Running Missions

Lu Qiancha, her heart in turmoil, sighed. At this moment, she was completely unable to calm down and cultivate.

After a moment of thought, Lu Qiancha decided to go to the Mission Hall to pick up a few tasks. While fulfilling her mission quota, she could also gather some materials needed for refining medicine.

Putting on her disguise, Lu Qiancha rode the clouds and, before long, landed in front of the sect’s Mission Hall.

The Mission Hall of the Tianyuan Sect was bustling with people. Four huge jade tablets floated in the center, shimmering with spiritual light, clearly dividing the missions into four grades: A, B, C, and D. Grade A was the most dangerous, but also the most rewarding.

Grade B was next, and Grade D was the least, but also quite safe, mostly consisting of tasks like finding items or delivering letters.

To complete this year’s quota, she still needed one Grade A and two Grade B missions.

Lu Qiancha’s gaze swept over the tablets. Most of the missions had already been taken. She didn’t mind and casually accepted a Grade B mission from the jade tablet, pressing her identity token onto the seal stone in the hands of the hall’s deacon.

A green light flashed, and the mission was assigned. She once again mounted the clouds and sped towards the mission’s location—Jiangling City.

Outside the Tianyuan Sect, in Jiangling City, inside the main hall of the county yamen.

Fine beads of sweat dotted Magistrate Zhou’s forehead. On the desk before him, case files were piled up like a mountain. In just one short month, there had been over twenty cases of missing persons. Among them, five elite constables had gone and never returned.

Ten days ago, he had submitted a request for help to the Tianyuan Sect, hoping for the arrival of an immortal master.

But now… a full ten days had passed with no news!

“Immortal Master… when will you arrive…”

Magistrate Zhou wearily pinched the bridge of his nose, looking at the daylight outside the window, a deep sense of powerlessness welling up in his heart.

Dong, dong, dong!

The grievance drum outside the yamen was suddenly beaten, its sound as heavy as muffled thunder.

“Hmm?”

Magistrate Zhou’s spirits lifted. Suppressing his anxiety, he straightened his official robes and walked into the main hall, where a mirror hung high, inscribed with “Clear Mirror.”

“Might—y—!”

The yamen runners, holding staffs, stood in two rows, letting out a solemn, low shout.

“Bring the drummer to the court.”

Magistrate Zhou slammed his gavel and then instructed the yamen runner below.

Before long, a sturdy man with a dark complexion, dressed in patched blue linen clothes, was brought to the court. The moment he entered, he fell to his knees with a thud, his voice like tearing silk as he cried out sorrowfully, “Your Honor, the blue sky! You must seek justice for this humble citizen—!”

“Who are you accusing? Speak in detail!”

Magistrate Zhou said in a deep voice.

“This humble citizen is Liu Wu! Li Da from the neighboring village… that cursed Li Da! He… he ran off with my wife!”

Liu Wu recounted tearfully—that day, he had returned home early from work to find his wife, Liu Ping, running off with her lover, Li Da, after packing their valuables.

“Where are Li Da and your wife, Liu Ping, now?”

Magistrate Zhou pressed.

“This humble citizen doesn’t know where that scoundrel is! But that shameful wife of mine must be hiding in my house!”

Liu Wu gritted his teeth.

“You lot, go with Liu Wu immediately and bring back both Li Da and Liu Ping for questioning!”

Magistrate Zhou instructed the head constable beside him.

“Yes, Your Honor.”

The head constable accepted the order and, leading two yamen runners, escorted the furious Liu Wu away.

Not long after they left, a doorman came stumbling and crawling in.

“Reporting—!”

“Why such a panic?”

Magistrate Zhou frowned. If they had already found Li Da and the others, they could just come in.

Could it be that someone else was reporting a case today?

“Your… Your Honor! There’s a young master outside! He claims to be from the Tianyuan Sect and wishes to see the Magistrate.”

The doorman said with his head lowered.

“Quickly invite him in! Quickly! Open the central gates!!”

Magistrate Zhou practically shot up from his seat, urging in an uncharacteristically flustered voice.

“Yes, sir.”

The doorman hurried out.

A short while later, a tall and slender young “master” dressed in a simple white shirt walked into the main hall.

His face was handsome and gentle, with a smile in his eyes. He casually played with a precise cube that had a cold, metallic luster in his hand. There was no sword at his waist, but an ethereal, unworldly aura faintly surrounded him.

“Welcome, Immortal Master!”

Magistrate Zhou did not dare to be neglectful and gave a deep bow.

“Magistrate, there is no need for such formalities.”

