Morning.
Lin Yuhe was waiting quietly outside Shen Mu’s room early in the morning.
When the click of the door opening sounded and Shen Mu stepped out, she approached and asked, “Senior Brother, where are you headed next?”
Seeing her curious expression, Shen Mu sighed lightly, walking as he spoke…
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you—the places I’m going to next are quite dangerous.”
“For cultivators at our level, one misstep could mean death.”
“If you insist on following me, I won’t be able to save you if something goes wrong.”
He was giving her a heads-up, hoping she’d back off and not follow him into such risks.
After all, some areas required pushing physical limits to barely pass through, with no room for error!
“I know all that…”
Lin Yuhe matched Shen Mu’s pace, walking beside him. “Don’t worry, I’m not about to hand my life over to you to look after.”
As the prized genius of the Lin family, she had people secretly protecting her once she left the sect.
So, she wasn’t too worried about her safety.
“Do as you please…”
Shen Mu didn’t want to waste more words on her.
Words teach a hundred times to no avail; experience teaches once and hits home.
He’d said what he needed to and done what he could. If something happened to her later, it wouldn’t be his fault.
Huangtian City.
Lin Family.
A middle-aged man in a purple-gold spiritual robe was flipping through a military strategy book, listening to a subordinate’s report.
“Family Head, the young miss has taken a teleportation array to Shenyang City with that Qi Refining cultivator named Shen Mu today.”
“Hm.”
The man’s expression remained calm, responding lightly as if accustomed to such reports.
“What’s the Luo family’s stance?”
“Family Head, the Luo Family Head is still taking a wait-and-see approach, unwilling to get involved in the dynasty’s disputes.”
“Wait-and-see… unwilling to get involved…”
The man’s fingers tightened, snap! closing the book as he exhaled softly.
“…You may leave.”
“Yes.”
With that, the reporting subordinate silently vanished into the void.
“Sigh…” The man let out a powerless sigh, tossing the book onto the desk.
“What a bunch of cunning foxes, all steering clear of the dynasty’s muddy waters…”
“Could it really come to using that weapon in the end…?”
He sighed again, a complex glint flashing in his eyes.
“Senior Brother, if I remember correctly, Fire Infant Fruits often appear in the auction houses of major cities, right?”
“Yes, such spiritual fruits have a good chance of showing up at auctions, but haven’t you considered the price?”
In a city under a blazing sun, just a thousand miles from the Gobi Desert, Shen Mu walked side by side with Lin Yuhe, exasperated by her question.
If he had the resources to bid on treasures starting at a hundred thousand spirit stones, would he need to go adventuring everywhere?
“Price?”
Lin Yuhe frowned, thinking hard. “Fourth-grade or higher Fire Infant Fruits…”
“Start at a minimum of 120,000 high-grade spirit stones, with no upper limit.” Seeing her forgetful expression, Shen Mu stated flatly.
Lin Yuhe’s lips twitched upon hearing the starting price. “That… expensive?”
120,000 high-grade spirit stones was nearly half a year’s spirit stone consumption for the Lin family.
“For cultivators with fire spirit roots, consuming a first-grade Fire Infant Fruit during a breakthrough increases the success rate of forming a perfect Nascent Soul by fifty percent.”
“Do you think something with that kind of effect would be cheap?”
“…”
Lin Yuhe fell silent, unable to argue.
Such treasures, critical for Nascent Soul breakthroughs, were fiercely contested by major clans and sects.
After all, in mid-tier forces, aside from those skilled in specialized crafts like alchemy, artifact refining, or array formation, only Nascent Soul cultivators had any real influence.
“This lady ordered extra spicy dishes! Is your restaurant even listening?!”
Bang!
With a sharp shout, a portly middle-aged man in ornate robes crashed through the restaurant wall, flying out from a high floor…
And landed heavily five steps away from the two!
Then, a figure in a vibrant red dress followed, landing with a thud on the man’s stomach!
The man cried out, “Argh!” in pain, blood trickling from his mouth, feeling as if his organs and Golden Core were about to shatter.
“Sir… that was… already our spiciest spiritual pepper…”
“Any hotter… and even average cultivators would explode and die…”
The man gasped out an explanation, his face pale.
“Hmph! This lady isn’t some average cultivator.”
The surrounding crowd gathered, eager to see what was happening.
However, the black-haired, single-ponytailed girl’s golden eyes glared, scolding the onlookers, “What are you looking at?! Keep staring, and I’ll gouge your eyes out!”
The crowd exchanged glances, whispering among themselves.
“This little girl looks young, but she’s got quite a temper.”
“Her cultivation’s probably around Golden Core. Isn’t she too arrogant?”
“Let’s go, let’s go. This has nothing to do with us.”
“Yeah, flat-chested, no figure, and a fiery temper—she’ll probably never find a partner.”
“Exactly…”
“…”
The onlookers chattered, most dispersing with varied expressions.
Some, as they left, cast disdainful glances at the girl’s flat figure.
“(▼ヘ▼#)”
The girl’s hearing was sharp, catching the fading complaints about her figure. She gritted her teeth, her face darkening, as a tangible red pressure began emanating from her.
“Keep talking, and I’ll cut out your tongues!” she growled, her voice thick with anger.
The oppressive aura made the onlookers’ hearts tremble, instilling a natural fear of a superior, and their murmurs gradually faded.
“Let’s go, stop watching.”
Shen Mu nudged Lin Yuhe’s arm, reminding her gossip-loving soul, and moved to bypass the thinning crowd…
“Stop!”
The girl’s voice rang out again, leaving the crowd confused.
Shen Mu paused briefly, thinking she might not be addressing him, and didn’t pay much mind.
“You in the black clothes—if you take one more step, I’ll make you feel what it’s like to have your legs off the ground.”
Shen Mu froze, his eyes blinking rapidly, slowly turning to face the unified stares directed at him…
“…”
Come on, man…
I’m just a passerby…
I didn’t say anything derogatory…
How did I get targeted?!