Why did I have to run into this jinx right off the bat!
Could it be that she was about to face another Death Tribulation? Every single life-and-death ordeal she had suffered seemed to happen right around the time she crossed paths with Xiao Haotian. In her heart, Chang Le had long since equated Xiao Haotian with a regular jinx.
With a grim expression, Chang Le actually felt like turning around and leaving on the spot. But at that moment, Hou Jing bounced right up to her, affectionately locking arms with her. "Senior Sister Chang, Senior Sister Mu and Senior Brother Chen are already waiting inside for you."
Forcing a smile, Chang Le noticed that Xiao Haotian seemed to be talking to Wei Zhaoguang and wasn't looking in her direction. She hurriedly tugged at her companion and pointed toward the door on the side.
Hou Jing had also spotted Xiao Haotian and Wei Zhaoguang.
The two of them were celebrities among the outer sect disciples, and they had all sorts of complicated entanglements with Chang Le. Wondering if Hou Jing had thought of something else, she simply nodded and pulled Chang Le through the side door.
The Mission Hall inside was bustling and busy. People came and went in a constant stream, many of them standing still in the middle of the hall with their heads tilted back to look up. Following suit, Chang Le looked up and saw several glowing light screens suspended in front of the windows, constantly scrolling with information.
"Class A-25: Annual trial for outer sect disciples. Requires five people, cultivation at the Qi Refining 5th Layer or above, and skilled fighters. Three people currently enrolled. Check specific requirements by clicking the serial number on your Silk Slip."
"Class B-12: Ten outer sect contribution points. Requires one person to water the Spirit Plantation Garden for ten days. Requires Water or Wood Spirit Roots, with priority given to Water Spirit Roots. Prior experience in tending spirit plants preferred."
...
Chang Le: ...How should I put it? This feels half like a job recruitment market and half like a gaming lobby.
Looking around, she saw a crowd of outer sect disciples with their heads tilted back, frowning as they stared at the light screens, then lowering their heads to tap on their Silk Slips to check the detailed requirements. It really did look just like a job market, complete with both online and offline listings.
Just as she was thinking this, Mu Youzhi and Chen Wei walked right up to them.
Mu Youzhi flashed a smile. "Senior Sister Chang, you're here. Let's get going, I'll share the mission with you first."
Chang Le nodded. Her Silk Slip suddenly vibrated, and looking down, she saw that Mu Youzhi had shared a mission numbered Class A-27. Tapping into it, she found that the task content was indeed very simple: head down the mountain to assist the senior brothers and sisters stationed in the mortal cities in helping the common folk.
The cultivation requirement wasn't high either—anyone at the Qi Refining 5th Layer could take it.
"Missions like this are all related to mortals and generally just involve dealing with various requests from them, so the cultivation requirements are low," Mu Youzhi explained.
Chang Le glanced at the group. She was at the Qi Refining 9th Layer, Mu Youzhi was at the Qi Refining 7th Layer, and the remaining two were both at the Qi Refining 5th Layer. It felt like overkill for such a simple task.
Seemingly sensing what Chang Le was thinking, Mu Youzhi smiled and said, "None of us specialize in combat, so there's no point in taking on tasks like subduing demons and vanquishing devils."
Remembering that both Chen Wei and Hou Jing belonged to the Construction Division, Chang Le looked at Mu Youzhi, who smiled back at her. "I'm from the Spirit Plantation Garden."
Understood: they were farmers, plus herself—a total good-for-nothing. One had to admit that Mu Youzhi had chosen the option best suited to their group's situation.
Seeing that Chang Le had no other objections, Mu Youzhi led the group toward the service windows. Having already realized that Chang Le had no experience with outer sect trials, she explained, "When we get to the window, we'll need to exchange our disciple tokens for exit tokens."
Chang Le asked, "What happens if you forget to exchange them?"
