Chapter 510 - 448: Bug-Catching Mission

Chapter 510: Chapter 448: Bug-Catching Mission

Shi Zhenyue seemed to have anticipated Zhao Lin’s farewell. He took a thin booklet from his robes and said nonchalantly, "These are some insights I gained when I first started practicing the Fire Cloud Spirit Whip. Take them for your reference."

"I hope that by the time we meet again, your attainments in Magic will have improved further."

"This junior will certainly study them diligently and not disappoint Senior’s kind intentions."

Zhao Lin said gratefully, thinking to himself: ’The day Senior perfects the Fire Cloud Spirit Whip will be the day I return...’

He then left the Fire Hall and returned to Liang Song’s residence.

Upon entering, he saw Liang Song sitting on the steps in front of the main hall, looking as if he had something on his mind.

"Brother Liang, why are you back so early today?"

Zhao Lin walked up and asked.

"I have to make a trip into the mountain forests. I might not be back for two or three days."

Liang Song sighed. "Brother Zhao, when are you leaving? I’m afraid I won’t be able to see you off."

"It doesn’t matter whether you see me off or not."

Zhao Lin said casually, sitting down next to Liang Song. "What are you going into the mountains for?"

"A Stone Rock Turtle I’m raising is about to give birth. I need to catch some Demon Insects it likes to eat to ensure it has enough stamina for the delivery."

Liang Song explained, "Other things can be postponed, but I’ve been raising this Stone Rock Turtle for two years. I’m counting on this clutch of eggs to make a fortune, so I have to go."

Zhao Lin knew very little about Demon Insects. He asked curiously, "What kind of Demon Insects are so hard to catch that it takes several days?"

Liang Song said, "The Stone Rock Turtle enjoys eating poisonous insects, like the Two-tailed Scorpion, the Black Water Snail, and the Hidden-wing Butterfly. These Demon Insects hide in rock crevices or deep underground, so catching them is a lot of work."

Zhao Lin asked, "I heard there are high-level Demon Beasts in the mountain forests. Won’t it be dangerous?"

Liang Song said, "No. The high-level Demon Beasts mostly stick to the deep parts of the forest. The Demon Insects I’m looking for are in the outer area, around Nine Dragon Pool. I’ll apply to the Earth Hall for a Spiritual Vessel and spend the nights on it."

He paused for a moment, then added, "However, the hall has a rule: no one is to enter the mountain forests alone. I’ll post a mission at the market in a bit to find a few cultivators from the county to go with me."

Hearing this, an idea sparked in Zhao Lin’s mind. He said, "Let me go with you. We can look out for each other."

Liang Song was pleasantly surprised. "Really? You’re not going back to Dongfu District?"

Zhao Lin shook his head slightly. "That’s not urgent."

Liang Song rubbed his hands together and grinned. "Great! Then I won’t post the mission. It’ll just be the two of us brothers heading into the mountains."

Zhao Lin put a hand on his arm and said in a low voice, "No, you should still post the mission."

Liang Song was taken aback. "Why?"

Zhao Lin thought for a moment, then told him about his feud with the Li and Tao families of Three Mountains County.

"Brother Zhao, you mean to use the mission as bait to get them to join the team, and then get rid of them on the way?"

Liang Song’s mind worked quickly; he immediately understood Zhao Lin’s intentions.

"That’s right!"

Zhao Lin nodded. "It’s a huge pain in the neck being watched all the time, and I can’t exactly make a move out in the open. This is the perfect opportunity to deal with them all at once."

Without a second thought, Liang Song agreed readily. "Alright, let’s go post the notice now."

Zhao Lin’s heart warmed. "This is pretty risky..."

Before he could finish, Liang Song interrupted, "Don’t even say that. We’re brothers who’ve been through life and death together. Your enemies are my enemies."

"By the way, how strong are these two families? Are the ones coming all Qi Refining Realm cultivators?"

Zhao Lin thought for a moment and said, "Not necessarily! Neither of the two cultivator families is very large, so they’re definitely composed mainly of Qi Refining Cultivators, but it’s very likely they have a Foundation Establishment cultivator overseeing things."

