NOVPUB
Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Dragon Guard Temple (Please Follow)
"Junior Brothers, this secret mission is of great significance, and the specifics cannot be disclosed for now. You will find out once we reach our destination."
Senior Brother Gu held his hand behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the crowd as he said calmly, "You have half a day to prepare. At dusk, we will assemble at a manor outside of Lijian City."
Everyone tensed, the high level of secrecy indicating that this mission was no ordinary task.
After leaving the Divine Sword Hall, Pang Bai walked alongside Li Qian, smiling as he said, "Junior Brother Li, it seems we’re tasked with a mission together again."
Li Qian couldn’t be bothered with him and turned to leave.
Pang Bai hurriedly grabbed Li Qian, whispering, "Junior Brother Li, you might not know, but participating in secret missions assigned by the upper echelons... often earns one merit... tsk tsk..."
"Merit?"
Li Qian paused, asking, "Is there a difference from contribution points?"
"The difference is significant. Whether one can advance to an elder, a true authority-holding elder, depends on one’s merits," Pang Bai explained.
Li Qian contemplated this.
However, he had no interest in becoming an elder, much less an authority-holding elder.
Back at the Chen Bell Platform, after giving Liu Ming some instructions, he began his preparations.
After some thought, he decided to bring the black cloak with him.
This item was quite good for disguising one’s identity.
It could be very useful at crucial moments.
"I wonder what the mission is, shrouded in such mystery."
Li Qian thought to himself.
After leaving the Chen Bell Platform, Li Qian rode a fast horse to Lijian City.
He planned to check on the little girl, Li Mo, along the way.
Li Mo was a name Li Qian had given her.
Under the careful care of Nanny Ning and two maids, Li Mo’s condition had improved a lot. Although she still seemed a bit autistic, at least she began to speak.
Li Mo was still very dependent on Li Qian. Each time he visited her, she was reluctant to see him leave, though she no longer cried and begged him not to go as she had before.
At dusk, Li Qian arrived at the agreed meeting place, a manor outside of Lijian City.
Everyone had already gathered.
Including Li Qian, there were eleven people in total.
The leader was Senior Brother Gu.
Without speaking, the group mounted their horses and, led by Senior Brother Gu, left the manor.
Several days later.
The group had left the domain of the Divine Sword Sect.
Until the afternoon of the seventh day, everyone abandoned their horses and took a boat, and only in the evening did they land at a secluded small dock and entered a little fishing village.
Someone in the village led them to a house where they could rest.
Inside the house.
Everyone assembled together.
"Senior Brother Gu, can we talk about the mission now?" Pang Bai couldn’t hold back any longer.
The others all looked towards Senior Brother Gu.
With a smile, Senior Brother Gu said, "Junior Brother Pang, what’s the hurry? It’s not time yet. Rest well."
After speaking, he turned and walked out.
"I wonder what the mission is, keeping it so under wraps."
Pang Bai muttered to himself, then found a spot to sit cross-legged.
After several days and nights of continuous travel with hardly any rest, despite everyone being Innate Martial Artists, they were still a bit tired.
Li Qian also sat cross-legged to meditate and recuperate.
Thus, the group spent two days in the fishing boat.
Senior Brother Gu was nowhere to be seen throughout.
It was not until the evening of the third day that Senior Brother Gu finally came over, holding a large bag in his hand.
"Gentlemen, let me explain our mission: to assist the Dragon Guard Temple on behalf of the Imperial Family, and eliminate an outpost of the Moon Worship Sect."
Senior Brother Gu finally revealed the mission’s details: "Remember, this is a covert operation, and we absolutely cannot let our identities as disciples of the Divine Sword Sect be known."
The revelation struck a chord with everyone present.
No wonder it was a secret mission—to be in service to the Dragon Guard Temple on behalf of the Imperial Family.
Since the Dragon Guard Temple had summoned people from the Divine Sword Sect from far away, it was likely to avoid alerting the enemy, indicating the Moon Worship Sect outpost they needed to eliminate was no trivial matter.
After explaining, Senior Brother Gu took out a map.
"This is the map of the Moon Worship Sect stronghold that needs to be eradicated. You must all commit it to memory."
Everyone crowded around.
From the look of the map, it appeared to be a castle built atop a perilous cliff, easy to defend but hard to attack. The map was incredibly detailed, with various key positions within the castle marked out.
