Chapter 129 - 126 Golden List Mission

Chapter 129: Chapter 126 Golden List MissionAfter meeting Tang Xiaoyan three days ago, Ye Xuan returned to the Yang Hall, and with nothing stirring, he planned to report to Murong Yun before taking on a task from the Golden List. Upon reaching the central main hall, Ye Xuan also met Murong Yun. Although it was not necessary to report to the Hall Master for task assignments, given his special treatment, it was only appropriate to notify him before leaving. "You, boy, have quite a knack for causing trouble," Seeing Ye Xuan’s arrival, Murong Yun shook his head, obviously not making such a remark without reason. "Has Elder Wen come to cause trouble? That old man really has the nerve to show up." Apart from Elder Wen, Ye Xuan couldn’t think of anyone else who would come to Yang Hall seeking trouble. He had only lightly chastised Wen Ziyu, showing restraint; otherwise, in his usual style, he would have been maiming or breaking limbs, so a smack in the face was relatively mild. "That old man is very protective and made a fuss here for half the day, clamoring for me to hand you over. It took quite some effort to finally send him away." Murong Yun shook his head. "I wonder how the Hall Master handled it," Ye Xuan asked, barely lifting his eyelids. "What else could I do? I simply compensated him with some pills, and the matter was settled. That old man knows he’s in the wrong. His coming was merely to save face, as many know of his grandson’s character—just that nobody bothered to intervene. This time he kicked a steel plate by messing with you; his grandson is just unlucky." Murong Yun glanced at Ye Xuan and then gave a slight smile. "That grandson of his should really be disciplined; otherwise, who knows when he might actually turn into a demon." Ye Xuan touched his nose, seemingly speaking casually. "You, boy, would surely infuriate that old man to death if he heard you." As for Ye Xuan’s infuriatingly carefree demeanour, Murong Yun felt somewhat helpless. However, he believed it was a good thing for Ye Xuan to be sharp and strong-willed. The disciples of Yang Hall should indeed be bold and assertive rather than timid and cowardly. "This matter isn’t much of an issue. However, I heard you outright embarrassed Miss Ling in public without even giving her face. This is a bit problematic. Given her talent and strength, she might very likely succeed me as the chief Hall Master someday. You shouldn’t have a conflict with her, and besides, you are about the same age. Look, Miss Ling’s prospects are not bad; you might consider it, heh heh..." Murong Yun’s mouth curved into a meaningful smile, giving Ye Xuan a suggestive wink. "Cough, you might want to find someone else for that. This business of charming girls is really not my forte." Ye Xuan coughed lightly, entirely aware of the schemes Murong Yun had in mind. To form a connection with Ling Qianxue would certainly elevate his position in Yang Hall in the future, but with someone as frosty as Ling Qianxue—who could possibly tame her? He admitted he wasn’t capable of that, having only met her once. "Alright, I was just joking. Let’s talk about serious matters." Waving his hand, Murong Yun’s smile faded to be replaced by a gradually solemn expression. He then took out a golden scroll and handed it to Ye Xuan. "Take a look." With some curiosity, Ye Xuan unrolled the scroll, and his expression quickly changed as he looked at Murong Yun in surprise, "This—is this a task from the Golden List?" "Exactly," Murong Yun’s eyes sparkled, "Though you are a new disciple, you have already emerged as one of the top disciples of Yang Hall. Ordinary training tasks no longer pose a challenge for you; only tasks from the Golden List are meaningful. To become a True Disciple within a year isn’t something that can be achieved through secluded cultivation alone." "Understood." Ye Xuan nodded. Even if Murong Yun had not mentioned it, he wouldn’t have taken on ordinary tasks. Engaging in non-challenging activities was undoubtedly a waste of time. On another note, the rewards for the Golden List tasks were substantial. Like the task Ye Xuan currently held, if completed, he would receive five hundred Xuanyuan Pills and a thousand Contribution Points—a sum sufficient to exchange for an Earth-Grade High-Rank Martial Arts technique. However, correspondingly, the difficulty was great, making it not so easy to accomplish. Ye Xuan’s gaze rested on the top line of the scroll, which had the task’s name explicitly written, "Head to Black Wind County in Great Hua Country to investigate a case of disappearance." Investigate? Ye Xuan frowned slightly. While tasks involving killing were simple for him, investigating, especially a complex case like a disappearance, was not his forte. Moreover, a populace disappearance case seemed more like something the secular officials of Great Hua Country should handle—why would it be listed in the Golden List tasks? "This is not an ordinary case of missing people," Murong Yun said solemnly. "According to the information sent back by the external hall disciples who have gone to investigate, the number of missing people has already exceeded a hundred, most of them are young men. This matter is bizarre, and traces of the Black Demon Sect remnants have been discovered, it’s far from simple as you think." "Black Demon Sect remnants?" Hearing these words, Ye Xuan’s expression changed as well. As soon as he thought of the Black Demon Sect remnants, the image of a vampire Ghost General emerged in his mind. If the case involved the Black Demon Sect remnants, then it was indeed not an ordinary case. The Black