This time, the quest rewards were actually quite generous.
As long as the mission was completed—even at the lowest threshold, even if he only hit the minimum to trigger the bottom-tier reward—he could still receive a fragment of the Creation Saint Dao Manual, along with a one-time opportunity to directly advance a cultivation stage.
However, that “cultivation boost” was vaguely worded, and Lin Wuming couldn’t figure out what exactly it meant.
Advance in cultivation?
But by how much?
Was it by stage?
Or by a fixed amount of spiritual energy?
None of that was clear.
He even asked the system, but got no answer.
Still, the Creation Saint Dao Manual, even just a remnant scroll, was incredibly precious.
And wasn’t cultivation technique exactly what Lin Wuming lacked most right now?
So in that sense, this quest’s rewards were already very generous—there wasn’t much to complain about.
“But… was the difficulty a little too outrageous?”
They wanted him to single-handedly go up against the Yanhuang Empire, and somehow elevate his junior sister to the position of crown princess?
Even setting aside how utterly impossible that was in terms of power, even if he could do it, it would definitely end with him triggering the bottom-tier reward again.
Sure, the rewards had improved, but if he could avoid hitting bottom again, that was still better.
“What should I do…?”
The task felt so massive, it went beyond Lin Wuming’s comprehension.
He racked his brains and still couldn’t find a starting point.
Was this a joke?
What was he supposed to do?
Was his randomly picked-up junior sister suddenly going to turn out to be an imperial princess?
If that were the case, then sure, there’d be something to work with… but obviously, that was impossible.
He figured he should probably focus on something more realistic—like dealing with the family business side of things and securing the other task’s rewards.
Compared to the empire-level mission, he still had more confidence in handling his family’s affairs.
Like he’d said before, his previous two missions hitting the bottom rewards were both due to poor execution.
But this one—even if he botched it completely—he was still unlikely to fail that badly again.
Simply put, he didn’t have the strength or public presence to mess it up that badly.
Still, just dragging things out like this and doing nothing wasn’t an answer either.
By this point, he still didn’t even know what the so-called “family matters” were.
If worst came to worst… maybe he should go visit the family estate in a few days.
Thinking this, Lin Wuming sighed.
To be honest, he didn’t have much affection for the family.
His parents had died early, and the family had never really cared about him.
There was no story of some high-status family beauty giving him special attention, nor did he have any loyal little maidservant by his side.
As an unwelcomed branch-family son, none of that was in the cards for him.
—If he had enjoyed that kind of treatment, he might’ve actually thought twice about running away from home back then.
Of course, while he didn’t feel affection, he couldn’t say he resented the family either.
There was nothing suspicious about his parents’ deaths—they had just been unlucky and died young.
There wasn’t some deeply tragic backstory.
Sure, some people in the family occasionally mocked him, and servants didn’t treat him well, but at least no one ever physically beat him.
Lin Wuming had lived two lives—he wasn’t going to get bent out of shape over a few petty insults.
After all, he’d been fed and housed for free for so many years.
Overall, he felt nothing strong—neither fondness nor hatred.
It didn’t feel like home, but it wasn’t some hellish place either.
In the future, if he made it big and the family ran into trouble, maybe—maybe—if he was in a good mood, he’d lend a hand.
“Sleep. I’ll visit the family in a few days… maybe I’ll figure everything out once I get there.”
It was late.
Lin Wuming yawned and decided to get some sleep.
Outside the window, the night was pitch black.
A cold wind howled, drowning out all other sounds.
The whistling wind echoed in his ears as he shut his eyes.
Sleep washed over him like a tide.
His consciousness began to blur.
All was silent.
And in the deepest part of the night—danger crept closer, unseen…
A figure dressed in black moved swiftly yet silently.
Holding his breath, he leapt onto the rooftop.
Dangling upside down with his feet hooked on the tiles, he leaned in front of the paper window.
With a single finger, he pierced the thin paper.
In the next instant, a small dagger shot through the window, aimed directly at Lin Wuming’s chest.
He vaguely sensed a whiff of danger, frowning slightly, just as a powerful force slammed into his chest.
His whole torso went numb.
He could barely breathe.
“Clang—!”
A crisp, metallic clang rang out in the night.
Lin Wuming’s eyes snapped open, filled with shock.
A dagger had landed beside his bed.
His shirt had been torn open—beneath it, a crystal-blue gem gleamed.
If he hadn’t kept that gem on his chest… he’d be dead right now!
‘Who is this?! Who try to kill me?!’
His mind raced, but his body didn’t hesitate.
He leapt from the bed and rolled to the side.
Just in time—several more daggers rained down on his bed, turning it into a pincushion.
Lin Wuming took a deep breath.
If he hadn’t moved, all those holes would be in him right now.
Though he’d been in this world for over ten years, this was his first true brush with death.
He was drenched in cold sweat.
The black-clad assassin didn’t give up.
With the sneak attack failed, he smashed through the window to finish the job directly!
His dagger gleamed coldly, lunging toward Lin Wuming’s throat—a kill move right off the bat.
Lin Wuming’s pupils shrank.
His mind couldn’t react in time, but his body moved on instinct, stepping into a bizarre footwork pattern to dodge at an uncanny angle.
The assassin didn’t expect such evasive movement—his strike missed.
He tried to follow up, but Lin Wuming had already widened the gap.
***
Meanwhile, in the room next door, He Yingying was meditating when she suddenly snapped her eyes open.
“Senior Brother!”
Still in her practice robes, she dashed out the door.
Kicking open Lin Wuming’s door, she arrived just in time to see the assassin burst through the window with a dagger aimed at her senior brother.
“Watch out!”
Without a second thought, she charged in and landed a solid kick to the attacker’s ribs.
The assassin had just missed a strike and couldn’t dodge in time.
The kick landed hard—he grunted and staggered back several steps.
But that was it.
“Essence Return Realm!”
He Yingying’s heart sank.
She was currently at the peak of the Qi Condensation Realm.
That kick had been full power.
And yet it barely affected him.
This meant only one thing—he was stronger than her.
He had reached the Essence Return Realm!
But why would a Foundation Establishment assassin show up in such a small city… and target her senior brother of all people?!