Bitterroot in the Mist

The sect's Outer Mission Hall stood at the edge of the lower courtyard, a simple stone building tucked between training fields and herb gardens. Chen Yu had passed it once before, but now he stepped through the tall wooden doors with a purpose.

Inside, a wall-length board stretched across the hall, plastered with dozens of parchment sheets—each one a task waiting to be taken.

Most were dull: cleaning pill furnaces, hauling wood to the mountain kitchens, feeding spirit beasts. But then his eyes landed on something else:

> Mission: Locate and harvest a Seven-Leaf Bitterroot herb from Whispering Pine Ravine.

Reward: 2 low-grade spirit stones

Time limit: 3 days

Rank: Mortal (Low-tier)

Warning: Wild beasts may be present.

He read it twice.

It wasn't glorious. But it was better than sweeping halls or shoveling beast pens. And—more importantly—it paid.

He didn't hesitate. He tore off the tag and approached the wooden desk near the front of the hall.

The elder behind the desk didn't look up. "Name?"

"Chen Yu. Outer disciple."

The man hummed, scribbled something in the mission log, then tossed him a small jade slip.

"Map's inside. Bring the herb whole, roots intact, or it won't count. Go."

---

The next morning, Chen Yu followed the map toward the Whispering Pine Ravine. The trail wound through steep forested hills, quiet and shrouded in pale mist.

Several hours passed before he found it: nestled beneath an old pine root, the Seven-Leaf Bitterroot. But just as he was about to harvest it, something else caught his eye—coiled beside it like a creeping shadow.

> Frosthair Vine.

Rare. Cold-veined. He remembered it from a page in the sect's herb manual. Useless alone—but paired with Bitterroot?

> Double potency.

He carefully plucked both.

No beasts attacked. No crisis emerged.

Just patience, observation—and reward.

---

When he returned, the elder behind the desk barely looked up. But as soon as he saw the vine with the Bitterroot, his brow lifted.

"…Frosthair Vine too, huh?" The elder scratched his chin. "Lucky dog. Alright."

He dropped four spirit stones on the table instead of two.

"Don't get used to easy missions. Next time, the forest might bite back."

Chen Yu accepted them with both hands, bowing.

---

Outside, as the weight of four spirit stones sat in his palm, he allowed himself a small smile.

It was only a first step.

But in a world like this?

Even small steps could shake mountains—if you took enough of them.