117: Chapter 117 The Liu Family Mission

The deacon verified that everything was correct, recorded it, and took a small cyan brocade pouch from the cabinet behind him, along with a jade tablet serving as a voucher for eight hundred taels of silver, and handed them to Lin Tian.

"Mission A-372, Collect Purple Flame Lotus, completed. Reward: fifty Contribution Points or eight hundred taels of silver. Do you choose Contribution Points or silver?" the deacon asked routinely.

"Silver." Lin Tian did not hesitate. Although Contribution Points were good and could be exchanged for rare resources within the Sect, he was currently more in need of general currency.

Moreover, the reward for the Liu Family mission included Spirit Medicine, so he could save up Contribution Points slowly.

"Very well." The deacon operated on the jade tablet for a moment and handed it back to Lin Tian. "With this jade tablet, you can go to the 'Silver Exchange' next to the 'Danxia Pavilion' to withdraw eight hundred taels. This 'Qingfu Powder' is an extra reward; it can help you regulate your internal organs and nourish your Internal Energy. Keep it well."

Lin Tian took the jade tablet and the cyan brocade pouch. They felt slightly heavy in his hand, and he could smell a faint scent of herbs.

He did not rush to leave but stepped forward and asked the Elder deacon in a low voice, "Elder, may I ask if there is an escort mission recently posted by the Liu Family of Yunzhou City?"

The Elder deacon, who was organizing the files in his hands, was stunned upon hearing this. He looked up at Lin Tian and asked curiously, "Liu Family mission? You have well-informed sources, kid. The Liu Family only sent the mission documents this morning. I just registered them and haven't had time to post them on the wall yet. How did you know?"

As he spoke, he turned around and took out a brand-new animal skin scroll from under his desk, unfolded it, and hung it on the mission board on the side.

The scroll was written in cinnabar: "Yunzhou Liu Family, sincerely hiring expert guards to escort a batch of Spirit Medicine from 'Hundred Herb Market' south of Yunzhou City back to the Liu Family ancestral home. Five Martial Artists with at least Internal Energy cultivation are required. Reward: two thousand taels of silver, plus three stalks of 'Qingxin Jade Marrow Grass'. Deadline: Arrive at the Liu Family to rendezvous within five days."

Lin Tian quickly scanned the text, confirming it matched what Liu Yiyi had said, and the reward was even more generous. Without further hesitation, he immediately said, "Elder, I will take this mission."

"You?" The Elder deacon examined Lin Tian again. Seeing that his aura was steady and contained a hidden sharpness, confirming he was indeed at the Internal Energy cultivation level, he nodded. He took out a special mission token, registered Lin Tian's information, and handed the token to him. "Mission accepted. Remember, you must arrive at the Liu Family to report within five days. If you exceed the deadline, the mission will be voided, and your Contribution Points will be deducted. The token is both proof and a keepsake; do not lose it."

"This Disciple understands, thank you, Elder." Lin Tian took the token; it felt cool to the touch. The front was engraved with the character "Liu", and the back had complex cloud patterns. He carefully put the token away, feeling reassured, and turned to leave the Service Hall.

Just as he stepped out of the hall, he heard a clamor of exclamations and complaints from inside.

"Damn! The Liu Family mission! The reward is three stalks of Qingxin Jade Marrow Grass! And two thousand taels of silver!"

"Who? Who was so fast? I just saw it and it's gone?"

"Which bastard took it? Come out! I'll pay double the price to transfer it!"

"Forget it, the mission token is bound to the Divine Soul aura; once accepted, it cannot be transferred. They are really lucky!"

"The Liu Family is being very generous this time. Qingxin Jade Marrow Grass is a good item for purifying Internal Energy and stabilizing the Foundation; it's priceless on the market!"

"It pisses me off! I was one step too late!"

Listening to the noise and the discussions filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred behind him, Lin Tian's lips curled slightly. He did not stop walking and headed straight out of the mission hall. Luck? If he hadn't happened to save Liu Yiyi and learned the inside information, how could he have seized this opportunity? Sometimes, information and opportunity are part of one's strength.

He returned to the remote small courtyard at the back of Zixia Peak, which he hadn't visited in a long time. Pushing open the gate, he saw that the weeds in the courtyard had grown to half a person's height, the stone table was covered with a thick layer of dust, and the window lattices were covered with spider webs; it was a scene of desolation.

Lin Tian did not mind. He rolled up his sleeves and spent an hour clearing the weeds in the courtyard and cleaning the inside and outside of the house. Although it was still simple, it was finally restored to a livable state.

After finishing, he sat cross-legged on the futon in the quiet room and took out the cyan brocade pouch rewarded by the Service Hall. Opening the pouch, he found three small packets of pale yellow medicinal powder carefully wrapped in oil paper; this was the "Qingfu Powder".

According to the deacon, this powder was prepared with several mild Spirit Medicines and could be taken with water. It could gently nourish the internal organs, promote the internal organs' adaptability to the Internal Energy, and was quite beneficial for stabilizing the Fourth-Rank Early Stage Realm.

