On the road from the Autumn Water Pavilion to the Divine Armant Mountain.
After walking for about the ti it takes an incense stick to burn, $2he mountain gate ca into view ahead.
At that mont, a long line had ford in front of the gate.
An outer sect steward sat there, receiving and sending off disciples, with a stack of identity tokens piled in front of her.
"Elder Disciple Li."
The elderly woman greeted Li Mo with a respectful bow upon seeing him.
Though an elder disciple held no real authority within the sect, their status was undoubtedly higher than that of an outer sect steward.
Li Mo found the old woman sowhat familiar.
She had once assessed his bone structure, assigning him a "Grade C" talent.
The surrounding outer sect disciples, upon seeing the white cloud-patterned robe he wore, all gazed at him with admiration and longing.
Yet none hesitated—one by one, they handed their tokens to the steward, shouldered their bags, and walked out of the mountain gate.
"What's going on with them?" Li Mo couldn't help but ask curiously.
At this ti, it shouldn’t yet be the period for dismissing outer sect disciples.
Why were so many people lining up to surrender their tokens, as if preparing to leave the Qingyuan Sect?
"The sect trials are approaching. Since they’re called 'trials,' there’s bound to be so danger involved."
The old woman stretched out her left hand, revealing only three fingers where there should have been five.
"Ah, I see."
After a brief thought, Li Mo understood her aning.
Not everyone had the confidence to compete for a place in the inner sect.
Those who stayed would have to participate in the trials.
If they ended up disabled yet failed to enter the inner sect, being expelled later would make even daily survival difficult.
Dying during the trials wasn’t out of the question either.
"Many disciples join the sect without ever intending to enter the inner sect."
The old woman shook her head, casually stacking the newly collected tokens.
Learning so skills in the outer sect, then returning ho to open a martial arts school or beco a constable—that was already considered a fine future in the eyes of many.
Li Mo couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
The path of martial arts was like swimming against the current—most weren’t even fish fighting upstream, just grains of sand swept along by the river.
If not for the advantage he held, his own future wouldn’t have been much better.
He’d likely have returned to his hotown and, under his father’s arrangents, secured a position as a town guard captain.
Just as he was about to leave, $2othing compelled him to use his ever-active Divine Eye of Fate to examine the crowd before him.
Instantly, $2nformation about nurous individuals appeared before his eyes.
[Na: Wu Bing]
[Age: 19]
[Bone Structure: None.]
[Realm: Qi-Blood Realm, Three ridians.]
[Fate: White]
[Evaluation: Wu Bing’s martial achievents are rather unimpressive.]
[Recent Events: Recently received a letter—the third husband of Widow Wang in his village has died. Preparing to return ho to pursue love.]
......
Looking around, $2ost of the outer sect disciples voluntarily leaving the Qingyuan Sect had white or gray fates.
None held much investnt value.
Take Wu Bing, for example.
Helping him pursue Widow Wang—what reward could that possibly yield?
At best, a few strings of copper coins; at worst, so peculiar item like Widow Wang’s undergarnts...
Of course, exceptions existed.
[Na: Liu Hui]
[Age: 19]
[Bone Structure: None.]
[Realm: Qi-Blood Realm, Three ridians.]
[Fate: Black]
[Evaluation: A perennial unlucky fool.]
[Recent Events: On his way ho, fell for a honey trap. Failed to play the hero, got stabbed in the back by the woman, and was thrown into the river to feed the fish.]
......
After reading this, Li Mo let out a soft sigh.
A life was still a life.
He couldn’t bring himself to remain indifferent to all things.
Even if they were strangers, as long as no deep hatred existed, he couldn’t bear to see them die for no reason.
"Liu Hui!"
"Uh... ? Elder Disciple Li?"
Liu Hui pointed at himself, stunned that the famously fortunate Li Mo had called his na.
He racked his brain but couldn’t figure out any connection between them.
"May I ask what instructions Elder Disciple Li has for ?"
"On your way ho, do you pass by Qinghe County?"
Li Mo stepped forward and asked.
"Uh... no, I don’t..."
Liu Hui was utterly confused.
Qinghe County? That wasn’t just out of the way—it was in the opposite direction entirely.
He could’ve taken a boat downstream straight ho, but going to Qinghe County ant traveling by land.
Then sothing even more bewildering happened.
Li Mo pulled out a small gold bar, about the thickness of a thumb, from his sleeve.
"How about now?"
"Uh... yes! Absolutely on the way!"
Liu Hui wasn’t stupid—he quickly realized Elder Disciple Li wanted him to make a detour to Qinghe County.
That gold bar looked to weigh four or five taels—enough to buy a house back ho.
"Good, since it’s on the way."
"Deliver a ssage to County Captain Li Dalong in Qinghe County for ..."
"Of course, Elder Disciple. Please speak."
......
Monts later, Liu Hui happily walked off with the gold bar.
Above his head, his black fate had turned white.
His recent events now read: "Took a detour ho, t the head of Yangwei Escort Agency along the way, and beca an escort."
anwhile, a crisp voice rang in Li Mo’s ears.
[Congratulations, Host. Successful investnt—a life saved.]
[Investnt Reward: Two Years of Martial Insight.]
Though Liu Hui was no chosen one, just an ordinary face in the crowd, $2e still provided Li Mo with two years of martial insight.
"An unexpected windfall."
Li Mo’s lips curled slightly. He hadn’t expected much.
Martial insight was always welco—no amount was too much, and even a little was worth having.
Every drop filled the bucket.
And so, $2i Mo repeated the process.
Five minutes later.
[Congratulations, Host. Successful investnt—a life saved.]
[Investnt Reward: Two Years of Martial Insight.]
......
Ten minutes later.
[Congratulations, Host. Successful investnt—a life saved.]
[Investnt Reward: Two Years of Martial Insight.]
......
Half an hour later.
[Congratulations, Host. Successful investnt—a life saved.]
[Investnt Reward: Two Years of Martial Insight.]
......
Honestly, $2he world wasn’t peaceful—natural disasters and human calamities abounded. Many encountered misfortunes on their journeys ho.
One man, upon encountering a tiger, thought his newly learned Six Harmonies Fist could handle it.
He attempted a slide-tackle... and beca the tiger’s lunch.
Another stumbled into a black-market inn and ended up as filling for human at buns.
All this made Li Mo understand why his father had spent a fortune hiring escorts when he traveled to Ziyang Prefecture City.
These unlucky souls also brought Li Mo substantial gains—
eight years of martial insight in total!
With another twenty or thirty years’ worth, he might even master one of his martial arts techniques.
"People will keep leaving the sect until the trials begin."
"I can co back daily to farm these investnts."
Li Mo was in high spirits.
Thirteen days remained until the trials.
Even if fewer disciples left later, accumulating seventy or eighty years of martial insight was still possible.
Enough to elevate his core martial skills to the next level.
He scanned the crowd once more.
Hmm.
No more young n with black fates.
Satisfied, he strode toward the Divine Armant Peak.
No matter—he’d return tomorrow.
He had just asked earlier, and disciples returning ho after leaving the sect would always co to the mountain gate in the morning.
In any case, he planned to visit the Divine Armant Peak every day recently, so he would pass by this place daily.
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