Chapter 76: Su Yan

Leaving the Office Hall, Jiang Ye did not delay, heading straight to the Executive Hall halfway up the mountain.

As he stepped inside, a young woman dressed in an executive’s robe immediately stepped forward.

She was about twenty-five or twenty-six, with a delicate face and sharp eyes that radiated alertness—she was Cao Ying, the Executive Hall’s overseer.

Cao Ying glanced at the white-haired, unfamiliar old man before her, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.

She could sense the scorching aura radiating from him, like the blazing sun.

Without doubt, this was an Elder of the Golden Core realm.

Yet she had served in the Executive Hall for years; though she couldn’t name every Elder from each peak, she had met most at least once.

This man, however, left no impression on her at all.

Though her mind raced with thoughts, her smile grew even more respectful.

She bowed slightly, her voice clear and crisp:

“Elder, have you come to claim a mission?”

“Mm.”

Jiang Ye nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping the hall.

“Elder, please follow me—you may review the task scrolls and choose one to accept.”

Cao Ying stepped aside to lead the way, guiding Jiang Ye to the center of the hall.

Here, dozens of task scrolls hung densely, numbering over a hundred.

Jiang Ye cast a casual glance.

Capture fugitive—reward: five hundred contribution points.

Investigate missing disciple of Tianqing Sect—reward: eight hundred contribution points.

Escort supplies to destination—reward: one thousand two hundred contribution points...

Most were trivial matters, rewards ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand—not worth his attention.

If he was going to act, he’d go for something big.

His gaze continued to wander, then suddenly brightened.

A pale yellow mission scroll hung quietly in the corner, its characters bold and clear: Eliminate Heifeng Village—reward: twenty thousand contribution points.

“Heifeng Village...”

Jiang Ye reached out, took down the scroll, and studied it closely.

The scroll recorded: Heifeng Village lies fifty li east of Fucheng, atop Heisong Mountain—rugged terrain, easy to defend, hard to attack.

Over a hundred ruthless bandits gathered there; their five leaders were all Hua Jing cultivators, specializing in robbing merchant caravans, infamous far and wide.

In recent years, multiple caravans had fallen victim to them, suffering heavy losses.

“Targeting merchant caravans... they must’ve amassed a fortune...”

A glint of cunning flashed in Jiang Ye’s aged eyes.

Crushing these bandits would earn him twenty thousand contribution points—and their ill-gotten wealth.

A double win!

This was the mission.

The only oddity: such a generous reward, yet no other Golden Core Elder had taken it.

After all, the five leaders were merely Hua Jing—what was there to fear?

“Elder, are you accepting the mission to eliminate Heifeng Village?”

Cao Ying asked softly beside him.

“Yes.”

Jiang Ye gave a slight nod.

Hearing his confirmation, Cao Ying’s face flickered with hesitation, lips parting then closing.

After a moment, she spoke: “Elder, please hand me your token—I’ll register you.”

Jiang Ye casually pulled out his Elder Temporary Token and handed it to her, then asked curiously: “Has no other Elder taken this mission?”

Cao Ying took the token and replied softly: “Several Elders have accepted it...”

She paused. “But none completed it.”

“Oh? Even Golden Core Elders can’t handle these bandits?”

A flicker of surprise crossed Jiang Ye’s aged eyes.

Could Heifeng Village be more formidable than he thought?

“Elder, here is the dossier on Heifeng Village—you may review it.”

Cao Ying turned, retrieved a scroll from a shelf, and offered it to Jiang Ye with both hands.

Jiang Ye unrolled it—the dossier contained detailed records on Heifeng Village.

The chief bandit, nicknamed Zhou Laoguai, was at the peak of Hua Jing, wielding a swift, ruthless sword style.

The second-in-command, nicknamed Bao Shan Xiong, had reached full Hua Jing, with devastatingly powerful fists and immense strength.

The third-in-command, nicknamed Chuan Shan Lang, also full Hua Jing, agile in movement, skilled with short blades.

The fourth and fifth leaders were less documented, but both were solid mid-Hua Jing cultivators.

Together, they coordinated seamlessly—even a typical early Golden Core cultivator would face a real fight.

They couldn’t win, but they could escape easily.

They had gathered many Ming Jing and An Jing fighters, exploiting Heisong Mountain’s steep terrain to fortify their stronghold, making them a local terror.

Moreover, their tactics were cunning, focused solely on profit.

They robbed caravans with restraint—never touching the great families of Fucheng.

As for mid-sized clans, they merely demanded token passage fees, rarely provoking them.

Their main targets were small clans, each time demanding hefty tolls.

Occasionally, they’d launch a major strike, seizing both people and goods, then extorting a massive ransom.

“You like money, do you? Good...”

After reading the dossier, Jiang Ye’s aged eyes gleamed with amusement.

Still, he wondered: why couldn’t Tianqing Sect’s Golden Core Elders eliminate these bandits?

It couldn’t be this easy.

“Elder, you don’t understand,” Cao Ying said with a bitter smile.

“These bandits are crafty. Heisong Mountain’s terrain is steep, and they’ve planted countless hidden sentries. When they spot a strong enemy, they don’t fight—they flee. The Elders Tianqing sent before all suffered losses here.”

She paused, then added: “Heisong Mountain stretches for dozens of li, riddled with ravines—hiding people is far too easy. Unless you trap them all inside the village, if even a few escape, they’ll return soon enough.”

She paused, then added, “The Black Pine Mountain stretches for dozens of li, riddled with gullies—hiding a person is far too easy. Unless you can trap them all inside the stronghold and wipe them out at once, even if just a few escape, they’ll return before long.”

Jiang Ye nodded thoughtfully.

After a moment, he said: “I accept this mission.”

Cao Ying blinked slightly, then bowed respectfully, registering both the token and the scroll.

Cao Ying blinked slightly, then bowed respectfully and logged both the token and the commission letter into the register.

Fucheng, Su Family Estate.

In the main hall, the air was frozen.

Su Yan stood in the center, her usually bright, smiling face now as pale as ice, all color vanished in an instant.

Her beautiful eyes widened, fixed on the dusty, guilt-ridden steward before her, her voice trembling:

“What? Our goods... were stolen by Heifeng Village?”

“What? Our goods… were robbed by the Black Wind Mountain Bandits?!”