Accepting the Task

Chen Yuan left the noisy Front Hall of the Task Wall, but his heart was nowhere near as calm as his footsteps.

That Conscription Order from the county yamen was like an invisible thread, faintly linking to the heavenly secret revealed by the warning from the Tidal Stele, which he had buried deep in his heart. He could not ignore it.

He turned and headed to the Steward Hall, which was responsible for managing the martial hall's disciples.

He wanted to first see whether he could pry some information about the Conscription Order from the disciple on duty—anything at all, even just a fragment.

Inside the Steward Hall, several older Inner Court disciples were busy at work.

When they saw Chen Yuan enter, one of them recognized the newly promoted personal disciple. He plastered on a smile and came over to greet him. "Senior Disciple Brother Chen, are you here to look at the tasks? Quite a few new ones were posted today. Is there anything that catches your eye?"

Chen Yuan cupped his hands in return, his expression unchanged. Pretending to ask casually, he said, "Junior Disciple Brother, sorry for the trouble. I did take a look. There are so many different kinds that they're quite dazzling."

"Especially that latest Conscription Order issued by the county yamen. The rewards look generous, but the wording is vague, and I don't know the specifics. What exactly are the arrangements? Could it require some special conditions?"

At his words, the steward disciple's smile faded somewhat. He glanced left and right before lowering his voice. "Senior Disciple Brother, you're interested in that task too? To be frank, Captain Liu from the Criminal Affairs Office personally delivered this Conscription Order just now. He set it down and left without another word. He kept his mouth sealed tight."

"He only said it was an important matter personally supervised by the County Magistrate and that they urgently needed capable hands. He revealed nothing about the details, saying only that whoever accepted the task would naturally learn more after going to the Criminal Affairs Office at the county yamen and signing a Life-and-Death Contract... In my opinion, that's muddy water best left alone."

He paused, then looked at Chen Yuan's youthful face and kindly advised him, "Senior Disciple Brother, you're talented, and the Martial Hall Master took notice of you at such a young age. You have a boundless future ahead of you. For tasks of unclear origin and uncertain risk like this, it's better to be cautious."

"The rewards may be generous, but you need to be alive to enjoy them, right? Why not look at some routine tasks, like escorts or clearing out Demonic Beasts? They may pay less, but they're safer, and you'll know what you're getting into."

Chen Yuan knew the other man meant well. He nodded sincerely. "Thank you for the advice, Senior Disciple Brother. I'll consider it carefully and act within my limits."

Yet in his heart, he became even more certain that this task was far from simple.

The County Magistrate was personally supervising it, and it was in the East Sea region... Its connection to the Chishui Bandits seemed to be growing stronger.

After leaving the Steward Hall, Chen Yuan pondered for a moment and decided to seek out Second Senior Disciple Zhang Zhenshan.

As an instructor who was deeply trusted by the Martial Hall Master, Second Senior Disciple Zhang Zhenshan was far better informed than ordinary disciples. Perhaps he knew more about what was really going on.

He arrived at the side courtyard where Zhang Zhenshan usually handled affairs. As luck would have it, Zhang Zhenshan had just come out and seemed to be preparing to leave.

"Second Senior Disciple Brother." Chen Yuan stepped forward and saluted.

"Junior Disciple Brother?" When Zhang Zhenshan saw Chen Yuan, a trace of warmth appeared on his slightly stern face. "What brings you here today? Have you encountered some difficulty in your cultivation?"

"My cultivation is going well. Thank you for your concern." Chen Yuan considered his words briefly before explaining.

"I went to look at the Task Wall in the Front Hall earlier and saw that the county yamen had issued a new Conscription Order. It seemed rather urgent and mysterious, and the location was in the East Sea region..."

"I was curious, so I came to ask you, Senior Disciple Brother. Do you know anything about what's going on? If the risks are manageable, perhaps it could also be an opportunity for some experience."

At his words, Zhang Zhenshan's gaze flickered slightly. He glanced around, led Chen Yuan to a secluded spot, and lowered his voice further. "You noticed that task too? The Martial Hall Master mentioned it to me just now."

His expression turned grave. "There have indeed been some unusual movements at the county yamen. According to the scraps of information we've received, the county's eastern coast—especially the area near the Chishui River estuary—doesn't seem very peaceful lately."

