Chapter 46: Flying Cloud Guard

Song Qingming looked up and saw that the speaker was a cultivator wearing a bamboo hat and dressed in black. This person’s cultivation base was not low, having already reached the eighth level of Qi Refining.

After looking around and confirming that this person was speaking to him, Song Qingming took the initiative to stop and calmly asked the person, "Daoist friend, are you speaking to me? I do not know you, Daoist friend; have you mistaken me for someone else?"

The black-clad cultivator nodded, then took out a black token, placed it before Song Qingming’s eyes, and continued, "Daoist friend, do not misunderstand. I am a patrol cultivator within Guiyun Market. I just have some matters I would like to ask you about. It is noisy here with many people, which is inconvenient for conversation. Could you spare a moment to speak elsewhere?"

After looking at the black token before him, Song Qingming nodded. Then, led by the black-clad cultivator, he left the center of the plaza. After the two passed through several bustling streets, they arrived at a quiet teahouse.

Along the way, the black-clad cultivator did not say anything else, only telling Song Qingming to follow him closely. As soon as the two arrived at the teahouse, the owner, seeing the black-clad cultivator walking in front, immediately greeted him enthusiastically.

"Lord Lu, you have come. Is it the usual arrangement today?"

The black-clad cultivator nodded and added, "I need to discuss some matters today; do not let anyone disturb us." After speaking, he led Song Qingming to a private room on the second floor.

Seeing that the shop owner was very familiar with this black-clad cultivator, it was clear that this fellow came here often.

As soon as the two sat down, a shop assistant soon brought up a pot of spirit tea. After placing the tea on the table, he quickly retreated under the signal of the black-clad cultivator.

The black-clad cultivator poured a cup of spirit tea for Song Qingming, politely sent it before him, and then opened his mouth to say, "I am Lu Yunfei. May I ask your surname, Daoist friend?"

"I am Song Qingming." Facing the patrol team from Guiyun Market, Song Qingming did not dare to hide his identity as he had before. After all, his identity had already been verified and registered before entering the city; it was impossible to deceive the patrol cultivators here.

"Oh, so it is Daoist friend Song. Seeing you wandering around the demon-hunting platform today, you must have arrived at Guiyun Market not long ago. I wonder if you have heard of the Flying Cloud Guard?" After Lu Yunfei finished speaking, his eyes stared at Song Qingming.

After pondering for a moment in his mind, Song Qingming carefully and softly replied, "I have heard of it. It is a demon-scouting team specifically established by Guiyun Market, responsible for investigating information on demon beasts in the Fuyun Mountain Range."

"I wonder if Daoist friend Song would be interested in joining our Flying Cloud Guard?"

Lu Yunfei’s words immediately left Song Qingming looking surprised. At first, he thought this person was going to interrogate him about something, and he had been on tenterhooks for a long time. Only now, knowing his purpose, did he set his heart at ease.

"I have heard that the Flying Cloud Guard has always been very strict in recruiting people, and in the past, most of those who could join were people with unique skills. I wonder what point of mine Brother Lu has taken a liking to? Could you tell me a little so that I can consider it?"

"Hmm, telling you is no harm. It is just because I have practiced a spiritual sense technique that allows me to detect the depth of magic power within cultivators of the same rank. Today in the market, I observed that Daoist friend Song’s magic power is deeper than other cultivators of the same rank, so I had the idea of recruiting talent." After Lu Yunfei finished speaking, he took a sip of the spirit tea in his hand and continued.

"You also know that the Flying Cloud Guard has always been strict in recruiting talent. It is just because the demon beast unrest in the Northern Frontier is approaching, and the demon beasts here in the Fuyun Mountain Range have also been very restless recently. Because of this, our Flying Cloud Guard has also been recruiting people to help investigate demon beasts recently. Compared to fighting and risking one’s life against demon beasts head-on, I think it would be more secure for Daoist friend Song to join our Flying Cloud Guard. We only need to investigate the location, habits, and movements of the demon beasts and bring back useful information. The monthly reward is not inferior to those demon-hunting teams."

"May I ask, after joining the Flying Cloud Guard, is it easy to withdraw in the future?" Song Qingming asked again cautiously.

