I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the protective aura within the courtyard rippled slightly, and then the blue stone door was opened from the inside.

A group of six people, three men and three women, came out of the house.

Although they concealed their auras, the profound spiritual pressure and extraordinary demeanor they inadvertently revealed made Zhou Yuan and Song Meng immediately realize that these six were all experts in the Core Formation stage!

Li Huayuan and his Daoist companion stood at the door, smiling, and bowed to see off the six distinguished guests.

Zhou Yuan's gaze swept over the six people, and when he saw one of the female cultivators, who was dressed in a light green dress, with an exquisite appearance and a cool and aloof temperament, his heart stirred slightly.

This woman is none other than Nangong Wan, who led the disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect in the Crimson Forbidden Land back then, and whom I met once before outside the Forbidden Land!

Although she had suppressed most of her aura, Zhou Yuan still recognized her immediately because of her unique aloof temperament and stunning beauty.

Seemingly sensing Zhou Yuan's gaze, Nangong Wan, who was politely bidding farewell to Li Huayuan, inadvertently glanced outside the courtyard and her eyes fell on Zhou Yuan.

Her clear, cool eyes paused slightly, as if she were trying to discern something, then a faint hint of surprise flashed across them, and she let out a soft "Eh."

Clearly, she still remembered Zhou Yuan, the Yellow Maple Valley disciple who had performed exceptionally well in the Crimson Forbidden Land and had offered a large quantity of spiritual herbs.

"Oh? Does Fairy Nangong know my little disciple?" Upon seeing this, Li Huayuan followed Nangong Wan's gaze to Zhou Yuan, a hint of curiosity on his face, and asked with a smile.

"I don't know him, but he looks quite similar to an old friend of mine when he was young, so I just thought of him for a moment."

Nangong Wan gently shook her head, withdrew her gaze, and spoke in a calm and even tone, as if it were just an ordinary case of mistaken identity.

Having said that, she didn't linger any longer. Together with several other Core Formation cultivators, she transformed into several streaks of light and disappeared into the void in an instant.

Li Huayuan watched them leave before turning to Zhou Yuan outside the courtyard, a smile on his face, and beckoning:

"Zhou Yuan, come in."

Zhou Yuan responded and stepped into the courtyard, following Li Huayuan into the stone house that was temporarily used for discussions and rest.

The interior was simply furnished, but the spiritual energy inside was far richer than outside, clearly indicating that a spirit-gathering array had been set up.

"Sit down." Li Huayuan casually pointed to a stone bench and sat down himself, while his Daoist partner quietly brewed tea beside him.

"Thank you, Master." Zhou Yuan sat down as instructed, his posture respectful.

Li Huayuan sized up Zhou Yuan a few times, stroked his beard and smiled, "Zhou Yuan, although I have only been in this Jinguyuan camp for a short time, I have heard your name more than once."

It's said that in Yellow Maple Valley there's a cultivator surnamed Zhou, a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, who single-handedly achieves remarkable feats in hunting missions, having already slain dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators of the demonic path in just a few months. His outstanding record has made him quite famous among Foundation Establishment cultivators. Is this true?

Zhou Yuan quickly stood up and bowed slightly: "Master, you flatter me. The front lines are dangerous. I only managed to succeed a few times by chance, and I was just cautious and lucky. These are just some minor achievements, not worth mentioning."

He spoke modestly, attributing most of the credit to luck.

Li Huayuan waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down: "Getting lucky once is luck, but being able to 'get lucky' every time is skill."

"You have achieved such results, yet you remain humble and composed; this makes me very proud."

He changed the subject, his eyes filled with inquiry, and asked:

"Just now, Fairy Nangong seemed to glance at you twice. Do you... know her?"

Zhou Yuan's mind raced. Knowing that this matter couldn't be hidden and there was no need to conceal it, he frankly said, "Master, I did indeed meet Senior Nangong once. However, Senior Nangong just said he didn't know me, which means he probably didn't want others to know about that encounter."

"Oh? A brief encounter? Where?" Li Huayuan's curiosity was piqued. Nangong Wan was the pride of the Hidden Moon Sect, with profound cultivation; ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators rarely even had the chance to meet her.

"It's in... the Crimson Forbidden Land." Zhou Yuan hesitated slightly before revealing the location.

"The Crimson Forbidden Zone?"

