Accepting Missions

In the Mission Hall, after Shen Cangsheng left, Bai Ye began browsing the area again.

This time, he had come to accept several missions to hunt Spiritual Beasts.

He had not forgotten that there was still an egg inside his body that needed nourishment.

To help Bing Yu safely get through this period, he did not plan to return to Northern Azure Spiritual Academy before the New Student Tournament began.

"Extremely Cold Snow Ape, Ice Profound Spirit Serpent, Northern Sea Golden Pattern Eagle, Hundred-Eyed Frost Insect... They are all Earth Ranking Spiritual Beasts with ice attributes. You alone? Are you sure you want to accept them all?"

Elder Liu, the same elder from before, sat in his reclining chair. Looking at the mission tokens Bai Ye had brought over, his brows furrowed slightly. It was not that one could not accept multiple missions at once. In fact, many students heading out to train would accept numerous missions before leaving, then turn them all in upon their return.

However, this kid was only at the Heaven Merging Realm Initial Stage, while some of these Spiritual Beasts were mature beasts at the Heaven Merging Realm Late Stage.

Wasn't this a little too overconfident?

"I'm sure."

Bai Ye smiled faintly and spoke to the old man.

"Tsk, what a stubborn little fellow."

Elder Liu raised his eyelids and glanced at him, but did not say anything further.

Compared to bounty missions, missions to hunt Spiritual Beasts offered greater freedom. Even at the Heaven Merging Realm Initial Stage, once one realized the gap in strength, there would still be time to sensibly flee back to the academy.

Thus, he took Bai Ye's Spirit Value Token from his hand.

Looking at the token, Elder Liu froze slightly. "A new student?"

This was the first time he had seen a new student accepting missions. Normally, shouldn't new students at this stage be busy moving between various cultivation grounds, preparing for the New Student Tournament a month from now?

"What? New students can't accept missions?"

Seeing Elder Liu staring blankly at his Spirit Value Token, Bai Ye asked doubtfully.

If that was the case, then his plans would have come to nothing. He could only think of another solution at the Spirit Value Hall.

Fortunately, Elder Liu spoke. "That's not a problem. It's just rather uncommon."

As he spoke, Elder Liu swiped a finger across it. A faint glow flashed over Bai Ye's Spirit Value Token, and the mission information entered the token.

Elder Liu placed the Spirit Value Token on the table and closed his eyes.

Bai Ye gently took it, then turned to leave.

"Come back safely. Don't force yourself."

Elder Liu's voice sounded from behind him.

Bai Ye acted as though he had not heard and left directly.

In the New Student Zone, a man stood within the Grade A Room area, looking helplessly at the pavilion before him.

"Ah, I came too late. Really, if I'd known, I wouldn't have kept an eye on Xiao Mei and Da Chou last night."

He was a casually dressed man with his collar hanging open to reveal his chest. His hands were tucked into his sleeves as he stood there lazily.

His face was youthful, but his eyes carried a trace of weariness.

Perhaps because his features were somewhat ordinary, that air about him stood out even more and drew even more attention.

"Elder Jin Chong, may we leave now?"

Yan Meng, who had previously been cultivating inside the pavilion, stood beside him.

She wore a cloak that revealed only her beautiful face. Standing straight beside the man, she spoke politely.

Bai Ye did not like people visiting his residence. Back at the City Lord's Mansion, not a single servant had been assigned to the Small Courtyard where he lived. After arriving here, he had also chosen to pay for a pavilion not far away for her.

As Bai Ye's only servant at present, she had to look after her Young Master's residence for him.

"Alright, alright, I'm leaving. I'm leaving."

The man named Jin Chong seemed to casually sweep his gaze over the hood Yan Meng wore, then said nothing. With his hands tucked into his sleeves, he bent over and prepared to leave.

Until he caught sight of a familiar shade of blue.

"Mentor Bing Xueran, it's been a long time."

Yan Meng raised her head and looked at the newcomer. It was the female new student mentor who had received them a few days ago.

Yan Meng remembered that Bai Ye had spoken with her alone that day. Though she did not know what they had discussed, she had noticed a slight change in Bai Ye's spiritual fluctuations afterward.

