The next morning, dawn's gentle glow filtered into the cave through narrow crevices above, casting long shadows across the stone floor. Xue Mo sat silently, eyes closed, his breathing even.
The faint hum of energy from the Blood Deity Art lingered within his meridians, like ripples on a calm lake. He had cultivated through the night—not to achieve breakthroughs, but for slow and steady refinement.
Opening his eyes, he rose smoothly and checked the sealed pouch of blood beside the basin. The metallic scent had grown weaker overnight, and the crimson liquid shimmered faintly.
He tied the pouch securely and slung the bundle of beast parts across his back. Though the weight was awkward and the scent unsavory, it would be worth it if the Trading Hall accepted them. This was only the beginning.
Xue Mo's return to the sect was uneventful. He avoided the main paths and slipped past groups of disciples with practiced ease. Most didn't spare him a glance. To them, he was still just Lin Feng—the reckless, low-ranking outer disciple. That misjudgment suited him just fine.
The Trading Hall stood in the southern quadrant of the outer sect, nestled between the Herbal Pavilion and the Contribution Pavilion. It wasn't as grand as the Inner Sect's exchange centers but featured polished marble floors, hanging lanterns, and shelves of goods—from spirit herbs to weapon blueprints. Long counters lined the walls, where outer sect handlers recorded transactions and monitored trades.
As Xue Mo stepped inside, he was greeted by the scent of incense and polished wood, mingled with the bitter tang of spiritual herbs. A few disciples milled about, bartering quietly, their tones expressing either desperation or arrogance.
He kept his head low and made his way to one of the side counters, where an older disciple with thin brows and narrowed eyes managed trades. His nameplate read "Meng Shi," but most called him "the Sniffer" for his keen ability to detect fake or low-quality goods.
Xue Mo set down the bundle carefully. "I have parts from a Swiftclaw Rabbit, Ember-Furred Fox, and a few other outer forest beasts. Not high-grade, but fresh."
Meng Shi leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "Let's see if you're wasting my time."
With deft hands, he unfurled the cloth bundle and examined each part. After a moment, he muttered, "Not bad. Clean cuts. Someone taught you how to preserve parts properly?"
Xue Mo shrugged. "Trial and error."
Meng Shi snorted, scribbled something into a jade slip, and handed over a small pouch. "Three contribution points. Don't get greedy. These aren't rare beasts."
Xue Mo accepted the pouch without protest. Three points weren't much, but they were better than nothing. They could get him a second-rate weapon or basic alchemical supplies—tools to enhance his capabilities.
As he turned to leave, he slowed his steps. Near the back of the hall, two disciples in pale blue robes were discussing caretaker rotations. One wore a name tag: Chen Bo.
Xue Mo paused by a weapons rack, pretending to examine a chipped saber while he listened.
"—I'm telling you, it's not worth the trouble," Chen Bo said, exasperated. "The Iron Hide Wold is still unstable. If they don't reinforce its restraint, someone's going to lose more than a limb."
His companion—a smaller disciple with jittery eyes—laughed nervously. "Can't you pass that mission off to someone else?"
Chen Bo snorted. "Who'd be dumb enough to volunteer? Most of these rookies won't even clean a Rabbit Pen, let alone deal with a beast like that."
I would, Xue Mo thought.
He tucked the information away. The Iron Hide wolf was a spirit awakening beast used for pill refinement and battle training. Dangerous, but its blood would be rich with qi. If he could secure some of its blood during caretaking duties, it would significantly boost his cultivation.
He lingered by the rack a moment longer, noting Chen Bo's mannerisms and the badge clipped to his belt—a sign of someone entrusted with mid-tier internal missions. Targeting him would require subtlety, but the reward was too valuable to ignore.
Xue Mo made his way out of the Trading Hall, his face calm but his mind racing. He needed to build rapport without raising suspicion. Maybe he could "accidentally" run into Chen Bo later or help resolve a minor issue to gain favor. Slow and steady.
Back at the cave, he laid out his new supplies in a corner: a basic carving knife, a strip of reinforced hide for sealing, and a crude qi container that might leak a little but was better than nothing.
As night fell, he settled into meditation, placing his hands over the stone basin. The blood began to move and flowed into his body.
As usual, the energy coursed into his heart, then spread throughout his meridians and other pathways.
After more than an hour, Xue Mo finally stood up and stretched, feeling his body relax and become more flexible.
He stepped to the cave's mouth, the moon's silver glow casting a pale light across the sect below.
"One day," he murmured quietly, before turning back inside and proceeding to sleep.
The following day, Xue Mo returned to the outer sect's mission board. He didn't seek standard patrols or menial chores. Instead, he studied the side board: special assignments, often overlooked—dangerous ones.
Mission: Blood Harvesting Expedition
Objective: Collect Blood Samples from the Iron Hide Wolf
Requirements: Minimum three-person squad
Risk Level: High
Duration: 7 Days
Reward: 30 Contribution Points
Perfect.
He watched quietly as other disciples passed it by. No one dared claim it.
Xue Mo stepped forward. "I'll take the Silverback mission."
A few nearby disciples erupted into laughter. A tall disciple with a cocky grin leaned in, saying, 'Are you serious? You think you can take on the Iron Hide wolf all by yourself? Zhao was barely able to walk after last week's encounter!'
A shorter disciple snorted, shaking his head, 'You're gonna end up as its snack!'"
Another disciple, a sharp-eyed girl leaning against the wall, added, "You'll be lucky to get out of there in one piece. Everyone knows that beast is not something that can be simply handled."
Xue Mo looked at them and turned all his attention back to the handler behind the counter, Duan Yi who raised a brow at his courage.
"Where are your teammates?"
"I'll go alone."
"Duan Yi chuckled, eyes narrowing. 'You want to die, Lin Feng? That thing nearly killed Zhao last week; he got too cocky and ended up in the infirmary for a month! You think they'll heal your bones if you don't make it back?'"
As Xue Mo prepared to affirm his choice, the taller disciple laughed again. "Honestly, Lin Feng, do you want to become beast chow? It'll be a long time before anyone finds your remains!"
Another disciple chimed in, "You could just take a simple mission and keep your limbs intact. But no, you just had to find a way to push your luck!"
The sharp-eyed girl shrugged, shaking her head with a smirk. "I give it two days at best. Let's see if he makes it back to the sect."
Duan Yi, still bemused, looked between Xue Mo and the mocking group. "You're serious about this? You think you can handle it alone?"
Xue Mo took a breath, suppressing his annoyance. "I will be very careful," he replied calmly, his eyes steady. "I won't provoke it."
The laughter quieted as people realised that they couldn't convince this fool but their snickers lingered in the air.
"I'll take the mission," Xue Mo asserted again, more firmly this time.
Duan Yi leaned forward, raising an eyebrow. "You'll need to sign a life waiver. No compensation if you die; the sect isn't liable."
Xue Mo picked up the jade slip, stamped his mark, and bowed lightly. "I understand."