As an outer sect disciple, missions were one of the major standards by which disciples were judged. At minimum, one green-paper mission had to be completed every three months, one yellow-paper mission every year, and one red-paper mission every five years.

  This rule existed to ensure disciples gained practical experience, something about iron only becoming steel after a thousand strikes.

  Ning didn’t think too deeply about it. His thoughts were simple: complete the mission, get the reward, and practice more.

  Soon, he arrived at the Mission Hall. It was one of the few places he visited regularly.

  And just then, he ran into something unexpected.

  In an era without the distractions of the internet or phones, it was no surprise that any interesting event drew a crowd of curious onlookers.

  Of course, the reason Ning found it interesting was that one of the people involved was Xiao Fan. This guy just couldn’t catch a break; he somehow stumbled into incident after incident.

  While Ning enjoyed a peaceful and uneventful cultivation path, Xiao Fan lived a life of constant turmoil. It almost felt as though they existed in two different worlds despite living in the same sect.

  Ning also noted that the Mission Hall seemed to be one of the main “protagonist event–triggering spots.” After all, this was already the second time he'd witnessed such a scene.

  With lingering doubts about the abnormality surrounding Xiao Fan, he naturally couldn’t pass up the chance to observe the situation firsthand.

  Besides, watching another episode of Xiao Fan’s chaotic life was simply too entertaining to ignore.

  "You piece of trash! You must have lied. How could someone like you complete such a difficult mission?" the man facing Xiao Fan shouted, his face twisted in rage.

  Ning couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Was this the legendary provoking physique? It seemed even completing a random mission was enough to enrage someone. At this rate, Ning wouldn’t be surprised if Xiao Fan got into a fight with a stranger just for existing.

  Of course, while this confrontation unfolded, a random guy began providing narration…

  "That's Brother Hua Ming. He attempted the same mission Xiao Fan completed, but he failed."

  "Is that so?"

  The small crowd busied itself gossiping, while Ning was confused. Was it normal for some random onlooker to know this much?

  Hua Ming, hearing the whispers, grew even angrier.

  "If you dare, accept my challenge! Let’s fight in the Martial Arena!" he roared. He looked as though he believed Xiao Fan was mocking him simply by refusing to admit he had cheated.

  The Martial Arena was a special training ground used to spar and settle disputes. Only there were serious fights allowed. First, it was incredibly sturdy, reinforced by the sect’s earth-attribute master; second, it was huge, able to accomdate multiple duels at once.

  "Okay." Xiao Fan didn’t back down. Instead of ignoring the provocation as he usually did, he shot back, "You sure talk a lot of nonsense. Why don’t you come and find out for yourself if I cheated? Let’s go!"

  With that, Xiao Fan stormed off toward the Martial Arena, and Hua Ming followed, fuming.

  "Everyone, let’s go watch the fight! Who do you think will win?" someone called out.

  "It’s obviously Brother Hua Ming. He’s been in the sect for years."

  "That’s right."

  As everyone dispersed, Ning simply walked toward the Mission Hall.

  What? Why didn’t he go watch the battle?

  First, there would be no surprise. Xiao Fan would probably get beaten at first and then win spectacularly. So why waste time?

  Second, Ning didn’t want to wander around the Martial Arena at his current level. The fact that Xiao Fan was being scolded at all told him there were too many unreasonable people around.

  The atmosphere there was always filled with hot blood, raging hormones, and irrational disciples itching for a fight. Even if he went just to watch, he might get dragged into trouble. And even if he won a fight, what if the loser had a stronger backer?

  Too troublesome.

  Of course, those arenas were probably excellent learning grounds for practical combat… once he was stronger.

  For now, he would pass.

  Stolen story; please report.

  ...

  Ning browsed the mission board carefully, searching for something that matched his skills.

  [Gather five stalks of Poison Lily and deliver them to the Mission Hall.

  Reward: 10 spirit stones.

  Note: Highly poisonous. Do not touch petals with bare hands.]

  "Poisonous lilies…" Ning muttered under his breath, recalling what he’d read about them.

  A half-step spiritual plant, promising, but never quite reaching first grade because it grew in poor environments. Toxic, narrow in use, troublesome to handle… but simple enough for him.

  He approached Senior Sister Si Sihua, the receptionist he had previously “bribed.”

  "Senior, I want to take this mission."

  "Oh?" Si Sihua, who had been oozing laziness across her entire desk like some squished slime, suddenly sat up straight. Then, once she recognized him, she flopped back down with a sigh. "Ah, it’s just you, junior brother. I thought it was someone else."

  Glancing at her posture, Ning raised a brow. “Yeah. Senior sister seems… very free, as always.”

  “Free?” She huffed proudly. “Ever since Qi Xia arrived, I’ve been living the dream!”

  Then she laughed, a sound absolutely no one would call graceful.

  With the stunning new receptionist stealing all the attention, Senior Sister Si had been demoted from busy counter lady to professional loafer.

  It was essentially a high-paying job with very little work.

  “Must be nice,” Ning muttered.

  Being a receptionist of the Mission Hall was quite a privilege. As one of the most important places in the sect, they could “manage” missions, something every disciple needed. Not only that, but the position also allowed them to build valuable social connections, especially with those of background or exceptional talent.