It had been a sign that he had failed to control his emotions. This was the first time Yan Meng had ever seen such a thing happen to Bai Ye.

"Call me by my full name."

Seeing him, the Blue-Robed Woman spoke coldly.

A clear trace of disgust appeared on her cold, beautiful face.

"Alright, alright, Mentor Bing Xueran."

Jin Chong habitually rolled his eyes and replied lazily.

So her name was Bing Xueran. Yan Meng silently remembered it, planning to tell Bai Ye later.

Bing Xueran shot Jin Chong a disgusted glance before looking away.

To her, even breathing the same air as someone from that clan was the greatest insult to her bloodline.

She turned to look at the pavilion before her, her lovely brows furrowing slightly. "He isn't here?"

"Ah, Mentor Bing came for this little fellow too?"

Jin Chong's eyes flickered slightly as he smiled.

"Too?"

Bing Xueran finally turned her gaze toward him again. "Are you still carrying out that boring little activity of yours?"

"How can you call it boring? It's quite a good source of motivation."

Jin Chong smiled amiably, his gaze frank.

Yet if Bing Xueran had not known this annoying fellow somewhat well, she might truly have believed his nonsense.

She said nothing. After nodding to Yan Meng, she left without hesitation, utterly unwilling to say another word to the man behind her.

Every additional word only made her feel sick.

Bing Xueran's attitude did not escape Yan Meng's notice. On one side was a cold, proud, beautiful new student mentor; on the other was a lazy, dispirited elder she did not know. There was no need to choose which side the scales would favor.

"Do you find it strange?"

At that moment, Jin Chong's voice rang out, drawing Yan Meng's attention.

The lazy man's eyes were hidden behind his long bangs, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Yan Meng shook her head without speaking.

Though she was indeed somewhat curious why Bing Xueran hated him so much, Yan Meng had been raised as merchandise for years. She knew the saying "curiosity killed the cat" all too well.

The more one spoke, the more likely one was to make a mistake. In many situations, refusing to engage was the best approach.

Jin Chong gave her a deep look. Though she was merely a girl at the Divine Soul Realm Late Stage, he had discovered something unusual about her from their brief exchange.

Moreover, she was also...

Quite interesting.

"Forget it, forget it. I won't tell you. What if you go and speak badly of me to that little fellow?"

The hand he had been about to extend slipped back into his sleeve. Jin Chong smiled faintly at Yan Meng. "Be sure to praise me properly. I brought him something good."

A mysterious light flashed through Yan Meng's violet eyes as it moved toward Jin Chong's spiritual fluctuations.

Yet the moment it drew near, it was blocked several yards away. She could not tell whether what he had just said was true or false.

Her expression revealed nothing as she nodded politely.

"I will tell Young Master."

"That'll do. I'll come find him again."

Jin Chong waved a hand, then walked out of the New Student Zone without looking back.

Yan Meng remained where she was, watching him leave.

Even with the Spirit Fox Clan's innate special talent, she had not detected anything strange about Jin Chong.

Yet instinctively, a sense of unease continued to linger in her heart.

There was something wrong with this person.

But she could not say exactly what it was.

Forget it. She only needed to report everything truthfully to Bai Ye. What right did she have to worry about that person?

Shaking her head, she walked gracefully back toward her pavilion.

Meanwhile, in the forest, Jin Chong sat in a tree, watching Yan Meng's departing figure as he gently swayed his head.

"Gu Raising, Gu Raising. The best Gu are not necessarily the ones you raise yourself, wouldn't you agree, Xiao Mei?"

"Rustle, rustle."

In his palm, a dark green Centipede opened its mouth slightly, revealing two sharp fangs as though responding to him.

He nodded seriously.

"Mhm, mhm. I knew it. No matter what I say, you never argue with me."

"What? You mean that woman Bing Xueran? Mm, she's quite pretty, but she's too sensitive. I don't like sensitive people, especially women."

"Yes, yes, yes, I know. You're much prettier than her."

"You miss Da Chou? Alright then, let's go home."

"Eh? We only fought yesterday, and you want to fight again today? Spare me."

"Yes, yes, yes. You're much stronger than him. You're the best."

"I'm not brushing you off. I mean it."

"Then..."