25: Wolong City

Forcing himself to endure the pain, Hong Yu turned to counterattack. However, Wu Tie's speed was faster than he had imagined; not only did his attack miss, but he also took several more hits.

Fortunately, although Wu Tie was fast, his strength was significantly inferior to Hong Yu's. Moreover, since the two were only sparring and hadn't used their trump cards or lethal Moves, they both stopped simultaneously after a brief exchange.

Hong Yu watched his opponent inwardly, lamenting his lack of combat experience. His hand-to-hand skills, in particular, were quite lacking compared to Inner Sect Disciples. He decided that when he had the chance, he should visit the Scripture Pavilion or the Preaching Tower to learn other combat Cultivation Techniques.

Wu Tie also set aside his contempt for Hong Yu. He knew very well that although his opponent seemed to be in a sorry state, he wasn't really injured. On the contrary, while Wu Tie was faster and more agile, he had still been hit a few times by Hong Yu. The brute force, combined with the bloodthirsty intent of the Blood Slaughter Sword Technique, made him extremely uncomfortable.

Sun Yang quickly stepped forward with a smile and said, "Junior Brother Hong truly deserves to be someone Mountain Master Pang values. Your strength is not to be underestimated. With you joining us, our chances of success for this mission have increased significantly."

Hong Yu also hurriedly cupped his fists in return, saying, "Not at all. Senior Brother Wu's movements are elegant and his Moves are exquisite. I have much to learn from him. Thank you for the guidance, Senior Brother Wu."

Wu Tie waved his hand without a word. Mu Xue quickly chimed in, "Junior Brother Hong, please don't be so modest. We're all friends now after this fight. Since we understand each other better, why don't we return to our rooms to rest for a bit? Later, we can enjoy some wine and talk, how about it?"

Zhao Yuntao clapped and praised, "Senior Sister Mu is right. It just so happens that I have some local specialties I found during my last mission. We won't stop until we're drunk."

The others also voiced their agreement. Thus, under Mu Xue's guidance, Hong Yu chose a cabin and moved in.

Mu Xue's flying boat naturally couldn't compare to Xu Jing's multi-story ship, but though it was small, it had everything it needed.

Seeing Hong Yu enter his room, Sun Yang gave a look, and the group walked into another room.

Zhao Yuntao reached into his Storage Pouch and pulled out a Formation Plate. After tapping it a few times, the Formation Plate spun in the air and vanished, setting up a simple Formation.

Sun Yang said solemnly, "I'm sure that kid Hong Yu has some secrets, and he's quite powerful. Once we arrive, Junior Brother Wu and Junior Brother Zhao, you two must keep a close eye on him. Junior Sister Mu, you and I will deliver the letter first, and then we'll regroup to kill that tiger Yao Beast. When the time comes, we'll trick him into a frontal assault, and then we'll ambush him from behind. When we report back Inside the Mansion, we'll say he was no match for the Yao Beast and died in the tiger's mouth."

Mu Xue nodded in agreement coquettishly and said softly, "I'll do as you say, Senior Brother Sun. That penniless brat from the countryside actually dared to defy me; I've disliked him for a long time. Senior Brother is truly brilliant, using a small trick to take that poor kid's life."

Wu Tie also chimed in, "Exactly. Senior Brother Sun, your soul-summoning banner is still missing a primary soul, right? I think Hong Yu's soul is quite suitable. I tested him during our fight just now; this kid's body is tough, and his skin has a faint golden light. He has very likely cultivated Golden Skin. The soul of such a person is most suitable."

Sun Yang also nodded and said, "If we can truly refine it successfully, I will definitely keep your contributions in mind. I won't take a single Spirit Stone earned from this mission; I'll give it all to you."

His words moved the others even more, especially Mu Xue, whose eyes were almost overflowing with affection as she looked at him.

After the group finalized the details, Sun Yang said seriously, "For the next few days, try to be as nice to Hong Yu as possible. Don't let the kid get suspicious. Especially you, Junior Sister Mu, endure it a bit; don't bother arguing with a dead man."

Mu Xue naturally nodded in agreement, and the other two also readily agreed.

Thus, for the next few days, the atmosphere on the flying boat was exceptionally harmonious. Hong Yu also learned many common facts about immortal cultivation from them, especially many insights into going out on missions.

This significantly improved Hong Yu's impression of them. However, most of his thoughts were still on his massive debt. Once he confirmed they were just ordinary Disciples and couldn't help him with Spirit Stones, he didn't have much desire to socialize with them further.

To him now, making money was the top priority.

The flying boat wasn't fast, and after a few days, they finally reached their destination, Wolong City.

Mu Xue steered the flying boat down from the clouds. Sun Yang and the others enthusiastically introduced the local customs to Hong Yu. Clearly, they went on missions often and had done their homework regarding intelligence gathering.

Wolong City was very large, much larger than the Qifeng City where Hong Yu had stayed before. The city was bustling with people, and Qi Refining Cultivators could be seen everywhere.

Soon, the flying boat landed on a high platform within the city. Everyone filed out. With a wave of her delicate hand, Mu Xue put away the flying boat. The Mortal soldiers guarding the platform quickly knelt and bowed. "Welcome, Fairies and Immortal Masters!"

Sun Yang and the others were completely unmoved, clearly having seen this many times from their numerous missions. He whispered to Hong Yu, "We'll go to the City Lord's Mansion first."

"The City Lord here is also considered half a Disciple of the Xuan Yun Residence. He helps arrange things for many Disciples who come here for missions. However, you must note that City Lord Wang is a Senior in the Foundation Establishment Stage. Do not be disrespectful later."

Hong Yu nodded. "Thank you for the guidance, Senior Brother. I understand."

They left together. Qi Refining Cultivators had impressive stamina and soon arrived at the grand City Lord's Mansion.

After explaining their purpose to the gatekeeper, the gatekeeper called for the butler. Under the butler's warm reception, the group was seated in the living room of the City Lord's Mansion.

The living room was beautifully furnished with high-quality furniture. The floor was covered with a carpet woven from the fur of an unknown Yao Beast. Taking a deep breath of the incense burning in the burner, the Spiritual Qi in his body seemed to circulate a bit faster.

The tables set out to entertain them were filled with brightly colored and tempting fruits and pastries.

In particular, the spiritual melons and fruits served were rarities Hong Yu had never seen before. He picked up a bright red fruit and took a bite; it was incredibly sweet and contained a wisp of pure Spiritual Qi. Eating just one fruit was equivalent to a day of hard cultivation.

While Hong Yu was still marveling at the luxurious life in the City Lord's Mansion, the butler, who had been consistently respectful, said, "Honored guests, please wait a moment. The City Lord has received word and is on his way."

After saying that, the butler clapped his hands. A troupe of beautiful dancers dressed in revealing clothes filed in. From behind the screen, the sounds of wind and string instruments began to play as the dancers started to dance gracefully in the living room.