Chapter 597 - 486: His Life Was No Longer His Own

"Enough, enough. Let’s not talk about that..." Xian Xichun waved his hand dismissively. He looked at Xiao Mo and said with a smile, "You wouldn’t be here without a reason. Go on, what brings you here today?"

"I do indeed have a favor to ask." Xiao Mo raised his cup to Xian Xichun. "Tomorrow, I will likely be entering seclusion. I don’t know how long it will last. I was wondering if you, sir, know of any desolate and remote places with abundant Spiritual Power where I won’t be discovered?"

"What’s this? Is Cold Mountain Academy not safe enough? Are you afraid someone will try to assassinate you?" Xian Xichun teased.

In response to Xian Xichun’s jest, Xiao Mo merely smiled faintly and said nothing.

Seeing Xiao Mo’s silence, Xian Xichun understood his meaning. His brows furrowed. "Did someone actually try to harm you?"

"To be honest with you, Mr. Xian, the night before last, a person in black came to my residence to assassinate me. Their Sword Technique was sharp, and every move was a killing blow..."

Xiao Mo held nothing back, recounting everything that had happened the other day down to the last detail, including the Techniques the person in black had used.

After listening, Xian Xichun fell into a thoughtful silence, unconsciously downing several more cups of wine.

After a long while, Xian Xichun put down his wine cup. "I understand. Don’t worry. I may not be very capable, but I’ll do my best to investigate this for you."

"As for the cultivation spot you mentioned, the bamboo courtyard you live in is quite good. Those bamboos are no ordinary things. They’re called Water Spirit Bamboo and have the effect of Gathering Spiritual Power. So, just cultivate there. I will personally stand guard for you."

"That would be too much trouble for you, sir..." Xiao Mo said quickly, surprised that Mr. Xian would go so far for him.

"It’s no trouble. I’ve drunk your wine today, so what’s guarding you once in return?" Xian Xichun said magnanimously, with the air of a martial hero. "It’s settled. If you refuse again, Xiao Mo, you’ll be disrespecting me, and I’ll get angry."

"This..." Seeing Mr. Xian’s earnest expression, Xiao Mo hesitated for a moment before finally standing up and bowing deeply. "Sir, I will remember the favor you’ve shown me today and will certainly repay it in the future!"

"Hahaha, it’s just a small matter of standing guard. What kind of favor is that?" Xian Xichun smoothed his sleeves and looked at Xiao Mo. "If you really want to repay me, just treat me to another round of drinks after you come out of seclusion. But speaking of which, have you told your young lady about this?"

Xiao Mo shook his head. "I haven’t told the Young Lady. I don’t want her to worry. Besides, I have a feeling about this matter..."

Xiao Mo stopped mid-sentence, closing his mouth without continuing.

"I understand." Xian Xichun nodded, grasping Xiao Mo’s meaning and marveling at his caution. "I’ll head to your place at dawn tomorrow. Don’t worry, just focus on your seclusion."

"Yes, sir..." With Mr. Xian standing guard, Xiao Mo felt a true sense of relief.

After chatting a bit more with Xian Xichun about cultivation matters, Xiao Mo rose and took his leave.

Back in the courtyard, Xian Xichun continued to drink the wine Xiao Mo had brought.

However, he began to drink faster and faster, his expression growing more and more vexed.

Finally, Xian Xichun set down his wine cup and flew toward the main peak of Cold Mountain Academy.

「...」

"Teacher!"

Arriving before Academy Director Cun Caiguang’s courtyard, Xian Xichun bowed deeply.

"Mm."

The Academy Director, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, slowly opened them.

Seeing the anger simmering in his disciple’s eyes, Academy Director Cun Caiguang smiled. "What has made you so angry?"

"The night before last, Tushan Jing Ci’s Scholar’s Attendant, Xiao Mo, was the target of an assassination. I wonder if you are aware of this, Teacher?"

Xian Xichun looked directly into his teacher’s eyes.

"I am," Cun Caiguang nodded. "If a Dragon Gate Realm Cultivator could ’sneak into’ my Cold Mountain Academy without my knowledge, I’d be a failure as an Academy Director."

