"You seem to have a fiery aura surrounding you, but the other four elements are slightly lacking. Have you only opened your Heart Mansion? When I met Su Kong and Su Xing, they were only a few years older than you are now, but they had already opened all five mansions and were ready to break through to the next realm. As a latecomer, you shouldn't fall behind us old folks, right?"
After learning of Yun Qi's identity, Elder Tianfang spoke very kindly.
Of course, it might just be that the elder was naturally approachable.
At this moment, he was still teasing Yun Qi.
Yun Qi clasped his hands together and said shyly, "Elder, you flatter me too much. The talents of my seniors are far greater, and I can hardly compare. Moreover, I haven't even opened my mansions yet. I've only just begun to understand the workings of the universe. I'm truly ashamed."
The elder was somewhat surprised.
"That doesn't seem to be the case. I see a blazing fire aura around you, and your vital energy is like smoke. Walking under the sunlight, you seem to blend seamlessly with the light and dust. I've seen some first-realm inner alchemy cultivators, and even those who have opened their Heart Mansion don't have the same presence as you. In my memory, only Su Kong and Su Xing could compare to you, and they had already opened their Heart Mansion at that time. Haha, so I just said, we still have to look to you young ones."
Yun Qi clasped his hands again, "Elder, you praise me too much."
"But you do seem like a disciple of Wen Su Kong. Both of you have big hearts—one dares to leave, and the other dares to let go. Is the mountain really that unbearable?"
Yun Qi smiled, "Before I entered the mountain, I lived in a small town. My parents were old and couldn't travel, so after I started cultivating, I couldn't stay still. I always wanted to come out and see the wider world. Elder, look, the Miaojiang forests are so vast, and under the stilted houses, there are golden roosters and white dogs. If I had stayed in the mountains, who knows when I would have seen such sights!"
Elder Tianfang clapped his hands, "Well said, young friend. I've been in this world for so long that I don't even want to move anymore. I should learn from you, young friend."
Yun Qi quickly said he didn't dare.
After walking up the mountain for about half an hour, they began to see some temples.
Yun Qi noticed that the roofs of these temples were covered with blue tiles, and the eaves were shaped like the heads of green dragons, their heads hidden among the lush branches, giving off a mysterious and majestic aura.
Elder Tianfang led Yun Qi into one of the temples.
People passing by called him "Master Yu," "Uncle Master," or "Grand Uncle Master."
The elder smiled and nodded to each of them.
Considering that he had traveled with Su Kong and Su Xing, and was already at the second realm back then, he should now be a third-realm cultivator.
Yet he looked so approachable and was even stationed at the mountain gate.
Truly, one cannot judge a book by its cover.
"Master Hao, this is a fellow Daoist from the Bixun Temple of the Eastern Green God Mountain. He wishes to stay at our Green Dragon Cave for a while. I will vouch for him."
The one Elder Tianfang called "Master Hao" was a middle-aged Daoist who looked about the same age as the elder, though he was likely much younger.
He stood up and nodded repeatedly, asking Yun Qi to write his name, his sect, and the date in a ledger.
After Elder Tianfang led Yun Qi away, Master Hao scratched his head as he looked at the words "Green God Mountain Bixun Temple" in the ledger.
The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
After leaving the registration room, Yun Qi glanced at the bustling crowd across the way and realized it was the place where mission tokens were being handed out.
This was the reason he had come to register in the first place, so he asked Elder Tianfang, "Elder, may I ask if a wandering Daoist like myself, who has already registered, can receive mission tokens here?"
Elder Tianfang nodded, "Since you've registered in the ledger, of course you can. Moreover, with the recent disturbances in the southern wilderness, the temple is short on people to take on missions. But you've just arrived—don't you want to rest a bit?"
Yun Qi smiled, "I've rested enough in the past ten years. Now I just want to move around more. Please wait for me for a moment, Elder."
Elder Tianfang nodded, and Yun Qi entered the mission hall.
The mission hall was packed with people.
Some were receiving missions, while others were turning them in.
Turning in missions and receiving rewards required queuing, but receiving missions was much quicker.
Many red cloth strips hung from the beams, each detailing the mission, the reward, and the requirements.
Below each strip was a mission token with a number.
If you wanted to take on a mission, you simply had to take the token and register.
It was quick and didn't require queuing.
Yun Qi quickly scanned the strips and found a few that suited him, especially since the rewards for some were exactly what he wanted.
