CHAPTER 496: CHAPTER 506: ELDER HEI IS IN TROUBLE

"It’s getting late, I should be heading back! If Junior Brother Chu encounters any difficulties, feel free to seek me out, and we’ll face them together!" These words, though cryptic, implied an intention to form an alliance with Chu Feng.

Note that Fang Youming did not just offer help, but to confront issues together.

Isn’t this an intention to form an alliance with Chu Feng?

Given Fang Youming’s status and strength, when dealing with other managers, he would undoubtedly dominate them. According to Chu Feng’s knowledge, among the Eight Housekeepers, two offered their allegiance to Fang Youming.

The Vice Mountain Master Qiu Gong also has two managers who are loyal to him.

Originally, the alliance between the two Vice Mountain Masters was enough to counterbalance Mao Wu Mountain Master, creating a delicate equilibrium.

Now that Chu Feng has entered the scene and taken a manager’s position from Mao Wu Mountain Master, he has become the pivotal figure disrupting this balance.

Whichever side Chu Feng leans towards will likely tip the balance.

Fang Youming, despite lowering his own status, seeks to ally with Chu Feng. This is because Chu Feng possesses the capital to do so.

Consider, among nearly a million Outer Disciples, who else could comprehend the Heaven and Earth Sword Skill to the Third Level? Normally, comprehending just the Second Level of the Heaven and Earth Sword Skill is enough to be admitted into the Inner Sect.

Thus, even though Chu Feng has not yet been promoted, his implicit status is very high.

"Vice Mountain Master Fang, take care! When time allows, I will surely visit your residence more often!" Chu Feng stood up to see him off.

"Oh, there is another matter I should inform you about. Recently, Medicine Mountain number 108 has faced several incidents, with successive thefts of precious medicinal herbs. The Mountain Patrol Envoy, Hei Dimo, a Sword God’s Strong Person from your Dan State Branch, has now been taken to the Law Enforcement Hall for questioning."

At the door, Fang Youming casually dropped this astonishing piece of news to Chu Feng.

Being a Vice Mountain Master and having spent many years developing in the Wan Jian Sect Main Lineage, his foundation is very solid, and he is incredibly well-informed.

"It’s a pity that I’ve sent Master Li to open an Elixir Medicine Shop in the Vermilion Bird Imperial City. Otherwise, with her by my side, gathering information from all sides would definitely be possible." Hearing this alarming news, Chu Feng was greatly shaken.

Elder Hei has greatly favored Chu Feng and is one of the only two remaining Sword Gods in the Dan State Branch.

No mishaps can be allowed to occur.

Master Li has a strong capability for gathering information. With her by his side, Chu Feng would certainly be the first to know of any news.

"Thank you, Vice Mountain Master Fang, for informing me! Do you know if Hei Dimo is still safe?" Chu Feng expressed his gratitude with a bowed gesture, while also inquiring about Elder Hei’s situation.

"For now, he is merely detained for interrogation in the Law Enforcement Hall. If the thief who stole the spiritual medicines can be apprehended, he likely won’t face severe punishment. However, if the thief remains unfound, the situation will become troublesome; not only will he, as the Mountain Patrol Envoy, face strict punishment, but also the Mountain Master of Medicine Mountain number 108 and others involved will all be penalized."

Each Medicine Mountain cultivates some very precious medicinal herbs, treasures of the sect.

Each one is meticulously recorded, and even Outer Elders aren’t entitled to use them. Only Core Disciples of the Inner Sect, as well as Elders, Supreme Elders, and the Sect Master, have the privilege to utilize them.

Good steel should be used on the blade’s edge.

The most top-tier cultivation resources are all allocated to the core members of the sect.

Because each core member is rigorously selected, emerging victorious amongst numerous geniuses.

They are the pillars of the sect and thus are the focus of cultivation.

Now, that several valuable spiritual medicines on Medicine Mountain number 108 have been stolen, and the thief has not been caught, this could only lead the sect’s higher-ups to suspect an inside job on Medicine Mountain number 108.

Therefore, this matter is highly serious.

"How capable this thief must be, capable of evading detection even from those at the Sword God level, and committing multiple crimes. Does the sect not have more powerful experts to prevent or help catch this thief?"

Chu Feng was somewhat puzzled, this was clearly unfair to Elder Hei and others.

It could be said that there was a complete lack of supervision from the sect.

Because the highest cultivation of the Mountain Patrol Envoys and Mountain Masters of Medicine Mountain was only around one or two-star Sword God. It couldn’t be higher.

"You don’t understand this! The more than a hundred Medicine Mountains of the sect are the critical foundation of the sect, how can they be guarded by just a single Mountain Patrol Envoy?"

Fang Youming looked mysterious, glanced around to ensure no one was listening, then lowered his voice to continue.

"In the hidden places of these Medicine Mountains, aside from the Outer Elders on guard, there are also some hidden super-powerful beings of the sect taking turns to keep watch. Even a Nine-star Sword God would not dare to sneak in!"

"From what I’ve understood, neither the Outer Elders nor the secretly stationed super strong people of the sect have noticed any outsiders or formidable strong people sneaking into Medicine Mountain Number 108."

So, it turns out the sect places such high importance on Medicine Mountain, stationing super strong people in rotation.

Fang Youming’s tone suggested that even Nine-star Sword Gods were not held in high regard by these secretly stationed super strong people.

Chu Feng couldn’t help but wonder, just how powerful were the top fighters of the sect?

In the future, he must be more cautious, otherwise all secrets would be exposed under the surveillance of these super strong people.

...

After sending off Fang Youming, Chu Feng was also filled with worry.

After all, there wasn’t much left to do in his own mountain area. All arrangements had already been properly made.

He immediately went to the sect’s Task Hall.

The place was bustling, with countless Inner and Outer Sect Disciples coming every day to take on various tasks to earn merits.

The sect issued various tasks every day.

Guarding goods or treasures for some wealthy merchants and officials, or going to the wilderness to collect various precious medicinal herbs. Or, to help some high-ranked members of the sect with alchemy, healing, or even planting medicinal herbs, breeding mounts, and so on.

Even the lowest level Outer Sect Disciples could issue tasks here.

For instance, when Zhang Dabing, one of Chu Feng’s Medicine Farmers, encountered a technical issue in planting medicinal herbs. He could use his own merits, register at the Task Hall, and issue a task to seek help from more knowledgeable persons.

Whoever could help him solve it would earn those merits.

Then, Zhang Dabing’s personal merits would also be deducted.

Since merits could be exchanged for cultivation techniques, secret skills, and were also a basis for promotion, they were very popular within the sect.

Chu Feng came to the Task Hall, actually just trying to try his luck to see if he could find a task related to the theft of precious medicinal herbs from Medicine Mountain Number 108 and capturing the thief.

Unexpectedly, he did not even need to inquire; upon entering the hall, he saw among the many tasks on the rank board, a conspicuous Yellow List.

"A few days ago, numerous precious medicinal herbs were stolen from Medicine Mountain Number 108. Despite searching, no thief was captured. Now posting this task, whoever captures the thief will get ten thousand merits."

Chu Feng did not immediately take the task because there were many people around the board, including some Inner Sect Disciples.

Ten thousand merits were considered very high.

There are three types of task boards in the Task Hall: the grey board being the lowest, with the reward for completing tasks usually around one thousand merits, rarely exceeding a thousand.

According to the rules for issuing tasks, issuing a task requires at least five hundred merits.