Chapter 23: The First Mission

Lin Qingxue bought three storage rings from the grocery store, one set of couple rings, and another one for Luo Li.

"This is for you."

Just as they stepped out of the store, Lin Qingxue handed a ring to Lu Chuan.

Taking the couple's storage ring, Lu Chuan didn't know what to say, so he could only thank her first, "Thank you, Senior Lin."

Seeing Lu Chuan's complicated expression, Lin Qingxue stopped and looked up at him. She tentatively asked, "Do you dislike this?"

What does she mean by "dislike"?

Does she mean he dislikes being mistaken as a couple with her, or does she mean he dislikes her as a person?

If I don't answer properly here, it will definitely hurt Lin Qingxue's feelings, and their relationship might drift apart.

Lin Qingxue is a good girl, and Lu Chuan wants to cherish her.

The street was bustling with people coming and going.

But time seemed to freeze between Lin Qingxue and Lu Chuan.

"How could I dislike it? I'm secretly happy to be mistaken as a couple with Martial Aunt. I'm just afraid of being seen by people from the sect, which might have a negative impact on you."

Hearing Lu Chuan's words, Lin Qingxue's anxious heart finally settled down. Her expression melted, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up.

Oh, so he's actually happy. Lin Qingxue thought.

A warm feeling welled up in her chest and she couldn't suppress the joy in her heart. Her smile was as bright as the sun, radiating a peaceful and serene aura.

Lu Chuan thought that Lin Qingxue suited smiling. Although she was known for her coldness as a female sword immortal in the original work, her smile was warm like a spring breeze, exuding a tranquil and harmonious atmosphere.

A warm current surged in Lu Chuan's heart. He wanted to express his attitude to Lin Qingxue, so as not to be misunderstood again.

"Martial Aunt... you're really beautiful."

Seeing Lu Chuan rarely showing a serious expression but blurting out such words, Lin Qingxue burst into laughter.

"Lu Chuan, what are you suddenly saying?"

"It's the absolute truth."

'Do you think I'm beautiful? Then it's worth the effort I put into dressing up. I only dress up for you', Lin Qingxue thought.

The two continued walking on the street, discussing what else to buy for Luo Li to bring along.

Lu Chuan felt that the atmosphere between them was good, so he tentatively reached out to hold Lin Qingxue's hand.

Seeing Lu Chuan reaching out his hand, Lin Qingxue decisively held it.

This feeling is really nice.

At the same time, Sima Dong returned to the Immortal Gate one step ahead of Nangong Xi.

He recalled what happened at the market, and the more he thought about it, the angrier and more unwilling he became.

Sima Dong pounded the table and said, "I was just one step away! If Master had arrived a few minutes later, I would have seen Luo Li's painful expression."

He had been waiting for this day for so long. It was so hard to have a chance to show off in front of Luo Li .

Everything went smoothly, but in the end, it was ruined by the sudden arrival of Master.

He wasted so many Spirit Stones and in the end, it was Luo Li who had benefited.

Luo Li must be mocking him right now.

Sima Dong's anger surged, and he vowed, "Damn Luo Li, I will make you pay sooner or later!"

Wu Dian was Sima Dong's loyal follower and often came to his room to listen to his complaints. This time was no exception.

Seeing him so angry, Wu Dian thought this was the moment to show himself.

"Young Master Sima, calm down. I have a good way to get rid of Luo Li." Wu Dian said to Sima Dong, "Do you know why he bought the voice transmission talisman?"

Sima Dong asked, "Oh, what method? What does he need the voice transmission talisman for?"

It's quite a coincidence. Yesterday, when Wu Dian and a few senior brothers went to the Merit Hall to accept a mission, they ran into Luo Li. Seeing that he accepted a mission to find a missing disciple of the sect, he kept it in mind and they all accepted the same mission.

"Tomorrow, Luo Li will leave the sect and go to a small town in the west to complete the sect's mission. The voice transmission talisman is used to contact Elder Lin Qingxue. The town is far away from the Immortal Gate, taking four days to travel back and forth. The journey is long, and the situation outside the sect is dangerous and complicated. It's normal for accidents to happen on the way."

Upon hearing this, Sima Dong's joy was evident. "Great, an accident would be perfect! How can one truly live without any accidents?"

He took out a bag of Spirit Stones from the storage ring and threw it to Wu Dian. "Tell me what happens on the way back. If something unexpected happens, I will reward you generously."

After buying various elixirs for Luo Li in the largest trading firm at the market, Lin Qingxue finally felt relieved. Last time, she didn't bring any detoxification elixirs and suffered a setback in the Secret Realm.

If it weren't for Lu Chuan, her cultivation path would probably have ended there.

Lin Qingxue looked at Lu Chuan with gratitude in her heart, and Lu Chuan smiled back at her.

A blush appeared on Lin Qingxue's face, and she quickly turned her head to the side, tightening her grip on Lu Chuan's hand.

After strolling on the street for a while, Lin Qingxue blushed and said she wanted to go find Luoli.

Sitting in the seat, Lu Chuan began to contemplate how to safely and easily practice the "Bone Tempering Technique".

In the original work, this task marked the beginning of Luo Li shedding his innocence. Through this task, he witnessed the true cruelty of the cultivation world and achieved great accomplishments both physically and mentally.

On the surface, the task was to find the missing disciples of the sect, but it actually involved the dark plans of the Evil Cultivators. Although it was only briefly mentioned, in the original work, all the residents of Azure Rock Town died.

The first group of disciples sent by the Immortal Gate to the town were completely wiped out, and only two people survived from the second group: Luo Li and...

The other person was Su Lianlian.

