Goodbye, Zhou Taoyao!

Li Qingshan stood within the Hall of Discarded Treasures, feeling the surging seventh-layer Qi Refining cultivation within his body, yet his heart held little joy, shadowed instead by a faint, lingering anxiety.

While an increase in strength was certainly welcome, the threat posed by Zhang Hongxiu had not been resolved.

With her half-year confinement period coming to an end, and given her vindictive nature, she would certainly not let the matter rest.

She might not dare to brazenly storm the Hall of Discarded Treasures to kill him again, but she could easily resort to underhanded harassment, framing him, or leveraging her family's influence to apply pressure—all of which were impossible to guard against.

Though he possessed the strength of the seventh layer of Qi Refining and held many hidden trump cards, exposing them would inevitably invite endless prying and trouble.

A centenarian who had soared from the first layer to the seventh in just over two years?

That was even more shocking and monstrous than a Heaven-Grade Spiritual Root!

By then, even Golden Core elders would likely take action personally to slice him open for study.

A direct confrontation with Zhang Hongxiu was truly the worst possible strategy.

I must temporarily leave this place of trouble to avoid her sharp edge, while simultaneously seeking a more stable environment to cultivate and improve...

Li Qingshan furrowed his brows, pondering a plan to escape.

Defecting from the sect was absolutely out of the question, so he could only seek an external assignment.

However, as a mere caretaker of the Hall of Discarded Treasures—holding the title of an outer disciple but functioning as a lowly servant—he likely lacked even the connections to apply for such missions.

Just as he was racking his brain for a solution, a light sound of footsteps reached him from outside the hall, accompanied by a crisp, melodious voice tinged with excitement: "Grandpa Qingshan! Grandpa Qingshan, are you there?"

This voice... Li Qingshan was slightly startled, and then a flash of pleasant surprise appeared in his eyes.

It was Er Ya, Zhou Taoyao!

He hurriedly restrained his aura, suppressing his cultivation back to around the second layer of Qi Refining.

For a centenarian with a Heaven-Grade Spiritual Root but a lack of resources, this progress was a barely passable performance.

After all, Ye Lingshuang had previously bestowed spirit stones and medicinal pills upon him twice; the second layer was neither too shocking nor inconsistent with his persona of diligent, bitter cultivation.

He walked quickly out of the stone house to see a graceful young girl standing outside the hall.

After more than two years, the little girl who once wore braided pigtails had changed completely.

She was dressed in the water-blue robes of an inner disciple, her figure slender and her face delicate. Her eyes still held the liveliness of her childhood, but she now carried the ethereal air of a cultivation disciple, and her cultivation had impressively reached the third layer of Qi Refining!

"Er Ya? It really is you!"

A sincere smile appeared on Li Qingshan's face, smoothing out many of his wrinkles.

"Grandpa Qingshan!"

Seeing Li Qingshan, Zhou Taoyao's eyes lit up. She stepped forward quickly, looking him over carefully, and said happily, "Grandpa, your complexion is much better than last time! And... have you broken through to the Qi Refining stage?"

She could sense the faint but undeniable fluctuation of mana on Li Qingshan, which was much stronger than it had been two years ago.

Li Qingshan nodded with a smile, sighing, "Indeed. Thanks to you, this old bag of bones has finally not wasted his efforts. Look at you, two years have passed and you've grown into a young lady, and your cultivation has progressed so quickly—it's truly wonderful!"

Zhou Taoyao smiled shyly, then said excitedly, "Grandpa, I've taken a master! It's Elder Liu Yunyan of Danxia Peak, who is at the late stage of the Golden Core realm! My master is so kind to me! I had to beg her for permission just to come and see you this time."

"A Golden Core elder? That is truly wonderful; you have a backer now, Er Ya!"

Li Qingshan was genuinely happy for her.

"Grandpa, guess what I brought you?"

Zhou Taoyao said playfully.

