Chapter 174: You Can Trust Me

“Get up!” Jiang Hao gently kicked the rabbit.

It was still drooling near the flower. Jiang Hao understood why she had hung up the beast on her last visit.

The spirit beast was lucky it was still alive.

“Master?” The spirit beast sat up and yawned. “Why are you up so early?”

“Take these.” Jiang Hao passed some spirit stones and spirit herbs to the spirit beast. “When Chu Chuan advances to the second stage of the Lifeblood Refinement Realm, give that to him. He should be able to advance in a few months.”

“Alright,” said the spirit beast as it accepted the things.

“Chu Chuan hasn’t asked for the tests to stop. So, you cant stop testing him every week, okay?”

“Master, leave it to me. You can trust me. I handle things pretty well in your absence,” said the beast.

Jiang Hao raised his eyebrows. He was even more worried after hearing that. However, the beast had done a pretty good job of keeping things running when he was out of the sect.

“Master, are you going out again?”

“Not really out… I’ll be within the sect.”

Jiang Hao watered the spirit herbs in his courtyard before he left. So many days had passed, and yet there were no bubbles near the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower. He wondered if bubbles would spawn again.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to find out.

When Jiang Hao was ready to head to the Law Enforcement Hall, Han Ming suddenly arrived to meet him.

“Senior Brother Jiang, it’s been too long,” he said as he held onto his word. “Junior Brother Han, you look even more impressive than before!” said Jiang Hao.

Han Ming should be twenty-two this year. He entered the inner sect at the age of eighteen and was in the early stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Four years had passed. He was now at the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

The aura surged around him. He wasn’t an ordinary disciple in the Foundation Establishment Realm. He truly deserved the special ability of being favored by the spirits of mountains and rivers.

Han Ming smiled. “I came here to challenge you today. Are you free for a sparring match?”

“I’m just about to head to the Law Enforcement Hall because some of us have to gather there for a mission, but… I have a little time I can spare.” If it were someone else, he would have politely refused. However, it was Han Ming. He was always willing to spar with him.

Jiang Hao had been nineteen when he first met Han Ming. Now, he had already reached the Primordial Spirit Realm in four years. They both were at the early stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm at that time.

“Right here?” Han Ming asked.

“Yes.” Jiang Hao nodded.

Han Ming gripped his sword, and his aura surged. He didn’t attack directly. He was waiting for something to brew.

Whoosh!

A gust of wind blew, and Han Ming flickered like lightning.

Clang!

He unsheathed his sword and launched a thunderous attack at Jiang Hao.

Clang!

Boom!

Jiang Hao swung his saber and cut through the empty air behind Han Ming.

With a clang, a long sword fell and plunged into the ground. It was Han Ming’s sword.

Jiang Hao’s blade stopped inches from Han Ming’s ear. If he hadn’t stopped, Han Ming would have been gravely injured.

“Junior Brother Han, thank you for letting me win.” Jiang Hao slowly withdrew his sword.

“Senior Brother Jiang, your cultivation…” Han Ming in disbelief. He had always assumed that he would break through to the next stage earlier than Jiang Hao.

“I’m in the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm now,” said Jiang Hao. “I went out of the sect for a while and encountered something good. It helped me advance to the late stage.”

Han Ming picked up his sword, bowed to Jiang Hao, and turned to leave. He seemed unconvinced. He wanted to be one level higher than Jiang Hao and defeat him. Then he would call him “Junior Brother Jiang.”

Jiang Hao shook his head as he saw Han Ming leave, but he didn’t mind.

Han Ming was a rather peculiar person. He wasn’t a bad person because he wasn’t scheming against anyone. He just wanted to win. If he continued to cultivate and practice his skills, he might become very powerful one day.

Han Ming was talented and willing to work hard. The only flaw was that he got jealous too fast. Jiang Hao wondered if people would find it too easy to manipulate him.

Jiang Hao did not delay any longer. He arrived at the foot of the mountain where the Law Enforcement Hall was located.

He didn’t Liu Xingchen or Ming Yi there. The spies always kept such a low profile that not many people knew about them. “Junior Brother Jiang, you’ve advanced?” Mu Qi asked Jiang Hao in surprise.

“I was away from the sect a while back. I obtained some things and cultivated diligently after returning. Fortunately, I was able to advance this time,” said Jiang Hao.

He used the same old excuse. It was rare but not unheard of.

“Junior Brother Jiang, you seem to have many such encounters.” Mu Qi chuckled. “The others will be here soon. After we enter, you might have to go with the others in the Foundation Establishment Realm. Be careful.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother Mu.”

He knew that he was being targeted by many people in the sect, and there would always be some danger wherever he went.

They waited for a while. People kept arriving at the place they gathered. Finally, disciples from all twelve branches were there.

A woman stood before them and spoke.

“Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, since everyone is here, let’s set off. There will be someone to guide you when you enter the Devil’s Den. The Golden Core Realm cultivators will gather at the Golden Core area. The Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators will gather at the Foundation Establishment area with the others. Individual missions are possible, but insufficient achievements may result in punishment.”

‘Do we have to pay? ‘Jiang Hao wondered.

Normal sect missions didn’t involve paying spirit stones as punishments. Only special missions had that requirement.

The missions were always created with the public in mind. For example, the Law Enforcement Hall’s missions were always related to something outside the sect because people usually took them to be able to venture outside the sect.

The same was true for the Devil’s Den missions.

Jiang Hao thought about it for a moment. He decided not to take the mission alone. He didn’t want to stand out.

The group rode their swords and flew to the Devil’s Den. Jiang Hao saw some familiar faces.

Xin Yuyue from the Thunderfire Peak, Zheng Shijiu from the Ice Moon Valley, and Yue You from the Flowing Waterfall were there too!

Jiang Hao had fulfilled missions with Xin Yuyue and Zheng Shijiu several times now.

At the Devil’s Den, Jiang Hao and the others were greeted by people who were ready to receive them. There were two people. One was a Primordial Spirit Realm cultivator and the other was a Golden Core Realm cultivator.

Jiang Hao knew that Primordial Spirit Realm cultivator. He had seen her before. She was Ning Xuan from the Cliff of Broken Hearts.

The Golden Core Realm cultivator was a muscular man, carrying a huge shield. It seemed like he was from the Flowing Waterfall, just like Yue You.

“If you want to go solo, you can leave halfway. For now, follow me,” said Ning Xuan and led the group away.

Jiang Hao heard the man say the same.

“Junior Brother Jiang, we meet again!” said Zheng Shijiu.

Xin Yuyue and Yue You also walked over to him.

“Senior Brother Zheng, Senior Sister Xin, and Senior Sister Yue, how nice to see you!” Jiang Hao said politely.

This time, Zheng Shijiu seemed genuinely happy to see him. He understood Jiang Hao’s strength to some extent. The fact that Jiang Hao had never attacked them implied that they didn’t need to be hostile toward one another. Besides, with Jiang Hao present, they would be much safer..