This token was pitch black, with only a single raised character — "法" (law) — in its center. Just a glance at it made one instinctively feel a chilling sense of oppression.
As Bai Xiaochun stood there dazed, a cold voice suddenly echoed out from within the token, reverberating through the entire room.
"Outer Sect Disciple Bai Xiaochun, upon investigation by the Law Enforcement Hall, you have only completed one spirit plant cultivation task since joining the sect years ago, violating sect regulations. You are hereby conscripted to participate in an external mission three days from now. Attendance is mandatory!"
The voice was icy, exuding a freezing cold that made it clear — if Bai Xiaochun dared refuse, the punishment awaiting him would be harsh and unforgiving.
"Law Enforcement Hall!" Bai Xiaochun's eyes widened as his heart skipped a beat. The token then turned into a streak of black light and vanished.
The surroundings fell silent. Bai Xiaochun's expression shifted constantly. He took out his identity token and discovered that a task had been forcibly inserted into it.
He had indeed neglected the rule that every disciple must complete at least one task per year. But this sudden token from the Law Enforcement Hall was suspicious. No matter how he thought about it, something felt off.
After a moment of silence, he left his room. Instead of returning to the Medicine Refining Pavilion, he headed straight to the mountain peak.
"Something's not right. I've been on this mountain for years and have never sought out the Peak Lord. I must meet with him and get to the bottom of this." Bai Xiaochun's heart was heavy as he made his way up. But when he arrived and asked the Peak Lord's attendant, he was told that Li Qinghou had left on a journey several months ago and had not yet returned.
Bai Xiaochun groaned inwardly in frustration. Feeling uneasy, he didn't return to the Medicine Pavilion immediately, but instead went to look for Xu Baocai. Since Xu was a know-it-all, Bai Xiaochun figured he might have some useful information.
Xu Baocai lived on the other side of Fragrant Cloud Peak, among the outer sect disciples. His courtyard was less secluded than Bai Xiaochun's, surrounded by seven or eight others. By this time, dusk had fallen, and few people were around. Candlelight glowed from the other courtyards.
Bai Xiaochun lowered his head, didn't knock, and leaped over the wall. Inside, he immediately saw Xu Baocai bent over, writing in a small notebook.
"Xu Baocai," Bai Xiaochun called out in a low voice. Xu Baocai jumped in fright, looked up, and relaxed when he saw it was Bai Xiaochun.
"Senior Brother Bai?" Xu Baocai stood quickly and invited Bai Xiaochun inside.
"Weren't you cultivating in the Medicine Pavilion? What brings you here?" Xu asked curiously.
"Xu Baocai, how much do you know about the Law Enforcement Hall?" Bai Xiaochun got straight to the point.
"The Law Enforcement Hall?" Xu Baocai blinked. "It's divided into North and South divisions, each monitoring all outer sect disciples and menial workers in their area. Normally, they don't interfere unless a serious sect rule is broken."
Seeing Bai Xiaochun's grim face, Xu Baocai became serious and continued, "But once they do take action, they have immense authority. They can force disciples to accept missions, and in cases of desertion, they can execute the offender outright. Simply put, the Law Enforcement Hall is like a blade — a blade hanging over the heads of all outer sect disciples, keeping everyone in line."
"If you break the rules and they notice, even if you don't die, you'll still be skinned alive…"
"However, despite their power, they do have many restrictions. As long as you follow the rules, there's no need to fear them." Xu Baocai spoke in detail, sharing all he knew about the Law Enforcement Hall.
He even described the fates of several disciples who had been targeted.
"Five hundred years ago, a traitor was hunted by the Law Enforcement Hall for seven days until he was annihilated, body and soul."
"Three hundred years ago, an outer sect disciple committed a grave offense. The Hall gave him a chance to redeem himself, but he ignored it. Eventually, he was punished by being tied at Blackwind Ravine, where the tearing winds shredded him daily until he died."
"One hundred years ago, during the rebellion at Mount Zhoushan, warnings were ignored. In response, the Hall slaughtered every cultivator in the area, sparing only mortals — the incident shook the region."
The more Bai Xiaochun listened, the darker his face grew and the more nervous he became.
"So you're saying that the Law Enforcement Hall usually gives a warning first. If ignored, they strike hard?"
