Chapter 17 - Journey

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  Gu Xuan’s steps rhythmically touched the ground as he walked the main road of the Central District with the intention to go to the Mission Hall.

  It wasn’t just a new set of clothes that he wanted to get, he also wanted to do sect missions whilst he experienced the mortal world.

  Although he became Han Qiao’s disciple, doesn’t mean that he gets to freeload. What he gets with his own hands still tastes better than what he gets from other people.

  He also wasn’t very familiar with the outside world, so he plans on asking the senior sister that he encountered awhile ago.

  ‘Who was it again? What was her name? Mei… no, it was Guo? Ah, right, it was Guo Meifeng. Thankfully, I still remember, or else, I wouldn’t have the face to ask.’ Gu Xuan heaved a sigh of relief in his heart.

  As he walked into the Mission Hall, there were the familiar two desks with two receptionists. Gu Xuan had more interaction with Guo Meifeng when she showed him around so he remembered her better than the uncle on the side who simply wanted to curry favour with him.

  On the left side of the Mission Hall as one enters the building was a Mission Board, he hadn’t paid much attention to it before, but looking at it again, it was filled with papers stuck into it.

  The papers stuck into it were filled with words, it was the details of the missions.

  As for the task types, there were various types. Gathering, Errands, Gate-Watching Shifts, and etc.

  Gathering herbs around the island, doing errands for elders, watching the door shift, and etc..

  Although there were differences in tasks, the sect point rewards hover between 100-200 points per day.

  He hadn’t confirmed it before but in the lower district, other disciples like to gossip so he sometimes listened in and according to them, a 1-year-old blood ginseng that can help a cultivator a month’s worth of cultivation costs between 10,000-20,000 points?

  Lower district disciples due to their qualifications will take more or less a year or two before they earn such a number but a Central District disciple earning such in 50-100 days doing errands is not bad.

  However, for Gu Xuan, it’s still far too slow. He wants more, the only way is to do missions outside the sects since they pay out a lot.

  On the right side of the Mission Hall was another Mission Board, but on this side had more generous rewards.

  Even the lowest one had very high rewards at 50,000 points. However, the mission difficulty rises up significantly. It was to exterminate a bandit group that has a leader in the 1st Layer of Qi Gathering Realm. As for his martial arts attainment, it was at the level of a Martial Arts Master.

  ‘Martial Arts Master?’ Gu Xuan couldn’t help but shake his head reading those words, ‘I know far little about the mortal world but according to Master Han, I could block even a sneak attack from a Martial Arts Grandmaster. Although I don’t know what Martial Arts Master specifically, I still know that a grandmaster was greater than a master.’

  After looking for a bit, there was actually a mission task that made his eyes widen.

  [Mission Task: Exterminate the bandit group, Shadow Wolves in the Red Cloud Mountain. The Leader’s cultivation is 2nd Layer of Qi Gathering Realm with martial arts attainment at the level of a grandmaster.]

  [Mission Rewards: 300,000 points.]

  ‘Holy… 300,000 points? Is this task really that difficult?’ Gu Xuan had a slight frown in his face, after all, he wasn’t very familiar with most tasks, although his Master, Han Qiao said he could block a sneak attack from a grandmaster, that doesn’t mean he could fight against one at an equal level.

  Even if his master didn’t tell him, he knew that he would only be able to leave unscratched after defending, after all, he didn’t have combat experience. Not only that, he doesn’t even know a proper martial arts technique besides knowing how to make his footsteps soundless.

  Furthermore, a 1-year old blood ginseng that helps with 1 month of cultivation is 10-15,000 points. With 300,000 points, he could buy 20-30! That’s shortening his cultivation time by 20-30 months or at least 2 years!

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Gu Xuan’s senses suddenly heightened as he felt a presence get close to him within 5 meters. Although Gu Xuan doesn’t possess inner qi senses, he was still quite vigilant due to his training in the forest. He could feel if there was someone staring at him from a distance but since it doesn’t do anything much, he wouldn’t pay it any mind unless it gets close.

  He instinctively only increased his guard when it came nearer. He also trained his senses by detecting wandering disciples into the forest and going away from them when he felt them, or some wild animals that he encountered.

  After seeing who it was, his expression lightened and he smiled, “How have you been, Senior Sister Guo.”

  Guo Meifeng who was approaching looked at Gu Xuan twice before exclaiming in surprise, “Ah! Junior Brother Gu! Where have you been? I haven’t seen you in a year! Not only that, you’ve grown up, I almost couldn’t recognize you at first.”

  Gu Xuan felt a little embarrassed but just nodded, “I was training a martial arts technique in the forest at the lower district, I didn’t find the time to go up the mountain again until I mastered it.”

  Guo Meifeng’s eyes looked at Gu Xuan in a weird manner, after all, who does that? But remembering that Gu Xuan even cultivated 24 hours a day in his youth, it wasn’t very surprising for such a person to be so laser focused on learning martial arts technique that he doesn’t find the time to go up the mountain.

