Wang Meng's words were like a stone tossed into a calm lake, sending circles of ripples through Chen Yuan's heart.
Although secluded cultivation could shore up one's foundation, the path of martial arts ultimately required the tempering of real combat before what one had learned could be made one's own and even burst forth with power beyond one's limits.
After several more days of concentrated cultivation, during which he honed the circulation of Cold River Reflecting Moon until it became even smoother and made some progress in controlling the Mist Manipulation divine ability, Chen Yuan decided to follow Fifth Senior Disciple Wang Meng's advice and take a look at the Task Wall in the Front Hall.
He was not in a hurry to accept a task. As Wang Meng had said, he would first get a feel for the market and broaden his horizons.
Early that morning, after finishing his daily required exercises, Chen Yuan changed into a clean set of martial arts school disciple's robes, fastened the Cold Ripple Blade at his waist, and left the Listening Tide Courtyard, heading toward the martial arts school's Front Hall.
The Blackwater Martial Arts School occupied an enormous area. The Front Hall was where miscellaneous affairs were handled, visitors were received, and disciples gathered and socialized in their daily lives. It was far livelier than the quiet rear courtyards.
Back when he had been in the Qi and Blood Realm, he had not been qualified to come here and independently accept tasks for rewards. Now, things were different.
After passing through several courtyards, the sounds of voices gradually grew louder. Disciples of the martial arts school wearing all kinds of clothing could be seen everywhere. Some hurried along, while others gathered in groups of three or five to chat. The air was filled with vigorous vitality and a faint smell of sweat.
When many disciples saw Chen Yuan—especially after noticing the conspicuous Cold Ripple Blade at his waist and the calm bearing he carried—they cast curious, awed, or friendly glances his way and whispered among themselves.
"Look, Senior Disciple Brother Chen Yuan is here."
"I heard he had only entered the Skin Grinding Realm recently before the Martial Hall Master accepted him as a personal disciple!"
"Look at that blade of his. It's chilling to the bone. I hear the Martial Hall Master gave it to him. It's definitely no ordinary weapon."
"His aura is so condensed. He doesn't feel like someone who has just entered the Skin Grinding Realm..."
Chen Yuan's expression remained calm. He acted as though he had not heard the surrounding discussions and walked straight into the Front Hall's main hall.
The hall was extremely spacious. Although it was not currently the busiest time, quite a few disciples had gathered there.
The most eye-catching sight was the entire wall on the eastern side of the hall, built from black basalt—the martial arts school's Task Wall.
Before the Task Wall, disciples either craned their necks to examine it, discussed matters in low voices, or took out paper and brushes to make notes.
Chen Yuan approached at an unhurried pace and looked up. He saw dozens of sheets of paper, large and small, densely plastered across the enormous Black Stone wall.
The tasks covered every conceivable subject:
The ordinary ones included: "Escort Zhang's Cloth Shop's caravan to neighboring Maple Leaf Town, approximately five days round trip. Three Skin Grinding Realm disciples required. There may be small groups of bandits along the way. Reward: ten taels of silver per person, or an equivalent number of merit points."
"Clear out the Iron Claw Mountain Imp disturbing the populace in Black Wind Ravine, thirty li north of the city. Its strength is estimated to range from the Skin Grinding Realm - Minor Accomplishment to major accomplishment. A team is required. Reward: thirty merit points. Materials from the mountain imp belong to the slayer."
There were also some that looked rather troublesome, such as: "Bounty: Pursue and capture the river bandit Ghost Hand Liu Yang. This person is in the early Tendon Changing Realm, excels at concealment and hidden weapons, and is ruthless and vicious. He has recently appeared around this county."
"Those who provide definite clues will be rewarded with fifty merit points. Those who capture or kill him will be rewarded with two hundred merit points, plus five hundred taels of silver! (This task is dangerous. It is recommended that someone in the Tendon Changing Realm lead the team in accepting it.)"
There were also some more unusual ones, such as: "Hundred Refinements Iron Shop is purchasing all kinds of rare metal ores, Demonic Beast bones, and claws on a long-term basis. Price negotiable."
"Sihai Shipping Company is recruiting temporary guards who are familiar with water and whose cultivation is above the Skin Grinding Realm to escort a shipment of valuable goods to the provincial capital. Generous reward. Details to be discussed in person."
Chen Yuan's gaze slowly swept over each task notice. He secretly assessed them. One merit point was roughly equivalent to two taels of silver, and the rewards for these tasks were all fairly generous.
That made sense. Nearly everyone who came here had already reached the Skin Grinding Realm. If the reward was too low, they might as well stay at the martial arts school and focus on training.
These most basic escort and Demonic Beast-clearing tasks were perfectly suited for Skin Grinding Realm disciples to accumulate experience and earn resources.
