Chapter 63: New Captain

Half a month later, in a small shop in Guiyunfang, a fat shopkeeper with a face full of smiles was desperately recommending a white mid-grade flying sword in his shop to Song Qingming, who had come to purchase magic treasures.

"Fellow Daoist, this Yunlong Sword is the best mid-grade flying sword in my shop. If you are still not satisfied, I can only take you to see other top-grade flying swords."

"Sigh, I don't have many spirit stones on me this time, I can only buy a mid-grade magic treasure first. It's just that this flying sword sells for thirty-five spirit stones, the price is still a bit too expensive. Boss, can you make it cheaper?" Song Qingming sat on a wooden chair in the shop, bargaining with the shop boss unhurriedly, hoping to save a few spirit stones.

Although he had saved up several hundred spirit stones in the past few years and was not short of these two or three spirit stones, Song Qingming, who had been poor since childhood, was already used to being frugal with every spirit stone. When going out to purchase various supplies, he often lowered his face to bargain with others for one or two spirit stones.

In all the years of cultivating the Dao, the only time he was relatively generous was when he first came to Guiyunfang. In order to purchase that top-grade magic treasure, the Taixu Sword, he spent all one hundred and fifty spirit stones he had on him at once.

Although he was heroic on the spot and won some face, he still regretted not bargaining with those two people afterwards, as he might have saved ten or twenty spirit stones.

This was also the only time in his many years of cultivation that he did not take spirit stones too seriously for something he wanted. Every time he thought of this, he could not help but smile bitterly.

"I say, Fellow Daoist, the thirty-five spirit stones I mentioned have already saved you quite a few spirit stones. You have also seen the quality of this flying sword. Refining this magic treasure back then used quite a lot of high-quality white jade crystals. Originally, it was to be sold for forty spirit stones in the shop. You can't make me lose money doing business." The fat boss shook his fat body and explained to Song Qingming with a face full of difficulty.

Finally, after paying the fat boss thirty-two spirit stones, Song Qingming bought this mid-grade magic treasure and walked out of the shop amidst the boss's smiling farewell.

After returning to the Flying Cloud Guard station in Guiyunfang, this team of Flying Cloud Guards, because they could not go out to perform missions in the short term, received a period of vacation, and Song Qingming also began a relatively leisurely time.

For the past half month, Song Qingming, who lived in the marketplace, had once again run through all the shops in Guiyunfang, inquiring about news of Mount Bai Long while purchasing various supplies to prepare to deal with the next mission at any time.

It was just that after running through almost all of Guiyunfang, Song Qingming did not find any useful information. Whether it was the boss or the clerk, when they heard the three words "Mount Bai Long," their expressions were all evasive, shaking their heads in ignorance.

Fortunately, he still successfully purchased quite a few useful supplies this time and also bought quite a few talisman-making materials. In the next mission, he could also make talismans to exchange for some spirit stones when he had free time.

Now that his cultivation was getting higher and higher, the places where he needed to spend spirit stones were also getting more and more. Now that he was out and about, he needed spirit stones to purchase spirit rice, elixirs, magic treasures, and other aspects.

Even if he did not eat or drink, living in Guiyunfang, he had to hand over two spirit stones to the marketplace manager every month.

Fortunately, Song Qingming returned from this mission, and the reward for completing the mission, plus the compensation merit promised by Liu Xingfeng, Song Qingming received a total of more than forty spirit stones.

Plus the nearly twenty spirit stones he got from hunting a high-tier demonic beast with Feng Laogui and the others, in the nearly three months he was out, Song Qingming had a total income of nearly seventy spirit stones.

After deducting the Lieyang Sword he damaged and the dozen or so spirit talismans he used, he still had a net income of thirty spirit stones, which was much more than his income from guarding Mount Lingyuan for a year. Seeing piles of spirit stones entering his storage bag, Song Qingming's mood was also much more pleasant.

Although it seemed that Song Qingming earned quite a few spirit stones this time, it was also because the missions performed by the Flying Cloud Guard were indeed relatively dangerous, and higher income was also accompanied by greater danger.

