However, there were exceptions.

For example, some assassination missions were difficult for the sect master to assign. Assigning the mission to any True Monarch would offend someone.

At this moment, the need for the External Affairs Hall as an organization arose.

True Monarchs and True Men would personally accept the tasks, eliminating concerns about disputes and grudges.

"Lord Chang, here is the list of accumulated missions for the sect recently," an elderly House Elder with white hair said, hurrying over to Xu Xing after he had taken a short break in the inner palace. The elder handed over a jade slip. "Have a look."

On the jade slip, densely written characters indicated Jiazi-level missions released by the Immeasurable Sect over the past two to three hundred years.

Some were for exterminating demonic beasts within the territory, some for guarding mines, and others for searching for individuals with special constitutions in the mortal world to take as disciples.

All sorts of missions were available.

"Assassination..."

Xu Xing flipped through hundreds of Jia-grade missions and quickly found more than a dozen missions to assassinate Silver Ring Zhai cultivators on the mission list.

After removing some outdated missions and those with more sensitive assassination targets, Xu Xing soon narrowed his targets down to three Silver Ring Zhai cultivators.

[Wu Yue: Silver Ring Zhai True Monarch, guarding the Yunlan Mine. Seventeen years ago, his cultivation was discovered to be at the seventh stage of Dao Pill. His Life-bound Magical Treasure is...]

[Xi Yunling: Silver Ring Zhai True Man, at the peak of Returning Core, currently training in the mortal world. She may be promoted to Dao Pill Daoist at any time. She is a good friend of Princess Chi Yang of the North Yue Country.]

[Xue Chu: Silver Ring Zhai True Monarch, seventh stage of Dao Pill, four hundred years old. He is expected to become a Nascent Soul Daoist Lord and is currently traveling outside. Five years ago, he was spotted at the coast of the South Yue Nation and is rumored to be in love with Wen Shaoling of the Guangling Sect.]

"Give me the information on these three people separately."

Xu Xing put down the jade slip, circled the three names with a Vermilion Brush, and spoke to the House Elder of the External Affairs Hall.

The information about the three people on the jade slip consisted of simple summaries. More details would be provided by the sect only after he accepted the mission.

"These three people..."

The House Elder of the External Affairs Hall glanced at the circled names with a slightly surprised expression.

Of these three, apart from Xi Yunling, the other two were True Monarchs.

Assassinating True Monarchs of the same realm... It was a daunting thought.

However, Xu Xing was a True Monarch, after all, and his status was noble. Perhaps he had other considerations, and it was not the elder's place to comment. So the elder nodded without saying much.

He went into the intelligence room of the External Affairs Hall, fetched the information on Wu Yue and the other two, and handed it over to Xu Xing.

"Information on a Foundation Establishment Cultivator costs 10,000 Spirit Shells per person, a Returning Core Cultivator 50,000 Spirit Shells per person, and a Dao Pill Cultivator 100,000 Spirit Shells per person."

"Lord Chang is the first to accept an assassination mission in a hundred years, so the fee for one person can be waived. Only 200,000 Spirit Shells will be sufficient," the House Elder of the External Affairs Hall said.

After saying this, he seemed worried that Xu Xing might be displeased and quickly added an explanation, "It's common for disciples within the sect to borrow the sect's information and sell it to the outside world."

"The sect doesn't care much about such small profits. However, the leakage of information would expose the existence of the sect's undercover agents, so this rule has been established within the sect to prevent disciples from profiting from it."

Information was also a type of resource, especially reliable information confirmed after investigations by major sects.

"I understand," Xu Xing nodded, took out twenty Spirit Pearls from his sleeve, and placed them on the table cases.

His wealth had been increasing after engaging in cross-state trade. Carrying Spirit Shells was too cumbersome, so he carried more Spirit Pearls. The space in the Storage Bag was limited.

One Spirit Pearl was equivalent to 10,000 Spirit Shells. Although the amount of Spirit Shells one could exchange for a single Spirit Pearl was often more than 10,000, he didn't care much about such small amounts of money anymore.

After Xu Xing transformed into an escaping light and left the External Affairs Hall, the House Elders in the inner palace looked at each other in surprise.

"I can understand Lord Chang taking on one assassination mission, but he took on three at once..." one of the House Elders spoke up.

"I heard that the Dao Pill Lord Chang condensed is of high quality, and his Magic Power is stronger than those of the same realm. The Cultivation Method he practices is also extraordinary."

"However, he is still young, only a few hundred years into his Dao Pill cultivation. Isn't it too much for him to try to assassinate Xue Chu, Wu Yue, and the others?"

They whispered among themselves.

After the Great Elder of the External Affairs Hall and the others had finished speaking, he slammed the table and declared, "Report this matter to the Sect Master."

「...」

Gu Chengbin brought the message from the External Affairs Hall to Golden Rainbow Valley. He and Yan Xiling stood at the Cave Mansion Entrance where Golden Rainbow Ancestor was in seclusion.

After waiting for about half an hour, the door to the Cave Mansion slowly opened.

"Sect Master, please enter."

A gentle female voice, as clear and melodious as an oriole's song, came from inside the Cave Mansion.

Gu Chengbin and Yan Xiling entered the Cave Mansion one after the other, came to the living room, and sat down in lower seats.

Occasionally, amidst a rising cloud of mist, a young female cultivator with a beautiful face appeared before them.

Her appearance was somewhat similar to Yan Xiling's. However, her makeup was simpler, and her accessories were few; she only wore a wooden hairpin in her hair bun.

"Golden Rainbow Martial Uncle," Gu Chengbin and Yan Xiling said, rising to pay their respects.

After they had done so, Gu Chengbin spoke of Xu Xing's matter, "Junior Brother Chang seems reluctant to accept your proposal of marriage, but... his reluctance doesn't seem entirely firm. It might be that hearing about it so suddenly has made it somewhat difficult for him to accept."

Gu Chengbin tried to put in a good word for Xu Xing to avoid offending Golden Rainbow Ancestor.

"Ancestor, male cultivators are, after all, the vast majority in this world."

"Many male cultivators have multiple wives and concubines."

"These stinky men wouldn't be happy to marry a female cultivator of higher status than themselves."