Chapter 39: Junior Brother, Do You Know That the Dao Seeking Sect is an Orthodox Sect?

"Of course, not just anything can be deemed a mission; the three types of missions mentioned above all carry a prerequisite, and that is to defend the righteous path."

"As fortune would have it, Brother Mangu discovered a mission perfectly suited for us. It was far too difficult for him to achieve alone, which is why he called upon the two of us."

Mangu nodded in assent without offering many words, truly embodying the modest grace of a refined gentleman.

"Then when shall we set forth?" Lu Yang enquired.

"How about tomorrow at the break of dawn?" Meng Jingzhou proposed.

This suited Lu Yang's desires perfectly; he wished to visit the Mission Grand Hall to exchange for a few items before their departure, as the contribution points pooling in his hands always left him feeling a restless itch.

......

"The Frosted Gourd: the water within the gourd chills rapidly, providing a sensation of utter refreshment—the peerless choice for those who favor ice-cold water. Three contribution points."

"The Multi-functional Folding Knife: includes an ear-pick, nail clippers, a marker, a compass, and various other utilities; an indispensable essential for wilderness travel. Ten contribution points."

"The Pagoda Dragon-Blood Blade: once the Dharma treasure of a certain cultivator of the demonic path, utilizing dragon blood to arouse its bloodthirstiness, and Pagoda Buddhist Dharma to suppress its malevolence. Cleaving men and hacking bone with it is as easy as reaching into a pocket to pluck an object. Now, the demonic aura of this blade has been thoroughly eradicated, and its malevolent nature completely suppressed, though its sharpness has slightly diminished. Sale price: three hundred contribution points."

"The Fragment of the Great Karuna Heart Sutra: a remnant piece of a mental cultivation method left behind after an ascetic monk self-immolated, suspected to be his original creation, the authentic version of which can no longer be traced. This fragment can subdue the restless mind and erratic thoughts, allowing one to swiftly enter deep meditation. Sale price: one thousand five hundred contribution points."

Lu Yang perused several in succession, yet none caught his fancy, whereupon he questioned the senior brother keeping watch there.

"Senior Brother, this junior brother of yours is to journey out tomorrow for experiential cultivation and wishes to purchase some defensive implements for self-protection. I wonder if you have any recommendations?"

The senior brother was tall and of immense build, his face so thick with fierce, rugged flesh that it could make young children cease their crying at a glance; he looked precisely like the sort of villain an honorable knight would eradicate in the name of justice.

The senior brother swept a glance over Lu Yang, finding him unfamiliar, and immediately realized that Lu Yang was a newly recruited junior brother.

At the thought that he could finally be addressed as 'Senior Brother' by someone, his countenance softened somewhat.

How many years had it been? He was finally no longer at the very bottom among the disciples.

"How many contribution points and spirit stones do you plan to use?"

"Three hundred contribution points, and no spirit stones."

"My surname is Li, given name Dan. You may address me as Senior Brother Li. You are in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, so the grade of the items you can use is not high, and the required contribution points will not be too many."

Though Li Dan appeared fierce and menacing of countenance, he was in truth a highly warm-hearted fellow.

Senior Brother Li practicedly slid the exchange registry list, introducing various protective gear: "The Hundred-Battles Heart-Protecting Mirror, fitted upon the chest, can withstand a single full-force blow from the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. It requires a mere two hundred contribution points."

Just as Lu Yang was pondering whether or not to purchase one to safeguard his life, he heard a timid voice speak: "Junior, Junior Brother Lu, actually you do not need to buy a heart-protecting mirror here. The baked sesame cakes from the dining hall can also withstand a single full-force blow from the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, and they are even cheaper than this."

The voice grew smaller as it spoke, until at last it was nigh the size of a mosquito or fly flapping its wings; had Lu Yang not already attained the Foundation Establishment stage with his five senses rendered acute, he truly would not have been able to hear it clearly.

"Senior Sister Zhou Lulu?" Lu Yang exclaimed in surprise, never expecting to encounter Senior Sister Zhou Lulu here.

During his first month upon entering the Asking-the-Dao Sect, he had immersed himself within the Pavilion of Hidden Scriptures, and whenever there was anything he failed to comprehend, he would inquire of Senior Sister Zhou Lulu. Since being confined by Yun Zhi to cultivate upon Heavenly Gate Peak, he had not seen her again; in a flash of time, a year had already passed.

"Senior Sister." Senior Brother Li Dan was only one generation higher than Lu Yang, so he too had to address Zhou Lulu as Senior Sister.

