Nie Hanchang's Request
"Is everyone all right?" Mo Mian shouted the moment the ominous flames dissipated.
He asked that, but he was not exactly in the best condition himself, either.
His hair was dishevelled, and there were burn marks all over his robes. Ashes stuck to his skin, a product of the surroundings that had been ruthlessly incinerated by the intense flames.
Nevertheless, he was still feeling quite all right.
Relatively speaking, at least.
Despite having used his essence energy as a guard, the ominous flames still managed to burn right through at the very end. Fortunately, the injuries he sustained were considered rather light.
"I'm fine," Chu Han was the first to answer him.
He was in a much better state than Mo Mian.
While the latter specialised in offensive techniques, Chu Han was a defensive specialist. This time, he actually managed to completely block out the ominous flames, not sustaining any injuries whatsoever!
"Argh, I'm not fine at all!" Pu Feixiang groaned in pain while falling on his butt.
"I-I'm still alive, at least," Gui Longcan answered as he tried his best to catch his breath in a kneeling position.
Unlike the two inner disciples, Pu Feixiang's and Gui Longcan's essence energy guards only managed to block the initial wave of flames before being broken through.
Their robes had been burnt through in numerous spots, creating holes that revealed the charred skin underneath.
Parts of their hair had been caught by the flames as well, and they were now emitting a smokey smell from the burnt ends.
Had they not been cultivators with enhanced physical resistance, they might have ended up as charred corpses by now!
"It's good that you are fine at least," Mo Mian let out a sigh of relief after giving them a quick scan.
The flames from earlier had possessed an ominous trait. They had no idea what it truly was, so it could have been bad if they had let it affect them.
Thankfully, that did not seem to be the case.
"I'm okay as well," Zhao Yunxiao was the last to respond.
However, he seemed to be in a much better state than Pu Feixiang and Gui Longcan, which kind of surprised everyone.
While his robes were also burnt through in multiple spots, his skin appeared to be completely fine in the exposed areas, a testament to his physical toughness.
"Impressive physical endurance," Chu Han praised.
He might be a defensive specialist, but that was only when it came to utilising his essence energy.
From the looks of it, Zhao Yunxiao's physical endurance was likely even higher than his own.
"Did I just earn myself some points there?" Zhao Yunxiao joked.
"More than just some points," Mo Mian interjected. "If not for your warning, who knows what would have happened to us?"
Indeed, had it not been for Zhao Yunxiao's early warning, which allowed them to put some distance between them and Honey before the explosion, the result could have been disastrous!
"Does that mean I can look forward to more sect points for my contributions then?" Zhao Yunxiao asked with a smirk.
"We have always split the sect points evenly among the five of us," Chu Han answered. "But if you want, I can give half of mine to you this time as gratitude. After all, who knows what would have happened if not for your early warning this time?"
"Haha I'm just joking, there's no need for that," Zhao Yunxiao hurriedly shook his head. "After all, it is probably my mistake for not stopping her earlier."
Nevertheless, Zhao Yunxiao could not help but feel good about himself.
Chu Han's words finally made him feel like he had been of some use on this trip.
"She really just did that, didn't she?" Mo Mian muttered while staring at the spot where Honey had been standing just a few moments before.
Only a few seconds had passed, and nothing was left in that area anymore.
Even the rocks and dirt on the ground had been reduced to mere ashes, leaving nothing but a huge crater that continued to emit smoke even now.
"What a crazy bitch!" Pu Feixiang cursed after finally taking some recovery pills to regain his bearings.
"Crazy indeed," Gui Longcan agreed with him for a change.
"All right, let's rest for a while before resuming our journey," Mo Mian said after letting out a regretful sigh.
He had wanted to bring Honey back for interrogation, hoping to earn some extra sect points by doing so. Unfortunately, that plan had gone straight down the drain now.
Not only was she dead, but she did not even leave a corpse for them to bring back and examine!
As if that was not enough, while the party had managed to survive the blast, their spirit horses had not.
The good news was that they were already rather near Purple Plum Mountain by now, so they would still be able to return by the end of the day.