As for tasks involving the pursuit of criminals or exploration of perilous lands, although the rewards were enticing, the risks were extremely high. Anyone without formidable strength would not dare touch them.
His gaze ultimately stopped on several tasks related to "water":
"Investigate the recent mass abnormal deaths of fish in the lake west of the city. Suspected to be related to water quality or an underwater foreign object. Applicants must be proficient in water. Reward: determined by the results of the investigation, with a minimum of twenty merit points." (Posted by: County Yamen Agricultural and Fisheries Office)
"Recruit someone skilled at swimming, bold yet meticulous, to assist in charting the hydrology of newly discovered reef areas in part of Ghost Cry Bay east of the city on the night of the full moon. Pay negotiable; a generous gift is guaranteed." (Posted by: Anonymous; contact address: Third Manager of Sihai Shipping Company)
"Collect ten stalks of Cold Pond Waterweed, each of which must have grown for more than ten years. Collection site: the waters near Cold Dragon Pond, one hundred li north of the county. Warning: the depths of Cold Dragon Pond are unfathomable, and aquatic beasts appear from time to time. Reward: ten merit points per stalk, or medicinal pills of equivalent value." (Posted by: Hundred Herbs Hall)
These tasks piqued his interest. He bore the Tidal Stele, giving him a natural affinity and sensitivity toward water. In addition, he was proficient in water, and his Mist Manipulation divine ability could display even greater power near the water's edge. He might have a greater advantage in completing tasks of this kind.
Just as he was pondering, the discussion of several disciples beside him reached his ears.
"Tsk, it's that Ghost Cry Bay charting task again. It's been posted for a month, and no one has accepted it?"
"Who would dare accept it? That place is terribly eerie. I hear ghostly cries often ring out at night, the currents are chaotic, reefs are everywhere, and there are countless sunken ships. On the night of the full moon, the yin energy is even more oppressive. The last time Sihai Shipping Company sent a ship to investigate, it nearly failed to return!"
"No matter how generous the reward is, you need to be alive to spend it, right? If no one accepts a task for ten days, it gets posted simultaneously at the other two martial arts schools. It's been up this long without anyone taking it. I say it'll stay posted..."
"And there's this Cold Dragon Pond Herb Gathering task... How could ten-year-old Cold Pond Waterweed be so easy to find? The pond water freezes to the marrow. If you stay in it too long, even your qi and blood will freeze, and they say there's some enormous creature lurking below."
"The dead-fish investigation task is worth looking into, though. But after making a trip all the way to the west of the lake, the guaranteed reward is only twenty points..."
Chen Yuan listened in silence, but he had already made up his mind.
Ghost Cry Bay did indeed sound strange, so he would set it aside for now. As for gathering herbs at Cold Dragon Pond, the difficulty was considerable, but it was worth a try if he prepared more thoroughly.
Then there was the task investigating the fish deaths. It sounded easier, and it was right west of the city. He might as well learn more about it.
Just as he was about to note down the task number and find a steward disciple to ask for details, a newly posted task notice at the very top of the Task Wall caught his eye. It bore the county yamen's vermilion seal.
The paper of the notice was brand-new, and the ink seemed not yet dry.
"Conscription Order: The Lin Hai County yamen is currently recruiting martial artists at the Skin Grinding Realm or above who are proficient in water and bold yet meticulous to participate in an investigation mission."
"Mission location: County East Sea Area. Mission duration: approximately three to five days. Mission details to be discussed in person. Reward: base payment of one hundred merit points, or two hundred taels of silver."
"Additional generous rewards will be granted depending on mission completion! Note: This mission may carry a certain degree of danger. A Life-and-Death Contract must be signed." (Posted by: Lin Hai County yamen)
A secret investigation mission issued by the county yamen? At the County East Sea Area?
Chen Yuan's heart jolted.
The County East Sea Area... That direction inevitably reminded him of the heavenly secret information he had received. The Chishui Bandits' stronghold, the Chishui River, flowed into the sea east of the county!
The appearance of this task was like a huge boulder thrown into a calm lake.
Chen Yuan faintly sensed that this might be more than a simple task. It could be an opportunity—one that would allow him to approach, or even intervene in, that conspiracy ahead of time.
There would undoubtedly be risks, but the opportunities were equally immense.
He stood before the Task Wall, his eyes fixed on the newly posted Conscription Order, as his thoughts raced. The task investigating the dead fish, which had caught his attention moments earlier, instantly seemed dull and tasteless.
The surrounding disciples also noticed the new announcement. They immediately began discussing it among themselves, guessing what the county yamen intended to investigate that made it so mysterious—and the reward so high.
Chen Yuan drew a deep breath and suppressed the ripples in his heart.
He decided to find Second Senior Disciple Zhang Zhenshan or Fifth Senior Disciple Wang Meng first and ask whether there was any news behind the county yamen's sudden issuance of this kind of task.
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