Chapter 055

Chapter 55: Temporary Squad

Early the next morning, Yun Xi and Zong Hao went together to the Task Hall entrance to inquire about the mission Senior Sister Hua had mentioned.

When Hua Xuan Zi spotted the two, she waved cheerfully, calling out, “Junior Sister Yun Xi, over here!”

They quickened their pace, greeting her with respectful salutes before moving on to business.

“Senior Sister Hua, what exactly is this task in the back mountains? Could my cousin come along as well? His cultivation has already reached Qi Refining Layer Seven.”

Hua Xuan Zi had long noticed Zong Hao’s cultivation and responded warmly with a smile, “Of course! Junior Brother Wei is most welcome. Actually, I invited you to help harvest Golden Sand Grass.”

Yun Xi immediately nodded in understanding. Golden Sand Grass was rather particular—it had to be harvested by girls under the age of twenty, otherwise, it would crumble into golden sand, hence its name.

Seeing Yun Xi’s confident expression, Hua Xuan Zi knew Yun Xi was familiar with the Golden Sand Grass. She continued, “Originally, Junior Sister Zhang was supposed to join our squad, but she’s gone into secluded cultivation, leaving us one short. Our captain worried I couldn’t handle the task alone, so he asked me to find another disciple. I immediately thought of you!”

Yun Xi glanced at Zong Hao, seeing understanding reflected in his eyes, and replied with a clear nod, “Thank you for thinking of us, Senior Sister Hua. We’ll take on this task. When do we leave?”

“I knew you’d agree easily, Junior Sister Yun Xi! If neither of you have any objections, we’ll depart in half an hour. I’ll register you two into our Temporary Squad and officially accept the mission. You’ll still have time to prepare.”

Neither of them hesitated, nodding their agreement before accompanying Hua Xuan Zi into the Task Hall.

Hua Xuan Zi found a familiar senior brother, quickly slipping their names into the Temporary Squad and officially claiming the task before returning their identity tokens.

“You two go prepare first. I’ll inform the others, and we’ll meet at the back mountain entrance soon.”

“Understood.”

After finalizing arrangements, Hua Xuan Zi hurried away to notify the remaining members.

Yun Xi and Zong Hao briefly returned to the disciple courtyard, leaving messages for Yun Ying and Zong Yu about their whereabouts. They quickly sorted their storage bags, ensuring nothing was overlooked, then headed off toward the back mountains.

Along the way, Zong Hao voiced his worries, “Yun Xi, you might be close with Senior Sister Hua, but we don’t know her teammates well. We should be careful during the mission. Let’s make sure we aren’t treated as disposable pawns.”

“Yes, I understand,” Yun Xi replied softly. “But chances like this are rare. We can’t only cultivate. Practical experience matters, especially learning how to handle unexpected situations. Let’s treat this mission as a valuable lesson.”

She paused before continuing, “Zong Hao, have you looked into the mission details?”

“Yes,” Zong Hao nodded. “Aside from gathering Golden Sand Grass, their team accepted a task to capture Sand Gerbils. Those creatures live near Golden Sand Grass, and their hides and teeth are valuable for crafting. They’re only first-order beasts, but they breed quickly and damage spirit plants terribly. Missions involving them are released often, but only those quick enough get to take them.”

“I suspect they’ll also gather low-level spirit plants along the way,” Yun Xi reasoned aloud. “Since you want to practice growing spiritual herbs, we might as well look for herb seeds too.”

“Agreed. I’ll follow your lead.”

As they spoke, the pair reached the back mountain entrance. Many other disciples were bustling about, including some inner sect disciples clearly preparing to venture deeper into the mountains.

Aware of their own modest abilities, Yun Xi and Zong Hao waited quietly off to the side, careful not to obstruct the path.

Soon enough, Senior Sister Hua appeared, accompanied by three male disciples.

“Senior Sister Hua, over here!” Yun Xi called out.

Smiling, Hua Xuan Zi quickly approached, introducing everyone once the group gathered together.

“Junior Sister Yun Xi, Junior Brother Wei, meet the rest of our team: Senior Brother Zhao, Senior Brother Qian, and Senior Brother Li.”

Turning to the others, she continued, “This is Junior Sister Wei Yun Xi whom I’ve mentioned before, and this is her cousin, Wei Zong Hao. They’ll be filling in for Junior Sister Zhang.”

Yun Xi discreetly scanned their cultivation levels with her spiritual sense. Two were at Qi Refining Layer Eight, and Senior Brother Zhao, like Hua Xuan Zi herself, was at Qi Refining Layer Nine. On the surface, she and Zong Hao were indeed the weakest, but that was only outward appearances.

Senior Brother Zhao warmly welcomed them, laughing heartily, “Junior Sister Wei, we’ve heard so much about you. Many of your talismans have already been used up by our own squad!”

Yun Xi responded courteously, “That’s all thanks to Senior Sister Hua’s kindness. It’s truly my honor if my small efforts have been useful to you senior brothers.”

Zong Hao said nothing, standing quietly beside Yun Xi with an amiable smile.

Senior Brother Qian chuckled, “Junior Sister, you’re too humble!”

After exchanging pleasantries, Senior Brother Zhao took the lead, guiding their group through the entrance. The guards verified their identity tokens and mission details before permitting entry.

Upon entering the mountain, the group grew serious, moving swiftly without casual chatter. Yun Xi and Zong Hao were placed securely in the middle—Senior Brother Zhao and Hua Xuan Zi led the front, while Senior Brothers Qian and Li brought up the rear. Although it appeared as if they were protectively shielding the two juniors, Yun Xi remained cautious, aware it could also mean they didn’t fully trust them.

She subtly exchanged glances with Zong Hao, signaling for him to watch the pair ahead, while she secretly extended her spiritual sense to monitor those behind. To her alarm, she quickly spotted something suspicious.

At the rear of the group, Senior Brother Li was subtly leaving marks along their path whenever Senior Brother Qian’s attention wavered. From the moment they left the main route until their path diverged from others, he had already left two markings—something Yun Xi wouldn’t have noticed without her heightened vigilance.

A flicker of unease crossed her mind, prompting quick thinking. Could Senior Sister Hua be plotting against them? But if that were the case, their current strength was sufficient to crush Yun Xi and Zong Hao easily; there would be no need to summon extra help.

If not against them personally, then perhaps the target was the entire squad, meaning Senior Brother Li had other plans. Did the rest of the squad know, or were they involved too? Yun Xi couldn’t determine this yet.

“Yun Xi, are you tired?” Zong Hao asked gently, noticing her subtle change in expression.

“No,” she smiled faintly, quickly covering her anxiety. “It’s just new to me—my first time exploring the sect’s back mountains. I never imagined it would be this vast, even after a year here!”

With a casual laugh, she neatly hid her suspicions behind a convincing facade.