"According to the information I have, Qi Refining cultivators had been disappearing near Little Lake City as early as a year and a half ago; however, the number and frequency of these disappearances were not high, and it only recently surged, which is why no one paid attention to it back then," the bearded man analyzed.

"Similarly, a year and a half ago, Zhenling Sect investigated the murderer to no avail and temporarily gave up the large-scale search. Instead, they issued a high-reward bounty for clues about the murderer. Comparing the timelines, the conclusion becomes much narrower," the bearded man said with extra confidence.

"Fellow Daoist means to say, the one who killed the Zhenling Sect elder and the one ambushing the Qi Refining cultivators is the same person?" Yuan Ming's face was full of shock, as if he had discovered some incredible secret.

"According to my conjecture, the murderer initially wanted to target a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but he picked the wrong target and mistakenly killed a Zhenling Sect elder. He then lay low for a while, and later he turned to targeting Qi Refining cultivators, being very cautious at first. Seeing that no one could find him, he became increasingly bold, which again drew attention," the bearded man stated confidently.

"Fellow Daoist's analysis is clear and convincing; it indeed persuades one, just that without solid proof, if the deduction is wrong, wouldn't it be making a mountain out of a molehill?" Yuan Ming remarked upon hearing this.

"Hehe, if my deduction is wrong and the murderer is not powerful, wouldn't that be even better? I have also inquired in advance, the bounty set by the Loose Cultivation Association for the murderer is three thousand spirit stones. If we can capture him, the three of us will split it equally, a thousand each, which is certainly a significant amount," the bearded man said nonchalantly.

Yuan Ming smiled, "Fellow Daoist has a point, but I apologize, I am not adept at fighting with others. You should seek someone more capable for this task."

The bearded man looked disappointed and tried to persuade him a few more times. Seeing Yuan Ming was resolute, he did not persist further, bowed, and left with his companion.

Yuan Ming watched the two leave, pondered for a moment, took out the task list, and flipped through it, indeed finding the reward task posted by Zhenling Sect.

"Find Gu Qiuming's whereabouts, rewards one thousand spirit stones for reliable information, three thousand for capture."

Yuan Ming shook his head, unable to believe that Gu Qiuming was suspected by Zhenling Sect, and his "price" was quite high now.

He muttered to himself for a bit, then started looking for the Shengye Sect task mentioned by his grandma.

The high reward offered by Zhenling Sect, yet unable to find Gu Qiuming for two years, somewhat reassured him.

And he had been strenuously practicing cultivation at home for a long time, yet his cultivation had hardly improved. He agreed to take on the Shengye Sect's task both for familial loyalty and to take a break.

Soon, he found the task mentioned by his grandma among many others.

"Escort mission, escorting Shengye Sect Qi Refining Disciples to the forests of Zhao Country to collect Spiritual Medicine, departing in five days. Takers should have resided in Little Lake City for over a year and possess cultivation at or beyond the Foundation Establishment stage, the reward is two bottles of Four Spirits Pills or equivalent spirit stones."

After thinking for a moment, Yuan Ming called the attendant again: "I would like to take on the task of escorting Shengye Sect disciples."

"Alright, please leave your name and cultivation, and I will record it for you," the attendant took out a jade scroll.

"Hagon, Early-stage Foundation Establishment," Yuan Ming reported his alias.

"Alright, I have recorded it for you, senior. Please keep this token safe and bring it with you to the second floor of our association two days later at 7 am, where Shengye Sect will conduct an assessment of you," the attendant handed over a black token.

"An assessment is needed?" Yuan Ming was slightly startled.

"Yes, because it's a customary task for Shengye Sect, they have many cultivators apply each year, and since the disciples being escorted are their elites, for safety, Shengye Sect has high requirements for the character and strength of the applicants, hence the assessment is specially arranged for selection," the attendant explained.

"How many people have applied now? Who are they?" Yuan Ming asked curiously.

"Including you, there are thirteen people total, but per regulations, I can't reveal their names to you, please understand," the attendant said.

Yuan Ming didn't mind; he nodded and then took the token and left.

...

Two days later.

Yuan Ming arrived at the Loose Cultivation Association at the end of 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., showing his token, an attendant immediately led him to the second floor.

The rooms on the second floor of the Loose Cultivation Association were carefully designed, not neighboring each other, and each was equipped with a specialized soundproofing array to prevent eavesdropping.

The room assigned by Shengye Sect was in a deeper part of the second floor, but when Yuan Ming entered the room, he saw eight cultivators already waiting inside.

There were men and women among them, and their ages varied.

Yuan Ming did not know any of them nor did he intend to exchange pleasantries. He directly found a chair, sat down, and closed his eyes to rest.

Soon thereafter, three cultivators entered the room following Yuan Ming. Among them were some acquaintances of the cultivators who had arrived earlier, and they sat together, whispering among themselves.

Shortly after, it was 7 a.m., and the door was pushed open again, with a wave of medicinal fragrance following.

Yuan Ming opened his eyes and saw two Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators walking into the room, one after the other.

The leader, dressed in a dark green long robe and of average height, had thick eyebrows and round eyes that made him look as fierce as a tiger, exuding great authority.

