Chapter 107: SPECIAL MISSION (2)

Li Hanye cleared his throat before continuing, since the question about Li Yan’s presence had caused the atmosphere in the training hall to become somewhat tense. Rather than allowing the disciples to argue over the matter, he decided to explain exactly how the sect had chosen the ten people for the mission.

"Elder Bu recommended Jiali and I. Then Elder Wei recommended Chen Rong and Fang Yu. Elder Nalan recommended Shen Lian and Mo Zhi. Elder Fu recommended Cui Ahjun and Han Lei. And finally Elder Mo recommended Li Wei and Li Yan. Each elder recommended two disciples, which gives us the ten people selected for this mission."

The disciples became quiet after hearing the names, and Li Yan found himself thinking about the arrangement as well. It felt strange knowing that his master had recommended Cui Ahjun for the mission instead of one of his own disciples. At the same time, Elder Mo had been the one to recommend both Li Wei and himself, which was not something Li Yan had expected when he asked his master to help him get onto the second selection.

Cui Ahjun seemed satisfied after hearing the explanation, although the displeasure on his face did not disappear completely. He had clearly been concerned that Li Yan had entered the group through some personal connection, but knowing that Elder Mo had personally recommended him left him with little reason to continue questioning the decision.

Li Hanye waited until the group had settled down before continuing with the rest of the arrangements.

"Now that the confusion has been cleared up, everyone has two days to prepare before we leave. The layer where the lizard demon lives is extremely cold, so you should prepare suitable clothing before departure. Your sect uniform will not provide enough insulation for that environment, and you will have to protect yourselves from the cold throughout the mission. The lizard demon’s venom is also extremely poisonous, so everyone should prepare their own antidote before we leave."

Li Yan listened carefully because the warning about the venom was more important than the cold. A level-nine demon was already dangerous enough without adding poisonous venom to the situation, and the fact that Li Hanye specifically told them to prepare their own antidotes meant that they could not assume the sect would provide everything they needed.

The other disciples began discussing their preparations after Li Hanye finished speaking. Some were already considering which antidotes they should bring, while others discussed what kind of clothing would be suitable for the cold environment. The mission would not begin for another two days, but everyone understood that preparing properly beforehand would save them trouble once they reached Baidun.

Li Yan was about to leave with the others when Li Hanye called him back.

"Yanyan, wait for me and follow me."

Li Yan stopped and turned around before following his older brother away from the group. Li Wei noticed that the two were leaving together and immediately followed them as well. He had no intention of being left behind, especially when Li Hanye had clearly called Li Yan over for something.

After walking away from the training hall, Li Hanye led them to a quieter corner where they would not be disturbed by the other disciples. He reached into his storage space and brought out two bottles before handing them to Li Yan along with a woollen sweater.

"This is my master’s Xuanlong antidote. It can protect you from venom even if you encounter a rank-ten demon, so you need to keep it somewhere safe. The woollen sweater is for the cold because your uniform will not be enough to keep you warm in the lizard demon’s territory. You need another layer of insulation if you want to avoid being affected by the cold."

Li Yan accepted the two bottles and sweater, taking a moment to look at the items his brother had given him. The Xuanlong antidote was clearly valuable if it could protect someone from the venom of a rank-ten demon, and Li Hanye had given him two bottles without asking for anything in return.

"I understand. Thank you, Brother."

Li Hanye nodded and made sure Li Yan had properly stored the antidotes before looking toward Li Wei, who had been standing nearby throughout the exchange. Li Wei had waited until Li Hanye finished speaking before stretching out his hand, clearly expecting his older brother to provide him with something as well.

Li Hanye raised a brow when he saw the outstretched hand and stared at Li Wei for a moment before understanding what he wanted.

"I only brought enough for Yanyan. You are an inner disciple, Li Wei. Do you expect me to provide your resources for you? This is not your first mission, so you should already know what you need to prepare."

Li Wei’s lips twitched when he heard those words. Usually, whenever he went on a mission with Li Hanye, his older brother would prepare many of the resources he needed and make sure he had everything before they left the sect. It had become something Li Wei was accustomed to, even though he knew he was already an inner disciple and should be capable of preparing for missions himself.

Ever since Li Yan appeared, however, things had stopped going his way. His older brother had once been the person who paid the most attention to him, yet now Li Hanye was openly preparing things for Li Yan while telling him to handle his own resources.

Li Wei quickly lowered his hand and forced himself to maintain a calm expression.

"Of course not, Brother. I was the one who misunderstood. Yan Yan needs it more because he is an outer disciple, while I have already participated in missions before. I will head out now and prepare my own things."

Li Hanye nodded without saying anything further, so Li Wei turned around and walked away. Before leaving completely, however, he glanced back at Li Yan with a murderous glare that made his resentment impossible to miss.

Li Yan watched him disappear from sight before chuckling to himself. It seemed that Li Wei had truly fallen out of his brother’s good graces. The change was almost amusing when he remembered how differently Li Hanye had treated Li Wei before the truth about their past had been cleared up.

Once Li Wei was gone, Li Hanye’s expression softened as he turned back toward Li Yan. The sternness he had shown while speaking to Li Wei disappeared, leaving behind the familiar affection he had shown since explaining the truth about their mother.

Li Hanye looked at the sweater in Li Yan’s hands and made sure he had not forgotten anything else before speaking.

"I will protect you, Yanyan, so use this opportunity to learn and improve your cultivation."