"What is it?"

Li Qingshan was very curious.

As she spoke, Zhou Taoyao took a brand-new identity token, a small cloth bag, and a jade bottle from her storage pouch, thrusting them into Li Qingshan's hands as she said with immense joy, "Grandpa, this is a real outer disciple identity token!

I begged my master to help me arrange it. From now on, you are a registered outer disciple of the Spring Autumn Sect! You can collect five low-grade spirit stones and a bottle of Qi-Boosting Pills every month! Also, take these spirit stones and pills I've saved up and use them!"

Looking at the heavy bag of spirit stones in his hand—containing at least fifty low-grade spirit stones—along with the high-quality Qi-Boosting Pills, and stroking the green jade token that represented his official status, a long-lost warmth surged in Li Qingshan's heart.

This girl had grown up, and she was so thoughtful.

"Er Ya... Taoyao, thank you."

Li Qingshan's voice was slightly hoarse; he would remember this kindness, which was like charcoal in the snow.

Come to think of it, Er Ya was truly Li Qingshan's benefactor.

If not for Er Ya's pleading with Ye Lingshuang, Li Qingshan would never have been able to detect his Heaven-Grade Spiritual Root at the age of one hundred, let alone enter the Spring Autumn Sect.

More importantly, the Wish-Fulfilling Gourd in Li Qingshan's possession had also been a gift from her.

Li Qingshan was moved from the bottom of his heart.

"Grandpa, why are you being so polite with me!"

Zhou Taoyao chided, then looked at the dilapidated Hall of Discarded Treasures and said with a touch of sadness, "It's a pity my cultivation is still low, and I don't have much say before my master, otherwise I would have had you moved to a better place..."

Li Qingshan's heart stirred—this was the perfect opportunity!

He wore an expression of perfectly measured relief mixed with a hint of worry, and sighed, "Taoyao, I am content just knowing you have such a heart. Although this Hall of Discarded Treasures is desolate, it is quiet, and I find peace cultivating here.

It is just... I am getting old, and sometimes I wish to go out and walk, to see different scenery; perhaps it would be beneficial for my cultivation... I wonder if the sect has any leisurely missions that require a disciple to be stationed elsewhere for a period of time?"

Zhou Taoyao's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "A mission to be stationed outside? Yes, there are! The Hall of External Affairs should have them! Grandfather, do you want to go out and clear your mind? I'll accompany you to the Hall of External Affairs to take a look!"

"Then Grandfather thanks you!"

Li Qingshan smiled.

He felt a twinge of guilt in his heart; Er Ya was so good to him, yet he had to use her. However, for the sake of self-preservation, this was a helpless move.

Li Qingshan secretly kept Er Ya's kindness in mind, vowing to repay her in the future.

The two arrived at the Hall of External Affairs within the Outer Sect Deacon Hall.

The deacon disciple responsible for assigning missions was initially impatient upon seeing Li Qingshan's elderly appearance and weak second-layer Qi Refining cultivation, but the moment he saw Zhou Taoyao and her inner sect attire, he immediately became incredibly enthusiastic.

"Junior Sister, how may I be of service?"

The deacon disciple asked respectfully.

Zhou Taoyao went straight to the point: "My grandfather wants to take a leisurely mission stationed outside, one with a slightly longer duration, preferably far away from the sect gates. Do you have anything suitable?"

The deacon disciple hurriedly flipped through the mission jade slip and quickly found one: "Yes, yes! Qingyang Market! It is 1,300 miles away from the sect gates and is a medium-sized market jointly operated by our sect and several nearby families. It requires a disciple to be stationed there for three years, responsible for some simple coordination and liaison work. It is very leisurely on a daily basis, though the spiritual energy environment might be worse than at the sect. What do you think..."

"Qingyang Market? Three years?"

Li Qingshan was secretly overjoyed; this was exactly what he wanted!

Far enough, and long enough!