Everyone instinctively turned in the direction Lin Mo had been looking.

In an instant, a powerful aura swept over them.

The middle-aged man beside the pudgy youth and the elder accompanying Chen Huai both reacted in shock.

“Golden Core Peak!”

Their words made everyone’s heart clench.

The junior sisters had no idea whether this hidden expert was friend or foe.

But they all hoped it was a friend.

And if not a friend, at least not an ally of Chen Huai or the pudgy man.

Otherwise, there would be no chance of escaping.

Qu Ruyan, still sucking on her lollipop, said nonchalantly, “You guys worry too much. Look at how calm Senior Brother is—this has to be one of his people.”

Hearing this, Xia He suddenly remembered something.

The pudgy man had earlier mentioned that Lin Mo was from one of the Five Great Clans of the Upper Realm.

Her father had once spoken of those families—one of which was the Lin family.

And her senior brother’s surname was also Lin.

Thinking about it, combined with Lin Mo’s unshaken demeanor, she felt almost certain that this hidden expert was one of his people.

A chilling, raspy voice suddenly echoed through the grove.

“Heh heh, brat, how did you notice me?”

A hunched old man with ghastly features slowly emerged from the shadows.

The moment the junior sisters saw him, their faces turned pale—except for Qu Ruyan, who remained oblivious.

Xie Zhiqu, in particular, shrank behind Xie Zhi’an, trembling violently.

She vividly remembered this old man leering at her during the auction, his eyes filled with hunger.

Now, his gaze once again landed on her.

Licking his lips, the old man smirked. “What a good boy you are. The more I look at you, the more I like you.”

Disgusting.

Being ogled by this perverted old monster, Lin Mo felt a wave of revulsion.

“Disgusting!”

The old man blinked in confusion. “What?”

Of course, he wouldn’t understand—Lin Mo had instinctively cursed in Cantonese from sheer disgust.

The pudgy man, seeing that this newcomer wasn’t Lin Mo’s ally, sighed in relief.

He cupped his hands and said, “Senior Brow Venom Elder, I am Wang Santun of the Jinshui Wang Family.”

“I assume you’ve been following us for the beauties as well.”

“No need for you to dirty your hands. Once I finish here, that pair of… siblings will be yours to deal with.”

The Brow Venom Elder stroked his beard and chuckled. “Heh, you’re quite clever. That’s a fair deal. I don’t want the sister, though.”

“But!” His venomous gaze locked onto Lin Mo. “I do want this brat dead—he suits my tastes.”

Wang Santun grinned. “Of course, Senior.”

Then, turning to Chen Huai, he said, “The Xia girl is yours. I’ll take the rest.”

Chen Huai had no objections. He only wanted Xia He.

Hearing this, Xia He’s heart sank into despair.

She clenched her teeth and stepped forward—

But Lin Mo’s cold voice cut through the air.

“Drop that stupid idea.”

“Don’t think that sacrificing yourself will save us.”

“The three groups have different objectives. Even if you give yourself up, it won’t change a thing.”

“I won’t be grateful, nor will it change how I see you.”

Xia He froze in shock. “H-How did you know what I was about to do?”

How did I know?

Lin Mo had seen too many stories like this.

The noble young lady who makes a mistake, gets saved by the protagonist, and then tries to redeem herself through self-sacrifice.

If she actually managed to redeem herself, wouldn’t that mean he’d have to accept her?

Not happening.

Lin Mo had no intention of getting involved with Xia He any further.

Besides, even if she did go through with it, it wouldn’t change the core issue—it would just be a useless death.

“With that tiny brain of yours, I could guess your thoughts with my eyes closed.”

Then, without hesitation, Lin Mo kicked Xia He back.

“Stay behind me and don’t get in my way.”

“If they capture you and try to use you against me, do everyone a favor and bash your head in.”

Xia He was left stunned.

Xia He had thought that by offering herself up, she could change Lin Mo’s opinion of her.

Instead, he had mocked her, scolded her, humiliated her, and even kicked her aside without a shred of courtesy.

She felt wronged.

So incredibly wronged.

A hundred percent wronged.

She was willing to sacrifice herself, yet this was how she was treated?

If this had been the past, she would have been furious.

But now… she wasn’t angry at all.

On the contrary.

The more Lin Mo rejected her, the more she wanted his approval, the more she wanted him to acknowledge her.

As she was thinking about this, she suddenly recalled the feeling of Lin Mo’s merciless slap yesterday.

Before she even realized it, she had subconsciously pressed her thighs together.

Meanwhile, Lin Mo was relieved—after making things so clear and even kicking her aside, surely Xia He would finally give up on trying to redeem herself, right?

But when he glanced over at her—

He froze.

Her previously wronged expression had suddenly turned into one filled with determination—

And she was clenching her thighs together again.

…

What. The. Hell.

This girl was completely beyond saving!

Wang Santun scoffed.
“You think too highly of yourself. Do you really think I need hostages to deal with a measly Foundation Establishment cultivator?”

“Besides, only small-minded people resort to such tactics. I, Wang Santun, would never do something so petty!”

At that moment, Qu Ruyan tilted her head toward Lin Mo.

“Senior Brother, what’s his cultivation level?”

Lin Mo replied casually, “Foundation Establishment.”

Qu Ruyan turned back to Wang Santun and blinked.

“Ohhh~ so you’re also a measly Foundation Establishment cultivator?”

…

Huh?

Did she just…?

Lin Mo almost burst out laughing.

This ditzy girl… was she secretly savage?!

Wang Santun’s face twisted in fury.

“What’s wrong with being at Foundation Establishment?! I have a Golden Core cultivator with me!”

His voice cracked slightly.

Then, he pointed at Qu Ruyan and snarled, “You little brat, just wait! Once my men take down your Senior Brother, I’ll make sure to properly train you tonight!”

Qu Ruyan didn’t understand what he meant.

Instead, she clenched her fists and cheered, “Senior Brother, you can do it!!!”

Xie Zhi’an shook her head.
This wasn’t a situation that could be solved with mere encouragement.

Defeating a Golden Core cultivator while at Foundation Establishment was something she had only heard of in rare cases.

And those who managed to pull it off were always legendary geniuses—

People with Heavenly Spiritual Roots, top-tier artifacts, and high-quality techniques.

As far as she knew, Lin Mo had none of those things.

Dual Spiritual Roots.
A cultivation method for health maintenance.
No particularly powerful artifacts.

How could he possibly win?

Even if—by some miracle—Lin Mo managed to defeat Wang Santun’s Golden Core guard…

There were two more Golden Core cultivators here.

And the Brow Venom Elder had even killed a Nascent Soul cultivator before.

How the hell was Lin Mo supposed to handle this?

This was already a lost cause.

Unless a powerful righteous expert suddenly appeared…

But that was practically impossible in this lower realm.

Their fates were sealed.

Death was likely their best outcome—at least that way, they could preserve their dignity and avoid suffering at the hands of these disgusting men.

Lin Mo noticed Xie Zhi’an’s expression shift.
He could guess what she was thinking.

So, he sighed and said:

“Before we return to the sect, I’ll teach you all one last lesson.”

“Killing is easier than saving.”
“Mercy toward your enemies is cruelty toward yourself.”
“You must eliminate threats at the root—cut them off before they can ever grow.”
“Only then will you live longer.”

Qu Ruyan counted on her fingers.

“Senior Brother… isn’t that several lessons?”

…

Lin Mo: “……”