Chapter 2: Mission (Part 1)

Monier turned around abruptly and snapped, “Which bastard… uh, senior brother… how did you come here?” An old man stepped out of the crowd with a smile. He wasn’t wearing a purple robe but rather rough gray clothes, exactly like a servant’s attire.
The old man said with a laugh, “If you’ve come, how can I not come?”
Monier curled her lips and said, “Wearing servant clothes again? You really mean to bully people, don’t you?” She pulled Guo Shier and said, “This is Uncle Wu Zude—a shameless elder who likes to dress in tattered clothes and mix among the lower-ranked disciples. If anyone accidentally provokes him, well, the consequences can be very serious.”
Guo Shier didn’t dare say anything rash and stepped forward to bow respectfully, saying, “Hello, Uncle Wu.”
Wu Zude smiled and said, “So you’re the kid who became a senior grand spellcaster at the age of ten? Hmm? Did you take the Spell-Warfare Illusion Path? Which circle have you reached?” The crowd was instantly in an uproar. A ten-year-old grand spellcaster, and a senior master at that—this was utterly bizarre.
Guo Shier replied, “I’m ashamed to say I’ve only reached the beginning of the second circle.”
Wu Zude showed a look of surprise and said, “The second circle? That’s just a beginner Spell-Warrior. Good grief, how are those with potential in Spell-Warfare supposed to live now…”
Monier smiled triumphantly and said, “My Shier is just a genius child.”
Wu Zude blinked his old eyes and chuckled, “Your child? I heard this kid is a disciple of Kuumu, not yours.”
Monier flew into a rage and snapped, “I’m his wife!”
Wu Zude said, “Oh, right, you’re his wife, hehe.” His tone was teasing, leaving Monier furious. This old man was notorious for being difficult in the Chenxiao Sect. He wasn’t bad, just liked to tease people until they were torn between laughter and anger, which made him extremely happy.
Monier took Guo Shier’s hand and said, “Shier, ignore him from now on. He’s just an disrespectful old fool.”
Guo Shier obediently replied, “Okay, we won’t pay attention to that old fool…”
Wu Zude said, “Huh? Kid, dare you call me an old fool?”
Guo Shier looked innocent and said, “Well, it was my wife who called you an old fool… Is that Uncle Wu’s second name?”
Wu Zude was speechless. Guo Shier’s act of feigning ignorance could drive people crazy. Monier giggled happily, repeating, “That’s right, Shier. Let’s go take on the mission. Ignore that old fool.”

Guo Shier found that his wife had a somewhat childish temper—she spoke boldly without restraint, saying whatever came to mind, with her emotions clearly visible on her face. Wu Zude sighed; he couldn’t continue talking. After all, she was a woman and a child. If he said too much and provoked Monier’s father and Kuumu, things could get out of control. He turned and disappeared into the crowd. Monier asked, “Are there any tasks that offer high rewards, low risk, and are easy to complete? Find ten or eight for me to choose from.” The inner disciple in charge of assigning tasks was sweating profusely, thinking, “If such tasks existed, I’d take them myself—why wait for them to be assigned?” But he didn’t dare say that. Instead, he smiled obsequiously and said, “Uncle, there are… there are…” Even if there weren’t any, he had to find some somehow. Guo Shier almost laughed out loud. Of course, he knew what the inner disciple was thinking and also knew he had to present the best tasks for her to choose from—after all, his wife held such a high status. Holding the task list, Guo Shier examined each one carefully. Monier kept saying, “Shier, let’s avoid the dangerous ones and pick only the easy ones.” Guo Shier broke into cold sweat. His wife was truly too formidable. No one else dared say anything, but everyone’s eyes showed a hint of dissatisfaction, along with envy and jealousy. There were all kinds of tasks, so varied that it was easy to get overwhelmed. However, Guo Shier’s goal was clear: leave the formation range of Chenxiao Sect but not go too far, staying near it for easy access in and out. He had no plans to leave Chenxiao Sect for now; he could learn more knowledge here and improve his strength faster. Soon, Guo Shier picked a task—one that made Monier furious. “What? You’re going to guard a shop?” Guo Shier put on an innocent expression and said, “Yeah, it’s easy and not tiring… What a great task!” Monier replied, “Fights often happen there… It’s too dangerous for you!” Guo Shier said, “It’s not just me guarding it; many others go there too.” Monier kept shaking her head like a protective hen, firmly refusing to let Guo Shier go. She said, “Shier, both the market and the talisman market are places where fights happen frequently. If you go to guard there… you’re still a child and won’t be able to control the situation—you’ll suffer losses!” Guo Shier smiled and said, “With Uncle Eagle Demon by my side, let him fight.”

