Yan Ruyu was not the type to be playful.

As the Holy Maiden of the Demon Realm, she had been in a position of power for a long time, her personality tempered by years of responsibility and experience.

And yet—this time, even she didn’t quite understand why she had done something so childish.

That young man…

He felt different from the others.

Like everyone else, he had been captivated by her beauty. But from the moment their eyes met, she had seen something in him that no one else possessed—clarity.

Beyond that, she liked the way he looked at her.

It was pure admiration.

Not the kind tainted with lust and desire like the gazes of other men.

If Lin Mo knew what Yan Ruyu was thinking, he’d probably be at a complete loss.

It wasn’t that he had no thoughts about her—he was simply self-aware.

He knew she was beyond his reach, so he had long decided to admire from afar, never even considering making a move.

If Lin Mo had one defining trait, it was that he knew his limits.

He never wasted time on hopeless endeavors.

He lived with clarity.

Yan Ruyu didn’t know this.

But even if she did, she would still appreciate Lin Mo for it.

She rarely found herself drawn to an unfamiliar man, yet somehow, she found herself paying close attention to Lin Mo’s every move.

Naturally, she could see through his cultivation.

Although he was only at the late Foundation Establishment stage, she could tell—Lin Mo had the ability to defeat that middle-aged Golden Core cultivator.

Even though the man’s “Golden Core” was a false core—one formed through excessive reliance on pills rather than actual talent—it was still a remarkable feat for someone at Foundation Establishment to defeat a Golden Core cultivator.

Such an accomplishment would instantly catapult him into the ranks of the top young geniuses of the cultivation world.

Yet, he chose not to act.

What intrigued Yan Ruyu the most was that Lin Mo’s face held no fear or hesitation—just a clear look of “What a hassle. Forget it.”

And that was exactly how he felt.

Lin Mo was someone who avoided trouble.

More importantly, this was the real cultivation world—every move had consequences.

Could he guarantee that this middle-aged Golden Core cultivator didn’t have a backing?

That he wasn’t carrying some high-tier magic treasure?

Why risk a battle against a Golden Core cultivator for a fleeting moment of fame?

Fame won’t feed you.

Besides, once you gained notoriety, there would always be arrogant challengers coming after you, trying to prove themselves by defeating you.

Wouldn’t that be a huge pain?

A high-risk, low-reward situation was something Lin Mo would never waste his time on.

Yan Ruyu had little respect for those hot-blooded fools who blindly jumped into “heroic” battles at the slightest provocation.

To her, such people were naïve and ignorant—always throwing themselves into endless troubles.

Their hearts might have been in the right place, but their actions were annoying beyond belief.

By contrast, Lin Mo’s attitude—”As long as you don’t mess with me, we’re fine.”—was something she deeply admired.

From her observations, it was clear that Lin Mo and that junior martial sister of his didn’t get along.

Not only did he seem uninterested in dealing with her, but she was also constantly looking for ways to provoke him.

And worse—her words weren’t just ignorant, they were downright idiotic.

Yan Ruyu already disliked Xia He.

And she disliked her even more for acting that way toward someone she found interesting.

So, during the first round of the competition, she hadn’t even looked at anyone else’s work from Lin Mo’s group.

Even if Lin Mo had submitted a blank sheet, she would have let him pass.

Even if Xia He’s poem was the most brilliant, she wouldn’t have let her through.

As for Qu Ruyan, the girl who only thought about food?

She let her pass purely to mess with Xia He.

Xia He had finally realized something was wrong.

She lifted her head slightly, only to see Yan Ruyu smirking down at her, amusement flashing in her eyes.

What’s going on?

Since when did I offend the Mistress of Jiangyue Tower?!

A wave of irritation rose within Xia He.

For some reason, she suddenly really disliked Yan Ruyu.

She turned toward Lin Mo.

“Hey, didn’t you say you know the Mistress of Jiangyue Tower?”

“I don’t,” Lin Mo replied instantly, without hesitation.

He had no idea why Xia He was asking such a weird question.

Xia He let out a cold snort. Her instincts were sharp, and she had already convinced herself that her elimination from the first round was somehow connected to Lin Mo.

Half of the participants had already left Jiangyue Tower, their faces filled with disappointment, regretting their lack of talent and their failure to spend the night with the Mistress of the Pavilion.

The stark contrast between the once-crowded hall and its current emptiness created an eerie feeling—almost as if the place had been abandoned overnight.

At a glance, the remaining participants were visibly fewer.

At that moment, one of Yan Ruyu’s maidservants stepped down from the pavilion and approached Xia He with a smile.

“This ‘young master’ did not pass the first round of the competition. Please leave so as not to disturb the next stage of the contest.”

“You—!”

Xia He immediately recognized the maid.

She was the same woman they had clashed with upon entering Daliang City the other day.

Her gaze immediately snapped to Lin Mo.

“I knew it! You do know the Mistress of Jiangyue Tower! No wonder you refused to help me and Junior Sister Xie that day!”

Lin Mo frowned.

“I already told you—I don’t know her.”

“And I already explained why I didn’t step in back then.”

Before Xia He could argue further, the maidservant chuckled and added,

“Our Mistress did not know this young master before today… but she will, in the future.”

In the future?

Lin Mo narrowed his eyes slightly.

What was that supposed to mean?

But before he could think too deeply about it, the maidservant spoke again, her tone carrying an unmistakable finality.

“Alright, ‘young master,’ the next round of the competition is about to begin. Please leave immediately so as not to waste the other participants’ time.”

Her voice was deliberately loud, ensuring that everyone in the hall heard her clearly.

Several participants—including Nangong Xu—glanced at Xia He, their expressions less than pleased.

Noticing Nangong Xu’s disapproving gaze, Xia He gritted her teeth in frustration.

“Fine! Fine! I’ll leave!”

She turned to the others.

“Ruyan, Zhian, Zhiqu—are you coming with me?”

Among their group, she was the only one who had been eliminated.

Xie Zhian’s expression was ice-cold, her gaze toward the maidservant as sharp as a blade. Naturally, she had no intention of staying.

Xie Zhiqu, as always, followed her older sister.

However—

“But, Xia Xia… the food here is really, really good,” Qu Ruyan said, clearly reluctant to leave.

“I’ll take you somewhere with even better food,” Xia He tempted her.

Hearing this, Qu Ruyan gulped and turned to look at Lin Mo.

“But, Senior Brother…?”

Lin Mo chuckled.

He didn’t dislike this little glutton.

“Go ahead and leave with them,” he said with a smile.

Qu Ruyan hesitated for a moment, then asked,

“Then, Senior Brother—when are you coming back to the inn?”

Lin Mo didn’t hesitate.

“As soon as the competition is over.”

Then, after a brief pause, he added in a firm voice,

“While I’m not around, none of you are to act on your own.”

He had already repeated this warning multiple times.

And he was saying it again now to prevent any unnecessary accidents.