The bad news was that they would have to compensate for the loss of the spirit horses since they were effectively rented property.
It might not be a huge loss, but it was a loss nonetheless.
The party treated their wounds and rested for an hour or so before resuming their journey.
It was only when the sun was almost setting that they were finally greeted by the familiar view of Purple Plum Mountain.
After paying their dues at Black Tortoise Inn, the party quickly made their way up the mountain to return to the sect grounds.
"Home is still the best!" Pu Feixiang commented after taking a deep breath.
"All right, that's it for the mission this time. Thank you everyone for the good work," Mo Mian said before turning to Zhao Yunxiao. "I will be marking the completion of the sect mission as soon as possible, so don't worry about your share of the rewards."
"Thank you, Senior Martial Brother Mo," Zhao Yunxiao nodded.
"I should be the one thanking you instead," Mo Mian shook his head. "Your presence made things a lot easier this time."
"That's right. Good job, Junior Martial Brother Zhao!" Pu Feixiang patted him on the back.
"Thank you for the kind words," Zhao Yunxiao smiled.
"They are not simply kind words," Mo Mian insisted. "On a more serious note, I would love to cooperate again in the future if you are agreeable to it. Next time, perhaps Junior Martial Brother Zheng could join us as well."
"I'd be glad to do so if the situation allowed for it," Zhao Yunxiao agreed immediately.
Zhao Yunxiao was not a stranger to sect missions, but this was probably the most organised and disciplined group that he had been a part of.
Their impeccable teamwork was a full level above anything that he had ever experienced in the past!
What he did not know was that the members of the Mystic Cavalry were even more impressed by his ability to keep up perfectly with what they were doing, almost as though he had been part of the party since the very start!
"And bring along Junior Martial Sister Lu as well!" Pu Feixiang reminded.
"Is the sect mission a joke to you?" Chu Han glared at him in response.
"Fine, maybe not on a sect mission then," Pu Feixiang sulked. "But just a meeting should be fine, right? Remember to plan a meeting between Junior Martial Sister Lu and I!"
"You might have to wait in line for that," Zhao Yunxiao answered with a laugh. "From what I understand, there is already a long queue ahead of you."
"Which is precisely why I am asking for your help! Won't you help a brother out?" Pu Feixiang nudged him on the shoulder.
"Enough with your nonsense," Chu Han chided. "If Junior Martial Brother Zhao refuses to join us in the future because of you, we will kick you out to let him join instead!"
"Woah! That's harsh, Senior Martial Brother Chu!" Pu Feixiang revealed a look of dismay.
"All right, everyone, go have a good rest if there's nothing else," Mo Mian said. "See you around."
"Farewell," Zhao Yunxiao clasped his fists towards the party.
"Farewell."
...
With that, after having stayed together for the past ten days, the party was finally dispersed.
Zhao Yunxiao headed straight back to his residence in the Outer Disciples' Quarters.
After doing so, he changed his clothes and lay straight down on his bed, carefully thinking back on all the events that had transpired throughout this trip.
It was his usual practice – to constantly review his actions and think of ways in which he could improve the way he did things.
But this time, he did not have much time to himself before he heard a knock on his door.
Zhao Yunxiao quickly leapt up to answer the door, and was surprised to see Nie Hanchang standing outside.
"Senior Martial Brother Nie? How did you know I am back?" Zhao Yunxiao asked in astonishment.
"I saw Senior Martial Brother Pu earlier, so I realised that you guys have returned," Nie Hanchang explained. "Sounds like the mission went smoothly?"
"There were a few hiccups, but thankfully things worked out in the end," Zhao Yunxiao nodded. "How are things back home?"
"That is actually the reason why I am here to look for you," Nie Hanchang said hesitantly.
"Hmm?" Zhao Yunxiao frowned. "Did something bad happen while I was away?"
"No, it's not that," Nie Hanchang scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "It's just that I have a request that I am hoping you will be able to help with, Junior Martial Brother Zhao."
"A request?" Zhao Yunxiao blinked blankly in confusion. "What is it about?"
