Chapter 402: Team Fengwu
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“The Huatian Palace has already begun investigating the Ghost Lair incident. Their motive for murdering the ancient martial art practitioners in the Bi Clan Manor House involved their holding a grand sacrificial ritual. As for what the purpose of the ritual, we don’t know that yet,” Mo Qingtian said plainly.
A few days ago, Mo Wen had used the Huatian Palace’s special method of communications to report the incident that had occurred in the Bi Clan Manor House to the Huatian Palace. As for what happened after that, it was naturally a matter for the Huatian Palace to handle. It had nothing to do with him.
Now that Mo Qingtian had come to find him, he wondered if it could be related to this incident. But, that still didn’t make sense, as it should, by right, be the Huatian Palace who would give any orders for the executors to complete.
“What business do you have with me?” Mo Wen asked directly, not beating around the bush.
“The Fengwu team is preparing to accept a team mission that is related to the Ghost Lair of the heretic forces. Maybe you are unaware of it, but the Ghost Lair is one of the largest organizations among the heretic forces. They have been fighting against the Huatian Palace for hundreds of years. Thus, they pay great attention to any of the organization’s activity,” Mo Qingtian said.
“So you intend to call upon me?” Mo Wen asked.
Mo Wen knew that normal team missions consisted of a small group of individuals that worked together to complete them. Usually such missions meant that one person could not complete them alone.
The difficulty was high, but so were the rewards. Hence, any mission that the Fengwu team was willing to accept would probably be a difficult one.
“That’s right. You have come into contact with the heretic forces from the Ghost Lair before, so you are at least familiar with them. Also, your abilities aren’t weak, so you can perform well within the team.” The gaze that Mo Qingtian gave Mo Wen was strange.
After the investigation of the Huatian Palace, he knew more or less what had happened during the Bi Clan Manor House incident that day. He also knew that Mo Wen had turned the tide, actually having cultivation that was comparable to the later stage Embryonic Breathing realm.
More than a month ago, Mo Wen was just at the Qi Nucleation realm. Then, in the blink of an eye, he had reached the later stage Embryonic Breathing realm. This caused Mo Qingtian to be extraordinarily surprised. In fact, many people in the Huatian Palace were suspicious as to whether Mo Wen had used some method to hide his ability before this.
“What are the benefits of the mission?” Mo Wen asked.
“If we succeed, each person will be awarded at least ten thousand Contribution Credits,” he answered.
Mo Wen was surprised that the reward was so large. After all, a normal team mission would have many members, so when the Contribution Credits were distributed, the rewards would not necessarily be higher than a solo mission. For each person to be awarded at least ten thousand Contribution Credits, the mission was certainly not going to be an easy one!
“This mission is risky, so you’d better think carefully before accepting it. However, Pei Fengwu and a few other core members of the Fengwu team will be taking part in it as well. If nothing unexpected happens, there shouldn’t be any major problems.” Mo Qingtian explained plainly, seeing the doubt in Mo Wen’s eyes.
Originally, Mo Wen was not qualified to participate in this mission. But, after discovering that he had later stage Embryonic Breathing realm cultivation, Mo Qingtian considered adding him to the team.
“When?” Mo Wen asked.
“Tonight. If you agree to join, then you can follow me now,” Mo Qingtian said.
“Sure.” Mo Wen hesitated for a bit, then nodded his head.
After that, Mo Wen returned home to inform Qin Xiaoyou of his place, then he left with Mo Qingtian. After all, ten thousand Contribution Credits was not a small amount, especially in the Huatian Palace, where Contribution Credits were more valuable than anything.
In the eastern Taihang Mountains, on top of a peak that was neither tall nor short, there would occasionally be shadows that swayed. It was only under the light of the moon that one could roughly make out a few graceful silhouettes.
“Sister Fengwu, the few of us will be plenty for this mission. Why are you going to bring Mo Wen?” In the underbrush, Shangguan Qingyou tucked her hair behind her ear. Her exquisite face was as cold as ever.
“Qingyou, why do you always have a nasty opinion about Mo Wen? You are being too unfair to him.” Pei Fengwu stood in the wind, her clothes fluttering. She was an alluring beauty.
“His appearing in the Vermillion Bird Palace Hall was already wrong,” Shangguan Qingyou said softly. Under the clear gaze of Pei Fengwu, she lowered her head with a guilty conscience.
“Silly girl! Maybe men appearing in the Vermillion Bird Palace Hall is indeed wrong. But, doing so because of Mo Qingtian is really not worth it.” Pei Fengwu sighed helplessly. If she knew that things like this would happen, she would absolutely not have let Mo Qingtian join the Fengwu team back then.
“Sister Fengwu, let’s not talk about Mo Qingtian. This has nothing to do with him. I cut ties with him long ago. As for why I am against Mo Wen, it is just because I do not wish to see the sisters in the Vermillion Bird Palace Hall being bullied by those rascals anymore.” Shangguan Qingyou bit her lip. Her eyes were full of hate.
“How do you know that the maidens will be bullied? Ever since Mo Wen appeared in the Vermillion Bird Palace Hall, he has been very popular.” Pei Fengwu smiled.
A few days ago, a few female Vermillion Bird Palace Hall Executors had tried to pry information about Mo Wen from her. Ever since Mo Wen joined the Fengwu team, the attention that they had received had greatly increased.
However, Mo Wen was also peculiar. He had the qualifications to enter the Huatian Palace headquarters, but he did not draw support from the Huatian Palace’s resources. Instead, he was always hidden away and practicing in his peace and quiet.
