After stepping out, the first thing Lin Mo did was ask about how things had been on Qingzhu Peak during his absence.

“Mm, Senior Brother, while you were away, it was mostly Senior Sister Duan managing everything. As for Master Yuehua, she went into closed-door cultivation to try and break through to the Spirit Severing stage the moment Senior Sister Duan returned.” Gu Zi explained the status of Qingzhu Peak in detail.

Learning that Master Yuehua was in closed-door cultivation gave Lin Mo a headache. A breakthrough to the Spirit Severing stage could take several months at the least. This meant that during this time, he still had to act as the senior brother of Qingzhu Peak and fulfill his responsibilities.

Since that’s the case, there was no other option. After all these years, what’s a few more months?

After asking where Duan Susu was, Lin Mo left his courtyard and headed toward the spiritual fields behind the mountain.

At that moment, Duan Susu was calculating the harvest and inspecting the fields. When she saw Lin Mo coming, she excitedly went to greet him.

“Senior Brother, did you finish handling your family matters?”
“Mm.”

“It must’ve been tough on you lately,” Lin Mo said.
“They sure have! Senior Brother, I’ve really worked hard,” Duan Susu joked lightly.

“I finally understand how exhausting it’s been for you to take care of everything on Qingzhu Peak all these years.”

Ever since Master Yuehua went into seclusion, Duan Susu had been managing everything by herself.

“As for Junior Sister Shen… Honestly, Senior Brother, you’ve spoiled her so much she’s become delicate beyond belief. I tried to ask her about the peak’s situation and some internal affairs, and she couldn’t answer a single thing.”

“But actually, she’s become a lot quieter lately. Senior Brother, have you gone to see her since coming back?” Duan Susu asked.

“I only just returned not long ago,” Lin Mo replied.
“As for Shen Ke’er… it’s better to just leave her be.”

“In recent days, without Master’s spiritual energy nurturing her, I’ve noticed her condition worsening. That poison gland also seems to be acting up again,” Duan Susu said with concern.

“Mm, I understand,” Lin Mo replied calmly.
“Thank you for your hard work these past days, Junior Sister Duan,” he said sincerely.

Then, Lin Mo took out the dragon scales and dragon fang he had previously harvested from a flood dragon.
“This is what I obtained recently. If you’re forging weapons, you can use this material.”

Duan Susu’s eyes lit up with excitement. She carefully examined the items before exclaiming,
“Senior Brother, what kind of dragon are these scales and tooth from? Such rare materials—and you just happened to come across them?”

“Something this precious… can I really have it?”

“Has Senior Brother ever lied to you?”

Lin Mo smiled.
“Never. Senior Brother always keeps his word—he’s the best senior brother in the world.”

Feeling deeply grateful, Duan Susu gave Lin Mo an excited hug—
but she still kept her distance and didn’t press herself too close.

“Alright, go forge your weapon. I’ll take care of the sect affairs on Qingzhu Peak for the time being,” Lin Mo said.

“No, I still have to share some of the burden for you, Senior Brother,” Duan Susu said. “Even you don’t have time to cultivate or handle the things you need to do.”

To be honest, Duan Susu was truly a very considerate junior sister. After Lin Mo left, everything on Qingzhu Peak would definitely fall on her shoulders for the time being.

He also had to bring along his junior brother and fourth junior brother—those two little rascals were always out training. Even if they came back, they probably wouldn’t be of much help to Duan Susu.

Thinking about this, Lin Mo couldn’t help but feel that things had become rather tricky. Should he just bring Duan Susu along too? But that was only a fleeting thought—Lin Mo quickly dismissed the idea.

With Duan Susu’s personality, she would never leave the sect so easily, especially since she owed a debt of gratitude to Master Yuehua for taking her in as a disciple. She definitely wouldn’t abandon the sect lightly.

Forget it. Before leaving, he could only prepare a proper farewell gift for Duan Susu.

After walking around Qingzhu Peak, Lin Mo didn’t find anyone in closed-door cultivation.

Then he thought of that little brat who still owed him several hundred thousand spirit stones. He definitely had to collect that debt before leaving—how could he let him off so easily?

In Lin Mo’s eyes, Ye Kai was not pure of heart. Even if all he’d done so far was just meant to disgust him a little, there was no guarantee that once Lin Mo left, Ye Kai wouldn’t start harboring indecent thoughts toward others.

Before leaving, he had to properly straighten him out.

After circling Qingzhu Peak again, Lin Mo still didn’t see any sign of Ye Kai. A strange feeling rose in his heart—could he be at Shen Ke’er’s place?

When Lin Mo arrived at Shen Ke’er’s courtyard, he saw her sitting dazedly in front of a bronze mirror. Shen Ke’er also noticed him and said softly, “Senior Brother, you’re back.”

“There’s nothing much here at my place to properly welcome you, I hope you don’t mind.”

Lin Mo could clearly sense that there was resentment in her words—most likely due to the time he had taken away her spiritual medicine.

