124: Chapter 124 Eyes in the Dark

He recalled Xu Sen's words.

That young man from the Blood Fiend Sect had said Li Changsheng killed Zhao Yan, even producing that blood-stained piece of clothing as evidence.

But he also remembered the things Li Changsheng had said by the fields that day.

He remembered those letters, those tokens, and that evidence.

If what Li Changsheng said was true, then Zhao Yan truly deserved to die.

Colluding with the Blood Fiend Sect to ambush and kill fellow Disciples was a capital offense.

But that was his nephew.

The only Bloodline left by his eldest brother.

The child he had watched grow up since infancy.

He closed his eyes, and Zhao Yan's childhood appearance surfaced in his mind again.

The child who used to chase after him, calling out "Uncle."

The youth he had personally taught how to hold a sword.

The successor he thought would inherit his legacy.

Now, he was gone.

He opened his eyes, a flicker of pain flashing through them.

Sometimes he thought, just let it go.

So much time had passed, and Zhao Yan had indeed done wrong; dying was his own fault.

He, Zhao Guangyuan, had his own matters to attend to and his own path to walk. Why offend a young man with a limitless future for the sake of a dead person?

But sometimes he would think, it couldn't just end like this.

That was his nephew, his kin.

If he didn't avenge him, how could he face his eldest brother in the afterlife?

To kill, or not to kill?

This question was like a blade, repeatedly slicing at his heart.

On the night of the seventh day, he had a dream.

In the dream, Zhao Yan stood before him, covered in blood, his face full of resentment.

“Uncle... why won't you avenge me... I'm so cold... I hate this so much...”

He woke up with a start, drenched in cold sweat.

Sitting in the darkness, he gasped for air, his heart drumming against his ribs.

After a long time, he clenched his teeth, a look of resolve flashing in his eyes.

Kill.

He must kill him.

Even if Zhao Yan had done wrong, he was still his nephew.

Outsiders could kill him, but as his uncle, he could not fail to avenge him.

As for right and wrong... it didn't matter anymore.

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked toward the Hundred Herb Garden.

Under the moonlight, that patch of spirit fields was tranquil.

He knew Li Changsheng was right there.

He took a deep breath and began to calculate.

Acting within the Sect wouldn't work.

Doing it nearby wouldn't work either.

The people from the Hall of Law Enforcement were no pushovers.

Moreover, that kid was currently in the spotlight; if anything happened to him, it would definitely be traced back.

He could only wait for him to leave the Sect.

From what he knew, Li Changsheng had been taking missions lately to accumulate contribution points, preparing to exchange them for a Foundation Establishment opportunity at the Shelter Platform.

He would surely head out again.

When that time came, he would follow him secretly and, in the wilderness, without anyone knowing...

He clenched his fists, a ruthless glint in his eyes.

Li Changsheng, don't blame me.

If you must blame someone, blame yourself for killing someone you shouldn't have.

Outside the window, the night wind blew, and tree shadows swayed.

In the darkness, a pair of eyes was quietly staring at the spirit field he was waiting for.

Waiting for an opportunity.

After resting for five days, Li Changsheng returned to the Mission Hall.

This time, his goal was clear.

High-difficulty, high-reward missions.

He already had thirty-four thousand contribution points and only needed sixteen thousand more to reach fifty thousand.

As long as he took three or four more high-difficulty missions, he could reach his goal.

However, when he stood before the mission jade wall to examine them closely, he realized it wasn't that simple.

Almost all missions with rewards above three thousand contribution points were group missions.

Some involved clearing out Yao Beast dens, requiring cooperation; some were for exploring dangerous ruins, requiring division of labor; others were for escorting important supplies, requiring rotating guard shifts.

High-difficulty missions that could be completed solo were few and far between.

“Brother Li!”

A familiar voice came from behind.

Li Changsheng turned around and saw Lu Yu walking toward him, accompanied by a cold figure—Mo Han.

“Are you two here for missions as well?”

Li Changsheng asked.

Lu Yu laughed.

“You bet! Those two thousand nine hundred contribution points from last time were spent so fast.”

“Bought a few bottles of Medicinal Pills, exchanged for a new sword, and only a thousand are left. Need to earn some more quickly.”

