Just a moment ago, Sun Guoshu's heart was filled with suspicion when he heard that this mission was merely urgent in time, not particularly important. But when he saw how generous the Malevolent Spirit Sect was to its own disciples, offering not just spirit stones but even a recommendation to a Golden Core master, he was already overcome with envy and jealousy. For a moment, his suspicion abated somewhat. However, as a rogue cultivator who often walked the line between life and death, his insight was far beyond what Hu Xiaowang and Yan Feijun could compare to.
His heart churned, and he began to recalculate. 'With such a hefty reward, is this mission really not important?'
As he was calculating, he heard that his presence here was due to the recommendation of Bai Rou and Li Yan. He couldn't help but smile wryly. He wondered if his previous request for Bai Rou to look after him was the right or wrong decision, and he began to feel a little regretful.
However, his mind was racing, and as quickly as he thought, the situation twisted and turned. Wei Zhongran's next few words made Sun Guoshu feel as if his entire person was becoming unreal. The doubts that had existed in his heart a moment ago were thrown to the nine heavens.
Sun Guoshu looked up at Wei Zhongran with a face full of disbelief and stammered, "S-S-Senior, y-y-you... you... you mean... I... I can... enter the Malevolent Spirit Sect's Outer... Outer Sect?"
This great gift made Sun Guoshu forget everything. To be able to enter one of the Four Great Sects was the dream of all cultivators on the Desolate Moon Continent. Sun Guoshu had fantasized countless times about entering the Malevolent Spirit Sect, but after many attempts, he was mercilessly rejected, causing his once young and passionate heart to gradually lose its edge and become more worldly. Every day, he only wanted to earn more spirit stones. Since he was fated to never reach Golden Core in this life, he might as well enjoy the few short decades he had left.
He thought he had misheard just now. A voice in his heart kept saying, "It's fake, you must have been stimulated by the rewards for those two Malevolent Spirit Sect disciples, this is fake..."
Elder Chigong chuckled. "It's after completing the mission that you can become an 'Outer Sect Disciple' of the Malevolent Spirit Sect."
He enunciated "Outer Sect Disciple" a little more heavily. He held no high regard for a cultivator who was around a hundred years old and still at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. Even if this person was needed for this mission, if he and Junior Brother Wei hadn't shown up, just sending a Malevolent Spirit Sect disciple to arrange this task for this... what was his name... Sun Guoshu. How would he dare to refuse? If he did it well, that was expected. Giving some spirit stones would be a heavenly grace. If he failed, he would have to be killed to be silenced.
The kinship and kindness of cultivators were extremely expensive and limited. Elder Chigong didn't feel he had done anything wrong. In fact, even for Wei Zhongran, his sympathy was limited. When it came to the interests of the Malevolent Spirit Sect, it was right for even more people to die.
Elder Chigong was unwilling to give out this identity as an Outer Sect disciple. Because for Little Bamboo Peak, Wei Zhongran hadn't even opened his doors to Outer Sect disciples for many years, for fear of disrupting the usual tranquility of the peak.
So, when Wei Zhongran had discussed with him earlier how to arrange for these three, Hu Xiaowang and Yan Feijun were easy enough. As long as the mission was completed well, their cultivation was indeed acceptable. If no one else was willing to take them, Elder Chigong himself could reluctantly accept them as nominal disciples. But for Sun Guoshu's arrangement, Wei Zhongran said it was better to give a larger reward, and finally proposed the identity of a Malevolent Spirit Sect Outer Sect disciple. Elder Chigong had complained to Wei Zhongran at the time.
"You make it sound so easy. This kind of undisciplined rogue cultivator has a fickle mind. You definitely won't take him, will you? In the end, he'll still be received by the Four Symbols Peak."
Wei Zhongran just smiled. "You four peaks have disciples as numerous as ox hair. Senior Brother can arrange such a small matter, and there's no need to report it to Peak Master Yi." He absolutely did not mention taking him into Little Bamboo Peak.
Elder Chigong could only roll his eyes. Finally, thinking about the importance of this mission, he decided he still had to give some hope. When the time came, he would just arrange for Sun Guoshu to go to the Outer Sect's Handyman Department.
Sun Guoshu didn't notice the emphasis in Elder Chigong's pronunciation at all. He didn't care about Outer Sect or not. As long as he could step into the Malevolent Spirit Sect, he would have room to climb in the future.
He couldn't help but respond repeatedly, "Yes, yes, yes, this disciple will not hesitate even if it means being crushed to pieces." After speaking, he gave Bai Rou and Li Yan a grateful look. He couldn't help but feel a little smug. He really had followed the right people back then.
Wei Zhongran flicked his sleeve again, helping Sun Guoshu up. At the same time, a wisp of spirit energy, completely undetectable to others, entered Sun Guoshu's body.
Wei Zhongran was still afraid that Bai Rou and Li Yan were too soft-hearted and would be reluctant to kill Sun Guoshu if the mission failed. So he still planted a lethal restriction on him. This kind of restriction had a suppressive effect on the soul. If someone tried to search his soul, it would erupt first, taking Sun Guoshu's life. With Wei Zhongran's cultivation, if Sun Guoshu and the other two had even the slightest malicious thought, he would sense it within ten thousand li. With just a single thought, even Hu and Yan would be killed instantly. This was the terrifying aspect of cultivators.
Wei Zhongran looked at the night sky. "It's getting late, you can set off. As for the details of this mission, Li Yan or Bai Rou will naturally explain them to you. Martial Niece Bai, for this mission, Li Yan will serve as the captain. What do you think?"
