At about 2:00 on the second day, Qin Tiexin arrived at the mission pavilion.
In the outer gate area of the Mission Pavilion, you have to climb over the hill where the handyman disciples are. He left early, and when he arrived, the sun had just climbed to the corner of the eaves. From a distance, he saw Li Yun waiting on the stone steps in front of the pavilion, wearing a lake blue skirt, which made her skin tone even whiter.
Qin Tiexin approached. Li Yun waved to him. When he came to him, she frowned and said, "Why are you here?"
Qin Tiexin said nothing, raised his finger and pointed at the copper timing plate hanging on the eaves of the attic - the copper needle just pointed to the current position.
Li Yun choked, turned away, took out a Jade Slip from Storage Bag and gave it to him. "Mission details."
Jade Slip is warm and moist, with fine lines on the surface. Qin Tiexin has not yet repaired Divine Sense, so it can only be looked at by putting it on the forehead. It feels cold to the touch, and then pictures and information flow into the mind.
The mission is indeed simple: escort a batch of Nuanyang jade from the Feng family to the Iron Shou Gate.
The Feng family is a small Lineage attached to the Liuyun Sect, and has a Nuanyang jade mine passed down from their ancestors. This jade is not a Law Artifact, but it is naturally a little warm. It can keep the body warm for a year when placed close to the body, and it will turn into ordinary jade after a year. It is good for ordinary people, and can also be used by low-level monks. It is not expensive.
The Iron Hand Sect is located in the Falling Star Valley, and is a member of the famous Rogue Cultivator Alliance in the Qingxuan Territory. The Liuyun Sect is located in the Qinglan Mountains, with a mild climate. Going further north is the Frost Ridge Mountains - that place is cold and rich in minerals, and the Iron Hand Sect is rooted there.
The Feng family delivers goods to the Iron Shou Gate once a year. The Frost Ridge Mountains are dangerous, and the Feng family cannot afford to hire strong hands at high prices. However, the Liuyun Sect has a custom of new disciples performing tasks much better than before, and gives Lineage discounts to nearby small businesses, charging only 30% of the usual fee. The Feng family has developed the habit of delivering goods at this time every year.
Jade Slip has a route map attached, which is clearly marked. It seems that the previous batches of brothers and sisters have walked through it many times.
After reading Qin Tiexin, take it off Jade Slip from your forehead.
"Any questions?" Li Yun asked.
Qin Tiexin shook his head, thought for a while and asked, "You can do this task by yourself, why are you taking me?"
The Feng family requires at least one monk who is above the sixth level of Qi refining. Li Yun has just broken through to the seventh level of Qi refining and meets the requirements. Moreover, the Feng family only hires three or less people - too many people and not enough money.
Li Yun glanced at him. "Last time, I saw that you are in good physical condition. Senior brothers and sisters said that people sometimes encounter Demon Beast in the Frost Ridge Mountains, and Demon Beast in cold places are sensitive to warmth. I haven't been to the wild much, so the two of us have a care."
Qin Tiexin nodded. This reason makes sense.
The mission takes about twenty days to go back and forth, and we will gather at Feng's house in seven days to set off. Now we have to prepare our luggage.
"Is there anything else to explain?" Qin Tiexin asked.
"No more."
Qin Tiexin handed Jade Slip back, turned and left. Li Yun shouted from behind, "Hey! Are you leaving now?"
He looked back.
"You... know what to prepare?" Li Yun asked.
"Know."
"Oh." Li Yun paused, "I'll see you in seven days."
"Hmm."
The next day, Qin Tiexin went to Liuyun Zongfang City for the first time.
At the junction of the outer gate and the inner gate of the market, there are shacks and stalls in an open area. Just after Chenshi, it has become lively. Disciples set up stalls to sell materials, elixirs, and talismans, and there are also several fixed shops selling weapons, armor, and sundries.
Qin Tiexin First find the stall where materials are collected.
He took out lynx claws, wild boar bone spurs, and wolf fangs and wolf skins from Storage Bag - they were all hunted on the way to Liuyun Sect. They were ordinary beast materials, not counting Demon Beast. The stall owner was an outer disciple at the fourth level of Qi Refining. He turned over them and gave twenty spiritual crystals.
"That's it?" Qin Tiexin asked.
"This is the price for ordinary beasts." The stall owner said lazily, "If you can hunt Demon Beast, even if it's Qi Refining First Layer, the claws can be sold for fifty."
Qin Tiexin didn't say much and accepted the spirit crystal.
He originally wanted to sell the "Spirit Awakening Pill" - the pill that inspired Pseudo Spirit Root was no longer useful to him. But he paused when he touched the medicine bottle. The Zhao family's matter was not settled yet, and the origin of the pill was unknown. If it was sold and someone followed suit...
He put the medicine bottle back into the bottom of his bag.
Once you have the spiritual crystal, start purchasing.
First, I bought two pairs of thick-soled boots. It was cold in the Frost Ridge Mountains, so the shoes should be sturdy. I also bought two sets of dark gray coarse cloth clothes and trousers - when I go out, I don't want to be conspicuous by wearing uniforms. One set of Five Spirit Crystals and two sets of Ten Spirit Crystals. The material is thick and cold-resistant.
Linggu cakes are cheap. One piece of Linggu cake can buy twenty pieces. They are as big as a palm and are durable. He bought forty pieces. Grain Avoidance Pill is more expensive and costs thirty Linggu cakes. It is said that eating one during the Qi refining period can keep you from being hungry for a whole day. He hesitated for a moment and bought two spare ones.