Lin Tian fetched clean water and poured a packet of medicinal powder into a bowl. The powder dissolved immediately upon contact with water, turning into a bowl of clear yellow, fragrant medicinal liquid.

He tilted his head and drank it all in one gulp. As the liquid entered his stomach, he immediately felt a warm and peaceful heat flow spreading to his limbs and bones. A wisp of coolness went straight through his chest and abdomen, as if his internal organs were being washed by gentle spring water, bringing waves of comfort.

He did not dare to be negligent and immediately focused his mind, circulating the "Purple Qi Diagram". The drop of Purple Haze True Liquid in his Dantian rotated slowly. With the support of the medicinal power of the "Qingfu Powder", the speed of circulating the cycle was more than 30% faster than usual!

Moreover, the stagnation and slight pain in his internal organs and Meridians where the Internal Energy flowed were significantly reduced, and the efficiency of absorbing and refining the external Spiritual Qi was also improved.

One hour, two hours... Lin Tian was completely immersed in his Cultivation. When he woke up from his meditative state, the sky outside was full of stars.

Sensing slightly, he was surprised to find that in this half a day, he had actually completed twenty cycles of the "Purple Qi Diagram"! This was almost equivalent to the result of his two days of hard Cultivation!

The Purple Haze True Liquid in his Dantian had obviously grown a circle larger. As it rotated, there was a faint sound of wind and thunder humming in his body, and the aura emitted was more solid and pure.

"The effect of this 'Qingfu Powder' is so significant! It is worthy of being a Sect reward." Lin Tian opened his eyes, his pupils shimmering with purple light, looking energetic.

He stood up, feeling his whole body full of Qi and blood, and his Internal Energy was full; his state was better than ever before.

"There are two packets left, I will take them tomorrow and the day after. Taking this opportunity, I will further improve my sword technique and movement technique." Lin Tian made up his mind.

In the next two days, he practiced the "Xiaguang Sword Technique" and "Cloud Shadow Step" in the courtyard during the day, and at night, he took "Qingfu Powder" and devoted himself to Cultivating the "Purple Qi Diagram". In the small courtyard, Sword Qi crisscrossed, and Xiaguang flickered; his figure was elusive, like clouds and illusions. The originally desolate courtyard was rejuvenated with vitality because of the young man's hard Cultivation.

On the second and third days, he took one packet of "Qingfu Powder" each day, and the Cultivation effect was still significant. The "Purple Qi Diagram" progressed steadily, and his control over the Purple Haze Hidden Force became more and more delicate and subtle.

"Before, the True Liquid in my Dantian, at most, was only enough to support me in unleashing three full-power Internal Energy attacks through my body before it would be exhausted. Now..." Lin Tian's thoughts moved, and he carefully sensed his Dantian.

That drop of Purple Haze True Liquid had grown by nearly 50% compared to three days ago, its color was deeper, and there were faint purple electric lights flowing inside.

"Now, with full power, it should be able to support five Internal Energy bursts! And the recovery speed is also much faster."

He stood up and came to the open space in the courtyard. With a flick of his wrist, the refined steel sword was unsheathed, and a move "Myriad Rays of Xiaguang" was swung out.

In an instant, five condensed and brilliant purple rays of Xiaguang of varying lengths shot out from the tip of the sword, like a peacock spreading its tail, covering a radius of about ten feet in front of him. The Sword Qi broke through the air with a sizzling sound, leaving sword marks of varying depths on the ground. The sword light was more freely divided, and the power was also significantly improved.

Immediately after, he activated the "Cloud Shadow Step" under his feet, and his figure suddenly blurred, as if turning into three faint shadows that were difficult to distinguish between real and fake, moving and turning rapidly in a small space, creating breezes. The speed and the strangeness of the changes far exceeded the previous "Proficient" Realm, which was the sign of entering the "Minor Achievement" Realm!

He focused his mind: Name: Lin Tian; Cultivation: Fourth-Rank Warrior (Early Stage); Martial Arts: Purple Qi Diagram (Minor Achievement 70/1000); Xiaguang Sword Technique (Proficient 400/500); Cloud Shadow Step (Minor Achievement 1/1000).

In just three days of rest, his strength had improved again! "Cloud Shadow Step" entered Minor Achievement, and his speed and changes were on a higher level; "Xiaguang Sword Technique" was close to the Peak of Proficient; "Purple Qi Diagram" progressed steadily; the Dantian True Liquid doubled, and the Internal Energy endurance increased greatly.

"It's time." Lin Tian stood with his sword, looking in the direction of Yunzhou City, a flash of expectation and sharpness in his eyes. "Liu Family escort mission... Qingxin Jade Marrow Grass... Yunzhou City..."

