The next morning, an assignment appeared on the inner disciple board.
Standard format. Black ink on white paper. He read it standing:
ASSIGNMENT: Black River Canyon Survey. Catalogue beast activity in the Black River system, identify Tier Two or above presences, retrieve three specimens of Black River Stone from the canyon floor. Solo or paired. Reward: sixty sect points per stone plus beast catalogue bonus. Warning: the assignment carries elevated risk. Three previous attempts by outer disciples resulted in retreat without completion.
Under the warning, in smaller text: Inner disciple assignment only.
Sixty sect points per stone. One hundred eighty total, plus bonus.
His current points balance: ninety-two.
He needed two hundred and forty to reach the threshold for the inner disciple resource allocation — which included access to the sect's second-level cultivation hall, where ambient qi density was reportedly triple the standard rooms.
He needed the points. He needed the resources. He needed to push his cultivation faster.
Cai Rong appeared at his shoulder reading over him.
"Black River Canyon," Cai Rong said. "That's where Elder Wen disappeared four years ago. He was Core Formation."
"Is this discouraging me or informing me?"
"Absolutely informing you." Cai Rong tilted his head. "Also possibly discouraging you. The two are compatible."
"I'll take the assignment."
"Obviously you will." Cai Rong sighed. "I'll come. Someone has to carry the stones back while you get into trouble."
"I wasn't going to ask you."
"No, you were going to go alone and nearly die and then survive through some combination of irritating cleverness and extremely good timing." He waved a hand. "Faster if I'm there."
Wen Dao looked at him.
"You're better than you let people see," he said.
Cai Rong's expression flickered — something real under the surface humor, quickly buried. "Don't go spreading that around. I have a reputation for being pleasant and non-threatening to maintain."
"Body Tempering Level Eight. You're almost at Qi Condensation."
"Shh."
They registered for the assignment together.
Zhou Jin registered independently for the same assignment thirty minutes later. He did not say anything to either of them about it.
They left the next morning at first light.
Elder Tang watched them go from the inner compound entrance. He didn't call out. Didn't give advice. He just watched until they were through the gate.
Then he turned and walked quickly to Elder Huang's chambers.
There was something about the Black River assignment he hadn't told Wen Dao.
The three previous failed attempts had not simply resulted in retreat.
Two of the three attempting groups had come back with no memory of the central canyon section.
The canyon itself was not the problem.
Something lived in it.