Liver Become Mortal Sword Immortal — Section 14

There were even tasks above that which could only be accepted at the Qi Refining level.

The rewards were all pills, or Spirit Stones.

Spirit Stones were things Cultivators could use to aid their cultivation, so they were only useful during the Qi Condensation Stage.

Yun Shu could not help wondering, How many Energy Points could a single Spirit Stone be exchanged for?

"Ding Thirty-Five, the two of you?" the Deacon asked, raising a brow.

"Yes." Lin Yang nodded.

The Fat Steward confirmed it once more before pulling down the wooden board. "Many disciples have been watching this task, but only you two dare to accept it. Good luck."

Then he added lazily, "If you fail to complete it, not only will there be no reward, you'll also have to compensate double the amount. Remember that."

"Alright!" Lin Yang nodded, his tone firm as iron.

Upon hearing that, Yun Shu's expression froze, and the Bamboo Slip in his hand fell onto the counter.

He had to pay double compensation too? Where was he supposed to get that kind of money?

He was so poor now that he wanted to take several more of those simple tasks that only rewarded a bottle of Hundred Herbs Liquid.

No wonder so many disciples had been watching it, yet none had dared to compete for it.

He had no idea whether Lin Yang was truly reckless or genuinely confident in their strength to accept the task so directly.

"Fine. The task is yours. Hand over your Identity Jade Tokens."

Yun Shu handed over his Jade Token.

The Fat Steward glanced at it, looking rather surprised. "A newly admitted outer disciple, and you want to take a Body Refining Fifth Level task?"

"This is no joke. Two Body Refining Fifth Level cultivators might not necessarily be able to defeat a Demonic Tiger. Besides, it says here that you need the Demonic Tiger's corpse to claim the reward."

The Fat Steward kindly reminded Yun Shu.

Yun Shu clenched his teeth lightly. "We'll take it."

The Fat Steward smiled faintly and said nothing further. He used a Talisman Brush to draw over the two Jade Tokens. A flash of fluorescent light flickered across them, and after the registration was complete, he returned them.

"Junior Brother, don't worry. If... if we truly can't complete it, I can pay the compensation," Lin Yang said with some hesitation after seeing Yun Shu's expression.

Yun Shu gave Lin Yang a rather surprised look.

He was a good man!

Still, Yun Shu waved a hand, reassuring him. "Since I accepted the task, I'm confident I can complete it. We'll meet before the Mountain Gate tomorrow morning."

They had already accepted the task, and he had even boasted in front of the Fat Steward. He needed to go back and prepare properly.

It could not be helped. Though Lin Yang looked like an easy mark, no one wanted to lose money, did they?

The reward was quite generous too. There was no reason not to give it his all!

Sacred Lake Village.

It had originally been an utterly ordinary village.

Only because it lay at the foot of Myriad Sword Pavilion and enjoyed the protection of the Immortal Sect had it produced a Cultivator several centuries ago.

That person's strength had surpassed the Golden Core Stage, possessing power that reached the heavens and pierced the earth.

Although that expert had long since fallen, the ties and goodwill he left behind still remained.

Every year, many villagers sent their children to Myriad Sword Pavilion to undergo trials and assessments. It would not be an exaggeration to say that more than half the people in the village with even a trace of Spiritual Root aptitude entered Myriad Sword Pavilion to cultivate.

Now that disaster had struck, it was only natural that someone would seek help from Myriad Sword Pavilion.

Myriad Sword Pavilion had not stood by with folded arms either, immediately issuing a task.

The next day.

Before dawn had fully broken, Yun Shu and Lin Yang arrived.

They had rented their horses Down the Mountain. The horses possessed a faint, almost imperceptible Demonic Beast bloodline. For the two of them, renting them for a day cost one bottle of Hundred Herbs Liquid.

Fortunately, Lin Yang, that easy mark, had paid up. Otherwise, Yun Shu would never have ridden such a mount.

Still, it was something they genuinely needed.

They had set off at midnight, and even on horseback, they had ridden for an hour. If they had run on their own, they might not have arrived until noon.

By then, they might not have had the stamina left to carry out the task.

They still had to run back afterward, so renting horses was better.

This was Yun Shu's first time experiencing what it was like to waste money so freely.

It counted as an early investment.

