The Mission

Yan's last memory was of standing on the dueling platform, locked in a standoff with Jiguang. Senior Sister Jian, who had helped him before, had come to break it up. Then, he'd been blasted unconscious by the micro-planet Jiguang had somehow attached to him, which then detonated. Now he lay in bed, wrapped in bandages, and even the slightest movement sent waves of excruciating, tearing pain through his entire body.

"Hey! Don't move around!" A stunningly beautiful woman, bearing a bowl of freshly brewed medicine, approached Yan and examined his wounds. "I just finished bandaging you! If you move and mess something up, I won't be responsible!"

"I can't believe you two went that far just for some stupid show of strength? Thankfully, the Immortal Seed only drained part of your spirit energy. If it had been some stingier type, you'd definitely still be out cold!" The woman grew more irate as she spoke, finally grabbing Yan's cheek and giving it a hard pinch.

"Ow, ouch, ouch!" Yan didn't dare struggle, but he desperately wanted her to stop.

"So you *do* know it hurts! But seeing your reaction means there's probably no major issue. Just rest and recover here properly. Perfect timing—you can help guide me with my assignments!" The woman released his cheek, nodded, and sat down beside him.

"Assignments?"

"You're new to the Sub-Institute, and you're from 'Micro.' Of course you wouldn't know much about this. We from 'Macro' have regular exams and have to leave the sect for missions!" She complained, venting to herself. "And there's that bullshit credit system on top of it! It's like they don't want us to live a peaceful life! So many major human sects don't have any of this!..."

Her anger subsiding a bit, she looked back at Yan. "Actually, you don't *have* to help me. You can just rest quietly here. Your injuries are serious, after all. But of course, I'll still be taking care of you every day!"

Having just witnessed her furious rant, Yan felt his hairs stand on end at her sudden smile aimed at him. He had a feeling refusing her would lead to unknown torments, so he nodded his agreement repeatedly.

Pleased by his swift compliance, the woman beamed and handed him the medicine bowl. "I made this specially for you! Drink up, then you can help me. My name is Lian Fulan!"

Yan took the bowl, closed his eyes, and downed it in one go. The medicine truly did accelerate the healing of his injuries, its efficacy several times greater than ordinary remedies. However, Lian Fulan had forgotten to mention one thing: it was extremely bitter. Yan didn't dare spit it out and forced himself to swallow.

"You're quite impressive, Junior Brother! All the other newcomers couldn't help but spit it out the first time. So far, you're the only one who's managed to get it down on the first try!" Lian Fulan took the bowl back, looking at Yan with wide, blinking eyes in disbelief. "Rest for a couple of days. You can help me once you're mobile again."

After two anxious days passed, Lian Fulan, seeing Yan had recovered reasonably well, removed his bandages and allowed him to go outside—but only with her supervision, in case of any complications.

From then on, Yan followed Lian Fulan daily. She didn't demand he actually perform missions for her. She would only ask for guidance on points she didn't understand. Afterwards, she'd have Yan review her work, checking for errors or potential improvements. Cheating on exams was out of the question; she just wanted tutoring. She even gave him occasional rewards.

Over a month passed like this, and Yan's body recovered significantly. As long as he didn't recklessly use his cultivation base, no problems would arise.

When Lian Fulan went down the mountain for missions, she would bring Yan along instead of tossing him to the instructors with just a communication jade slip like before.

Yan had grown up in a village. While talented, it couldn't compensate for his lack of worldly experience. Furthermore, the places Lian Fulan took him on this trip were all major cities, leaving him staring open-mouthed—despite her repeated warnings before leaving the mountain to act more mature and not look like a country bumpkin.

"I'd only heard about these grand cities from my fellow disciples. To see it for myself... it's truly awe-inspiring!" Yan sent a mental message to Lian Fulan.

"Ha! This is nothing? My home was in the Heterodox Clan's Imperial City! Compared to that, this place is just a backwater village!" Lian Fulan rolled her eyes at Yan. "Look at these streets, full of potholes. And the buildings, all uneven and mismatched. Only the government offices are somewhat presentable, and even they can't compare to the most ordinary houses back home!"