Going deep into the Fuyun Mountain Range to explore those unknown demonic beast territories was often prone to encountering some unimaginable dangers. Just like this time, among the sixteen cultivators of their eleven guards, only half finally returned to Guiyunfang intact.

After experiencing this dangerous mission, on the way back to Guiyunfang, Song Qingming once had the idea of wanting to quit the Flying Cloud Guard. However, after returning to Guiyunfang and receiving the spirit stones for this mission at the Flying Cloud Guard station, he quickly dismissed this idea.

Song Qingming also knew in his heart that it was an accident that their eleven guards encountered demonic cultivators on this mission. Even if he had chosen not to join the Flying Cloud Guard back then and entered the Fuyun Mountain Range alone to hunt demons, if his personal luck was bad, there was a high probability he would have encountered demonic cultivators like Gu Liangshan who captured loose cultivators.

Even if Song Qingming had a few top-grade life-saving spirit talismans on him, if he encountered a demonic cultivator like Gu Liangshan at the peak of Qi Refining, his chance of escaping would not be very high. There was a high probability he would be like Hu Daozhen and the others, confusedly captured by the demonic cultivators to refine magic treasures, and die in the vast Fuyun Mountain Range.

Since he was out for training, if he turned around and left as soon as he encountered a little danger, it would be better to return to Mount Funiu early.

Thinking of this, he slowly accepted this fact. Cultivators seeking the Dao were originally accompanied by both opportunities and dangers. If he hadn't encountered bandit cultivators robbing the road back then, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to obtain the treasure of the remnant map that allowed him to turn things around.

Seeing several Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Xiaoyao Sect appear in the camp, Song Qingming and the others slowly learned some news.

This group of demonic cultivators had now exposed their tracks, and the Xiaoyao Sect had already sent a large number of cultivators to search and arrest them. If they were smart enough, they must have already fled the Fuyun Mountain Range.

Otherwise, if their tracks were found by so many Foundation Establishment cultivators, even if Yang Wuqi had refined the demonic blade magic treasure, he would inevitably be doomed.

Just yesterday, Song Qingming had already received news from the Flying Cloud Guard that they would be heading to the Fuyun Mountain Range again in three days.

After receiving this news, Song Qingming hurriedly went to the marketplace to purchase all the missing magic treasures. This time, with sufficient time, he finally made full preparations.

After coming out of the shop, Song Qingming wandered around the marketplace for a long time before slowly returning to the Guiyunfang station in the east of the marketplace.

Unexpectedly, just as he walked to the entrance of the station, he heard the guards of the station inform them of the news of their eleven guards gathering. Song Qingming hurriedly rushed to the gathering place in the backyard of the Flying Cloud Guard station.

Arriving in the backyard, Song Qingming saw that more than a dozen cultivators had already gathered in the courtyard, and everyone was gathering in twos and threes in the courtyard, discussing something.

Song Qingming looked at the scene. Besides the original six eleven-guard cultivators including Jia Sixing, there were also several cultivators wearing Xiaoyao Sect Daoist robes. These cultivators looked relatively young, and their eyes looking at Song Qingming and these other cultivators still had a trace of obvious arrogance.

After walking close and chatting with a few familiar cultivators, he learned that these cultivators were also disciples sent by the Xiaoyao Sect to Guiyunfang for training, and it was estimated that they would be heading to the Fuyun Mountain Range with them this time.

After another half an hour or so, fifteen or sixteen cultivators had already gathered in the courtyard, and a woman in red walked in from outside the courtyard.

When everyone saw the person coming, including Song Qingming, there was a trace of surprise on their faces.

This woman in red was Xu Cheng Ziyan, the fellow sect sister of Gao Yuyao, whom they had dealt with in the Fuyun Mountain Range a month ago.

During the great battle with the demonic cultivators that day, it was precisely the two of them and Liu Xingfeng who arrived in time to save the lives of Song Qingming and his group. Speaking of which, she could be considered to have saved the lives of Song Qingming and the others.

After Xu Cheng Ziyan walked in, she looked at everyone and said softly, "Fellow Daoists, because Captain Lu of the eleven guards has already returned to the sect to heal his injuries, after the Master and several senior brothers discussed it, I will temporarily take over the position of Captain of the eleven guards."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 64 =====