Choosing a Mission

At the sound of a familiar voice, Dongbo Xueying couldn't help smiling. He immediately picked up the Flying Snow Divine Spear beside him. Whoosh—his body flashed, leaving only a fading afterimage, and he was already atop a mountain several hundred meters away.

Beside the bamboo lodge in the back hills.

A young woman in a pale purple robe stood gracefully, holding a basket as she looked around.

She was Kong Youyue, who had grown up and was now nineteen. The once shy girl had become a truly beautiful woman with an elegant air. After spending so long studying magic, her skin had grown a little pale, making her look more delicate, while her bearing carried a hint of the mysterious aura unique to mages. She was certainly a young woman who could make hearts flutter.

At least among the disciples of Archmage Bai Yuanzhi, quite a few of the young men liked Kong Youyue. Some had even pursued her.

"You Yue."

Dongbo Xueying appeared beside the bamboo lodge. He casually set his spear aside and smiled.

"Brother Xueying, you shouldn't tire yourself out practicing your spear techniques. My teacher says cultivation calls for both exertion and rest." Kong Youyue stood beside the stone table with a smile and took some pastries from her basket. "I just made some of the treats you like, Brother Xueying. Come try them."

"Mm."

Dongbo Xueying walked over, leaned toward the plate, and took a sniff. He smiled. "They smell wonderful."

He picked up a soft little pastry and took a bite. "Your cooking keeps getting better, You Yue." He'd loved the treats his mother made when he was little, but after she left, he never got to eat them again. The servants' cooking... just wasn't the same as his mother's. You Yue was a good cook. Her treats didn't taste like his memories of his mother's, but they were still much better than the servants' cooking.

"Hmph, I went out of my way to learn," You Yue said proudly.

"I'm going back to the castle later. Let's have lunch together today." Dongbo Xueying sat down and ate the pastries quickly, one bite apiece.

"Sure. It's been a long time since you came back to the castle, Brother Xueying." Kong Youyue stood beside him, watching him eat.

He soon finished.

"Let's go." Dongbo Xueying rose.

"Mm."

Kong Youyue nodded.

The young man and woman walked side by side.

Kong Youyue had lived on Snow Stone Mountain since the winter she was twelve, spending most of her time in the castle. Back then, she often went with the even younger Qing Shi to the back hills to see Dongbo Xueying. Over time, Dongbo Xueying had grown close to her.

Six years together...

To be precise, You Yue was the girl Dongbo Xueying had spent the most time with. He also felt comfortable around her. He was focused on cultivation, hoping to rescue his parents as soon as possible, while Kong Youyue quietly watched from the sidelines, never disturbing him.

Sometimes, Dongbo Xueying had considered it—

Perhaps marrying You Yue wouldn't be bad.

Their love wouldn't be like his parents', forged through life and death, but Dongbo Xueying hadn't spent time with any other girls, and he felt... as long as they could be happy, that was enough.

Besides, Kong Youyue paid no attention to the other male disciples at the Mage Tower who pursued her. She devoted herself entirely to Dongbo Xueying. Anyone could see that.

As for Kong Youyue's father, Kong Hai, he had been doing his best to bring about the marriage.

"No rush."

"You Yue is still young. Let's talk about it after I rescue my parents." Before rescuing his parents, Dongbo Xueying had no intention of marrying!

Since knights and mages devoted themselves to cultivation, they generally married and had children later in life. His father, Dongbo Lie, had been in his late thirties when he married his mother! Kong Youyue's father, Kong Hai, had also been around forty when he married and had his eldest daughter, Kong Youyue.

For a female mage, nineteen was genuinely young. Marrying at thirty was normal; even getting married in one's twenties was considered early.

"Besides, rescuing my parents will take a full twenty thousand Merit Points. I can only take on dangerous Bronze-level missions." Dongbo Xueying thought, "I'm confident, but no one can guarantee absolute safety. I could die on a mission. Until everything is done, I can't think about anything else."

In the dining room of Snow Stone Castle's main building.

Dongbo Xueying, Zong Ling, Tong San, Qing Shi, and Kong Youyue sat around the table.

"Qing Shi, You Yue says you've had a girlfriend for almost half a year?" Dongbo Xueying said with a smile, looking at his younger brother. Qing Shi was really handsome! There were plenty of soldiers in the castle, and Dongbo Xueying had visited Yi Water City, but he could swear that of all the young men he'd ever seen, his brother was the most handsome!

His brother had bright, captivating eyes. He'd been handsome since childhood, and now that he was sixteen, he was even more striking. With looks like his, he could get by without worrying about food. Like their mother, he was best at ice magic. Qing Shi had a faintly cold air about him, a cool, handsome young man. Dongbo Xueying had heard that many of the female disciples at the Mage Tower pursued his brother.

Dongbo Xueying felt rather proud of that.

At the same time, he was filled with emotion. The little brat who had been just two years old, drooling as he slept on Dongbo Xueying's chest, had grown so big in the blink of an eye.

"Sister You Yue, you're such a busybody. Why'd you tell my brother?" Qing Shi frowned helplessly.

"You hid it so well that it took me almost half a year to find out you had a girlfriend. Of course I told your brother. He's your brother, after all." Kong Youyue smiled.

"If your girlfriend doesn't mind, bring her over sometime so I can meet her," Dongbo Xueying said.

"Fine. I'll see if she agrees." Qing Shi pouted.

"By the way, I'm planning to go away for a while. I might be gone for ten days or half a month," Dongbo Xueying said.

"What for? You're not going to the Destruction Mountain Range again, are you?" Qing Shi asked quickly. Zong Ling and Tong San also looked at Dongbo Xueying in surprise.

"I promise I'm definitely not going to the Destruction Mountain Range." Dongbo Xueying grinned. "I'm going out for a trip, to see more of the world and practice my spear techniques."

He didn't explain further.

He didn't want to say anything about taking a mission.

That evening.

In the study, a Fire Crystal Lamp sat on the desk, its light filling the room. Zong Ling and Tong San were both there.

Dongbo Xueying sat at the desk and said, "Uncle Zong, Uncle Tong, I'm planning to start by taking a Black Iron-level mission and getting some practice. After that, I'll apply for a Bronze Token and start taking Bronze-level missions."

"Be sure to stay careful," Tong San said.

Only the two of them in Snow Stone Castle knew Dongbo Xueying's strength. They knew he already had Title-level combat power!

"I have no doubts about your strength, Xueying. You've just had too little experience fighting experts. I agree that you should practice with Black Iron-level missions first," Zong Ling said with a nod. "Build up some combat experience before taking Bronze-level missions."

"Mm." Dongbo Xueying nodded.

Someone with Title-level combat power would naturally find Black Iron-level missions easy.

"I looked through the mission list. There's a very good one available right now," Dongbo Xueying said.

"What mission?" Zong Ling and Tong San asked at once.

"Take a look."

Dongbo Xueying picked up the mission list from the desk. One of the missions had already been circled. Zong Ling and Tong San came over to study it closely.

It read:

"Within Qinghe Prefecture lies a castle estate. Investigate and confirm its crimes, which warrant the death penalty. The castle is extremely powerful; five experts are required for this mission. The mission is dangerous. Applicants are advised to be at least Silver Moon Knight rank! Reward: one hundred Merit Points. Must assemble at Dragon Mountain Tower in the prefectural capital of Qinghe Prefecture before June 1!"

Dongbo Xueying said, "I'll inform Lord Si An, then leave at once for the prefectural capital to assemble with the others. This mission requires five Silver Moon Rank experts, so it must be quite difficult. It should give me some good practice."