"Elder, you can check the contents inside the storage ring. Even I was surprised to find it on his finger," Xu Mo explained calmly, his expression innocent and sincere. "It must have been a close fight. I think the opponent was injured badly enough to not bother searching the body."

Aggh—

Xu Mo's wrist was still gripped tightly by the elder who had lost his son. The man's eyes were bloodshot with grief and fury, still condemning Xu Mo as his son's murderer. Just as the elder's grip tightened, another hand appeared—Long Bai's.

With a firm grasp, Long Bai clenched the elder's wrist.

Crack—

"Ugh—!" The elder gasped in pain and instinctively released Xu Mo. Long Bai had come dangerously close to breaking the old man's bones.

"Disciple Xu Mo," a calm, authoritative voice interrupted the tense scene. A female elder, her lap supporting the lifeless body of Dong Min'er, looked up at Xu Mo with sharp eyes. "Tell me. What motive did you have in bringing us our disciples' dead bodies?"

Her tone was cold, her gaze piercing. The other elders leaned in, waiting for his response.

"I just did what I thought was right," Xu Mo said evenly. "I still feel guilty…"

The moment the word guilty left his lips, nearly every elder narrowed their eyes. Even those who hadn't blamed him before now looked at him with suspicion. Xu Mo continued, his voice steady and emotionless—as if he were merely stating facts.

"…that I couldn't bring more of them back. I had no hidden motives. You're free to inspect my body if needed—I didn't take anything from the deceased. I simply did what I could in that moment. No one owes me anything. I brought them back because… someone is waiting for them. Family. Friends. Lovers. Even if it's just their corpses, their loved ones deserve the chance to say goodbye."

His words were simple, yet they carried the weight of sincerity. Xu Mo didn't embellish or dramatize. As the son of a humble herb specialist who dedicated his life to saving people, Xu Mo had inherited that same compassionate heart.

Some of the elders who had moments ago hurled accusations now felt a heavy lump rise in their throats. They struggled to swallow their emotions, their ancient hearts trembling with guilt. The elder who had grabbed Xu Mo's wrist earlier finally laid his son's body down on the ground. Rising slowly, he stepped toward Xu Mo.

Long Bai moved to block him, but the elder raised his hand.

"I am the elder of the Stone Origin Sect," the man said solemnly. "First… I apologize for my earlier outburst. Second, I thank you for bringing my son's body back. If you hadn't… I don't know how I would've faced his mother. She might have died from the grief."

The elder bowed deeply, placing a fist to his chest in solemn gratitude.

Xu Mo did not interrupt him. He understood that this wasn't about pride—it was about closure.

Stolen story; please report.

Seeing one elder break form, others followed. They stepped forward to express thanks, some even offering Xu Mo treasures—artifacts, pills, and spiritual stones. Xu Mo, however, politely declined each of them.

"I appreciate your goodwill," he said, "but I don't need these things. I can earn them myself in the future."

The rest of the elders turned back to the pile of bodies, searching for familiar faces, hoping not to find the ones they feared. Some sighed in relief when they didn't find their disciples among the dead. Others, however, felt a knot tighten in their chests.

They recalled Xu Mo's words: I feel guilty for not being able to save more.

If they imagined the worst-case scenario, it meant their disciples might already be dead—beyond the point of rescue. It had once been easy to accept loss in war as inevitable, but after seeing elders cry like grieving parents, it no longer felt so simple.

Suddenly, a voice shouted from outside the Verdant Sky Hall encirclement.

"Disciple Xu Mo! I'll pay you 100 Mid-Grade Spiritual Stones if you go back and search for the disciples from my sect!"

The offer created a ripple, and more voices joined in. One after another, elders from different sects shouted out bids.

"I'll give 200!"

"500 for each body you bring back!"

"Ten thousand Mid-Grade Spiritual Stones! I just want my daughter—dead or alive!"

"SHUT UP!" Qin Jian's roar silenced the entire area. His aura exploded outward, pressing on the elders like a mountain crashing down. The rowdy crowd fell instantly quiet, like petals wilting beneath a storm.

"The Scarlet Realm is owned by Verdant Sky Hall, not the Hidden Dragon Sect," Qin Jian said coldly. "Instead of asking us, you're making decisions as if we don't matter."

Xu Mo caught the subtle undertone. Was Qin Jian implying that a portion of the reward would go to Verdant Sky Hall in exchange for allowing him back in?

Before any elder could respond, Xu Mo stepped forward.

"Wait!" he said loudly. "I won't be going back into the secret realm. Nor will I accept money for saving disciples."

The elders looked stunned.

"I did what I thought was right," Xu Mo continued. "If you start offering money for acts of kindness, it'll cheapen the meaning. It'll make my heart indifferent to the dead, and worse… it'll give birth to greed."

He bowed slightly.

"I won't take on any requests. But if you truly wish to offer payment, I suggest you make it an official mission and offer it through the Verdant Sky Hall. Let other disciples take it up when they exit the realm."

Long Bai stood silently, a proud gleam in his eyes. This child… truly has a strong heart.

He had considered interrupting earlier. Xu Mo was young, and it wouldn't have been surprising if he had faltered under the pressure of so many powerful elders offering him riches. But Xu Mo had surpassed his expectations. Now Long Bai was certain—the sect's future was in safe hands.

Still, the danger had increased. Long Bai made a silent vow to assign more protection to Xu Mo as soon as they returned. Someone might grow envious of Xu Mo's virtue. And in the cultivation world, kindness could easily become a reason for others to see you as a threat.

"Tch—"

Long Bai smirked, flashing a smug glance at Qin Jian—just subtle enough to be noticed.

Qin Jian clicked his tongue in frustration. He had been thinking of ways to squeeze some personal gain from the situation, but Xu Mo's righteousness shut that door firmly. Still, even he couldn't help but feel a bit soothed.

Someone still selfless in this chaotic world… must've grown up in a greenhouse, he thought.

But he was wrong.

Xu Mo's silence, his composure, his strength—it didn't come from a sheltered upbringing. It came from enduring loss, making hard choices, and learning when to speak and when to stay quiet.

Ding—

[Merit Earned!!]

[Merit: 49 / 10,000]

Xu Mo's gaze landed on the number 10,000.

Is the system asking me to continue doing good deeds? But why?

A new message flashed.

[Merit—A type of reward from the World Will. The more you have, the more disasters you can avoid... (Unlock full description after upgrading the system)]

It was vague—just like Mei Xueyin's description in the system had been.

But Xu Mo didn't mind. Anything that helped him avoid the "protagonist" was more than welcome.

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