Heaven rewards diligence, but there are always fairies plotting against me.

Chu Chang could tell that Gu Ling Shuang was genuinely jealous.

And if she's jealous, doesn't that mean she's fallen for him?

Thinking about this, Chu Chang felt something was off.

When did my charm become so great?

Looking at Gu Ling Shuang's pleading, even slightly humble, eyes, Chu Chang sighed deeply.

To be fair, Gu Ling Shuang does have many of the traits of a spoiled young lady: vanity, jealousy, and sometimes a lack of common sense.

But Chu Chang could not deny that during his most destitute and confused period, it was Gu Ling Shuang who brought him into the Divine Sword Sect and allowed him to truly embark on the path of martial arts cultivation.

Chu Chang always remembered this kindness of guiding him.

"Alright." Chu Chang took Gu Ling Shuang's small hand, which was a little cold from nervousness, and his voice softened. "Since I can help others, I naturally won't forget you. Ling Shuang, as long as you listen to me, I guarantee that your achievements will be no less than Zhou Lin Zi's."

Now, he no longer addresses her as "Miss".

It's the name.

Upon hearing Chu Chang's personal promise, Gu Ling Shuang was first stunned, then her pretty face blossomed into an extremely joyful smile.

"Chu Chang, you're so good to me!" Gu Ling Shuang excitedly threw herself into Chu Chang's arms, all her previous grievances and jealousy vanishing in an instant.

Chu Chang did not go out for the rest of the day.

He stayed in the courtyard, patiently keeping Gu Ling Shuang company.

Chu Chang first carefully examined the flow of her meridians and made targeted corrections to the loopholes in her daily cultivation techniques. Then, he even went so far as to expend his own pure yang energy to personally straighten out her meridians.

Gu Ling Shuang felt streams of pure, warm power continuously flowing into her body. The obstacles that were once difficult to overcome were broken through one by one with ease under the guidance of Chu Chang's spiritual power.

Throughout the day, Gu Ling Shuang was completely immersed in the thrill of her rapidly increasing strength and the happiness of being cared for by Chu Chang. Looking at Chu Chang's focused profile, her heart was completely captivated by him.

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Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, Chu Chang lived a rather comfortable life.

With the intelligence and tenderness secretly provided by Zhou Linzi, and the delicious dishes and meticulous service prepared by Gu Ling Shuang every day, his cultivation level improved to a new level in terms of physical strength and spiritual purity with the help of the two women.

However, Chu Chang did not forget his original job!

He is currently only an apprentice disciple in the Enforcement Hall.

The word "probationary" means that he could be eliminated at any time if he failed the assessment. Only by truly making meritorious contributions can he become a formal law enforcement disciple with real power.

On this day, Chu Chang changed into a black outfit representing the Law Enforcement Hall, with a standard longsword at his waist, and arrived at the side hall of the Law Enforcement Hall.

After passing through the solemn corridor, Chu Chang entered the inner room of the side hall and met his captain, Xu Shuang, whom he hadn't seen for many days.

Xu Shuang was sitting behind her desk, flipping through the sect's records. When she saw Chu Chang enter, she put down the jade slip in her hand and her sharp, hawk-like eyes swept over Chu Chang.

"Hmm? Your aura is restrained, deep, and steady. It seems your strength has improved quite a bit?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Xu Shuang's eyes.

She had thought that Chu Chang would need some time to recuperate after the battle on the Life and Death Arena, but she never expected that in just a few days, Chu Chang's aura would become even more unfathomable.

"Thanks to Senior Sister Xu, I've made a slight breakthrough." Chu Chang bowed respectfully, appearing very humble.

"Alright, no need for such formalities in front of me." Xu Shuang stood up, her expression gradually becoming serious. She picked up a blood-red jade slip from the table and handed it to Chu Chang.

"I called you here today because I have a formal task for you. This is both a test and an opportunity for you to become a formal law enforcement disciple."

Chu Chang's expression turned solemn as he accepted the jade slip with both hands: "Please give your instructions, Senior Brother."

Xu Shuang said in a deep voice, "The file records a traitor from our outer sect named Zhao Meng. This person was extremely well hidden and suddenly defected from the sect the day before yesterday. Before fleeing, he not only cruelly murdered three female outer sect disciples, but also plundered all the cultivation resources they had accumulated."

Upon hearing the phrase "brutally murdered a female disciple," Chu Chang frowned slightly: "Why would this person be so depraved?"

"That's the key point." Xu Shuang sneered, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "When our Enforcement Hall searched Zhao Meng's residence, we found letters between him and Huang Shigui, whom you killed earlier. This person is very likely Huang Shigui's accomplice! Behind them, it seems they are secretly cultivating some kind of vicious blood cultivation technique, which requires a large amount of female disciples' yin essence and blood essence as a catalyst."

Chu Chang felt a chill run down his spine and instantly connected the clues.

No wonder Huang Shigui was so persistent; it turns out there was a hidden plot involving the trafficking and harming of female disciples.

"According to the clues, Zhao Meng is currently hiding in the 'Black Wind Valley,' a hundred miles away from the sect, attempting to cross the border and escape into the territory of the demonic sect. If he manages to escape, the sect will lose all face."

Xu Shuang patted Chu Chang on the shoulder and looked at him solemnly: "Chu Chang, this person's strength is around the second level of the Qi Refining Realm, and he is ruthless. Since this involves Huang Shigui's remnants, you are the most suitable person to go on this mission. We must bring him back alive or dead! As long as you bring back his head, you will become a formal disciple of the Enforcement Hall, and the sect's resources and rewards will be plentiful."

