56. Entering the Jianghu
Chapter 56: Entering the Jianghu
"Hao-ge, which task are you going to choose?" Li Yuanzhao asked eagerly after scanning the task list, clearly wanting to accompany Li Hao for mutual support.
"I'm choosing Qizhou," Li Hao replied, his eyes flickering with a hint of coldness.
Li Yuanzhao glanced at the task, nodded, and said, "Then I'll choose it too."
"You're both going to Qizhou?" Du Qiuyue asked, looking at the list before quickly adding, "Can I join you? I'll go there too."
"And me, I'll go as well," Zheng Bai said quickly, eager to seize the opportunity to grow closer to the young master of the Divine General's Mansion. Building a friendship with him would be incredibly valuable.
"Hao-ge, what do you think?" Li Yuanzhao asked for Li Hao's opinion first.
Li Hao said, "I don't mind."
"Since Hao-ge doesn't mind, you can come along," Li Yuanzhao said, seeing no objections from Li Hao.
Du Qiuyue and Zheng Bai exchanged glances, both showing hints of excitement.
At that moment, Su Yehua addressed the group, "Now, let me explain the rules. Each task can only have up to five participants. I'll call out each task now. The first task is to assist the Zhenyao Division in Cangzhou in handling a village demon disturbance. The task score is five points. Who wants to go?"
"I do."
"Me too."
Immediately, seven people raised their hands.
Among these tasks, the highest score was fifteen points, and it was the most difficult, with intelligence suggesting a high probability of encountering a Perfected Zhoutian-level demon.
The first task predicted encountering demons between the second and fifth stages of Zhoutian, making it relatively easier.
"With too many people, you must either decide among yourselves or resolve it based on the martial arts rankings. Lower-ranked individuals should choose other tasks," Su Yehua said.
The seven looked at each other, and two voluntarily sat down.
Su Yehua continued to announce other tasks, with participants raising their hands to choose. Some tasks had three people, some one, and some none, leaving them unselected.
"Hao-ge, they are going to Yunzhou for a task. Recently, the area was swept clean of demons. They are going to assist in clearing the remnants," Li Yuanzhao noted, paying attention to Li Yun and his siblings choosing a fifteen-point task, showing a hint of concern.
Though there was some mutual dislike within the mansion, they had grown up together and didn't wish harm upon each other.
"Tell them to be cautious and not to be overzealous," Li Hao said, frowning as he noticed the siblings' eager excitement.
"Understood," Li Yuanzhao nodded, intending to remind them after collecting their task.
Soon, Su Yehua mentioned the Qizhou task.
Li Hao immediately expressed his interest, and Li Yuanzhao, Du Qiuyue, and Zheng Bai quickly followed suit.
At the same time, another pair raised their hands: a young man and a young woman.
"She's going too?" Du Qiuyue muttered, recognizing the girl as Ren Qianqian, ranked fourth on the martial arts list and a grandmaster's daughter, with extraordinary swordsmanship.
Zheng Bai's expression changed as he looked at the young man, an older student ranked higher than him on the martial arts list.
With six people now, the last to join, Zheng Bai, would have to leave.
Of course, the lowest-ranked person was Li Hao. But they chose the Qizhou task mainly because of Li Hao. If he left, Li Yuanzhao would likely follow.
Zheng Bai looked at Li Hao, hoping he would switch tasks.
Meanwhile, Ren Qianqian and the young man noticed Li Hao's group. Ren Qianqian remained indifferent, while the young man seemed delighted.
"There are too many people," Su Yehua said after a glance. "You need to discuss among yourselves who will leave. If no one volunteers, we'll follow the rules."
Ren Qianqian sat down, uninterested in the discussion. She was determined to go.
The young man glanced at Li Hao, knowing he couldn't afford to offend the Divine General's young master, even if he was ranked last. Being in the Alpha Court indicated some degree of competence, even if it hadn't been revealed yet.
He then looked at Zheng Bai and said with a smile, "Qizhou is dangerous. It's my hometown, so I can guide them. Why don't you step down?"
Zheng Bai's face changed. Insisting would offend people.
