One Million Mission Points

The moment Hao Nhien stepped out of Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, Tieu Lan could no longer maintain the calm expression she had worn during the negotiations. She walked beside him with lighter steps than usual, her long hair swaying gently in the breeze, while the smile that had appeared when they left the main hall had yet to fade.

“Young Master, nearly fifty thousand mid-grade spirit stones, and we exchanged for so many medicinal ingredients, seedlings, and tools as well. Now Heavenly Treasure Pavilion is even considering opening a branch in Hoa Van. It still feels a little unreal.”

Hao Nhien looked at the joy written openly across her face, and the corner of his mouth curved upward.

“It is good that you are happy. All those nights sitting in front of the alchemy cauldron, and all those times the smoke made our eyes red, finally produced something worthwhile.”

Tieu Lan immediately remembered the first time the cauldron had erupted with a cloud of black smoke that covered both their faces. She could not help covering her mouth as she laughed.

“That time was because Young Master used fire as though you were fighting a yao beast.”

“You still remember that?”

“Of course. I wrote it down.”

Hao Nhien fell silent for a moment before asking,

“Can you remove that line?”

Tieu Lan shook her head solemnly.

“No. It was a very important alchemy experience.”

Hao Nhien laughed, but after taking a few more steps, he noticed that Tieu Lan was looking at him strangely.

“What is it?”

Tieu Lan blinked, trying to maintain a serious expression, though the corners of her lips were already lifting.

“I was only thinking about Manager Ling Xue.”

Hao Nhien immediately knew what she meant.

“That again?”

Tieu Lan nodded, deliberately slowing her voice.

“Last time, Manager Ling even said she wanted to personally ‘inspect’ Young Master and see whether the product of the product was really as good as claimed. If she learns that Young Master not only returned at mid Foundation Establishment but also brought back a supreme-grade Mystic Yang Pill, I wonder how thoroughly she will want to inspect you this time.”

Hao Nhien turned to look at her.

“Did you write that in your notebook too?”

Tieu Lan burst out laughing and did not answer immediately. Only after a moment did she say,

“There was no need. That is easier to remember than alchemy.”

Hao Nhien shook his head helplessly.

He knew Tieu Lan was merely teasing him, but her words also reminded him of the private communication jade token Ling Xue had given him. If the matter of opening a branch truly encountered resistance, he could always consider contacting her directly instead of waiting for the message to pass through every level of Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

For now, however, there was no need to rush.

“If necessary, I will contact Ling Xue.”

Hao Nhien looked toward the mountain ranges outside Thanh Van City.

“But before that, there is something else we need to do.”

Tieu Lan immediately guessed what he was thinking.

“Return to the Free Roaming Sect?”

“Yes.”

Hao Nhien lightly tapped his storage pouch.

“The military merit from the Western Wastes has not been used yet. Before deciding how much we need Heavenly Treasure Pavilion to invest, I want to know what the sect can provide. Medicinal ingredients, formation plates, communication talismans, basic cultivation manuals, anything that can be exchanged through military merit does not need to be purchased entirely with spirit stones from outside.”

Tieu Lan looked at him for a moment before laughing.

“Elder Bai is going to get a headache when he sees Young Master.”

“I am only exchanging things according to the rules.”

“Yes, but Young Master seems especially good at making things that are technically within the rules become difficult for the people handling them.”

Hao Nhien thought about it for a moment and ultimately could not find a way to argue.

Before leaving the city, he took out a communication jade slip and recorded that he and Tieu Lan would be returning to the Free Roaming Sect to handle several matters. He also sent Quan Lam a message instructing him to immediately contact Hao Nhien’s token if there was any news at all from Quan Nha or Elder Linh Van.

Only after confirming that the message had been received did Hao Nhien lead Tieu Lan out of Thanh Van City.

The Wandering Sword transformed into a streak of silver light beneath the sun. Tieu Lan stepped onto the sword behind him and wrapped both arms around his waist as the sword-light quickly passed beyond the city walls and headed toward the distant mountain ranges.

