Su Mo opened his mouth, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. So this so-called ‘predestined relationship’ was actually about ‘money’ – the Taoist master was afraid he would skip out on the bill.
Seeing that Su Mo wasn’t immediately reaching for his wallet, the Taoist master promptly picked up a payment QR code plaque nearby and showed him the back: “Whoever doesn’t pay is a dog.”
Su Mo said helplessly, “Taoist Master, I wasn’t planning on running off without paying.”
The Taoist master snorted. “Hearts are separated by ribs; who can truly know another’s mind?”
“Forced” to scan the code, Su Mo asked, “How much, Taoist Master?”
“We don’t speak of ‘money’; we speak of ‘yuan’.”
“Uh, then how many yuan?”
“You decide the amount.”
In this world, the things without fixed prices are the most expensive.
For the poor, a few thousand might require a month of hard labor. For the rich, tossing out a few million with a wave of the hand is no issue at all.
Su Mo inwardly acknowledged the master’s cleverness.
“Let’s be clear upfront, the ‘yuan’ I mean isn’t the kind meaning ’round’.”
“Uh, to be honest, I hadn’t even thought of that.”
He transferred all the money from his WeChat wallet and showed the remaining balance: “Taoist Master, see? Four ’rounds’, plus one decimal point.”
The corner of the Taoist master’s mouth twitched. Looking at the tens of thousands that had arrived in his account, he smiled with satisfaction.
Just as he was about to leave, Su Mo stopped him. “Taoist Master, I gave you an extra decimal point. Would it be too much to ask for a few chicken legs in return?”
The Taoist master stumbled slightly in his step. He glanced reluctantly at the chicken legs in his hand, then said resolutely, “Fine! Take them!”
Su Mo originally wanted to ask how he had seen through his true identity, but the master acted as if he hadn’t heard, leaving without a backward glance.
Su Mo wondered if he had annoyed him.
Chanting a poem, the Taoist master gradually disappeared into the distance, his voice carried to Su Mo’s ears by the breeze:
“Hard it was to see each other, harder still to part,
The east wind is too weak to revive flowers dead.
The silkworm’s threads until its death are spun,
The candle sheds its tears until it’s dry.”
Su Mo pondered quietly but couldn’t quite grasp the Taoist master’s intention in reciting this particular poem.
“You should remember the Taoist master’s words clearly; they might come in handy later,” Ye Qingyu reminded him.
“You seem to really admire him?”
“Of course. If not for his guidance, I wouldn’t have the strength I possess today.”
Outsiders only knew Ye Qingyu was powerful, unaware that she too had once received instruction from a master, assuming it was all her own comprehension.
Su Mo still had some questions for Ye Qingyu, for instance, about cultivating the Snow Mountain realm. But before he could speak, he saw Ye Qingyu’s face flush red, her entire aura becoming unstable.
“Sis, you… are you breaking through?”
Back when Ye Qingyu fought Satō Iichi, Japan’s number one master, she had gained some insight but hadn’t crossed that final threshold. Unexpectedly, she now experienced another epiphany here on Guatai Mountain.
“Guard me!” Ye Qingyu instructed briefly, immediately taking her seat on the Spirit Attraction Platform.
Heaven and earth suddenly changed color. Fierce winds and thunderbolts abruptly appeared.
The phenomenon of the energy sea and snow mountains within Ye Qingyu’s body was spectacular. Six snow mountains arranged themselves in a hexagram formation, resonating distantly with the sea of consciousness in her mind.
Su Mo was certain that Ye Qingyu’s snow mountains didn’t contain the seven corporeal souls. It was just that the snow mountains themselves contained spiritual power, similar to everyone else.
He stood guard, simultaneously observing and seeking comprehension from the process.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning descended from the sky, enveloping Ye Qingyu. The massive arc of energy stirred a wave of heat that sent Su Mo flying back dozens of meters, nearly throwing him off the mountain cliff.
“Whoa, so intense! There’s even a lightning tribulation!”
But he wasn’t overly worried. If someone with Ye Qingyu’s talent and strength couldn’t break through to the Heaven-Man Unity realm, then this realm might as well be just for show.
When the lightning faded, Ye Qingyu had vanished from her spot. Su Mo looked up and saw her soaring through the air.
Bodily flight – true Heaven-Man Unity!
By the time she landed, she had already changed her clothes.
“Huh, so breaking through to the Heaven-Man Unity realm comes with a free skin change?” Su Mo exclaimed in surprise.
Ye Qingyu rolled her eyes at him. “I spent a lot of money on this, it’s hardly free.”
The reality was: Ye Qingyu got struck by lightning, her clothes burned to ashes. To avoid exposure, she had to quickly fly up and change into a new set mid-air.
Su Mo naturally knew this; he was just making a joke to lighten the mood and avoid awkwardness.
Unlike Su Mo’s breakthrough to the Snow Mountain realm, which took a full month, Ye Qingyu’s breakthrough to Heaven-Man Unity only took a few minutes. An observer might mistakenly think the Snow Mountain realm was more impressive.
The phenomena persisted for over half an hour before completely subsiding. Ye Qingyu was also left with a balance of four zeros and a decimal point.
She had come to Guatai Mountain with the intention of gaining insight and breaking through, so now her goal was accomplished.
“What are your plans? Should I take you directly to the Elite Camp?” Ye Qingyu asked Su Mo.
“Can I still go?”
“Of course. You have the entire Xia Kingdom backing you. Given Xia’s international standing, slipping one person in is easy, not to mention you already qualify to participate.”
A sense of pride rose in Su Mo’s heart. “That’s good.”
But he replied, “Well, I’m already a month late. A little longer won’t matter. I still have some things to take care of here. I’ll head over after I’m done.”
Ye Qingyu nodded. “That makes sense. It’s fine as long as you have your own plans. Remember to go to the capital first when you’re ready. Without the proof Elder Nangong provides, they won’t acknowledge you.”
“What about you?” Su Mo asked. “So I can let Qingyi know.”
After some thought, Ye Qingyu replied, “First, I’ll go to the ancient tomb to settle matters there completely. Then I’ll go abroad to test my skills, and also seek out the hidden masters around the world to spar with them.”
Her answer was domineering, and Su Mo felt a surge of admiration for her.
If this were a Jin Yong novel, she’d totally be a chivalrous heroine.
Before leaving, Ye Qingyu didn’t forget to advise Su Mo: “Although you are indeed excellent, the Elite Camp gathers young geniuses from all over the world. There are plenty who are just like you.”
Su Mo expected her to say things like “lay low, don’t stand out,” or “know your place, don’t cause trouble,” but instead, she said something startling:
“Don’t ever pass up the chance to spar with them. Remember, the stronger you get, the harder it is to find a decent opponent. Cherish this time when you’re weaker than them, otherwise, you’ll be lonely later.”
What a line – ‘otherwise, you’ll be lonely later.’
Su Mo solemnly promised that he would seize the opportunity to challenge everyone in the Elite Camp stronger than himself, and keep fighting them until he became stronger than them all.
Ye Qingyu showed a gratified smile.
“Treat Qingyi well. She really likes you. Don’t let her be bullied. And you too, don’t be afraid of causing trouble. If anything happens, I’ll handle it.” Ye Qingyu patted Su Mo’s shoulder, speaking earnestly, just like an older sister would to her brother. “After all, all those times you called me ‘sis’ weren’t for nothing. I’ll consider you another little brother.”
A wave of warmth spread through Su Mo’s heart. It felt good to have someone watching his back.