After receiving Lin Ya's approval, Yun Jin called over Yu Songnian and the two of them made their way to the mission hall.
The missions posted here were available not just to disciples of the Holy Land, but also to members of other sects.
One glance revealed a dizzying sea of postings.
They ranged from helping find missing children to exterminating demon strongholds—everything imaginable. Naturally, the more difficult the mission, the higher the reward.
Upon seeing Yun Jin, the disciple manning the hall quickly offered a smile. "Junior Sister Yun, here to take on a mission? Any specific criteria? I can help you filter through the listings."
Filter the list?
Yun Jin was a bit surprised.
Then again, it made sense. Without filters, trying to sift through so many tasks could take until the end of time.
"I want something near Lin City," Yun Jin said.
"Lin City?" The disciple paused, jade slip in hand. After manipulating it for a bit, his expression turned to mild surprise. "Junior Sister, that place is quite a distance from Tianxing Sect. Just the travel alone might take six or seven days. Are you sure you want a mission there?"
Yun Jin was a newcomer, and this would be her first official mission. Usually, choosing something nearby was the wiser choice. Lin City...
Hearing the name, Yu Songnian glanced at Yun Jin, his gaze unreadable.
Yun Jin smiled. "Yes, something near Lin City."
The disciple nodded and adjusted the filters. From thousands of listings, only about fifty or sixty remained. A glowing task screen floated in front of Yun Jin.
The disciple explained, "These are missions available to cultivators of your level. Some tasks have rank restrictions and won't show up unless you meet them."
Yun Jin nodded and began skimming through the tasks, sorting them from highest to lowest reward.
1. Suspected heretic activity on Luohua Mountain near Lin City. Multiple exploration parties have gone missing. Among the missing, the strongest was at the Nascent Soul stage. (This mission is dangerous. Participants should ideally be at Divine Transformation stage.)Reward: +50 Demon-Slaying Alliance points, ten perfect spirit stones.
2. A fierce beast has been sighted around Mirror Lake near Lin City. Estimated at Nascent Soul level. Extremely aggressive. Cultivators below Divine Transformation are advised to form teams...
23. Livestock has been repeatedly stolen from farms near Lin City...
The variety of missions was overwhelming.
"Third Senior Brother, which mission should we take?" Yun Jin asked Yu Songnian.
She wasn't particularly concerned about the task itself. The goal was simply to find a legitimate reason to visit Lin City.
Yu Songnian hesitated before asking, "Junior Sister... why Lin City?"
Yun Jin blinked, wide-eyed. "Is there a problem with Lin City?"
Yu Songnian opened his mouth, but no words came. He looked conflicted. He hadn't returned to Lin City since that humiliating escape years ago, like a stray dog with its tail between its legs.
But in dreams, he still found himself there.
Sometimes, he dreamt of breaking free from the petrification curse and cultivating to the peak of the Dao. He would return to Lin City in glory, forcing the entire Yu Clan to kneel before him.
Other times, he dreamt of those bitter years when he was treated like trash. The ridicule and oppression rained down on him like a storm. There were moments when he didn't think he could go on. And yet, somehow, he had survived.
Living on as a failure or dying outright—he still couldn't tell which would have been the better fate.
And now, Junior Sister wanted to go to Lin City.
The Yu Clan was the largest cultivation family in the city. They would inevitably cross paths. After so many years, what kind of reaction would he have when facing them again?
"Junior Sister... could we choose a different place?" Yu Songnian asked, uncertain.
Yun Jin gave him a mischievous look. "But Master said there's a major event in Lin City. It's a good chance to broaden my horizons."
Yu Songnian blinked. "The Sword Trial Assembly?"
Yun Jin grinned. "So you've heard of it too, Third Senior Brother?"
Yu Songnian let out a sigh and looked at her helplessly.
Of course he knew. It was obvious now.
Yun Jin was deliberately choosing Lin City. She wanted to confront the Yu Clan—for him. The realization left Yu Songnian with a complicated mix of emotions. Then he remembered she had mentioned their master. Could it be that their master had told her to do this?
While he hesitated, Yun Jin had already turned back and accepted the most difficult mission—the one at Luohua Mountain with the highest reward. "Let's go with this one, Senior Brother. The mission duration is three months, right? I'll turn it in on time."
Yun Jin said it cheerfully, her tone light as ever.
The disciple didn't even seem surprised that she chose the hardest one. "This mission's rewards are provided by the Demon-Slaying Alliance. Once completed, just report to the local Demon-Slaying Hall to claim it."
"Got it," Yun Jin replied.
Before Yu Songnian could say anything, Yun Jin had already pulled him out of the hall.
He hesitated, wanting to speak.
Yun Jin spoke first. "Third Senior Brother, isn't the Yu Clan's Sword Trials Assembly supposed to be a grand gathering of sword cultivators from all over? I just want to join in the fun."
Yu Songnian sighed. He could see through it now. Her claim of joining the fun was just a front. What she really wanted was to demand justice for him.
"I've already let go of what happened back then," Yu Songnian said softly.
"I'm just going to watch the fun. What does the past have to do with it?" Yun Jin replied, dodging the subject completely.
Yu Songnian gave her a look, helpless but understanding. When Yun Jin set her mind to something, there was no stopping her. And with their master's approval, she was clearly determined to go. He had grown up in Lin City. Compared to Yun Jin, he knew the area much better. No matter what, he had to accompany her on this journey.
"Come on, come on, Third Senior Brother. Teach me what I need to pack for a long trip."
Yun Jin didn't give him time to think, dragging him away.
Once preparations were mostly complete, Yun Jin formally gathered the members of Tianjian Peak to bid them farewell. In private, she pulled Si Wanning aside and asked her to keep a close eye on Ye Danxia and Yang Yun.
If anything seemed unusual, she was to report back immediately.
In the original story, this was the period where Yang Yun laid low and focused on recovering his strength. Most of the plot centered on his romance with Ye Danxia.
Now that the storyline had veered so far off course, romance was no longer on the table. But the two of them could still live a peaceful life growing vegetables together.
Yun Jin had already sealed Yang Yun's cultivation. In theory, he shouldn't be capable of causing any trouble. And with Second Senior Sister watching over them, nothing should go wrong.
No one but Yun Jin knew that Si Wanning possessed memories of her past life. It wasn't that she was deliberately keeping it from Lin Ya and the others. It was just that her past had been so tragic, she didn't want them to carry that burden with her.
As for Junior Sister...
Si Wanning had always suspected that Yun Jin also had memories from her past life. Otherwise, how could she be so different this time around?
Their shared past was a secret only the two of them knew.
Si Wanning understood perfectly why Yun Jin had entrusted this responsibility to her.
Because she alone knew just how dangerous Yang Yun truly was.
He was a demon.
Si Wanning made up her mind. While Junior Sister was away, she would watch over Ye Danxia and Yang Yun like a hawk. No matter what, she would not let that demon bring disaster to Tianxing Sect.