Chapter 160: Mission, Lu Yuan Makes a Move

Chapter 160: Chapter 160: Mission, Lu Yuan Makes a Move

This zither wasn’t the Seven Kills; its design leaned toward a normal, standard model.

Of course, it still used three types of Attribute Strings, but the Array design was different. Moreover, it had two modes—regular mode and Profound Weapon Mode—and the Profound Weapon Mode featured three distinct gear levels.

Thus, it was quite a novelty in this world, attracting considerable attention.

In the end...

"No one expected Miss Chang to show up. Once she placed a bid, the others backed down. In the end, it only sold for eighty-five thousand taels," Liu Lianyue reported.

"Eighty-five thousand taels is already a lot. After deducting the ten thousand or so taels in costs, it’s a net profit of seventy thousand," Lu Yuan smiled.

"Hehe, as long as you don’t mind. We’ll split it fifty-fifty—thirty-five thousand taels each," Liu Lianyue said with a smile.

"You take fifty thousand taels; there’s also the cost of the Seven Kills zither to consider," Lu Yuan said, shaking his head. He didn’t want the Liu Family to suffer a loss.

"Alright, I’ll listen to you." Liu Lianyue didn’t decline.

"Senior Brother, here is ten thousand taels for you." Lu Yuan handed half of his share to Yan Qing.

"No need. I sold two items and already made quite a bit," Yan Qing refused.

This auction was held under his name, marketed as the work of Master Cyan Mountain, the senior brother of Master Yuan Mountain. For this, Yan Qing had even brought out two of his treasured pieces.

"I told you I’d pay you for your labor. You did most of the work, and we used your Weapon-Forging Furnace." Lu Yuan forcefully shoved the money into Yan Qing’s arms. He couldn’t let his senior brother take a loss!

He could build his own Weapon-Forging Furnace now, but his house was too small with no extra space, and the noise would be too obvious. For now, he didn’t want to make his identity as a Weapon Master known to everyone.

"You can use the Weapon-Forging Furnace whenever you want." Yan Qing accepted the money.

"Senior Brother, give me a hand," Lu Yuan requested with a smile. Forging thirty arrows by himself would take quite a bit of time.

"Sure." Yan Qing agreed readily.

...

[Your Dao companion, Su Wan, has gained insights in Cultivation. You receive a ten-fold feedback. 200 experience points have been credited.]

[Your Dao companion, Su Wan, has gained insights in Cultivation. You receive a ten-fold feedback. 200 experience points have been credited.]

[Your Dao companion, Su Wan, has gained insights in Cultivation. You receive a ten-fold feedback. 300 experience points have been credited.]

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and Su Wan contributed another 700 experience points.

Added to the previous 3,388, he now had a total of 4,088 points. This allowed Lu Yuan to successfully open another 34 acupoints. His total reached 117, which was more than what many who had achieved major mastery in a Profound Skill possessed.

Lu Yuan’s Cultivation was now equivalent to an ordinary High Tier Seventh Grade. In reality, because he cultivated the Cyan Dragon Technique, his power was greater than that of a standard High Tier Seventh Grade.

Furthermore, his root bone aptitude had reached 280 points. This was also a major reason why he had been able to defeat Xiao Dushi head-on with a single saber strike.

At the Demon Suppression Bureau.

"There is a mission I need you to handle," Qin Gang said, seeking out Lu Yuan.

"What mission?" Lu Yuan asked.

"General Chang’s Mansion lost a Seventh Grade Netherworld Cat. Go help them find it," Qin Gang explained.

"Give me a different one." Lu Yuan blanked for a moment before replying without hesitation. Helping to find a cat—was this really what they were supposed to be doing? Besides, he knew that the cat had already been crushed to death by his father-in-law.

"This is a good mission," Qin Gang frowned. Wasn’t it a good thing to build a relationship with General Chang’s Mansion?

"Give me a different one," Lu Yuan said, shaking his head. "Finding a Cat Demon is the Demon-slaying Bureau’s job. It’s not our Demon Suppression Bureau’s turn to intervene, is it?"

"The Demon-slaying Bureau..." Qin Gang’s mouth twitched. The Demon-slaying Bureau was meant for slaying demons; every one of them harbored a deep, bitter hatred for demonic creatures. The Chang Family specifically didn’t want the Demon-slaying Bureau to get involved, which was why they sought help from the Demon Suppression Bureau.

"They won’t take it."

"I won’t take it either," Lu Yuan shook his head. "Give me a different one. If there’s nothing else, I’m going back."

