"It's not a big mission. The Grandmaster just needs you to be stationed at Changbai Mountain for a period and constantly relay messages."
Minister Chen simply stated the request for the assignment. He didn't elaborate further because he himself wasn't entirely sure of the specific method of communication. Anyway, the Grandmaster would surely explain the details later; his job was merely to offer a preliminary suggestion.
"Go to Changbai Mountain, eh? I know that place well; my home is nearby. This mission suits me."
"What kind of talk is that? If you don't live there, you're not suitable? I'm signing up too, just to see Tianchi Lake, I have to sign up."
"What's the rush? We were saved by the Grandmaster, so of course, we're all going!"
The Action Team members spoke up one after another, afraid that if they were slow, the opportunity would be snatched away. This was about doing something for the Grandmaster, no matter how big or small, it was something to be envied. Hadn't they seen those in the team who went to work as security guards for the Gu family? They
boasted in the group chat every day. Several of them had even broken through long-stagnant cultivation realms, making other team members green with envy. It was a rare opportunity this time; if they were too slow again, they'd slap themselves awake.
"Big brothers, big sisters, please don't argue. I want all of you this time."
Yaoyao spoke softly, her serious promise instantly making the Action Team members present cheer with delight.
Because once they went, the duration of their stay would be uncertain. They might not be able to return before the first snow, so winter clothes and other necessities would need to be thoroughly prepared before departure.
"We'll depart tomorrow. Uncle Chen will make the arrangements for you. See you at Tianchi Mountain!"
Yaoyao waved goodbye to these older brothers and sisters. A car would pick them up soon, so she wouldn't need to travel with them. Traveling by Earth Movement Art was much more convenient than by vehicle.
The Action Team members had long since heard about the Grandmaster's travel methods. They didn't thick-headedly invite her to join them and happily bade farewell. Then, they excitedly discussed how they should perform on their Changbai Mountain trip to ensure the Grandmaster remembered them. If they could receive some guidance then, they would be the true winners.
…
Yaoyao was unaware of the Action Team members' expectations.
A quarter of an hour later, she returned to the Gu family residence. After some thought, she went directly to find her mother, who was pruning flowers in the garden, and told her about her plan to go to Changbai Mountain. This kind of reporting before going out was to prevent her family from worrying if they couldn't find her.
"Of course, no problem. But I'm not too comfortable with you going by yourself, my dear."
"It just so happens that your sixth brother is back on leave and idle. Let him go with you; he can look after you."
Chen Hui was wearing an autumn-moon-white, woven-collar long gown today, holding a delicate pair of pruning shears. She automatically considered all the Action Team members traveling together as "non-existent" companions. In her eyes, if no Gu family member was accompanying her daughter, then her daughter was going out by herself.
"Okay! Then I'll go ask Sixth Brother and see if he needs to prepare anything."
Yaoyao, far from being opposed, was delighted by the suggestion. Her sixth brother's unit often had special training, so he definitely had a lot of knowledge about the outdoors. For example, which wild fruits were non-poisonous and delicious, how to catch pheasants, wild rabbits, and other small animals...
The more Yaoyao thought about it, the more excited she became. She simply couldn't wait any longer and scurried with her short steps to find her sixth brother.
"You want to take your sixth brother with you? Alright! Just take good care of yourself; leave everything else to your sixth brother."
Gu Huanzhen was quite surprised that his sister would seek him out. He usually spent more time in the military and had less time with his sister. But this didn't mean he didn't like her; on the contrary, he truly adored his soft, cuddly sister from the bottom of his heart.
This was a good opportunity, and it just so happened to be in his area of expertise—the outdoors. Gu Huanzhen also became interested. Learning that he had half a day to prepare, he calculated that he would have enough time.
"Mm-hmm, I'll keep an eye on Sixth Brother!"
Yaoyao nodded obediently, settling on a meeting time. She also returned to her room to draw array diagrams. Because the monitoring array was very large, many details needed to be drawn on paper to prevent omissions.
That night, Seventh Brother excitedly came to ask why she wasn't taking him, his eyes and tone full of indignation.
"Did Sixth Brother force you to take him? He's shameless like that. If you don't tell me, I'll help you decline."
He didn't know that when Sixth Brother was boasting in the group chat, he almost choked to death. He couldn't win the argument in the group, so he could only come and ask the person involved why. Even at this moment, Gu Yu still didn't believe that this was his sister's initiative, because that would shake his position as number one in his sister's heart. The severity of that was far greater than this joint trip.
"Ah, Mama said Sixth Brother has experience, so she told him to take me with him."
"I didn't tell Seventh Brother because I was afraid of delaying you, okay? Aren't you going for an audition in a couple of days? If you go with Yaoyao, you won't be able to rehearse. You care so much about that role, so you definitely need to prepare well."
Yaoyao calmly explained in the face of the questioning, her dark eyes full of sincerity. Hearing this explanation, Gu Yu's anger disappeared. Sure enough, his sister still liked him the best.
As for Sixth Brother? Hmph, it was just because he was busy; otherwise, it would never have been his turn. Consider him lucky. Although the role Li Wenbin gave him would probably still be his even if he messed up the audition, Gu Yu had his own integrity. He wanted to get the role based on his own abilities, not just through connections.
Yaoyao saw that she had almost placated him, then gave him a final reassurance: "I'll bring back local specialties for Seventh Brother! Seventh Brother, you must work hard!"
"Mm-hmm, have fun."
Hearing her thoughtfulness, Gu Yu finally broke into a full smile. He reached out and stroked his sister's head.
Mission accomplished!
Yaoyao showed a mouthful of tiny white teeth. When Mama told her to find Sixth Brother, she knew Seventh Brother would definitely be jealous. So, she had already thought about how to coax him, and now it seemed her plan was very successful.
With Yaoyao about to leave, everyone in the Gu family was busy, each preparing supplies, afraid that she would suffer hardship outside. Chen Hui personally inspected every item before finally nodding in satisfaction.
The next day, Gu Huanzhen took his sister, boarded the family's helicopter, and headed towards Changbai Mountain. This was Yaoyao's chosen method of travel after consideration, mainly because the journey was too long. While she would be fine, Sixth Brother's body wouldn't be able to withstand the strain of traveling by Earth Movement Art.
"Wow, what a beautiful sea of clouds!"
Through the window, Yaoyao instantly saw the boundless sky, its azure clarity like a flawless jewel. The surging, churning sea of clouds around them reflected the layers of morning glow, making it vibrant and sacred. For a moment, Yaoyao couldn't take her eyes off it.
Gu Huanzhen didn't stop her. Most people would get dizzy staring at it, but his sister clearly had no such problem. The roar of the helicopter's propellers echoed throughout the journey. Two hours later, a verdant mountain range, as if painted, appeared in their view.
Looking down, within the mountain's sunken basin, a pool of azure water was held, misty and hazy, like a fairyland. Yaoyao instantly recognized its origin.
Changbai Mountain's Tianchi Lake—they had arrived!
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