Liang Song’s expression didn’t change at all. "Even if there’s a Foundation Establishment cultivator, I have faith that Brother Zhao has a way to handle it!"

He had personally witnessed Zhao Lin’s journey from a farm boy to the pinnacle of the martial path, and he had a kind of blind faith in Zhao Lin’s strength.

With their plan settled, the two went to the administration office at the market, spent three Spirit Coins, and posted a notice.

Zhao Lin wrote the notice. It roughly stated that he was recruiting three cultivators to capture Demon Insects around Nine Dragon Pool. The reward would be calculated based on the market price of the insects, but there was an additional "travel fee" of fifty Spirit Coins.

"Why are you charging a travel fee?"

Liang Song glanced at the notice and whispered, "There’s never been a rule like this for finding partners."

Zhao Lin smiled faintly. "That’s the point. I’m trying to filter people out. Ordinary cultivators won’t take this mission. The ones who show up will definitely be from the Li and Tao families. This saves us the trouble of being bothered by irrelevant people."

Liang Song was enlightened. After a moment’s thought, he asked, "Why not recruit more? You’re a Martial Cultivator. Killing them on the Spiritual Vessel would be as easy as slaughtering chickens and dogs."

Zhao Lin waved his hand. "Of course I’d like to recruit more, but for this kind of mission, people usually look for those they know and trust. Recruiting too many strangers would easily arouse suspicion."

On the west side of the market was a row of simple wooden huts, each with a numbered wooden plaque hanging in front.

Zhao Lin and Liang Song walked into wooden hut Earth-Ten and waited for the fish to bite the hook.

...

In a clearing within a forest at the foot of the mountains of Yanmen County, a refined-looking middle-aged man stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

This man was Li Chengfu, the clan younger brother of Li Chenglin, and another Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Li family of Three Mountains County.

Standing opposite Li Chengfu were six Qi Refining Realm cultivators dressed in Daoist robes of various colors.

The six cultivators were all from the Li and Tao families. If Zhao Lin had been there, he would have definitely recognized two "old acquaintances" among them: Tao Huang and Li Yuanzhi, who had tried to kill him last time.

"Three years ago, this boy’s cultivation was at the Qi Refining Third Layer. In less than four short years, he has reached the Qi Refining Seventh Layer. With such a rapid cultivation speed, I’m afraid in a few more years, he will become uncontrollable."

The middle-aged man’s expression darkened as his gaze swept over the crowd. "This is a rare opportunity. We must cut the weeds and pull out the roots this time!"

"Third Uncle, since they’re going to Nine Dragon Pool, we should go ahead and set up an ambush. The moment they arrive, we can kill them in one fell swoop."

Li Yuanzhi stepped out from the ranks and said through gritted teeth. Zhao Lin had killed his brother, Li Yuanlie, and he had harbored a deep hatred for him ever since.

"Nine Dragon Pool is very large, and we’re not familiar with the terrain. It won’t be easy to find them."

Li Chengfu waved his hand and sneered, "Aren’t they recruiting three people? We’ll just send three of our own to answer the call."

"If you get a chance on the vessel, kill him directly. If you can’t find an opportunity, release a Communication Talisman as soon as the Spiritual Vessel lands. At that point, won’t he be ours to handle as we please?"

Li Yuanzhi’s eyes lit up. "Uncle is brilliant! This nephew is willing to go."

Li Chengfu nodded. "You’ve met Zhao Lin before, so you’ll need to disguise yourself. Yanlang, Tao Shen, you two will go with Yuanzhi."

Two cultivators in their thirties responded, "Yes."

At this moment, Tao Huang stepped forward and reminded Li Yuanzhi, "Zhao Lin is a Martial Cultivator. The space on the Spiritual Vessel is limited, which puts us Magic Cultivators at a disadvantage when fighting. If you don’t have a clear opportunity, you absolutely must not attack."

Li Chengfu also agreed. "That’s right, don’t alert the enemy."

Li Yuanzhi took a bottle from his robes, poured out a ball of medicinal paste, and smeared it on his head, face, and arms. In an instant, he transformed into a sallow-faced man who looked more than ten years older.