Upon hearing this, Li Huayuan was taken aback at first, then frowned slightly, revealing a thoughtful expression.

Only Qi Refining stage disciples can enter the Crimson Forbidden Land. How could Nangong Wan, a Core Formation stage cultivator, possibly appear there?

But soon, he seemed to realize something, a look of understanding flashing in his eyes. He muttered to himself, "So that's how it is... Yes, the 'Plain Maiden Reincarnation Technique' of the Hidden Moon Sect is indeed profound... No wonder, no wonder that old fellow Qiong Laoguai dared to boast back then that the Hidden Moon Sect alone could defeat the combined forces of my Yellow Maple Valley and Qingxu Sect. So they had such a backup plan! Heh, they've certainly played their cards right!"

He looked at Zhou Yuan, his eyes filled with relief and approval: "Thank goodness! Thank goodness for you and that kid Han Li back then, who brought back a massive amount of spiritual herbs, helping me win the bet. Otherwise, that old monster would have been so smug. You two are truly my good disciples!"

After his initial reflection, Li Huayuan's expression turned serious. He looked at Zhou Yuan, pondered for a moment, and then spoke:

"Zhou Yuan, I've summoned you here not only for a chat, but also because I have a personal matter I'd like to entrust to you. It's not urgent, but it needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. I wonder... are you willing to share my burden?"

Private matters?

The opportunity to leave the front lines has arrived!

Zhou Yuan was secretly delighted, but his face immediately showed respect and decisiveness. Without hesitation, he stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said loudly:

"Master, you flatter me! Your disciple is honored to be accepted as a disciple, to be taught and guided, and to receive your guidance. Your kindness is like giving me a second life."

"It is my duty as a disciple to serve my master when he is in need! If my master gives any instructions, I will do my utmost, even at the cost of my life!"

His statement was resolute and sincere, which made Li Huayuan nod repeatedly, a look of satisfaction on his face.

"Good! With you saying that, I can rest assured."

Li Huayuan stroked his beard and smiled, slowly saying, "This matter is neither too big nor too small. In my early years, before I had formed my core, I traveled to the Yue Kingdom. In the capital, I had some old connections with a mortal family and owed them some favors. Now, the demonic path has invaded, and the Yue Kingdom is in turmoil. Although the war has not directly affected the capital, people everywhere are filled with fear..."

Even some low-level evil cultivators took advantage of the situation to cause trouble. Although the aristocratic families had some mortal guards, their strength was ultimately insufficient. As their master, it was inconvenient for me to go personally, nor did I wish to make a large-scale use of the sect's resources, lest it attract attention. After much thought, I decided to send a trustworthy Foundation Establishment disciple to secretly monitor the situation for a period of time, until it stabilized somewhat. This was the safest course of action.

He looked at Zhou Yuan, his eyes filled with expectation: "You are meticulous, strong enough to deal with ordinary villains, and as my disciple, you are the most suitable person to handle this matter. Are you willing to go to the capital of Yue Kingdom in my place and secretly protect the Qin family for a period of time?"

As expected, he was going to Kyoto to protect ordinary families! Zhou Yuan felt much more at ease.

This is an incredibly rare and legitimate opportunity to leave the murky waters of the front lines!

Going to Kyoto would be far from the heart of the battlefield, a relatively safe environment, and with this pretext, he could easily "disappear."

"This disciple is willing!"

Without hesitation, Zhou Yuan bowed again and agreed, "It is my honor to share Master's burdens. I will certainly act carefully and secretly protect the Qin family, living up to Master's expectations!"

"Alright! It's settled then."

Li Huayuan was pleased to see that Zhou Yuan readily agreed.

He took out a letter and a token and handed them to Zhou Yuan: "With this token, you can freely enter and leave the camp, and the frontline guards will not stop you."

Once you arrive in Kyoto, simply contact the current head of the Qin family with your letter, and they will cooperate with you.

"Disciple understands! Thank you for your trust, Master!"

Zhou Yuan accepted the letter and token with both hands and carefully put them away.

"There's no time to lose. You can pack your things today and set off first thing tomorrow morning."

Li Huayuan gave his final instructions.

"Yes! This disciple will take his leave now!"

Suppressing his excitement, Zhou Yuanqiang bowed respectfully and left the stone house.

Finally, he could leave the frontline prison that had bound him for nearly a year!

This trip to Kyoto will be an important step towards the free world of the Chaotic Star Sea!