Unexpected Joy

Soon, the convoy finally arrived at Changgan County. As they reached the foot of the county town, the guards at the gate verified their identities. Once cleared, the convoy proceeded smoothly into the city, and the martial artists responsible for the escort finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Someone was already waiting for them in Changgan. Led by a guide, the convoy arrived at an inn.

The carriages stopped in the inn's backyard. Although the martial artists were covered in dust and bloodstains, utterly exhausted, not a single one dispersed.

They all looked at Zong Lin in the crowd, waiting for her explanation, not uttering a word.

This escort mission had been fraught with anomalies, and all the martial artists had sensed something was amiss. The more perceptive among them had even guessed some of the hidden truths. It was impossible to keep them in the dark any longer.

As participants in the entire affair, if she didn't clarify things, the martial artists would never let it go.

Zong Lin surveyed the martial artists gathered around her. She took a deep breath and slowly revealed the hidden story of the mission.

The arrival of a True Essence Realm martial artist...

The threat of the Corpse Demon...

Using herself as bait...

After discovering the Corpse Demon's whereabouts, two powerful individuals pursued it...

After hearing all this, the group of martial artists was a mixture of shock and anger.

"That Corpse Demon sounds incredibly dangerous. The Special Capture Division used us as bait to lure it out? They don't see us as human beings at all!"

"Oh, the Special Capture Division is so great, so noble!"

"Some of the more hot-tempered ones even cursed the Special Capture Division for their shameless [EXPUNGED]!"

Seeing the agitated crowd before her, Zong Lin offered a wry smile. A hint of helplessness flickered across her delicate and exquisite face. She raised her hand slightly, signaling the martial artists to calm down.

"I know you're all very angry. The risk of this mission far exceeded everyone's expectations, and the reward was not commensurate with the danger."

"Therefore, the Special Capture Division has decided to double the contribution points for all martial artists who participated in this mission."

Everyone: "..."

The previously clamoring martial artists fell silent all at once.

Double contribution points?

This... actually sounds quite appealing~~

Seeing that the crowd had stopped arguing, she smiled faintly and continued, "Not only are the contribution points doubled, but among the Rune Soldiers being escorted to Changgan, each of you can choose one."

"There are many Rune Soldiers being transported and escorted this time, and some of them are prepared for you."

"They're even giving away Rune Soldiers?"

At this, the martial artists' faces lit up with joy, and they no longer had any objections.

"Oh my, Zong Lin, why are you being so polite?"

"As expected of the Special Capture Division, they're so generous with their wealth and words!"

"We martial artists live by the sword, and we naturally don't fear mere evil creatures."

"Exactly. Moreover, there were True Essence Realm martial artists secretly protecting us during this escort. Such treatment makes us feel truly honored."

Upon hearing that not only would their contribution points be doubled, but they could also get Rune Soldiers for free, the martial artists' spirits soared. Their mouths were as sweet as honey, praising the Special Capture Division for their righteousness, and not a single person mentioned the Corpse Demon anymore.

Because the Corpse Demon intended to devour these martial artists itself, it had held back when commanding the zombies and evil ghosts to attack. It only wanted to exhaust the martial artists' stamina and did not intend to kill them. Therefore, although the martial artists were all injured, none of them died.

After Zong Lin intervened, she used a "Soothing Rain Talisman" to heal the injured martial artists. Even the injuries of those with severe wounds were stabilized. As long as they rested for a few days, these martial artists would be able to move around freely.

As long as no one died, all problems were minor. The martial artists were already excitedly heading to the carriages to select their preferred Rune Soldiers.

Li Yuan was no different. Although many unexpected events had occurred during this mission, it had still concluded safely. He had even gained some unexpected wealth, and he was equally happy.

Wu Si'an said excitedly from the side, "Li Yuan, Rune Soldiers are good stuff. Let's go pick one too."

Rune Soldiers were not cheap. The lowest price was ten contribution points, and powerful ones could cost hundreds or even thousands of contribution points.