Before Mu Youzhi could answer, Hou Jing chimed in first, "You definitely don't want that to happen. You'd be mistaken for a sect betrayer, and the Punishment Hall would issue a kill order against you."
As she spoke, Hou Jing even wore a look of lingering fear.
Chang Le: ...It was a good thing Gou Ren and the others had stopped her back then. Otherwise, she might have lost half her life if not outright died.
But immediately afterward, she thought of the attitudes Tang Huan and Xu Yingqi had towards her. Oh right, in everyone else's eyes, she was basically illiterate, so going out wouldn't matter anyway... For a moment, she didn't know whether to consider herself lucky or unfortunate.
By then, the group had already exchanged their tokens for exit tokens. Chang Le took a glance. The exit token wasn't much different from the standard disciple token, except for a tiny cloud pattern at the bottom featuring a sword, looking as though someone were flying on a floating sword.
Seeing this, Chang Le suddenly felt a real sense of authenticity that she had truly transmigrated. Everything here was so detailed, far from being just a rough world sketched out by an author's pen. And in this world, there weren't only geniuses and proud prodigies; there were also ordinary people like them, lacking great natural talent, who worked diligently and steadily to earn the resources they needed for their future step by step.
It was just a pity that Chang Le was a spirit entity who had taken human form, stopping at the Qi Refining 9th Layer and unable to reach Foundation Establishment. Otherwise, she too would have wanted to go out and see this vast world and boundless universe.
"Let's go," Mu Youzhi said.
Chang Le nodded and tied the exit token around her waist.
Suddenly, a clamor arose from outside.
"It's Senior Sister Wei... She's come to the outer sect again."
"Must be for that pretty boy Xiao Haotian, right?"
"Team up with him, and you might just win Senior Sister Wei's favor and get gifted some treasures. I heard that good-for-nothing senior sister got favored by Senior Sister Wei just a few days ago and was given loads of items. She even managed to counterkill Gou Ren."
"The good-for-nothing senior sister?"
"You didn't know? Which year did you enter the mountain gates anyway... It's that senior sister who's been stuck at the Qi Refining 9th Layer forever and lingering in the outer sect. Word has it that an inner sect elder once took a fancy to her looks and asked if she wanted to become his concubine in exchange for help entering the inner sect..."
"There's such a thing? What happened then?"
"She refused. Said she'd rely on her own efforts to enter the inner sect. That elder got furious and declared that she would never set foot in the inner sect unless she reached Foundation Establishment."
"And so she never reached Foundation Establishment?"
"Of course not! The elder who said he wanted to take her as a concubine has long since perished, and she's still wasting away at the Qi Refining 9th Layer."
Mu Youzhi gave a soft cough, glanced sideways at Chang Le, and said in a low voice, "It's all nonsense, Senior Sister. Let's go."
Thinking carefully, Chang Le did manage to dig up such a past event from the original owner's memories. However, the original owner's soul had been incomplete, meaning she hadn't understood a single thing the elder meant and had given completely irrelevant answers, infuriating the elder enough to make those harsh remarks.
As for how that elder had died, the original owner hadn't cared enough to keep it in mind.
Chang Le also felt there was no need to pay attention to such gossip; she was much more afraid that Xiao Haotian, that jinx, would notice her. Nodding, she pivoted her feet and prepared to leave with the others.
Just as she took a few steps, she heard Wei Zhaoguang's voice ring out: "Hey, isn't that... Chang Le!"
Chang Le mentally cursed her bad luck. She could ignore it if Xiao Haotian called her, but Wei Zhaoguang had helped her and given her plenty of good things. Even though Gou Ren had grown murderous intent because of it, her life had ultimately been saved by what Wei Zhaoguang gave her.
Helplessly, Chang Le turned back, offering a stiff, unnatural smile as she nodded to the two of them. "What a coincidence, you two are here too."
"It really is you."
Wei Zhaoguang's eyes lit up. She let go of the hand she had been holding with Xiao Haotian, walked briskly over to Chang Le, and grabbed her hand.