Mo Han still maintained his cold demeanor, but when he spoke, his tone was relatively gentle.

“I heard you're also accumulating contribution points to prepare for Foundation Establishment?”

Li Changsheng nodded.

“Still short sixteen thousand.”

Mo Han thought for a moment and said,

“We took a clearing mission to the Red Forest to hunt two first-rank Peak Iron-backed Azure Bears.”

“Those beasts have thick hides and tough flesh, making them hard to deal with. It requires five or six people to coordinate.”

“The reward is six thousand contribution points. Split five ways, that's one thousand two hundred per person. Do you want to join us?”

One thousand two hundred.

Li Changsheng calculated silently in his heart.

Although one thousand two hundred wasn't much, combined with other missions, it would add up.

“Sure.”

He nodded.

“When do we set out?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

Mo Han said.

“Besides the three of us, there are two of my Junior Brothers at the eighth level of Qi Refining. Five people in total should be enough.”

The next morning, the five gathered at the mountain gate.

Besides Li Changsheng, Mo Han, and Lu Yu, there were two eighth-level Qi Refining Disciples: one named Wang Feng and the other Zhang Lie.

Both were veteran outer Disciples with rich experience. Although their cultivation wasn't as high as the first three, they were considered capable helpers.

Mo Han piloted a Flying Shuttle, leading everyone toward the Red Forest.

Along the way, Lu Yu continued to chatter incessantly, telling various anecdotes and interesting stories.

Wang Feng and Zhang Lie would chime in from time to time, keeping the atmosphere fairly relaxed.

Mo Han was as silent as ever, only speaking occasionally to give brief instructions.

Li Changsheng sat behind them, keeping an eye on their surroundings as they flew.

This was a habit he had developed over many years.

No matter where he went, he had to remain vigilant.

After flying for about an hour, they entered a continuous mountain range.

The mountains were steep and the forests dense. Below were bottomless valleys, with the occasional roar of a beast echoing up, sending a chill through one's heart.

“We're almost there.”

Mo Han pointed to a Peak ahead covered in red trees.

“That's the Red Forest. The Iron-backed Azure Bears' den is in a cave halfway up that mountain.”

“Those beasts like to sleep during the day and are active at night. We'll strike while they're asleep.”

The group nodded, slowed down, and began their descent.

Just as Li Changsheng was about to follow the others down, he suddenly frowned.

That feeling was back.

Someone was watching them.

That sensation of being observed was faint and intermittent, but it was real.

He had felt it vaguely shortly after leaving the Sect.

At first, he thought it was an illusion, but the feeling hadn't disappeared throughout the flight.

He pretended to look at the scenery while his gaze quietly swept behind them.

There was nothing.

Only the continuous mountains, dense forests, and the churning sea of clouds.

But his intuition told him someone was there.

“Brother Li? What's wrong?”

Seeing that he seemed to be looking for something, Lu Yu turned and asked.

Li Changsheng retracted his gaze and shook his head.

“It's nothing. Let's go.”

The five landed and began executing the mission.

The Iron-backed Azure Bears were indeed difficult to handle.

The beasts had such thick hides that ordinary swords striking them would only leave a shallow white mark.

Fortunately, they had sneaked over quietly while the bears were sleeping and unleashed their strongest attacks and Talismans all at once.

Concentrating their firepower, they directly crippled one Iron-backed Azure Bear, causing it to lose almost all its offensive capability.

Otherwise, if both had gone into a frenzy together, they would have been much harder to deal with.

Dealing with the remaining one was relatively much easier.

With the five coordinating—Mo Han pinning it down from the front, Lu Yu harassing it from the side, and Li Changsheng waiting for an opening to strike its vitals—Wang Feng and Zhang Lie were responsible for guarding and filling gaps, while also keeping an eye on the heavily injured bear to prevent a sudden desperate counterattack.

They fought for a full hour before finally killing both completely.

The harvest was plentiful.

The bear skins, gallbladders, paws, and Yao cores could all be sold for quite a few Spirit Stones.

With the mission complete, the five began their return journey.

After flying for a short while, Li Changsheng suddenly spoke.

“Wait a moment.”

The group stopped and looked at him.