"Daoist friend Song, please rest assured. Apart from a few sect disciples, most of our Flying Cloud Guard members are free to come and go, just like the loose cultivators in those demon-hunting teams. As long as you complete the mission, you can receive the reward. Moreover, with the status of the Flying Cloud Guard, whether you are renting a cave dwelling in Guiyun Market or going to purchase necessary supplies in the markets controlled by our Carefree Sect, you can enjoy the same discounts as sect disciples."

"However, the Flying Cloud Guard also has some specific mission targets every year, exploring unknown areas of the Fuyun Mountain Range. If you cannot complete them or refuse to go, the market will directly remove your status as a member of the Flying Cloud Guard. Please be aware of this, Daoist friend."

After Lu Yunfei finished speaking, he looked at Song Qingming with a smile. Having explained the benefits so thoroughly, he figured this kid wouldn't refuse.

Two months later, in the Fuyun Mountain Range, Song Qingming, wearing a bamboo hat and dressed in black, was hiding behind a giant rock, looking from afar at a giant green crocodile wandering in a swamp dozens of zhang away.

After a long time, Song Qingming took out a black notebook from his storage bag, opened it, and wrote: "High-level demon beast, Green Water Crocodile. Can use high-grade water-type spells. Lives alone in the Green Water Pool, three hundred li southwest of Mount Cangyun. Likes to go out to the swamp south of the pool to forage for fish at midday."

After putting away the black notebook and watching the Green Water Crocodile finish its meal and swim back into the pool, Song Qingming stood up, carefully checked his surroundings, and quickly left the area.

After receiving Lu Yunfei’s invitation in the teahouse that day, Song Qingming pondered for a while before deciding to join the Flying Cloud Guard of Guiyun Market, taking up the job of venturing deep into the Fuyun Mountain Range to investigate information on demon beasts.

Speaking of this Flying Cloud Guard, it was really not an ordinary cultivator organization. It not only gathered over a hundred Qi Refining stage experts but also had several Foundation Establishment cultivators leading and holding the line. Song Qingming’s sixth-level Qi Refining cultivation base seemed unremarkable among them, equivalent to being near the bottom.

And the missions they received were mainly to investigate the demon beasts in the areas they were responsible for within the Fuyun Mountain Range, record the valuable information on these demon beasts, and then send it back to Guiyun Market in exchange for spirit stones.

These areas would generally be scouted from the air by Foundation Establishment cultivators first. The Foundation Establishment cultivators would record the information on Level 2 demon beasts in this area first to prevent Qi Refining stage cultivators from accidentally entering the territory of Level 2 demon beasts.

Only then would they arrange for Qi Refining stage cultivators like them to explore the information on Qi Refining stage demon beasts in the area in detail.

At the same time, about once or twice a year, there would be missions forcibly assigned from above to scout unknown areas on the map. Although these missions would also be scouted by Foundation Establishment cultivators first, compared to the places that already appeared on the map and were frequently visited by cultivators, these unknown areas were often more dangerous.

There were often Level 2 demon beasts that slipped through the net, escaping the search of Foundation Establishment cultivators. Foundation Establishment cultivators’ spiritual sense could only extend three to five li, so it was common to miss some places in such unfamiliar areas. Once a Qi Refining stage cultivator encountered a Level 2 demon beast, surviving often depended on luck.

Therefore, in the Flying Cloud Guard, basically all cultivators had some special skills to rely on, or they knew special escape spells, had agile techniques and divine abilities, or, like Lu Yunfei, practiced spiritual sense techniques, making their spiritual sense perception particularly strong and allowing them to foresee danger in advance. With these various special techniques and abilities, they could greatly increase their chances of survival. Otherwise, if it were ordinary cultivators, it would be very easy to go and never return.

Regarding this, Song Qingming also had some confidence in himself. Although he didn't have any powerful magic power or divine abilities in fighting, fortunately, after practicing the Jade Profound Scripture, his magic power was much deeper than ordinary people. Lu Yunfei had also taken a liking to this point at the time. Plus, he had excellent magic treasures, spirit talismans, and other protective spirit items on him, so as long as he didn't encounter a powerful Level 2 demon beast, it wouldn't be difficult for him to escape if he put his mind to it.

In fact, the main reason he agreed to Lu Yunfei was that he took a liking to the status of the Flying Cloud Guard. With this status, many things would be more convenient for him to do in Guiyun Market in the future than before.

I suppose I have a cold; this headache came quietly. I tossed and turned in bed and couldn't sleep, so I got up and brewed two cups of 999, one for me, and the other one is still for me.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 47 =====