Chapter 47 - How Can I Take This...

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Huh?

City Lord Duanmu frowned slightly. This action made Pei Ling subconsciously hold his breath and focus. He could not help but touch the saber hilt at his waist.

Fortunately, the City Lord’s brows relaxed the next moment as he said slowly, “That’s true. You came from afar, so you can’t return empty-handed… How about this? After all, you juniors encountered these things in my territory. In that case, I’ll take over this mission.”

He instructed his subordinates, “Serve Little Friend Pei well.”

He barely finished speaking when he turned into a cool breeze and disappeared.

After a few minutes, the City Lord returned and threw two bloody demon beasts in front of Pei Ling, “Little Friend Pei, on the left is a peach blossom demon, and on the right is a purple-eyed mink. Can you check if that’s correct?”

Pei Ling gulped and forced a smile. “City Lord, I’m just a new disciple at the fourth stage of Qi Refinement. I don’t know anything…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” The City Lord smiled charmingly and said, “Just check the nameplate and rum a test. If there’s a mistake, I’ll make another trip.”

Pei Ling was extremely unwilling, but under the gaze of this Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and take out the nameplate.

However, after taking out the nameplate, he did not know what to do.

“Young friend, take the demon beasts’ blood and apply it on the nameplate. You will know if it is needed for the mission.” City Lord Duanmu saw his hesitation and reminded him.

However, after Pei Ling took the blood of two demon beasts and smeared it on the badge, there was no reaction!

He was delighted and hurriedly said, “City Lord, it seems to be a mistake. I don’t dare to trouble you to make another trip. It’s better for me to go alone!”

“How could that be?” City Lord Duanmu was stunned when he heard this. He had asked Pei Ling to check just now, but it was actually just for show. After all, as the City Lord of Spiraling Mountain City, he knew better than anyone else about the demon beasts that were close to him.

It was impossible to make a mistake even with his eyes closed.

At the thought of this, he frowned and pondered for a moment. Suddenly, he thought of something. “Little Friend Pei, did you not accept a mission?”

“Accept a mission?” Pei Ling asked blankly. “How do I accept a mission? Senior Brother Chen had always said that I should tag along with Senior Sister Chen and that the mission was to send you letters and peach blossom demons.”

City Lord Duanmu sighed and said, “As expected! Little Friend Pei, you’ve just entered the sect. No wonder you don’t understand. The Holy Sect’s missions all have to have the nameplates accepted on the spot by the Miscellaneous Committee. Only then can the reward be settled. For someone like you to

come out without doing anything, unless you specially make a trip to the General Affairs Hall upon your return, it won’t count.”

At this point, he looked puzzled. “I think Little Friend Chen and the rest treated you well, and you were very respectful to them. By right, they were veterans on missions. Why didn’t they warn you?”

Why?

Because those bastards were here to take my life. Why would they waste their time?

Pei Ling was clear about this, but he played along with City Lord Duanmu. He said blankly, “That’s right, why is that?”

“Perhaps it was because they were too anxious to refine the Soul Summoning Banner.” City Lord Duanmu smiled when he heard that and said slowly, “After all, the consumption of the Soul Summoning Banner was huge, and it required more souls and flesh. Even for a young talent like Little Friend Pei,

you would need at least dozens of people for the Soul Summoning Banner to become a high-grade talisman artifact… Perhaps it’s because of this that they were in a hurry to complete their mission and did not have the time to tell Little Friend the details.

Anyway, it’s not too troublesome to go back and do some paperwork.

Now that Little Friend Chen and the others are no longer around, Little Friend Pei can make a trip to the General Affairs Hall by yourself.”

“… Yes.” Pei Ling pondered for a moment. His face showed shock, astonishment, deep thought, realization, anger, relief, melancholy, and other emotions. His tone quickly fell. “Thank you for your guidance, City Lord!”

City Lord Duanmu smiled amiably. “You and I are both disciples of the Holy Sect. We are family. There’s no need to be so polite.”

