Chapter 64: Choosing missions.

Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Choosing missions.

"At least give me some time to wash up, you bastard."

"Wash up? For what, we are not mortals anymore Minghao, why are you still sticking to that old habit?"

Chen Minghao shifted his stance, and gave Chen Yichen a disgusted look, "It is my personal preference, you don’t have to bother yourself with it."

"Fine, fine. I’ll wait, " Chen Yichen stepped aside while whistling, still wearing that bright smile over his face.

While Chen Minghao returned inside, Yichen glanced toward the neighbouring courtyard.

Chen Yuexin lived nearby, though not in the same residence as either of them, "Let’s wake her up too. Judging by Yuexin personality, she would definitely join us."

Thinking of that, he crossed the short stone path separating their courtyards and stopped outside her residence.

Unlike Minghao’s door, which he had simply knocked on, Yuexin’s entrance had a small stone lying beside it. Yichen picked it up, weighed it in his palm, then tossed it lightly against the wooden window.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

He waited.

Nothing happened.

Yichen grinned and tossed it again, this time a little harder.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Yuexin! Are you awake?"

A muffled voice came from inside, as if a sleeping beast had just been awoken from its deep slumber.

"No... "

"Then wake up!"

"Go away, idiot!"

Her voice rattled the windows. Chen Yichen swore inwardly that he even saw a visible sonic boom from the tiny gap of the window’s frames.

And instead of running, Chen Yichen leaned closer to the window, lowering his voice as though he were sharing some important news.

"Yuexin, I heard the list of exchangable rewards included a beauty preserving pill. It would be a shame for you to miss it, you know."

There was a brief silence, and after a second more, the window finally opened.

Chen Yuexin appeared behind it, her hair somewhat dishevelled and hanging across part of her face.

A few strands had caught in her mouth, and she spat them out with an irritated look, brushing the remaining hair away from her lips. Her expression was far from pleasant.

She glanced at the stone in Yichen’s hand, her eyes lingering on it for a brief moment before shifting to his face.

Her brows drew together slightly as she took in his expression, as though trying to figure out what he was thinking, "Did you just throw stones at my window?"

"Only small ones," Chen Yichen replied, turning the stone between his fingers with a casual shrug. His gaze remained on Yuexin, a faint grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

She narrowed her eyes. "Do you know what time it is?"

Yichen glanced toward the dark sky, then back at her. "The sun hasn’t even risen, but someone might already be waiting at the Mission Hall."

Yuexin stared at him, her eyes still heavy with sleep. "And you think waking me up will somehow make us faster than them?"

"Of course. Three people are harder to beat than one, and you are known as the men beater, so I doubt anyone would dare to make trouble for us."

"Then go find two other idiots."

She angrily shut the window before he could respond.

Yichen waited outside, looking entirely satisfied with himself.

A little while later, Chen Minghao stepped out of his residence, now properly dressed. His hair was tied neatly behind his head, and the water on his face had barely dried.

He still looked somewhat sleepy, though, with faint traces of fatigue around his eyes.

After glancing toward Yuexin’s closed window, he spotted Yichen waiting outside the courtyard and walked over to him.

"Did she agree?"

"She’ll come."

"Did she actually say that?"

Chen Yichen gave him a confident smile. "She didn’t say no."

Minghao shook his head.

Before he could reply, Yuexin’s door opened. She stepped outside, now dressed, with her hair neatly tied back.

Her eyes immediately settled on Yichen, and the faint crease between her brows returned as she remembered why she had been woken up so early.

"If all the missions are taken by the time we get there, I’m blaming you."

Yichen adjusted the strap of his bag, looking entirely unbothered. "They won’t be. We’ll get there before everyone else."

"You don’t even know how many people are already there," Yuexin pointed out, giving him a doubtful look.

"Which is exactly why we need to leave early."

Yuexin stared at him for a few seconds, apparently searching for a reply. When she found none worth giving, she turned to Minghao instead.

He raised both hands slightly. "Don’t look at me. I was dragged out of bed just like you."

"At least you understand how unreasonable this is," she muttered.

"Hey, I’m standing right here," Yichen protested.

The three eventually set off together.

The sky remained dark, with only a faint trace of light beginning to appear along the distant horizon.

The paths between the family residences were mostly empty, and the occasional cultivator they encountered was usually someone heading out for early training.

Their footsteps echoed softly along the stone paths as they made their way toward the Mission Hall.

By the time they reached the newly established Mission Hall, the eastern sky had begun to brighten, though the sun itself had yet to appear.