By mid-afternoon, the mountain gate of the Free Roaming Sect had appeared amid a sea of white clouds.

Towering peaks stretched one after another into the distance, dense spiritual qi drifting around them like mist. Waterfalls plunged from sheer cliffs into deep valleys, reflecting the sunlight in long bands of silver.

Hao Nhien slowed and guided the Wandering Sword down toward the foot of the mountain.

The outer sect had changed very little. The stone road, the small marketplace, and the stalls selling spirit herbs and low-grade artifacts still occupied their familiar places. Only many of the faces he had once known were gone. Some disciples had passed the assessment and entered the inner sect, some had failed and returned to their families, while those who remained continued cultivating as they waited for another opportunity.

Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan made no effort to attract attention, but before they had even crossed the small marketplace, someone recognized him.

A man arranging beast cores at a stall stared at Hao Nhien for a long time before tugging at the sleeve of the person beside him.

“Is that Quan Hao Nhien?”

The other man turned, and his eyes immediately widened.

“It really is him. I heard that not long after entering the inner sect, he went straight to the Western Wastes. I didn’t expect him to only return now.”

Another disciple studied Hao Nhien for a while before lowering his voice.

“I can’t see through his aura at all.”

The person beside him immediately replied,

“You are only at Qi Condensation layer seven. You want to see through a Foundation Establishment cultivator?”

Whispers quickly spread through the area.

Hao Nhien merely nodded to several people he recognized and continued up the mountain. Just after the two passed a bend in the path, the voice of a younger disciple drifted from behind them.

“Who is that woman?”

“No idea, but she is walking with Quan Hao Nhien, and they are even holding hands.”

Tieu Lan heard them, and the tips of her ears immediately reddened. Her hand shifted slightly as though she wanted to pull away, but Hao Nhien tightened his grip instead.

He knew perfectly well what others would think.

Perhaps it had stopped being a misunderstanding a long time ago.

“Don’t mind them.”

Tieu Lan looked at him for a moment before nodding softly.

“Yes.”

The two did not stop again and went directly to the Mission Hall.

Inside the great hall, dozens of mission tablets floated in the air, glowing lines of text constantly changing across their surfaces. Groups of disciples stood scattered throughout the hall. Some were browsing missions, some were submitting merit slips, while others were arguing with stewards over the number of points they had just received.

At the center of the hall stood a large jade desk.

Elder Bai sat behind it, looking almost exactly as he had before. He wore a loose white robe, his silver beard was long, his eyes half-lidded, one hand supporting his chin while the other slowly turned the pages of a ledger.

The moment Hao Nhien entered, Elder Bai’s Divine Sense swept toward him out of habit.

The hand turning the page suddenly stopped.

Elder Bai raised his head and looked at Hao Nhien, then at Tieu Lan, before returning his gaze to Hao Nhien once more.

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“You…”

Hao Nhien cupped his hands.

“Elder Bai, it has been a long time.”

Elder Bai immediately stood, sending the chair behind him sliding backward.

“So it really is you. The former outer-sect champion finally remembered the way home? This old man thought you had gone into the Western Wastes and been blown away by the sand.”

As he spoke, his Divine Sense swept across Hao Nhien again. The smile on his face immediately froze.

“Mid Foundation Establishment?”

Elder Bai stared at him from head to toe, disbelief gradually filling his eyes.

“What exactly did you eat in the Western Wastes, yao beasts or spirit stones?”

Hao Nhien coughed lightly.

“This disciple encountered a small opportunity.”

Elder Bai immediately raised a hand to stop him.

“Don’t.”

He looked at Hao Nhien as though he had just heard something extremely suspicious.

“You had only just broken through to Foundation Establishment when you left. Now you return at mid Foundation Establishment, and you still call that a ‘small opportunity’?”

Hao Nhien answered seriously,

“This time, I truly was fortunate.”

