All Things Are Contracts

With only three chances for the task, each opportunity was extremely important. Fortunately, Zhanyue had gathered enough information during his first attempt. Those bandits couldn’t pose a fatal threat to Yu Dayou; the real danger came from that eunuch with ridiculously high martial arts skills.

“What should I do?” Zhanyue pondered strategies. Warn Yu Dayou to flee in advance? He probably wouldn’t do it. Or should he try to take out that eunuch beforehand? But he likely didn’t have that strength.

“Never mind, in the last task, those bandits attacked shortly after dawn, meaning they’re probably already on their way now. I hope there’s still time.” Zhanyue decided to scout the enemy’s situation first. “Earlier, Yu Dayou warned me not to go north, so the bandits must be coming from the north. Let’s check out the northern mountain path.”

Knowing time was tight, Zhanyue didn’t dare delay. He used his unparalleled lightness skill to head towards the northern mountain path.

The sky gradually darkened. Even without Zhanyue’s intervention, everything would still progress. Yu Dayou would still die, that masked man in black would still appear, and even if the small box wasn’t on Yu Dayou’s person, he would tell him where it was before dying. As for whether that masked man could escape the eunuch’s pursuit, Zhanyue didn’t know.

After traveling for a while, Zhanyue saw a firelight on the opposite cliff. In the firelight, there was a human figure.

“So late, and someone’s still on the cliff? Could it be a scout from the bandits? No, that’s not the direction to Yunmo Village.” Zhanyue was puzzled and decided to take a closer look.

Approaching the opposite cliff, Zhanyue could see more clearly. This person was climbing up and down the cliff, seemingly collecting something. “A mountain herb gatherer? But what herbs need to be gathered in the middle of the night?”

Just as Zhanyue was about to turn away, he heard a cry of alarm. The vine holding the herb gatherer suddenly snapped, and the person fell from the air.

Zhanyue frowned. It was a small effort; he couldn’t just watch someone die. He moved like a white crane, stepping through the air, catching the falling herb gatherer. He felt the person in his arms was light as a feather. Then, with a step on the cliff, using that bit of reaction force, he flew back. This was an operation ordinary people couldn’t even imagine, but it was the true power of the world’s best lightness skill.

Putting the person down, Zhanyue realized the herb gatherer was actually a girl. However, when he saw her face clearly, he was stunned.

“How can it be you?” They exclaimed simultaneously.

Zhanyue never expected the person he saved to be Huang Xueqing! She was the trial participant mentioned in the earlier prompt!

“You’re gathering herbs in the middle of the night? If I hadn’t passed by, wouldn’t you have fallen to your death?” Zhanyue asked, not questioning too much.

Huang Xueqing left Zhanyue’s arms, her face slightly flushed. She explained, “Star Light Grass only forms seeds at night. If I went during the day, they would have been blown away by the wind. I had to come at night to collect them. Unfortunately, they only grow in rock crevices on steep cliffs.”

Her attire was very simple, dressed in coarse cloth clothes no different from the farm women Zhanyue had seen, but it couldn’t hide her extraordinary beauty.

“I had a backup plan. There’s a small river below this cliff. I’m an excellent swimmer, so even if I fell, I probably wouldn’t die,” Huang Xueqing explained.

“That’s quite risky,” Zhanyue said, speechless.

They found a flat rock to sit on and started chatting.

“My identity token says Saint of Thieves. What about yours?” Zhanyue asked tentatively, being as honest as he could.

Seeing his openness, Huang Xueqing said, “My identity token says Divine Doctor. After my cultivation was sealed, the abilities I received are the world’s best medical skills and the world’s best poison techniques.”

“Uh,” Zhanyue hadn’t expected this girl to be even more candid than himself, treating him like an insider. “Medical and poison skills? I have lightness skill and thieving techniques.”

“Lightness skill? I can see that,” Huang Xueqing smiled. “Then… can you tell me your task?”

“Well…” Zhanyue thought for a moment. This kind of secret couldn’t be casually shared. If their tasks conflicted, they wouldn’t be partners but competitors.

“My task is to protect someone,” Zhanyue said vaguely.

“You’re really cautious,” Huang Xueqing was a bit dissatisfied with this answer. “My task is to collect all the herbs for a prescription. I’ve basically found everything, just missing the most important herb, which I have no clue about.”