  Guo Meifeng just chuckled and teased, “Let me guess, you probably went to hunt wild games right? Or fish? And judging by the state of your clothes, although it’s a bit torn, you still find the time to take a bath in the river?”

  Gu Xuan, being seen through despite only one encounter, couldn’t help but be surprised but he nodded, “Senior Sister Guo knows me well. This time, I only went up the mountain since my martial arts technique was due, as well as I want to take a sect mission and go out to the outside world to experience and develop my combat senses in the mortal world.”

  “You just went up the Central District again and you already wanna get off?” Guo Meifeng felt a little exasperated, why is her Junior Brother like this? Is he an addict? At first it was cultivation, but then it was martial arts, now it’s combat?

  “Yes.” Gu Xuan replied calmly and pointed at the mission about the Shadow Wolves. “I’d like to take this. Can you help me register?”

  “Of cours…” Guo Meifeng almost nodded but then as she saw the mission, she rubbed her eyes first before turning to Gu Xuan, “Junior Brother, are you pointing at this? Maybe there’s some sort of mistake? If not, are you crazy?!”

  “Of course not, Senior Sister, I would really like to take this.”

  “Junior Brother, you should think it through first, this is a mission in a higher realm! You’re only at the 1st Layer, not only are you disadvantaged in terms of qi against the leader, he also has other members to drive your strength down! As for your martial arts attainment, you’ve recently just learned one technique and you probably haven’t reached the level of a master yet!”

  Guo Meifeng tried to dissuade. Gu Xuan was a talented disciple in her eyes and she didn't want him to suffer a mishap so early.

  “This…” Gu Xuan was a little troubled, since the sect leader already knew his cultivation realm, should he just reveal it?

  Before Gu Xuan could reveal it, a voice called out from outside, “Xiao Xuan!”

  Not only him, even Guo Meifeng turned his head. And as she turned her head, her eyes widened and she immediately greeted respectfully, “Disciple Guo Meifeng greets Sect Leader Han Qiao!”

  Whilst her head was bowed slightly, she would look in Gu Xuan’s direction with her eyes, ‘Junior Brother knows the Sect Leader?’

  “Yes, Master?”

  ‘M-Master?’ Guo Meifeng screamed in her heart, after all, Gu Xuan called the sect leader, the highest power in the sect, his master!

  “I almost forgot, here.” Han Qiao said with a grin as he approached Gu Xuan and handed over a thin martial arts manual to him.

  Gu Xuan who reached out inquired, “This is?”

  Han Qiao explained with a nod, “I remembered that you didn’t have a proper martial arts technique yet? Take this, it’s a martial arts technique that I learned in my youth. It’s not very strong alone but with experience, it’s deadly. And it can even be a pre-requisite when learning my current martial arts technique, making it easier when you do.”

  Gu Xuan took the manual and read the title, “Swordless Sword Technique.”

  “That’s right. You said earlier that you reached the second level of the Silent Step Footwork? With such proficiency in inner qi control, you can use this technique to the second level as well after practicing for a while.”

  Gu Xuan stared at the manual for a moment, then cupped his fist, “I see, then thank you master, for the martial arts technique.”

  Han Qiao laughed out loud and wrapped his arm around Gu Xuan’s neck, “Don’t be so stiff like those old-fashioned elders, in any case, I saw you arguing with this female disciple? Are you bullying her? Even if you’re my disciple, I won’t allow you to bully others.”

  Guo Meifeng hurriedly denied and said, “S-Sect Leader Han! There’s no way that Junior Brother is bullying me, it’s just that he tried to take on a task that’s too high level for the first time!”

  “Hm? What did you take?” Han Qiao asked Gu Xuan whilst his eyes wandered at the Mission Board for the outside world.

  Gu Xuan nodded and pointed, “Shadow Wolves.”

  After reading the sect task, Han Qiao nodded, “The young female disciple is a little right, you’ll have some difficulty, but it’s not impossible so you can take it. Remember not to let your guard down, I don’t want to pick up the corpse of a dead disciple, I expect you to come back in a year, got it?”

  “Of course, Master. I don’t plan on dying at this level.”

  Han Qiao pulled away and joked with air quotes, “Yeah right? You’re only at the “3rd Layer” and you plan on becoming an immortal, cheeky brat.”

  “Master, please stop teasing me, I was quite serious when I said that.” Gu Xuan couldn’t help but blush, although he was serious, he was indeed quite cheeky at that time.

  “Alright, alright. Just come back, okay?”

  “Yes, Master. Thank you for worrying.” Gu Xuan couldn’t help but feel warm inside, after all, Han Qiao had only taken him as a disciple today but he felt genuine worry and pride from him despite his teasing.

  “Well, see you later, I’ll be waiting for you in my quarters.”

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