"Who was behind it?" Xian Xichun asked.

"The Tushan Clan. Or, to be more precise, the Tushan Fox Race," Cun Caiguang said slowly, hiding nothing.

’So it’s true...’

His suspicions confirmed, Xian Xichun sighed inwardly.

Cold Mountain Academy was a small world unto itself, and the Academy Director was the Saint who presided over it.

Any Cultivator in the Middle Three Realms who entered Cold Mountain Academy would certainly be detected by the Director.

To say nothing of them attempting murder within the academy.

There were few families in the entire World of Ten Thousand Laws who could make the Academy Director turn a blind eye. Even the Celestial Demon Country didn’t qualify.

And Xiao Mo had no grudges or feuds with any other families.

They had no reason, nor would they dare, to make a move against him.

That being the case...

...only one family remained: the Tushan Clan...

After all, the Tushan Clan was not just Lady Tushan’s branch in Xianhu City. The other branches might not necessarily approve of Xiao Mo.

"Tushan Xinhua gave the *Great Dream of Yellow Millet* to Xiao Mo, meaning the Tushan Clan must marry their most outstanding woman to him. But how could the Tushan Clan possibly agree to that?"

Cun Caiguang sighed, knowing what his disciple was thinking.

"This young man named Xiao Mo... his fate is no longer his own."

「...」

After leaving Xian Xichun’s courtyard, Xiao Mo arrived at the young lady’s residence to see Yue Shi hanging clothes to dry in the yard.

"Sister Yue Shi," Xiao Mo greeted her.

"Xiao Mo?" Yue Shi blinked, a hint of surprise in her expression. "What are you doing here?"

"I’m going into seclusion tomorrow. I wanted to let you and the Young Lady know," Xiao Mo said with a small smile. "Is the Young Lady in the courtyard?"

"The Young Lady is—"

"Xiao Mo!"

Yue Shi was only halfway through her sentence when Tushan Jing Ci, hearing Xiao Mo’s voice, leaped out of her room like a butterfly drawn to nectar.

"Xiao Mo, what are you doing here? Is something wrong? Did you miss me?"

Tushan Jing Ci ran up to Xiao Mo, lovely and vibrant, carrying with her all the colors of spring.

"Young Lady..." Xiao Mo bowed. "I came today to tell you something."

"What is it?" Tushan Jing Ci blinked her pretty eyes.

"I’m going to begin my seclusion tomorrow," Xiao Mo explained simply.

"Eh?" Hearing his words, Tushan Jing Ci’s eyes blinked, and her expression quickly filled with disappointment. "Seclusion? Does that mean I won’t see you for a long time?"

"That’s right..." Xiao Mo nodded. "Starting tomorrow, I might not be able to accompany you to your studies, Young Lady."

"But Xiao Mo, if you’re in seclusion, who will play with me...?" Tushan Jing Ci pouted.

"The Young Lady has plenty of friends. You won’t miss me," Xiao Mo said with a smile.

Although the young lady was already sixteen, she still seemed like a little girl who would never grow up, only ever thinking about playing.

"How could I not miss you... You’re different from them..." Tushan Jing Ci mumbled, her head lowered.

Seeing her dejected look, Xiao Mo was just about to think of a way to comfort her when, in the next moment, Tushan Jing Ci seemed to have come to a realization. She looked up and stared at Xiao Mo earnestly.

"Never mind, Xiao Mo. You... you should go into seclusion. Don’t worry, even if you’re not here, I’ll definitely study hard. Maybe by the time you come out, I’ll be one of the Virtuous People."

"Mm..." Xiao Mo nodded, a little surprised that the young lady had figured it out on her own. He encouraged her, "I believe you can do it, Young Lady."

With that, Xiao Mo closed his eyes, his fingers forming a seal as he tried to divine the time of his emergence from seclusion.

The *Great Dream of Yellow Millet* contained a technique for divination, but the most difficult thing to divine was always oneself.

"Young Lady, although I don’t know when I will emerge from seclusion..."

After a long moment, Xiao Mo slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the young lady’s charming face and smiled.

"But on the day I do, how about I give you a mountain full of peach blossoms?"