The One and the Only

Chapter 14: Sect Tasks

Translator: Flying-Lines

Back to his cabin, Lin Yun began to pack up after a night’s sleep.

Soon, he packed up all his important items in the room.

Actually, there weren’t many important things, among which the three Body Refining Elixirs should be the most valuable.

“I’m afraid I can’t stay here anymore.”

There was a cool and determined look in Lin Yun’s eyes.

He knew that Zhou Yun and Chen Xiao wouldn’t spare him.

There was not a chance he could defeat Zhou Yun whose cultivation in Martial Practice was three levels higher.

Even if there was no level difference, he could only end in a tie with Chen Xiao.

Lin Yun meant to temper his swordplay in the Trigger Hall, but now he could only give up.

Zhou Yun’s overwhelming pressure, Su Ziyao's indifference, Wang Ning's mockery and disdain...

All previous scenes emerged in Lin Yun's mind one by one.

A kind of unspeakable bitterness spread through his whole body.

He hadn’t had a great sense of frustration for many years since he never failed, which made him weak.

With a glance, he saw the picture Old Hong endowed him.

The ancient characters appeared in his vision once again, “My heart shelters a fierce tiger which, however, enjoys sniffing roses.”.

There was a flash of light in Lin’s eyes. He realized this was the place he was in nowadays. No matter in Qingyun Sect or in Xuanhuang Land, people respected the strong and enslaved the weak.

So, a strong man never complained!

Lin held the scroll panting tightly, and the confusion and weakness in Lin’s eyes were replaced by stubbornness and perseverance, “Two months later, we’ll see!”

Sect Affairs Administration was always crowded.

Disciples could receive their pay or take tasks from the Sect.

Qingyun Sect issued various tasks in Sect Affairs Administration. Some were hunting beasts, some were collecting rare plants and some were killing robbers. In addition to Sect Affairs Administration, there was Weapon Chamber and Martial Arts Building in Qingyun Sect.

When Lin Yun arrived at the Sect Affairs Administration, everything was usual as before.

But when he appeared, the hall became quiet suddenly.

Everyone was looking at him.

The news that he defeated Chen Xiao with his Flowing Wind Swordplay and withstood Zhou Yun’s strike spread all over the outer disciples overnight.

They were even more surprised on hearing that he had mastered the Flowing Wind Swordplay.

You should know he was only a sword slave a few days ago!

This huge contrast made the story even more surprising.

Of course, his special relationship with Su Ziyao had also aroused a lot of discussion and gossip.

Lin Yun came straight to Administrator Yang under many complicated eyes.

“May I get two months’ salaries in advance and take some tasks by the way, Administrator Yang?”

Administrator Yang looked at Lin Yun, surprised. Lin Yun proved a proverb that no one should be underestimated with the time lapsing.

A sword slave who had been totally belittled by Administrator Yang was getting strong so fast. Administrator Yang spent a moment calming down, and he did not deliberately make things difficult for Lin Yun this time, “Yes, you can. Here is your two months’ salaries, two Body Refining Elixirs, four Spirit Cultivating Elixirs and 5 kilograms of gold.”

Spirit Cultivating Elixir and gold were nothing important.

Gold might be valuable in the eyes of ordinary people. But it was worth nothing in the eyes of high-ranking practitioners. It was said that among the inner disciples, the real currency of exchange was Spiritual Stones; gold and silver could only be used for buying daily food.

However, Body Refining Elixir was of great value for all practitioners, even among inner disciples.

With the two new elixirs, Lin Yun had five Body Refining Elixirs in total now.

With these elixirs, he could make rapid progress in the fourth level of Martial Practice.

“It seems you really plan to challenge Zhou Yun in two months.”

Administrator Yang handed the salaries to Lin Yun and said meaningfully.

He knew that Lin Yun intended to take the tasks in the next two months. By going out and practicing, Lin could enhance his strength and avoided the retaliation from Zhou Yun.

“Damn it. Will this old man purposely put obstacles in my way again?” Lin Yun was upset at once.

Administrator Yang knew what Lin Yun worried about, so he spoke softly, “Take it easy! I won’t trouble you since you have Old Hong’s support. Forget about the past. What kind of tasks do you want to take? Ordinary tasks or Spiritual Stone tasks?”

“Spiritual Stone tasks?”

