Class B Lower mission to hunt the Blue-Phosphor Fiend Beetles at the Phosphor Pool had been posted for a long time, yet not a single mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator was willing to accept it.

For good reason—the risk outweighed the gain.

The Blue-Phosphor Fiend Beetles, Foundation Establishment demonic beasts, carried poisonous miasma within the phosphorous dust on their shells. They often appeared in male-female pairs, capable of combining their powers to unleash illusions even mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators could barely perceive, taking lives silently.

What troubled the sect’s Foundation Establishment cultivators even more was that the Blue-Phosphor Fiend Beetles preferred to hide deep within Second-Tier water veins. At the first sign of danger, they used Molting Escape to shed their shells and flee.

So swift were they that even late Foundation Establishment cultivators could not keep up.

The last mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator who accepted the task, even after painstakingly breaking the illusions and locating the beetles’ true bodies, still failed to seize the Blue Fiend Beetle’s head shell and complete the mission.

Not to mention that Senior Brother Chen was merely a Qi Refining cultivator. One misstep, and he could fall to the beetles’ deadly illusions.

Chen Beiwu nodded. “Is there a problem?”

“No. The mission is already accepted.” Ma Dongmei dared not press further and handed over the jade slip.

She had interacted with Chen Beiwu a few times before and knew he had a steady temperament.

If he dared to take this mission, most likely he had already planned to spend spirit stones to invite fellow senior brothers or sisters to aid him.

Yet one thing puzzled her. There were so many easier Class B Lower missions in the hall—why did Senior Brother Chen choose the most troublesome Phosphor Pool task? Could it really be only for those three thousand contribution points?

Accepting the identity jade slip, Chen Beiwu turned and headed toward the Rotating Star Hall.

The Black Gauze Sea Region lay far away. Traveling there on the sect’s sea vessels would take far too long. It would be better to spend a few dozen contribution points to use the teleportation array, and then continue by flying boat.