Chapter Thirteen: The Summons

In the days that followed, Shen Qingyun lived a simple yet profound life. With the help of spiritual stones, he successfully broke through to the second stage of Qi Cultivation and stabilized at the advanced level.

On this particular day, as he was about to resume his cultivation, the door of his hut was suddenly knocked upon.

“May I ask if you are Shen Qingyun, Junior Brother Shen?”

Opening the door, Shen Qingyun saw a disciple of the Cangyun Sect dressed in azure and white robes. The disciple spoke as soon as he saw Shen Qingyun.

“Yes, Senior Brother. Is there something you need?” Shen Qingyun’s eyes flashed with a hint of confusion. He had been secluded in his room for days, rarely interacting even with the new disciples, much less with the veteran disciples distinguished by the azure and white robes.

“This is a black-level summons from the Mission Hall. Please go there as soon as possible to learn about the task.” The disciple handed him a black token and then left.

“A summons...” Shen Qingyun stared at the black token in his hand. He understood what it represented, but could not fathom why the Mission Hall would give him such an order.

Black-level missions in the Mission Hall were considered dangerous. Normally, only powerful outer and inner sect disciples would take them on. The summons, however, was a mandatory order for a designated sect disciple to accept the task.

Why would the Mission Hall issue a black-level summons to a Qi Cultivation disciple like Shen Qingyun? Could it be a mistake by the higher-ups? That was clearly impossible.

“I’d better go and see.” Shen Qingyun grasped the summons tightly. The rewards for such tasks were never meager.

…

“Brother Qingyun!”

On his way to the Mission Hall, Shen Qingyun suddenly heard a delighted voice behind him. Turning, he saw the two Qiao sisters from the Qiao family, both in flowing white dresses, approaching gracefully.

Qiao Xinyu walked briskly, reaching Shen Qingyun ahead of her sister, Qiao Xinran.

“Brother Qingyun!” Standing before him, Qiao Xinyu placed her hands behind her back and smiled playfully, calling him again.

Shen Qingyun looked her over. In just a few days, Qiao Xinyu had gained her sense of Qi and entered the Qi Cultivation stage. The cleansing of spiritual energy had given her an ethereal aura.

Qiao Xinran was much the same.

These twin sisters were already exceptionally beautiful, and stepping into the world of cultivation made them even more captivating.

“Master Shen,” Qiao Xinran gave Shen Qingyun a slight bow.

“No need for such formality, Miss Qiao. We are both disciples of Cangyun Sect, and you are an inner sect disciple besides,” Shen Qingyun replied. “If anyone should salute, it ought to be me. Senior Sister Qiao!”

Qiao Xinran smiled softly. “Master Shen, you are so witty. If not for you, my sister and I would never have come to Cangyun.”

Shen Qingyun did not wish to dwell on the subject, so he asked, “Why aren’t you two cultivating peacefully in Flower Valley? What brings you out?”

Qiao Xinyu gave a proud hum. “My sister and I have a mission, Brother Qingyun. You wouldn’t have guessed it—we’ve received a black-level task!”

“Hm?” Shen Qingyun looked at her in surprise. “A black-level task for two first-stage Qi Cultivators?”

“That's right!” Qiao Xinyu grew even more pleased as Shen Qingyun acknowledged their cultivation level. “Our master says we are prodigies, and among the new disciples, none entered the Qi Cultivation stage faster than us!”

Shen Qingyun was silent. She spoke the truth—heavenly spiritual roots were not to be underestimated. Yet it was hardly reason enough to send them on a black-level mission.

He grew serious. “Do you know what a black-level mission means?”

“It means rich rewards!” Qiao Xinyu replied with a mischievous grin.

Shen Qingyun was momentarily speechless. Her logic left him unable to argue.

Seeing his expression, Qiao Xinran quickly added, “Our master told us that black-level missions offer great rewards but also carry certain dangers.”

Shen Qingyun sighed. “Your master didn’t lie. Black-level missions are indeed dangerous, and the risk depends greatly on your cultivation.”

“For two first-stage Qi Cultivators to take on such a task is tantamount to seeking death!”

The sisters were startled. They knew Shen Qingyun would not scare them needlessly. If he said so, it must be true.

Seeing their pale faces, Shen Qingyun asked, “Where did you get the black-level mission?”

Both produced black tokens, replying in unison, “An inner sect senior gave them to us, and our master approved.”

Shen Qingyun’s face darkened. Even they had received the summons, confirming it was no error by the Mission Hall.

“Brother Qingyun...” Qiao Xinyu called softly.

Her voice drew Shen Qingyun out of his thoughts. He looked at them with a complicated expression. “Let’s go to the Mission Hall first.”

The sisters exchanged worried glances. Their trust in Shen Qingyun surpassed even that in their master. Seeing his solemn demeanor made them anxious.

Shen Qingyun walked on in silence. This was no mistake by the Mission Hall—he and the Qiao sisters had both received the summons. Who had issued it to cultivators of their level, and for what purpose?

Upon arriving, he found the Mission Hall’s main chamber cleared out. Only seven disciples remained; one wore azure and white robes, the others pure-colored robes.

This meant that aside from the one outer sect disciple, the rest were all genuine inner sect disciples.

As he joined them, there was now more than a single outer sect disciple present. Though not the weakest, he stood out conspicuously. The green robe was pure, but everyone knew what it signified.

At the center of the hall, an inner sect disciple in white robes seemed to sense something. Turning, his eyes brightened instantly and he strode over.

Shen Qingyun did not naively believe he was the target.

Indeed, the disciple bypassed Shen Qingyun and stood before the Qiao sisters.

“Xinran, Xinyu, I didn’t expect you would really come!” His words overflowed with undisguised joy.

Qiao Xinran and Qiao Xinyu looked embarrassed, clearly reluctant to engage, but forced to respond to his enthusiasm with strained smiles. “Brother Qiyang!”

It seemed the sisters knew him.

Fang Qiyang smiled. “My father wrote to say you had come to Cangyun Sect in search of the Dao, and asked me to look after you. I’ve been searching for you in the outer sect these past days, but couldn’t find you.”

“I didn’t expect you would join the inner sect directly!”

Shen Qingyun blinked. He was no fool; it was clear Fang Qiyang had an interest in either Qiao Xinran or Qiao Xinyu, but the sisters seemed to have little fondness for him.

Looking around, Shen Qingyun noticed a woman in a white dress casting a venomous gaze their way. She was quite attractive, with a graceful figure—a rare beauty in Cangyun Sect.

Shen Qingyun’s expression became somewhat odd. The relationships here were rather tangled.

Scanning further, Shen Qingyun was taken aback to see Zhou Weiqing again.