Chapter 31: Young Man! What Is Your Wish?!!

Li Quzhuo rubbed the back of his head in indignation, but upon realizing that the scene before him had suddenly changed, he immediately snapped back to reality.

"Xiao Zui, you..."

"Who is Xiao Zui? Call me the Phantom Dream Swordsman!" Wang Quanzui interrupted him directly.

"Fine, Phantom Dream Swordsman. Could you please stop using your illusions on us next time? Even if you have to use them, just use them on Qingyuan; why must you harm the innocent?"

"But the problem is, if my illusions were effective on him, I wouldn't need to use them, would I?"

Wang Quanzui’s retort left Li Quzhuo stunned for several seconds. He stood there dazed for a long time before his brain finally caught up.

"Fine, you win..."

"Have the others not arrived yet?"

"Nope, you two are the only ones here so far," Wang Quanzui nodded.

"Was that snake demon taken care of?"

"Yep, nailed to the ground by Qingyuan’s spear. The whole snake turned into charcoal—a truly miserable death."

"You really are as swift and decisive as ever..." Wang Quanzui couldn't help but remark.

Whenever the "Mask" members split up to carry out missions involving demon-slaying, Yang Qingyuan's efficiency was undeniably the team's number one! Sometimes, his execution was so clean and ruthless that even the organization's leader, Wang Quanbaye, felt he couldn't compare.

"It’s alright, one must root out evil entirely."

"By the way, why aren't you wearing your mask again?"

"No one is watching, so I didn't wear it."

"What do you mean no one is watching? Is it because you think the mask I picked for you is ugly, which is why you never want to wear it?"

"That's not it..."

Yang Qingyuan touched his nose, his gaze beginning to drift aimlessly.

When the Mask organization was first founded, according to the rules set by Wang Quanbaye, all members had to leave their original identities behind during any external operation. Consequently, they were required to wear masks to hide their identities. Since Yang Qingyuan had joined the organization, he was naturally no exception. However, he had struggled with choosing his mask.

The styles of masks were simply too numerous, and he couldn't just pick a simple three-eyed mask like Yang Yitan, or the styles would overlap. Just as Yang Qingyuan was on the verge of a breakdown from choice paralysis, Wang Quanzui, unable to watch any longer, simply picked one out for him.

A woman's aesthetic sense is generally higher than a man's—that is a universal truth. The problem was that the mask Wang Quanzui chose for him was far too delicate and feminine. With its deep purple color scheme, metallic luster, and mysterious patterns covering half the face, Yang Qingyuan always felt strange wearing it. Unless Wang Quanbaye made it mandatory, he generally avoided wearing it. After all, he didn't need to hide his identity; he had no major Daoist family backing him anyway.

"You're lying, you just think it's ugly!"

"I really don't! If you don't believe me, ask Quzhuo..."

"Don't drag me into this. I haven't seen anything, and I haven't heard anything."

Seeing that Yang Qingyuan intended to pull him into the fray, Li Quzhuo immediately chose to cover his ears and close his eyes without hesitation. These two had been bickering for a long time, and while it was hard to tell what Yang Qingyuan was thinking, any observant person could see Wang Quanzui’s affection for him. It was just that, out of a mutual understanding, everyone chose to pretend they didn't see it.

Just as Yang Qingyuan and Wang Quanzui were messing around, the stern voice of Wang Quanbaye suddenly rang out from the sky as a flying sword descended.

"Alright, little sister, stop fooling around. Have you forgotten? You are the contact person today. As the contact, what is your duty?"

Wang Quanzui stopped her antics and looked back at her brother with a helpless expression. Behind him, Yang Yitan, Li Zizai, and the other members of the Mask had all gathered.

"Confirm identities, distinguish friend from foe..."

"Hmm, it seems you still remember," Wang Quanbaye nodded with satisfaction.

"Brother, I mean, our meeting spots are always so hidden, and everyone’s masks are so unique—do we really have to go through this trouble every time?"

"No. Without rules, there is no standard. If an organization lacks strict discipline, it will eventually be destroyed!"

"Yes, yes, whatever you say, you're the boss."

Wang Quanzui shrugged helplessly. She then suddenly turned to Yang Qingyuan and shouted, "Young man! Tell me! What is your wish?!"

Yang Qingyuan’s mouth twitched upon hearing this. *Seriously? With so many people here, you have to pick me to be 'chuunibyou' with you?*

However, seeing the undisguised mirth in Wang Quanzui’s eyes, he realized immediately that this girl was definitely doing it on purpose! Despite his extreme reluctance, he couldn't withstand the "death glare" from Wang Quanbaye. Yang Qingyuan had no choice but to cup his fists toward Wang Quanzui with a reluctant expression and recite the incredibly embarrassing line:

"I wish to unmask this world!"

"Hmm, very good."

Seeing this, Wang Quanbaye nodded with satisfaction once more.

"Tell me, when will your brother's 'chuunibyou' finally be cured?" Yang Qingyuan stepped forward and whispered to Wang Quanzui, who was still gloating.

"Who knows? But judging by my brother's god-awful taste, I suspect there's no hope in this lifetime. Maybe in the next."

"..."

Seemingly having overheard their whispering, Wang Quanbaye glanced in their direction but didn't intervene, instead beginning to preside over the "meeting."

"Everyone, report your progress."

"Reporting to the boss, the Wushan snake demon has been carbonized!" Li Quzhuo was the first to raise his hand.

"The thousand-year-old pig spirit has been executed."

"The rift-cleaving giant eagle has also been slain."

...

After listening to the members report their achievements, Wang Quanbaye nodded calmly.

"Very good. You have all worked hard during this time. With this, we have cleared out almost all the major and minor demons wreaking havoc within the borders of the Daoist Alliance. Combined with all the data we have gathered on the Alliance's records, there are no more secrets left for us within these borders. Therefore, it is time to move to the next step of our plan."

"Is it that urgent?" Yang Qingyuan asked, frowning.

"Yes. Remaining within the borders of the Daoist Alliance will no longer help us improve our cultivation. Therefore, my plan is to step outside the Alliance and begin exploring the territories of the Four Demon Kingdoms!"