As he spoke, he pointed at the two demon beasts in front of him. “Then Little Friend Pei should quickly bring them back to the sect. Don’t forget to report this matter to the Disciplinary Hall immediately after you return. Then go to the General Affairs Hall to fill in the paperwork.”

“City Lord.” Pei Ling really did not want to go back and face the families of Li Siguang and the other two at this time. He hesitated for a moment, then summoned up the courage to reject him tactfully again. “Tl have to trouble City Lord to do it for me, but… although Senior Brother Chen had been killed by

the beast, the other senior brothers and sisters… might still be outside the city? Since we came out together, should I wait for them? Who knows, we might have news of them tomorrow, the day after, or in a few days?”

Duanmu City Lord fell silent.

Pei Ling forced himself to be calm. “If I’m disturbing the City Lord too much, I’ll go to the inn…”

“What are you talking about?” City Lord Duanmu suddenly laughed and interrupted him. “I’ve already said that we’re family. How can you not stay in the City Lord’s huge guesthouse but instead stay in an inn? I’m just thinking that I have been negligent in this matter. How about this? I’l give the order later

to get the guards of Spiraling Mountain City to leave the city to search for the rest of the juniors. If they are injured or in danger, we can help. How about that?”

At this point, Pei Ling could only shed tears of gratitude. “What have I done to meet such an open-minded and kind elder like the City Lord!”

Damn it, did I just remind this old man to send his guards to silence the rest of them overnight?

This guess was confirmed half a day later. In the evening, Pei Ling, who had been in the guesthouse for a while, was invited to the main hall again.

The moment he entered, he saw the pained expression on City Lord Duanmu’s face. His heart immediately tensed up.

As expected, the old man held back his sobs and said, “My condolences, Little Friend Pei. Just now, the guards brought back some broken limbs. After being identified by the Coroners and the steward, they confirmed that other than Little Friend Chen, I’m afraid all of you—”

Pei Ling was instantly at a loss for words. How am I supposed to continue staying in Spiraling Mountain City now??

“Young friend, the dead are gone. Please take care!” Seeing his grief-stricken expression, City Lord Duanmu praised the younger generation for being awesome. He quickly persuaded him, “You and Little Friend Chen were kind to each other. I’m sure their souls in heaven would not have the heart to see

you grieving for them… Oh right, other than their broken limbs, we also found some of their belongings at the scene. You can keep these things when the time comes. They can be considered keepsakes.”

“No, no, no!” Pei Ling, who was immersed in sorrow, was instantly jolted awake. His hands were shaking so hard that they almost left afterimages. “City Lord, please calm down! My cultivation level is low and my morals are low. How am I worthy of safeguarding the belongings of my senior brothers and

sisters? Those things must be held by the City Lord! City Lord doesn’t accept them because you look down on us Qi Refinement realm cultivators!”

City Lord Duanmu smiled and said gently, “Young friend, there’s no need to be like this. After all, those ordinary things were items that your senior brothers and sisters carried with them. Logically, they should be given to you.”

Seeing that he had deliberately emphasized ‘ordinary’, Pei Ling was still worried. He firmly refused to accept them no matter what. In the end, it was City Lord Duanmu who got someone to bring everything over. He saw that the ebony and gold lacquered plate was filled with some shabby things. The only

valuable things were the three Qi and Blood Pills in a small porcelain bottle and five low-grade spirit stones.

This old fellow is so f*cking evil!

In that case… Pei Ling cursed inwardly. So Chen Huan had casually given him a Qi and Blood Pill from the grave. How could the belongings of the five of them be so little?

Not only did the old fellow take away the most valuable Soul Summoning Banner, but he also swallowed the rest of the benefits and sent him some scraps!

This is outrageous! he thought.

How could I accept this!!!

Although he thought this, Pei Ling did not hesitate to say, “City Lord, allow me to say this: The Man-Faced Spider is savage by nature.. If not for the fact that City Lord is supremely righteous, we would definitely be consigned to eternal damnation! I will never forget your kindness!”