There were many types of Rune Soldiers on the carriages: swords, spears, sabers, halberds, axes, battle axes, hooks, forks, and all sorts of other weapons. There were even some exotic weapons that Li Yuan couldn't name.

As the saying goes, the stranger the weapon, the faster the death. So, Li Yuan eventually chose a Rune Soldier longsword of decent quality.

He couldn't hope for Rune Soldiers worth hundreds or thousands of contribution points; such items wouldn't be found on these carriages. The most expensive one was worth only twenty contribution points, but that was more than enough.

Li Yuan caressed the Rune Soldier longsword in his hand, watching the tiny runes on the blade emit a faint glow as if breathing.

This was the first time Li Yuan had obtained a Rune Artifact. Wu Si'an had just explained to him that Spirit Masters carved runes into weapons, and martial artists could inject their Internal Energy or True Qi into them, allowing the weapons to exert greater destructive power.

After playing with the Rune Soldier longsword for a while, Li Yuan sheathed it and returned to his assigned room in Changgan.

He had been fighting for a long time, killing nearly fifty Evil Creatures, and felt a sense of fatigue. As soon as he entered the room, he fell into a deep sleep on the bed.

The next day, after a night of rest, the martial artists escorting the supplies had recovered their energy and soon set off to return to Jiujiang Commandery.

The journey back was much faster than the journey there. Traveling light and fast, they returned to Jiujiang Commandery in just over half a day.

Li Yuan's excursion this time had completely established him in the martial artist circles of Jiujiang Commandery. Many people knew that Zhengyang Martial Arts School had produced a formidable individual. A martial artist in the Inner Force Realm named Li Yuan had single-handedly killed a troublesome Half-step Blood Robe, solving a major problem for the entire convoy.

Interactions between martial artists could be very simple; having strength was enough. As long as one possessed sufficient strength, it was easy to gather connections. On the return journey, people constantly approached Li Yuan for enthusiastic conversations.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to forge a connection with such a promising young man?

After arriving at Jiujiang Commandery, a group of people happily headed to the Special Capture Division to turn in their mission and collect their rewards.

This mission offered double contribution points, how could these martial artists not be pleased?

Zong Lin led the team. With her endorsement, the double contribution points were quickly settled. The martial artists all received their contribution points smoothly, leaving everyone satisfied.

As Xu Zhe and Zong Wencheng were still out pursuing the Corpse Demon and had not returned, Zong Lin also needed to inform the Young Commander Chu Han about the details of this plan, so she left first.

Watching Zong Lin's receding figure, Li Yuan fell into deep thought. He had initially thought this mission was a simple escort task, but he hadn't expected so many complications to arise.

A martial artist in the True Essence Realm and a Spirit Master offering from Jiujiang Commandery had joined forces to pursue an evil martial artist. The situation was far more complex than he had imagined.

And these two powerhouses had been out all night; whether they succeeded remained unknown.

The fellow called Corpse Demon concerned him greatly. Li Yuan had a vague premonition that this matter might not end so simply.

If the Corpse Demon died, it would be fine.

But if he escaped and didn't die, then things would get really messy.

An evil martial artist whose strength was comparable to the True Essence Realm roaming Jiujiang Commandery would undoubtedly bring immense turmoil to the entire commandery if the news got out.

As early as yesterday, Zong Lin had instructed that the matter of the Corpse Demon was no small thing. The Special Capture Division would handle it, and all martial artists involved in the mission were strictly forbidden from spreading any information, lest they face severe punishment!

Because of the Corpse Demon's existence, Li Yuan felt a strong sense of crisis. Ultimately, his own strength was insufficient. The Corpse Demon's power was two major realms higher than his. If the other party harbored ill intentions, they could easily subdue him with just one hand.

A divine light flashed in Li Yuan's eyes: "I must continue to grow stronger!"

"Strong enough that even the Corpse Demon cannot do anything to me, only then can I truly establish myself in this world!"

He turned his head to look at Wu Si'an beside him. "Didn't you say the Special Capture Division has many good things? Let's go take a look together."