“Junior Brother Mo, what are you looking at?”
“Senior Sister An, who was that woman just now?”
“Xia Qingluan. She is a Master Alchemist and a friend of my teacher.”
Mo Huaiyu nodded as he absorbed the information.
He looked up at An Ruoxi’s clear, cold, and exquisite face and asked, “Senior Sister An, is your business finished?”
“Mhm, just some trivial matters.”
Noticing Mo Huaiyu’s hesitant expression, An Ruoxi blinked her beautiful eyes.
“Is there something else you want to ask?”
“Senior Sister An, I heard people talking earlier about an upcoming Trial. Can I participate in it?”
If he couldn’t, things would get complicated.
Back when he attended the Dao Inquiry Assembly, he had to go to great lengths just to sneak in because he was a total nobody.
“About that… I’m not entirely sure either. I’ll have to ask Master.”
An Ruoxi furrowed her delicate brows.
To put it bluntly, Mo Huaiyu wasn’t exactly a disciple of the Spirit Imperial Sect—he was more like the Sect’s “son-in-law.”
“I see.”
Mo Huaiyu browsed for a while longer, finally finished selecting his techniques, and followed An Ruoxi out of the Pavilion.
As they walked, he lowered his head in thought.
If he really couldn’t enter the Trial officially, how was he going to sneak in this time?
Should I knock out a disciple and steal their medallion?
No, no… that would definitely provoke the Spirit Imperial Sect, and Senior Sister An might end up having to fight me.
Or… should I buy a pass with Spirit Stones?
That’s what he had done for the Dao Inquiry Assembly, but the ticket was obscenely expensive.
It had nearly drained his entire life savings, which was the main reason he was so broke now.
From the corner of her eye, An Ruoxi noticed his gloomy expression.
“Junior Brother Mo, don’t worry. If you really can’t get in through normal means, I will take you with me.”
“Eh? You have a way, Senior Sister?”
“Mhm. Those participating in the Trial are allowed to bring one person with them. However, the slots are very rare. When the time comes, we’ll just have to… go public with the relationship between us.”
Hearing this condition, Mo Huaiyu appreciated her kindness but hesitated.
“Thank you, Senior Sister An, but let’s leave that as a last resort.”
If they truly went public, forget everything else—the “F-the-Winners” Inquisition squad would probably tie him to a cross and cremate him on the spot.
Seeing the obedient and cute boy looking so dejected, An Ruoxi felt a sudden impulse.
She had an urge to pull him into her arms, stroke his little head, and comfort him properly.
Naturally, Mo Huaiyu had no idea about the chaotic thoughts swirling in her mind; he was too busy brainstorming a backup plan.
As his thoughts wandered, he caught sight of a girl from the corner of his eye.
She was holding a “horse stance” (mabu) squat with a bowl balanced on her head, looking utterly miserable.
“Senior Sister An, what is she doing?”
An Ruoxi followed his gaze and saw a clear-faced, lovely girl looking piteous.
The girl was strikingly beautiful with almond eyes and rosy cheeks.
Her figure was starting to fill out, and she had a pair of long, slender, straight legs.
The girl spotted Mo Huaiyu and caught a faint scent of spirit food on him.
Her eyes lit up instantly.
“Little Junior Brother,” she cried out piteously, “your Senior Sister is so hungry… I haven’t eaten in days. Could you spare a little something to eat?”
Mo Huaiyu was shocked.
No way... can someone in the prestigious Spirit Imperial Sect actually be too poor to afford food?!
Seeing the tears welling up in her eyes, his heart softened.
Just as he was about to take out a Spirit Fruit, he saw the girl’s eyes glow like lightbulbs.
But as he stepped forward, An Ruoxi pressed a hand onto his shoulder.
“Junior Brother Mo, don’t go any closer. An Elder is watching.”
Only then did Mo Huaiyu notice a mature woman standing by a large tree not far away, staring at him with a cold gaze.
“She is a Junior Sister from Hundred Flower Peak. She’s quite talented but far too playful and constantly gets into trouble. Every time she messes up, her Master punishes her like this—making her squat for days without food, and forbidding her from using spiritual energy to resist the hunger. It’s meant to be a lesson.”
An Ruoxi explained that for someone at the Divine Palace Realm, squatting and starving for a few days wasn’t a physical danger, but for a girl as hyperactive as her, being forced to stay still in one position was worse than death.
The girl’s life was a perfect vicious cycle: finish punishment, play like a maniac to make up for it, cause trouble, get punished again, and repeat.
After hearing the explanation and seeing the girl’s desperate “I want to eat that fruit” expression, Mo Huaiyu—
Crunch!
The Spirit Fruit was crisp, sweet, and juicy.
Mo Huaiyu ate it with great relish right in front of her.
As expected, ripe fruit is the best—sweet and succulent.
I’ll pass on the green, sour ones; they aren’t my type.
He clearly saw the shock in the girl’s eyes, but he didn’t care.
He turned around and followed An Ruoxi away.
The girl stared at his retreating back and tried to move, but her Master’s icy gaze landed on her.
She pouted and went back to her miserable punishment.
Mo Huaiyu looked at the small peach tree planted in a pot.
The peach blossoms were in bloom, emitting a faint fragrance identical to the scent on An Ruoxi’s body.
An Ruoxi had gone to ask her Master about the Trial.
Thinking back, ever since he entered the Sect, she had taken excellent care of him.
Compared to Sister Yuyun, she was practically an angel.
Aside from when he was very young, Sister Yuyun had basically adopted a “free-range” policy once he turned eight.
As long as he didn’t starve to death, she didn’t care, which forced him to become self-reliant at a very tender age.
The only “use” Sister Yuyun had these days was being a warm bed-heater in the winter and a cool, humanoid body pillow in the summer.
When he was a kid, he really envied her—having a high cultivation was great; you didn’t have to fear the heat or the cold.
“Time to organize the clues.”
Mo Huaiyu took out a blank sheet of paper and began to draw.
“Among the items Sister Yuyun asked for, I found one at the Dao Inquiry Assembly. According to her, there’s another one within the territory of the Spirit Imperial Sect, but I don’t know where.”
“Based on past experience, any place with dense spiritual energy needs a thorough investigation. First up is this Trial.”
He had spent three months searching for the item at the last assembly.
He had only been at the Spirit Imperial Sect for a few days, so there was no need to panic yet.
Suddenly, the clear sky turned dark and gloomy.
“Is it going to rain?”
Mo Huaiyu looked out the window, but he quickly realized something was off.
He circulated his Yin-Yang energy into his eyes.
Through his enhanced vision, he captured a faint, extremely subtle fluctuation in the air.
A Spiritual Treasure has appeared!
Could it be the item Sister Yuyun was looking for?
“Whether it is or not, I have to check it out.”
Mo Huaiyu immediately summoned his flying treasure and transformed into a streak of light, soaring toward the source.
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