Lin Mo really didn’t want to deal with Shen Ke’er any longer.
Out of sight, out of mind.
After much deliberation, he finally decided to leave Qingzhu Peak for a while.
Yesterday, a message had arrived via flying letter—his grandfather, Lin Nantian, would be celebrating his birthday in half a month. It was the perfect excuse to return home for a visit.
Of course, before leaving, he had to inform Master Yuehua.
After all, he was Yuehua’s disciple, a member of Qingling Sect, and everything had to be done by the rules.
When Yuehua saw Lin Mo, her eyes lit up slightly.
She had always known that her eldest disciple had an outstanding appearance.
But he never cared about his attire. Despite being the Senior Brother of Qingzhu Peak, he always dressed as plainly as an outer sect disciple.
Now that she learned he was going to visit his elders, she naturally approved.
“Thank you, Master, for granting permission. I take my leave.”
Lin Mo left without hesitation.
Watching his retreating figure, Yuehua raised her hand slightly but then let it drop, her expression tinged with a trace of disappointment.
Over the past few days, she had hunted many high-quality spirit beast meats in the Great Continent Mountains—all in preparation for her disciple.
But now, it seemed Lin Mo had no intention of giving her any opportunity to mend their relationship.
She had never been good at teaching disciples.
Even after accepting Lin Mo as her student, the time she had actually spent instructing him was minimal.
She had only given him the sect’s cultivation techniques, explained them briefly for a few days, and then went into seclusion.
It could be said that Lin Mo’s success in forming his Golden Core was entirely due to his own efforts and talent, having little to do with her as his master.
In the past, it was always Lin Mo who took the initiative to maintain their relationship.
Now that he was deliberately distancing himself, she didn’t know what to say or do to bring him back.
All she could do was watch as the gap between them widened.
A heaviness settled in her heart. Even on the days when she wasn’t in seclusion, she spent most of her time in meditation and cultivation. But now, even the thought of training felt meaningless.
Lin Mo, on the other hand, was fully aware that Master Yuehua wanted to mend their relationship—but he had no interest in that.
After experiencing Huangliang Dream and seeing the original owner’s future, he had long since lost any goodwill toward this so-called master.
Flying on his sword, he headed toward Baidi City. It would take three days to reach his destination.
But the Baidi City auction was still ten days away.
Since there was plenty of time and the surrounding land was rich in spiritual energy, it was likely home to many rare herbs and medicinal plants.
Once he purchased an alchemy furnace at the auction, he could refine pills in his spare time—not only to aid in his cultivation but also to sell for a good profit.
After all, he had invested in alchemy skills—if he could refine pills himself, why rely on the system’s random draws? That would be a complete waste.
【Host, you miser. My draws only cost 200 Regret Points, and there’s even a chance to pull a ninth-grade pill. How could you call that a waste?】
‘Have I ever drawn one?’
‘Besides, your draws are completely random—I can’t even guarantee getting something I can actually use. Why would I waste my Regret Points on that?’
【I’m a system, okay? Could you at least try to maximize my value? You’re making me feel useless here.】
‘No, you’re quite useful. I just don’t want to waste Regret Points on something I don’t immediately need.’
Lin Mo did enjoy drawing prizes, but he always did it randomly—partly out of curiosity to see what interesting items the system might give him.
For example: “Thunder Sprite,” “Lollipops,” “Black Silk Stockings,” “Air Cannon,” “Huangliang Dream”…
If he hadn’t drawn these things randomly, how else would he have known such items even existed?
That’s why random draws were important—they expanded his knowledge of what he could eventually target for specific draws.
It was the unknown factor that made him enjoy it.
If he were going to spend points on something he actually needed, it would be something he couldn’t obtain by other means.
Like cultivation techniques, spirit roots, or special abilities.
After all, his alchemy skill had originally come from one such ability draw.
If he then spent more points to specifically draw pills, wouldn’t that make him a complete fool?
With that in mind, Lin Mo decided to go hunting.
The days spent hunting passed quickly, and within a few days, he had gathered quite a few herbs and spiritual plants.
Aside from that…
He turned his gaze toward a red-clothed girl lying unconscious under a tree nearby.
Should he do something about this person?
