Chapter 104: Unwarranted Solicitude

Gu Weiyu cast him a faint glance, thinking to herself that three spirit stones were still three spirit stones; she was far too clever to waste them on something like this.

She observed the people in the Mission Hall and extended her divine sense, quickly grasping the procedures within. The hall was divided into three floors, with the first floor serving as the place where Qi-refining disciples accepted and submitted tasks. There were over twenty counters in total; more than half of those on the right side were for accepting missions, while the ones on the left were primarily for submissions.

Ignoring the boy, Gu Weiyu walked straight toward the counters on the right.

"Hmph, so much for being an elite disciple—what a cheapskate!" the outer sect disciple muttered at her back, his face filled with indignation.

"Aren't you being a bit too greedy?" another boy who had been watching from the sidelines chimed in. Even if elite disciples were wealthy and didn't lack spirit stones, they weren't fools; after all, no one’s spirit stones just fell from the sky.

"Hmph!" The boy’s expression turned sour. "Mind your own business!" He turned and strode away, heading back to linger by the entrance.

"Screw you," the other boy spat, clearly annoyed. "You only dare to act tough with me. If you’ve got the guts, why don't you go cause trouble for that elite disciple?"

Gu Weiyu was unaware of this little spat. She arrived at a mission counter, where a sweet and cute-looking girl of about thirteen or fourteen, with a cultivation level at the seventh layer of Qi-refining and two small dimples, was on duty. Seeing Gu Weiyu’s elite disciple robes, the girl flashed a bright smile. "Senior Sister, what kind of mission would you like to take?"

"What missions are available near Ten Thousand Sword City recently?" Gu Weiyu asked.

"These are all missions near Ten Thousand Sword City. You can take a look, Senior Sister," the dimpled girl said, handing over a bamboo scroll.

Gu Weiyu took the scroll and carefully reviewed the tasks. There were quite a few in the vicinity of Ten Thousand Sword City, though most were hunting or escort missions. Finally, she chose one that suited her well: identifying the quality of medicinal pills at the Hundred Herb Hall.

"Junior Sister, I’ll take this one." Gu Weiyu returned the scroll, pointing to the task of an identification expert. The girl took the scroll, marked the spot Gu Weiyu indicated, and filled out the details on a jade slip. "It’s all set, Senior Sister!"

Gu Weiyu nodded slightly, took the wooden mission token, stored it in her storage pouch, and turned to leave.

***

She returned to Misty Peak and briefed her master on the mission she had accepted before heading back to her own Green Bamboo Garden. A quarter of an hour later, a girl in red wearing a human-skin mask stepped out. A scar ran across the entire right side of her face, and a row of cold-glinting flying swords hung from her waist, exuding a fierce, rugged aura.

"Qingtuan!" Gu Weiyu called out softly. Qingtuan darted out with lightning speed and appeared at her feet. Stepping onto it, Gu Weiyu shot into the air, transforming into a silhouette that vanished into the horizon.

Two young disciples in Ten Thousand Sword Sect outer sect robes happened to pass by and caught a glimpse of the passing figure. One of them couldn't help but widen her eyes.

"Look, who was that?" A curious voice rang out after Gu Weiyu had departed on Qingtuan.

"Huh, that looked like... Senior Sister Lian," a girl beside her replied.

"Senior Sister Lian?" The curious voice repeated, her gaze lingering on the fluttering red robes. So, that was Lian Hongyi, once ranked at the top of the "Top Ten Eccentric Disciples" list? She certainly did look... er—distinctive!

"Senior Sister Lian actually left the sect! This is a rare event!" The girl in green robes looked astonished, casting a gossipy glance at the tiny black dot in the sky. She then hurried toward the outer sect residences on Misty Peak, eager to share the news.

"It’s just leaving the sect, isn't it?" the other person said, stunned, before following her.

"Senior Sister Lian actually left?" From afar, such exclamations could be heard drifting across Misty Peak from time to time. Within half an hour, everyone in the Ten Thousand Sword Sect with a decent ear to the ground knew that Lian Hongyi had accepted a mission and left the sect. One had to admit, the gossiping heart of a cultivator burns brightly indeed.

At the mountain gate, Qingtuan descended slowly. Gu Weiyu hopped off and handed her mission token to the Foundation Establishment stage disciple in charge of logging departures.

"Junior Sister Lian, you're all set." The Foundation Establishment cultivator efficiently registered her and returned the token. Gu Weiyu took it and strolled out of the Ten Thousand Sword Sect.

Once she was far enough away, the Foundation Establishment cultivator quietly pulled out a voice-transmission talisman. "Senior Brother Yu, Lian Hongyi has just left the sect." A pale yellow paper crane fluttered away toward one of the peaks of the Ten Thousand Sword Sect.

***

On Green Clear Peak, an ordinary inner sect disciple suddenly opened his eyes as a pale yellow paper crane flew through the window and hovered before him. Yan Qing tapped it with his finger, and a low voice emanated from the crane: "Senior Brother Yan, Lian Hongyi has just left the sect."

"After waiting for over half a year, Lian Hongyi is finally willing to leave the sect!" Yan Qing’s face lit up with joy. He rose from his meditation cushion and hurried toward the mountain gate. He had been assigned the task of monitoring Lian Hongyi by the Mission Hall for six months, but she hadn't stepped foot off Misty Peak once. The mission had been easy, but now that she had finally left, Yan Qing felt his heart race at the thought of the double reward promised in the mission details for when she finally ventured out.

Passing the gate, he casually tossed a handful of spirit stones to the Foundation Establishment cultivator on duty and hurried off in the direction indicated.

***

After leaving the gate, Gu Weiyu looked up at the long-missed blue sky and white clouds. A gentle breeze brushed her face, and her mood lifted. As she walked, the flying swords at her waist clinked with a melodious sound, harmonizing with the chirping of insects and birds, scattering into the quiet wilderness.

It was late autumn, and the morning mountains were still tinged with a slight chill. Occasionally, one or two beautiful wildflowers could be seen peeking through the grass and shrubs. Just as she was immersed in the autumn scenery, she noticed a flash of sword light closing in on her direction from afar.

Gu Weiyu couldn't help but look up, seeing a man in green robes standing on a flying sword, smiling and nodding at her. "Junior Sister, are you heading down the mountain, too?"

Gu Weiyu nodded, a flicker of doubt crossing her mind. This person seemed a bit too enthusiastic.

"I am Yan Qing of Green Clear Peak. I wonder, Junior Sister..." Yan Qing hopped off his flying sword, approaching her with practiced familiarity.

Yan Qing of Green Clear Peak? Gu Weiyu raised an eyebrow, her gaze fixed on him.