Lu Qiancha smiled and gestured for him to rise. “The reason for my visit, I believe the Magistrate already knows?”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

Magistrate Zhou quickly replied, “The case of the missing persons…”

“Then I won’t waste any more time. Could you please inform me of the details of the missing persons case?”

Lu Qiancha got straight to the point, speaking directly to Magistrate Zhou.

“Of course…”

Before Magistrate Zhou could finish, a voice suddenly came from outside the door.

“Reporting—!”

The head constable who had just left had already returned, holding a man dressed in a gaudy, bright red brocade robe with a sleazy appearance!

“Reporting to Your Honor! The criminal Li Da has been brought here!”

“…!”

Magistrate Zhou nearly choked. A vein throbbed on his forehead. He could only turn to Lu Qiancha with an apologetic smile, his face full of embarrassment, “Immortal Master… you see… this humble official is still tied up with some mundane affairs…”

“It’s no matter.”

Lu Qiancha waved her hand nonchalantly and said, “The Magistrate’s official duties are important. I will just listen from the side.”

With that, she moved her feet slightly and gracefully drifted to the side of the hall, standing with great interest beside the scribe (similar to a secretary) who was recording the case.

Seeing this, Magistrate Zhou was both anxious and ashamed. He turned to the stunned yamen runner and chided in a low voice, “You idiot! Don’t you have any sense? Hurry up and set a seat for the Immortal Master!”

“Yes, yes, yes. This humble servant was blind. Immortal Master, please don’t be offended.”

The yamen runner quickly replied. Just as he was about to go to the back hall to fetch a stool, Lu Qiancha stopped him.

“There is no need. To stand and observe the myriad states of this mortal world is also a form of cultivation. There is no need for formalities.”

Lu Qiancha’s calm voice sounded, her gaze gentle as she looked at the man.

“This…”

Magistrate Zhou was at a loss for words for a moment, then said helplessly, “…This humble official is in awe of the Immortal Master’s magnanimity!”

Lu Qiancha smiled and did not reply.

“Bring the man forward.”

After the surroundings had settled down, Magistrate Zhou composed himself and slammed his gavel heavily.

“Yes, sir.”

The yamen runner pushed Li Da to the front of the hall. The man, reeking of alcohol and dressed in a brocade robe that was out of place in the solemn court, was forced to his knees. He was so frightened that his face turned pale and his whole body trembled like a sieve, “This… this humble… citizen, Li… Li Da, pays… pays respects to Your Honor!”

“Liu Wu accuses you of abducting his wife, Liu Ping! Is this true?!”

Magistrate Zhou’s voice was like a great bell.

“I’ve been wronged, Your Honor—!”

Li Da quickly spoke, tears and snot streaming down his face. “It… it was that young woman! She despised Liu Wu for being poor! It was her! She seduced this humble citizen first! This humble citizen… was momentarily confused!”

“Oh?”

Magistrate Zhou looked at Li Da with some surprise and said, “Where is Liu Ping? Bring Liu Ping forward.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a young woman in a pale yellow cloth dress, with a pretty but sorrowful face, was brought to the court. It was Liu Ping.

“This humble woman, Liu Ping, pays respects to Your Honor.”

She knelt trembling beside Li Da, her head bowed very low.

“Woman Liu Ping! Did you hear what Li Da just said?”

Magistrate Zhou asked sternly.

“I… I heard…”

“Is it true?”

“…Yes…”

Liu Ping’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. She then suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with humiliation and resentment, “But Your Honor! If it weren’t for that Liu Wu being poor and useless, and always resorting to violence! Just because this humble woman ate one more mouthful of coarse rice! He… he hit me! This life is truly unbearable!”

Her voice was choked with sobs, and an old scar on her arm was faintly visible as she tugged at her sleeve.

The moment she finished speaking—

“You b*tch! You’re full of shit! Get back home with me!”

Liu Wu, who was being held to the side, his eyes nearly splitting with rage, struggled to lunge forward.

“Mighty—!”

The yamen runners roared in unison, slamming their staffs on the ground! They barely managed to intimidate the furious Liu Wu.

“Silence! If you roar in the court again, you will receive ten strokes!”

Magistrate Zhou slammed his gavel twice in succession, his authority on full display. He then turned to Lu Qiancha, his old face slightly red, and said in a low, ashamed voice, “Some trivial matters of the marketplace have sullied the Immortal Master’s ears and eyes… I am truly ashamed.”

Hearing Magistrate Zhou’s words, Lu Qiancha smiled and shook her head, then said, “Magistrate, you exaggerate. A cultivator quietly observes the mortal world… this human world of smoke and fire, the entanglements of love and desire, the joys and sorrows of partings and reunions, are also an aftertaste of the Great Dao of heaven and earth. It is not without… interest.”