Yun Yun's stern shout startled Nalan Yanran. It had been a long time since she had seen her teacher with such a serious expression.
"Teacher, is it very dangerous?" Nalan Yanran asked instead.
Yun Yun didn't answer directly, but said, "If everything goes smoothly, we'll be back soon."
Nalan Yanran didn't ask any more questions.
Chen Mo, who knew the outcome of the matter, didn't ask either.
It would be a miracle if this matter went smoothly.
The Snake-People Tribe was not to be trifled with.
"You must be tired, go back and rest," Yun Yun turned her back, a trace of worry appearing on her face.
Chen Mo was the first to leave.
Nalan Yanran had been staying with Yun Yun in the main hall these past few days, but now it seemed she was being asked to return to her own quarters.
As she left the main hall, Nalan Yanran saw the figure about to close the side hall door.
Her expression changed, as she almost forgot something important.
"Senior Sister Nalan, what are you doing?" Chen Mo thought lasciviously as he watched Nalan Yanran with one foot already inside the hall, "Is tonight destined to be restless?"
"Tomorrow? What a coincidence?"
Hearing Nalan Yanran invite him to her home tomorrow, Chen Mo showed a troubled expression.
If the mission hadn't just been issued, he would have agreed, as he really wanted to have some fun in the capital.
But since the mission had been issued, of course he had to complete it first. The journey to the Snake-People Tribe would be long.
Chen Mo assured himself that it definitely wasn't because of Queen Medusa that he was feeling restless.
"Senior Sister Nalan, could we make it another day?"
"If you're busy tomorrow, the day after is also fine," Nalan Yanran said considerately.
"Uh, well, the day after is also..." Chen Mo decided to be honest, "I have to take care of something very urgent, and it will take quite some time, so..."
Nalan Yanran understood, but still couldn't give up, "Can I come along?"
"This..."
"I see," Nalan Yanran turned away in disappointment, "Then I wish you a smooth journey, junior brother."
Watching Nalan Yanran's dejected figure gradually fade into the distance, Chen Mo's lustful heart, no, his compassionate heart, couldn't bear it, and he called out to Nalan Yanran.
"Senior Sister Nalan, if you don't mind the fatigue, let's meet at the Alchemy Chamber at dawn tomorrow."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Mo regretted it, wishing he could slap himself.
He began questioning himself in his heart.
"You already have Sister Yun Yun, why are you messing with Senior Sister Nalan?"
"But Senior Sister Nalan is so alluring."
"Do you want to have your feet in two boats?"
"Not just two..."
"I don't mind the fatigue, I'll go pack my things now," Nalan Yanran left cheerfully.
...
Early the next morning.
When Chen Mo got up, Yun Yun was already gone from the main hall.
Arriving at the Alchemy Chamber.
Sure enough, Gu He was also absent.
After packing a large amount of healing and Dou Qi recovery elixirs, he ran into Nalan Yanran, who had come to assemble, and Liu Ling, who had come to the Alchemy Chamber to refine elixirs.
Nalan Yanran's attire was different from usual, wearing a tight-fitting disciple robe, her jet-black hair tied up in a bun, her eyes like water, but with a hint of coldness because Liu Ling was nearby.
At this moment, she had the air of a wandering martial artist.
As for Liu Ling, he was still wearing his Alchemist Robe, a garment that signified his status, which he couldn't bear to change.
Seeing Chen Mo, the expressions of the two changed in opposite directions.
"Good morning, Senior Brother Liu!" Chen Mo greeted Liu Ling politely, then turned to Nalan Yanran and said, "Senior Sister, let's go."
"Mm," the girl replied with a gentle smile.
"Where are you two headed?"
Neither of them answered, simply walking side by side as they left the Alchemy Chamber.
To avoid drawing attention, Chen Mo deliberately went to the mission hall to pick up a task that was just the right level of difficulty.
However, because the two of them were too well-known, they were soon surrounded by a large group of disciples, all clamoring to join them.
After finally managing to break free, they were stopped by an attendant just as they were about to leave the sect.
For exceptionally talented disciples, the Elder Council had specifically instructed that these disciples must report their departure from the sect.
Only after completing the report did the attendant let them leave.
Meanwhile, in the Elder Hall.
"What? Chen Mo and Yanran have left the sect together?"
"Yes, before they left, they went to the mission hall and picked up a task to collect a Fourth-Order Herb."
"Understood."
"Grand Elder, what should we do?"
"Send Old Six to follow them and protect them in secret."
...
At the foot of Yunlan Sect lay a vast, dense forest, stretching as far as the eye could see, a sea of lush green.
Above the forest was a clear blue sky, where two large figures were swiftly darting across the open expanse.
Azure Beak Eagles.
A type of Flying Magical Beast bred by Yunlan Sect. These beasts were not large, capable of carrying only one or two people, and were known for their gentle nature and incredible speed. However, breeding them was costly, and their endurance in flight was short, so only wealthy and powerful sects could afford to use them as part of their transportation teams.
The two Azure Beak Eagles crossed the vast forest in less than half an hour.
The journey from Yunlan Sect to the Tager Great Desert would normally take two days.
But due to the Azure Beak Eagles' limited endurance, they would need to rest at least twice along the way to replenish their strength, so even at top speed, the trip would take three days.
The Tager Great Desert was located on the eastern border of the empire, and Chen Mo's first stop was a city called Black Rock City along the eastern route.
As they flew east on the Azure Beak Eagles, Nalan Yanran finally realized something was amiss and asked, "Isn't the desolate city in the northern part of the empire? Why are we heading east?"
"That mission was just a cover. Our real destination is the Tager Great Desert."
"The Tager Great Desert? Isn't that the territory of the Snake-People Tribe? Junior Brother, you're not planning to enter their lands, are you?"
"Mm," Chen Mo responded vaguely, but in his heart, he thought, It's not just about entering their territory—it's about infiltrating their stronghold and bringing out their queen.
Hearing this, Nalan Yanran frowned. She had originally thought this was just a casual outing, but now it seemed there was a real risk to their lives.
She worriedly said, "Junior Brother, why didn't you mention this earlier? In a situation like this, we should have requested an elder from the sect to accompany us."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Nalan Yanran regretted them. Since he had taken the mission but wasn't heading in the direction of the mission's location, it was clear he didn't want anyone to know.
By asking this, she had made herself look rather foolish.
Chen Mo smiled but didn't respond.
And this silent acknowledgment was what frustrated Nalan Yanran the most.
The identity of a Yunlan Sect disciple still carried considerable weight in the central regions of the empire. At least, when they encountered several groups of cultivators whose cultivation levels were higher than theirs, none of them caused trouble upon seeing the Yunlan Sect disciple robes the two were wearing.
However, as they approached the empire's border, the situation was entirely different. The area was remote, governance was lax, and to the people there, the identity of a Yunlan
Sect disciple was nothing more than a big, fat fish to exploit.
Of course, this wasn't an absolute rule. Those with significant influence still had to show some superficial respect to the Yunlan Sect on the surface.
(End of Chapter)