"This disciple obeys the order and will certainly not fail in my mission!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Chu Chang immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute, a sharp killing intent flashing in his eyes.

Cutting the weeds and eliminating the roots is his guiding principle.

Since Zhao Meng is a remnant of Huang Shigui and is also involved in the potential danger to those around him, he must die.

Chu Chang carefully put away the blood-red jade slip, turned around, and strode away from the side hall of the Enforcement Hall.

Chu Chang moved with the speed of the wind, quickly leaving the territory of the Divine Sword Sect.

He didn't disturb Zhou Linzi and Gu Lingshuang. As a martial artist, he was used to working alone. Besides, this mission was a test for him by the Enforcement Hall. The more people knew, the greater the risk of his whereabouts being leaked.

However, just as Chu Chang's figure disappeared at the end of the sect's mountain path, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows in a corner of the side hall of the Law Enforcement Hall.

This man, dressed in a magnificent brocade robe, with a gloomy face, was none other than Song Qing, who harbored deep hatred for Chu Chang.

Song Qing stared intently in the direction Chu Chang had left, a cruel yet smug smirk slowly creeping onto her lips.

"Chu Chang, you're finally gone..."

Song Qing muttered to himself, his eyes flashing with a crazed resentment.

In order to obtain the strange weapon in Chu Chang's possession, he went to great lengths and even used some connections to learn about the internship assessment task assigned by Xu Shuang.

"Black Wind Valley... truly a fitting burial ground. A novice disciple, while on a mission, unfortunately encountered a traitor's counterattack and fought to the death. Isn't that a fitting end?"

Song Qing snorted coldly, his figure blurred, and he quickly sped off in the direction Chu Chang had left.

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The mountains and forests are dense, with ancient trees reaching for the sky.

Chu Chang, dressed in black, moved swiftly through the forest like a nimble black panther.

His speed seemed extremely fast, but upon closer observation, one would find that each step he took was very measured, and the extreme Yang True Essence within his body slowly circulated, feeding back all the subtle movements of the surrounding world into his mind.

From the moment he left the sect, he had a faint feeling that there was a hidden yet intensely murderous aura lingering behind him.

The other party had clearly used some kind of magical artifact or secret technique to conceal their presence, thinking they had done it without anyone noticing.

However, this tracking method was full of loopholes in the face of Chu Chang's powerful divine sense, which far surpassed that of his peers and had been nourished by the fusion of their souls.

However, Chu Chang did not expose him on the spot, nor did he slow down. Instead, he deliberately headed towards more remote and desolate wilderness.

Two incense sticks' worth of time later.

Chu Chang had completely escaped the sect's patrol area and arrived at the entrance of a treacherous, rocky canyon.

All around was silent, except for the howling wind echoing between the rocks, which made it seem somewhat eerie.

Just then, Chu Chang suddenly stopped.

He stood on the edge of a cliff, hands behind his back, his black clothes fluttering in the strong wind.

"Aren't you tired after following me for so long? Come out."

Chu Chang spoke calmly, his voice echoing through the empty canyon.

As soon as he finished speaking, the void behind him distorted slightly in the shadow of a giant rock.

Immediately afterwards, a sinister laugh rang out: "Hahahaha! As expected of a genius who could kill Huang Shigui, your vigilance is quite good."

Song Qing's figure slowly appeared.

He held a longsword that emitted a faint glow in his hand, his face full of arrogance and mockery, as if he had already won.

He strode forward, blocking all of Chu Chang's routes back to the sect, his eyes filled with cruel pleasure.

"Chu Chang, hehe, didn't expect that, did you?"

Song Qing stared intently at Chu Chang, trying to see a look of panic, fear, or regret on the face of this once arrogant opponent.

To ensure absolute safety, he not only chased after them himself, but also carried with him a life-saving trump card bestowed upon him by his master.

In his view, no matter how strong Chu Chang was, he was just a martial artist who had only recently broken through to the next level. In this desolate wilderness, without the protection of sect rules, he could crush him as easily as crushing an ant.

However, to Song Qing's disappointment, and even a hint of anger, it was...

Chu Chang slowly turned around, his handsome face showing no sign of panic, but rather a playful smile.

"I've figured it out." Chu Chang looked at Song Qing, his tone as calm as if he were catching up with an old friend. "In fact, I've been thinking about it for a while now."

Song Qing's smile froze on her face, her brows furrowing: "Stop putting on airs! You thought of this all along? If you had, would you have dared to venture into this desolate wilderness alone? Did you really think someone would come to rescue you?"

"Help me?"

Chu Chang chuckled softly and shook his head.

"Song Qing, you overestimate yourself and underestimate me. I deliberately walked this way not to give others a chance to save me, but to give you... a feng shui-friendly burial place."

As Chu Chang spoke, he slowly drew the standard longsword from his waist.

The sword was drawn, emitting a clear, ringing sound that echoed through the cold air.

"You're asking for it!"

Enraged by Chu Chang's contemptuous attitude, Song Qing's face flushed red, and his spiritual power erupted.

The overwhelming pressure of the third level of the Qi Refining Realm spread out recklessly, shattering the surrounding rocks into powder.

"A trainee disciple who rose to his position through luck and underhanded methods dares to be so arrogant in front of me! Today, I'll show you just how vast the difference is between the inner and outer disciples!"

"Hmm, you're very capable, but unfortunately, I have more helpers."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Shuang and Lin Ruoxue came out.