The hall stood beside the main training grounds, built from dark timber and pale stone. Its broad tiled roof extended over a spacious entrance, while sturdy wooden pillars supported the front veranda.

A few spiritual lamps still glowed beneath the eaves, their light fading as dawn approached.

Over the right side of the hall’s entrance, a large wooden board stood, its surface covered with neatly arranged rows of writing.

Each mission had been marked with its grade, requirements, and corresponding rewards.

However, the three of them were not the first to arrive.

Yuexin glanced at the cultivators already gathered before the board, then slowly turned toward Yichen. "You dragged us out of bed before sunrise, and we still weren’t early enough, huh."

Yichen scratched his cheek. "Well... at least we came before the sun."

In front of the board, numerous Chen Family members had already gathered around the board.

Some stood in small groups, discussing the available missions, while others carefully examined the details written across the wooden panels.

Chen Minghao looked around, then noticed something peculiar.

Almost half of the people gathered near the board carried a sword at their waist. Their clothing varied, but the swords were the same, almost an exact replica that everyone had suddenly decided to use.

Minghao recognized them first.

"Those are the Law Enforcement Hall’s sword intent cultivators, aren’t they?"

Chen Yuexin followed his gaze and nodded. "Most of them, at least."

The three had seen these people before.

The Law Enforcement Hall was responsible for maintaining order within the family, and its members were known for their discipline.

Seeing so many of them gathered around the mission board was somewhat unexpected, though there was nothing strange about them accepting missions like everyone else.

Chen Yichen studied them for a while. "Why are so many of them here? Do they want to accept missions too?"

"Why wouldn’t they?" Minghao replied. "They’re members of the family as well. If anything, their numbers make the largest portion of the family so far."

"That’s true."

Yichen nodded, though his attention soon shifted toward a few young cultivators standing nearby. They were discussing something among themselves, and their conversation caught his attention.

"To think that so many of us would actually embark on the path of cultivation..."

One of them shook his head, still seeming unable to believe it.

"Before joining the inner family, I never imagined I would have the chance to cultivate. My entire family was made up of mortals. We didn’t even have a single person with spiritual roots."

Another young man beside him chuckled. "You’re not the only one. My father spent his entire life working as an ordinary merchant. If someone had told me a year ago that I would become a cultivator, I would’ve thought they were joking."

"That’s because the Third Ancestor’s cultivation path is truly extraordinary."

The first young man lowered his voice slightly, though the excitement in his expression remained.

"To think that someone without spiritual roots could still forge a fake one and enter the path of cultivation. Such a method is practically unheard of."

The second cultivator lowered his voice, glancing around to make sure no one nearby was listening, "Don’t the Family heads knew just how ridiculous this path is? Aren’t they afraid that some people with bad intentions might intentionally leaked it to the outside?"

He folded his arms, his brows drawn together. The technique was clearly a valuable secret, yet the family had allowed so many people to learn it.

Chen Minghao glanced toward the two people beside him. "Ah, they’re talking about the Third Ancestor’s cultivation technique."

Chen Yichen nodded.

He had heard about it before, of course.

The Third Ancestor’s cultivation path was unlike anything the family had known before.

Rather than relying on natural spiritual roots, it allowed those who lacked them to forge an artificial one and begin cultivating.

For the many mortals who had joined the inner Chen Family, this was an opportunity they had never dared to dream of.

"Still, I heard that almost half of those who received guidance from the Third Ancestor managed to enter the path of cultivation directly."

"That’s right. I was there when he personally guided us. I thought it would take years before I could sense spiritual energy, but I managed to do it much sooner than expected."

"You’re lucky. I only managed to forge my spiritual root after several attempts."

"Several attempts are nothing. At least you succeeded."

The young cultivators laughed among themselves.

Chen Yuexin listened quietly, her gaze passing over the people gathered around the board. Chen Minghao seemed to understand its significance as well, "With so many new cultivators, the family will have a much larger pool of people to work with in the future."

"Especially if they keep improving," Yichen added.

He looked toward the Law Enforcement Hall members again.

"Although..."

Yuexin turned toward him. "What?"

Yichen nodded subtly in their direction. "Have you noticed something? Almost all of them have the same exact demeanor."

"You can call me crazy, but it’s as if we are seeing a group of perfected cloned people standing together."

Chen Minghao followed his gaze.

The Law Enforcement Hall cultivators stood in several small groups, their conversations relatively quiet.

Even when they smiled, their eyes remained sharp, and their attention rarely wandered far from their surroundings. It wasn’t necessarily hostility.

