24: Task

Lin Mo's gaze swept across, quickly analyzing.

White missions are short, safe, but low-yield, suitable for Early Stage transition. Green missions are cost-effective but highly competitive. Blue missions offer substantial rewards but require leaving the martial arts academy and carry some risk.

He needed contribution points, but not ordinary ones.

"Young Master, look at that." Fang Han pointed to a wall.

That was the blue mission area. A bamboo plaque read: "Investigate unusual activity at the abandoned Charitable Undertakers in the west of the city.

Recently, nearby residents have reported strange noises and moving figures at the Charitable Undertakers at night.

Requirement: Ascertain the cause and resolve the hidden danger. Contribution points: 30. Limited to a three-person team. Recommended for those at Minor Achievement in Bone Forging or above."

West of the city... that was precisely the area where he had established his new contact point.

Just as Lin Mo was about to examine it closely, a hand suddenly reached out from beside him and took down the bamboo plaque.

It was Lei Meng.

"This one's not bad." Lei Meng grinned, looking at Lin Mo, "Hey, Lin Mo, want to team up? With me, we're still missing one."

Lin Mo looked at him: "Are you sure? It recommends Minor Achievement in Bone Forging or above."

"I'm at Minor Achievement." Lei Meng patted his chest, "What about you? You haven't reached it yet, have you?"

"Just entered Minor Achievement," Lin Mo said.

"That's fine." Lei Meng looked around again, "Still one short... Hey, over there, Liu Qingyun! Come team up!"

Not far away, Liu Qingyun, dressed in white, turned around, her brows slightly furrowed: "Lei Meng, you're taking random missions again."

"What's there to be afraid of? It's thirty points! Enough for a bottle of Bone Strengthening Pills." Lei Meng shook the bamboo plaque, "Lin Mo is joining too. The three of us are enough."

Liu Qingyun looked at Lin Mo, her gaze scrutinizing.

She had also heard about the shattered stone tablet at the strength testing gate.

"Alright." Liu Qingyun finally nodded, "But you must follow my command during the operation."

"Alright, alright, your brain works well, I'll listen to you." Lei Meng didn't care, taking the bamboo plaque to the registration desk, "Three-person mission, Charitable Undertakers in the west of the city, accepted!"

The elderly registrar glanced at the three of them, wrote down their names, and handed over a mission token: "Complete within three days, return the receipt. Mission details are on the back of the token."

Lin Mo took the token; it felt slightly cool to the touch. The back was engraved with tiny characters, detailing the exact location of the Charitable Undertakers, the approximate time residents reported the incidents, and other information.

"Tonight at zi hour, gather outside the Charitable Undertakers."

Liu Qingyun said, "Prepare weapons, tinder, and rope in advance.

Lei Meng, you're responsible for the frontal Breakthrough, creating a diversion. Lin Mo, you'll assist me in probing and investigating. Any questions?"

"None," Lin Mo said.

Lei Meng also nodded: "Let's do it."

In the afternoon, Lin Mo returned to his courtyard.

He summoned Death Warriors Two and Three.

"Investigate the abandoned Charitable Undertakers in the west of the city."

"Yes."

The two Death Warriors received their orders and departed.

Lin Mo didn't need them to participate in the mission; he only needed them to scout the surrounding environment beforehand for potential ambushes or anomalies.

The Death Warriors' [Stealth] and [Basic Tracking] skills were extremely practical for this kind of reconnaissance.

Afterward, Lin Mo went to a corner of the courtyard.

Death Warrior Five was there, tools spread out before him: soft cloth, special ointment, fine needles.

The rusted sword lay across a wooden stand. Its blade was still mottled, but the 'seven stars of the mountain peak' mark on the hilt had been cleaned more clearly.

"How's the progress?"

Five looked up, his voice flat: "As Young Master instructed, I've been nurturing it daily with Inner Breath using the Aperture Condensation Method for three hours.

The sword's resonance with Internal Energy has increased, but the rust layer remains stubborn.

Last night, I tried to probe a crack in the hilt with a fine needle; it met resistance about three fen deep, possibly a mechanism or a Seal."

