Approaching (Seeking Recommendations!)

"Leisurely..."

After several days of running errands in the countryside, Wu Ming had truly enjoyed the decadent life of a young master of a feudal landlord.

He practiced martial arts and cultivated, his body strong and healthy, so he felt no fatigue.

Even when he personally appeared, it was always for righteous causes, such as reducing rent and interest. Naturally, his golden words sufficed. As for dealing with those who deliberately defaulted on rent, like ruffians and scoundrels, Steward Wu and his lackeys took care of it, which was quite an eye-opener.

Returning to his fortified village now, after a period of rest, he summoned two maids to massage and relax his muscles and bones. These two maids were skilled at serving people and were eager to become phoenixes soaring to higher branches. They naturally employed their best techniques. Wu Ming felt four soft, boneless hands meticulously and gently pressing, his muscles and bones tingling, almost making his soul depart his body.

"A comfortable, safe, and pleasant life..."

Wu Ming narrowed his eyes, thinking secretly, "If it weren't for the Main God Hall's missions holding me back, I would have probably fallen long ago."

It's easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury to frugality. Even with aspirations, such a comfortable life could truly wear down one's will.

"Speaking of which... the Main God Hall's missions seem to have a bit of a lull, which is a good thing! But... it should be soon too!"

[Ding!]

Just as Wu Ming was contemplating whether to "handle" the two maids and have a "one dragon, two phoenixes" situation, the Main God Hall's grand voice directly echoed in his mind, dispelling all his thoughts.

"You can all go!"

Dismissing the two young ladies, who still had a hint of resentment on their faces, Wu Ming's expression turned solemn as he read the message in his mind.

[Esteemed Main God Apostle! Reincarnator Gengshen 69, your mission will commence in three days at midnight. Please be prepared!]

The Main God Hall's voice was flat, mechanical, yet carried immense authority.

"It's finally here!"

Wu Ming clenched his fist.

"View detailed mission information!"

Why else would he have saved a large sum of minor merits, if not for this?

For ordinary Reincarnators, the Main God Hall's missions would start abruptly and crudely, pulling them in without any preparation, forcing them to arm themselves cautiously from the start and improve themselves comprehensively.

But Wu Ming was different!

His privilege of knowing the information in advance allowed him to exchange for items and enhancements strategically. At this point, the effect of one hundred minor merits was equivalent to a thousand minor merits for other Reincarnators!

[Reincarnator Gengshen 69! You will commence the instance in three days at midnight!]

[Instance Size: Medium!]

[Mission Difficulty: Hong!]

[Main Mission Description: ...]

Wu Ming's expression was solemn, not letting a single word slip by.

After a long while, a smile finally appeared on his face: "Fortunately... it seems they aren't planning to ramp up the difficulty just because I'm a Main God Apostle..."

He had a general understanding of this difficulty level and the definition of the word 'Hong'.

The mission levels of the Main God Hall should be arranged from top to bottom, following the pattern of Heaven, Earth, Black, Yellow, Universe, Hong, and Desolation. The novice instance mission he experienced last time was the easiest, Desolation level. Now, it was only one level higher.

"However... I can't be sure how much this difficulty jump signifies. It concerns my life, so being cautious is never too much..."

A sharp glint flashed in Wu Ming's eyes as he fell into deep thought.

At the same time.

Two somewhat furtive figures arrived outside the fortified village.

"This is the Wu Family Fort? It does have some presence!"

One of them, dressed in a Daoist robe, had eyes that seemed like eerie flames in the night, inspiring awe: "But with such a foundation, how can it support the rise of that True Dao Seed? I can't figure it out, I can't figure it out!"

"Heh heh... they are born with a destiny, possessing great fortune and earthly energy. What does that have to do with a prosperous residence?"

The other person sneered, yet seemed somewhat worried: "If we do this, the consequences will be significant. Be careful not to bite off more than you can chew..."

"That's not a problem. Someone else will deal with him... Otherwise, why do you think our master so readily agreed? Was it just for a mere spot in the Daoist Academy?"

The Daoist with the eerie flame-like eyes sneered.

"What?"

The other person was shocked: "There's actually such a hidden reason?"

"Indeed. What is a mere spoiled brat? Even if he occupies a spot, it's not enough for our master to argue with that Dao Seed over it. After all, the third young master is not without potential. If not this year, there's always next year!"

The Daoist shook his head: "We are here to take this child, merely to shatter that person's Dao heart, and then let others deal with that person! If I put it this way... are you reassured? Once the deed is done, there will be plenty of people to clean up for us!"

"No wonder I said my master was so bold this time, unafraid of retaliation. So he found a backer!"

The previous person suddenly understood and muttered to himself: "To suppress a Dao Seed, and a deeply rooted local gentry, it probably requires pressure from the county's high officials. The Wu family, despite their arrogance, hasn't provoked the county, have they?"

