The casual conversation seemed to ease some of Tang Yuechen’s tension.

After a few minutes of chatting, a faint smile returned to her face, and much of the exhaustion in her expression faded.

Even so, she knew this was hardly the time for idle talk.

Before long, her demeanor turned serious once more as she finally brought up the reason she had summoned him.

"Junior Brother, the reason I called you here is that our spies have recently uncovered something unusual."

As she spoke, Tang Yuechen unfurled a map and let it float in the air between them so both could examine it.

The terrain depicted was immediately familiar.

With his understanding of the region, Chen Xuan recognized it at a glance.

It was a map of the Tianxuan Domain.

Seeing that he understood, Tang Yuechen skipped any explanation and raised a finger to the map.

She first pointed at the southwestern region, where the Jade Pure Sect was situated.

Then, she slowly traced a path through several righteous factions before stopping at the eastern edge.

"Junior Brother Chen, you’ve likely already heard about the recent movements of the demonic faction. However, there are developments in this area that you may not know about."

As she spoke, she circled the eastern portion of the Tianxuan Domain with her finger.

"Recently, a series of strange incidents have occurred along the eastern border."

"Everything began with a plague."

Her finger settled on a small city.

"No one knew how it started or how it got into the city. All that is known is that a few residents contracted it."

"At first, no one thought much of it. But the plague quickly spread."

"A few days later, everyone in the city was found dead."

"Then..."

Tang Yuechen’s finger shifted to a nearby forest.

"Strange creatures began emerging from the Dread Forest."

"Initially, only hunters and herb gatherers went missing. Before long, however, entire villages and even cities came under attack."

Tang Yuechen continued recounting incident after incident.

Plagues, famines, ghosts, beasts going berserk...

At first, Chen Xuan was unconcerned.

In the cultivation world, death, especially among ordinary people, was an everyday occurrence.

Whether caused by demonic cultivators, dangerous beasts, or extraordinary phenomena, such tragedies were relatively common.

Yet as Tang Yuechen continued, his expression gradually grew solemn.

Not only affected by the seriousness in her voice, but also by the sheer number of coincidences.

Over the past few weeks, hundreds of bizarre incidents had been reported. Altogether, the number of affected people likely reached into the hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions.

As he realized this, a suspicion regarding Tang Yuechen’s goal behind summoning him formed in his mind.

Only moments later, his suspicion was confirmed.

"As you have realized, the person, or organization, responsible for all these events is bound to possess considerable power."

"Sending ordinary spies would accomplish nothing. As for the other Peak Masters and Elders..."

Tang Yuechen paused briefly. She then shook her head.

"Either these people are too weak, have other things they are currently occupied with, or are simply not trustworthy enough."

Tang Yuechen’s gaze met Chen Xuan’s.

"Junior Brother Chen, only you can handle this assignment. You’re the only person I can trust in the sect."

Her eyes grew teary, and her tone was almost pleading by the end.

At the same time, she reached out as though intending to grasp his hand and beg him.

The moment her fingers brushed against his palm, however, Chen Xuan immediately pulled back.

Damn it!

He had almost fallen for it.

He should have known this was coming.

How could a Nascent Soul cultivator possibly develop dark circles merely from handling some "office work"?

Nascent Soul cultivators could fight for several months without as much as breaking a sweat.

While managing sect affairs was certainly exhausting, it wasn’t enough to leave someone like this in such a state—especially in the span of a few weeks.

Tang Yuechen had been acting all along!

And the purpose behind this was obvious by now:

To lower his guard and dump this troublesome mission onto him.

Fortunately, Chen Xuan realized it before it was too late.

Looking at Tang Yuechen, whose hand remained awkwardly suspended in midair, he decisively shook his head.

"Senior Sister, I’m afraid I can’t participate in such an important matter. I’ve only recently broken through, and my cultivation hasn’t fully stabilized yet."

"Please assign this task to someone else."

He refused without hesitation.

He knew that such a bizarre task required the person responsible to go through many turns and twists to complete.

At the very least, it wouldn’t be as simple as finding the enemy and slapping them to death. It was bound to involve several people, and perhaps entire organizations.

Chen Xuan was unwilling to go through all this trouble!

The refusal came so quickly that even Tang Yuechen seemed momentarily caught off guard.

Still, she recovered nearly instantly.

She seemed to have anticipated such resistance.

Letting out a sigh, she continued.

"Junior Brother, whether you believe me or not, I’m telling the truth. Before leaving, Qian Lingxue took the Aurora Lake with her."

A trace of helplessness flashed across her face.

"I have to remain in the sect to ensure nothing goes wrong."

"Several other Nascent Soul cultivators are likewise stationed at critical locations."

"Only you, who have recently broken through and have yet to receive a permanent assignment, are suitable for this mission."

Seeing that Chen Xuan remained unmoved, Tang Yuechen pressed her advantage.

"As long as you complete this task, I can personally guarantee that you won’t receive another assignment for the remainder of the war. Moreover..."

Tang Yuechen paused briefly.

"... It’s not as though there won’t be any rewards."

"The Dread Forest is a land of opportunity. Precious resources are abundant there."

"As for your additional reward..."

Tang Yuechen did not finish her words.

Her cheeks gradually reddened as she rose from her seat and slowly approached him.

Then, gathering her hair into a ponytail behind her head, she gently lowered her body, her hands reaching toward his robes.