"There is!" Qin Gang stopped him. If Lu Yuan wasn’t willing to go, he would just have to send someone else. Swapping missions around would lead to the same result. "A group of bandits has appeared near Huaixi Town, two hundred miles to the east. Go take care of them."

"Huaixi Village... two hundred miles..." Lu Yuan furrowed his brows slightly. It was so far away. Did it still fall under the jurisdiction of the Jade Capital’s Demon Suppression Bureau?

"We have to manage everything within a five-hundred-mile radius," Qin Gang explained. "After all, the forces in the various prefectures and counties are far weaker than ours in the Jade Capital. We manage as much as we can."

"Alright, what is the strength of this bandit group?" Lu Yuan asked.

"They aren’t strong. There’s just one Seventh Grade bandit leader, five or six Eighth Grade members, and a few dozen Ninth Grade and unranked thugs. Of course, there might be a slight discrepancy, but the difference won’t be significant," Qin Gang said, taking out a detailed intelligence report and handing it to Lu Yuan. He knew Lu Yuan’s strength; even double the numbers wouldn’t be a problem for him.

"Understood." Lu Yuan accepted the order.

He quickly arrived at the drill grounds.

"Everyone, go to the armory and collect your equipment. We have a mission."

"A mission! We finally have a mission!" Liu Zhi cheered happily. After resting for a few days, he had been bored out of his mind.

"A mission!" Jiang Hongfei’s eyes lit up, flashing with sharp anticipation. Having achieved major mastery in Bone Tempering, he was precisely in need of an opportunity to show off his skills.

"A mission..." Chen Qian muttered to herself, her grip tightening on her saber. Was she finally about to walk the same path as her older brother?

"Is it difficult?" Su Wan asked.

"It’s not a small task. You all need to be prepared," Lu Yuan said seriously. "Hurry up and get your equipment. Assemble outside the Director of Military Affairs’ office in fifteen minutes."

"Yes, sir!" The team quickly went to prepare.

Lu Yuan didn’t need to pick out any weapons. He had a complete set for every aspect of combat. So, he went straight to the Director of Military Affairs’ office and picked out the horse he usually rode.

A short while later, the five of them rode out of the city together...

Somewhere in the Jade Capital.

"Lu Yuan has made a move. He went east to Huaixi Town!" Wang Zhong muttered to himself as he passed by.

"I understand!" a person replied, quickly disappearing from sight.

Following that, Wang Zhong arrived at a general store.

"Lu Yuan went east to Huaixi Town!"

"Thank you for the information, my friend," a calm voice replied.

Shortly after, a small bird flew out, heading to an unknown destination.

...

Traveling over two hundred miles on the Demon Suppression Bureau’s horses would still take more than two hours. Everyone present was a martial artist, so the journey was nothing to them. Even Miss Su Wan didn’t show any signs of discomfort.

Finally, they arrived in the vicinity of their target at Huaixi Town before noon.

"This time, apart from that Seventh Grade bandit leader, I won’t intervene. You’ll handle the rest yourselves," Lu Yuan assigned the tasks.

"It’s just a few Eighth Grade thugs," Su Wan said with a hint of disdain. At first, Lu Yuan had made it sound like a heavy mission, but it turned out to be just this little. If given enough time, she could basically wipe them out all by herself.

"Piece of cake!" Jiang Hongfei said confidently. There really was no difficulty at all. Four against five or six—with one High Tier, two Middle Tiers, and one Initial Stage on their side, they could directly slaughter their way through.

"I won’t hold you back!" Liu Zhi drew his Soft Sword.

Chen Qian remained silent, but she had already made her preparations.

"If anyone gets injured, don’t blame me for beating you up afterward!" Lu Yuan swept his gaze over them, carrying a hint of warning. This was his first time leading a mission team; it had to be perfect.

"Impossible!"

"It won’t happen!"

Jiang Hongfei and Liu Zhi immediately jumped up. They had witnessed Lu Yuan’s ferocity, and even if they couldn’t compare to him, they couldn’t fall too far behind.

"Move out!" Lu Yuan waved his hand.

...

Huaixi Town was named after a Locust Tree Forest.

Locust trees grew tall and sturdy, with dense branches and leaves that blocked the sun and concealed shadows, making them excellent feng shui trees. With enough age and a sufficient quantity, they could be arranged into a Magic Array.

Huaixi Town had been guided by an Array Master to plant locust trees, which slowly formed an Array, turning the area into a prime location. Because it was also located near a main road leading to the Jade Capital, it gradually flourished. However, this also made it an easy target for Evil Martial Artists.

"You’re saying that a treasure hidden beneath this town is about to mature—are you certain?"

...