After finishing his instructions, Wei Zhongran looked at Bai Rou. This sentence stunned Hu Xiaowang and Yan Feijun. They never expected a change of command right before the battle. They were convinced of Bai Rou's puppetry skills. Although their own true cultivation and realm were higher than Bai Rou's, they both felt they couldn't handle Bai Rou's three puppets. But this Li Yan, aside from that good escape treasure, they had some confidence they could trap those strange icy mosquitoes if they knew about them, and then free up their hands to kill Li Yan in an instant. Although they knew Li Yan supposedly had some Three Great Poison Bodies, this person had been silent in the sect since the battle in the secret realm, showing no brilliance whatsoever.
But no matter how slow-witted these two were, they understood some worldly wisdom. Since Wei Zhongran had said so, it was settled, and there was no room for argument. Asking Bai Rou was just to give Martial Uncle Chigong face. They just didn't know why Wei Zhongran had made this strange arrangement.
Bai Rou, on the other hand, seemed to have known all along. She smiled brightly, like a lily in the quiet night, a pure fragrance. With a wave of her jade-like hand, two items flew towards Li Yan.
Li Yan was stunned, because Wei Zhongran had not informed him of this matter beforehand. Bai Rou, on the other hand, seemed to have received the news in advance.
Li Yan reached out and caught a jade slip and a small iron scroll book. On the other side, Sun Guoshu still had a lingering look of joy, as if he hadn't heard Wei Zhongran's arrangement at all. In fact, Sun Guoshu had heard it. But compared to Bai Rou, he was more willing deep down for the team to be led by Li Yan. Last time in Li Yan's cave, he had felt that the current Li Yan was unfathomable. No matter what he did, he couldn't see through him. He never believed that Li Yan's only trump card was those icy mosquitoes. He knew full well how cunning Li Yan was. Back in Peiyang Market, with only his Qi Condensation cultivation, he had bluffed him into a daze. And what kind of person was he? It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a hardened scoundrel. He believed that the current Li Yan seemed to have a mysterious shell around him. He could probably set a trap right in front of his face, and he would fall into it without even knowing.
After Li Yan glanced at the items in his hand, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes and was gone. He found that the small iron scroll book had nothing unusual about it, but the jade slip was definitely not the one he had handed to Bai Rou before. Li Yan was cautious in everything he did. He would subconsciously commit the appearance and characteristics of anything that came into his hands to memory. But there was no abnormality on Li Yan's face, as if he hadn't noticed anything amiss at all.
Li Yan looked at Wei Zhongran with some hesitation. "Master, this is..."
Before Wei Zhongran could speak, Elder Chigong on the other side said impatiently, "This disciple of mine is fine for some routine missions, but she has never traveled far for training. This mission must be led by you. You all should get moving quickly!"
Elder Chigong's words were really only half an explanation. He didn't say why it had to be Li Yan and not Hu Xiaowang or Yan Feijun. These two's cultivation was two minor realms higher than Li Yan's, and they didn't have something like puppets to intimidate others.
This time, Li Yan said nothing more. He put the two items into his storage pouch and then bowed deeply to Wei Zhongran.
Seeing Li Yan do this, the other four also bowed. Then, after straightening up, Li Yan immediately took out the "Cloud-Piercing Willow" and stepped onto it first. The other four, led by Bai Rou, also flew up. They were already familiar with Li Yan's flying magical treasure and naturally thought it was the best choice for travel. Then, Li Yan tapped the Cloud-Piercing Willow with the tip of his foot, and the group of five quickly disappeared into the vast night.
Seeing Li Yan and the others depart, Wei Zhongran and Elder Chigong stood quietly on the mountain peak. Neither of them spoke. After another tea's time had passed, Wei Zhongran finally spoke calmly.
"They have already flown over four hundred li. Even if Fellow Daoist Feng is protecting them in secret, he cannot go too deep. We cannot pin all our hopes on them. Select another squad to go to the front lines of the Demon Clan's army to gather information. Give them a few more Ten-Thousand-Li Voice Transmission Talismans and have them send back the situation there once a day. If something happens to Li Yan and the others in the end, have this squad take over this mission at all costs, and at the same time, try their best to retrieve Li Yan and Bai Rou."
Elder Chigong nodded. "We also need to discuss the various possible consequences that may arise. When the time comes, we will need to report back to the sect's Nascent Soul ancestors. If it is not handled properly, not only you and I, but possibly the other elders here will also find it difficult to escape blame." With that, the two figures quietly faded into the night.
Standing on the Cloud-Piercing Willow, Li Yan first "explained the mission in detail," while saying, "This is all the information Senior Sister Bai and I have. The purpose of our trip is to find the informant left in the Demon Clan and then safely bring these two people back. This is the jade slip about these two. Please remember it carefully."
With that, Li Yan flicked his sleeve, and a jade slip flew towards Hu Xiaowang. Then he fell silent.
After Yan Feijun and Sun Guoshu had finished looking at it in turn, they handed the jade slip back to Li Yan. The suspicion in their eyes was even stronger, because the jade slip did not specify the location of the target.
With a flash of spirit power in his hand, the jade slip turned into specks of crystalline light and quickly dissipated into the night.
In fact, the information about the two "Luoshu Lake" disciples in this jade slip only contained their appearance and names; everything else had been erased long ago. It seemed that this was done by Elder Chigong before he handed it back to Bai Rou. It was not the same jade slip that Li Yan had seen before. The purpose, of course, was just to let the other disciples participating in the mission know some of the content. Therefore, the moment Li Yan received it, he had noticed something was wrong. After his divine sense entered it, he understood the intentions of his master and Elder Chigong.