"Of course, not just anything can be treated as a mission. All three kinds of missions I mentioned have one condition: they must uphold the righteous path."
"By coincidence, Brother Man Gu found a mission that suited us. It would be difficult for him to complete it alone, so he invited the two of us along."
Man Gu nodded without saying much. He truly had the modest air of a refined gentleman.
"When should we set off?" Lu Yang asked.
"How about first thing tomorrow morning?" Meng Jingzhou suggested.
That suited Lu Yang perfectly. Before they set off, he wanted to visit the Mission Hall and exchange some things. Having contribution points piled up in his hands always made them itch.
"Chilled Gourd: The water inside cools rapidly, making it a perfect choice for anyone who likes ice water. Three contribution points."
"Multifunctional Pocketknife: Includes an ear pick, nail clippers, marker, compass, and more. A must-have for wilderness outings. Ten contribution points."
"Dragonblood Butcher's Blade: Once a magical treasure belonging to a demonic cultivator, its bloodlust was roused with dragon's blood and its vicious nature suppressed with Buddhist teachings. It can cleave through people and bone as easily as reaching into a bag to grab something. The demonic aura has now been completely eradicated, and its vicious nature thoroughly suppressed, though its sharpness has diminished somewhat. Price: three hundred contribution points."
"Fragment of the Mahā Heart Sutra: A remnant of the cultivation method left behind when an ascetic monk burned himself to death. It is suspected to be his original method, though the original version can no longer be verified. This fragment can subdue the restless mind and help one enter meditation quickly. Price: one thousand five hundred contribution points."
Lu Yang looked through several items in a row, but none suited him, so he asked the senior disciple on duty.
"Senior Brother, I'm heading out to gain experience tomorrow and want to buy a few things for self-defense. Do you have any recommendations?"
The senior disciple was tall and broad, with a face full of flesh that could make a child stop crying. He looked exactly like someone a chivalrous hero would have to put down.
The senior disciple glanced at Lu Yang, found him unfamiliar, then realized he was a newly recruited junior brother.
Thinking that at last he could be addressed as Senior Brother, his expression softened a little.
After all these years, he was finally no longer at the bottom of the disciples.
"How many contribution points and spirit stones are you planning to spend?"
"Three hundred contribution points. No spirit stones."
"My surname is Li, and my given name is Dan. You can call me Senior Brother Li. You're at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, so the items you can use aren't high-grade. They won't cost too many contribution points."
Li Dan looked fierce, but he was actually a very warm-hearted fellow.
Senior Brother Li expertly scrolled through the exchange list, introducing various defensive items. "Hundred-Battle Heartguard. Worn on the chest, it can withstand one full-strength strike from someone at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Only two hundred contribution points."
Just as Lu Yang was considering whether to buy one to save his life, he heard a timid voice say, "Lu, Junior Brother Lu, actually, you don't need to buy a heartguard here. The dining hall's flatbread can also withstand one full-strength strike from someone at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm, and it's even cheaper."
Her voice grew softer and softer, until it was nearly as faint as a mosquito's wings. If Lu Yang hadn't already reached the Foundation Establishment Realm and sharpened his senses, he really wouldn't have heard her.
"Senior Sister Zhou Lulu?" Lu Yang was surprised. He hadn't expected to run into her here.
During his first month at Ask Dao Sect, he'd spent his days in the Scripture Depository. Whenever he didn't understand something, he'd ask Senior Sister Zhou Lulu. After Yun Zhi confined him to cultivate at Heaven Gate Peak, he hadn't seen her again. In the blink of an eye, a year had passed.
"Senior Sister." Senior Brother Li was only one year ahead of Lu Yang, so he had to address Zhou Lulu as Senior Sister.
"It, it's me." Zhou Lulu was visibly nervous as she spoke. She had just finished a mission and come to exchange her rewards, and had happened to run into Lu Yang.
"Y-you two carry on. I-I was just making a small suggestion. I didn't mean anything by it." Faced with their gazes, Zhou Lulu retreated far away to make herself less noticeable, intending to wait until Lu Yang finished exchanging his items before doing her own.
Neither of them paid her any further attention.
"This is a Mountain-Crashing Hammer. When it hits, it sends out a shockwave that can disrupt an opponent's rhythm while setting up formations or drawing talismans. It can counter formation cultivators and talisman cultivators to some extent. However, cultivators well-versed in formations and runes are resolute and stay calm in a crisis, so they can regain their rhythm even when disturbed. The hammer's effectiveness against them is much lower. Two hundred and seventy contribution points."
Lu Yang nodded. This was another good item. He might well find himself up against formation or talisman cultivators.
Unless they'd spent decades immersed in formations and runes, the Mountain-Crashing Hammer would work on them.
From the side, Senior Sister Zhou Lulu murmured again, "The dining hall's fried dough sticks work about as well."
They both pretended not to hear.
"Senior Brother Li, do we have anything here that could be used to catch someone off guard?"
Senior Brother Li's expression turned solemn. "Junior Brother, do you know that Ask Dao Sect is an upright and righteous sect?"
"So?"
"You have to ask that question quietly."
Lu Yang gave a quiet "oh."
Senior Brother Li pressed down on the list and swiped hard, sending the product descriptions scrolling rapidly. He picked his moment, tapped the list, and continued his introduction. "This is a Shattered-Jade Needle. Fine as a cow's hair, it becomes incredibly sharp once infused with spiritual energy and can pierce through a person's vulnerable points. But it's difficult to use and requires a lot of practice. It's also rather expensive."
"This is a Strange-Gate Spike. When you're facing a powerful enemy, catch them off guard, grab a handful, and hurl them at their seven apertures to snatch victory through surprise. It's easy to use, and the price is reasonable."
Lu Yang nodded. This really was cheap—one could even say it was more than worth the price.
"The dining hall's rice works better than that," Senior Sister Zhou Lulu reminded them from the side.
Senior Brother Li Dan could no longer endure Senior Sister Zhou Lulu's soft muttering. He whipped around, startling her badly.
Zhou Lulu lowered her head, too afraid to meet Li Dan's fleshy face. She hadn't meant to cause trouble, but the dining hall's food really was useful. She wanted to recommend it directly to Lu Yang, but felt too embarrassed.
Seeing her like that, Li Dan knew she meant no harm, and his tone softened without his meaning to. "Senior Sister Zhou, I know you're from Hundred Refinement Peak, but you can't drum up business for the peak by taking advantage of a new junior brother!"
"And Junior Brother Lu, think about it. Apart from being delicious and cheap, sturdy and durable, and versatile enough to serve as both a weapon and food, what other benefits does the dining hall's food have?"
Lu Yang: "..."
Wasn't that already more than enough?
Li Dan thought it over. Aside from its shape being unsuited to combat, the dining hall's food really did have no drawbacks.
"How about you take Junior Brother Lu on a tour of the dining hall, Senior Sister Zhou?"
Zhou Lulu's eyes lit up. She hurriedly grabbed Lu Yang and led him to the dining hall.
Lu Yang found Senior Sister Zhou's grip terrifyingly strong. He couldn't break free at all, and had no idea what cultivation realm she was in.
"Senior Sister Zhou, you're from Hundred Refinement Peak?"
The Fifth Elder's Hundred Refinement Peak handled both artifact refining and the dining hall. Most of the time, those two duties amounted to the same thing.
"That's right. I'm a disciple of Hundred Refinement Peak," Zhou Lulu replied.
"But I've seen you reading at the Scripture Depository a lot, and the books you read aren't about artifact refining?"
Lu Yang couldn't help feeling puzzled. Weren't disciples of Hundred Refinement Peak supposed to study artifact refining?
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