Chapter 250
No wonder the demons of the southern border dared not make a move once they entered the temple.
When they reached the side room by the waterside, they found Wu Qing, Mu Rong Feng, and a familiar old monk inside. The monk who had led them there stepped forward to pay his respects.
"Son, you’re here."
"Come, greet Master Heng Yuan."
Mu Rong Xiao was taken aback.
Li Mo glanced at him and said, "Master, it's good to see you well."
"Amitabha."
The kind-eyed old monk Heng Yuan smiled in greeting.
After exchanging pleasantries, Li Mo fell silent. He had just seen Heng Yuan's recent experiences through the Tianming Divine Eye.
[After much investigation, he wished to overcome all difficulties and take Mu Rong Xiao as his disciple.]
Sure enough, Wu Qing spoke up, hoping her son would temporarily stay at the Xuankong Temple.
"But I’m already a disciple of the Qingyuan Sect," Mu Rong Xiao said, scratching his bald head as he looked at Li Mo.
"As long as the elders agree, you can join another sect as well."
"Um..."
Mu Rong Xiao showed signs of struggle.
Li Mo thought for a moment and said, "After all, Xuankong Temple is in the southern border, and you can see your parents often."
Xuankong Temple is a prestigious place, renowned for its Zen teachings, and to be fair, Mu Rong Xiao's temperament is more suited for the martial arts of the Buddhist path.
Moreover, as a half-demon, he needed the balance that Buddhist teachings could provide.
Although he might not be able to invest in Mu Rong Xiao in the future, he still hoped for a better future for his friend.
After some internal conflict, Mu Rong Xiao, having learned that Xuankong Temple allowed for returning to secular life, finally agreed.
"Let’s go."
Wu Qing seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
The couple took Mu Rong Xiao to follow Heng Yuan to the main hall of Xuankong Temple.
Coincidentally, Li Mo also wanted to use the Tianming Divine Eye to make some records before competing for the Celestial Jade.
Thus, everyone walked out of the side hall where the water tribe resided.
From time to time, monks bowed to Heng Yuan, and demons showed expressions of reverence.
As they walked, Li Mo took out a small notebook to jot down notes.
[Name: Biao Lie]
[Age: 47]
[Root Bone: A trace of Qiongqi bloodline.]
[Realm: Late Stage of Seventh Rank (Late Stage of Divine Observation).]
[Destiny: Blue]
[Evaluation: Qiongqi tribe, bloodline is still thin.]
[Recent Experience: Failed to withstand the test of ancestral true spirit upon entering the Ten Thousand Demons Tower at Xuankong Temple.]
...
[Name: Yu Miao]
...
[Name: Qiu Yu]
...
Along the way, they encountered many demons, including some with formidable innate bloodlines.
Li Mo wrote as he walked, marking those worth investing in.
"If I could get a drop of blood from these tribes, wouldn’t I be able to transform more?"
If he could turn into a Qing Luan, he could visit the bird tribe's cave heaven right now.
The desire to change was strong...
As they walked, Wu Qing suddenly paused.
"Darling, we’re here again."
"Decades have flown by in the blink of an eye."
The couple exchanged nostalgic glances.
Li Mo looked around and saw an ancient tree, its branches lush and green, like a canopy, with many colorful pouches swaying in the wind.
Many demons were trying to hang their pouches on the tree.
"This Marriage Tree looks just the same as before."
Wu Qing had made a wish at the Marriage Tree years ago, and not long after, she met Mu Rong Feng.
"Xiao Mo, why don’t you give it a try? It’s quite effective."
Mu Rong Feng turned back and took out a pouch.
"When my wife and I came to express our gratitude, the pouch she hung back then fell down. Here, take it."
Li Mo took the pouch but shook his head.
"I'm not really superstitious about these things."
...
In the dead of night.
No demons were around.
A figure slipped out from the water tribe's side hall into the darkness, arriving at the Marriage Tree, finding the place deserted, unlike the bustling scene of the day, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
With a gentle leap, he landed on the tree.
A pouch was added to the many already hanging there, blending in without drawing attention.
After completing this, the young Jiao clapped his hands in satisfaction, ready to turn and leave.
