The Achievement Hall was louder than Chen Ba expected.
Wooden mission slips covered an entire wall, arranged beneath four coloured plaques.
White.
Yellow.
Red.
Black.
The six newcomers stopped before them.
The clerk behind the counter barely looked up.
"White missions carry low risk. Yellow missions expect combat, injury, difficult terrain, or complications."
His finger moved to the third plaque.
"Red means death is a real possibility."
Then the last.
"Black missions are not for Outer Court disciples."
Chen Gao stared at the Black section.
It was empty.
The clerk noticed.
"If you ever see a Black mission posted here, don't be curious."
Gao looked away.
The clerk continued.
"The number written on each slip is the total Achievement reward. If four disciples accept a one-hundred-point mission, you do not receive one hundred each."
He tapped the registration ledger.
"You decide the division before departure."
Chen Yiru asked, "What if the mission isn't completed?"
"Reward falls."
"And if the mission is harder than assessed?"
"It can rise."
That caught everyone's attention.
The clerk finally looked up.
"Achievement measures results and contribution. Complete half the work, don't expect full payment. Discover that a Yellow mission was wrongly assessed and bring back something valuable, the Hall may increase it."
Chen Gao smiled.
"So taking more risk—"
"Doesn't automatically earn more."
The clerk cut him off.
"If you create unnecessary danger yourself, the additional reward may be zero."
Gao's smile disappeared.
Three missions suited newcomers.
Greenmist Herb Survey — White Grade
Survey eight marked medicinal plots.
Record quantity, plant condition and abnormalities.
Collect specified samples.
Listed Reward: 80 Achievement Points.
Recommended team size: one to two.
Stonebridge Village Delivery — Yellow Grade
Deliver medicine, grain and three sealed packages.
Minor wild beasts and occasional theft reported along the route.
Listed Reward: 100 Achievement Points.
Recommended team size: one to two.
North Quarry Trace Investigation — Yellow Grade
Investigate unusual tracks.
Estimate creature numbers, movement direction and likely source.
Avoid unnecessary combat.
Listed Reward: 150 Achievement Points.
Recommended team size: three.
Chen Ba took the Greenmist slip.
"Solo."
The others turned.
Chen Shun frowned.
"You're going alone?"
"White-grade. Eight plots."
Chen Ba lifted the slip.
"If I finish it alone, I keep all eighty."
That was true.
It simply wasn't the whole reason.
Chen Ba had spent the last several days discovering how much the Black Pole slowed him.
A simple survey was manageable.
More importantly, if his movement failed, nobody else would have to compensate for him.
He added, "There's open ground too. I can practise the First Step between plots."
The clerk held out his hand.
"Register."
Chen Ba did.
Chen Shun and Chen Gao had already been discussing Stonebridge.
Fifty points each.
Simple.
Balanced.
Chen Shun looked at Chen Ba's solo registration.
Then back at the board.
"I'll take Stonebridge alone."
Chen Gao stared at him.
"What?"
"Solo."
"We already agreed."
"I changed my mind."
Gao looked at Chen Ba.
Then at Shun.
"Because Chen Ba is going alone?"
"No."
The answer came too quickly.
Gao's face flattened.
"Right."
Chen Shun ignored him and registered.
Chen Shun — 100 points upon full completion.
Gao stood beside the board with no mission.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Chen Yiru said, "Come with us."
Gao looked over.
Yiru, Xueyin and Lanyue had chosen North Quarry.
"That's recommended for three."
"Recommended," Yiru said. "Not limited."
Gao glanced at her.
"Pity?"
"No."
She pointed at his Earthcleaver.
"If the tracks belong to something unfriendly, having you there is useful."
A practical answer.
Which was why Gao accepted it.
"Fine."
He walked to the counter.
"The three of you were splitting fifty each?"
Xueyin nodded.
Gao considered the numbers.
"I'll take thirty."
Yiru frowned.
"Why?"
"You already planned the mission. I'm joining late."
He looked at the clerk.
"Forty each for them. Thirty for me."
The clerk recorded it.
Chen Xueyin — 40
Chen Yiru — 40
Chen Lanyue — 40
Chen Gao — 30
Total: 150.
Done.
By the time they reached the Outer Court gate, three routes waited.
North.
South.
East.
The quarry group headed north.
Stonebridge lay south.
Greenmist Valley, east.
Chen Shun adjusted White Fang across his back.
"Whoever returns first?"
Chen Ba looked at him.
"Our missions aren't the same distance."
Shun paused.
"Then whoever earns more."
Chen Ba glanced at the slips.
"Yours is worth twenty more."
"Then catch up."
Chen Ba smiled faintly.
"Maybe."
Chen Gao groaned.
"You two are already irritating."
The group separated.
Four north.
One south.
One east.
Greenmist Valley lived up to its name.
A thin haze drifted between low hills and medicinal fields, carrying the smell of damp soil and crushed leaves.
Chen Ba found the first survey marker easily.
Plot One.
Healthy.
He counted the specified herbs, checked for disease and collected samples.
Then moved on.
Plot Two.
Normal.
Between plots, he practised.
Lightning Qi gathered in his calves.
He chose a direction.
Forward-right.
Crack!
His body burst several paces across the path.
The landing was rough but stable.
Again.
Left.
Crack!
Again.
Backward.
His heel slid through mud.
Chen Ba stopped himself before falling.
Better.
Not mastered.
But usable.
Without the Black Pole, the First Step felt clean.
With it strapped across his back, every burst demanded more control.
The weapon dragged against acceleration as though determined to arrive later than the rest of him.
Chen Ba continued anyway.
Plot Three was normal.
By the time he reached Plot Four, sweat had formed along his forehead.
Then he stopped.
The marker was broken.
Not weathered.
Broken.
Several medicinal plants had been crushed into the mud.
A strip of white survey cloth hung from a thorn bush, torn through the middle.
Chen Ba crouched.
Tracks.
Large.
Four toes.
Deep enough to belong to something heavy.
He followed them several paces.
Then found another print beneath one of the larger marks.
Human.
Only part of the shoe remained visible.
The footprint pointed away from the marked survey route.
Chen Ba's expression tightened.
A White-grade herb survey was supposed to involve plants.
Not this.
He rose slowly.
Something snapped inside the mist.
A branch.
Close.
Chen Ba's hand moved toward the Black Pole.
Then stopped.
He left it strapped to his back.
Lightning Qi gathered in his calves instead.
Whatever came through that mist—
his first weapon would be his feet.