"Fine." Zheng Bai's expression shifted, but he soon composed himself and told Li Yuanzhao and Li Hao, "I wish you good luck. We'll team up next time."
"Alright," Li Yuanzhao said, giving Zheng Bai a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Be careful out there."
"You too," Du Qiuyue added.
Zheng Bai nodded, a bit disappointed but understanding this was just the first task of the term, with more opportunities ahead.
Once the participants were confirmed, Su Yehua continued assigning other tasks.
Soon, everyone had chosen their tasks.
The participants of each task gathered as instructed by Su Yehua.
"When should we depart?" the young man, Yu Wei, asked, looking at Li Yuanzhao and Ren Qianqian while speaking.
"Now," Ren Qianqian said calmly.
Du Qiuyue looked at Li Hao.
"Hao-ge, what do you think?" Li Yuanzhao asked.
"Let's go now. The sooner, the better," Li Hao said.
"Alright, I'll prepare the carriage," Li Yuanzhao said.
Li Hao shook his head. "Prepare five red-blood horses. A carriage is too slow."
Li Yuanzhao was momentarily surprised but nodded.
Yu Wei was puzzled, noticing how Li Yuanzhao acted like Li Hao's follower, despite being ranked sixth in the martial arts list and having excellent talent.
After arranging everything with the mansion, Li Yuanzhao approached Li Yun and his siblings, who were preparing to leave.
"Hao-ge asked you to be careful and not to be overzealous," Li Yuanzhao told them.
Li Yun raised an eyebrow, scoffing, "Mind your own business."
Li Zhining glanced at Li Hao talking with others and told Li Yuanzhao, "Thanks, Yuan Zhao-ge. You be careful too."
Li Yuanzhao grinned, "You too, Ning-mei."
With everything settled, Li Yuanzhao returned to Li Hao, and they immediately set off.
Riding the red-blood horses, the five of them galloped out of Qingzhou.
Riding on the battlefield's top horses, Yu Wei and Li Yuanzhao felt exhilarated, enjoying a sense of freedom.
"No wonder they're prized on the battlefield. Such speed! I've heard they're priceless," Yu Wei remarked, marveling at the scenery whizzing past.
Du Qiuyue, also riding a red-blood horse for the first time, tried to maintain her composure as an older student but couldn't hide her excitement.
"Red-blood horses aren't for sale. It's a capital crime to buy them privately," Li Yuanzhao said, his youthful pride evident.
Yu Wei and Du Qiuyue looked on with envy. Some people were born with privileges others couldn't reach.
With the red-blood horses' speed, it would take less than two days to reach Qizhou from Qingzhou.
High above Qingzhou, a crow-like black bird flew over.
Its eyes reflected the five riders below.
Suddenly, the bird blinked, noticing two figures four or five miles behind, following closely on foot.
Remarkably, the two moved leisurely yet kept pace without falling behind.
The bird blinked again, cawed softly, and flew higher into the clouds.
It emerged from the clouds at another location, swooping down into a forest.
The black bird landed, transforming into a child-like figure with a crown of feathers, who ran to a black water pond.
"Lord Xuanjiao, that person has emerged."
The child called into the pond.
Suddenly, a deeper shadow appeared in the still black pond, breaking the surface to reveal a large draconic head, its mouth full of fangs, tongue flicking menacingly.
"Did you see clearly? Is it the son of Marquis Xingwu?"
"I saw clearly. My Thousand God Eye Technique never errs," the child shivered slightly, bowing respectfully. "Also, two people are following them, likely protectors. One is at the Spirit Wanderer Realm, the other... I can't discern."
As the child finished, the pond churned, revealing another black shadow, a smaller dragon with a white scale on its belly.
"Four years. We've waited four years here to assassinate the son of Marquis Xingwu," the smaller dragon said.
"Since that human spy failed, infiltrating the mansion has been tough. Sending in someone strong risks alerting the Li family. Someone weaker can't get close."
The two dragons spoke in human tongues before leaping from the water and transforming into a pair of black-robed individuals, a sinister man and a seductive woman.
They retained some serpent traits, licking their lips with forked tongues as they smiled.
"They surely think we've given up, but we demons, with millennia of cultivation, lack nothing if not patience."