After arriving at Sacred Lake Village, they found every door tightly shut. In some places, only broken walls and ruins remained. It seemed the village had suffered heavily from the Demonic Tiger's assault. Yun Shu tied the horses aside and asked as they walked, "Who's the contact person?"

"The village chief, probably. I don't know which house is his, but we can just head for the grandest one," Lin Yang said.

Yun Shu said, "What if it belongs to some local rich man?"

"Wouldn't that be even better? We haven't eaten breakfast yet. We can't exactly go hunt a Demonic Tiger on an empty stomach."

"..."

Before long, they stood before a courtyard.

This courtyard was built far higher than the other houses, and its furnishings were exceptionally refined.

Flowers and plants filled the place, looking like Rare Treasures.

It looked as though it had been struck by the Demonic Tiger before. The gates and Courtyard Wall were almost entirely new.

The two exchanged a glance, then Lin Yang stepped forward and knocked on the gate.

"Anyone there?"

Very soon, an Old Man who looked like a steward emerged from within, his eyes still bleary with sleep.

"May I ask who you two are?"

"Disciples of Myriad Sword Pavilion. Have whoever is in charge here come out to see me," Lin Yang said haughtily.

"Yes, yes, yes. Immortal Masters, please wait a moment. I'll call the master out right away." Upon hearing the words "Myriad Sword Pavilion," the Old Man hurriedly bowed, then turned and ran toward the back.

"When dealing with ordinary people who have no strength, the more unassuming you are, the less they'll take you seriously," Lin Yang said after glancing at Yun Shu.

Yun Shu nodded in agreement.

That was indeed true.

But acting too arrogantly would also breed resentment and disgust.

All in all, dealing with people was an art in itself.

Soon, a Middle-aged Man dressed in fine brocade robes came out. He had a plump, prosperous appearance, his face piled high with smiles. "Are the two Immortal Masters here under orders to capture the demon?"

"Yes."

"Please come in, please come in." As he spoke, the Middle-aged Man stepped aside and gestured for them to enter.

Lin Yang did not stand on ceremony and walked straight in.

Yun Shu followed behind him, sword in his arms.

"A banquet has been prepared in the inner hall. Might the two Immortal Masters honor us with your presence?" the Middle-aged Man asked with a smile. "My name is Liu Fugui, a farmer from Sacred Lake Village."

Yun Shu looked him over.

This man really did not look like a farmer. At the very least, he looked like a minor landlord, or perhaps a local rich man. Neither of them commented on it. Lin Yang said, "Forget the banquet. We haven't eaten yet, so just bring us some food."

"Also, we need to ask you about the situation."

"Alright!" Liu Fugui led them into the hall. Everyone took their seats, while the old steward stood to one side.

"This Demonic Tiger began attacking our village several days ago. More than half the village houses have been destroyed. I believe you saw that on your way here," Liu Fugui sighed.

"Has it attacked anyone?" Yun Shu asked.

Liu Fugui nodded. "Yes. Two households have already been attacked by the Demonic Tiger. One entire household was even swallowed alive by it. That was why we sought help from Myriad Sword Pavilion, hoping the Immortal Masters could kill it and restore peace to us."

"As far as I know, Demonic Tigers have a strong sense of territory and will not easily attack humans. If it truly came out of the mountains and even crashed through houses, perhaps there are other hidden circumstances?" Yun Shu asked.

"This..." Liu Fugui hesitated, then shook his head. "We don't know about that."

Yun Shu did not press the matter further. Lin Yang asked several more detailed questions, such as where the Demonic Tiger's lair was and its usual routes of activity. Liu Fugui answered them one by one.

"From his expression, he seemed to know something about what happened," Lin Yang said after they left Liu Fugui's home. "There might truly be some hidden circumstances."

"Think about it. The Demonic Tigers we saw before would not even leave their own territory. These large Demonic Beasts are not lacking in intelligence, so why would one attack a village? The more I think about it, the more I feel something is wrong."

Yun Shu smiled. "Perhaps. But there's no benefit to us knowing. It isn't far from here to the Demonic Tiger's territory. Let's walk there."

Whatever the issue was, it no longer mattered. Their task was to eliminate the Demonic Tiger, not solve a case. Time was limited, and Yun Shu did not want to waste any.

If they truly wanted to know, they could simply ask after killing the Demonic Tiger.

"Alright." Lin Yang nodded.