No sooner had Qin Xun instructed Yan’er to dispose of the bodies in the courtyard than another visitor arrived—this time, an ally.
“Elder Qin, Elder Nangong sent us to bring them to you,” the messenger explained before departing, leaving only Su Mo and Yang Jie behind.
Su Mo had already regained consciousness after eating a red fruit, which restored much of his stamina. He fed another to Yang Jie.
Perhaps due to the influence of his second Qihai, he felt his recovery speed after using the Mountain-Sea Fist was several times faster than before.
As for its power—well, earning praise from an A-rank expert spoke for itself.
Qin Xun wasted no time on small talk. Instead, he motioned for Yan’er to fetch something from inside. She hesitated briefly but complied.
Moments later, she returned carrying a box. Qin Xun opened it—inside lay a snow lotus.
Su Mo’s eyes widened in recognition. His heart skipped a beat. Wait… her?! The one who stole my snow lotus?!
He hadn’t noticed earlier, too preoccupied with Yang Jie’s condition.
Qin Xun plucked the petals one by one, feeding them to Yang Jie as he spoke. “Yan’er originally picked this to help restore my cultivation, but I doubted it would work. So I kept it. Never thought it’d come in handy like this.”
Su Mo stayed silent.
Seeing the snow lotus used on an ally—especially Yang Jie—didn’t upset him. If anything, he felt relieved.
If no one had taken it from me back then, Yang Jie might not have survived these injuries.
Almost immediately after consuming the snow lotus, Yang Jie’s burned skin began frosting over.
“Fitting, isn’t it? This particular snow lotus specializes in treating burns,” Qin Xun mused before turning to Su Mo. “In other words, you saved him.”
“N-no, it was you who saved Commander Yang. I just…” Su Mo glanced at Yan’er, who smiled back at him.
…Fine. Since the lotus saved Yang Jie, I’ll let it slide.
(｀ω´)
Ten minutes passed, yet the frost on Yang Jie’s body showed no signs of melting.
“Seems he’ll need more time to recover,” Qin Xun said. He had Yan’er fetch a portable pavilion to shield Yang Jie from the wind.
Once everything was settled, Qin Xun studied Su Mo with appreciation. “He never formally took you as a disciple, did he?”
Su Mo: “Commander Yang taught me like one. Titles don’t matter.”
“So that’s a no.” Qin Xun’s face brightened. “Then what about me? Care to become my disciple?”
“Huh?” Su Mo blinked, momentarily stunned.
Yan’er couldn’t hide her envy. “Elder Qin is offering to take you as his student. Hurry and bow!”
After a moment’s consideration, Su Mo dropped to his knees. “Disciple Ye Qingyi pays respects to Master!”
Qin Xun’s aged face crinkled with joy. “Up, up!”
As Su Mo stood, his eyes met Yan’er’s. Both quickly looked away.
“Funny coincidence—Yang Jie is also my disciple. That makes him your eldest martial brother,” Qin Xun said, stroking his beard. “Back then, he stood out just like you, unmatched among his peers.”
Su Mo suddenly understood. No wonder Yang Jie used the Four Spirits Sword Array against Smith!
(Though this means I can’t call Zhang Yuelu ‘martial aunt’ anymore…)
“I really didn’t see that coming,” Su Mo admitted.
“Few know about it. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have faced so much exclusion,” Qin Xun said. “Ah, right—our sect’s tradition requires exchanging gifts upon master-disciple bonding. What will you give me?”
Su Mo froze. “Uh… Can I have some time to think?”
Qin Xun laughed heartily. “Of course!”
He then removed the octagonal mirror hanging from his neck and handed it to Su Mo. “This is a Four-Star artifact—top-tier among non-rule-based magical tools. It lets you disguise your face as anyone you imagine.”
“Seriously?” Su Mo held the mirror up, picturing his original appearance.
Instantly, his reflection morphed. He touched his face in disbelief—even the stubble felt real.
“Change your voice, and this thing’s perfect for infiltration!”
But when he looked up, Qin Xun and Yan’er were staring oddly at him.
“This young man your boyfriend?” Qin Xun asked curiously. “Gotta say, facial-feature-wise, you two match.”
Su Mo hastily reverted, embarrassed. “Apologies, Master…”
“No need. I won’t laugh—” He immediately burst into laughter.
Su Mo: “…”
“What’s got Elder Qin in such high spirits?” Nangong Xuan’s voice sounded from the courtyard gate. Having regained his usual pristine appearance, he now wore a stylish trench coat.
The moment he entered and saw the mirror in Su Mo’s hand, realization dawned. “Ah, a new disciple. No wonder.”
Yan’er gaped at Nangong Xuan, shocked, but Qin Xun remained unfazed—as if he’d known the man wasn’t dead. “Thanks to Elder Nangong’s generosity.”
Nangong Xuan smiled without elaborating.
Knowing his purpose, Qin Xun preemptively took out a spirit stone—one far more exquisite than any Su Mo had seen before. Its spiritual energy was both incredibly pure and vast; even a wisp could sustain a low-rank cultivator for months.
Su Mo’s mind flashed with a term: Supreme-Grade Spirit Stone!
Indeed, this was an exceedingly rare treasure. Qin Xun had engraved it with a spatial teleportation array, linking it to another stone elsewhere. A priceless artifact of the Big Dipper Sect, he’d named it:
Wormhole.
Nangong Xuan had come for it. As he accepted the stone, Qin Xun stopped him. “Take my new disciple with you. Youngsters need experience.”
Nangong Xuan paused. “Very well.”
Su Mo frowned. “Where are we going?”
“The Ancient Tomb.”
“The Ancient Tomb?!” Su Mo’s heart clenched. That’s where Ye Qingyu is right now!
“Correct. To help your sister kill people,” Nangong Xuan said flatly.
Su Mo’s mind raced. The tomb must be under attack—and the timing suggests the Elder Council’s involvement. Otherwise, none of this makes sense.
And if Nangong Xuan is going personally… this isn’t just a small raid. Someone big—like Smith—must be there.