Hearing this, Yan's eyes went wide. He simply couldn't picture what such an Imperial City looked like.

"In the Heterodox Clan's Imperial City, the streets are paved with blue brick. The imperial palace itself is a fusion of gold and fine jade. Every household's roof tiles are made of jasper, their fences from top-grade bamboo and wood. The houses are built with red brick and the finest timber cut from the mountains—orderly yet each with its own character. Even the farmlands there lack that rustic, earthy smell from the countryside. The entire city is like one vast, meticulously arranged formation, nearly flawless!" Lian Fulan excitedly explained, then added in a mutter, "...Except for that old, dilapidated section of the wall near the northeastern gate..."

Just listening to Lian Fulan's description, Yan found it unimaginable. A sudden longing for the Imperial City and a sense of inferiority as a rural prodigy before fellow disciples from noble families welled up in the boy's heart.

"If only I'd been born in the Imperial City too!" Yan couldn't help but sigh. Only then did Lian Fulan realize she'd said too much. Hurriedly, she explained, "It's not all that great, really. It's a target for everyone. You need to consider the opinions of crowds to get anything done. If anything goes wrong, it's the common people who suffer!"

"Right... Senior Sister, why exactly did we come down here?" Yan suddenly came back to himself and asked.

"You... don't call me Senior Sister, it feels weird. Just call me Fulan like the others do! As for why we're down here... it's nothing major. Just taking you for a stroll, letting you walk around, and buying some little things we can't get on the mountain."

"Medicinal herbs?"

"If a certain medicine isn't on the mountain, you'd have to go to a major city like the Imperial City. What would be the point of coming here? I heard many human merchant caravans have arrived. Perfect timing to buy some tasty food, clothes, things like that."

Lian Fulan rested her chin on her hand, thinking for another moment. "Also, I heard the Wind Clan's merchant caravan might come here too. Their goods are easier to buy, but I also heard their Eldest Princess is accompanying this caravan! Apparently, she's escorting the former Heterodox Emperor's only daughter to Loulan to form an alliance with the human Qin State! They're sure to have some treasures not usually seen!"

Hearing the words 'Wind Clan', Yan only felt a sense of familiarity, but couldn't recall why. He lowered his head, trying to remember which fragment of memory contained those two words.

Seeing Yan lost in thought, Lian Fulan quickly spoke up to dissuade him. "But I heard the Wind Clan's Eldest Princess is already betrothed. I don't know to whom, specifically. And that little Heterodox Clan princess will most likely marry a cousin or younger brother of the Qin State's ruler. You've got no chance there. Just go and look, that's all!"

"Hey, I wasn't..." Seeing he was misunderstood, Yan urgently tried to explain. Lian Fulan saw his flustered look, feeling she'd guessed correctly. She covered her mouth and chuckled.

Seeing he couldn't clear up the misunderstanding, Yan simply gave up trying to explain.

Both caravan areas were surrounded by impenetrable crowds, but Lian Fulan produced a token from somewhere. Immediately, a special attendant came to escort them.

Arriving at the Wind Clan caravan, Lian did the opposite of what was expected. She told Yan to go do the shopping himself, handing him a purchase list and urging him to go ahead. She stayed behind, donning a veil hat, and sat alone in a tavern waiting for him. She didn't know Yan had secretly taken that token from her waist.

Yan thought presenting the token would have the same effect as before. To his surprise, a Wind Clan member merely glanced at it and rudely drove him away. No amount of explanation did any good.

Just then, the Wind Clan's Eldest Princess arrived. After the clansman explained the situation to her, a trace of disdain flickered in her eyes too, though her manner was not quite so discourteous.

"Miss, how can you be so unreasonable? I saw this token works elsewhere, why not here? Even if it doesn't, you could just tell me and I'd line up, but how can you throw a guest out?" Seeing someone in charge had arrived, Yan voiced his discontent.

