Two months passed without much happening, lessons were as boring as they were and it seems like my cultivation is stuck where it is. I can not cleanse the impurities deep within my body no matter how much I push it to it's very limits. Spending more Spirit Beads were also no use. I simply wasted beads I could use to buy better gear sword manuals or maybe even new swords.
Shaking my had to get rid of these thoughts I got of my room. My days of free housing has ended and I got delivered my mission details to my room. It was a little bit unnerving as I was sure my door was locked before and after the the note was delivered to my desk. Sects were scary like that. I started sprinting towards the Sect's enterance. All Sect disciples and Masters, inner and outer, had to notify the personel guarded the gate they were leasing alongside their reason to leave. Of course Inner Sect Disciples rarely used the physical gate as they had access to Grand Master Cheng and his teleportation arrays but they still had to notify regardless. I was jealous, due to distance I wasn't able visit my parents for a year and that teleportation array could have been useful.
Lost in my own thoughts, I wasn't watching where I wad going and almost crashed to the small shack near to the great gate of the Coiling Death Sect. It would have hurt me more than the shack itself as despite looking like a unimportant wooden shack it was made out of a Qi dense material. It was why a lot of Qi gathering cultivators volunteered for the guard duty. Simply spending a day there would be beneficial to any cultivator who knew what they were doing.
I knocked the door and entered after hearing the guard say come in. She was a modest looking woman, dark hair tied into a bun and sitting in floor legs crossed. Cultivating most likely. She huffed annoyedly and got up after I just stood there looking at her.
"First time mission I assume. Only greenhorns and absolute idiots looks directly into the eyes of a someone in a higher realm. "
Despite her words she didn't sound annoyed. People like me was common for guards it seems. She took the mission notice from my hand and barely glanced it before giving it back to me.
"According to your mission notice you are tasked to visit the Green Hall Village. It takes three days to travel there on foot, if you are a mortal that is. I am sure you have a movement technique even if you are just a Body Tempering Cultivator."
I didn't.
"You are expected to finish your mission in a week. Take this." She reached to small pouch hanging on her waist and pulled a out a well crafted dark wooden charm that looked slightly too big to fit to small pouch alongside a map. Charm's size was around my palm. She nonchalantly threw them to me and I had to react fast to catch it before it hit me in the forehead. She didn't apologise for almost hitting me but at the same time this throw was most likely her holding her full strength back.
"The pass charm lasts a week. Make sure to finish your mission before that and come back."
I thanked her and turn to leave. Something whipped past my right ear, impacted the wall and fell to ground. I grabbed it from where it fell. It was a small Spirit Bead, almost drained of it's Qi. Looking back at the guard I saw her slightly grin.
"And for the record, just because I am a kind person and a lowly guard to let your disrespect go unpunished doesn't mean others will. Never forget to show your respect to your Seniors." She pulled back her robes to show her forearm. Jagged açar lines like the skin was once crumbled like paper could be seen. I sweated in panic as I replied
"Thanks Senior Sister, for your guidance."
"Just making sure others don't fall into my mistakes Junior Brother."
I nodded with a bow and left. I didn't waste anytime leaving the Sect. I hated dealing with people stronger than me.
Road to Green Hall Village was uneventful. I ran as fast my legs carried me and rested when I could no longer run. Judging from the map I was going to be able to reach the village in one day and a half if I didn't sleep but perhaps because the encounter with the guard unsettled me I decided to camp under a tree for to sleep. I couldn't be sure what awaited me at the village. I was fast asleep within a few minutes.
Sleep went away as soon as it came. I rose before the sun. Before I truly started tempering my body I could sleep for half a day and wake up tired. Nowadays four hours were enough to fully rest and even heal some of my sounds as long as they were superficial. I would most likely reach the village by afternoon.
After travelling for a while I couldn't help but speak outloud
"For a place called Green Hall, as surrounding area sure sucks."
I was but a few hours away yet the area around Green Hall was nothing but brown soil. I guess name was a lie. The view didn't change much, in fact got even worse, the village was surrounded by seemingly worthless soil without even flowers growing around it.
With a one mighty push from my legs I launched myself to the enterance of the village, my legs slightly burned with strain but it was more akin to a light exercise at this point of my cultivation.
There was a elderly man waiting me at the enterance. His eyes scanned my gray robes until he caught the golden shine of the Coiling Death Sect's symbol over my chest. Two snakes coiled around a bead. He forced a smile to his face as he greeted me with a bow.
"Esteemed cultivator welcome to our humble village. How can the Chief of village serve you? "
Ohooo. He knew how to act around a cultivator, then again that was normal, Coiling Death Sect granted a Body Tempering Cultivator to nearby villages to ensure they paid their service and in return got protected against bandits and wild animals.
"No need, lead me to the house of the cultivator assigned here by the Sect. I must ask him why the protection fees delayed for last few months."
The Chief winced after that.
"I must apologise esteemed guest, but esteemed Brother Yan is no longer with us."
"Escaping from duty? " I said with a raised brow.
"Not something a smart cultivator would do."
"No esteemed guest, it is better if you allow me to show you." I followed behind him as we moved deeper into the village. I could see the kids play around with a gray/black ball though their parents hurried and got them into their houses as we got close. Curiosity got better of me and I grabbed the ball from the ground where kids left it.
"An iron ball? " It was a small palm sized ball but still seemed too heavy and dangerous for kids to play.
"Ah yes, it helps to train kids for the farm work."
"Ah I see, that indeed makes sense."
As we moved deeper into village I could smell the faint scent of rotting flesh. We stopped in front of a medium sized house. Chief opened the door for me to enter but honestly I didn't need to enter to see the body sitting on chair, covered with bandages and barely breathing. My hand resting on my blade tightened around the handle.
"What happened to him? "
"Esteemed Brother Wu has protected our village and livestock against bandits and wild animals for years without rest but something attacked him last month when he was training outside of the village. We found him covered with bite marks. We did our best but we can only barely keep him from wasting away."
This was definitely work of a freshly developed Demonic Beast. A normal creature wouldn't be able to harm a Body Tempering Cultivator to this degree and if it wasn't newly developed one this village wouldn't be standing. Glancing at the Chief I could see the horror in his gaze despite the firm stance of his body. Most likely remembering the state they found the body in. I absentmindedly slapped his back to distract him.
"Prepare me a temporary room at village's in and a hot meal, I will inspect Brother Wu's belongings to see if he has anything to help me hunt whatever did him like this. Order rest of villagers to not leave their house until the problem is dealed with. If I see anyone wandering around I will personally punish them."
Chief paled a little from my words but quickly bowed and left to do the tasks I ordered. I didn't like pushing my weight around over mortals but they needed a strong figure to inspire confidence. I had no choice but act like many did in Sect. It left a bad taste in my mouth but it is no use worrying. I sighed as I walked inside the house, I hoped Brother Wu had some hints left for me.