For the healing elixirs, I chose the cheapest "Zhixue Powder" and "Qi Rejuvenation Pill", three bottles of each, which cost another thirty spiritual crystals.
After calculating, the twenty spiritual crystals he had just obtained plus what he had saved before were spent on more than half. He weighed his purse and found less than fifty spiritual crystals left.
When passing by the weapons store, he stopped and took a look.
The shop was full of swords, most of which were low-grade Law Artifact, with prices above 300 spirit crystals. The mid-grade Law Artifact was more expensive, starting at 800. Some disciples were haggling over the price, and finally bought a long sword with a "sharp" pattern for 480 spirit crystals.
Qin Tiexin touched Edgeless on the back.
The low-grade Law Artifact that he refined by himself cost less than one hundred spiritual crystals - the materials were scraps purchased from the Waste Equipment Pavilion, and labor costs were not included. If he had sold them, he would have sold them for at least three hundred.
But what about the time? It takes one and a half hours to practice. He shook his head and left the shop.
Just enough.
With a few days left, Qin Tiexin wraps up the things at hand.
I went to the Waste Equipment Pavilion to report my mission to the steward. The steward waved his hand and said, "I know, twenty days, I'll remember you to ask for leave." He added, "It's cold in the Frost Ridge Mountains, so wear more clothes."
After practicing in the Old Wu stone room in the evening, Qin Tiexin was packing up his tools and said, "Uncle Wu, I have to go on a mission the day after tomorrow and I won't be back for twenty days."
Old Wu was wiping the carving knife when his hand paused. "Where are you going?"
"To escort Nuanyang Yu to the Iron Hand Gate, you have to cross the Frost Ridge Mountains."
"Frostridge Mountain..." Old Wu repeated and was silent for a moment. He put down the carving knife, walked to the ebony box, opened it, and took out a piece of metal from the bottom.
Silvery white, palm-sized, about half an inch thick. The surface is smooth and glows with a soft cold light.
Mithril.
Qin Tiexin recognizes it. This is one of the materials used when practicing spiritual patterns. It is soft and easy to mold. It can be carved at room temperature without heating. It is the only metal spiritual material that can be carved at room temperature.
Old Wu handed over the mithril. "Take it with you."
Qin Tiexin didn't answer, "It's too expensive."
Such a piece of pure mithril is worth five yuan on the market of low-grade Spirit Stone. If it is mixed with Guizhen spiritual gold, the price will be doubled several times - the key is that there is a price but no market.
"Take it as you are told." Old Wu didn't take his hand back, "First, you can practice the spirit pattern when you have time, and it can be carved at room temperature. Second, in case of emergency, the spirit pattern can be used as a temporary Law Artifact--although it can only last three hours."
Qin Tiexin still shook his head.
Old Wu looked at him and suddenly smiled, "These things will be yours sooner or later."
Qin Tiexin was stunned.
"These days I have watched you study, practice, and be a person." Old Wu said in a lower voice, "I am more and more sure that you are right. You have high talent, a stable mind, and a strong emphasis on friendship. Your achievements in the future will be limitless."
He handed the mithril forward again. "My lineage, the inheritance of Lingxi Sect, may depend on you. Qiu... just remember it. I'm old and don't plan to accept any more disciples. I keep these things for thought. In the future, they will all be yours."
The only sound in the stone room was the crackling of the fire.
Qin Tiexin looked at the piece of mithril, then at Old Wu. The old man's face was deeply wrinkled, but his eyes were clear and reflected the firelight.
He reached out his hand and took it.
Mithril was slightly heavy in his hand and felt cold to the touch, but it quickly became infected with body temperature. He tightened his grip, and the metal edge felt a little tingling against the palm of his hand.
"Thank you, uncle." he said.
Old Wu waved his hand and turned around to clean up the forging table. "Be careful on the road. Frost Ridge Mountain... I went there once when I was young. It's cold, Demon Beast is a lot, and there are still ancient formations left in some places, so don't rush in."
"Hmm."
"Nuanyang Jade is not valuable, but since you have accepted the task, you must protect it until the end. This is the rule of the weapon refiner - if you accept the task, you must hand it over completely."
"I understand."
Old Wu said no more. Qin Tiexin took the mithril into Storage Bag, bowed and exited the stone room.
Before the door closed, he heard Old Wu whisper:
"Come back safely."
At night, Qin Tiexin was packing his luggage in his room.
Clothes, shoes, dry food, and elixirs were put away in categories. Edgeless Wiped it carefully with a cloth. The blade was dull and the blade was missing a few places - they were cut from his own bones during bone quenching, but he didn't use the blade to chop people. The short knife was fastened to the back of his waist.
Finally, he took out the piece of mithril and put it on the table.
Under the candlelight, the silver-white metal glowed with a warm light. His fingertips lightly scratched the surface, leaving a shallow trace, but the trace soon began to fade - the properties of the True Spirit Gold will be completely restored after three hours.
He remembered Old Wu's words. "Sooner or later it will be yours."
My heart is heavy.
Not for the treasure, but for the entrustment.
He put the mithril into the innermost layer of his clothes and placed it close to his flesh. The coolness of the metal penetrated the fabric, slowly warming it up.
Tomorrow, set off.