Chapter Eighteen: Walking Alone (Part Five)

Hearing the bald man speak like that, Chen Fan immediately recognized him as his second senior brother, Tao Xi’an.

Knowing that a disciple from the Mingyue Pavilion in Yandu City named Bai Qiaoxin, who also bore the surname Tao, cared about him, could only mean this was his dear second senior brother.

From the brief interaction, Chen Fan confirmed that this senior brother was indeed a decent person.

“Senior brother, there’s no need to say that. Since you and Senior Zhang Fan saw me at the Martial Academy, you should understand the Master’s transformation. Regardless of the past, now you, I, and Master stand on the same side. Master also wanted me to meet you—it's just that I’ve been too busy these days and haven’t found the time yet,” Tao Xi’an said with a complex look in his eyes, though he only gave a bitter smile and shook his head without elaborating.

Chen Fan asked, “I’m curious. It seems you knew that Bai Qiaoxin and the others went out on a mission with me and that there was something fishy going on. Where did you get that information?”

Tao Xi’an shook his head calmly. “I didn’t get any news or intelligence, but I could tell something was off. I once spent some time at Bai Qiaoxin’s hometown association, so I know her fairly well.”

“She’s not a good woman. That ‘hometown association’ isn’t beneficial for a prodigious disciple like you.”

Chen Fan felt warmth in his heart upon hearing this. After three months at the Martial Academy, he had completely forgotten to visit this dear second senior brother, yet unexpectedly, Tao Xi’an had been paying close attention to him all along.

At the same time, Chen Fan was a little speechless. “I just entered the Martial Academy. I shouldn’t have offended anyone, right? And Bai Qiaoxin… would she really risk offending me like this?”

Tao Xi’an shook his head. “Your talent is your original sin. The tree may want to be still, but the wind will not cease. You cannot avoid the envy of others. If I hadn’t told you about today’s matters, and you left the academy with so many people, information about your whereabouts would definitely leak out. What might happen after you leave the Martial Academy would be unpredictable…”

“Bai Qiaoxin may not intend to harm you, but her behavior is utterly irresponsible toward you. It’s fine to socialize and build connections within the Martial Academy, the city, or even back in Yandu City—drinking and dining with these people—but when it comes to missions outside, your personal safety must never be entrusted to them.”

Chen Fan was left speechless.

He understood all too well that his strength at this age was exceptional, inevitably breeding others’ jealousy.

In Qinghe Commandery, it was rare to find a prodigy like Chen Fan in several years, so it was natural he was unlike ordinary people.

He had never imagined so many twists and turns, but as his caution grew, he etched these warnings firmly into his mind.

In a place like the Martial Academy, only extreme caution could guarantee survival until the end.

Before parting, Tao Xi’an added, “If you truly want to undertake missions, do it alone. Also, be sure that no one except those you completely trust knows about your mission details or intelligence.”

“You could even form a loyal team outside the Martial Academy. They don’t have to be the strongest, but they must have certain means in the outside world to help you complete missions more easily.”

Chen Fan nodded, enlightened within.

……

Not only did Bai Qiaoxin fail to persuade Chen Fan to leave, but she was also threatened by Tao Xi’an’s words. Lacking strength, she naturally had no way to counter him.

All of this was, of course, orchestrated behind the scenes by Wan Qing and the others.

The Wan family, to which Wan Qing belonged, was not from Qinghe Commandery but an influential clan in Guming Commandery. The clan had numerous grandmasters and ranked among the top in both commanderies. The Wan family held Wan Qing in high regard.

When Wan Qing learned of the situation, he was speechless.

“Chen Fan is already at the Martial Academy’s gate, and this Tao Xi’an…” He was furious at the man who had ruined his plans.

His anger was extreme.

“This great opportunity is lost, and Chen Fan will only become more cautious. What should I do?” For once, he felt panic.

Wan Tianbao squinted. “I’ve noticed something: Chen Fan’s daily training time at the Wanhuan Hall has been gradually decreasing these past few days.”

Wan Qing narrowed his eyes. “What does that mean?”

