Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Stay Alert

Hua Xuan Zi, walking at the very front, heard the Wei Family siblings and said, “When your cultivation is low, it’s best not to enter the back mountain lightly. The back mountain belongs under the Hao Ran Sect’s jurisdiction, but it’s too large. Some fairly strong demon beasts live inside. Normally, we only move around the outer area and rarely enter the inner region.”

Yun Xi nodded in understanding. “Thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister. My clan brother and I know our limits. We only accept missions within the sect. Last time, the mission to plant spirit rice on the Outer Five Peaks scared us badly enough.”

After speaking, she patted her chest as if still shaken.

Hua Xuan Zi helped out at the Mission Hall, so she clearly had heard about it too. She sighed. “It’s a pity an entire mountain peak of spirit fields got ruined. It’s the first time I’ve heard of something like that. Up to now, that disciple named Chen Feng still hasn’t shown his face. He probably ran off long ago.”

Wei Yun Xi’s lips curved slightly. [He had long since become fertilizer for the spirit field. Still, he didn’t deserve that blame any less. Who told him to be the first to harbor murderous intent?]

Zong Hao followed Hua Xuan Zi’s words. “After making such a huge mistake, he definitely ran away early. Luckily, my sister and I got Senior Sister Hua’s guidance and met Senior Brother Fan Si, who helped us. We harvested the spirit fields early. We lost some spirit stones, but at least we completed the sect mission. Otherwise, the two of us would have been finished.”

Hua Xuan Zi waved it off. “I was the one who suggested you take the spirit field mission. It’s a good thing you were quick-witted, or I would’ve blamed myself.”

“How could we?” Yun Xi said. “Senior Sister was helping me. I accepted the mission myself. If something goes wrong, I can’t blame the person who kindly helped me.”

Yun Xi was someone who drew clear lines between gratitude and resentment. She didn’t like taking it out on others or punishing people by association.

Hua Xuan Zi felt comfortable hearing that. Yun Xi was young, but her mind was open and clear, someone worth befriending.

Senior Brother Zhao nodded silently. Senior Brother Qian and Senior Brother Li also chimed in, and the atmosphere stayed fairly harmonious.

After walking for another two hours, Senior Brother Zhao spoke. “We’ll stop and rest for fifteen minutes. Adjust your state. We’ll soon reach a sand mouse den we scouted before.”

He continued, “Once we’re there, I, Junior Brother Qian, and Junior Brother Li will draw the sand mice out of the den. Junior Sister Hua and Junior Sister Wei will enter the sand mouse burrow quickly to pick the Gold Sand Grass.”

He looked at Zong Hao. “Junior Brother Wei will keep watch for them. If a large group of sand mice returns to the den, you must cover the two junior sisters and help them withdraw quickly. Don’t get blocked inside the burrow. These sand mice aren’t high in cultivation, but enough ants can bite an elephant to death. Don’t underestimate them.”

“Understood!” everyone replied.

No one objected to the division of labor. It seemed they had already discussed it earlier.

After that, they scattered under a massive tree, either meditating, whispering, or taking a short rest.

Yun Xi pulled Zong Hao and said, “Brother Zong Hao, whenever I get nervous, I want to use the restroom. Come with me into that little grove.”

Zong Hao’s face twitched. He didn’t think his sister was the type to get nervous at a critical moment, but he still told Senior Brother Zhao and went with Yun Xi into the nearby grove.

Once they were out of everyone’s sight, Yun Xi immediately set up an isolation formation plate and told Zong Hao what she had discovered.

Zong Hao’s round face scrunched up as he asked nervously, “Then what do we do? Find a way to leave the team halfway?”

Yun Xi shook her head. “If it isn’t aimed at us, then it’s aimed at Senior Sister Hua and the others. If we leave halfway, we might alert whoever’s following behind.”

She added, “We don’t know who they are or how strong they are. If we act rashly, the two of us will just be waiting to get wiped out.”

Zong Hao thought it over and nodded. “You’re right. In that case, we’ll watch and wait. Especially during the mission, the two of us can’t split up.”

“From Senior Brother Zhao’s assignment, he doesn’t plan to split us up either.” Yun Xi said. “At least for now, it looks like Senior Brother Zhao doesn’t know anything.”

“Mm.” Zong Hao shared his own observations. “I think Senior Sister Hua might not know either. On the way just now, I saw Senior Sister Hua and Senior Brother Zhao get along well. If anything were off, Senior Brother Zhao should’ve told her. And in this temporary squad, they have the highest cultivation. Those two definitely wouldn’t turn on each other.”

Yun Xi nodded. “Brother Zong Hao, we need to be more alert from here on out. The people behind us will probably strike while we’re doing the mission. It’ll be sudden, and it’ll be easier to succeed.”

“Mm. I understand.”

They exchanged opinions quickly, then returned to the resting spot.

When Senior Brother Zhao saw everyone was back, he called out, “Let’s move!”

The group returned to their earlier formation and continued deeper toward the inner region.

The closer they got to the inner region, the denser and taller the trees became. Even the shrubs were a head taller than the ones in the outer area. Low-rank demon beasts occasionally darted past them. Fortunately, the squad members were all in late Qi Refining, and the pressure they released kept the outer-area demon beasts in check.

After walking for a bit more than half an hour, Senior Brother Zhao stopped the group. Everyone hid behind a pile of gray rocks and watched a cave at the foot of a cliff in the distance. Many sand mice were going in and out.

Seeing those sand mice with golden hides, each about the length of a child’s forearm, and their two sharp, glaring white front teeth, Yun Xi’s scalp tingled. She hated rats, especially the kind of “refined” rats you found in the Cultivation World.

Senior Brother Zhao waved to Senior Brother Qian and Senior Brother Li. The two left the rocks and went in another direction. Soon, a stream of white smoke drifted toward the sand mouse den.

The sand mice that had been coming and going all stopped. They stood upright, twitching their noses as they sniffed the air. After squeaking twice, they dropped their front legs back to the ground and rushed toward the source of the smoke.

Not long after, the sand mice poured out in groups and ran toward where the smoke came from, afraid of falling behind. They even trampled each other. The sand mice were tough-skinned and sturdy. Even if one got knocked over, it could flip back up and keep charging.

Yun Xi clicked her tongue. This was what first-rank demon beasts in the Cultivation World were like. Their vitality was really strong.

The three of them waited a full fifteen minutes. Only then did the sand mice coming out of the den become sparse. Hua Xuan Zi spoke at once. “Junior Sister Wei, we’re going to rush in!”

“Okay!”

Hua Xuan Zi looked at Zong Hao. “Junior Brother Wei, help us push in, then guard the den entrance. If you see a large group of sand mice returning, warn us.”

“No problem. I’m ready!” Zong Hao drew his spirit sword.

“Go!” Hua Xuan Zi gave the order.

The three of them jumped out from behind cover and, in a few bounds, reached the den entrance.

Yun Xi didn’t want to waste time. She flicked her wrist and threw out ten first-rank Fireball Talismans, burning the few sand mice that slipped through into ash, then rushed into the den.

“Junior Sister Wei, this way!” Hua Xuan Zi had already spotted the Gold Sand Grass growing in the center of the burrow.

Yun Xi saw it too. Sunlight shone through the cracks in the stone onto the Gold Sand Grass, making it glitter even more. It was impossible to miss.

Hua Xuan Zi cast an entangling spell, tying up the sand mice that stayed behind and were scrambling around, stringing them together like candied hawthorns. Before they could even scream, she stuffed them into her storage pouch.