He glanced over Shen Ke’er’s condition: her aura was weak, her face pale, and the poison in her glands was even more pronounced than before—even the veil she wore could barely hide it now.

Just as Duan Susu had said, Shen Ke’er’s condition had indeed worsened.

“Where’s Junior Brother Ye?” Lin Mo asked blandly.
“He went to visit his parents’ graves.”
“Why didn’t he take you along?” Lin Mo asked again.
“He said it wasn’t convenient… My parents just passed not long ago, so he wanted some time alone with his.”

Lin Mo sneered inwardly. If Ye Kai really cared about Shen Ke’er, what harm would there be in bringing her along?

More importantly, Shen Ke’er was in such poor shape—if she went with him, at least someone could take care of her on the road.

But did Ye Kai really care about her that deeply?

Seeing Shen Ke’er in such a state, Lin Mo suddenly felt a bit of heartache. He knew—it was probably due to the influence of the original host’s memories and emotions.

Lin Mo let out a deep breath and said, “Ye Kai doesn’t care about you nearly as much as you think. Can’t you see that?”

This sentence was like a spark falling on a fuse. Shen Ke’er, who had appeared calm, suddenly stood up. Her eyes were bloodshot.

Whether it was because of her poor health and lack of rest, or because of the emotional blow from Lin Mo’s words—or perhaps both—

Her expression twisted with a hint of madness. Even as she faced Lin Mo, she shouted, “Even if you’re my senior brother, you’re not allowed to say that about Junior Brother Ye! He absolutely cares about me!”

Lin Mo laughed coldly. “Let me tell you something, Shen Ke’er: the poison has already invaded your internal organs. You won’t have long to live.”

Shen Ke’er’s eyes grew redder. “That’s impossible!”

“There’s nothing impossible about it. Even you can feel it in your own body.”

Now, Shen Ke’er was afraid. Compared to being unable to cultivate, the idea of death meant truly having nothing.

With a thud, Shen Ke’er dropped to her knees. “Senior Brother, please… help me, will you?”
“Help you?”

“Don’t you have Junior Brother Ye? Let him save you.”

“After all, he’s the one most important to you, right?”

Lin Mo said those last words slowly, one word at a time.

“No… Senior Brother, he’s not like you. If Junior Brother Ye had the ability, he would definitely save me.”

“Then I wish you all the best—may you live long enough to see the day he gains the ability to save you.”

With that, Lin Mo turned and left.

No matter how many times he said it, it was useless. If Shen Ke’er truly cared for Ye Kai, why would her attitude keep shifting? Why would she ever listen to reason?

Even if she had started to realize that Ye Kai might not actually care for her as much, she would only hypnotize herself into believing otherwise.

Honestly, Lin Mo did feel a bit sorry for Shen Ke’er. But as the saying goes—pitiful people often have their own faults.

Not to mention the things that had yet to happen, like her and their master digging out his Golden Core marrow—just from the original host’s perspective, he had raised her himself.

Shouldn’t she have been a bit closer to him?

But instead, she followed Ye Kai’s every word, let her emotions be swayed so easily, and drifted away from the original host.

That alone was enough to chill the original host’s heart.

As for how to deal with Shen Ke’er—Lin Mo didn’t have the right to decide on the original host’s behalf.

He still believed: Shen Ke’er was the original host’s junior sister, not his.

Besides, the incident of the Golden Core marrow extraction hadn’t happened yet. Who knows if Ye Kai or someone else might have played a role in it?

At this point in time, Shen Ke’er had not done anything to substantively harm the original host.

But in the end, Lin Mo still couldn’t bring himself to grow close again to Shen Ke’er and Master Yuehua. Even if others really had caused misunderstandings between Yuehua and Shen Ke’er, leading them to dig out his Golden Core and bone marrow—after so many years of shared feelings, did they truly have not even a sliver of trust in the original host?

Even if the original host had really done those heartless, unforgivable things, he had never once harmed them. Others might be capable of such cruelty, but for them to do it was just too much.

After all, the original host had given them his heart for years—it hadn’t been fake. How could they be so cruel to someone who had treated them so well?

Thinking about it, letting Shen Ke’er die before she came to her senses did feel a bit too much. At the very least, she should become a “ghost who died with clarity,” right?

Lin Mo then began communicating with the system.

【That’s a very simple matter for this system.】
【This system can easily make Shen Ke’er come to her senses before she dies.】

“Go on,” Lin Mo said.

【Then is the host’s “Regret Value” ready?】

Lin Mo frowned. This stingy little money-grubbing system…

“Tell me your plan first.”

【Because this method exceeds the normal scope, it’ll cost 200 Regret Points.】
【Don’t worry, Host. This system is honest and fair—once you hear the plan, you’ll find it worth the price.】

Lin Mo thought for a moment, then agreed. At least before, he had spent regret points and received useful knowledge—like the ancient Heart Probe Technique, which wasn’t something humans could easily acquire.