Lin Mo took the fine needle and personally investigated. The needle tip entered the tiny crack and indeed hit something hard at a depth of three fen, neither metal nor stone; applying force bent the needle.

"Continue nurturing it; do not forcefully damage it."

Lin Mo said, "Also, today I heard talk of Extraterrestrial Meteorite Iron. Can you recall if you noticed anything special about the metal itself when you were cleaning the rust layer?"

Five was silent for a moment, as if retrieving memories: "The exposed part of the blade is dark like the night sky, with tiny silver stars scattered across it.

Lightly scraping with a fingernail leaves no mark. When heated by fire, all heat is absorbed within three breaths, and the blade remains cold."

Absorbs heat?

"Good, continue to observe and record."

At Shenshi, Two and Three returned.

"Young Master, the Charitable Undertakers has been investigated."

Two reported, "It's located on the edge of the Mass Grave Mound in the west of the city and has been abandoned for over ten years. There are no residents within three li, and only two desolate paths lead to it.

Inside, there are two courtyards, a main hall, six side rooms, and a dry well in the back courtyard."

Three added: "We observed covertly for two hours and found three anomalies.

First, there are fresh footprints on the main hall's ground, left not at night as reported by residents, but during the day today.

Second, the rope in the back courtyard's dry well shows recent friction marks.

Third, in the forest on the east side outside the Charitable Undertakers, two people are lurking, seemingly monitoring. We did not alert them."

Someone went in during the day? And there are monitors?

This doesn't seem like a simple haunting.

Lin Mo mused: "Footprint size, depth? Approximately how many people?"

"Two types of footprints. One has deeper boot sole patterns and a large stride, likely an adult male of considerable weight.

The other is shallower with a smaller stride, possibly a woman or a youth. At least two people," Two said.

"Characteristics of the monitors?"

"One is tall and thin, hunched. The other is short and stocky, with a saber at his waist. Both wear gray clothes, their faces not revealed," Three said.

Lin Mo noted this information.

"For tonight's mission, you do not need to approach.

Set up a perimeter one li outside the Charitable Undertakers. If there's any unusual movement inside, or if the monitors act, immediately signal with bird calls. If we encounter danger..."

He paused: "Prioritize ensuring your own concealment. If the situation is critical, you may act, but make sure to leave no survivors."

"Yes."

zi hour, Mass Grave Mound west of the city.

The moonlight was pale white, illuminating the desolate graves and broken tablets like crouching specters. The night wind whistled through the withered trees, making a wailing sound.

The abandoned Charitable Undertakers stood isolated on the edge of the mound, its black tiles and white walls appearing a lifeless gray-white under the moonlight.

More than half of the courtyard wall had collapsed, the gate planks were long gone, leaving only an empty door frame, like a gaping maw.

Lin Mo arrived punctually at the agreed location, beneath an old locust treetree a hundred paces outside the Charitable Undertakers.

Lei Meng had already arrived, carrying a thick-backed saber, warming up his wrists.

Liu Qingyun was also there, her white robes particularly striking in the night, but she wore a sword at her waist, her expression calm.

"Everyone's here? Let's go!" Lei Meng lowered his voice, about to rush forward.

"Wait."

Liu Qingyun stopped him, "According to the plan, Lei Meng, you enter through the main gate, make some noise to attract attention.

Lin Mo and I will sneak in through the gap in the side wall to investigate. If there's anything unusual, use a whistle as a signal."

She took out two bone whistles and handed one to Lei Meng.

"Alright." Lei Meng took the whistle and crept towards the main gate of the Charitable Undertakers, hunched over.

Liu Qingyun looked at Lin Mo: "Junior Brother Lin, how is your Qinggong?"

"Passable."

"Then keep up."

The two circled to the east side of the Charitable Undertakers, where a section of the courtyard wall had completely collapsed.

Liu Qingyun leaped gracefully, like willow catkins drifting over the ruins, landing silently. Lin Mo followed closely, his movements concise and efficient, equally soundless.

A hint of surprise flashed in Liu Qingyun's eyes, but she said nothing more.