Elder Bai silently stared at him for a moment before slowly stroking his beard.

“This old man is beginning to feel that the words ‘fortunate’ and ‘opportunity’ coming from your mouth are very inauspicious.”

Several nearby disciples had to turn away to hide their laughter.

Elder Bai was not finished.

“If the next time you walk in here, you say, ‘This disciple encountered a small opportunity,’ this old man may have to hide from you first. Who knows what you will bring back next to keep me awake at night?”

Hao Nhien said helplessly,

“Elder Bai exaggerates.”

Elder Bai snorted.

“Experience from the previous occasions tells this old man that trusting you would be a mistake.”

Only then did he turn toward Tieu Lan.

“Tieu Lan has returned as well. Phong Van Tu has mentioned you several times, wondering whether after spending so long in the Western Wastes you still remember the path back to Medicine Peak.”

Tieu Lan hurriedly bowed.

“Tieu Lan greets Elder Bai. I will visit Master shortly.”

Elder Bai nodded.

“At least you still know that.”

Then he turned back to Hao Nhien.

“You did not come to the Mission Hall just to visit this old man. What do you want to exchange?”

Hao Nhien cupped his hands.

“This disciple has military merit from the Western Wastes that I would like to convert into mission points. After that, I want to see whether the sect stores contain anything suitable.”

Elder Bai raised an eyebrow.

“How much military merit?”

“This disciple has not formally converted it yet.”

Hao Nhien replied.

“I would like to see the lists first.”

Elder Bai studied him for a moment before taking two ledgers from beneath the desk, one with a blue cover and one with a black cover.

“The blue ledger contains medicinal ingredients and consumable supplies. The black ledger contains artifacts, cultivation manuals, and special items. The sect’s core resources are not listed, while anything that has reached its reserve limit will automatically be locked.”

Hao Nhien nodded and handed the blue ledger to Tieu Lan.

“You look through the medicinal ingredients and choose only what we truly need.”

Tieu Lan accepted it with both hands.

“Yes.”

The two sat beside the jade desk.

Tieu Lan opened the catalogue. Each page clearly listed the item name, quality, current inventory, minimum reserve threshold, and number of mission points required for exchange. She read quickly, but each time she marked something, she carefully considered how much inventory would remain.

Hao Nhien opened the black ledger. Rather than choosing according to personal preference, he divided the items into groups. Anything easy to purchase on the open market was immediately discarded from consideration. He retained only resources with greater practical value, including warning formation plates, long-distance communication talismans, several storage rings, and basic Five-Element cultivation manuals permitted for limited distribution.

The medicinal ingredients chosen by Tieu Lan were not extravagant either. Common materials with abundant inventory were selected in larger quantities for practice and experimentation, while rare items approaching the reserve threshold were taken only in modest amounts.

At first, Elder Bai continued drinking tea calmly.

After Tieu Lan marked one medicinal item after another, the movement of his teacup began to slow.

When Hao Nhien added his selections, Elder Bai’s eyelid began to twitch.

Finally, he set the cup down.

“Are the two of you exchanging resources for yourselves, or are you planning to open another branch of the Mission Hall somewhere else?”

Hao Nhien paused.

Tieu Lan also looked up.

Elder Bai pointed at the two ledgers.

“Medicinal materials counted in the hundreds, formation plates, communication talismans, storage rings, and you even selected all five basic Five-Element cultivation manuals. Do you have any idea how many points this requires?”

Hao Nhien answered honestly,

“This disciple has not added it up.”

Elder Bai snorted.

“This old man knows you haven’t.”

Several nearby disciples could not resist looking over, but Elder Bai merely glanced at them before waving a hand.

A faint restriction immediately descended around the jade desk, preventing any sound from escaping.

His expression became more serious.

“Now speak.”

Hao Nhien did not answer immediately.

He took a dark-colored jade token from his storage pouch and placed it on the desk.

