Chapter 50 Departure
"Junior Sister, what is it?"
Liu Xinyu nodded, looking at Lu Li and hesitating for a moment before saying, "Brother Lu, I've accepted two assignments, could you accompany me?"
"Assignments? What assignments?"
Lu Li knew that formal disciples received one bottle of True Essence Pill each month, but after using it up, they had to buy more with contribution points, which were earned by completing missions.
Unlike miscellaneous disciples, the assignments for formal disciples were mostly dangerous and almost all required leaving the sect grounds.
Hearing this, Liu Xinyu took out a piece of paper stamped with the seal of the External Affairs Hall and handed it to Lu Li.
Lu Li took it and read:
1. Hunt the first-level Demon Beast Xunfeng Wolf and collect its pelt. Three hundred contribution points per pelt. Suggested location: Thunder Fire Mountain Range.
2. Gather the Lightning Fire Orchid. Five hundred contribution points per plant. Suggested location: Thunder Fire Mountain Range.
He gave little thought to the first task, but when his eyes caught the words Lightning Fire Orchid, he tightened his grip on the mission sheet. So the Thunder Fire Mountain Range possessed the Lightning Fire Orchid.
Having already obtained Emerald Bamboo Grass, he knew the Lightning Fire Orchid was another required ingredient for refining the Piercing Acupoint Pill. It seemed a trip to the Thunder Fire Mountain Range was necessary.
Lu Li silently committed the location to memory.
"Brother Lu, what's wrong?" Seeing him clutch the sheet so tightly, Liu Xinyu asked weakly.
"Nothing at all." Lu Li handed the paper back, his expression turning concerned. "Junior Sister, your health is poor. Isn't it unwise to venture out on missions right now?"
Liu Xinyu shook her head. "I've used up my True Essence Pills, and my cultivation has slowed to a crawl. I need to break through soon so I can avenge my parents... but I'm afraid I can't handle those Demon Beasts on my own." As she spoke, two clear tears slipped down her cheeks and she let out a soft sob.
Struck by a pang of sympathy, Lu Li reached out and gently patted her shoulder. "Alright. I'll find some time to accept a mission and accompany you."
"Th-thank you, Brother Lu," she murmured, lowering her head.
"Think nothing of it." Lu Li pulled her inside the room and shut the door while she looked on in startled apprehension.
Noticing her frightened expression, he paused. "Don't misunderstand, Junior Sister. I only brought you in because Qin Feng won't let us leave so easily. To prevent any accidents, we need to make a plan..."
Hearing this, Liu Xinyu finally let out a breath of relief.
The two conferred in secret for a long time before she finally stepped out of the room.
Early the next morning, Liu Xinyu quietly left the courtyard. Qin Feng seemed entirely unaware of her departure, his doors remaining firmly shut.
By evening, Lu Li emerged to sit in the courtyard for a while.
Just as he cautiously readied himself to leave, Qin Feng suddenly pushed open his door and stepped out. "Brat, more than ten days have passed. Have you considered my offer?"
Qin Feng's imposing aura was markedly stronger now, and his features had undergone a subtle shift, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the remnant soul that had previously attempted to seize Lu Li's body.
Lu Li stood up. "There are still over ten days left. I'm currently studying the novice talisman-making methods on the manual. Another seven or eight days should be enough. Be patient a little longer."
"Novice talisman-making methods?" Qin Feng's face darkened slightly. "Who gave you permission to study those parts?"
Lu Li let out a cold laugh, feigning displeasure. "The Great Evolution Forbidden Arts is in my hands right now. Won't Senior even let me learn the basic talisman techniques? If that's how it is, I'll simply destroy it."
"Wait, don't!" Qin Feng's expression shifted instantly. "Fine, I'll let you study it. But I can only give you ten days. If you still haven't mastered it by then-"
"Rest assured, Senior. If I fail to learn it, it only means I lack an affinity with the Great Evolution Forbidden Arts, and I'll naturally hand it back over to secure a bright future." Lu Li added with a hopeful look, "When the time comes, I hope Senior won't forget your promise to take me as a disciple."
Joy lit up Qin Feng's face, and he let out a hearty laugh. "You've got a good head on your shoulders, kid. I'll give you ten days. Once I master the Great Evolution Forbidden Arts myself, I can even offer you some guidance."
Lu Li immediately piled on the flattery, laying on the praise thickly enough to leave Qin Feng thoroughly pleased.
Finally, Lu Li announced he was heading to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion to purchase spirit paper, strutting out of the courtyard right under Qin Feng's nose.
The moment Lu Li was out of sight, the smile vanished from Qin Feng's face. A sinister expression took its place as he muttered, "A mere Qi Refining brat isn't even worthy of being my blood slave, yet you dare dream of becoming my disciple. Once I secure the forbidden arts, I'll slap you dead, you little bastard."
Down in the plaza, Lu Li kept his head down and hurried along, his face as cold as ice.
Qin Feng's presence was growing increasingly formidable. Though he dared not unleash his Divine Sense to probe the other's exact cultivation, he could faintly sense that Qin Feng was already nearing the late stage of the third level.
Such terrifying progress was beyond anything even he dared imagine, despite possessing the Time Palace.
The Qingyang Sect was no longer safe.
As his thoughts raced, Lu Li arrived at a single conclusion: he had to leave the Qingyang Sect and temporarily avoid the storm.
Instead of fleeing immediately, he headed to the Miscellaneous Service Valley to find Chen Zhong. Speaking in a low, steely voice, he instructed:
"Fatty, I'm going out for a while and don't know when I'll return. That Chu Qingfeng was possessed by an outsider within the secret realm and now goes by the name Qin Feng. Three months from now, leak this news in secret without letting anyone trace it back to you."
"A year from now, wait for me at White Cloud Valley outside the Qingyang Sect. Come there and brief me on the situation within the sect."
Though puzzled, Chen Zhong saw the grim seriousness in Lu Li's eyes and nodded solemnly. "Big Brother, you have my word. But... the outside world isn't like the sect. You need to be careful out there."
"I know." Lu Li patted Chen Zhong's shoulder. "The Qingyang Sect is a good place. Seize the opportunity to cultivate well. A year from now-well, we'll talk when the time comes."
With those parting instructions, Lu Li left in a hurry.
Returning to the main plaza, he hesitated briefly before stepping into the External Affairs Hall. He accepted a dozen first-level demon extermination assignments in one breath before walking back out.
He could not be certain whether Qin Feng's exposure would ultimately implicate him, meaning his return to the Qingyang Sect remained entirely up in the air.
Accepting the assignments was merely a precaution; if Qin Feng was exposed before managing to drag him down, he might still be able to return and complete them.
Should the worst happen and he was exposed, Chen Zhong would notify him, and he simply would not return.
Beneath the sheer cliffs on the south side of the Qingyang Sect plaza, a horse carriage waited in the quiet shadows. The white-skirted girl inside kept her eyes fixed firmly on the mountain path, her sickly face a complex mix of anticipation, internal struggle, and pain.
As evening fell, a figure suddenly darted down the cliffside path like a ghost, materializing beside the carriage within a few breaths.
The girl jumped in fright, her body trembling until she recognized the youth's face, whereupon she let out a shaky breath. "Brother Lu, it's you. You scared me half to death."
"Let's go." Lu Li shook his head and vaulted into the driver's seat. He cast one final, lingering look up at the cliffs behind him before cracking his whip across the horse's flank.
"Hyah!"
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