Chapter 114: Sincerity
Jiang Yue took a deep breath and slowly let it out, "we should still collect some bodies for study."
"You are right. The sect elders may be able to get something from them."
Yu Nianzhen collected a few bodies into three storage bags.
The others did the same before the group walked into the base camp.
As they walked through the array, Yu Nianzhen felt a wave of qi enter through his head and exit from his feet.
After the wave passed, a golden light covered his body, and he safely walked through the array.
"This array should be created by a cultivator from one of the formation sects." Wang Xue’er said and turned back to look at the array.
Although its rank was not high, many complementary functions were layered into it.
Unless one was extremely powerful, it would be difficult for a cultivator in the origin forging realm to break it.
As they were talking about the array, a young woman walked toward them.
Jiang Yue recognised her as the person who previously got out of the array to collect the dead cultivator’s storage ring and other belongings.
"You need to register." She said.
The four looked at each other and felt a little conflicted.
"What kind of information do we need to give?" Wang Xue’er asked.
"Name, sect, and region."
Jiang Yue wished they didn’t have to share so much, but he also understood the necessity.
With that information, it was possible to collate data and determine the missing people.
"Where do we register?" He asked.
"Right here."
The young woman produced a paper and brush.
"Does this list contain everyone in the camp?" Jiang Yue asked when he saw the paper already had a list of three hundred names.
"It does."
Jiang Yue took the list and began to study it.
He looked for fellow sect members and counted twenty-nine already on the list.
He also saw Li Futian’s name and a few others he met while exploring the secret realm.
’I should find Li Futian as soon as I can.’ He thought and registered his details on the paper.
After that, he handed the paper to Yu Nianzhen, and several minutes later, all four had finished the registration.
"You can find an empty place to settle." The young lady said when Xuan Ke handed back the list.
"Wait..." Jiang Yue called when she was about to walk away.
"Is there something?"
"What exactly is going on here?"
"You can find information over there." She pointed at a place several metres away and walked away without saying another word.
"Let’s go and check." Yu Nianzhen said.
The group of four walked to the area and found an information board.
On the board were hundreds of notices.
Most of them were wanted posters for known members of the Death Flower Ascension front.
Other than the wanted posters, there were mission posts like one would see in a sect task hall.
However, all the missions were related to the Death Flower Ascension Front.
"Mission to raid a small hideout of the Death Flower Ascension Front. Thirty people are required. Silver stars and above." Jiang Yue read one of the mission posters.
"They should lower the standard for that mission." Someone sighed.
Jiang Yue turned to see a man standing beside him.
The man was older than him and was also looking at the poster.
"Has it been here for long?" Jiang Yue asked.
"There are only three hundred people in the base. How is it possible to have so many silver stars?" The man sneered and walked away.
When he heard that, Jiang Yue was surprised.
Even after so long in the Cangxing world, some things still caught him by surprise.
He and Yu Nianzhen had almost effortlessly become blue stars, and he took for granted that other people wouldn’t be too far below.
However, the man’s words made him realise his ignorance.
Although he had encountered several people who were as talented as himself and Yu Nianzhen, this was not representative of the Cangxing world.
In truth, most cultivators were iron stars and bronze stars.
Even in the thousand herbs garden, most people were bronze stars.
"Look at the reward." Wang Xue’er gasped.
Jiang Yue turned his attention back to the poster and also gasped.
"Half a grain of inferior quality star sand per person. All the loot is divided according to performance."
"Star sand?"
Yu Nianzhen came forward and looked at the poster.
"Are they really going to give out star sand?" Xuan Ke was also shocked.
Star sand was a rare good thing.
Even half a grain of inferior quality star sand was considered a treasure.
"Why would they give such a reward?" Wang Xue’er was confused, but no one could answer her question.
"There must be something else to this."
"I agree." Jiang Yue said.
He took another look at the poster and then moved to another.
This one was a call for those with tracking abilities.
After that was another looking for alchemists.
Half an hour later, Jiang Yue had looked through all the notices.
After reading them all, he knew the allied forces were engaged in guerrilla warfare with the Death Flower Ascension Front.
Like the allied forces, the Death Flower Ascension Front also had a base.
Once in a while, both sides would send out small groups to gather resources, reconnaissance, and ambush each other’s small groups.
The mission he previously saw was meant to attack a small enemy group sent out to an herb field enclosed in a formation.
After the attack, the members of the attack group could keep the personal belongings of the dead enemies and one-third of the herbs in the field.
The remaining two-thirds would be the common property of the allied forces.
As for other rewards like the star sand, they came attached to a condition.
"Nianzhen, are you still looking at that poster? Do you want to take the mission?"
"En."
When he broke through to the qi transformation realm, Yu Nianzhen planned to forge a natal weapon.
Ordinarily, cultivators would wait until the core formation realm to forge a natal weapon, but he had a different mind.
Since he had grasped sword intent, he had enough foundation and didn’t need to wait until the core formation realm.
With half a grain of star sand, he had the confidence to forge a good sword.
Of course, the star sand was only one of the materials he needed.
Whether he could forge an excellent sword depended on the other materials he would use.
"Let’s take it then." Jiang Yue agreed without hesitation.
As a cultivator with an illusion origin, star sand was useless to him.
However, now that Yu Nianzhen wanted it, he would do his best to help him.
"Thank you."
"Is it enough to say thank you? How come I don’t feel your sincerity?" As he said this, Jiang Yue’s lips curved in a mischievous smile.
Yu Nianzhen raised his right eyebrow, leaned toward the other man, and asked, "what do you want?"
When he heard the question, Jiang Yue chuckled gleefully.
Yu Nianzhen felt goosebumps form on his skin and was very tempted to give up on the star sand.
However, star sand was important.
One grain of inferior quality star sand weighed less than a milligram. However, when refined into a weapon, the weapon would weigh as much as one hundred tonnes.
For Yu Nianzhen who didn’t lack physical strength, a sword weighing one hundred tonnes would make his attacks heavier and more powerful.
"Tell me what you want."
Jiang Yue sneered and looked down on Yu Nianzhen.
’What does he mean by taking so much time to think about it? It’s not like he would say no to my request.’
Feeling a little smug, Jiang Yue leaned in and whispered into Yu Nianzhen’s ear.
"I want you to let me draw a portrait of you." He said.
Yu Nianzhen blushed when he heard that.
During the sea beasts’ war, they also made an agreement like this.
At that time, Jiang Yue promised a striptease when they could do more than kiss.
Yu Nianzhen jumped at the opportunity, but he didn’t expect things to turn around so quickly.
Although Jiang Yue didn’t specify the kind of portrait he wanted to draw, Yu Nianzhen had known him for a long time.
He knew the portrait wouldn’t be a tame likeness.
Jiang Yue would surely request something dramatic, and Yu Nianzhen would have no choice but to comply.
However, he needed the star sand.
Most importantly, he was unwilling to reject any of Jiang Yue’s requests.
In the end, what kind of portrait wasn’t he willing to allow?
Even if Jiang Yue requested a naked portrait, Yu Nianzhen would also be willing.
With resignation on his face, he looked at Jiang Yue.
The other chuckled lightly and raised an eyebrow, "do you agree?"
"What do you think?"
"It’s a deal then."
His lips twitched involuntarily, but Yu Nianzhen wasn’t reluctant.