He simply packed his luggage, took the necessary Medicinal Pills, silver, mission token, and the refined steel sword, locked the courtyard gate, and without hesitation, his figure unfolded like a flowing cloud, drifting down the mountain, heading towards the teleportation array outside the mountain gate.

Yunzhou City, where the Yunzhou prefecture was located, was the center of the province. It was large in scale, with a population of over one million, prosperous and flourishing, far beyond what Heishan City could compare to.

The forces in the city were intertwined, with Families, Chambers of Commerce, Martial Arts Halls, and Gangs everywhere, and there was also the prefecture government office, with strict rules.

The Liu Family was a well-reputed medium-sized Cultivation Family in Yunzhou City, mainly engaged in the business of medicinal herbs and Medicinal Pills. They owned many medicine shops and warehouses inside and outside the city, and had business dealings with many Sects and Martial Arts Halls in the province. They were quite wealthy, and there were several Fourth-Rank Internal Energy Martial Artists in the Family, which could be considered one of the local powers.

This time, the Liu Family needed to escort a batch of valuable and sensitive Spirit Medicine from the "Hundred Herb Market" thirty miles south of the city back to the ancestral home in the city. The quantity of this batch of Spirit Medicine was not small, and some of them were key auxiliary materials for refining certain popular Medicinal Pills, which could not be lost.

The Liu Family originally had guard forces, but recently the experts in the Family had other important tasks. In addition, for the sake of safety, they decided to hire a few extra powerful external reinforcements. The mission was not only sent to the Qixia Sect but also posted in several reputable large Martial Arts Halls in Yunzhou City and the "Juying Pavilion" where Martial Artists gathered. The reward was generous, attracting many Martial Artists to come.

Liu Family ancestral home, side courtyard, side hall. This place had been temporarily changed into a place to receive the recruited Martial Artists. The furnishings in the hall were simple, but it had a sense of aristocratic heritage. At this moment, more than a dozen people were sitting or standing, talking in low voices in twos and threes. Most of these people's auras were not weak, at least at the Peak of Third-Rank, and four or five of them were faintly emitting the unique fluctuations of Internal Energy Martial Artists, attracting the attention of others.

Liu Yiyi changed into a goose-yellow embroidered dress today, with light makeup, making her look even more bright and moving. She sat at the lower head of the main seat, responsible for receiving and initially screening these applicants. Standing beside her was an old man with a serious face and a steady aura, who was an external affairs steward of the Liu Family, with a Fourth-Rank Early Stage cultivation, responsible for the final decision.

The Martial Artists in the hall mostly cast their eyes on Liu Yiyi intentionally or unintentionally, either admiring her beauty or guessing her identity. Liu Yiyi responded appropriately, with a gentle smile, but careful observers could find that her eyes drifted to the outside of the hall from time to time, as if she were waiting for someone.

"Young Miss Liu, I am Zhao Qingyun of the Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, greetings." A clear voice rang out. A young man, about thirty years old, handsome, wearing a cyan cloud-patterned martial outfit, came out from the crowd and bowed to Liu Yiyi. His lips curled with a smile, his eyes were scorching, with undisguised appreciation and a hint of arrogance.

Qingyun Martial Arts Hall was a top-ranked large Martial Arts Hall in Yunzhou City. The hall master, Zhao Lie, was a Fourth-Rank Middle Stage expert, who had a high reputation in the city. As the only son of the hall master, this Zhao Qingyun had extraordinary talent. At the age of only thirty-two, he had broken through to the Fourth-Rank Early Stage and was a famous figure among the younger generation in the city.

"So it is Young Hall Master Zhao, I have heard much about you." Liu Yiyi stood up, bowed slightly in return, her smile was still appropriate, but there was not much warmth.

Zhao Qingyun did not mind Liu Yiyi's indifference and said to himself: "I heard that the item the Liu Family is escorting this time is of great importance. I am untalented, but I am willing to help. With me here, I will surely keep this trip safe." His tone was full of confidence and reserve. He swept his eyes over the other few Internal Energy Martial Artists in the hall, with a hint of comparison.

"Young Hall Master Zhao has exquisite cultivation. It is the Liu Family's good fortune to have your help," Liu Yiyi said politely, but her eyes couldn't help but glance outside the hall again.

Zhao Qingyun frowned imperceptibly. He considered himself to have outstanding conditions and was actively showing goodwill. This Young Miss Liu seemed to show no special interest, but was somewhat absent-minded? Who was she waiting for?

Just at this moment, there was a slight commotion outside the hall, and the faint sound of the gate guards reporting could be heard. Liu Yiyi's beautiful eyes brightened, she stood up suddenly, and even stepped forward involuntarily, her face blossoming with an undisguised joyful smile, and her voice became a bit lighter: "Has Young Master Lin arrived?"

Young Master Lin? Everyone in the hall was stunned when they heard this and turned their heads to look outside the hall. Zhao Qingyun's eyes narrowed, and his face darkened slightly. Which Young Master Lin? Could actually make the Young Miss Liu so uncomposed to welcome him?