The cultivator following him was Yuan Ming's old acquaintance from the Southern Border, Bai Ye. Bai Ye seemed surprised to see Yuan Ming as well, but soon, a cheerful expression appeared between his brows as they exchanged smiles.

"I am Lu Shen, the External Affairs Elder of Shengye Sect. According to past practice, the tasks issued by our sect required only a year's residence in Little Lake City. However, given the recent events in the city, which you all might have heard of, for the safety of our sect's disciples, this assignment will only be open to cultivators who have resided in the city for more than two years," said the cultivator in the dark green robe as he scanned the room.

As soon as these words were spoken, immediately some cultivators expressed their dissatisfaction.

"Then why didn't you make that clear when you issued the task? What a waste of time!" A short, plump Taoist stood up and stormed out, flinging his sleeves.

Lu Shen remained unmoved: "It sadly caused some Fellow Daoists a wasted trip, for which I feel quite guilty. Therefore, I have specially prepared some Spiritual Tea. Please take a portion when you leave."

The short, plump Taoist had just reached the door when he heard this. His body stiffened, but appearing unable to swallow his pride to turn around and ask for the Spiritual Tea, he hesitated for a moment before snorting coldly and fiercely pushing the door open to leave.

Though other cultivators were also dissatisfied, hearing there was compensation with Spiritual Tea, they no longer showed anger and took the tea before leaving.

Soon, the room was left with only Lu Shen and Bai Ye, along with four other cultivators, including Yuan Ming.

"There are four Fellow Daoists who qualify. For this mission, our sect needs only two participants. Therefore, I ask each of you to demonstrate your Divine Skills. I will choose the two strongest participants," Lu Shen said, making a gesture to invite them. "However, this room is too confined for such displays. Please follow me to the training field to test your skills."

Just then, Bai Ye suddenly spoke: "This Fellow Daoist Hagon needn't go, right? I have personally witnessed his strength, and it is not inferior to mine."

"Elder Bai, this relates to our sect disciples' safety. How can we ignore the rules out of personal favoritism? This Fellow Daoist Hagon is only at the Early-stage Foundation Establishment. How could his strength exceed yours?" Lu Shen frowned, visibly displeased.

"Brother Lu, what I said is absolutely true. If it hadn't been for Fellow Daoist Hagon's rescue, I would have perished in the Southern Border long ago. Not only is his strength outstanding, but his character is also impeccable. Remember, reliable character is most crucial for this mission," Bai Ye said. Seeing Lu Shen still unconvinced, he stealthily communicated something to him using a voice transmission technique.

Upon hearing Bai Ye's voice transmission, Lu Shen's face showed a flicker of surprise. After pondering for a moment, he nodded, "Elder Bai makes a strong case. Since you vouch for him so strongly, let it be this Fellow Daoist."

On hearing this, the other three cultivators' expressions varied, some showing disdain, some surprise, and one with a probing look in his eyes.

However, since there was still one spot remaining, they seemed to have no intention of competing fiercely with Yuan Ming. Seeing that Lu Shen said no more, they left the room and followed him out.

Once the others had left, Yuan Ming greeted Bai Ye with a cupped fist salute: "Fellow Daoist Bai Ye, long time no see."

"It's unexpected to meet here after our parting in the Southern Border. Are you also residing in Little Lake City now?" Bai Ye replied with a smile.

"Yes, after the affairs at Biluo Cave were concluded, I wandered here and found this place peaceful and suitable for my cultivation. Are you a member of Shengye Sect, Bai Fellow Daoist? Why do they call you an Elder?" Yuan Ming asked, puzzled.

"Hehe, my sect has always had a friendly relationship with Shengye Sect. The disciple training each year is often jointly held by both sects. I am now barely serving as an elder in my sect, dealing with such minor matters," said Bai Ye modestly.

"I see. This is also my first time undertaking such a task. Is there anything special I should be cautious about?" Yuan Ming nodded and asked.

"Actually, you needn't worry too much. Despite what Elder Lu said, the places selected for disciples' training each year are not truly dangerous. We Foundation Establishment cultivators accompany them covertly, merely as a precaution. It's rare that we need to take action," Bai Ye waved his hand dismissively.

Yuan Ming nodded understandingly. Afterwards, they chatted idly for a while, exchanging information about their experiences and sights in various places over the years.

Time passed quickly, and before long, Lu Shen returned to the room with the selected cultivator.

"This Fellow Daoist is called He Wendao, who is particularly skilled in Earth Techniques. His use of the Earth Escape Skill is nothing short of masterful, making him extremely suitable for protecting disciples," Lu Shen introduced.

He Wendao was not very old, with a clean-shaven face, appearing rather delicate, and seemed to be at the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment.

Upon hearing Lu Shen introduce him, he quickly greeted Yuan Ming and Bai Ye with a cupped fist, acknowledging their acquaintance.

Seeing this, Lu Shen turned to Yuan Ming: "I wonder what spells Fellow Daoist Hagon specializes in?"

"I have some understanding of Beast Taming," Yuan Ming said, half-truthfully.

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