He also accepted very few Huatian Palace missions. In the eyes of many, Mo Wen was quite mysterious, especially with his whereabouts, as he would often appear at one moment, only to disappear the next!
“That is just because they have not tasted suffering.” Shangguan Qingyou softly snorted.
“How do you know that others will taste suffering and not bliss and happiness?” Pei Fengwu asked with a smile.
“You do not know. Mo Wen’s style was already problematic. He is a typical flirtatious man. The women who have relationships with him are many. Falling for such a man, if it is not suffering, then what is it? After all, time will tell.” Shangguan Qingyou said with a cold look.
Ever since she knew about Mo Wen, in her eyes, Mo Wen was no better than Mo Qingtian. It was no wonder that the both of them had the surname Mo, as both were equally despicable.
Pei Fengwu smiled helplessly. She also did not think that Shangguan Qingyou would actually investigate Mo Wen, but once her heart was set on something, no matter what other people said, nothing could change it.
“Fengwu, according to the intelligence that the Huatian Palace obtained, the members of the Ghost Lair began the sacrificial ritual at approximately midnight. Hence, we do not have much time. If Mo Qingtian still hasn’t returned, we must proceed with the mission anyway.” A woman with a graceful figure had just walked over.
She was tall and slender and had a hot figure. Her legs were long and straight, she had an oval face and big eyes, and her hair was arranged in a delicate style. She was in her thirties, and her entire being emanated a charming and mature aura.
This person was called Cai Yan, and she was one of the two Fengwu team’s deputy heads. She had the pinnacle of the Embryonic Breathing realm cultivation. Even in the Vermillion Bird Palace Hall, she was a rare expert, considered as being one of the Fengwu team’s core strengths.
“We will wait another fifteen minutes. If there is still no news of them, we will go,” Pei Fengwu said indifferently as she looked up at the moon in the night sky.
“You don’t have to wait fifteen minutes. I have already brought Mo Wen.” A melodious voice was heard from afar. It was followed by two silhouettes that came flashing from below the peak of the mountain.
They then dashed to the peak from the ground like male eagles, sweeping up a gale wind as they went. In the time it took to blink a few times, they had appeared on the peak. They were Mo Qingtian and Mo Wen!
“Mo Wen, since you have decided to come, you should know what the mission is, right?” Pei Fengwu said in a clear-cut manner.
“I know.” Mo Wen nodded his head.
Mo Qingtian had already briefed him on the mission on the way over. It was related to the heretic forces of the Ghost Lair. It turns out that the Ghost Lair had massacred the ancient martial art practitioners of the Bi Clan Manor House with the goal of completing a sacrificial ritual.
The sacrificial ritual was a very rare blood sacrifice, requiring large amounts of living souls and Blood Essence in order to complete. An ancient martial art practitioner’s qi, blood, and soul were far stronger than that of an ordinary person. So, the Ghost Lair had targeted the ancient martial art practitioners.
After the Huatian Palace received news of this, they quickly found the location where the Ghost Lair would hold their sacrificial ritual. It was in an evil corner of the Taihang Mountains which was full of Yin Qi. Places like this, where the Yin Qi was heavy, were treasured places for powers like the Ghost Lair and those who were related to Ghost Way Immortal Cultivators.
They also knew that the Ghost Lair had gathered all of their sacrifices and would hold the sacrificial ritual tonight. As such, their mission was to destroy the Ghost Lair’s sacrificial ritual!
As for the goal of the Ghost Lair’s sacrificial ritual, Mo Wen did not know that, and neither did the Fengwu team. That being said, the reason that the Huatian Palace managed to swiftly investigate the Ghost Lair’s motive was due to the incidents that Mo Wen had previously investigated.
The reason the Ghost Lair found the Qin clan and cooperated with them, at least on the surface, was to aggressively develop the Taihang Mountains tourism. In reality, it was just a cover-up in to allow them to secretly construct a sacrificial altar! After all, if the Ghost Lair carried out their activities openly in the Taihang Mountains, they surely could not hide from the Huatian Palace’s eyes and ears.
“Since you already know so much, then I will not repeat the same information. Including you, this mission team has nine members. All of them are Embryonic Breathing realm ancient martial art practitioners. Two of them are at the pinnacle, three are at the later stage, and the rest are at the intermediate stage,” Pei Fengwu stated.
Pei Fengwu then added, “Although I do not know your exact cultivation realm, since you have become one of our members, all you have to do is obey commands and cooperate with the team in order to complete this mission perfectly.”
A nine person mission team, and all of them are of the Embryonic Breathing realm. There isn’t even a beginning stage Embryonic Breathing realm among them!
Mo Wen felt slightly shocked inside. The strength of this power was most probably enough to sweep away most of the ancient martial arts sects in the ancient martial arts world.
Originally, Mo Qingtian was only at the beginning stage of the Embryonic Breathing realm cultivation. In the end, after not seeing him for a month, he had made it to the intermediate stage Embryonic Breathing realm.
This level of talent was indeed demonic. However, the Huatian Palace’s production of demons like him was known by everyone already.
After Pei Fengwu had given him a few simple pointers, the group went on their way. All of them moved under the cover of night, heading to their destination quietly.
Mo Wen looked around him. Aside from him and Mo Qingtian, the remaining seven members were all women. However, they weren’t young.
Most of them looked to be above thirty. Surprisingly, Pei Fengwu and Shangguan Qingyou were among the younger ones.