He squeezed through the crowd, quickly grabbed a few tokens, and went to register.
The person in charge of registration was a female Daoist.
She took the tokens, glanced at the numbers, and knew what missions they were for.
She first asked, "What is your name, fellow Daoist?"
"Cheng Qieqing. 'Cheng' as in the grain 'Cheng,' 'Qie' as in 'and,' and 'Qing' as in 'clear water.'"
The female Daoist wrote quickly, muttering as she did, "Cheng Qieqing, taking three missions: providing talismans for the Seven-Mile River Market for one month or a hundred talismans, purifying with thunder and fire for one month or fifty times, and slaying twenty demon soldiers."
After writing, she added, "Fellow Daoist, for these three missions, you can come to collect your reward after completing the required amount, or you can accumulate more and collect it all at once. Also, here is a Moon Reflection Mirror.
If something urgent happens or if it's hard to prove your completion of the mission, you can use this to record evidence. But you must return it when you turn in the tokens. Don't lose it—it's expensive, and you'll have to pay for it.
Everything else is clearly written on the strips. The demon tide is fierce, so be careful, fellow Daoist."
Yun Qi nodded in thanks, took the tokens and a palm-sized jade mirror, and left the mission hall.
Elder Tianfang saw Yun Qi come out with three tokens and smiled, "You're jumping right into work as soon as you arrive."
Yun Qi held the tokens and bowed to Elder Tianfang, "Thank you, Elder, for bringing me into the mountain and vouching for me. I won't be staying in the temple. I plan to head straight to the front lines. The sword at my waist has been sheathed for many years, just like my heart—it's hard to stay still!"
Elder Tianfang nodded and smiled, "Go on, young one. It's always like this with the youth—cultivating, slaying demons, making a name for yourself. These are all good things. But be careful. If you get tired, come back to the temple to rest before heading out again. This kind of battle is always a long one."
Yun Qi bid his farewell and left.
The Seven-Mile River Market was located about seventy or eighty miles south of Wangchun Mountain, in line with the Three Gorges.
It was a small outpost on the front lines of the battle against the Miaojiang.
Because of the seven-mile-long river, it was called the Seven-Mile River Market.
Yun Qi hurried along with his dog and soon arrived near the Seven-Mile River.
The Seven-Mile River was a small river, only about twenty paces wide, hidden in a dense forest.
If Yun Qi hadn't checked the route at the Green Dragon Temple beforehand, it would have been hard to find.
Yun Qi followed the river upstream, heading deeper into the forest.
After a few steps, he was stopped by a few Miao tribesmen, all bearing minor injuries.
Yun Qi pulled out the mission token with the dragon emblem from his waist and waved it.
The men's faces lit up, and they said, "So it's a young Daoist from the Green Dragon Temple."
Yun Qi replied, "I dare not claim such a title. You must be the market guards. I've taken on missions to draw talismans and purify with thunder and fire. Please take me to the Green Dragon Temple's stall."
The men naturally agreed, and one of them led Yun Qi further into the forest.
After a few steps, the noise grew louder.
Both sides of the river were lined with dense thatched huts and mats.
Some trees even had wooden houses built on them.
Some people were setting up stalls to sell goods, others were meditating to gather energy, and some were healing from injuries.
Most of them bore wounds, and the heads of some demons were scattered on the ground, likely to be taken back to their villages or temples later to claim rewards.
The sudden appearance of Yun Qi, a young, unfamiliar Daoist, drew many glances.
But seeing the Green Dragon Temple token on him and the white dog by his side, no one seemed wary.
Many even greeted him warmly.
Finally, the Miao guard led Yun Qi to a thatched hut stall, saying this was the Green Dragon Temple's stall.
Yun Qi only needed to set up the flags.
The previous stall owner had disappeared two days ago, and no one knew if he was dead or hiding somewhere to heal.
Yun Qi looked inside the hut and saw tables, chairs, boxes sealed with the Green Dragon Temple's emblem, and a few flags on the ground with words like "Purification," "Talisman Drawing," "Alchemy," "Artifact Repair," and "Healing."
Yun Qi picked up the "Purification" and "Talisman Drawing" flags and planted them at the entrance.
This was to let the market know that the Green Dragon Temple had sent someone.
Those whose magical tools were tainted or who needed talismans could come here for help.
End of Chapter 48.
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