Surviving in the chaos of battle, I'm grinding for proficiency.

"This trip will earn three hundred taels of silver; the reward is generous."

"And since it's not a solo mission, the safety factor is greatly increased."

"In fact, if you do well, you can stay in the search team and be given priority for any good missions in the future."

After pondering for a moment, Li Chuan felt that this was indeed a good task.

It's much better than those yellow-card missions that everyone can access.

only......

His gaze shifted downwards, and he could vaguely see many yellow card players hidden under the stage.

If the goatee-bearded deacon hadn't used his inner energy to search through the area, he really wouldn't have been able to see it.

Li Chuan was speechless.

Who's the kind person who hid the token?

It seems I stumbled upon a hidden secret by accident...

Money makes the world go round; the old saying is indeed true.

Li Chuan composed himself, banishing distracting thoughts from his mind, and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying:

"Thank you for your guidance, Deacon. I will accept this task."

After receiving the wooden plaque, he first went to the storeroom and bought a long knife.

Made of refined steel, it costs twenty taels, which is not expensive.

For him, the knife was actually a bit too weak.

Truly fine military weapons start at several hundred taels of silver.

But his purpose in buying the knife was not to use it.

Rather, it was to conceal their true strength.

He misled the enemy into thinking that he was skilled with a long sword and that all his power was concentrated in the sword.

When he unleashes his fists and feet, he will surely catch you off guard!

After attaching the knife to his waist, he followed the steward's instructions and went to the search team.

The search team is located at the foot of the Northern Wilderness Mountain and has an independent branch.

After Li Chuan went inside, he found that it wasn't very big and there weren't many people.

Only a few figures were moving around inside.

As soon as he entered, a short-haired disciple dressed in a tight-fitting brown outfit came forward to ask him:

"Senior brother, have you accepted the mission to search for the 'Mystic Ginseng Fruit' and come here to prepare?"

Seeing Li Chuan nod, he said warmly:

"My name is Xia Qiyuan. I have been a member of the sect for more than two years and am now a member of the search team. I am from Shiping County."

When he mentioned Shiping County, a barely perceptible hint of embarrassment flashed in his eyes.

The search team was quite lucrative, and most of the members were from wealthy families. As someone from a small county, he inevitably felt inferior.

This is true.

The other veteran team members showed no interest in talking to Li Chuan.

Only Xia Qiyuan rushed to befriend him.

Li Chuan smiled gently:

"No need for 'senior brother,' I've only recently joined the sect, just call me Li Chuan."

"I'm from Anning County, which is right next to your Shiping County."

Xia Qiyuan looked pleasantly surprised and became even more enthusiastic:

"That's wonderful! We're from neighboring towns; everyone makes friends when you're away from home!"

He pulled Li Chuan aside and whispered:

"In that case, I'll say a few more words to you."

"Although this search team is under the jurisdiction of the steward, he does not handle some miscellaneous tasks; instead, the squad leader, Wei Kai, takes care of them."

"Wei Kai was very greedy and loved money. He often exploited people like me who had no power or influence."

A look of resentment and helplessness flashed in Xia Qiyuan's eyes:

"I've been with this search team for over a year, and I've paid them at least five hundred taels of silver. Those bloodsucking vermin!"

"Li Chuan, since you are from Anning County, you probably don't have much of a background like me. He will definitely ask you for money."

"Remember, never refuse. There was this troublemaker who refused to pay, and then he suddenly disappeared..."

"Putting that aside for now, as long as you stay with the search team, you'll earn more than you spend!"

Li Chuan narrowed his eyes and asked:

"Just what kind of power does Wei Kai possess that he dares to arbitrarily exploit people, and the steward doesn't even do anything about it?"

Xia Qiyuan sighed:

"Wei Kai has ignited the spark, reaching the pinnacle of his martial arts. He has also formed a small group with Gao Bo and Feng Junyi, firmly controlling the power of the search team."

"Deacon Ren Ping is of a detached nature; as long as it gets him good, he won't bother with these dirty tricks!"

Li Chuan nodded, having gained a considerable understanding of the situation of the entire search team.

Simply put, Ren Ping, the steward of the search team, doesn't care about them at all, as long as they can get things done.

