After confirming that it was correct, the man in black robe cleared his throat and said: "You all came here with the Black Jade Order, and so do I. However, my mission here today is just to activate your respective Black Jade Orders for you. Order. Your real mission has just been unlocked in the Black Jade Order. You can read relevant information from the Black Jade Order at any time. If you are not a cultivator, you only need to stick the Black Jade Order on your forehead. We know the follow-up mission. As for the reward that everyone agreed upon when accepting the mission, after completing the mission, you can take the Black Jade Order to Wanbao Pavilion in the capital of Ruohan Kingdom to collect it."
"Aren't you the one who invited us here?" The little man named Hu suddenly spoke up, asking the question that was on the minds of many people present.
"I'm not." The man in black robe shook his head and said, "I just received the task to activate the Black Jade Order for everyone and arrange the itinerary for everyone. There are still three days before departure. It is recommended that everyone get to know each other first and cooperate in the future. Cooperate. As for the rest, I have no more information to tell you!" After saying that, the man in black robe ignored everyone's gazes, saluted everyone with fists, turned around and went to the inn to find shopkeeper Tong...
…
After the man in black robe left, the eighteen people present couldn't help but look at each other, and no one spoke for a while. Although they are all the guests who have stayed at the Juxian Inn in the past few days, the road is dangerous and many people do not have much communication with strangers for no reason. Therefore, before being called out by the man in black robe, everyone did not even Knowing that each other is actually here for the same mission.
Casual cultivators like Qu Wuming have participated in similar group missions in the past, but the composition of the participants in those missions was very pure - they were all cultivators. Among the eighteen people present, Qu Wuming could tell at a glance that most of them were just ordinary people. Except for the newly arrived old man whose cultivation base could not be seen for a moment, the cultivation bases of the other few should be on par with his own.
After a while, the old man who was the latest to arrive was the first to break the silence. He waved his hand and created a transparent soundproof barrier, covering all eighteen people inside. Then he cupped his hands and said, "Since the people arranged by the master of the Black Jade Order have already given orders, the little old man will go ahead first." Let me introduce myself. My surname is Wei and my name is Yi Xian. I make a living by divination. I come all the way from Xianding City. This is my disciple Mo Tong."
Sometimes, it's like this when strangers meet. As long as someone starts talking, the others will no longer remain silent.
The man surnamed Hu who wanted to tease Tong Xiangyu before said, "My surname is Hu, my given name is Ba. I'm from Tianfeng City."
Not far away, three men with dark skin and weathered faces were startled when they heard this. The leader of them clasped his fists and asked, "But Mr. Hu Ba, who is known as the 'Pangolin' in the world?"
"No talent, I'm the one here." Hu Ba cupped his fists and returned the greeting, "I wonder who this dear friend is?"
"I have admired you for a long time!" said the person who asked the question, "My surname is Chen and my given name is Yulou. These two are my brothers, Chen Baolou and Chen Bilou."
Hu Ba was shocked when he heard this, quickly put on a smiling face and said: "It turns out to be Xiling Sanchen! Disrespectful!"
At this time, another person on the side couldn't help but introduce himself to his family and said: "I have long admired Pangolin Hu Baye and Xiling Sanchen! I didn't expect to meet them today! Our three brothers are Hou Jinfa and Hou Jinhai from the Xishan Sect. , Hou Jinbo."
Hu Ba and the three brothers from the Chen family looked at the three people after hearing this. They saw that Hou Jinfa, Hou Jinhai and other three people were all of medium build and average appearance, but their temples were bulging high and there was a gleam in their eyes. It was obvious that their internal skills had been cultivated. To an extraordinary degree! However, Hu and Chen knew that although the Hou brothers of the Xishan Sect were highly skilled in martial arts, they were not kind people and they could not count the number of murders they had committed.
Hu and Chen returned the greeting with cupped fists, somewhat perfunctorily, not at all the same enthusiasm as when they greeted each other just now.
The three Hou brothers couldn't tell what those people were thinking, so they felt their hot faces were turned against their cold butts, with a hint of displeasure on their faces. Hou Jinhai muttered in a low voice: "You are all fucking tomb robbers, but you really think of yourself as a senior expert? Humph!"
At this time, several more people introduced themselves one after another. Although they were all from different parts of the world, they were all well-known figures in the same industry. Everyone quickly became familiar with each other, and some even joked: "We are a group of people." If we gather together, we might be able to sweep through all the ancient tombs in the Eastern Continent, right? Haha..."
After a while, the old man Wei Yixian, who had previously claimed to make a living as a fortune teller, interrupted everyone's greetings with a smile and asked: "I wonder what the names of these fellow Taoists are?"
When Qu Wuming heard this, he cupped his hands and said, "Qu Wuming."
"Han Ling'er."
"Yue Huaqun!"
"Mo Heng!"
"Zuo Songchan!"
"Idiot Ding Xian."
After the last Ding Xian had finished reporting his name, Qu Wuming bowed his hands to him and secretly sent a message to Han Ling'er beside him: "I'm afraid I'm really going to visit the tomb this time... Those four are all casual cultivators. Experts who often go to explore the secrets of ancient tombs. I heard that in the past they mainly moved around the East China Sea coast and the Kingdom of Buddha. They were all loners and rarely cooperated with others in the past. Unexpectedly, this time they were all recruited by the master of the Black Jade Order. Come here."
