Dawn broke over the Azure Cloud Sect's Outer region, painting the sky in soft pastels. Within his hut, Lin Fan opened his eyes, feeling fully refreshed and centered. He spent a brief half-hour circulating Qi via the Nine Cycles Refining Art, effortlessly absorbing the ambient spiritual energy, ensuring his fifth layer cultivation base was stable and his Dantian brimming with power. The ease of it all, compared to his desperate struggles just days ago, still felt surreal but was quickly becoming his new normal.
Clad in his simple robe, now augmented by the unseen Reinforced Leather Vest, with the Flowing Shadow Sword on his back and the Mid-Grade Storage Ring on his finger, he stepped out into the morning bustle. Disciples were already moving about, heading to training, chores, or, like him, towards the Contribution Hall. The whispers and wary glances followed him as usual, his reputation as the wealthy, powerful, and perhaps eccentric newcomer now firmly established after yesterday's events at the Training Grounds and the rapid completion of the Shadowfang Wolf task.
He ignored them, his mind focused. Today's objective: Contribution Points. His target: 1000 CP as a starting goal. His current total: 80. A long way to go.
He arrived at the Contribution Hall, which was already humming with activity. Disciples eager to get a head start on tasks crowded the boards and counters. Lin Fan bypassed the lower-level sections and went straight to the area listing tasks for the fifth and sixth layers of Qi Refinement. His 'Excellent' rating slip was tucked away, ready if needed, but his recent, highly visible success might make clerks less likely to question his capabilities now.
He scanned the task slips methodically, his eyes filtering for high CP rewards and tasks suitable for solo completion. Many were standard hunts or gathering missions, offering 50-90 CP, similar to the wolf hunt. He needed something more substantial if he wanted to reach 1000 CP reasonably quickly.
His gaze landed on a task slip posted slightly higher than the others, written with slightly more formal calligraphy, suggesting it might have lingered for a while or was considered particularly challenging.
Task: Investigate Disappearances near Old Willow CreekLocation: Old Willow Creek Area (Detailed Map Coordinates Attached)Description: Over the past month, no less than seven Outer Sect disciples (ranging from third to fifth layer cultivation) have gone missing while operating near Old Willow Creek. Standard patrols and initial searches revealed signs of struggle but no bodies, and ruled out typical large beast attacks. The area is known for its persistent fog and territorial fifth-layer Mist Hounds, but the frequency and nature of the disappearances suggest an unknown factor. Task requires thorough investigation into the cause, detailed report on findings, and neutralization of the threat if identified and deemed feasible by the investigator. Extreme caution advised.Recommended Cultivation: Minimum sixth layer Qi Refinement (Team of 2+) OR high sixth layer solo cultivator. Fifth layer disciples with 'Excellent' combat rating may be considered.Reward: 150 Contribution Points (Base - for thorough investigation and report). Bonus: Up to 200 additional Contribution Points based on confirmed identification and successful neutralization of the primary threat (Requires verifiable proof: unique item, core, body part, or corroborated report).Time Limit: None (Ongoing Investigation).
Lin Fan read it through carefully. 150 CP just for investigating and reporting, with a potential total of 350 CP if he solved the mystery and dealt with the cause. This was exactly the kind of high-reward task he was looking for. It involved investigation, potential combat against known beasts (Mist Hounds) and an unknown threat, and leveraged his proven ability to handle sixth-layer challenges. The lack of a time limit also suited him.
He took the task slip – again, a wooden token – and approached a nearby 'Task Acceptance' counter, manned this morning by a different clerk, a stern-faced man with sharp eyes.
Lin Fan placed his disciple token and the task slip on the counter. The clerk glanced at the task, then looked Lin Fan up and down, his eyes narrowing slightly at Lin Fan's registered fifth layer cultivation.
"Old Willow Creek disappearances," the clerk stated flatly. "This is a high-risk investigation, disciple. Seven have gone missing already. The recommendation is for a sixth-layer team."
"I am aware of the risks and recommendations," Lin Fan replied calmly. "My combat assessment rating is 'Excellent'." He didn't offer the slip unless asked; let the clerk check the records if he doubted.
The clerk paused, tapping silently on the terminal before him for a moment. His eyebrows rose fractionally. "So it is. Very well." He seemed slightly less skeptical now, likely accessing the recent records of Lin Fan's Training Ground performance and perhaps even the swift completion of the Shadowfang Alpha task. Reputation, it seemed, was beginning to precede him.
The clerk processed the acceptance quickly, imprinting Lin Fan's identity onto the task token. "Map coordinates and known details of the missing disciples are on the token. Report any significant findings immediately via communication talisman if possible. Exercise extreme caution. The fog there is notoriously disorienting."
"Understood," Lin Fan said, taking the token. He paused for a moment. "Are there any supplementary reports or common rumors regarding the creek available for review?"
The clerk looked slightly surprised by the question – most disciples just took the task and rushed off. He gestured towards a dusty archive corner. "Standard incident reports are filed there. You can review previous patrol logs related to Old Willow Creek if you wish. As for rumors... disciples whisper about vengeful spirits or strange illusions in the fog, but nothing substantiated."
Lin Fan thanked the clerk and spent about fifteen minutes in the archive corner, quickly reviewing the patrol logs. They confirmed the disappearances, the persistent fog, and mentioned encounters with aggressive Mist Hounds – described as large, grey canine beasts capable of exhaling disorienting mist – but found no definitive clues about the cause of the disappearances beyond typical signs of struggle near the creek bed. Nothing about spirits or illusions was officially noted.
Feeling sufficiently prepared, Lin Fan left the Contribution Hall. Old Willow Creek was located south of the sect, in a region known for its wetlands and perpetual dampness. The journey would take a couple of hours even with his speed.
He set off immediately, Wind Step carrying him rapidly across the Outer Sect grounds and out the southern gate. The landscape shifted from the drier forests north of the sect to increasingly damp, marshy terrain. The air grew heavier, humid, carrying the scent of wet earth and decaying vegetation.
As he approached the coordinates indicated on the task token, the reason for the area's name became apparent. A thick, unnaturally white fog clung to the ground, swirling gently between ancient, weeping willow trees whose long tendrils drooped into murky, slow-moving creek water. Visibility dropped sharply, limiting sight to perhaps fifteen or twenty meters ahead. The silence here was different from the Silent Woods – not empty, but muffled, damp, with the gurgle of the creek and the occasional drip of condensation from the willows being the only distinct sounds. It felt isolating, claustrophobic.
Lin Fan stopped at the edge of the fog bank, peering into the white shroud. His spiritual sense probed outwards, but the fog seemed to dampen that as well, making it difficult to perceive things clearly beyond his line of sight. Somewhere within this eerie, fog-choked creek area lay the reason for seven disciples' disappearances. Mist Hounds? Vengeful spirits? Or something else entirely?
He took a deep breath, readied his senses, and stepped into the fog. The investigation had begun.