"For this eradication mission, aside from us, there will be others. Only those who wear the same night attire as us are not enemies.... After breaching the stronghold, any potential resistance should be met with lethal force without mercy. Absolutely no leniency."
Senior Brother Gu said somberly.
Of the eleven people participating in this secret mission, aside from him, none had experienced any particularly significant missions. This was also, in fact, a trial for everyone by the sect.
This would be recorded as a merit.
In the future, should anyone have the opportunity to become an elder or even a high-ranking elder, this would be an essential criterion for evaluation.
The reason he could lead this secret mission was also to accumulate sufficient merit for becoming an elder in the future.
A chill ran through everyone’s heart.
Though they had all participated in various inner sect missions and clashed in combat not infrequently, even resulting in deaths or injuries,
an eradication mission on such a large scale was probably a first for them.
Senior Brother Gu took out some nightwear and masks from a large bag and distributed them to everyone.
Without delay, everyone quickly changed into their nightwear and, after donning their masks, followed Senior Brother Gu on horseback, leaving the little fishing village.
After more than an hour.
They had arrived near a castle with treacherous terrain.
There was moonlight tonight.
It shone on the distant castle, casting a hazy and indistinct light that made it resemble a massive prehistoric beast lying atop the cliffs, emanating an eerie and unsettling aura.
Time trickled by.
The moon slowly shifted, disappearing into the clouds.
And the world became enveloped in profound darkness.
Suddenly, a loud explosion came from the distant castle, followed by flames that shot into the sky.
Just like a signal, Li Qian saw one shadow after another burst from the darkness, ghost-like, charging towards the castle on the cliffs.
It goes without saying, these must be martial artists from other sects, here to purge the Moon Worship Sect stronghold.
Perhaps like himself, they were martial artists dispatched from different places.
"Junior Brothers, please be careful. Try not to stray too far from me."
After Senior Brother Gu finished speaking, he darted forward, rushing towards the castle engulfed in flames.
Li Qian and the other eight did not hesitate for long and hurriedly followed after him.
Soon, fierce fighting erupted in various places within the castle.
Groups wearing night attire and masks stormed into the castle, showing no mercy with their strikes.
The castle’s defenders were also strong, resisting at every step.
In an underground chamber of the castle.
"Castle Master Mu, are you certain it is from the Dragon Guard Temple? Could it be that my whereabouts have been exposed?"
A woman in black wearing a black veil, her face obscured but her figure tantalizing, spoke with a grave tone.
She had arrived at Mu Family Castle less than two days ago.
"Holy Envoy, you’ve only arrived not two days ago. Even if the Dragon Guard Temple discovered your whereabouts immediately, they wouldn’t be able to muster such a formidable force so quickly, and all while avoiding the Mu Family’s eyes. I guess Dragon Guard Temple’s action this time must be targeting my Mu Family.... Please leave quickly through the secret passage. I fear we won’t be able to hold them off for much longer outside. The things you carry are of utmost importance, bearing on the grand cause of our Holy Sect, and cannot be allowed to fall."
A tall, dark-bearded elder spoke.
The woman in black, the Holy Envoy, spoke, "Castle Master Mu, you are an elder of our Holy Sect. You should leave with me."
She had finally gathered a complete set of treasure maps that were of significant importance and absolutely could not be lost. They had to be delivered into the hands of the Sect Hierarch.
"Holy Envoy, their target is my Mu Family, is me.... You just need to take these few people away. As for myself... it’s time I sacrificed for the grand cause of the Holy Sect."
The bearded elder shook his head.
He knew that even if the Holy Envoy left through the secret passage, it might not be possible to escape the eyes of the Dragon Guard Temple.
For Dragon Guard Temple to mobilize such a strong force without the Mu Family’s intelligence capabilities noticing it, one could imagine they had made thorough preparations.
Only by him taking action and drawing their attention, would there be a possibility for the Holy Envoy and a few direct descendants from the Mu Family to escape.
"Chi Yue, Lan Zhi, you two stay and help Castle Master Mu."
The woman in black, the Holy Envoy, nodded and said.
Then two women stepped forward from behind her and answered in acknowledgment, "Yes, Master."
"Castle Master Mu, take care."
After exchanging a glance with the bearded elder, the Holy Envoy led the others into the pitch-black passage.
Boom!
A stone wall at the passage entrance dropped down, fitting perfectly together, making it completely impossible to tell that there was a secret passage there.