Han Ling'er sent a message and said: "I feel like I'm the worst in cultivation, and I'm still an outsider... Brother Qu, you have to take care of me!"
"That's natural." Qu Wuming said, "However, this combination is really weird. It is rare to hear of monks and ordinary people teaming up to explore the secrets. Moreover, I have never heard of any ancient tombs in the vast desert. It’s a secret realm... I really don’t know who the master of this black jade order is. The mission given this time is very vague. Forget it, if you come to it, let’s take care of it and wait and see!”
…
Three days later.
I don’t know what kind of benefits the man in black robe promised to Tong Xiangyu of Juxian Inn. When everyone was preparing to leave at the agreed time, they saw shopkeeper Tong walking out with two cooks. Behind him, there were several carts pulled by some guys, filled with all kinds of things useful for trekking in the desert.
"Huh? It looks like Shopkeeper Tong wants to set off with us, too?" Hu Baye saw this and hurriedly approached with a smile on his face.
"That's natural." Tong Xiangyu was wearing a tights, which showed her slim figure to the fullest and made her even more heroic. Outside, she was wearing a huge hooded cloak and a style hanging around her waist. An ancient broad-bladed sword. The two cooks behind him were also dressed for a long journey, wearing cloaks and each carrying weapons. "The employer said, let us ensure your food, clothing, housing and transportation along the way. Hu Baye would not think of just carrying a package with him." Can you walk into this vast desert? Haha..."
Tong Xiangyu smiled, and a ray of sunshine seemed to shine through the cool courtyard in the early morning. Master Hu Ba and many people behind him felt a little excited. Even Han Ling'er, who always thought she had an unparalleled appearance, felt a little bit proud. Ashamed. Mr. Hu Ba laughed and said, "That's great! With Shopkeeper Tong accompanying us all the way, we won't feel bored no matter how long the journey is!"
"It's your mouth, why do you always sound like you've smeared it with honey? You've tricked a lot of little girls, right?" Tong Xiangyu rolled her eyes at Mr. Hu Ba, then looked around at everyone and said, "The vast desert is full of dangers, and sand pirates are rampant. , please stay united along the way, and don’t get into quarrels or disputes over trivial matters. I know that several of the team are masters of Taoism, so please take care of me along the way!"
As he spoke, his eyes fell on Qu Wuming intentionally or unintentionally, and then he cupped his fists and saluted several monks.
"Shopkeeper Tong is so polite!" Yue Huaqun, one of the monks, said with fists in his hands, "Don't worry, with us here, ordinary bandits in this desert are nothing to worry about."
"Then I'll help you all!"
Yue Huaqun looked at the carts of equipment and supplies in the courtyard. He saw that they were all buckets, dry food, wine barrels, firewood, tents, etc., but there were no horses or other camel beasts. He suggested with a smile: "Shopkeeper Tong, I How about storing these supplies in my storage ring, and I take everyone into the desert on a flying magic weapon? This way, it saves time and trouble, and also avoids the pain of sandstorms."
"It's necessary!" The old man Wei Yixian hurriedly waved his hand beside him, "If you want to go deep into the vast desert, you must not take a flying magic weapon. I specifically warned you about this during my mission."
"Huh? Is there anything else going on?" Yue Huaqun frowned slightly.
"Don't dare to deceive Fellow Daoist Yue." Wei Yixian said with a smile, "Besides, the master of the Black Jade Order seems to have made arrangements..."
As he spoke, Wei Yixian raised his hand and pointed, only to see that the man in black robe who had come to convey the mission had arrived in the courtyard. He patted the spirit beast bag on his waist. After a burst of light, there were already twenty-one more people in the courtyard. A sand camel beast.
I saw that those sand camel beasts were very burly, a bit taller than the horses that you usually see. They were covered with long dark yellow hair, and their four hooves were as wide as cattail fans. At a glance, they looked like they could be in the desert. A strange beast that travels long distances.
The guys from Juxian Inn hurriedly stepped forward, carefully took away a few sand camel beasts, put reins on them, and tied the cart... At first, a few people were a little timid, fearing that these giant beasts would suddenly go berserk and hurt themselves. However, it was soon discovered that the temperament and appearance of these sand camel beasts were completely different. They were extremely docile and submissive no matter how they were manipulated. Then they let go of their hands and feet and started working. After a while, twenty-one All the sand camel beasts were packed away.
At this time, the black-robed talent clasped his fists towards everyone and said: "Everyone, according to the requirements of the master of the Black Jade Order, I have a few words to remind everyone: everyone, whether they are cultivators or not, must act together on this trip, and do not take any unauthorized actions on the way. Leave the team! As for guiding the way, I’ll leave it to Mr. Wei Yixian!”
"You're welcome, you're welcome!" The old man hurriedly returned the greeting with his hands in hand.
"In that case, I wish you all a safe journey!"
Twenty-one sand camel beasts lined up and strode forward, forming a rare scenery in Juxian Town. The people in black robes and many ordinary people who had never seen this kind of sand camel beast in their lives had been watching the row of sand camel beasts disappear into the desert on the horizon...
