The First Mission

Blacksmith Yang's blade was merely an imitation of an ordinary standard-issue saber. It had been forged rather crudely, and upon close inspection, its surface was covered in tiny pits and dents.

To Shen Xiu, it was decent enough as a beginner's blade.

Within the martial arts school's courtyard residence, he quickly adapted to the saber's weight. When he swung it, blade-light flashed in every direction, its cold gleam pressing down upon the eye, already carrying a trace of sharpness.

Over the last few days, Shen Xiu adjusted his mental state to its peak before rising and heading to the External Affairs Hall of the Golden Rainbow Martial Arts School.

Usually, this was where the school's Formal Disciples came to accept missions.

At this moment, countless Formal Disciples streamed in and out.

Shen Xiu saw one wall covered from top to bottom with innumerable wooden plaques, each densely packed with tiny writing detailing a mission.

These missions had been specially prepared for disciples who had already completed three designated missions.

The Golden Rainbow Martial Arts School set a minimum threshold but no upper limit. If a disciple wished to accept one, they could do so as long as they were confident they could complete it.

There would be no obstruction. After all, the more missions the disciples completed, the greater the school's earnings.

As for the first three mandatory monthly missions assigned to Formal Disciples, those had to be collected from the counter personally.

"What business do you have?"

Behind the service counter, a young female steward had her head lowered over a storybook. Hearing footsteps, she did not even raise her head, merely asking the question in a flat tone.

"I'm here to collect the school's three missions."

The female steward muttered as she flipped a page in her storybook. When she looked up, however, her expression froze. Her delicate lips parted, and she immediately sucked in a sharp breath.

Hiss—

This young man...

He really was handsome.

Sword-like brows and starry eyes, eyes as deep as the sea!

And then another look.

Heroic and imposing, with an extraordinary bearing!

She had seen plenty of Formal Disciples in the martial arts school—fat and thin, old and young. Most were crude-tempered, muscle-bound men, but she had never seen one this good-looking.

At that very moment, the lonely female steward, who had spent several years scrambling and struggling within the Golden Rainbow Martial Arts School, raised her brows and beamed with delight.

"This Junior Brother must have just been promoted to Formal Disciple, right? Is this your first time accepting new disciple missions? Give me your token, and I'll register you and look for a mission."

Seeing the female steward's utterly different attitude before and after made Shen Xiu feel helpless.

He could only sigh that looks were justice. Still, the efficiency had indeed improved considerably, so there was some benefit to it.

Shen Xiu nodded. "It's my first time here."

As he spoke, he took the token from his waist and handed it to the female steward.

"Where are you from, Junior Brother? Were you promoted from a Registered Disciple? I haven't seen you before. You've only just become a Formal Disciple now, so you'll need to work even harder from here on out."

The female steward was not old. As she accepted the token and registered his information, questions poured from her mouth like a string of firecrackers.

After registering him, she turned around, took a sheet of parchment from a drawer, and handed it to him. Even then, she did not forget to ask how old he was and whether he was married.

Cold sweat beaded on Shen Xiu's forehead as he answered each question.

However, when the female steward heard that he had been promoted from a Labor Disciple, Shen Xiu could clearly sense the faint disappointment in her tone.

Shen Xiu had no time to concern himself with anything else. He unfolded the parchment the female steward had given him.

The master of Li Family Manor in Guiyan Town reported that a large wild boar seemed to have appeared near his family's medicinal fields, causing no small amount of damage to the manor's medicinal field business.

After repeatedly trying and failing to stop it,

he had submitted this mission to the Golden Rainbow Martial Arts School in Taixi City, hoping the school's disciples could locate the wild boar and kill it.

The parchment contained information of that sort, along with the offered reward of ten taels of silver.

Yet after reading it, Shen Xiu frowned slightly.

Such a large manor could not even handle one wild boar? The more he looked at it, the stranger it seemed.

Seemingly noticing Shen Xiu's confusion, the female steward beside him said with a smile,

"Don't underestimate that wild boar. Based on some information from Li Family Manor, it has most likely been tainted by Demonic Energy and mutated."

Looking over this information, Shen Xiu came to an understanding.

A manor of such size would certainly not lack strong, able-bodied men and experienced hunters.

Yet so many people had failed to hunt down the wild boar. There had to be something unusual about it.

"Then thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister."

Before leaving, Shen Xiu did not forget to thank her. The female steward had once been a disciple of the school herself, so he naturally addressed her as Senior Sister.

The moment the female steward heard that, she immediately beamed with joy.

As Shen Xiu departed, the female steward continued staring blankly after his retreating figure until it finally vanished from sight.

Only then did she let out a sigh.

"Polite and handsome... what a pity, though. A little too young, and he was promoted from a Labor Disciple..."

Upon seeing this disciple, in that short span of time, she had even thought up names for their children. Yet he had risen from a Labor Disciple.

What did being a Labor Disciple represent? It represented the path taken only by those without money or prospects.

Those Registered Disciples who paid to enter and study martial arts—whether they stayed for several months or a year—what family among them did not have at least a little unexpected wealth?

After accepting the mission, Shen Xiu returned to his residence, prepared his weapons and armor, made his plans, then left the martial arts school and departed Taixi City, heading east.

Continuing eastward for over twenty kilometers, he soon arrived at Guiyan Town. After finding Li Family Manor and stating his identity, he was immediately welcomed inside.

The one who came out was the master of Li Family Manor, a middle-aged man who was short, slightly plump, and dark-skinned.

Upon seeing Shen Xiu dressed in the Golden Rainbow Martial Arts School's disciple uniform, he came forward with a broad smile.

"Are you a brother from the Golden Rainbow Martial Arts School? I am Li Yongnian, master of Li Family Manor. I have prepared wine and good food. Please rest for a while, brother."

Shen Xiu understood that the man was being so courteous because of the Golden Rainbow Martial Arts School's skin he wore.

After eating a little, Shen Xiu began speaking with the manor's steward and several men who had seen traces of the wild boar, asking about the strange beast.

Only through some brief conversation did Shen Xiu learn what had happened. This Mutated Wild Boar had likely wandered down from the nearby mountain forests several days ago.

It had lingered around Li Family Manor for days. Unable to find food, it had begun ravaging the medicinal herbs and plants in Li Family Manor's fields.

The losses were truly no small matter.

It was not that the people of Li Family Manor had failed to seek a solution. They had previously hired several hunters, along with several mighty and robust men, to surround and hunt the wild boar.

But the result had been rather unexpected. The wild boar's hide was exceptionally thick and tough. Not only had they failed to hunt it down, it had even injured two people.

They had tried every method, including traps. Sometimes the wild boar would fall into a trap, but it always managed to escape.

If they had a truly powerful expert, they should have been able to keep it there. Unfortunately, the manor's two Body Tempering experts had recently been sent to Shanglin City to deliver medicine.

They would not be able to return anytime soon.

With no other options, Master Li could only contact the Golden Rainbow Martial Arts School in Taixi City.

"When does this wild boar usually appear?"

While examining the traces left by the wild boar in the fields, Shen Xiu turned to the sturdy man beside him and asked.

This sturdy man had also taken part in the attempt to hunt the wild boar and had seen the creature with his own eyes.

"This wild boar rarely appears during the day. It usually comes by every few nights after dark."

The sturdy man first thought back before answering.

"Then we'll come back after dark."

Shen Xiu tossed aside the dirt in his hand and made his decision.