The corner of Chu Mo's eye twitched slightly. Martial Uncle Zhou referred to none other than Jiang Yunya's backer, Zhou Huan, an inner sect Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Jiang Yunya clearly wanted him to become an informant within the Hezhen Society, an undercover agent.
How could a mere Qi Refining cultivator like him possibly get involved between these two great powers? Any stray wave stirred up by their collision could smash him to pieces.
Chu Mo's thoughts flashed like lightning. Then a troubled look appeared on his face. "I'm honored that you think so highly of me, Senior Brother, but I fear I'm unequal to such a responsibility.
"I merely traveled with High Person Yuanbai. We hardly exchanged more than a few words, so there really isn't any personal connection to speak of. Besides, I'm not a member of the Hezhen Society.
"I'm afraid... I'm afraid this is beyond my abilities. If I were to ruin some important business for the commerce association, even ten thousand deaths couldn't absolve me."
His words were sincere, every one coming from the heart. He thoroughly disavowed any relationship with High Person Yuanbai, terrified of giving the other man the wrong impression.
Jiang Yunya simply listened quietly, as though he had expected this. Only after Chu Mo finished did he gently shake his head. "You're too modest, Junior Brother. The commerce association isn't asking you to gain an audience with the High Person immediately.
"What matters here is 'commitment' and 'trying.' As for your membership, someone will arrange that for you. You need only listen more, watch more, and remember more... Just do your best. There's no need to force anything."
At this point, his tone shifted slightly, and he added casually:
"Besides... Martial Uncle Zhou Huan has always cherished talent and delights in helping promising juniors. If he learned that an unpolished gem like you had missed such a fine opportunity through excessive timidity, I fear... he would be somewhat disappointed."
Chu Mo's expression darkened. A threat. A naked threat.
He stared at the blue-robed cultivator opposite him. Isn't this bastard afraid I'll report him to the Hezhen Society?
The thought had barely formed when Chu Mo abruptly came to his senses. Right... I'm a nobody whose words carry no weight, and I have no proof. What could I report him with? Why would the Hezhen Society believe my side of the story?
Behind Jiang Yunya stood a genuine Foundation Establishment cultivator. Which side carried more weight was plain at a glance.
Chu Mo took a deep breath, suppressing his churning emotions, and said carefully, "This is a serious matter. Could you allow me some time to think it over?"
Jiang Yunya gave him a long look, then smiled and nodded. "Of course. I'll return in three days. The opportunity is right before you, Junior Brother. Don't ruin it for yourself."
"Oh, right." Just as he was about to turn away, he seemed to remember something and added,
"Have you heard any news of Liu Xian lately, Junior Brother? I haven't seen Brother Liu for some time. If you happen to see him, please pass along my regards."
Without waiting for Chu Mo to respond, he turned and departed on a cloud.
Only when that blue silhouette vanished into the distance did Chu Mo slam his cave abode's stone door shut with a rumble.
Fuck. It would've been better if he'd only come about Liu Xian, he grumbled inwardly. At least that wouldn't have involved a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
As things stood, agreeing would mean willingly jumping into a whirlpool, with his survival afterward uncertain. Refusing might mean dying on the spot.
He closed his eyes and focused, his thoughts racing as he weighed every possibility.
Over the next two days, Chu Mo did not simply sit and wait for death.
His first thought was to seek High Person Yuanbai's help and try reporting the matter to him.
At the end of the assessment, Yuan Bai had done him a favor. Asking someone who had helped him before for assistance again offered a better chance of success. Besides, this matter involved the man himself.
Unfortunately, before he could find a way to request an audience with High Person Yuanbai, he learned that the man had remained in secluded cultivation ever since returning from the Savage Realm.
The General Affairs Hall, External Affairs Hall.
If I can't afford to provoke them, surely I can afford to hide? Chu Mo thought as he stood before an enormous jade mission board.
With the path to seeking High Person Yuanbai's aid blocked, he would take another route. From the well-informed Senior Brother Luo Shan, he had learned one crucial piece of information:
The Upper Mound Commerce Association was currently busy harvesting a certain small world and expected to commit a large number of personnel. Foundation Establishment cultivators such as Zhou Huan would likely head there to oversee matters as well.
Thus, Chu Mo planned to leave for a while and wait for the storm to pass.
His gaze swept quickly over the densely packed mission listings on the jade board before finally settling on one:
[Sect mission: Patrol the Turbid Abyss Sea] [Mission description: Patrol the sect's resource sites in the Thousand Currents District of the Turbid Abyss Sea, verify recent yields, assess potential risks, and map the surrounding waters.] [Duration: Six months.] [Mission requirements: Three disciples at the fourth layer of Qi Refining or above.] [Mission reward: Two hundred Spell Coins.]
The Turbid Abyss Sea. Chu Mo's gaze sharpened. He had heard of it: the largest inland sea in Fuli Heaven, connected to the outer sea and possessed of a complex environment.
Its powers were a jumble of fish and dragons, making it a veritable paradise for rogue cultivators. However, the Thousand Currents District of the Turbid Abyss Sea was poor in resources, and few powers dared provoke the Duo'e Sect. Thus, the trouble there came mainly from low-level demonic beasts.
The mission's requirements were modest and its reward decent. More importantly, it would give him a legitimate reason to leave the sect immediately.
Surely Jiang Yunya couldn't openly obstruct a disciple's "wholehearted devotion" to serving the sect? Otherwise, which mattered more in his eyes: the commerce association or the sect?
Chu Mo hesitated no longer. He stepped forward and was just about to raise his hand to accept the mission.
"Junior Brother, are you here to accept this mission too?" A voice suddenly sounded beside him.
Chu Mo turned to see two cultivators standing before the jade mission board, their gazes likewise fixed on the patrol mission.
The speaker was a red-faced male cultivator. Beside him stood a female cultivator wearing a pale green dress.
[Level 6 · Duo'e Sect Grunt (yellow name)] - red-faced male cultivator [Level 5 · Duo'e Sect Grunt (yellow name)] - green-dressed female cultivator
"That's right." Chu Mo cupped his hands and answered without betraying anything. "I'm Chu Mo. May I ask who you two are?"
The red-faced cultivator clasped his hands. "I'm Lin Feng, and this is Junior Sister Yue Mian.
"We happen to need one more person to meet the mission requirements. If you don't mind, Junior Brother, why not accept it with us? We can look out for one another along the way."
Chu Mo quickly looked them over. Both had yellow names, and he could see no sign of ill intent for now. "That sounds excellent. Sorry for the trouble, then." He nodded in agreement.
Lin Feng laughed heartily. "Not at all. The mission is urgent, and the flying boat leaves in two hours. Let's register first."
Chu Mo followed the two of them and quickly completed the mission acceptance procedures, receiving a jade token that served as proof of their assignment.
He rubbed the [Life-Ending Curse] he had bought from Luo Shan at great expense, then glanced back toward the depths of the sect, wreathed in clouds and mist.
[Life-Ending Curse] [Description: Draws upon all of a cultivator's blood essence, true qi, and even soul as a sacrifice, unleashing destructive power far beyond their own cultivation realm.]
For him, this spell was a self-destruct ultimate move he could unleash once every seventy-two hours.
If Zhou Huan hadn't still been in the sect, Chu Mo would genuinely have liked to test whether this spell could take Jiang Yunya down with him.
Two hours later, a medium-sized Floating Boat slowly rose into the air. Carrying Chu Mo and the other Duo'e Sect disciples, it passed through the Sect-Protection Grand Formation and sped into the distance.