Hearing the topic Yuan Zheng Taoist had raised, Wang Ping’s gaze shifted to the fragrant tea, as if trying to grasp the delicate scent wafting from it.

"What is the mission?"

Yu Lian spoke, asking the question in Wang Ping’s stead.

Yuan Zheng Taoist chuckled at the silent Wang Ping. "I think you should trust me for the time being. Otherwise, you’ll have a hard time gaining anything from this Holy Heart Grass operation. It’s right to be cautious when you’re away from home, but you can’t wear your caution and suspicion on your face."

"I never doubted you, Senior. I was just thinking about some things." Wang Ping raised his teacup, meeting Yuan Zheng Taoist’s eyes.

"Thinking about what?"

"..."

Wang Ping smiled without saying a word. He gestured to Yuan Zheng Taoist with his raised cup, then lowered his head to savor the tea. It was like any ordinary light tea, but it carried a hint of inspiration, and the Spiritual Qi it produced rushed straight to his head.

"This tea is really good." Yu Lian, ignoring the temperature, swallowed it in one gulp. Her vertical pupils reflected Yuan Zheng Taoist’s image as she asked, "Is it for sale?"

"It’s not for sale at the moment. Production can’t keep up, and besides, we’re not short on that kind of money."

Yuan Zheng Taoist was very pleased with Yu Lian’s attitude, the smile on his face deepening unconsciously. He then turned back to Wang Ping and said, "Now you’re behaving much better. At least on the surface, you’re making me feel at ease. So, what do you think? Will you take the mission?"

"What kind of mission is it?" Wang Ping asked himself this time.

"It’s simple. Raid the Celestial Water Sect’s encampment."

"..."

Wang Ping was speechless. ’That’s what he calls simple?’ He remained silent for two breaths before asking calmly, "Can you be more specific?"

Yuan Zheng Taoist spoke quickly, "It really is simple. We’re just grabbing stuff. What’s the need for fancy schemes? You grab yours, I’ll grab mine, everyone grabs what they can. We’ll see who gets more..."

The matter was indeed simple, and Yuan Zheng Taoist explained it quickly.

The Celestial Water Sect was gathering people to seize the Holy Heart Grass from other sects. Having received this news, the Upper Dan Sect naturally couldn’t just sit and wait for disaster. Their plan was to raid the Celestial Water Sect’s base while they were making their move.

Of course, Wang Ping wouldn’t be the only one participating in this operation.

After listening, Wang Ping considered for no more than ten breaths before asking, "You’re being so open about this. I’m afraid the news has already reached the Celestial Water Sect, hasn’t it?"

"What does it matter? It’s a free-for-all anyway. It’ll all come down to skill. Don’t worry, the Holy Heart Grass is limited, and what the Celestial Water Sect can offer as a reward this time is even more so. They won’t be able to hire more than five outside experts."

Yuan Zheng Taoist toyed with the teacup in his hand. "We don’t have that great a need for the Holy Heart Grass. Participating in the scramble is just a game for us. After all, Alchemy can be quite dull. This time, the higher-ups decided to have some real fun, so we’re just playing along. If we put on a good show, they might just show some mercy."

"You still believe in mercy?"

"Why not? Powerful figures have all sorts of twisted tastes. It’s not surprising for them to do outrageous things for their own amusement, like occasionally showing a bit of mercy to patch up their humanity."

"That’s an interesting way to put it."

"Heh heh..."

At this point, Yuan Zheng Taoist’s expression turned serious as he stared at Wang Ping. "The people above look at us the same way we look at mortals. You must be clear on this point. They might tolerate a certain degree of your foolishness, but they will absolutely not tolerate defiance. When you’re supposed to be an actor, you must not smash the stage."

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior."

"I’ve only been free these past few decades. If you had come looking for me at any other time, I’d have been busy with Alchemy and wouldn’t have bothered wasting my breath on you." As Yuan Zheng spoke, he tilted his head back to gaze at the sky.

Wang Ping didn’t respond to that topic.

Next, Yuan Zheng Taoist explained the details of the Holy Heart Grass seizures to Wang Ping.

Before they knew it, the sky had grown dark.

That evening, Yuan Zheng Taoist had one of his disciples lead Wang Ping through a mountain pass behind the Upper Dan Sect’s Inner Sect. Here, a large courtyard had been built. Standing there, one could finally feel a hint of coolness and see the distant silhouette of White Frost Mountain. Its peak seemed to shimmer faintly under the moonlight.

Wang Ping was led into the courtyard with the best lighting. Aside from the complete lack of any plants, everything else was fine.

He would need to live here for at least two months, as the Holy Heart Grass would only fully mature after that time.

For a Second Realm Cultivator, two months was but the snap of a finger.

During this period, Wang Ping traveled to Biyou Mountain twice to check the growing grounds of the Holy Heart Grass, observing the surrounding terrain and environment. The good news was that not just Biyou Mountain, but the entire Sacred Heart Swamp was a perfect fit for both Wood Spirit and Water Spirit Cultivators—an ideal battlefield for Wang Ping and Yu Lian.

The bad news was that the field of view was too open. If they encountered danger, there would be few places to hide.

「The sixth day of the eighth month.」

It was an ordinary day.

In the morning, just as the sky began to brighten, Wang Ping awoke from his meditation. He first glanced at Yu Lian, who was lying listlessly on the eaves, waiting for the sunrise. Then, he gazed at the opposing White Frost Mountain, whose snowy white peak was gradually turning golden as autumn set in.

Seeing the mountainside covered in gold, Wang Ping suddenly felt a premonition. He took out his divination blocks and cast a reading. Hearing the clatter of the blocks hitting the ground, Yu Lian curiously rode a cloud over to watch.

"Is the reading bad?" she asked, sensing the shift in Wang Ping’s mood. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"See for yourself."

Wang Ping’s gaze was solemn.

Yu Lian swept the divination blocks up from the ground with her tail. As Wang Ping reached for them, she said, "It might be related to what you were thinking about. Try clearing your mind and casting another reading with a different thought."

Wang Ping nodded. He looked at the autumn colors on the opposite peak, shifted his focus, and cast another reading.

"What is it?"

"A Holy Trigram!"

"How can that be?"

"Let me think..."

As Wang Ping lowered his head in thought, there was a knock at the courtyard gate. It was the acolyte in charge of this small courtyard. He walked in with his eyes downcast, cupped his fists, and said, "Daoist Liu En, the Dean is waiting for you in the front hall. Please come with me."

Hearing this, Yu Lian quickly shrank and slipped into Wang Ping’s clothes. She asked in his Spirit Sea, ’Has the Holy Heart Grass matured?’

’Probably... Are you thinking about your parents?’

’A little. I want to see what they look like, and if they’re as strong as I am now.’

’...’

The front hall the acolyte mentioned was a pavilion built against a bare cliff face.

When Wang Ping walked in, quite a few people were already there. Standing in the center was an Upper Dan Sect Cultivator with white hair and a youthful complexion. He wore a blue Daoist robe made of silk, and his very presence set him apart from the others.

Yuan Zheng stood to his right, and another Upper Dan Sect Cultivator stood to his left. Yuan Zheng didn’t even glance at Wang Ping as he entered. Besides these three from the Upper Dan Sect, there were six other people. Their clothes and appearances varied, making it obvious they were helpers hired by the Dan Sect.