People nearby who understood the situation laughed, looking at Yan with scornful eyes. The clansman felt insulted too, rolled up his sleeves intending to teach Yan a lesson, but was stopped by the Wind Clan princess.

"Young brother, are you from the countryside? At the Sub-Institute, you're accompanying a senior sister down the mountain for purchases, and she sent you here alone to shop." The Wind Clan's Eldest Princess spoke sternly, looking down at Yan as she asked.

Yan took two steps back. Even a fool would realize now that Lian and the other party—perhaps the entire Wind Clan—had some irreconcilable rift. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he nodded and replied, "Yes."

"It seems she didn't tell you the purpose of this token, nor did she ask you to bring it here. You took the token yourself, didn't you?" The princess's voice grew heavier.

Yan nodded, not daring to answer verbally.

"Tell her to come retrieve this token herself. As for the goods you wanted, I have already prepared them. In the meantime, you will wait here for her." Having said this, the Eldest Princess raised her jade-like hand, confiscated the token, and turned to leave without a backward glance. Attending Wind Clan members then seized Yan and escorted him to a carriage.

Lian Fulan sat alone in the tavern waiting for a long time. Yan didn't return. Reaching for her waist, she found her identity token missing and immediately realized something was wrong. Wrapping herself more securely, she headed alone to the Wind Clan caravan.

"I said I would no longer sell goods to those bandits. But it turns out that token is yours!" Before Lian Fulan could reach the caravan, a voice came from a nearby alley. The Wind Clan's Eldest Princess stood there, holding the bound Yan by her side.

"If you want my Wind Clan's goods, you should come get them yourself! There's no need to drag your fellow disciple into this!" She threw the token to Lian Fulan, then released Yan and let him down.

"The goods, this young brother has them. Don't let it happen again!" The Wind Clan's Eldest Princess turned to leave.

"Feng Jiu, how can you humiliate someone like this? How could a junior like me decide the decisions of our elders? This is a struggle between those in power!" Lian Fulan shouted at the departing Eldest Princess.

"Couldn't decide?" The Eldest Princess's suppressed fury was completely ignited. "HE could change things, why can't you!"

Lian Fulan fell silent for a moment, then screamed hysterically, "The 'HE' you speak of—do you even remember him? You've even lost your memories of him, of his face, of your time together in the Imperial City! Isn't that the price?! If even HE had to bear such consequences, then how could I possibly do any better?!"

The Eldest Princess had tried hard to suppress her displeasure, but hearing Lian Fulan's words, she simply gave up restraining it, letting it burn freely. She turned and flashed in front of Lian, one hand seizing her throat and lifting her up. "Wasn't it you who insisted on helping some Celestial Clan princess descend to the mortal realm, leading to all the consequences that followed?!"

Lian Fulan grasped the Eldest Princess's arm with both hands, struggling for breath, her defiance clearly weakened.

"Harmony begets prosperity. Sister Fulan spoke inappropriately just now. I apologize on her behalf. Your Highness, could you please release your hand first?" Yan's entire aura suddenly shifted slightly. He gently pressed the Eldest Princess's hand and slowly pried it away.

Lian Fulan was set down, gasping for air heavily. She lowered her head and bowed in apology.

The Eldest Princess had no intention of letting things go at first, but upon seeing Yan's appearance and the faint blue glow clinging to his body, she chose to leave. Before departing, she commanded, "Fulan, I shall pay a visit to the Sub-Institute 'Micro' in a few days. I trust you will inform the Old Dean."

"This... this lowly woman acknowledges the command." Lian Fulan had no choice but to bow her head once more.

On the way back, Lian Fulan remained silent the entire time, until sunset when Yan finally broke the ice and asked what was wrong. She then flung herself into his arms and burst into tears. Yan knew he was the source of this trouble, so he didn't dare press for details about their conversation. Unsure how to console her, he could only offer repeated apologies.

Upon arriving back, Yan left for the time being, first to give Lian some private space—she had been taking care of him for so long and was surely tired, and now this had happened—and second to find Jian Yiru. He had heard she was injured and planned to bring some elixirs to check on her.