[Ding! Someone feels regret because of the Host. Gained 680 Regret Points.]

[Ding! Someone feels regret because of the Host. Gained 240 Regret Points.]

[Ding! Someone feels regret because of the Host. Gained 560 Regret Points.]

[Ding! Someone feels regret because of the Host. Gained 1200 Regret Points.]

Four consecutive system notifications signaled a fresh harvest of regret points.

Lin Mo didn’t even need to guess—the numbers perfectly aligned with his four junior sisters.

Though… the gap between 240 and 1200 regret points was a bit ridiculous.

He glanced at their expressions.

Xia He lowered her head slightly, though there was still a stubborn glint in her eyes. Xie Zhi’an and Xie Zhiqu looked deeply unsettled, clearly feeling guilty. And Qu Ruoyan—her eyes were completely red, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Alright. Now he knew exactly where the 1200 regret points had come from.

“Wuuuu… Senior Brother Lin, I’m so sorry! I should’ve listened to you!”

Qu Ruoyan clung to his sleeve, crying so hard she was sniffling uncontrollably.

Lin Mo stared at the snot forming on her nose, contemplating whether he should push her away or not.

In the end, he let out a helpless sigh.

“Alright, alright. The real purpose of this training mission isn’t just to complete a task. It’s about learning how to navigate the world, gaining experience and wisdom—that’s what truly matters. This experience itself is a lesson for you all.”

He paused before asking, “Do you all remember what I told you before you rushed in?”

“Umm… uhh…”

Qu Ruoyan bit her finger, struggling to recall.

Alright. Asking the girl who only thinks about food was definitely a mistake.

So, Lin Mo patiently repeated his words from before.

Xia He’s temper flared up again. “But Senior Brother! We’re cultivators! It’s our duty to uphold justice! Was that wrong?”

“Sigh.”

Lin Mo let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples. This girl was truly a master of arguing for the sake of arguing.

“Xia He, acting righteously is never wrong. But being a hero isn’t just about using force to help the weak.”

“What do you mean?” Xia He retorted. “Isn’t heroism about drawing your sword when you see injustice?”

Lin Mo’s tone grew more serious.

“Then tell me—did what you did actually help that old vendor?”

Xia He opened her mouth… but no words came out.

Because the truth was clear.

She hadn’t helped at all.

Seeing that she had no response, Lin Mo continued.

“If you only help on the surface, without addressing the root of the problem, you’re actually causing more harm.”

“Do you really think those rent collectors didn’t have someone backing them?”

“And what happens when they come back for revenge?”

“Hah! If they dare come back, we’ll just beat them up again!”

She folded her arms, speaking as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Lin Mo gave her a deadpan look.

“And what if their backers are far stronger than us?”

“….”

Xia He froze.

For the first time, she had no immediate comeback.

Lin Mo sighed again.

Sometimes, real-world experience was the best teacher.

“Hmph!” Xia He crossed her arms with a determined look. “After all that talk, you’re just afraid of revenge. Since I was the one who acted, if they come back looking for trouble, I’ll take responsibility. I, Xia He, will stand at the front and handle it.”

“You make it sound so easy, but have you considered your fellow junior sisters?” Lin Mo sneered. “If they get caught up in the revenge and end up dead, can you take responsibility for that?”

Xia He opened her mouth but found herself unable to respond.

Lin Mo said nothing more. He had already explained enough. If she still didn’t understand after this, then she was beyond saving.

“Old man, it looks like you won’t be able to stay in Daliang City much longer,” Lin Mo said after some thought. “Head to Yunxi City and find a woman named Xiao Zi at the Treasure Pavilion. Tell her my name, and she will take care of you.”

“The road to Yunxi City is rough, and my wife is in poor health. I’m afraid she won’t survive the journey,” the old man said with a helpless sigh.

Lin Mo had already anticipated this. He took out a pill and two talismans from his storage ring and handed them over.

The pill would be more than enough to heal an ordinary person’s ailments.

The two talismans were life-saving items, capable of teleporting the user ten miles away in times of danger.

When the old man heard about their effects, he was overjoyed and thanked Lin Mo profusely.

With that matter settled, Lin Mo and his group continued toward the Ding Manor.

That was when the Lapis Sword’s spirit spoke up.

“Um… Liuli senses a very dangerous yin presence. It’s coming from the direction you’re heading in.”

Lin Mo didn’t respond. By the time they reached the gates of the Ding Manor, he had already noticed something was wrong.

“Brr…” Qu Ruoyan shivered. “Why does it feel colder around this manor than anywhere else in the city, even though it’s broad daylight?”

The other junior sisters also sensed the eerie chill.

A guard standing at the entrance noticed them approaching and stepped forward. “May I ask what business you have at the Ding residence?”

“I wish to see your master,” Lin Mo replied.

“Please present an invitation.”

An invitation was something Lin Mo obviously did not have.

“Tell your master that we are disciples of Qingling Sect, here to help him with the matter regarding his daughter,” Lin Mo said.

The moment the guard heard Lin Mo’s identity, his expression changed. He quickly turned and ran inside to report.

A short while later, a rotund middle-aged man waddled out.

“You must be the esteemed immortals of Qingling Sect?” the man asked, eyeing them with suspicion.

Without explaining further, Lin Mo showed his Qingling Sect identification token.

As a wealthy and influential man of Daliang City, the Ding family patriarch had keen eyes.

After confirming their identities, he asked, “My daughter has already passed. Why have you come here?”

“Are you aware that many young scholars in Daliang City have recently died under strange circumstances?” Lin Mo got straight to the point.

“I know nothing about that. If that’s your reason for coming, I suggest you seek answers elsewhere,” the Ding patriarch replied flatly, already making a motion to send them away.

Lin Mo’s eyes darkened slightly.

The moment he mentioned the mysterious deaths, the man’s face had twitched unnaturally.

He knew something.

“Hey! We came here to help you solve your daughter’s case, and this is how you treat us?” Xia He stepped forward, clearly irritated.

But the Ding patriarch ignored her completely and turned to walk back inside.

Xia He stomped her foot in frustration as he disappeared into the manor.

As they left the Ding residence, Xia He turned to Lin Mo. “So what’s the plan now?”

“Ding’s complexion was pale, his energy weak, and his yang energy depleted. The yin energy around his home is overwhelming. That means he’s been in long-term contact with a ghost,” Lin Mo explained.

“So the ghost is in the Ding Manor?” Xia He immediately caught on.

Lin Mo nodded. “Not only that, but Ding himself knows about it. The ghost is most likely his daughter, and he knows the full story behind what happened.”

Hearing this, Xia He wanted to rush back and confront him.

Lin Mo stopped her. “No need. He won’t admit it. If you go back now and question him directly, all you’ll do is alert him.”

“Then what do we do?” Xia He asked.

“We lure the snake out of its hole,” Lin Mo smirked.

Since the ghost specifically targeted young scholars, he would enter the talent competition at Jiangyue House and win first place.

And besides, after all these years, he had never actually been to a pleasure house before.

As night fell, he explained his plan to his junior sisters. After finalizing the details, they returned to the inn to wait for the competition the next day.

During the wait, system notifications occasionally popped up, informing him of additional regret points gained.

This left him confused.

He was certain these weren’t from his junior sisters.

The real problem had to be coming from Qingzhu Peak.