Take a Mission, Form a Team

Taking a Mission, Forming a Team, "Gear"

A warm current surged from the booklet and flowed through his meridians, spreading across his whole body.

He sat cross-legged. Guided by the Foundation-Solidifying Qi-Condensing Art, the spiritual energy within him began to circulate rapidly. Each time it passed through an Aperture, it was compressed and purified a little more.

Yang Xiao could clearly feel the spiritual energy in his Apertures changing, growing dense where it had once been diffuse.

He raised his right hand, palm up, and activated the Foundation-Solidifying Qi-Condensing Art.

Spiritual energy gathered in his palm, no longer the white mist it had been before.

It swiftly compressed and condensed, finally becoming a pale-blue crystal the size of a thumb.

A faint blue light played across the Spirit Crystal's surface, and it radiated a sharp aura.

He felt the change in his spiritual energy. What filled his twelve Apertures was no longer loose white mist, but a dense pale blue, flowing slowly through his meridians like liquid gemstones.

Yang Xiao swept out his hand.

The Qi Condensation Crystal shot from his palm. Wrapped in a pale-blue cutting edge, it struck a bluestone slab in the courtyard and sliced a thumb-wide crack into it with ease.

That had been nothing more than a casual burst of spiritual energy, yet it was more than a notch stronger than before.

If he channeled that refined, pure spiritual energy into the Demon-Slaying Blade Technique, it would be stronger still.

Yang Xiao nodded in satisfaction.

Xu Qingshan had not lied to him. The Foundation-Solidifying Qi-Condensing Art truly was the best choice for a martial artist at the peak of the Qi Gathering Realm.

With the quality of his spiritual energy improved, the power of all his martial arts would rise like a boat on a swelling tide.

And now he had the Qi Condensation Crystal as a ranged attack. It was useful indeed.

Yang Xiao stood and stretched.

The sun had shifted west outside the window. It was already afternoon.

He changed into his Demon Suppression Division uniform, fastened on his waist token, tucked the Spring Embroidery Saber at his waist, and pushed open the door.

It was time to go to the Task Hall and take a mission.

Starting today, he needed to save up for a cultivation manual to break through to the Liquid Condensation Realm.

The Task Hall stood beside the Merit Hall. It was a two-courtyard compound, with Demon Suppression Guards hurrying through its corridors and main courtyard.

Yang Xiao entered through the left door. The hall was not large, and wooden plaques covered three of its walls, each bearing a mission bounty.

There were already more than a dozen people inside. They gathered in twos and threes, talking quietly. Some studied the plaques; others registered at the counter.

Yang Xiao went straight to the counter.

A middle-aged manager sat behind it, leafing through a ledger. Hearing footsteps, he glanced up.

"Here for a mission?"

"Yes." Yang Xiao took out his Captain's waist token and handed it over.

The manager took a look at the token and frowned slightly.

"Yang Xiao. You joined the Division today?"

"Yes."

The manager returned the token and shook his head.

"New Demon Suppression Guards can't take field missions alone."

Yang Xiao paused, taken aback.

"That's the rule." The manager's tone was matter-of-fact. Clearly, this was not the first time he had explained it.

"Most field missions involve demons. Acting alone is too risky. The Demon Suppression Division doesn't want newcomers dying before their first victory, so teaming up is mandatory."

"You need at least two people to take a mission."

Yang Xiao put away his token. After a pause, he turned to look around the hall.

Several young Demon Suppression Guards by the wall were discussing missions together. They were plainly newcomers who had joined on the same day and arranged to team up beforehand.

Beside the counter, two middle-aged Demon Suppression Guards checked their Merit Booklets and quietly discussed the details of a mission. Their easy coordination marked them as longtime partners.

A few others stood alone in the corners, but they were either waiting for someone or hesitating over whether to join a team.

Yang Xiao stood in the hall for a moment. He had only joined today and knew no one.

A partner had to be chosen carefully. It meant entrusting that person with his life. If he picked someone unreliable, he might as well travel alongside a demon wearing human skin.

Unfortunately, he had neither the supernatural power to see through people nor the hard-won experience to judge them at a glance.

Yang Xiao's gaze swept across a corner of the hall, and he spotted a familiar figure.

Xu Qingshan, who had struck up a conversation with him in the Cultivation Manual Archive, stood alone before the plaques in the farthest corner. His eyes roamed over them, but he made no move.

He looked casual enough, but Yang Xiao noticed him glancing every so often at the groups who had already formed teams, then quickly looking away.

He looked like someone who wanted to join in but was too embarrassed to ask.

Yang Xiao thought for a moment, then walked over.

"Brother Xu."

Xu Qingshan was staring absently at a plaque. The voice startled him, but when he turned and saw Yang Xiao, a smile quickly spread across his face.

"Brother Yang? What brings you to the Task Hall... Oh, right. You're here to take a mission."

He patted his forehead as though he had only just remembered.

"Are you here for a mission too, Brother Xu?" Yang Xiao asked.

Xu Qingshan's smile faltered. Then he sighed.

"I am, but... I haven't found a partner yet." He gave a rueful smile. "I've been in the Demon Suppression Division for five years and never found a regular partner."

Yang Xiao did not ask why. He got straight to the point. "Then would you team up with me, Brother Xu?"

Xu Qingshan froze. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then swallowed the words.

"Brother Yang, are you... are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

Xu Qingshan's expression grew complicated. Surprise, gratitude, and a trace of guilt he could not quite hide crossed his face.

He fell silent for a few breaths, then drew a deep breath as if coming to a decision.

"Brother Yang, there are some things I need to make clear first."

His voice dropped, and his smile faded. In its place was an earnestness he rarely showed.

"My surname is Xu. I'm from a branch of the Xu Family in Qingzhou. I've been in the Division for five years, and I'm at the Liquid Condensation Early Stage."

"The Xu Family is a great clan in Qingzhou, with branch descendants as numerous as hairs on an ox. But my talent is ordinary, and the clan pays me little attention. I joined the Demon Suppression Division hoping to distinguish myself."

He laughed at himself. "Five years later, I haven't earned much merit. I've been afraid to die, so I've only dared take low-risk missions..."

After saying that, he lowered his head, seemingly waiting for Yang Xiao to change his mind.

Yang Xiao listened quietly until he had finished.

"Brother Xu, I only have a few requirements for a partner."

Xu Qingshan looked up.

"Know your way around the Demon Suppression Division. You don't have to be a great fighter. Just be quick on your feet and don't turn on me at a critical moment."

"I can do that," Xu Qingshan answered at once. "I grew up in Qingzhou. I know the Demon Suppression Division's rules inside out."

"And as for turning on you, I'm still a descendant of a renowned Qingzhou clan. I'd never stoop to that!"

Yang Xiao nodded.

"Then that's enough. I need a guide who knows the ins and outs of things, and you need a partner who can fight. We both get what we need."

Xu Qingshan stared at Yang Xiao. His throat moved, and it took him a long moment to force out a word.

"Good."

Xu Qingshan went to the wall of plaques and quickly scanned them one by one.

"Brother Yang, what are you looking for? Demon hunts, missing-person investigations, or patrol and escort work?"

"Something where I can kill demons and earn plenty of merit."

Xu Qingshan's mouth twitched. He really doesn't beat around the bush.

He turned and called to the manager, "Old Zhou, help us narrow it down. What missions are there for Qi Gathering through Liquid Condensation Early Stage? High merit rewards."

Manager Zhou flipped through several pages of the ledger, then picked out a few wooden plaques and set them on the counter.