  With such benefits, becoming a receptionist wasn’t easy; a certain level of backing was required. That was why, seeing Si Sihua’s lazy appearance, Ning was speechless.

  He gently reminded her, "Please process my task, senior sister."

  “Sure, sure…” She tapped the jade slip, then froze. “Huh? You’re going outside the sect? That’s a first. I thought I’d finally found a fellow slacker when I saw you only picking easy indoor missions.”

  Ning’s lips twitched, but he didn’t say anything.

  For safety’s sake, he naturally preferred missions inside the sect. But because of the recent commotion about the competition, the competition for easy in-sect missions had become fierce. Most were taken the moment they were posted.

  So after searching for a while, Ning came up empty-handed. There were a few internal missions left, but they were… unique. For example, testing a new pill from some eccentric alchemist.

  Otherwise, given his nature, Ning would have gladly stayed a homebody.

  Of course, none of this showed on his face.

  “Slacker?” Ning smiled pleasantly. “If I were a slacker, senior sister, I should probably stop bringing you snacks, no?”

  Ning had the habit of making snacks in bulk. After presenting some to the elder, he would distribute the leftovers to his various acquaintances.

  Si Sihua panicked instantly. “Wait! Junior brother, I was joking! Don’t stop! I was wrong! I spoke nonsense!”

  Ning sighed. “Just process my request.”

  Honestly, for someone older, she had the dignity of a salted fish.

  After entering the mission details, she said, “Three-day deadline. Bring it back before then.”

  “Understood. Thank you.”

  Si Sihua folded her hands with an earnest expression. “Even if it’s a simple mission, be careful, junior brother. I’d be very worried if anything happened to you.”

  Ning stared at her.

  …She’s worried about her snack supply. Not me. She’s not even pretending better.

  He cupped his hands. “I’ll return safely, senior sister.”

  “Good!” Her smile brightened. “May the heavens watch over my snack, I mean, watch over you!”

  Ning sighed inwardly.

  He had absolutely no illusions about this woman. She was the type who worshipped convenience, comfort, and free food, possibly in that order.

  But, well… at least she was honest about it.

  ...

  The Black Boar Forest was the closest forest to the Pure Qi Sect, only a couple of miles from Blackthorn City, the nearest settlement to the sect.

  It earned its name from the once-abundant population of black boars that roamed the area. The beasts were massive and fierce, but now they were nearly extinct. With a behemoth like the Pure Qi Sect nearby, anything truly dangerous had long been wiped out.

  Only manageable threats, Qi Condensation–level beasts, were allowed to remain. Occasionally, a Foundation Establishment beast would appear, but it would be dealt with quickly. The forest was intentionally never fully cleared: it served as a training ground for disciples and a source of livelihood for the city’s people.

  After some time, Ning finally reached the forest. The first thing he noticed were the trees, towering, thick, and sprawling outward in every direction. The scale of the forest was also far larger than he had imagined.

  Wasting no time, he activated the Turtle Breathing Technique, suppressing his presence until he blended seamlessly into the wilderness. Days of practice had refined his control, and using the technique now felt as natural as breathing.

  Moving cautiously, Ning stepped through the dense undergrowth. The outer region of the forest was relatively safe, populated only by early-stage beasts. Only in the deepest parts would one encounter late-stage monsters.

  Still, Ning didn’t relax. Poisonous lilies weren’t particularly rare, but unlike other plants, their narrow uses made them difficult to buy on the market.

  Slowly and methodically, he scanned the forest floor, searching for the distinctive shape and color of the lilies he needed.

  Time blurred. Minutes passed. Then more. Yet not a single poisonous lily came into view.

  "Where is that damn flower? My bag is already full…" Ning muttered.

  His large pouch bulged with herbs and flowers he’d picked up along the way. And, being the hoarder he was, he collected every useful-looking plant he saw.

  What? Unwise? Maybe.

  Did Ning care? Absolutely not.

  To live is to hoard.

  As an avid gamer in his previous life, his habit of stuffing every available inventory slot was deeply ingrained.

  Thankfully, before he ended up stripping the forest bare, he finally spotted what he’d been searching for. Hidden among a patch of foliage was a cluster of poisonous lilies, ten of them, dark petals shimmering with a faint, sinister glow.

  Carefully, Ning began harvesting them. He wore the thick gloves he normally used when handling fertilizers, excellent insulation, and perfect for handling toxic plants. He avoided touching the petals directly, plucking the flowers with slow, deliberate precision.

  Once he had all ten, he took out a smaller sack and stored the lilies inside. He didn’t have a spatial pouch yet, so he had to rely on good old-fashioned bags. Not glamorous, but effective.

  And honestly… finding ten was surprisingly lucky.

  Since he only needed to hand over five as proof for the mission, the other five were his to keep.

  "Maybe the reason these flowers are so rare," Ning mused, eyeing the lilies, "is because everyone else is hoarding them too."

  He couldn’t even say anything, he was doing the exact same thing.

  ...

  A/N: Why is it hard to not stuff everything you find in the wild in your inventory even though I definitely don't need this roadside weed like ever? It's a curse I tell you...