Mu Li’s Condition

The conversation drew to a close. With the fate of the Lingxu Scabbard settled, Shao Qingnü and her entourage had no further reason to linger. The grand competition against the Sword Sect was only a month away, and she needed to return to the pavilion to oversee the final preparations.

As an outer disciple, the competition had little to do with Hou Xingyue. So, when he requested permission to remain in the capital for a while, Shao Qingnü granted it without even asking for a reason. This left Hou Xingyue unable to brag about the fact that he was about to receive personal guidance from “Boss Lin.”

Di Yao, of course, was visibly sullen. The thought of a beautiful young girl living under the same roof as her Master—sharing moments, exchanging glances—made her skin crawl with unease. Even if she trusted her Master to maintain his moral compass, the mental imagery was unpleasant. If not for the fact that Mu Li seemed so young and possessed a mere Level 3 cultivation, the Empress might have found an excuse to “teach” her a lesson then and there.

Watching them exchange final pleasantries outside, Lin Shao finally allowed himself a heavy sigh of relief. The weight of those admiring and grateful gazes had been so suffocating he’d barely dared to breathe. He realized now he had completely ridden Mu Li’s coattails, inadvertently cementing his reputation as an omniscient scholar.

Why didn’t Shao Qingnü ask how I knew those secrets after I took credit for Mu Li’s info? Lin Shao wondered briefly. Forget it. No point stressing over things I can’t explain.

As the guests departed one by one, only Hou Xingyue remained. He approached Lin Shao with a face full of profound gratitude and bowed deeply. “Thank you, Boss Lin. Thank you for looking out for the Young Miss and respecting her wishes.”

Lin Shao, unable to reveal the truth, maintained his casual, enigmatic smile. “I didn’t have Mu Li advise the Sect Master just to satisfy Miss Li’s wishes. It was simply to ensure the highest success rate for the extraction.”

“Even so, you secured the Young Miss’s safety. I must thank you regardless.” Hou Xingyue remained bent at a ninety-degree angle, refusing to straighten up.

“Don’t be so formal.” Lin Shao tapped the desk, gesturing for him to stand. “Compared to Li Zhuwen, I’m more interested in you. Remember your promise: no regrets. I hope you can live up to that.”

Hou Xingyue nodded vigorously. “Don’t worry, Boss Lin! I will do everything in my power to get close to her and pursue her. I don’t care if I succeed; I only care that I leave nothing unsaid!”

“Well, you should probably try to succeed while you’re at it.” Lin Shao winked. “In fact, your opportunity has already arrived. You need to grab it.”

Hou Xingyue looked puzzled. “What opportunity?”

“The fact that Li Zhuwen is removing the scabbard after the Assembly is a secret known to only six people in the world. You are one of them. Do you get it?”

Hou Xingyue shook his head. “No.”

Lin Shao sighed in exasperation. “Secrets bring people closer! Use this secret as a bridge to strengthen your bond. Invite her out privately under the guise of discussing the scabbard. Spend time with her, communicate, show her your charm, and nurture those feelings bit by bit.”

Hou Xingyue let out a long “Oh” of realization, but then his shoulders slumped. “But I’m not knowledgeable like you, Boss. Even if I get her alone, I won’t know what to say. And I don’t really have any ‘charm’ to show off.”

“You have to dig that up yourself; you can’t rely on me for everything,” Lin Shao said, patting him on the shoulder. “But I will teach you which social ‘landmines’ to avoid when chasing a girl.”

Hou Xingyue nodded repeatedly. With “Senior Lin” as his mentor, the fear and insecurity that had plagued him for years began to melt away.

“Good. Now, your first task: go buy some dinner.” Lin Shao pulled out a heavy pouch of silver and handed it to him.

“Right away, Boss! I’ll be back!” Hou Xingyue took off running, disappearing down the street in a flash.

Lin Shao nodded contentedly. Having an assistant is fantastic. I finally understand why wealthy landlords wanted so many servants. The thought of not having to clear the table or wash dishes after dinner made his smile even brighter.

“Still smiling? What do you plan to do when Xingyue asks you for cultivation methods in a few days?”

Mu Li had appeared beside him silently, poking his cheek three times with a cold finger.

“Cultivation methods? What’s there to teach? Wake up early, sleep late, and work ten times harder than everyone else,” Lin Shao said, leaning back in his chair with his feet on the desk.

Mu Li sat down beside him, her expression blank. In a detached voice, she explained the brutal reality: the exponential gap between Innate Spirit Meridians and cultivation efficiency. She detailed how even ten times the effort wouldn’t allow someone like Hou Xingyue to catch up to an average practitioner.

Lin Shao’s smile slowly stiffened. The swaying of his chair stopped. He took his feet off the desk, sat up straight, and turned to Mu Li.

Then, he went into full “help me” mode.

“Help me, Dora-Li! What do I do? I thought a few meridians could be compensated for with hard work! Why is the gap so massive?!”

The corner of Mu Li’s mouth quirked into a cold smirk. “What happened to that grand ambition of ‘leaving no regrets’?”

“I was wrong! I should definitely leave some regrets! Wait, no, I already have regrets!” Lin Shao grabbed Mu Li’s shoulders and shook her gently. “Knowledgeable Mu Li, you know everything about the Lingxu Sword, so you must know a ‘correct’ way to boost efficiency! I’ll agree to anything, just help me out!”

“Anything? You said it.” Mu Li’s speech pattern quickened slightly. “If you promise me one thing, I will teach him a suitable cultivation method in your name.”

Lin Shao was genuinely surprised. Since they had met, Mu Li had always been quiet and detached, seemingly indifferent to the world. This was the first time she had ever asked for something. It was a rare occasion!

“Are you the real Mu Li? You’re not a doppelganger, are you?” Lin Shao recoiled, crossing his arms over his chest in a defensive posture.

Mu Li remained silent until Lin Shao leaned back in. “My request is simple: Do not let Hou Xingyue live here.” She added, “I can even pay for his stay at an inn.”

Lin Shao expected a Herculean task, but this was surprisingly simple—yet incredibly strange.

“Why would I let you pay? I’ll handle it… wait, why should we pay? Doesn’t he have his own savings?” Lin Shao hesitated, deciding he could at least front the money for the boy. “But why can’t he stay here? We have plenty of empty rooms on the second floor.”

Lin Shao took Mu Li’s cold hands in his to warm them, looking at her with confusion.

Mu Li didn’t pull her hands away. She simply said, “Do not ask for the reason.”

Lin Shao nodded. He trusted her; if Mu Li said it, he would do it. After a moment of silence, he asked curiously, “Can you tell me a bit about the method you’re going to teach him?”

Mu Li nodded. “This method isn’t suitable for you, so I can only give you the gist of it.”