"Put back that mission before you cause unnecessary deaths."
"I appreciate your concern, but I can handle the mission okay," said Long Huang.
"Tsk... trash, do you think you can handle the bandit mission? How… adorable."
"Why don't you pick up Bai Ye's mission? I'm sure with your looks, she wouldn't mind you being weak."
Long Huang, hearing this, instantly recognized that condescending tone. It could belong to only one person: the son of the strongest man in the city and the heir to the Zhao Clan, Zhao Gun, the living embodiment of a peacock with a superiority complex.
"Fuck, another one. Did they make a schedule just for me or something? At this point, give me actual waste credentials so that at least their annoying words would be true," muttered Long Huang.
Then a thought occurred to Long Huang. 'How did he even know it's me? I look nothing like I did before... CHI WEI...it has to be that blabbermouth Chi Wei. Ooh, when I get my hands on that bitch.' As he was thinking of all the ways to beat Chi Wei, he remembered there was another idiot he had to deal with right now.
Long Huang turned around and flashed a friendly grin, though it was more akin to a cunning fox that delighted in others' misfortune.
"Ah, Zhao Gun! Just the person I hoped to see. You're looking... well... expensive...yeah, expensive today."
And expensive he looked. Zhao Gun was dressed in a slick, elegant tang suit that shimmered with intricate embroidered spirit threads, radiating a sense of luxury.
An elegant jade hairpin secured his impeccably arranged hair, and his expression showed disgust, and his aura was that of a ruler among peasants.
"Bastard, I know you heard me. So, do I have to repeat myself?" said Zhao Gun with a smile.
"I heard you, but why would I?"
"It seems like you want the fifth elder to be shamed by you once again," said Zhao Gun, but as he finished speaking, the hairs on the back of his neck raised, and he instinctively jumped back.
He then looked at Long Huang, his eyes filled with fury and killing intent.
"You dare direct your killing intent at me."
"I do."
"In fact, I double dare to."
"Heck, I triple dare to, even," said Long Huang, his killing intent continuously rising.
"What can you do? But hey, since you're so interested in my mission, why not join me?"
"Well, that is... unless, of course, you're... scared? " said Long Huang in a playful, mocking tone as his killing intent faded.
"Is the great Young Master of the Zhao Clan scared of mere bandits?"
An eerie silence fell over the mission hall, and a nearby disciple almost choked on his tea in disbelief. No one openly provoked Young Master Zhao Gun like this.
Zhao Gun's face darkened, his posture stiffening with anger.
"You insect! You think just because you've crawled to the Meridian Tempering Realm using pills, you think you can take on the world..." he paused and fell silent as a sudden thought appeared in his mind.
Zhao Gun smiled, his expression now one of mischief.
"You… very well. I'll join you. When you inevitably fail, I'll be there to relish your humiliation."
Long Huang's eyes also sparkled with mischief as he clasped his hands together, beaming with enthusiasm.
Long Huang then let out one last jab at Zhao Gun as he walked away, "Wonderful! It's always nice to have a guard dog for protection!" he said with a smile, looking like a saint who could do no wrong.
While Zhao Gun looked like a volcano that was about to explode.
Before leaving the sect, Long Huang wrote a note and asked a disciple to deliver it to the Fifth Elder's Manor so as not to repeat last time's event.
So, he and Zhao Gun set out to the escort merchant agency to get more details on the bandits.
As they strolled through the vibrant streets of Blossom City, whispers followed them like shadows, and curious gazes trailed their every move.
The sun gleamed off the cobblestones, creating a stark contrast to the luxurious agency. They finally approached an elegant building that served as the escort merchant agency.
Inside, it was a hive of activity, alive with the raucous voices of grizzled mercenaries exchanging war stories, nervous traders haggling over prices, and the occasional cultivator seeking opportunities for quick coin.
Long Huang walked in exuding confidence as if he belonged to the very fabric of the agency. In stark contrast, Zhao Gun, beside him, had a demeanor of arrogance and brooding, like a storm cloud casting a shadow over the room. As he stepped into the agency.
But as Long Huang was about to step in, a guard stepped forward, arms crossed over his chest.
"Name and affiliation, and the reason for being here," he prompted, his voice firm.
"Long Huang from the Azure Lotus Sect. We're here for the escort mission," Long Huang added, a casual smile on his face.
"Very well, you may enter," the guard said, trying to maintain his impassive facade. However, inwardly, he was astonished; he recognized the name, but he still couldn't believe it.
As they entered the bustling interior, the lively chatter abruptly ceased, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.