“What herb?” Zhanyue asked curiously.

“Why don’t you tell me who you need to protect?” Huang Xueqing asked in return, not wanting to be at a disadvantage.

“It seems our tasks don’t conflict for now. Since that’s the case, why don’t we be open with each other? Perhaps we could help each other?” Seeing Zhanyue’s silence, Huang Xueqing said, “I certainly won’t stab you in the back.”

“Who knows,” Zhanyue muttered softly, “Everyone knows you’re scheming.”

“What did you say!” Huang Xueqing’s expression changed as she pinched Zhanyue’s waist hard. “You’re supposed to be the Divine Son, yet you’re such a coward. I possess the world’s best poison techniques. If I really wanted to harm you at this close distance, you’d be long gone.”

“The world’s best poison techniques?” Hearing this, Zhanyue suddenly had an epiphany. He placed his hands on Huang Xueqing’s shoulders, his eyes gleaming. “Do you have any particularly potent poison, one that would be fatal even to someone with deep inner power if they drank it?”

“You… let go of me first. You’re hurting me.” Huang Xueqing was speechless, wondering why Zhanyue suddenly got so excited. “Weren’t you supposed to protect someone? Why are you asking me for poison? Or were you not telling the truth?”

Zhanyue smiled awkwardly and explained, “I didn’t lie to you. I do need to protect someone, but that person is targeted by an extremely powerful enemy. I’m no match for him with my strength. Now that I’ve met you, I thought using poison might work?”

“I see. Alright, I can give you poison, but in return, you need to help me find that herb,” Huang Xueqing said. Since Zhanyue had the world’s best lightness skill, having his help would make things much easier for her.

“Deal!” Zhanyue agreed immediately.

Huang Xueqing pricked herself with a silver needle, then took out a small medicine bottle and dropped a drop of blood into it. “Take this. This blood won’t coagulate or disappear. Dilute it with water, and its toxicity won’t decrease much.”

“The poison you mentioned is your blood?” Zhanyue was shocked.

“Yes. Even with my cultivation sealed, the toxicity in my body hasn’t disappeared. Well, it’s good. This is my greatest survival method. No matter who wants to harm me, I have a way to kill them in return,” Huang Xueqing said.

Zhanyue looked at her delicate face and swallowed. If anyone really had designs on her, despite her current lack of cultivation, she would definitely not be easy to deal with.

“Thank you. Wait here for me, I’ll be back soon,” Zhanyue said as he took the medicine and added some water to it. Then, in a flash, he disappeared.

Watching his vanishing figure, Huang Xueqing had complex feelings. “I hope you can succeed. Ah, even if our tasks don’t conflict this time, what about next time? The tasks in this world probably aren’t so simple. If we end up against each other in the future, what should I do?”

Meanwhile, Zhanyue searched and indeed found the group of bandits. The team of about a hundred people was now camping on a flat ground. “Everyone, rest well for two hours, eat something, but no alcohol. Recover your strength, we must reach Yunmo Village early tomorrow morning.”

Inside a large, brightly lit tent, the fair-skinned man sat at the head, asking in his androgynous voice, “How much longer?”

“Reporting to Your Excellency, we can reach Yunmo Village by tomorrow morning at the latest. The brothers have been traveling for two days, they need to rest and prepare for battle,” the bandit leader said submissively.

“Hmph, what a bunch of useless fools, complaining about such a short journey. If I didn’t want to wipe out every blade of grass in Yunmo Village, why would I bother bringing you along?” the man said. He could certainly deal with Yu Dayou himself, but there might be escapees. Bringing these hundred-odd people for cleanup was more convenient than doing it himself.

“Yes, yes, we’re nothing compared to Your Excellency. You must not have eaten for a long time either, you should have something too. I’ll have the servants prepare right away,” the bandit leader said.

“Hmm, you do have some insight. No need for too much meat, but prepare good wine for me,” the man said.

The bandit leader hurriedly agreed, but inwardly he was resentful. His best wine reserves were all being drunk by this person, but how could he dare say no? However, thinking about this person’s promise to grant them amnesty and give him an official position after the job was done, he decided to endure it.

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