"It, it is me." Zhou Lulu spoke with a nervousness visible to the naked eye; she had just completed a mission and come to exchange for her rewards, happening by chance to run into Lu Yang.

"You, you two carry on looking. I, I was just offering a small suggestion, I meant nothing else by it." Facing the gazes of the two men, Zhou Lulu hid herself far away, lowering her presence, intending to wait until Lu Yang finished his exchange before making her own.

Neither of the two paid any further attention to Zhou Lulu.

"This is the Mountain-Crashing Hammer; when struck downwards, it carries an accompanying vibration effect that can disrupt the rhythm of an opponent's array-formation layout or talisman-drawing. It possesses a certain restraining effect against both array cultivators and talisman cultivators. However, cultivators proficient in arrays and talismans possess steadfast minds and remain unperturbed in the face of peril; even when encountering interference, they can adjust their rhythm, so the efficacy of the Mountain-Crashing Hammer would be much lesser. Two hundred and seventy contribution points."

Lu Yang nodded; this too was a fine item. It was not impossible that he might encounter opponents who were array or talisman cultivators.

Aside from those cultivators who had been steeped in these arrays and talismans for several decades, the Mountain-Crashing Hammer would prove effective.

Senior Brother Zhou Lulu murmured softly once more from the side: "The deep-fried dough sticks from the dining hall can achieve roughly the same effect."

The two acted as though they had heard nothing.

"Senior Brother Li, do we have any of those little contraptions here used to catch others unawares?"

Senior Brother Li assumed a solemn expression and said, "Junior Brother, are you aware that the Asking-the-Dao Sect is an orthodox and righteous sect?"

"And so?"

"This question must be asked in a whisper."

Lu Yang let out an 'oh' of understanding.

Senior Brother Li pressed down upon the registry list and gave a forceful swipe downward, causing the descriptions of various goods to scroll past rapidly. Seizing the right moment, he tapped upon the list and continued his introduction: "This is the Broken Jade Needle, as fine as a cow's hair. Once infused with spiritual energy, it becomes incredibly sharp and can pierce through vital acupuncture gates. However, the difficulty of mastering it is great, requiring much practice, and its price is by no means cheap."

"This is the Strange-Gate Nail. When facing a powerful foe, one can take advantage of their lack of preparation, grab a handful, and fling them toward the opponent's seven facial orifices to seize victory through surprise. It is simple to master, and the price is also fitting."

Lu Yang nodded; this item was truly not expensive, and could even be said to be worth far more than its value.

"The rice from the dining hall is more useful than this," Senior Sister Zhou Lulu reminded from the side.

Senior Brother Li Dan could no longer endure Senior Sister Zhou Lulu's soft muttering; he spun around abruptly, giving Zhou Lulu a tremendous fright.

Zhou Lulu lowered her head, not daring to look directly at the fierce-fleshed Li Dan. She had no intention of causing trouble, but the items from the dining hall truly were very useful; she wished to recommend them directly to Lu Yang, yet felt too embarrassed.

Seeing Zhou Lulu in such a state, Li Dan also knew the other party bore no ill intent, and his tone softened unconsciously: "Senior Sister Zhou, I know you belong to the Peak of a Hundred Refinements, but you cannot undermine a newly arrived junior brother just to drum up business for your own peak!"

"Furthermore, Junior Brother Lu, think about it: aside from being excellent in quality, low in price, sturdy, durable, and multi-functional—able to serve as weapons as well as food—what other benefits do the foods from the dining hall possess?"

Lu Yang: "..."

Were these benefits not already abundant enough?

Li Dan thought for a moment; it seemed that apart from their shapes being unsuited for combat, the foods from the dining hall truly possessed no flaws.

"How about Senior Sister Zhou takes Junior Brother Lu for a stroll around the dining hall?"

Zhou Lulu's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly pulled Lu Yang along toward the dining hall.

Lu Yang discovered that Senior Sister Zhou's hand strength was terrifyingly immense, such that he could not break free at all; he could not begin to fathom what realm of cultivation Senior Sister Zhou had actually attained.

"Senior Sister Zhou, you belong to the Peak of a Hundred Refinements?"

The Peak of a Hundred Refinements under the Fifth Elder held the two dual functions of artifact forging and the dining hall; most of the time, these two functions were one and the same.

Zhou Lulu replied, "Indeed, I am a disciple of the Peak of a Hundred Refinements."

"But I see you frequently reading books in the Pavilion of Hidden Scriptures, and none of what you read concerns the art of artifact forging?"

Lu Yang could not help but feel somewhat bewildered; shouldn't disciples of the Peak of a Hundred Refinements be studying artifact forging?