【Host, do you remember the ability “Dream of the Yellow Millet”?】
“Don’t go in circles. Just tell me the main point.”
【Hmph, so impatient… This ability can let Shen Ke’er see the outcome of her own future.】

“Her future outcome? Isn’t it just… death?”
【Not necessarily. If you, the host, choose to save her, wouldn’t her ending change?】

Lin Mo suddenly understood—it was like the theory of divergent timelines. A person could have countless futures, each one shifting due to small details.

【Exactly! Shen Ke’er has countless possible futures. You can choose one that will make her wake up—and let her experience it just before death.】
【That way, you’ll earn even more Regret Points.】

Lin Mo, half-believing, asked, “Really?”
【Of course. This system never lies.】

So Lin Mo decided to trust the system one more time.

Suddenly, countless possible futures for Shen Ke’er appeared in Lin Mo’s mind. Fortunately, the system had already categorized them, and only selected outcomes that were useful to him. Otherwise, his brain really would have overloaded.

After observing for a while, Lin Mo chuckled inwardly: “This ending… does seem fitting for Shen Ke’er.”

Once the outcome was chosen, he only had to wait for the right moment the system mentioned. With that, Lin Mo left Shen Ke’er’s courtyard.

“Senior Brother, did you see Junior Sister Shen?” Duan Susu asked.
“I did.”
“Then… Senior Brother, how is Junior Sister Shen’s condition?”

“Mmm… if no one intervenes, she’ll be dead within three months, no doubt about it,” Lin Mo replied.

Duan Susu gasped in shock. She knew Shen Ke’er’s condition was bad—but she hadn’t imagined it was this bad.

She became flustered and asked:

“Senior Brother, what can we do to save Junior Sister Shen’s life? You’re so knowledgeable—you must have a way, right?”

“There is a way,” Lin Mo thought. “But I just won’t save her.”

Seeing Lin Mo stay silent, Duan Susu assumed he had no way to help. She took out a bundle of spiritual herbs from her storage ring. All of these herbs had been gathered over the past few days through difficult travels.

“Senior Brother, look—are any of these herbs useful for saving Junior Sister Shen?”

Lin Mo glanced at them indifferently and replied casually, “They can’t save her. At most, they’ll extend her life a little.”

Hearing that Shen Ke’er’s life could be prolonged, Duan Susu didn’t hesitate and ran straight to her.

“Junior Sister Shen, I have some spiritual herbs here. Take them—they can temporarily slow the poison’s spread.”

Duan Susu handed over the herbs. “Don’t be too upset. I’ll do my best to find herbs that can actually cure your poison.”

“Senior Sister, thank you.” Learning that she could at least extend her life, Shen Ke’er stood up and expressed her gratitude.

But then she remembered the Qingzhi from the auction, which could supposedly cure all poisons. Lin Mo had bought it, but never gave it to her. A feeling of resentment rose in her heart.

“Senior Sister, I think you’re much better than Senior Brother Lin. He’s being so cruel to me now. Even when I’m like this, he still ignores me.”

Duan Susu frowned and said angrily, “Junior Sister Shen, do you even know what you’re saying?”

Shen Ke’er was startled by Duan Susu’s sudden anger and stammered, “What did I say?”

Duan Susu’s expression darkened. “All these years, among all of us, you’ve always had the closest relationship with Senior Brother. Do you really not remember how he treated you since we were kids?

He always gave the best things to you first. When going out, he’d buy you the things you liked. He’d spend money on defensive magical artifacts just to protect you. He wouldn’t even spend that much on himself. How can you talk about him like this?”

Duan Susu was known for her good temper. This was the first time Shen Ke’er had ever seen her so angry, and it actually scared her a bit.

“But Senior Sister, I think you’re right. He’s my Senior Brother. Yet when I’m at death’s door, he just leaves me alone. You’re the one helping me now. I think you’re better than him—is that wrong?”

Duan Susu shook her head and thought of something Lin Mo had once said. She had no choice but to swallow her frustration.

Over the past while, she had sensed that something had changed between Lin Mo and Shen Ke’er. But she hadn’t understood what exactly had gone wrong—until today.

“Junior Sister Shen, just focus on resting.”

With a cold expression, Duan Susu left. Shen Ke’er was left utterly confused. Was she really wrong to criticize him?

Duan Susu returned to Lin Mo.

“Senior Brother…” she hesitated for a moment, then said, “I think Junior Sister Shen may have misunderstood you.”

She still didn’t fully understand what had caused the rift between them, but today, she gained some clarity.

Lin Mo hadn’t expected that even Duan Susu—normally so carefree—had noticed something was wrong.

He responded calmly, “I know.”
“Then… is that why you’re keeping your distance from her now?” Duan Susu asked.

“It is and it isn’t,” Lin Mo replied. After all, Duan Susu didn’t know what the original host had gone through. And it wasn’t convenient for Lin Mo to explain either, especially since he didn’t fully understand the details himself. So he could only give her this vague, noncommittal answer.