Squad leader Wei Kai took advantage of this and colluded with the two to form a small group.

They specifically prey on newcomers and those without connections.

"This must be one of the members of the search party. May I ask your name? My name is Wei Kai!"

Li Chuan looked up.

Squad leader Wei Kai was tall and strong, like an iron tower, with broad shoulders and a wide back.

His muscular physique stretched his light brown outfit to a bulge.

He had a square face, thick eyebrows, sharp and cold eyes, and an aura of fierceness about him.

Li Chuan cupped his hands and said:

"Greetings, Captain Wei. My name is Li Chuan."

Wei Kai nodded with a smile, and pretended to inquire about Li Chuan's family background. After learning the year he joined the family, his smile widened.

His fierce demeanor, combined with the smile on his face, created an eerie and chilling feeling.

Wei Kai smiled and said:

"Junior Brother Li, you may not know this since you're new here, but on your first mission, you have to hand over half of the harvest to keep the search team running."

"Don't worry, this is just the first time. As you gain more experience, the amount you have to pay will decrease."

"If you can stay here for two years, you won't be charged any more coins. If you stay for three years, you'll actually get the newcomer's commission."

"If you don't want to, you can leave now, and I won't make things difficult for you."

Wei Kai's smile was calm, but his tone carried an unquestionable air.

He was certain that Li Chuan would stay.

Even after he exploited them, the search team still made significantly more money than they would have made outside!

As long as Li Chuan stays, he must follow his rules!

He would never allow his position to be challenged by a newcomer.

Under everyone's gaze, Li Chuan paused for a moment, then calmly said:

"Okay, thank you Captain Wei for giving me this opportunity."

Wei Kai laughed heartily:

"There aren't many people as sensible as you these days. Look at Qiyuan, he was disobedient at first, and he suffered a lot later on."

Xia Qiyuan shrank back, a hint of fear in his eyes.

He never wanted to think back to those days.

Wei Kai tossed a secret manual to Li Chuan:

"This is the 'Secret Record of Mountain Exploration,' which records many experiences and methods. Read it more often in your spare time."

Li Chuan took it and glanced through it briefly.

[The Secret Records of Mountain Exploration has been included]

【Skills: Mountain Exploration Secrets (Beginner)】

[Proficiency: 1/300]

In an instant, a surge of knowledge flooded into Li Chuan's mind.

He also learned a lot about the search of the mountains.

They have also mastered common tracking and exploration techniques.

"Pack up for a moment, then you'll come up the mountain with me and Gao Bo!"

After giving his instructions, Wei Kai turned and walked away.

Gao Bo called him to a secluded spot and whispered:

"I want this person."

Wei Kai frowned:

"What do you want? He's already in the team."

Gao Bo's expression was inscrutable, a dark glint flashing in his eyes:

"you understand me."

Wei Kai angrily said:

"No way, he got into trouble on his first mission with us. Do you want me dead?"

Gao Boqian smiled and said:

"Don't pretend to be a good person. It's not like you haven't done this kind of thing before. Didn't you make enough money off that corpse last time?"

"I'm sure Deacon Ren would be very interested to know the truth."

Wei Kai stared intently at him:

"You're asking for it!"

Gao Bo shrugged indifferently:

"I believe you wouldn't do that, otherwise you wouldn't live long either."

"Colluding with the Yao Guang Holy Sect to harm fellow disciples, I don't need to elaborate on their fate, do I?"

Wei Kai's strength was like a drawn bow, ready to be released; the fire within him seemed about to explode.

"The Holy Sect? That's clearly the Demonic Sect!"

Gao Bo stared at him expressionlessly, without moving.

He was certain that Wei Kai was unwilling to give up everything he had achieved and perish together with him.

Sure enough, a moment later Wei Kai, like a defeated rooster, lowered his head:

"This is the last time..."

Gao Bo finally smiled:

"Don't worry, why would I let you do something for nothing?"

"The Demon Envoy is in dire need of corpses with Transformation Realm cultivation, especially those of righteous disciples from the Five Sects and Seven Schools, whose blood and qi are extremely pure."

"Then, we'll split the reward fifty-fifty!"