"I asked you to just guide me. Why are you following me?" Xu Mo asked as he glanced at the female disciple he had scared earlier, now walking beside him.

"I was the only girl in a team full of boys. Plus, my luck was so good that all four of them had a not-so-good reputation in the sect. Over the past three days, they had been eyeing me like hungry beasts. If not today, they would have surely acted someday and taken advantage of me," the girl spoke in a calm tone, as if she were talking about someone else's misfortune rather than her own.

It had already been three days. Xu Mo was a little disappointed that he had lost out on three whole days.

"I asked why you're following me, not for your life story," Xu Mo said in an irritated tone. Though he knew the girl walking alongside him was attractive, so what? Were Saintess, Xue Lingxi and Mei Xueyin any less beautiful than her?

"I thought traveling together would be better than traveling alone, right?"

"Anyway, which sect are you from?" she asked.

"Hidden Dragon Sect," Xu Mo answered truthfully, as there was no reason to hide it. "And you?"

"Verdant Sky Hall," the girl said with a hint of pride and arrogance. She thought the old man would start flattering her or at least treat her better, but what she received in return was a simple, "Oh, that place."

She stopped and looked at him, but Xu Mo continued walking.

Seeing that Xu Mo did not even stop to look back at her or ask why she had halted, she kicked the ground in anger and briskly walked toward Xu Mo's back.

"Don't look at me like that, child. I'm not your lover. I'm old enough to be your grandfather, so don't expect any fawning behavior from me," Xu Mo said casually.

The girl blushed and looked away. Xu Mo compared his height to hers and thought that he had grown taller, though he now looked much older.

"I'm called Shui Qingyi. What's your name?"

"Xu Mo."

"Why didn't you knock me out too?"

"Because you showed care, even if in your own way."

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"How old is your grandson?" Shui Qingyi suddenly asked. Xu Mo almost stumbled over his steps.

"Why are you suddenly bringing him up? I tell you, if you want revenge, take it out on me inside the secret realm, but don't you dare target my grandson," Xu Mo acted like he was consumed by fury, his face turning red, while his now-long hair moved wildly in the air.

"Calm down, Old Man Xu. I was just asking casually," Shui Qingyi said, trying to ease the tension. She had only wanted to keep the conversation flowing, as the mood had become awkward earlier. Though Old Man Xu was old enough, he lacked the elders' ability from her Verdant Sky Hall to keep a conversation going naturally.

"Please don't ask questions like that so suddenly. I'm a little overprotective when it comes to my grandson," Xu Mo apologized.

"But are we really heading in the right direction?" Xu Mo couldn't help but ask, seeing no signs of human activity along their path, only dried blood stains.

"Don't worry. For others, the secret realm might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but for us Verdant Sky Hall disciples, it's merely a training ground. Records state that this secret realm was left behind by the founder of Verdant Sky Hall before he vanished. The elders of our sect who have no descendants often leave their inheritances inside," Shui Qingyi explained.

'Oh, so that's why?' Xu Mo had an enlightened look on his face.

"According to my information, if we walk for one more hour, we'll come across one of the inheritances left behind by a Supreme Elder of Verdant Sky Hall," Shui Qingyi pointed straight ahead.

"Supreme Elder? That sounds really powerful and dangerous. Looks like this is as far as we'll go. It was nice meeting you. Hope to never meet you again," Xu Mo said quickly, but his arm was grabbed by a soft, warm hand. Xu Mo could have forcefully broken away, but he worried it might hurt her—and he was also concerned she might cause a scene once they exited the secret realm. Verdant Sky Hall was a behemoth in this region; they could act however they wanted.

"Old Man Xu, where are you going? At least look at the inheritance ground from a distance. Who knows, you might even obtain some leaks," Shui Qingyi said, trying to persuade him.

Xu Mo pressed lightly over Shui Qingyi's soft and small hand, gently freeing his arm, and said, "Shui Qingyi, you are still young. But you see me—this old man has lived till now because he has been cautious his entire life. Youngsters like you die young chasing material wealth. I wouldn't say you are wrong, but after getting married, having children, watching them marry and have children of their own, and then witnessing the deaths of my own children, I came to realize that real wealth doesn't come from treasures or strength. Your real wealth is the relationships you build, the time you invest in them. Seeing them spread their wings and soar is the best feeling ever."

"And it's better to give up on some things like treasures than to live a life consumed by guilt after seeing the strength and might of an inheritance you shouldn't have touched."

With that, Xu Mo dashed away to the right.

His instincts had long been screaming at him, warning that Shui Qingyi was up to no good. Someone who could abandon her fellow sect disciples in the wild, where they were defenseless for fifteen whole minutes, was obviously not pure and innocent.

And also, the way she kept trying to get close—it was suspicious. If he were still young, he might have fallen for her, but now, in his old age, even he himself didn't like his appearance. How could anyone else?

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