The Daoist Descends the Mountain

After passing through the vast swathes of mountain mist, the three arrived at the foot of the mountain. The male cultivator on horseback still led the way ahead, seemingly with no intention of waiting for the other two.

"Fellow Daoist, are you displeased?"

The gray-robed female cultivator had clearly caught Xu Yuan's look in the mountains earlier and asked him about it now.

"They have the means to ride a paper horse. With the assets we have, there's nothing to say about it."

Xu Yuan answered mildly. The emotion he had felt earlier was genuine, and so was the fact that he had now forgotten it.

"Fellow Daoist, you have a fine temperament." The female cultivator replied with a smile. She did not slight Xu Yuan in the least for being merely at the third level of Qi Refinement; instead, she even took the lead in introducing herself.

Nan Yun, fourth level of Qi Refinement, proficient in two spells.

Xu Yuan froze for a moment, not expecting her to be so forthright. He too gave his name and briefly mentioned the Spirit-Martial Unity he cultivated.

"Then, Fellow Daoist, do you know who that person ahead of us is?"

Naturally, she meant the male cultivator riding the paper horse ahead. Xu Yuan shook his head. He had been in the mountains for less than three months and this was also his first time accepting a sect mission. Even if there were notable figures among them, he would not know them.

"His name is Zhu Zihua. To put it simply, his elder sister is an inner mountain disciple, while his uncle is an outer mountain deacon at Biyou Market."

Nan Yun concisely explained the background of the man ahead. Xu Yuan immediately understood. No wonder that fellow was so arrogant, treating fellow disciples like they were nothing.

Xu Yuan even suspected that if the mission had not explicitly required three people to go, the other man might not have greeted either of them at all before heading off alone.

"Look at that paper horse again, Fellow Daoist Xu. It was formed from a mid-grade, first-rank Divine Travel Armored Horse Talisman. He's only waiting for us because he sees that neither of us has methods like his. Otherwise, if he truly drove that paper horse at full speed, the two of us would be left eating dust behind him."

"And that isn't even the most impressive part." The woman gestured toward the longsword on Zhu Zihua's back.

"The Kwai Water Heavenly Yin Sword—a pinnacle among low-grade Dharma artifacts. It is forged from several exceptional spirit ores, and once it is completed, it must be steeped for three consecutive days in the monthly blood of a female cultivator at mid-stage Qi Refinement before it can become such a weapon."

"An ordinary early-stage Qi Refinement cultivator would lose half their life from a casual strike. Even a mid-stage Qi Refinement demonic beast or cultivator, once cut by this sword, would be fouled by its yin spiritual energy, causing their cultivation power to plummet."

As she spoke, Nan Yun's eyes were filled with unconcealed envy. For an ordinary outer mountain disciple of the Hidden Moon Sect, even one at mid-stage Qi Refinement, possessing a suitable Dharma artifact already counted as wealth and status. Who could be like Zhu Zihua and own such a fine artifact?

Only someone with an elder sister and an uncle, with family at his back, could manage it.

Seeing Xu Yuan look curiously at her again, Nan Yun smiled. "Fellow Daoist Zhu is usually rather high-profile at the Merit Hall. This hardly counts as a secret."

Xu Yuan shook his head. "That is not what I meant. It is Senior Sister's complexion that concerns me."

"Oh?" A rare trace of embarrassment appeared on Nan Yun's face. She took a mirror from her sleeve and looked at herself. Seeing her pale reflection, as if she had just been dug out of a coffin, she said awkwardly, "Yesterday, I took a fancy to a spirit item, but I did not have enough spirit stones on me, so I sold some blood at the Blood Hall. I even ate some nourishing supplements afterward, but I didn't expect that I still wouldn't have recovered by now."

"But don't worry." Nan Yun patted her chest again, making what was still a decent asset tremble. "My complexion may look a little poor, but not a shred of my spiritual energy has been depleted. When it comes time to fight, I certainly won't be careless."

"Senior Sister gives it too much weight." Xu Yuan waved a hand politely. He naturally had not meant anything by it. He was merely somewhat moved that, in the Hidden Moon Sect, even mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators had to sell blood.

"What are you two babbling about? Hurry up and follow! That ghost only appears when the sun sets. If we miss tonight, we'll have to remain another day in this mortal world."

At that moment, Zhu Zihua, riding the paper horse ahead, suddenly stopped and snapped impatiently.

He had deliberately slowed down to wait for them, yet these two ungrateful fools were still chatting away. Did they take him for their nanny?

"Listen carefully. Once we reach the place and encounter the ghost, if you feel you're outmatched, then obediently retreat behind me. Don't push yourselves to the front just to compete for merit. When the time comes, don't blame Zhu's Dharma sword for having no eyes."

After shouting another warning, Zhu Zihua flicked the reins and no longer slowed down. Just as Nan Yun had said, the paper horse was incredibly fast. In a few bursts, it had vanished from sight.

Helplessness filled Nan Yun's eyes. She hurriedly signaled Xu Yuan. "Fellow Daoist, let us catch up first. We mustn't let the team break apart."

"Mm."

Xu Yuan nodded and did not hesitate. Blood and qi surged through his body as he shot forward as well.

Yet as he ran, his gaze could not help but rest on Zhu Zihua—and the man's Dharma sword.

A pinnacle among low-grade Dharma artifacts? I wonder how much of its power would remain if it struck my body.

With that thought in mind, Xu Yuan reviewed the mission for this trip once more.

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[Mission: Ghostly Shadow in the Grave]

[Estimated Rank: Mid C, requires three people]

[Ghostly shadows linger in the graveyard outside Filial Piety Village. Every night, they enter the village and devour the living. Twelve have died thus far. The former village chief was once a disciple of our immortal sect, and his descendants now seek aid from our sect, hoping that an immortal master will descend the mountain and slay the evil ghost.]

"This is Filial Piety Village."

Five hours later, the three stopped amid a stretch of wasteland. Vegetation here was sparse, while black crows circled among the branches. Their crimson eyes stared fixedly at the living people before them, creating a rather chilling sight.

But all three had come from the Hidden Moon Sect. They had seen even stranger and more terrifying scenes than this, so naturally they were not frightened by such a minor spectacle. They simply surveyed their surroundings.

"There certainly are a lot of graves here," Nan Yun muttered.

Immediately afterward, a shrill, miserable cry drew the attention of all three.

"I don't want to be buried alive! I want to live—I want to live!"

The three exchanged glances and immediately headed toward the source of the voice. Upon arriving, they saw a large crowd gathered around a fresh grave. Heads thronged nearby, and it was impossible to tell what they were doing.

Someone noticed the three visitors. He slapped a nearby person, then charged toward them with a vicious expression.

"Hey! Where'd these stinking Daoists come from? Here to watch the fun? Get the hell out of here, now!"

At his words, Zhu Zihua, standing before the three of them, raised an eyebrow. He had already dismounted from the paper horse, never expecting to be cursed out by this rustic peasant.

Just as he glared at the other man with an unfriendly gaze, a sudden commotion arose from the middle of the crowd. Then an excited voice rang out. "Daoists—daoists have come? Could they be immortal masters from the Hidden Moon Sect?"

The owner of the voice pushed through the crowd. He was a middle-aged man dressed in brocade robes, with the appearance of a scholar. After steadying himself and seeing the three men ahead, as well as the Daoist robes they wore, his eyes instantly lit up.

"Believer Gao Fu pays his respects to the immortal masters of the Hidden Moon Sect!"

As soon as he spoke, the crowd hurriedly changed direction, and the villager who had just berated the three men dropped to his knees with a thud.