Demon Sect, once a dominant force in the Tiannan Region, had long been destroyed, but its remnants had never ceased their activities over the years. Recently, the remnants seemed to be more active, showing signs of a resurgence. The Golden List task was never meant to be a simple task, Ye Xuan had underestimated its difficulty. "Your task is to investigate this matter thoroughly and destroy the stronghold of the Black Demon Sect remnants!" Murong Yun looked directly at Ye Xuan and said in a deep voice. "Understood." Ye Xuan nodded. He had experienced how difficult it was to deal with the Black Demon Sect remnants. This mission was definitely not simple, but it was precisely because of this that he found it intriguing. The remnants of the Black Demon Sect could be considered the most vicious enemies in the Tiannan Region, and clashing with these fellows seemed like it would be quite interesting. "External hall disciples have already gone ahead to investigate this matter. Their current mission is to assist you. Once you arrive in Black Wind County, you should be able to meet them. First, gather information, then make plans. If you encounter any unforeseen situations that you cannot handle, contact me immediately and do not act rashly." The competition between Heavenly Martial Hall and the Black Demon Sect was not new. Murong Yun knew that assigning such a dangerous mission to Ye Xuan for the first time was a lot of pressure, but on the other hand, the more dangerous the mission, the more it served as training, allowing for faster growth through combating evil enemies. However, the remnants of the Black Demon Sect were not lambs to be slaughtered. On the contrary, they were the most sinister force in the Tiannan Region. Ye Xuan had to be extremely cautious; even a minor oversight could lead to a mishap, even putting himself in danger or potentially being killed by the enemy. Thus, before departing, Murong Yun instructed Ye Xuan to proceed carefully, as preserving his life was more important than completing the mission. Naturally, unless Demon Generals and elder-level figures appeared, Ye Xuan should be fine. Heavenly Martial Hall wouldn’t expose its disciples to excessive risk, as losing any promising disciple might mean losing a pillar of the future. "Rest assured, Hall Master, I know what I’m doing." Ye Xuan nodded. In Murong Yun’s eyes, he was still an inexperienced youth, but in reality, with memories of two lifetimes, his experience surpassed anyone else’s. "Go back and prepare. Tomorrow morning, you shall head down the mountain," Murong Yun said indifferently. Upon hearing this, Ye Xuan bowed to Murong Yun and then left the hall. Though he didn’t need to prepare much, Black Wind County was quite a distance from the Heavenly Martial Mountain Range. He needed a good rest today to ensure he had enough energy for the journey. "Kid, if you complete this mission smoothly, you can start studying the Nine Heavens Thunder Scripture when you return. Don’t disappoint me..." Murong Yun watched as Ye Xuan’s figure disappeared into the distance, a slight gleam flickering in his eyes as he sighed softly. However, Ye Xuan could not hear these words; inside the great hall, silence soon reigned once again. ... The next day. As dawn was breaking, Ye Xuan made minor preparations and set off, riding on the Gale Eagle allocated for the Golden List task, heading toward Black Wind County. Thousands of miles from Heavenly Martial Mountain Range to Black Wind County, travelling by horse would take a lot of time, not to mention executing the mission. Since the Golden List tasks often required urgency, they could not afford to waste time on the road. Direct transportation by Gale Eagle made it much more convenient. Even Martial Sect Masters didn’t have the capability to fly yet, relying on flying Demon Beasts for aerial travel, just like the vampire Ghost General who had once pursued him, relying on his black bat. Thousands of miles of land passed under the Gale Eagle in just half a day. Leaving in the morning, around two in the afternoon, Ye Xuan arrived at the boundaries of Black Wind County, and the outline of a quite large city came into view. This city was the county city of Black Wind County, and it was also the place where Ye Xuan and the external hall disciples had agreed to meet. At this moment, inside an inn in the city, three young men and women in civilian clothes were sitting together at a table, discussing something. "Brother Hua, this case of missing people is no small matter; it’s probably related to the Black Demon Sect remnants. Just a few of us external hall disciples, it’s basically impossible to solve this case," said the only female disciple among the three. "Don’t worry about that. Our sect is already aware of this matter and has designated this task as a Golden List task. A powerful senior brother has been sent to lead this mission, and we are just here to assist. If we can complete this mission, our rewards will be doubled. That senior brother has already sent a message to me, and we’ve arranged to meet here at this inn," the older square-faced youth smiled reassuringly, signaling the others not to worry. "Is that so? I wonder which senior brother it is. Anyone qualified to take on a Golden List task must be extraordinarily capable." "I’m not sure about that, but we’ll know when he arrives. Anyway, it must be a renowned individual,—look, he’s here." While they were talking, a young figure walked through the door of the inn they were watching. On his robe, a blazing fire pattern was clearly embroidered—the insignia of the Central Yang Hall of the Heavenly Martial Hall.