"Hmph, very good." Si Bo Rong lowered his voice and asked the old man with black hair beside him, "Old Liang, who is this kid?"
"Based on his appearance and the long spear on his back, he should be Dongbo Xueying from Yishui City," the old man with black hair said in a low voice. "He should only be twenty-two this year. At the age of fifteen, he single-handedly destroyed the Crescent Blade Alliance. Since he dared to take on this mission, it seems he is at the Silver Moon Knight level."
"Twenty-two years old?"
Si Bo Rong became even more displeased.
He was already over fifty, and now he had to deal with a twenty-two-year-old Silver Moon Knight, which naturally made him unhappy.
"Hmph, hmph." Si Bo Rong coldly snorted at Dongbo Xueying and then sat down, with the old man with black hair sitting beside him.
"Since all five experts are here," the red-robed bald old man scanned the five people in front of him—Si Bo Rong, the old man with black hair, the tall old man with white hair Tang Xiong, Dongbo Xueying, and the green-robed female mage Yu Jingqiu.
"My name is Yuan Wu, and I am the head of Longshan Tower in Qinghe County," the red-robed bald old man said with a smile. "I believe most of you have heard of my name, but this is the first time I am meeting Mage Jingqiu and Dongbo Xueying."
Yu Jingqiu and Dongbo Xueying both smiled.
"Head Yuan, just get to the mission," Si Bo Rong said bluntly.
"No rush."
The red-robed bald old man's voice suddenly turned cold. "Before we start the mission, I need to go over the most basic rules!"
"First, all information about the mission, including details about your companions, must not be leaked! Leaking information could lead to retaliation against your companions, which we at Longshan Tower absolutely cannot allow! If anyone leaks information intentionally, and we find out, hmph, no one can save you."
"Second, this is the most difficult Black Iron mission. No one can guarantee your safety. You will be in mortal danger, and if you die, don't blame anyone."
"I am telling you these two points in advance. If you cannot accept them, you can leave now!"
The red-robed bald old man's gaze swept over the five people in front of him.
None of them, including Si Bo Rong, got up to leave.
"Head Yuan, we all know the rules," the tall old man with white hair, Tang Xiong, said with a smile.
"Hmph, hmph, there's no such thing as absolute safety when risking your life. If you're afraid, it's better to go back early," Si Bo Rong glanced at Dongbo Xueying. He instinctively felt hostile towards this young man, especially in front of 'Mage Jingqiu,' whom he was pursuing. He instinctively wanted to suppress all other men. The guards and Tang Xiong present were all old men, posing no threat!
Only Dongbo Xueying, being so young, made him unhappy.
"Very good."
The red-robed bald old man nodded. "Since you all understand the risk of death and the importance of confidentiality, I will now explain the details of the mission."
Dongbo Xueying, Yu Jingqiu, and the others, including Si Bo Rong, all perked up their ears to listen carefully.
The mission could cost them their lives if they didn't pay attention.
"The target of this mission is the family castle of the Lu family, the most powerful clan in Qutai City within our Qinghe County. The goal is to destroy and defeat the entire family castle and kill the clan leader, Lu Huiru," the red-robed bald old man said.
"Lu Huiru? A Starstream Mage, and it's said that the Lu family has three or four Starstream Knights. But why would we need all five of us to work together, and why is there a risk of death?" Si Bo Rong asked skeptically.
Head Yuan of Longshan Tower then said solemnly, "Lu Huiru is also very skilled in alchemy. The entire castle is filled with dangers, and most importantly... this is actually a branch of a certain evil god or demon in our Qinghe County!"
"What!"
Dongbo Xueying, Yu Jingqiu, Si Bo Rong, Tang Xiong, and the old man with black hair, Liang Yong, all changed their expressions.
An evil god or demon?
In the entire empire, only the 'Earth Temple' is considered orthodox. All others are evil gods or demons! Even the founding emperor of the Longshan Empire did not establish a temple to spread faith.
But similarly—
Any evil god or demon daring to infiltrate this world is terrifying, and no one dares to be complacent.
"Any matter involving an evil god or demon must be handled with caution. This is just a branch of a certain evil god or demon in our Qinghe County, and the known powerful figures are only a few Starstream level, so the threat is relatively low. That's why we are sending the five of you," Head Yuan said. "You now know the mission. If you are unwilling to go, you will have to stay in Longshan Tower and not leave until the mission is completed."
"Any objections?" Head Yuan looked at the five people in front of him.
"Is there a Silver Moon level or a titled level in the Lu family's castle?" Yu Jingqiu asked.
"So far, none have been discovered!" Head Yuan said. "There might be hidden forces, but it's unlikely to have a titled level! The power of a titled level is very rare and wouldn't be wasted on a branch."
"Those evil gods and demons are ultimately hiding in the darkness," Si Bo Rong said to Yu Jingqiu. "They wouldn't be so extravagant as to assign a titled level to a county."
"If there are no objections, we will set out now!" Head Yuan said. "Longshan Tower will send a flying boat to take you there."
Si Bo Rong said, "Jingqiu, this mission is quite dangerous. You are a mage, so stay close to us, and we will protect you."
Yu Jingqiu's brows furrowed slightly.
She was very annoyed by Si Bo Rong, who had been pursuing her, but her family was in Qinghe County, so she didn't want to make things too difficult with the Si family.
Dongbo Xueying, carrying his weapon case, was already walking out, and Yu Jingqiu followed him.
"Without even a decent storage treasure, he's still carrying a weapon case," Si Bo Rong sneered.
******
In the territory of Qutai City, on a vast plain, stood a magnificent castle, covering more than three miles, slightly larger than the Snowstone Castle of Dongbo Xueying's family.
This was the family castle of the Lu family.
The castle was divided into an outer fortress and an inner fortress.
The inner fortress was octagonal, resembling a strange monster lying there. This inner fortress was personally researched and arranged by Lu Huiru, filled with numerous mechanisms and arrays. The closer to the bottom of the castle, the more dangerous it became.
"Divine Messenger, are you satisfied with the maids I have prepared?" Lu Huiru asked with a fawning smile.
Lying half-reclined was a monstrous, muscular man.
This man was incredibly muscular, with a waist as thick as a barrel. He was about two and a half meters tall, with arms as thick as a normal person's thighs. His beard was as hard as steel needles, and his eyes, though slightly drooping, carried a terrifying aura when occasionally opened. His breathing made the surrounding air tremble and rumble, and the maids beside him were somewhat trembling.
"Average," the monstrous man said indifferently. "Why do I feel you are afraid of me?"
"Divine Messenger's power is boundless, I am in awe," Lu Huiru quickly said.
"Don't worry, I am just resting here for a while. I barely escaped from the Emberworld with my life and almost forgot the pleasures of the human world! Alright, bring more young beauties, preferably powerful female mages. Ordinary people are tasteless." The monstrous man smacked his lips and began eating the meat in large bites.
"Yes, yes, Divine Messenger, I will bring female mages to you as soon as possible," Lu Huiru said.
"Go, go, don't be a bother," the monstrous man said casually.