“Everything that happened in the Western Wastes has been recorded here. This is the military merit token personally confirmed by City Lord Lieu Thien Van. Elder Bai will understand after reading it.”

At the mention of Lieu Thien Van’s name, Elder Bai’s gaze immediately changed.

He took the military merit token and slowly sent Divine Sense inside.

At first, his expression remained relatively normal, but as each military record appeared, his eyes gradually changed. Records involving Heavenly Eye, the Fire Qilin Clan, pursuit missions, frontline warnings, and contributions officially confirmed by Tam Thành appeared one after another, each bearing proper marks of authentication. At the very end was Lieu Thien Van’s direct authorization.

The more Elder Bai read, the quieter he became.

Only after reaching near the end did he slowly lift his head and look at Hao Nhien.

“This is your ‘small opportunity’?”

Hao Nhien hesitated slightly.

“Most of it was military duty.”

Elder Bai nodded very slowly.

“Good. At least this time you had the sense to change the name.”

Before Hao Nhien could answer, Elder Bai’s Divine Sense continued toward the final section of the token.

A moment later, the hand stroking his beard suddenly froze.

He checked again.

Then one more time.

Only then did he look up, disbelief visible in his eyes.

“One hundred thousand usable military merit?”

Hao Nhien himself was slightly surprised. He took the token back and swept Divine Sense over the final section, only then discovering that the amount truly had been authorized for use. Before Hao Nhien left Tam Thành, Lieu Thien Van had merely said that his military merit had been confirmed and could be used when necessary. Hao Nhien had never paid attention to exactly how much had been released for use.

“This disciple did not check carefully before.”

Elder Bai’s silver beard trembled.

“One hundred thousand military merit is equivalent to one million sect mission points, and you are telling this old man that you did not check carefully?”

Hao Nhien thought for a moment before asking,

“Then is it enough for the list?”

Elder Bai silently stared at him.

When the old man did not answer, Hao Nhien added,

“If it is not enough, this disciple can ask City Lord Lieu whether the remaining military merit can also be…”

Elder Bai immediately burst out laughing.

“You make it sound as though Lieu Thien Van is holding a bag of spirit stones for you, and whenever you are short, you simply run over and ask for more. Do you think military merit is something you can request whenever you please?”

Hao Nhien answered honestly,

“This disciple thought that if the remaining contributions had already been confirmed, I would only need to ask whether they could be authorized for use.”

Elder Bai stared at him for a very long time before taking a deep breath.

“Fine, fine. Stop talking. Let this old man calculate.”

He pulled both lists toward himself and formed a series of hand seals. Light immediately spread across the jade desk as the formation checked every selected item against current inventory, reserve thresholds, allowed quantities, point prices, and military-service discounts. Items nearing their reserve limits were automatically reduced in quantity, while several requiring separate approval appeared in yellow.

After nearly half a quarter-hour, the final total appeared above the surface of the desk.

Eight hundred and thirty thousand mission points.

Elder Bai stared at the number and immediately pointed at Hao Nhien.

“It is enough. More than enough. Under absolutely no circumstances do you need to go ask Lieu Thien Van for any more military merit.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“Then there are still one hundred and seventy thousand points left.”

Elder Bai’s eyelid twitched again.

“Are you already thinking about how to spend the rest?”

Hao Nhien looked somewhat helpless.

“This disciple was only calculating.”

Elder Bai drew in a deep breath.

“You say it as casually as though you were buying a few bundles of spirit herbs.”

Tieu Lan reopened the medicinal catalogue, carefully reviewed it once more, then pointed to one entry.

“If we need to reduce the cost, we could lower the Ice Spirit Fruits from thirty to twenty-eight.”

Elder Bai looked at her as though he was unsure he had heard correctly.

“You intend to rescue an eight-hundred-and-thirty-thousand-point list by removing two Ice Spirit Fruits?”

Tieu Lan thought for a moment.

“At least it would save a little.”

Elder Bai closed his eyes.

“There is no need. This old man appreciates the thought.”