Suddenly—
A soft sound.
The pouch he had just hung fell down.
"Huh? Did I not tie it tight enough?"
Li Mo mumbled, climbing back up the tree.
After a while, he watched the pouch fall from the Marriage Tree for the third time, scratching his head in confusion.
Tying a knot didn’t work?
What a strange occurrence!
Was he unworthy?
Or was there something wrong with the Marriage Tree?
Logically, the pouch should only fall when expressing gratitude!
"Let’s try again..."
Li Mo, feeling stubborn, decided to climb the Marriage Tree using the method he had heard about.
Just halfway up, a familiar, ethereal voice came from behind:
"What... are you doing?"
---
Chapter 269: Yu Yu Whistle, Luo Socks, and the Contents of the Pouch
The moon was cool as water.
The shadows of the tree danced, softly rustling in the night breeze.
Li Mo turned at the sound and saw a figure with hands clasped behind her back, elongated by the moonlight on the clean floor of the temple.
She stood quietly in the ancient temple under the cold moon, her gaze lowered, adding a touch of ethereal beauty to the serene place, making even the nearby Bodhisattva seem dim in comparison.
"The pouch fell down, and I wanted to hang it back up."
Li Mo quickly tied a knot in the pouch, ensuring it wouldn’t come loose before jumping down.
"What’s inside the pouch?"
"If I say it, will it lose its effectiveness?"
The normally skeptical Li Mo pondered for a moment after jumping down from the tree, then asked seriously.
"....."
Ying Bing parted her lips slightly, her gaze fixed on the pouch swaying on the branch, as if trying to see through it.
She had intended to say how could a tree determine a person's fate.
But then she recalled the countless warnings from the Qing Luan woman when leaving their territory, insisting that no one should know the contents of the pouch...
"Alright then."
Ying Bing decided not to ask further. She gracefully floated up to the treetop and hung her own pouch alongside it.
Her movements were swift, and she soon returned to the ground.
Then she saw the young man gazing up at the pouch, his eyes filled with longing.
"You hung it..."
"If I say it, it won’t work."
Ying Bing spoke softly, and even without seeing the curve of her lips, one could hear the teasing tone in her voice.
"......Fine." Li Mo sat down.
"......" Ying Bing sat beside him.
The two sat together, gazing at the moon, just like many nights before.
If any passing demons saw them, they would surely drop their jaws in shock.
The once fierce Qing Luan goddess and the unparalleled Tian Jiao were sitting together, enjoying the moonlight as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"You’ve improved a lot, Bing Tuozi."
Li Mo looked at the girl, the haze in his eyes dissipating, becoming clear.
The Tianming Divine Eye had said so.
Bing Tuozi's progress in Divine Observation was even faster than his.
"Yeah."
"What have you been doing in the southern border?"
So, Ying Bing began to recount her experiences since coming to the southern border, starting with the time she had skinned a Peng demon.
In summary, it was quite simple.
Observing divine intent and slaying demons.
"Is that all you’ve done?"
Li Mo was taken aback; Bing Tuozi was as diligent as Princess Jiang, no wonder.
Speaking of which, Princess Jiang even had a hobby of picking up trash.
"Um..."
Ying Bing absentmindedly stroked the big-headed doll.
Does daydreaming count as doing something?
"By the way, what about you?"
She raised her gaze, her moonlit eyes seeming to see into the depths of his heart.
"Unparalleled Tian Jiao?"
"....."
Li Mo suddenly felt a bit warm.
Strange, summer had clearly passed!
"Well, you know, the water tribe is quite open-minded when it comes to choosing partners."
"Yeah."
"During the water tribe's selection, I thought I should make a good impression to qualify for Xuankong Temple."
"And then?"
"I don’t know who spread the rumor that I have true dragon blood, and it just escalated from there, leading many water tribe girls to come and offer me gifts."
Ying Bing frowned slightly.
She didn’t know how to describe this feeling.
Just the image of Li Mo surrounded by a group of female demons made her hand itch to reach for her sword...
"The traditions of the demon tribe are quite strange; accepting gifts means consent."
"So I didn’t accept a single gift."
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