Wan Tianbao said, “His Yuan points are running low. That’s why he initially agreed to go on a mission with Bai Qiaoxin—to earn Yuan points.”

Wan Qing’s eyes widened. “You mean…”

Wan Tianbao nodded. “There’s no other way for him to quickly earn a large number of Yuan points. The Heart Hall isn’t enough, and the Wanxiang Void Realm’s examination time isn’t sufficient. His only option is to take on missions. But with Bai Qiaoxin causing trouble, Chen Fan will likely shift everything to private operations.”

Wan Qing’s eyes flickered. “There’s still a chance…”

……

Chen Fan waited quietly in the Martial Academy for two more days, nearly exhausting all his Yuan points.

Only then did he silently make his way to the mission acceptance area.

“Mingyue Pavilion disciple Chen Fan, are you about to take on a mission?” asked a staff member.

Martial Academy disciples were required to complete a certain number of missions every year.

For newcomers, only one mission was mandatory in the first year. Generally, disciples wouldn’t seek missions so early unless they were desperate for Yuan points.

Chen Fan nodded and then checked the list of available missions.

The difficulty of missions each person could accept was determined by their ranking in the Wanxiang Void Realm.

Though Chen Fan ranked around four hundred, he was stronger than many fifth-stage martial artists, so the missions available to him were not easy.

He skimmed through the list, seeing many missions involved killing bandits or exterminating troublesome beasts that appeared in the human territories.

The mission areas spanned Qinghe and Guming Commanderies, covering a vast range. Rewards varied from just over a hundred to seven or eight hundred Yuan points.

Some special long-term missions involved serving on the western wilderness frontier to slay monsters.

Chen Fan had read about this in the Martial Academy’s introduction texts.

The western wilderness was vast—ten to a hundred times larger than the Great Qian region—not entirely inhabited by monsters. Some remote areas had human settlements and even states.

However, the western wilderness region closest to Great Qian had few humans but contained a place called the Myriad Demon Ridge.

This enormous area was home to numerous beast tribes.

The Myriad Demon Ridge was divided into different zones; not all beasts were man-eaters, but many tribes frequently harassed the Great Qian borderlands.

This was why Yandu City hosted an annual Demon Slaying Tournament to temper disciples through life-and-death trials, and why the Great Qian Empire stationed the Blue Python Army along the western frontier—to combat the beast threat!

Some powerful demons were intelligent and understood that Great Qian was not to be trifled with, which kept the Myriad Demon Ridge relatively quiet for many years, allowing Qinghe Commandery to enjoy peace.

But ever since news of the Great Qian Emperor’s illness spread, the beasts on the western frontier had grown restless over the past two years, and the border was unstable.

Chen Fan thought of his eldest senior brother who had already gone to the frontier. He shook his head slightly, dismissing the idea.

“Killing demons on the frontier might help me grow quickly, but it could also lead to an early death. I can already grow rapidly at the Wanhuan Hall in the Martial Academy; there’s no need to take such great risks.”

He was no longer the unknown youngling he once was. Having grown enough to guarantee his own safety, it was better not to engage in overly dangerous matters.

His mission this time was simply to earn enough Yuan points to maintain the Wanhuan Hall, so he focused mainly on missions within Qinghe Commandery involving killing bandits and hunting demons.

His mastery of the Three-Foot Sword was complete, and he was eager to test his skills in combat. These missions suited him perfectly.

He turned back and asked, “How many missions can I take at once?”

“Mingyue Pavilion disciples can accept up to five missions simultaneously. But I must warn you, many missions are time-sensitive. If you fail to complete them after acceptance, you will have to bear certain consequences,” the mission reception staff replied.

This rule was to prevent disciples from taking on too many missions at once and failing, which would waste resources.

Chen Fan frowned slightly. He would have to consider carefully.

After serious thought, Chen Fan selected five missions, all concentrated around the Yandu City vicinity.

One would allow him to visit his master and family.

The second was near the White Cloud Dojo, whose influence was strongest around Yandu City, offering the greatest convenience for mission completion.

Only his master was someone he could trust completely.