Suppressing the urge to pull away for the sake of her financial benefactor, Chang Le kept her expression from freezing entirely as she offered a dry laugh. "Senior Sister Wei."
"Are you alright? When Aunt-master Tang told me about it earlier, I was furious!" Wei Zhaoguang said, looking genuinely annoyed at the memory.
Aunt-master...
Thinking of Hall Master Tang's alluring face, Chang Le was momentarily speechless.
Like a little machine gun, Wei Zhaoguang kept rattling on: "I originally wanted to check on how you were doing that very day, but Haotian suddenly fainted, so I got delayed."
With that, she patted herself down before simply sliding a storage ring off her finger and slipping it onto Chang Le's finger, looking immensely magnanimous. "This whole mess started because of me anyway. Just take these as my apology."
Chang Le... Chang Le was completely dumbfounded by the other woman's sheer generosity. What kind of wonderful benefactor and good girl was this?!
"No, no, no, this is too precious, I can't accept it." Chang Le hastily tried to push it back. It was her first time encountering such a money-sprinkling philanthropist, and her heart was pounding wildly in her chest. The crucial point was that she truly didn't have anything of equal value to give in return! It couldn't possibly be that the other woman had taken a fancy to her face too, right?
Wait, why did she say "too"?
"It's not precious at all, I've got plenty of these."
Saying this, Wei Zhaoguang lifted her hand, and Chang Le noticed four more storage rings hanging from her fingers, leaving her speechless once more. The poor simply could not imagine just how wealthy the rich truly were.
"Senior Sister Wei, if you do this, you'll attract unwanted attention from others." Xiao Haotian walked over as well, casting a glance at Chang Le.
For some reason, Chang Le always felt a trace of jealousy in that look, as if Chang Le had snatched something that belonged to him. But what could she possibly snatch from him?
While Chang Le was feeling puzzled, she saw Wei Zhaoguang's expression darken slightly at those words. "If anyone ever comes looking for trouble with you again, just drop my name. Let's see who dares to harbor any ideas about you."
With that, she swept her gaze around the surroundings, and the onlookers who had previously worn looks of envy immediately averted their eyes elsewhere.
That statement effectively declared that Chang Le was under Wei Zhaoguang's protection.
Hearing this, Xiao Haotian's gaze grew even darker. Squeezing out a strained smile, he said, "Is Senior Sister Chang also here to participate in the outer sect trial? Since that's the case, why don't we team up? I excel at combat and can protect you all if anything happens."
As he spoke, he swept another glance at Mu Youzhi and the others standing beside Chang Le. Instantly sizing up their cultivation levels and backgrounds, he wore a confident smile of absolute certainty and raised his chin slightly.
The cultivation world ultimately respected strength. Someone like him might not amount to much in the inner sect, but in outer sect trials, he was someone people fought over—even if others disliked him, they still had to beg for his help.
He was certain that Chang Le and her group wouldn't refuse.
Hearing this, Wei Zhaoguang nodded in agreement.
Mu Youzhi's brow furrowed slightly, and she remained silent, but Hou Jing at her side had already spoken up: "We've already accepted our mission—"
Stepping forward, Chang Le cut Hou Jing off. Beside her, Mu Youzhi also gave Hou Jing's sleeve a gentle tug. Hou Jing suddenly paused, remembering the rumors running rampant through the market that claimed Senior Sister Chang was infatuated with Xiao Haotian.
Could it be that Chang Le wanted to let Xiao Haotian join them?
While Hou Jing was pondering this, Chang Le spoke up: "We've already accepted our mission, so it's not convenient to add anyone else. Besides," she looked at Wei Zhaoguang and let out a sigh, "besides, there are always rumors in the outer sect regarding Junior Brother Xiao and me. I feel it's still best to keep a bit of distance. Senior Sister Wei, you might not mind, but since you've helped me, I cannot afford not to care."