Rather, they seemed to have developed a habit of observing everything around them, as though their minds were always prepared to react.

Chen Yuexin nodded. "I noticed it too. Their eyes are unusually sharp."

"Is that because of their cultivation?" Minghao wondered.

"Maybe."

Yichen tilted his head, watching one of them carefully examine the mission board. "Or perhaps it’s because of the cultivation path they are devoting themselves to."

The three looked at one another, and after a second, Chen Yichen smiled. "Well, whatever the reason, they certainly look like people who shouldn’t be messed with."

Minghao gave him a sideways glance. "Then don’t mess with them."

"Who said I was going to?"

"Your face seems to be asking for a beating, that’s the issue right now we are having."

Chen Yuexin covered her mouth, letting out a quiet laugh.

Yichen turned toward her. "What’s so funny?"

"Nothing."

She quickly looked away, though the smile remained.

Their conversation continued as they approached the mission board. By then, the sky had begun to brighten considerably more, and more Chen Family members were arriving.

Chen Yichen’s excitement returned in full.

"Come on. Let’s see what they have."

He moved ahead, leaving the other two to follow. Chen Yichen squeezed through the crowd, with Chen Minghao and Chen Yuexin following close behind.

The board was divided into several sections, each containing missions arranged in neat rows.

Every entry was enclosed within a rectangular border, with its grade, description, requirements, and reward clearly written inside.

The contribution points awarded for completing each task were displayed prominently on the right.

Chen Yichen began reading from the nearest section.

First Grade Mission: Moonlight Grass Collection

Description: Collect ten stalks of Moonlight Grass from the northern hills and deliver them to the family medicinal garden.

Requirement: Qi Condensation Realm.

Reward: 20 contribution points.

"Twenty points for collecting ten stalks?" Chen Yichen muttered. "That doesn’t sound too difficult."

"Then take it," Chen Yuexin said.

"Why would we choose the first mission we see?"

"Because you dragged us here before sunrise without knowing what you wanted. Plus, it’s close by and we don’t have to run around too much for it."

Chen Minghao nodded. "That’s a reasonable suggestion."

Chen Yichen ignored them and continued reading.

First Grade Mission: Spiritual Beast Hunt

Description: Hunt three Iron-Clawed Rabbits sighted near the eastern woodland. Submit their spiritual cores and a record of the hunt.

Requirement: Qi Condensation Realm, preferably with combat experience.

Reward: 80 contribution points.

"That one pays more," Chen Yichen said.

"Because it involves fighting," Chen Minghao replied. "And the mission says there may be more than three. But if possible, let’s refrain from fighting, there are so many other tasks that we can choose from."

Chen Yichen read the description again before moving on.

First Grade Mission: Supply Delivery

Description: Transport a batch of medicinal supplies from the family storehouse to the Blue Cloud Mist City. The goods must be delivered intact.

Requirement: Qi Condensation Realm.

Reward: 350 contribution points.

Chen Yuexin glanced at the entry. "This one seems straightforward and the rewards are quite good too."

"Too straightforward," Chen Yichen said. "We came all this way. We should at least find something interesting."

"You’re the one who wanted to come," Chen Minghao reminded him.

The three continued down the board, reading several more missions. Most involved gathering materials, delivering supplies, patrolling the family’s territory, or assisting with work around the grounds.

Their rewards varied according to the difficulty and requirements, though the majority offered fewer than a hundred contribution points.

Chen Yichen was beginning to look dissatisfied.

Just then, a sudden gust of wind swept through the courtyard.

A loose piece of paper came flying from somewhere beyond the crowd and slapped directly against Chen Yichen’s face.

"Ah!"

He pulled it away, blinking in surprise.

Chen Yuexin stared at him. "What happened?"

"Some paper attacked me."

"Paper doesn’t attack people."

"Then explain this."

Chen Yichen held it up. Unlike the neatly arranged entries on the board, this sheet was slightly crumpled, its edges worn and a few lines of writing faded.

Chen Minghao leaned closer. "Where did that come from?"

Yichen turned the paper around and began reading. His expression gradually changed, and the dissatisfaction on his face disappeared.

"Wait... look at this."

The other two moved closer.

Special Mission: Investigation of the Uncharted Region

Description: Travel to the designated area beyond the eastern territories and investigate unusual spiritual fluctuations reported in the region. Record any discoveries and submit a detailed report to the Mission Hall.

Location: A remote area in the far eastern region, approximately 300 kilometres north of Jade River City.

Requirement: Qi Condensation realm.

Risk Assessment: Low.

Reward: 10, 200 contribution points.

"Huh?"