"Exactly. That's one of the limits placed on them. Otherwise, their power would be unbounded." Xu Baocai glanced at Bai Xiaochun, faintly sensing he might've been targeted, but the matter was too sensitive. Sharing intel was fine, but he didn't want to get involved.
Still, just before Bai Xiaochun left, Xu hesitated. Remembering Bai Xiaochun's talent in botany, he quietly added:
"Senior Brother Bai… do you know the inner sect disciple Qian Dajin from Green Peak Mountain? He's Chen Fei's cousin. He's also a member of the Law Enforcement Hall."
A stick of incense later, Bai Xiaochun was walking alone through the sect's quiet paths. He looked up at the bright moon overhead, reflecting on all that Xu Baocai had said. Comparing it with what he already knew, he confirmed the information's accuracy and sighed deeply.
"I haven't offended anyone in the sect… if I had to name someone, maybe Chen Fei. And then… those guys jealous of Zhou Xinqi's attention." His teeth clenched. "Qian Dajin. Qian Dajin!"
Back in the Medicine Pavilion, Bai Xiaochun sat cross-legged in his room, staring at the pill furnace before him, his face twitching.
"It's clear now. Not completing my annual task gave them an excuse — but if no one dug into it, it wouldn't be an issue. I can't be the only one who missed a task. Qian Dajin is abusing his power for personal revenge!" Bai Xiaochun's eyes turned red.
"If I go on this mission, he'll definitely make a move. Otherwise, why go through all this effort? But even so, he has to hide it — he can't let the sect find out. So overall, he's still at a disadvantage."
"But if I don't go, I'll fall right into his trap. He'll be able to punish me openly under the Law Enforcement Hall's authority!"
He weighed his options — neither route was good. Finally, Bai Xiaochun took out his identity token and examined the mission details. Soon, he saw a familiar name.
"Hou Yunfei?" Bai Xiaochun was surprised. He remembered how Hou Yunfei had been the one to guide him when he first joined the outer sect.
This mission wasn't hard. Hou Yunfei had taken on a long-term assignment years ago, reporting monthly to the sect — a requirement for such tasks.
But two months ago, his reports stopped.
So the sect had issued a task to investigate, assigning three outer sect disciples to look into it. There was no strict requirement to uncover the full truth — gathering some clues would be sufficient.
Such tasks were common. Usually, the team would search the area and report findings. The sect would then decide how to proceed.
A missing outer sect disciple wasn't a major incident for the sect, but it still required proper handling.
Hence this mission.
Bai Xiaochun pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth.
"I'll go!"
His breathing grew rapid and eyes reddened. He began refining pills — he wanted to complete his Undying Iron Skin before the mission.
Two days later, Bai Xiaochun's body roared with energy. His skin turned completely black for a moment, then returned to normal — but if one looked closely, a faint red flash could be seen now and then.
"Black is iron, red is copper!"
He pressed his skin — it produced the sound of metal. With a leap, his speed surpassed what it had been before.
He tested his strength. With a flick of his thumb and forefinger, he crushed a monkey lock — instead of crisp cracking, there was a muffled boom. Though faint, the power had more than doubled.
"Undying Iron Skin — perfected!" Bai Xiaochun was elated. He now felt much more confident about the upcoming mission.
"Too bad I can only refine first-grade pills suitable for cultivators under the fifth level of Qi Condensation. Even with refinement, their effects are limited." Bai Xiaochun sighed. Time was short, and he still couldn't refine second-grade pills for those under the eighth level.
So his cultivation had barely improved — just reaching the peak of Qi Condensation Level Six.
"Tomorrow morning, I'll be heading out…" Bai Xiaochun was nervous. Since joining the Spirit Stream Sect, this would be his first real outing.
Lacking a sense of security, he refined the shield he'd taken from Chen Fei three times. Still feeling uneasy, he refined the armor he'd worn during the last competition.
Then, still not content, he went to Zhang Dapang and borrowed his famed giant black cauldron, which supposedly had an earthfire formation.
Even then, he was still worried. He didn't return to the Medicine Pavilion but sat in his courtyard, waiting for dawn.
"Qian Dajin… once I reach Foundation Establishment, I'll make you pay!" Bai Xiaochun grew increasingly tense. His eyes turned red. He feared death.
He was no longer a clueless newcomer — he had some understanding of the cultivation world now.
A sleepless night of anxiety and wild thoughts…
Eventually, dawn came.