The visitor was Zhang Yi, one of Li Tiantong's few good friends in the Five Elements Pavilion.
Li Tiantong turned around, about to ask who had come to see him, when he saw a group of people walking towards him from the other end of the corridor. The leader was none other than Zhang Dayuan, the outer sect steward.
Zhang Dayuan was short and stout, with a round face and his usual arrogant smile. Behind him were three or four lackeys, each of them burly and strong, with cultivation levels around the Late-stage Eternal Dao Master. They were clearly brought along specifically to make a show of things.
They hurried along and arrived in front of Li Tiantong in the blink of an eye. They pushed Zhang Yi, not letting him speak.
" Li Tiantong, what are you still dawdling about here for?"
Zhang Dayuan stood with his hands on his hips, chin slightly raised, and pointed his nose at Li Tiantong.
"You've already received the mission Jade Slip, why aren't you setting off yet? The Nine Mountains Mining Area is a long way away. If you're delayed and things go wrong at the mine, can you afford to take the blame?"
The lackeys behind him also joined in the commotion, urging him on one after another with words full of schadenfreude.
"Exactly, exactly. A mere outer disciple, yet he puts on quite the air."
"Senior Brother Zhang coming in person to urge us is already giving us a lot of face. If you know what's good for you, you'd better get lost."
Li Tiantong clenched the Jade Slip slip in his hand, took a deep breath, and suppressed the anger that surged in his chest.
He looked up at Zhang Dayuan's greasy face, trying to keep his voice calm:
"Senior Brother Zhang, please allow me to pack my luggage. I'll depart in half an hour at most."
What luggage are you packing?
Zhang Dayuan waved his hand, his smile turning cold. "Don't you understand the rules for outer disciples? You must set off immediately after receiving a mission. That's the rule of the sect, not something a newbie like you can haggle over. Besides, what doesn't the Nine Mountains Mining Area have? Do you need to bring this junk?"
He glanced at the other person's shabby attire, a mocking smile playing on his lips, his eyes clearly saying:
You don't have anything with you, so you might as well just leave.
Li Tiantong's fingers trembled slightly.
He knew Zhang Dayuan was deliberately making things difficult for him, but he also knew he had no power to resist.
Outside the sect, Zhang Dayuan could make him suffer a terrible fate with just a single word.
"Senior Brother Zhang, I..."
"What do you mean, 'me'?"
Zhang Dayuan interrupted him, his voice rising several decibels, "Aren't you going to get out of here? Do I have to have someone kick you out?"
The henchmen took a step forward, looking ready to fight at the slightest provocation.
Li Tiantong's face was ashen, his lips pressed into a thin line, and he was furious beyond measure.
Zhang Yi then spoke:
" Tiantong, someone is looking for you."
"What are you looking for!"
Zhang Dayuan interrupted:
"What time is it? Hurry up and leave!"
"Okay, I'm leaving."
Li Tiantong loosened his clenched fist.
Just then, a calm and unhurried voice came from the end of the corridor, yet it carried an undeniable weight:
"Brother Li, please wait."
Everyone's eyes turned in unison towards the direction from which the sound came.
A young man emerged from the shadows of the corridor, dressed in a moon-white robe with a dark purple token hanging from his waist. He walked with composure, his face was handsome, and his brows carried an innate air of nobility, which he deliberately concealed to avoid appearing arrogant. Behind him were two attendants, also dressed in simple attire, their steps steady and their eyes sharp.
Zhang Dayuan's pupils suddenly contracted.
The Soul Household's token.
He's been in Thousand Souls City for tens of thousands of years. He may not have any other skills, but he does have a good eye for people.
This is a high-level token; it's not something an ordinary person can possess.
The Soul Household holds an absolute and undisputed position in Thousand Souls City.
Let alone a mere outer sect steward like him, even the elders of the Five Elements Pavilion would have to give the direct descendants of the Soul Household some face.
The young man approached and bowed respectfully to Li Tiantong, his posture very humble.
"My name is Hun Jiuge. I apologize for this intrusion and hope Brother Li will forgive me."
Li Tiantong was stunned.
People from the Soul Household? They've come looking for him.
He instinctively returned the greeting, but his heart was in turmoil.
He had lived in Thousand Souls City for decades and had never had any dealings with the Soul Household. Why would someone from the Soul Household suddenly come knocking on his door?
Li Tiantong's heart sank.
Soul Household?
He was just a Rogue Cultivator had transcended the lower realms and barely managed to become an outer disciple of the Five Elements Pavilion. How could he possibly know anyone from the Soul Household?
Could it be... that my identity has been exposed?
The thought struck him like a thunderbolt, causing his back to tense up abruptly.
He knew that there were some forces on the Eternal Continent that specifically sought out cultivators who had transcended the Primal Chaos.
After all, the Primal Chaos exists in relation to the Tree of Eternity, and if one can refine or utilize it, one can reap huge profits from it.
The reason he had been so careful to conceal his identity was because he was afraid of being targeted by this force.
Now the Soul Household has suddenly come knocking on our door...
Seeing that Li Tiantong didn't react, Hun Jiuge turned her gaze to Zhang Dayuan, looked him up and down, and said in a neutral tone:
"Who is this...?"
A forced smile appeared on Zhang Dayuan's round face, but it looked more like a grimace.
"My name is Zhang Dayuan, an outer gatekeeper of the Five Elements Pavilion. I was unaware of the arrival of the young master of the Soul Household. My apologies for not greeting you properly."
"Outer Sect Steward?"
Hun Jiuge repeated those four words, her gaze falling on the Jade Slip in Li Tiantong's hand, a half-smile on her face.
"I just heard you say that you wanted Brother Li to 'get lost'? And that you wanted to 'kick' him out?"
Zhang Dayuan's face immediately froze.
The lackeys behind him shrank back, becoming utterly silent, their previous arrogance completely gone.
"It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding."
Zhang Dayuan wiped the sweat from his brow, forcing a smile, "I was just urging him to hurry up and go to the Nine Mountains Mining Area. He has a mission to complete and can't afford to delay..."
" Nine Mountains Mining Area?"
Hun Jiuge raised an eyebrow, took the Jade Slip slip from Li Tiantong's hand, glanced at it, and her smile deepened, but it was devoid of any warmth.
" Nine Mountains Mining Area, a century of oversight. Deacon Zhang, you've certainly assigned this task 'thoughtfully'."
Zhang Dayuan sensed the sarcasm in his words, and his smile almost vanished.
He opened his mouth, as if to explain something, but Hun Jiuge was no longer looking at him.
Hun Jiuge put the Jade Slip into his sleeve and said to Li Tiantong:
"Brother Li, you don't need to go on this mission."
Zhang Dayuan's eyes widened in surprise.
No need to go?
This was a mission assigned by the outer sect; how could he, a member of the Soul Household, cancel it so easily?
But he only dared to think these words in his heart; he didn't dare to say a single word out loud.