He had discovered her on the second day near a river.
She wasn’t injured at all—completely healthy—but for some reason, she remained unconscious.
After thinking it over, Lin Mo decided not to take her with him.
For three reasons.
First, this red-clothed girl was stunningly beautiful, no less than the four junior sisters he had previously led.
Second, her entire body was shrouded in demonic energy, giving off an eerie and unnatural aura.
Just these two points alone made it obvious—she was nothing but trouble.
But most importantly, Lin Mo recognized this red-clothed girl. She was definitely bad news. Whoever picked her up was in for a world of trouble.
Of course, Lin Mo wasn’t one of those hot-blooded, naive orthodox cultivators who felt the need to draw their swords the moment they saw a demonic cultivator.
To him, whether one cultivated the Dao or the demonic path, the only true measure of good or evil was a person’s heart—not the label of ‘immortal’ or ‘demon.’
But he had his reasons for saying this girl was a walking disaster. When things unfolded later, everyone would understand.
Fishing her out of the river was already more than enough kindness. Who knew why she had fallen unconscious in the first place?
Besides, in the past few days of hunting, he had already cleared out all the demonic beasts within a hundred miles.
Moreover, her cultivation level wasn’t weak—probably not lower than his.
If she woke up and encountered some ill-intentioned person, well… that person would be the one in trouble.
And since Ye Kai was also nearby, who knew? Maybe he would be the one to step into this trap.
With that thought, Lin Mo lost all interest in meddling further. He mounted his sword and flew toward Baidi City.
Just as Lin Mo left, Master Yuehua arrived on her sword, bringing Ye Kai and Shen Ke’er along with her.
“Master, I noticed that the spiritual energy here is abundant, and I haven’t seen any demonic beasts around. I was thinking of collecting some spiritual fruits and herbs for you and Senior Sister Ke’er.”
“If I’m lucky, I might even find some medicinal herbs that could help treat Senior Sister Ke’er’s injuries.”
Ye Kai continued to play his role as the considerate and selfless junior disciple.
And both Master Yuehua and Shen Ke’er bought into it completely.
Master Yuehua smiled with approval. “Kai’er, you’re very thoughtful.”
Shen Ke’er gazed at him affectionately. “Junior Brother Ye, having you… and Master, I truly feel so blessed.”
The reason for this trip was that Ye Kai had personally requested Master Yuehua’s help to cure Shen Ke’er.
Coincidentally, Master Yuehua had also heard about Baidi City’s once-in-a-decade auction.
She figured she might as well try her luck and see if she could find any spiritual herbs there that could neutralize Shen Ke’er’s poison.
When Shen Ke’er learned about this, she was beyond touched.
In her heart, she had already decided—Ye Kai was the man she would marry, no matter what.
And to be fair, they really were lucky.
There was only one direct flight route from Qingling Sect to Baidi City.
And just by coincidence, Lin Mo had already wiped out all the demonic beasts along the way.
Sensing no immediate danger, Master Yuehua allowed Ye Kai to explore the surrounding area for resources.
Once out of Shen Ke’er and Master Yuehua’s sight, Ye Kai’s warm and gentle expression instantly vanished.
When it came to Shen Ke’er, he was disgusted beyond words.
But this was a golden opportunity to earn even more favor from Master Yuehua and Shen Ke’er—he couldn’t let it go to waste.
So, after half-heartedly searching for a while, Ye Kai decided to just grab a few low-grade herbs and fruits to make it look like he had done something.
But then—
Beneath a towering tree, a red-clothed girl caught his eye.
As soon as he got a clear look at her face, he couldn’t resist rushing toward her.
“A beauty like this… why would she be lying unconscious in such a place?”
Seeing that she seemed to be in a deep sleep, Ye Kai slowly reached out his hand…
But at that moment—
The red-clothed girl’s crimson eyes suddenly snapped open.
She took a quick glance at her surroundings. That person… had already left?
Then, her gaze fell upon Ye Kai, and her lips curved into a mischievous smile.
“Did you save me?” she asked softly.
Unfortunately for him—
This red-clothed girl was no saint.
In fact, it was going to be a case of dog-eat-dog, and neither side would come out clean.