"A good man should consciously maintain distance from other women, especially scandal targets."
With a sincere tone, Chang Le looked directly at Wei Zhaoguang. "Senior Sister Wei, a rumor repeated three times makes a tiger. I respect you and Junior Brother Xiao, so I naturally must conduct myself properly and keep my distance from Junior Brother Xiao. I hope Senior Sister Wei can understand."
Standing off to the side, Xiao Haotian's face turned somewhat ashen. Although Chang Le was rejecting him, all her explanations were directed at Wei Zhaoguang; it seemed he, Xiao Haotian, wasn't even worth the dignity of a direct explanation. Calling it avoiding suspicion sounded nice, but in reality, she was simply looking down on him.
Xiao Haotian's hands clenched tightly into fists at his sides.
Wei Zhaoguang, however, looked deeply touched. She took Chang Le's hand and said, "You're still the thoughtful one, Junior Sister. That is indeed the case... But since you're heading out for a trial, I'm still a bit worried. Here, take these talismans I have on hand."
With that, she stuffed another pile of talismans right into Chang Le's arms.
Meanwhile, Xiao Haotian tried hard to interject: "I can maintain distance, and being with you will allow me to protect you..."
The closer he got to Chang Le, the stronger that familiar sensation of a missed treasure grew once again. He felt as though Chang Le possessed something that originally belonged to him.
Finally turning her head to look at Xiao Haotian, Chang Le said, "You're so formidable, Junior Brother Xiao, we wouldn't want to hold you back." After thinking for a moment, she decided to offer a bit of a warning to the excessively generous Wei Zhaoguang. "If you insist on following us, does that mean you don't trust the help Senior Sister Wei has given me?"
Hearing this, Wei Zhaoguang glanced over at Xiao Haotian. She genuinely liked Xiao Haotian, but despite her good background, her cultivation was built on hard work—she wasn't actually stupid. Earlier, she had found Chang Le pleasing to the eye and figured it wouldn't hurt for Chang Le to have her own support, which was why she had tacitly allowed Xiao Haotian to tag along.
However, if Chang Le repeatedly refused while Xiao Haotian persisted, something was clearly wrong.
Wei Zhaoguang stopped smiling, her pretty face naturally emitting the pressure belonging to a Golden Core cultivator.
Xiao Haotian choked, instantly unable to utter another word. He still wanted to enter the inner sect, and he still wanted Wei Zhaoguang's continuous, boundless generosity. Compared to some unknown opportunity whose very existence and appearance were a mystery, the help Wei Zhaoguang was currently providing him mattered far more. Forcing a strained smile at Wei Zhaoguang, he said, "Since Senior Sister Chang is unwilling, then Haotian won't force it."
Seeing this, Chang Le sneered inwardly, casting a pitying look at Wei Zhaoguang. Wei Zhaoguang was a good person, but unfortunately, she herself needed to use this chance of going down the mountain to leave the Gushan Sword Sect for good.
...With her meager cultivation, there wasn't much she could do to help, so the most she could do before leaving for good was send Wei Zhaoguang a message. Whether Wei Zhaoguang chose to believe it afterwards would be up to her own judgment.
With these thoughts, Chang Le bid farewell to Wei Zhaoguang, called over her friends, and the group headed outward together.
The outside world—she was finally coming!
Hopefully, seeing that jinx this time wouldn't bring her bad luck.
A mix of anticipation and anxiety churning in her chest, Chang Le stepped toward the grand gates.
Behind them, Xiao Haotian mentally summoned the soul spirit lurking within his body: "Elder Fan, what should we do?"
"Do not worry. This person is bound by a Death Tribulation; I expect she will perish before long. If she truly harbors a grand opportunity, just find a trial location close to her and head over after she dies. There's no rush."
Hearing the aged voice echo in his mind, Xiao Haotian finally broke into a smile.