Eyes darted toward them, some filled with curiosity, others with skepticism. Groups of disciples from the prestigious Xin, Zhao, and Cheng families exchanged whispers behind their hands, their glances directed at Long Huang, mixing disbelief with a hint of amusement.
"Him? He took the bandit mission?" one whispered incredulously.
"He's so young."
"What's he even thinking?" another chimed in.
"Yeah, and why is young master Zhao with him?" a third added, disbelief tinged with judgment.
Zhao Gun's jaw tightened at their remarks, fully aware that this reaction was inevitable. The mission clerk, a wiry man with ink-stained fingers and a look of perpetual concentration, squinted at the slip Long Huang handed him. His eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"You're the one who accepted the Black Raven Pass job?" he asked incredulously.
Long Huang grinned wider. "Yep. Got a problem with that?"
The clerk hesitated but then shrugged, a flicker of cynicism in his eyes. "It's no skin off my back if you get yourself killed." He slid a map across the counter, the parchment worn and creased.
"Just so you know, bandits have been hitting caravans hard lately. Rumor has it their leader is a real monster—cruel, cunning, and ruthless."
A few nearby mercenaries snorted.
"Kid, you sure you're up for this?" one of them called out; he was a scarred veteran with a hardened face and a missing ear, a testament to his brutal past.
"Even a seasoned team would think twice about this."
"And young master Zhao, don't you think your reputation is going to take a hit if you fail a mission because of him? What would your father think?" the man laughed, a mocking glint in his eye.
Zhao Gun crossed his arms, irritation etching lines of frustration across his face.
"Bastard, it's not too late to give me the mission because if you fail, I will..."
Long Huang cut him off with a dismissive wave, plucking the map from the counter with a casual flick.
"Relax, Zhao Gun. I didn't drag you here kicking and screaming. You tagged along out of your own free will."
Zhao Gun's eye twitched in irritation, but he held his tongue. Sensing the rising tension in the air, the clerk cleared his throat, trying to regain control of the situation.
"Look, if you're serious about this, the caravan leaves at dawn. But fair warning, the last group that attempted this mission returned… let's just say they were missing limbs."
Long Huang casually pocketed the map. "Okay, we get it, we'll be careful," he replied, his voice light, yet a gleam of determination shone through. The stakes were high, but for him, the thrill of the challenge was worth it.
As they stepped back outside, Zhao Gun grabbed Long Huang's arm.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" he hissed.
"Zhao Gun, are you perhaps scared?" said Long Huang as he leaned in, his voice dropping to a mocking whisper.
Zhao Gun snorted disdainfully. "Scared, the only thing I fear is my father hearing about this if we fail!"
"Well, that won't happen," said Long Huang with confidence.
"Either way, that mission is suicide for someone like you."
Long Huang tilted his head and smiled. "Oh? And what am I?"
Zhao Gun's lip curled. "A pill addict with a trash bloodline."
Hearing this, Long Huang's smile didn't waver. For a long moment, they stood there, the tension between them sharp enough to cut. Finally, Zhao Gun scoffed and turned away.
"Tsk. If this.... no, when this goes south, don't expect me to save you."
Long Huang chuckled, watching him storm off. 'Oh, you have no idea what's coming,' he thought.
The two then spent the night at a nearby inn. The morning sun cast long shadows as Long Huang and Zhao Gun, along with the caravan, stood at the edge of Black Raven Pass, the bandit-infested canyon looming before them like the maw of some great beast.
Behind them, nervous whispers were carried away by the wind.
"Do you think the young masters of the Azure Lotus Sect can protect us?" someone in the caravan group asked.
"Yes, young Master Zhao is here; we have nothing to worry about," said one of them as they followed behind Long Huang and Zhao Gun. After a while, they arrived at the bandit-infested section of the valley.
Everyone's senses were on high alert. Suddenly, they heard loud footsteps approaching, and a group of bandits appeared.
"Follow us if you don't want to die," said a bandit. The caravan leader came up to the duo and asked,
"What should we do, young heroes?"
"Follow them for now, I have a plan," said Long Huang with a smile.
The caravan leader, although doubtful, followed Long Huang's words. Zhao Gun's lip curled as he surveyed the narrow path ahead.
"Well?" he sneered, fingers drumming against the hilt of his ornate sword. "What's your grand strategy, oh mighty Grass Snake?"
Long Huang scratched his chin, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Hmm. I was thinking… how about I beat you up and then walk in and beat them up?"
Zhao Gun's eye twitched as he pulled Long Huang to the side and whispered. "You bastard. That's not a strategy. Are you trying to get everyone killed? Is your stupid pride as a genius so hurt that you would sacrifice others to prove a point?"