Hao Nhien could no longer hold back his laughter.

Elder Bai immediately glared at him.

“You are still laughing?”

“This disciple was merely thinking that the sect is indeed very wealthy.”

Elder Bai snorted.

“That was before you came back.”

The atmosphere inside the restriction immediately lightened.

Elder Bai released a long breath before his expression gradually became serious again.

“But there is something you must understand. One hundred thousand usable military merit for a single inner disciple is almost without precedent, at least since this old man began managing the Mission Hall. Your points are sufficient, and the stores can release most of what you selected, but this is no longer a simple matter of exchanging personal rewards.”

He pointed toward the five basic cultivation manuals and the large quantities of resources.

“These things will be taken outside the sect for the development of Hoa Van, and some of them are cultivation manuals that will be taught to multiple people. Even though every point of your military merit is legitimate, this old man does not have the authority to approve the entire release by himself.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“It requires the Headmaster’s approval?”

Elder Bai did not answer directly. He gathered the lists.

“Come back later. This old man will take the matter to the Headmaster personally.”

Hao Nhien cupped his hands.

“Thank you, Elder Bai.”

“Do not thank me too soon.”

Elder Bai replied.

“This old man still has no idea what expression the Headmaster will make when he sees this list.”

Tieu Lan asked softly,

“Elder Bai, how long do you think it will take to get an answer?”

“This is not something that should be delayed.”

Elder Bai looked at Hao Nhien.

“This old man will go now.”

With that, he tucked the jade slips into his sleeve and looked at the two of them.

“What are you planning to do while you wait?”

Hao Nhien replied,

“Tieu Lan has just returned, so we should first visit Medicine Peak and pay respects to Senior Phong Van Tu. This disciple also has several matters involving medicinal ingredients that I would like to ask him about.”

Elder Bai narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“Only ask for advice?”

Hao Nhien paused slightly.

“For now.”

Elder Bai stared at him for a long time before waving his hand.

“Go. Before this old man changes his mind and makes you carry this list to the Headmaster’s hall yourself.”

Hao Nhien immediately stood. Tieu Lan rose with him, bowed, and followed him out of the Mission Hall.

Once outside, discussions still echoed throughout the great hall behind them, but thanks to the restriction Elder Bai had activated, the surrounding disciples only knew that the elder had kept the two of them talking for a long time. No one knew how much military merit Hao Nhien had brought back or what he was preparing to exchange.

The two crossed the plaza.

When they reached a bend on the mountainside path, a familiar aura suddenly swept through the clouds overhead.

Hao Nhien looked up and only managed to catch a glimpse of a white robe and a silver beard streaming backward in the wind. The direction led straight toward the Headmaster’s hall.

Tieu Lan saw it too.

“Elder Bai is moving very quickly.”

Hao Nhien smiled faintly.

“It seems our list made him unwilling to delay.”

Tieu Lan held the medicinal catalogue against her chest. Some of her earlier excitement had now been mixed with a trace of concern.

“Young Master, do you think the Headmaster will agree?”

“I don’t know.”

Hao Nhien looked toward the great hall standing among layers of clouds.

“The Headmaster still has to consider inventory, sect rules, and the fact that some cultivation manuals will be taken outside. Having enough military merit only proves that we have the right to make the request. It does not mean everything will automatically be approved.”

Tieu Lan nodded.

“Then we can only wait.”

“We cannot only wait.”

Hao Nhien turned toward Medicine Peak, whose green slopes were partly hidden among distant clouds.

“While Elder Bai meets the Headmaster, we will go see your master.”

Tieu Lan followed his gaze, and the corner of her lips slowly lifted.

“To pay respects to Master?”

“To begin with.”

Hao Nhien replied.

He said nothing more, but several questions he had been considering since he was still in the Western Wastes had already resurfaced in his mind.

Bringing Tieu Lan back to Medicine Peak was only part of the reason for this visit.

There was something else he wanted to hear Phong Van Tu’s answer to.