Guo Zhao

"Spirit-Suppressing Cover."

Shen Mo took a transparent, dome-shaped object from his robes.

True to its name, the primary function of this artifact was to isolate and contain the leakage of spiritual energy.

"As expected, the effect is quite good; it was well worth the two Spirit Stones I spent!"

He placed the Spirit-Suppressing Cover over the table, sealing the Purple Sun Vermilion Fruit within the spirit soil tightly beneath it.

Before long, the spiritual energy that had been continuously leaking out dissipated without a trace.

"With this, I can leave with peace of mind."

A smile played on Shen Mo's face as he murmured to himself.

River-Facing Sect, mountain gate plaza.

Following the agreed-upon time, Shen Mo arrived at the edge of the Weapon Forging Hall.

"Not bad, you aren't late."

When Chen Mengze saw Shen Mo arrive, a faint smile appeared on her face.

"Let me introduce you."

She gestured toward the burly, honest-looking man standing beside her and said, "This is Senior Brother Guo Zhao, an inner sect disciple just like me."

"His background is far from simple; he hails from a prominent clan, and his younger brother, Guo Xun, is a personal disciple of our River-Facing Sect. We owe it entirely to Senior Brother Guo's influence that we were able to secure this mission to guard the mining area."

"Greetings, Senior Brother Guo."

Hearing this, Shen Mo hurriedly cupped his hands in a respectful salute.

However, upon seeing him, Guo Zhao did not return the gesture. Instead, he looked toward Chen Mengze with a bewildered expression. "Wasn't it supposed to be... just the two of us? Why—"

"My apologies, Senior Brother Guo, I forgot to tell you in advance."

"This is Junior Brother Shen Mo, a close friend of mine. His late parents did my father a great favor, so my father asked me to look after him. I thought this mission would be a perfect opportunity, so I invited him along on my own initiative."

Chen Mengze explained.

"But..."

Guo Zhao's face clouded with difficulty upon hearing this. "The reward for guarding the mining area is only enough for two people. How are we to split it among three?"

"Senior Brother Guo, please rest assured. Since I am the one who invited him, I will naturally be the one to provide his compensation."

"Guarding the mining area for a month yields one hundred Spirit Stones. We shall split that as agreed. As for your share, you will not lose a single thing."

Chen Mengze spoke with earnest sincerity.

After hearing Chen Mengze's airtight response, Guo Zhao felt no sense of relief; instead, he felt increasingly frustrated, unable to voice his grievances.

A month ago, he had met Chen Mengze in Cloud Sky City and fallen for her at first sight.

He had specifically asked his younger brother, who held a prestigious position within the River-Facing Sect, to help him secure this mission.

Inviting her along was meant to create an opportunity for them to be alone, a chance to foster their budding relationship.

The sudden addition of a third person would undoubtedly cause his original plans to fall completely through.

"Adding someone without consulting you was indeed abrupt of me."

Seeing the troubled look on Guo Zhao's face, Chen Mengze fixed her beautiful eyes upon him and said earnestly, "If Senior Brother Guo is unwilling, then let us forget about this mining mission."

"I will take him to train elsewhere instead."

"It's not abrupt, not abrupt at all. One more person is fine."

Hearing that Chen Mengze might not go if he refused to let Shen Mo accompany them, Guo Zhao had no choice but to quickly insist it was no trouble.

Three people together was still better than Chen Mengze not going at all.

"Then many thanks, Senior Brother Guo."

Chen Mengze gave a sweet smile.

Listening to this exchange, Shen Mo finally caught on to the situation.

It turned out that Chen Mengze hadn't invited him out of a desire to bestow a favor.

She had brought him along to act as a third wheel!

Although Guo Zhao hadn't stated it explicitly, Shen Mo could see his intentions clearly.

He could also see that Chen Mengze had no romantic interest in Guo Zhao.

Guo Zhao arranged this mission to get close to her, and while she doesn't want to be alone with him, she doesn't want to give up such a lucrative reward.

So, she thought of me. By inviting me along, she solves her own awkwardness.

In a flash of insight, a series of realizations clicked into place.

Though he couldn't verify it, Shen Mo felt his guess was likely spot on.

No wonder the mission was so good—she was pushing me into the line of fire!

If he is a jealous person, wouldn't he come to hate me because of this? Shen Mo thought to himself.

He had heard that Senior Brother Guo had a powerful background; if he were to be hated by him, he would likely face great trouble.

Thinking of this, Shen Mo's heart immediately grew uneasy.

"You must be Junior Brother Shen, right? For the next two months, we will be eating and living together in the mining area, so let's look out for one another."

Fortunately, this Senior Brother Guo did not seem like the type of overbearing second-generation heir; he smiled at him, his words kind and gentle.

"Yes, please look after me as well, Senior Brother Guo."

Shen Mo nodded, his inner anxiety settling slightly.

The three of them exchanged a few words before Guo Zhao led the way, heading toward the Mystic Crystal Mining Area.

As one of the major sects of the Red Flame Kingdom, the River-Facing Sect possessed vast industries scattered across various regions.

The Mystic Crystal Mining Area that Shen Mo and the others were heading to was one of them.

This mining area was located more than two hundred miles south of the sect, situated along the banks of the Lancang River.

"Stand steady, and don't fall off."

Chen Mengze summoned her flying sword, taking Shen Mo along to travel by sword.

After reaching the Qi Gathering Realm, one could fly for short periods, but cultivators at this stage often needed the assistance of an object.

Once they reached the Spirit Sea Realm, they could traverse the void without external aids.

Shen Mo had yet to break through the Qi Gathering Realm, so he had no choice but to ride with Chen Mengze.

During his first flight, Shen Mo looked at the mist beneath his feet and the mountains and rivers below, feeling quite nervous.

"It truly is... magnificent."

When they flew to a great height and looked down at the earth, all things in heaven and earth seemed to be captured within his view.

This scenery fascinated Shen Mo, making the journey not seem dull at all.

After about an hour, the group arrived at their destination.

This speed was nearly twice as fast as when he used a Lightness Talisman and traveled at full speed with the Thunderbolt Quickstep.

The group stepped off the flying sword and walked to the entrance of the mining area.

Here, there was a cave dwelling specifically provided for those stationed to guard the site.

"Senior Brothers, it is time for the shift change."

Guo Zhao walked to the front of the cave dwelling and sent out a spiritual sense.

Before long, two River-Facing Sect disciples who had previously been on guard duty walked out.

"This is the sect token; please take a look, Senior Brothers."

He handed over the token representing their assignment by the sect.

The two inner-sect senior brothers checked it briefly, confirmed it was correct, and quickly completed the handover.

"The two-month term has arrived, and we are to return to the sect."

"From today on, the duties of patrolling and guarding will be carried out by these three."

"You all take note: if you encounter trouble while mining, you may come to the cave dwelling to find them."

They gathered the miners and gave their instructions.

"We will remember."

The miners nodded repeatedly, indicating they had taken note.

Most of the miners in the Mystic Crystal Mine were members of collateral branches of cultivation families affiliated with the River-Facing Sect.

They spent their entire years mining in the Mystic Crystal Mine, contributing their blood, sweat, and labor to the River-Facing Sect.

It was grueling work; they never saw the sun, and because the interior of the mine was rich in iron energy, long-term exposure could lead to a shortened lifespan and various illnesses.

If they were unlucky enough to encounter an Illusionary Stone Spirit within the mine tunnels and the guarding immortal master could not arrive in time to rescue them, losing their lives on the spot was a common occurrence.