Chapter Twelve: A Chance Encounter in Black Wind Village
Three days later, Fang Li woke up from her seclusion.
The spiritual energy within my body is slightly more abundant than before.
The medicinal power of the Qi-Strengthening Pill dissolved, nourishing the meridians. The hidden injuries and fatigue left from the battle with Chen Feng were completely eliminated, and his cultivation level steadily remained at the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining. He was only one opportunity away from breaking through.
She opened her eyes, exhaled a breath of stale air, and her gaze became more subdued and serene.
She nodded in satisfaction as she carefully assessed her own condition.
Little Bi has already digested her initial gains; it's time to continue her path to wealth.
After getting ready, she went straight to the sect's Hall of Contributions.
Various tasks were being posted on the huge jade disc.
From feeding spirit beasts and cleaning alchemy furnaces to hunting demonic beasts and exploring secret realms, the difficulty varies and the rewards differ.
Fang Li had a clear goal: bypassing those time-consuming or high-risk tasks, she focused her attention on the D-level and a few C-level tasks.
What she needs are reliable missions that can help her consolidate her current cultivation level and offer a considerable reward of spirit stones.
Suddenly, a task listed at the very end of the D-level caught her attention.
"Cleanse the rats that are disturbing the people of Black Wind Village: Recently, Black Wind Village at the foot of the mountain has been ravaged by rats that are gnawing on the granaries, disturbing the villagers, and occasionally injuring people. Requirements: Eliminate the source of the rat infestation and find out the cause of the unusual activity. Reward: Fifty low-grade spirit stones and ten sect contribution points."
The task description is simple, and the reward is quite generous for a level D task, especially with the addition of ten contribution points.
Black Wind Village. Fang Li frowned slightly. This name stirred up a fragment of her extremely vague memories of her past life.
It seems that in addition to ordinary rats, there is also a strange rat that likes to eat a certain yin-attribute medicinal herb. Perhaps that relatively obscure medicinal herb can be found near its nest.
Or perhaps, she vaguely remembered someone mentioning that the missions in Blackwind Village were sometimes described too briefly and that they would actually encounter some minor troubles.
But my memory is too hazy to be certain.
But the temptation of fifty spirit stones and ten contribution points is not small.
It's just a level D rat infestation mission; how dangerous could it be, no matter how unusual it is? Just be careful.
After a brief consideration, Fang Li stepped forward and accepted the task.
When the disciple in charge registered her, he seemed to glance at her with a hint of sympathy, as if he thought the task was a bit of a chore and troublesome.
Fang Li didn't pay any attention. She took the mission scroll and the marked map, then turned around and left the Hall of Contribution, heading straight down the mountain.
Unbeknownst to her, shortly after she disappeared at the entrance of the Contribution Hall, a seemingly ordinary outer disciple quietly left and spread the news.
Thirty miles east of the Tianyan Sword Sect's mountain gate, Black Wind Village is nestled in a narrow mountain valley.
The village houses were simple and the villagers were mostly thin and pale. When they saw Fang Li, the immortal master, arrive, they all surrounded him, complaining all at once, their faces filled with fear and anxiety.
"My Immortal Master! You've finally arrived!"
"Those damned rats! They're practically sentient!"
"The granaries are almost completely eaten! We don't dare go out at night!"
"My child was bitten the night before last, and the wound is still black and oozing pus!"
The village chief, a gaunt old man, sighed and led Fang Li to inspect the areas most severely damaged.
The bottom of the grain warehouse was mostly hollowed out, and the bags were full of holes.
The legs of the tables and chairs in the villagers' homes were covered with teeth marks.
Even the adobe wall had a hole gnawed out of it.
Fang Li squatted down, picked up a black dropping that was much larger than ordinary rat droppings, and carefully examined several teeth marks and claw marks. Her brows gradually furrowed.
This is definitely not right.
Ordinary rats could never be so destructive. The depth and spacing of these teeth marks indicate that these rats were much larger than usual and seemed unusually aggressive.
It was as if something had triggered it.
A very faint fishy smell lingered in the air.
"Old man, when did these rats start behaving strangely? Were there any signs? For example, was there anything unusual in the nearby mountains and forests? Or has anything unusual been lost from the village?" Fang Li asked in a deep voice.
The old village chief struggled to recall, stammering as he replied, "It started about... about half a month ago. At first, we only heard occasional noises, and there was a small hole in the granary, so no one paid much attention. But then it got worse and worse; these beasts became bolder and bolder, even biting people! Something special?" His cloudy old eyes darted around blankly, then suddenly, as if remembering something, a look of fear crossed his face: "Ah! That's right! The back mountain! That abandoned earth god temple on the back mountain that's been abandoned for who knows how many years! Recently... recently, there seem to be strange noises at night! Some brave young men have secretly gone to check, and they say... they say that there's a red light flickering inside that dilapidated temple! And there's a strange smell coming from it, a smell that makes your heart race! We're all too scared to go near it..."
A local temple? Red light?
Fang Li's doubts deepened.
This rat infestation is probably not as simple as it seems.
She was pondering whether to first explore the back mountain or set up some bait and traps in the village to capture a few strange rats for careful study.
"Junior Sister Fang?"
A warm, smiling voice sounded from behind.
Fang Li stiffened slightly and slowly turned around.
Not far away, Xie Chen stood in a green robe, holding a fan. The mountain breeze fluttered his clothes, making him appear even more handsome and otherworldly.
His face showed a mixture of delight at the chance encounter and concern. His gaze quickly swept over the messy scene and the sorrowful faces of the villagers, finally settling on Fang Li.
"What a coincidence." Xie Chen approached gracefully, his jade fan waving lightly. "I was on my way to the market ahead to purchase some materials for setting up an array when I heard some unusual activity. I came to check and found that it was Junior Sister carrying out a sect mission here. Judging from the situation, this rat infestation seems to be quite troublesome. Do you need Senior Brother's help?"
He spoke earnestly, had an elegant demeanor, and appeared to be a kind-hearted senior brother; anyone who saw him would praise him as a gentleman of jade.
However, Fang Li's heart instantly sounded the highest level of alarm.
A chance encounter? The Heavenly Evolution Sword Sect has a vast territory with numerous markets, yet he happened to pass through this remote Black Wind Village.
And it just so happens that she arrived here after receiving her mission?
What a coincidence!
She remained calm and aloof, her expression unchanged, and bowed slightly: "Thank you, Senior Brother. It is indeed a sect mission, just to eliminate some troublesome rats. I dare not trouble you with your presence."
Xie Chen seemed oblivious to the refusal in her words. His smile remained gentle, but his gaze casually swept over the unusual rat droppings on the ground and the villager's blackened wounds. His tone became serious: "Junior Sister, there's no need to be so polite. It's only right for fellow disciples to help each other. I suspect the rat infestation here is unusual, and it's understandable that you might be overwhelmed by the situation alone. If you need manpower or intelligence, I may be able to offer my humble assistance."
Fang Li sneered inwardly: "I appreciate your kindness, senior brother, but the sect has its reasons for classifying this task as a D-level task. If I can't even handle a small rat infestation on my own, wouldn't I be letting down the sect's cultivation? Please do as you wish, senior brother."
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