Luo Li and Su Lianlian were trapped in Azure Rock Town for several days. They joined forces and used all their efforts to defeat the powerful Evil Cultivator, Zuo Tianya.

At the thought of Su Lianlian, a hint of anxiety arose in Lu Chuan's heart.

This mission in Azure Rock Town of the Wu Kingdom was extremely dangerous, to the point of being a matter of life and death. If the plot deviated even slightly from the original work, Su Lianlian might be in danger.

But according to the original plot, Su Lianlian and Luo Li formed a deep bond after this mission.

Lu Chuan didn't want to see Su Lianlian fall in love with Luo Li, just like in the novel.

Luo Li couldn't give her happiness.

Lu Chuan glanced at the system task. As long as he had the system and worked hard to cultivate, he believed he would become an outstanding figure in the cultivation world. What Luo Li couldn't give, he would.

Lu Chuan decided to pay more attention to Su Lianlian during the mission.

As for Luo Li, Lu Chuan believed that he had the protagonist's halo and wouldn't encounter any trouble, at least not around him.

But how could he join the mission? According to the Immortal Gate's rules, one had to go to the Merit Hall at least two days before the mission to receive the assignment.

If Luo Li was going to set off tomorrow, it was already too late to accept the mission now.

Lu Chuan thought of the disguise technique. In the Sacred Land of the sect, he had absorbed the reward given by the Dao Rhyme system, which allowed him to change his appearance and aura to that of someone else.

(Author's thoughts: The disguise is to reveal Luo Li's background. If Lu Chuan is by her side, she will instinctively rely on him. The female lead doesn't like the person Lu Chuan disguises as, and Lu Chuan's disguise will be exposed during the mission.)

(T/N: Uhmm.. Should I remove the Author's thought? I don't get the need for such a spoiler.)

As long as he could knock out a member of the mission before the assembly tomorrow morning and then disguise himself as that person, he could naturally join the mission.

To calm his restless heart, Lin Qingxue came to Lu Chuan's side.

"What's wrong? You look so serious. What are you thinking about?" Lin Qingxue lightly patted Lu Chuan's shoulder.

"It's nothing." Lu Chuan was startled and explained in a flustered manner, "I just remembered that I haven't finished writing 'The Long Qing Technique', and Elder Wang Song will definitely come to urge me again."

In fact, Lu Chuan had already finished writing the "Long Qing Technique" given by Patriarch Li Luo. He just casually made up an excuse.

"You've worked hard." Lin Qingxue looked at Lu Chuan's face, her eyes filled with worry. "Don't exhaust yourself. When I return to the sect, I'll find Elder Wang Song and ask him not to urge you anymore."

"This is my duty. As a disciple of the Immortal Gate, I am willing to contribute to the sect and endure any hardship. There's no need for Martial Aunt to find Elder Wang Song. It's just that these few days, Luo Li went out for training, and I thought of staying at home to cultivate and seize the time to complete the 'Changqing Technique'. When Luo Li comes back, he can practice without any worries."

At the thought of not seeing Lu Chuan for a few days, Luo Li going on a trip, leaving the mountain, and herself being by herself on the mountain as before, Lin Qingxue felt a hint of loneliness.

"Important matters come first. Don't neglect your cultivation. Senior Brother is still in seclusion. If there's anything you can't figure out, come find me," Lin Qingxue nodded.

"Thank you, Martial Aunt, for your concern. By the way, Martial Aunt, weren't you going to find Luo Li? Where is he?" Lu Chuan asked.

Lin Qingxue said nervously, "I couldn't find him. Maybe he went back to the Immortal Gate."

There was nothing else to buy, so the two of them leisurely walked back to the Immortal Gate. When they reached Lin Qingxue's mountain gate, Luo Li was indeed there.

Seeing her Master and Senior Brother return, Luo Li excitedly recounted what had happened at the market.

However, the reactions of the two surprised Luo Li. Lin Qingxue explained that Nangong Xi had been harassing her unilaterally and she had never spoken to him proactively.

Lu Chuan just smiled and said he knew.

Luo Li felt disappointed and simply ignored the two of them, going back to her room to pack her belongings.

Early the next morning, at the entrance of the Hope Immortal Gate, the group gathered to search for the missing disciples of the sect.

Apart from Luo Li, Su Lianlian, and the disguised Lu Chuan, there were also Wu Dian and his two subordinates, making a total of six people.

"You must be Luo Li?" Wudian pointed at Luoli. "In this mission, you have the least experience and as a newcomer, you should listen to us. Understand?"

After saying that, Wu Dian even spat on the ground near Luo Li's feet.

He wanted to establish his dominance over Luo Li and let him know who was in charge.

Wu Dian and his two lackeys had arrived at the entrance of the Immortal Gate early in the morning to discuss how to teach Luo Li a lesson and make him stop opposing Young Master Sima Dong.

At the very least, they wanted to exchange harsh words on the way and disgust Luo Li when they are together.

After the last member of the mission, Meng Qing, arrived, Wu Dian scanned the people present and felt secretly delighted.

Except for Luo Li, everyone else was familiar to him.

Su Lianlian, who was standing a little further away, was always extremely indifferent and uninterested in anyone, so she naturally wouldn't meddle in other people's affairs.

As for Meng Qing, it goes without saying. We had been on several missions together before, and I knew everything about him. If I told him that Luo Li was Young Master Sima's enemy, he might even join me in ostracizing Luo Li. It's really a stroke of luck.

Thinking of this, Wu Dian chose to establish his dominance over Luo Li right from the beginning, embarrassing him.

So the scene just now happened, with Wu Dian demonstrating his dominance in front of Luo Li.