"Quite a few fishermen have gone missing, and patrol boats have even come under attack... The county yamen suspects something has gone wrong there, but they don't want to alert the enemy, so they can't make a grand show of it. That's why they want to first recruit capable people to investigate. My guess is that it may have something to do with some band of roving sea raiders or River Bandits."

The Chishui River estuary! Chen Yuan's heart shook violently. As expected, it was connected to this.

Zhang Zhenshan continued, his tone even more serious. "The Martial Hall Master's intention is for our martial hall to keep an eye on things from the shadows, but not to get involved recklessly for now. The county yamen's waters are muddy, and no one knows how many interests are entangled behind this matter."

"That Conscription Order may appear to offer fairly generous rewards, but in truth, they may want our martial hall's disciples to lead the charge—to serve as stones thrown ahead to test the road, or even... as scapegoats. Besides..."

He turned his sharp gaze on Chen Yuan. "The Martial Hall Master specifically instructed me to have you focus on your cultivation and prepare for the County Examination. You must not let yourself be distracted by other matters, and even less should you accept a dangerous, unknown task with such complicated forces behind it."

"Your safety concerns the martial hall's future. The Martial Hall Master has placed great hopes in you. You must not let a small gain cost you everything."

Chen Yuan's heart tightened. The Martial Hall Master had indeed made arrangements long ago and had explicitly forbidden him from taking part in this matter.

His expression remained unruffled as he respectfully replied, "This disciple understands. I will obey the Martial Hall Master's orders, focus on my cultivation, and won't act rashly."

Seeing that Chen Yuan had taken his advice, Zhang Zhenshan's expression eased slightly. He then asked, "You went to the Task Wall earlier. Were you thinking of taking on some tasks to temper yourself?"

"That was indeed my intention." Chen Yuan nodded. "Aside from cultivating, I'd also like to find some tasks within my abilities and gain more practical experience."

"Mm. The Martial Hall Master did instruct you to cultivate quietly, but a proper amount of practical training is indeed necessary. Always staying behind closed doors can easily lead to bottlenecks instead. Just remember to act within your limits, don't chase achievements recklessly, and put safety first."

Zhang Zhenshan approved of the idea and immediately asked in detail, "Which tasks caught your eye?"

Chen Yuan told him about the two tasks, "Investigate Dead Fish" and "Cold Pond Algae Harvest."

After hearing him out, Zhang Zhenshan directly rejected the former. "The problems in the western part of the city happen every year, and most are minor matters. You'd have to spend three to five days poking around after making the trip, which would take quite some time and offer little benefit to your cultivation. It would only waste your time."

His gaze fell on the "Cold Pond Algae Harvest" task, and he pondered. "Cold Dragon Pond... That place is rather interesting. The pond water is bitterly cold and can temper the bodies of martial artists who cultivate water- or ice-aligned techniques to a certain extent. You simply can't stay there too long, or the cold poison will invade your body."

"Ten-year-old Cold Pond Waterweed is an auxiliary ingredient used to refine the Calm Heart Pill and Summer Evasion Powder. The Hundred Herbs Hall buys it year-round. There are indeed some cold-loving aquatic beasts lurking in the pond, such as the Cold Water Viper and Iron-Toothed Ice Fish. Most are around the first rank, with strength equivalent to the peak of the Qi and Blood Realm to the early Skin Grinding Realm."

"With your current cultivation at Skin Grinding - Minor Accomplishment, you should be able to handle them as long as you remain careful. The rewards for this task are decent, and you can also temper your qi, blood, sinews, and bones along the way. It's worth a try."

With Second Senior Disciple Zhang Zhenshan's approval and detailed analysis, Chen Yuan felt he had a clear understanding of the matter.

He returned to the Task Wall and tore down the parchment for the "Collect Cold Pond Waterweed" task without hesitation.

The steward disciple responsible for registering tasks recognized Chen Yuan. When he saw Chen Yuan accept this task, he registered it while kindly offering a reminder.

"Senior Disciple Brother Chen, Cold Dragon Pond is no ordinary body of water. The cold beneath the surface bites to the bone, and the underwater conditions are complicated. Be sure to act within your limits and proceed carefully. If anything feels wrong, withdraw immediately."

"Thank you for the reminder, Junior Disciple Brother. I'll keep it in mind." Chen Yuan cupped his hands in thanks and carefully memorized the task details and handover location.