Monier said, “The young eagle isn’t strong enough. He’s just a senior grand talisman martial artist; he can’t beat others. There are many stronger people here, and he’ll suffer losses… If he suffers, you’ll suffer too. No! No!” She then picked up the task listing and flipped through it casually before suddenly saying, “This one works!”
Guo Shier stretched his head to take a look and broke into a cold sweat, saying, “Appraisal? My wife, my knowledge isn’t enough.”
Monier smiled and said, “Who cares if it’s enough? There’s no need to fight for this. If you can appraise it, do it. If not… hehe, there are more advanced appraisers in the shop, right? It’s easy, no fighting required, and the reward is high… Perfect. This is the task we need. No need to look at others.”
Guo Shier examined it carefully and found that he indeed met the requirements. The minimum requirement for this task was to be a senior grand talisman caster, but it wasn’t posted here. He reminded her, “My wife, this task wasn’t posted here.”
Monier smiled and said, “It doesn’t matter. It can be posted here too. It’s not considered a high-level task; it’s somewhere between intermediate and high-level. Don’t worry. Strong people won’t take it, and those with insufficient rank can’t take it either. Hehe, it’s perfect for you… Alright, this is the task. Let’s register it.”
Guo Shier asked, “Is the name of this shop Da Chen Shop? Is it part of the inner sect?”
The inner sect disciple replied, “Yes. It’s a shop under the largest trading firm of the Chenxiao Sect. This shop is the closest to the sect. Hehe, the reward for this task is good, and there’s a decent amount of sect points. If you can accumulate enough points, you can exchange them for a trip to the Void Mist Path.”
Monier said, “Don’t listen to his nonsense. Those few points from appraisals won’t get you to the Void Mist Path.”
The disciple stammered, “Of course… hehe, of course. The points from appraisals aren’t enough. Hehe, but the points for this task aren’t low… not low at all…”
After completing the registration, Guo Shier asked, “Can we go right away? Where is Da Chen Shop?”
The disciple handed him a very small map and said, “It’s very close. You can hire a few servants to take you there, or ask other inner sect disciples to escort you… It’s a cheap task. Do you want me to post it?”
Monier said, “No need. I’ll take him there myself.”
Guo Shier was deeply moved. He knew Monier truly cared about him and smiled, “Alright. If my wife takes me there, no one will dare to bully me.”

Monier said, “Who dares to bully you? Just fight back hard! I’ll give you a signal token—if you can’t win… send the token, and I’ll send someone to fight for you!”
Guo Shier broke into cold sweat. If it weren’t for his adult soul, with his master’s indulgent attitude, he would have soon become a spoiled troublemaker.
Monier continued, “Your master is such a dullard. All he does is kill people or hide in the talisman-making hall. When his own disciple goes on a mission, he doesn’t even come out… I’ll go back and pull him out.”
Guo Shier grabbed Monier’s arm and pleaded, “No! Please don’t disturb the master. He’s busy working. It’s not okay to interrupt him now. Master, I’m just going to be an appraiser, not fight. It’s fine—please don’t disturb him.”
Monier patted Guo Shier’s head and sighed, “You really protect your master well… Alright, alright. I’ll take you there. Go back and pack your things…”
Guo Shier said, “My luggage is already ready. I plan to leave as soon as I get the mission.”
Monier didn’t expect Guo Shier to be so eager. She had no idea that the kid was anxious to meet his first master. After getting a basic understanding of the Chenxiao Sect, he couldn’t stay still. The living conditions here might be similar to those at the Northern Talisman Gate, but the professional standards were vastly different. He was eager to go back and report.
She said, “Alright, baby. I’ll take you there.”
Guo Shier called Eagle Demon, and the two followed Monier outside. As they walked, Monier said, “Dachen Shop is in Wuyu Town, by Star Lake. The scenery there is beautiful, and it’s a transportation hub. Many caravans pass by there, but it’s also a place where fights happen. You could die easily if you’re not careful. But disciples of the Chenxiao Sect are relatively safe.”
Guo Shier asked in confusion, “Isn’t this the territory of the Chenxiao Sect? Why doesn’t the inner sect take care of it?”
Monier smiled and said, “They can’t manage it. They can only ensure the safety of inner sect disciples. They can’t even guarantee the safety of outer sect disciples. Killing is too common here. It’s not just that people draw swords at the slightest disagreement; sometimes attacks happen for no reason at all…”
Guo Shier was shocked and asked, “Why?”
Monier replied, “The truly safe place is the sect. Once you leave the sect, anywhere is dangerous… As a professional, you must understand this. Otherwise, how can you improve your skills?”
Guo Shier smiled bitterly and said, “If… a master as skilled as him started killing randomly in the outer sect… who could stop him?”

Monier smiled and said, “At a level as high as your master’s, one doesn’t even lift a hand. If they do act, they usually only kill those who offend them. It’s the lower and intermediate-level professionals who kill indiscriminately—they need the thrill of killing to progress faster.”
Guo Shier asked, “By this standard, how many people here can survive?”