Meanwhile, elsewhere in the sect...
Han Yu strolled casually through the open plaza of the Outer Court’s mission square, sipping sweet plum tea from a small wooden cup. It had become part of his routine lately—walk around, gather bits of gossip, check for any odd missions, and occasionally take some mundane tasks to keep his merit flow stable.
But today, a cluster of disciples murmuring near the jade mission board caught his attention.
"New missions?" Han Yu asked, joining the group.
One of them nodded. "A caravan escort through the Ending Spine foothills. Just got posted."
Han Yu’s eyes flicked to the large mission slab embedded in the wall.
Among the glowing listings, one line stood out:
Details: Protect a clan-affiliated caravan transporting alchemical and grain supplies.
Location: Southern Foothills – Ending Spine Range, Border Trail Route
Reward: 400 merit points + possible resource split bonus
Restrictions: Outer Court Disciple Mid Stage of Qi Refining Realm and above
Han Yu narrowed his eyes slightly.
’Southern Foothills of the Ending Spine Range again?’
He tapped his finger lightly on his cup. This location was suspiciously close to the same region mentioned in Meng Jueyan’s decrypted report. He leaned forward, trying to sense if there were more hints in the mission summary—but it was vague.
Then, to his surprise, the listing blinked—once, then vanished.
"Taken already?" he muttered.
No one had walked up to register it. That was fast. Too fast.
He stepped over to the disciple clerk at the mission desk. "That escort job just now—do you know who took it?"
The clerk looked up from his ledger and gave Han Yu a polite smile. "Oh, yes. A group of disciples submitted their application just earlier. The mission head is Senior Disciple Ouran Feng."
Han Yu’s eyes narrowed. Ouran Feng was a known associate of Murong Xie.
"And the rest?" he asked, pretending interest. "I was thinking of joining."
The clerk flipped the scroll slightly. "Aside from Ouran Feng... there’s Shen Yao, Huo Zhen, and Ma Yichuan. All Mid to late Stage Qi refining realm Outer Court disciples, approved escorts."
Han Yu recognized the names immediately.
All of them... Murong’s men.
A low hum filled his ears, not from spiritual pressure—but anticipation.
He gave a nod and smiled. "Ah, I must’ve been too slow, then."
Returning to his courtyard, he immediately retrieved the high-grade jade slip and composed a brief but detailed report to Meng Jueyan.
’A mission was just posted in the Twin Leaf Peak Sect’s Mission Hall involving a caravan heading to the Southern foothills of the Ending Spine Range.
The route is dangerously close to the coordinates detailed in the decrypted letter.
The mission was almost instantly claimed by Ouran Feng and a group of disciples directly affiliated with Murong Xie.
If I had to guess—they’re going to reestablish control or at least investigate the site.
He sent the message and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.
’So Murong Xie is trying to act after all. Coward can’t even leave the sect himself.’
He couldn’t help but smirk.
There was danger in this, of course. But also opportunity.
He thought back to the mine—the gleam of mid-grade spirit stones in the dark, the potential wealth just sitting beneath the mountain.
Of course, it wasn’t something he could just stroll in and "take." Mines required labor, infrastructure, protection, and most importantly—secrecy.
But a cut? That was feasible.
Meng Jueyan’s earlier message had mentioned that the Murong Clan should have informed the sect. Contractually, they were bound to declare such discoveries and give the sect a 20% share of all profits.
By hiding it, they were committing a direct breach of sect law. While they might not be a true part of the sect, they were still affiliated and under their influence.
And that gave Han Yu a lever.
If he played it right—timed things well—he might just position himself as the only one with the full picture. He could offer silence, or exposure, in exchange for compensation. Or better yet, funnel more information to Meng Jueyan and let the Intelligence Division "discover" enough to shake things loose again.
Then he’d swoop in and secure his share during the chaos.
His thoughts wandered to the Undying Life Charm. When he was revived in the sect vault, he had consumed a lot of qi from the spirit stone formations beneath the vault trembling—stones dimming, qi bleeding away to feed the charm’s divine energy. That revival had consumed a vast amount of spirit stones.
If he wanted to replicate it again, either as a safeguard or experiment further, he’d need more than just rare herbs and forbidden knowledge.
He needed raw qi. Compressed. Pure.
He needed spirit stones.
Han Yu opened his eyes.
This is the moment, he thought.
The game had shifted once again.
And he was already a move ahead.
Back at his courtyard, Han Yu reclined in his chair, arms crossed behind his head, gaze fixed on the ceiling as he slowly pieced together his plan.
The spirit stone mine was an opportunity too great to ignore.
But going out without a proper excuse would draw unwanted eyes—especially after the sensitive information he’d delivered regarding the Mist Eye Sect’s search for the hidden altar and the Magma Ancestor.
His actions had already shaken the Twin Leaf Peak Sect’s leadership, and though they hadn’t placed him under direct restrictions, he could feel the invisible net that lingered around him.
One wrong step, and he’d be questioned.
A solo journey to the Ending Spine Mountains without an assigned mission would be the equivalent of painting a target on his back.
’No. I need a reason to be out there.’
He needed legitimacy. Something that would allow him to move freely without suspicion.
A mission—or better yet, multiple missions—that would justify his time and presence in the southern foothills.
With that thought, he rose to his feet and stepped into the warm light of morning. His pace was calm, unhurried, and casual as he made his way back to the Mission Hall.