"Heh heh... this is a case of 'you don't provoke others, but others provoke you'! What time is it now? The heavens unleash their killing intent, dragons and snakes rise to the surface, heroes emerge, all vying for that sliver of opportunity. You're blocking someone's path, so why blame them for coming after you?"

"Opportunity? Dragons and snakes? Dragon..."

The initial reaction was a wave of confusion, but then it dawned on them: these were chaotic times, with all sorts of geniuses rising. Yet, a single commandery's fortune was limited, and they would instinctively clash, vying for destiny's opportunities. In a flash, one thought struck them: "A struggle between Dao lineages? A fight for Dragon Qi?"

After pacing for a while, their minds cleared: "Indeed! With Wu Qing's exceptional talent, praised by the Academy Master as having the potential of a 'True Dao Seed,' her rapid advancement in cultivation is only natural. By the time of the Dragon Gate Gathering, she might even be able to tie down that person. We must suppress her!"

"It's good that you understand, but don't say too much. It will only lead to unnecessary karma!"

The Daoist shook his head and remained silent.

The other person was silent for a long time, then sighed, "The person behind this scheme has laid out their plan so meticulously. It's likely not just about winning the top spot at the Dragon Gate Gathering. Our Chu Feng Commandery will probably face many troubles from now on..."

"Heh heh... You're mistaken about that!"

The Daoist chuckled proudly. "Looking at the current state of affairs, Great Zhou is in decline, celestial stars are descending, and a struggle for power is inevitable. But no matter who sits on the throne in the future, will they mistreat our esteemed master? The world is as it is, and this commandery is no different. Whether it's Great Zhou, the Prefect, the Daoist Academy, or even the higher powers, they will all have to appease scholars, martial artists, and gentry. Otherwise, they risk 'public outcry'... What do we have to fear?"

"Indeed! Indeed!"

The first person nodded repeatedly. "It seems we'll have to rely on you, Daoist, to handle this matter properly!"

"We are colleagues, there's no need for such formalities!"

Though he said this, a hint of pride flickered in the Daoist's eyes. He then glanced at the fortified village, a hint of worry appearing. "However, if this brat refuses to come out, it will be quite troublesome!"

After all, the fortified village's defenses were quite strong at this time. After the incident with Lin Qi, Wu Ming had become even more cautious. He had strengthened his defenses, and with Wu Qing's presence, the armory was even more formidable than Da Qing Village's. It contained three suits of iron armor and two ballistae capable of firing a thousand paces – truly devastating weapons. Village militia patrolled day and night.

Anyone who saw such a setup, unless they were to deploy a large army for a siege, would feel their scalp tingle.

"Don't worry!"

The first person smiled. "If it were any other time, we'd truly have no way to deal with him. But with the autumn harvest approaching, we'll have plenty of opportunities!"

"An excellent suggestion!"

The Daoist smiled and nodded, clearly believing that capturing a spoiled brat outside the fortified village would be as easy as eating and drinking.

After all, even though he had heard rumors of the brat turning over a new leaf and diligently practicing martial arts, the path of martial arts was difficult. What progress could a spoiled brat make after only a few months of training?

The only true expert they needed to worry about was Feng Han.

Three days passed quickly.

These two men hadn't miscalculated, but they had missed one crucial point!

In Wu Ming's eyes, nothing in the world was more important than his own life!

With the Main God Hall's mission imminent, he wouldn't step out for a mere land rent dispute unless the heavens and earth turned upside down.

Therefore, for three consecutive days, he remained secluded, meditating, cultivating his Qi, and adjusting his mindset, rendering all their preparations useless.

"What should we do now? Should we force our way in?"

The two men outside were stumped. One lamented, "Have they seen through our entire plan?"

"If they had truly seen through it, they would have already gathered the village militia to arrest us. We're no match for them, and we wouldn't be able to escape."

The Daoist stroked his beard. "In my opinion, either the brat's dissolute habits have resurfaced, or something has changed due to the interaction of their Qi... After all, the True Dao Seed's fortune is as solid as a rock and not easily broken!"

"Then what should we do?" the other person asked anxiously.

"One word: Wait!"

The Daoist appeared confident, but he actually had another plan in mind.

Although he had pledged allegiance to his master, his position was more akin to that of a guest minister. He would never be forced to risk his life.

"My lord treats me as a national scholar, and I shall repay him as such... My current employer treats me merely as a guest minister, so I shall act as a guest minister should..."

A faint, eerie light flickered in the Daoist's eyes. He then said to the other person, "However, simply waiting is not an option. You go... do this and that... Do you understand?"

"Understood!"

Admiration appeared in the other person's eyes. He slowly retreated and vanished into the darkness.

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, magpies flew south.

Unknowingly, midnight approached.

Inside the fortified village, Wu Ming had already instructed everyone that he would be in seclusion for several days to seek a breakthrough and must not be disturbed. He then comfortably lay down on his large bed, silently calling out to the Main God Hall.