"You see, while you were away, I managed to obtain quite a few forging materials from taking on various jobs..." Nie Hanchang started.
"Sounds like you have been really productive while I was gone then!" Zhao Yunxiao laughed. "Congratulations!"
"No, no, it's all thanks to the Grand Annihilator," Nie Hanchang quickly turned down the compliments. "But that's not what I wanted to say. What I wanted to say is… Junior Martial Brother Zhao, would you be able to help me with the forging of support equipment?"
"Help with the forging of support equipment?" the confused Zhao Yunxiao repeated with a frown.
"That's right," Nie Hanchang continued. "Now that I have the Grand Annihilator in my possession, I realise that my other equipment is no longer able to keep up with its strength. Everything is starting to fall apart because of the constant pressure. That is the reason why I have started trading my sect points for forging materials."
"So that's why…" Zhao Yunxiao finally understood Nie Hanchang's goal in looking for him. "You need to understand that the successful completion of the Grand Annihilator has been nothing but a stroke of luck. My job at the forge has always been to support the running of the furnaces, not to lead the actual forging process. It will probably be much safer if you simply purchase the equipment you need from the Sect Market instead."
"Of course, I understand that the completion of the Grand Annihilator is nothing short of a miracle," Nie Hanchang nodded. "I am not expecting something on a similar level here. However, I am just thinking that perhaps a set of equipment forged by the same person will allow for greater compatibility and even resonance among equipment. That might have a positive effect on the Grand Annihilator as well."
"That's a bit of a stretch," Zhao Yunxiao let out a wry smile. "An effect like that will only happen when a smith deliberately forges multiple pieces of equipment together while keeping that thought in mind from the very start, and even then it might not result in any sort of resonance."
"It's fine if it doesn't work, but don't you think that it is at least worth a shot?" Nie Hanchang asked. "Back then, I could clearly see the satisfied look on your face upon the completion of the Grand Annihilator. Don't you wish to do more for this bow that you have created? On top of that, I will be providing all the materials, and I will not blame you even if you fail."
With that, Nie Hanchang pulled out the Grand Annihilator.
In his hands, the silver bow clearly reflected the bright moonlight, almost as though it was glowing in agreement with Nie Hanchang's words.
"This…" Zhao Yunxiao hesitated for a moment as he looked at the bow.
Indeed, the sense of satisfaction from creating this mythical tier bow had been indescribable back then.
If he had the opportunity to create other equipment to aid the use of this bow and allow it to reach its full potential, then it was truly a tempting offer.
After all, he had nothing to lose here, perhaps except for his time and energy.
"Please?" Nie Hanchang pleaded once more. "I'm sure the Grand Annihilator would love for you to be the creator of its support equipment as well."
Huu-!
Zhao Yunxiao took another look at the Grand Annihilator before letting out a long sigh.
"Fine, I will do it if you insist," Zhao Yunxiao finally relented. "But I have to tell you that I am definitely not a master smith by any measure. If things were to go wrong and you end up losing all your forging materials, I will not be bearing any responsibilities for that. Of course, in exchange, I will not claim credit if things go well either."
"That's fine! That's definitely fine!" Nie Hanchang's face lit up immediately. "When shall we do this?"
"I have yet to inform the Outer Disciples Hall of my return, so I am free tomorrow," Zhao Yunxiao said. "Since that is the case, I can report to work at the Forge tomorrow. If they have vacancies, we can just do it then and there. Let's not be too conspicuous about this, though. You can follow me to the Forge and wait for me outside. If I don't exit quickly, it would mean that I have found a room. You can just come in and look for me then."
"But how would I know which furnace room to choose?" Nie Hanchang asked.
"I will leave the room door open so you will be able to see me when entering," Zhao Yunxiao said.
"Understood!" Nie Hanchang nodded excitedly.
"Now then, let's go over the materials that you have and the support equipment that you need," Zhao Yunxiao said with a sigh.
He had only just gotten back from the demon subduing mission, but it seemed that he would not be getting much of a rest tonight, having to make the necessary preparations for the forging process tomorrow.