“Yes, as its name implies. The reward of Spiritual Stone tasks is Spiritual Stones, which are usually given to inner disciples. But inner disciples are often shorthanded, so some extra spiritual stone tasks are left for outer disciples.”

“Let me have a look.”

Ling Yun became much interested in the unexpected spiritual stone tasks.

“Spiritual Stone Task: to kill three evil beast Ink-flame Tigers. Once the task is accomplished, 200 low-grade spiritual stones will be rewarded. To kill evil beasts? Only this will scare most people away.”

 “Spiritual Stone Task: to collect ten Blood Lilies. The mission location is Flowers Valley, in the deep Hengyun Mountains.”

“Spiritual Stone Task: to kill robber Kuang Yan with a reward of 500 spiritual stones. Kuang Yan is nearly at the seventh level of Martial Practice. He runs amuck in Skywater Kingdom and kills people like flies. Every Sect wanted to eliminate this man as soon as possible.”

...

In Lin Yun's view, all spiritual stone tasks were not simple, and extremely dangerous; meanwhile, the reward was really tempting.

After carefully calculating the time and weighing the pros and cons, Lin Yun chose three spiritual stone tasks.

“The mid-year assessment will start in two months. If you can't come back in time, it’ll be taken as voluntary abstention,” after handing the tasks to Lin Yun, Administrator Yang said cautiously.

Lin Yun knew the rules on the mid-year assessment, so he nodded his head and said, “Thank you for reminding me.”

When Lin Yun was about to leave, Administrator Yang asked him in a low voice, “Have you really mastered Flowing Wind Swordplay?”

“Just Slight Achievement, I haven’t fully mastered it.”

After a short answer, Lin Yun quickly left the hall, leaving Administrator Yang dumbfounded there.

At the beginning, he firmly believed that Lin Yun could never master Flowing Wind Swordplay, but now Lin Yun had mastered it, and even made it to the Slight Achievement. It seemed that Lin Yun was ready to make the Big Achievement of Flowing Wind Swordplay.

“Fortunately, Head Wang showed up in time and I didn’t completely fall out with that guy that day,” Administrator Yang shook his head and sighed after a while.

Not long after Lin Yun left, in Lin Yun’s cabin at the hillside, a bunch of people rummaged around in a violent way, trying to look for something.

“Senior Chen, no Body Refining Elixir was found. That guy must have known we would come, so he took it away.”

“There's nothing valuable, just a bunch of wastes for maintaining swords.”

 It was Chen Xiao, who wanted to take revenge immediately after he recovered.

He didn’t expect Lin Yun had left before he came.

“Damn it, my Cloud Strip Sword, my three Body Refining Elixirs!”

Chen Xiao felt his heart aching and cried, “Burn his house! Lin Yun, you can’t avoid me. I don’t believe you won’t come back for the mid-year assessment!”

...                                        

After two days’ riding on a fine horse, Lin Yun had gone deep in Hengyun Mountains.

He was far away from the Qingyun Sect; meanwhile, he was going to face another kind of danger.

Having practiced in here once, Lin Yun clearly knew what was there deep in the mountains.

Evil beasts!

Unlike the periphery of the mountains, deep in the mountains reigned the evil beasts, all of which at least had the fifth level of Martial Practice.

The more terrible thing was that all evil beasts possessed evil spirit. So it was extremely difficult for those practitioners of the same level to defeat them.

But Lin took the task of collecting Blood Lilies, so he had to venture here.

If he wanted to defeat Zhou Yun and pay back what he owed Su Ziyao, he had no way back.

Compared with the pressure Zhou Yun gave him, Su Ziyao’s “kindness” was more unacceptable.

He hated owing a debt of gratitude to others. And on thinking Su Ziyao’s arrogant look, he wanted to pay it back immediately.

The map showed that the Flowers Valley was nearby.

But the terrain was complex in the deep Hengyun Mountain. The jungle was dense, and the human seldom trod. It was not easy for him to find the entrance to Flowers Valley.

In addition, he needed to beware of evil beasts, which made things more difficult.

It took Lin Yun three days to walk through a jungle and then the view completely changed.

In front of him was a wide field.

A huge valley appeared in the mountains. Flowers of all kinds in bright colors, covering the ground, were in full bloom, and Lin Yun could not see the end at a glance.

When the breeze came, the fragrance of flowers was smelled.

Here was the Flowers Valley!