Investing in Those Returning Home, Insights Accumulated Bit by Bit

On the road from Autumn Water Pavilion to Divine Weapon Mountain.

After walking for about the time it took an incense stick to burn.

The mountain gate could already be seen up ahead.

At this moment, a long line had actually formed before the mountain gate.

An outer sect steward was sitting there, receiving people as they came and went, with a pile of identity waist tokens stacked in front of her.

"Disciple Li."

When the old woman saw Li Mo, she took the initiative to bow.

Although true disciples held no real authority within the sect, in terms of status, they were naturally above outer sect stewards.

Li Mo found this old woman somewhat familiar as well.

That day, she had even felt his bones for him and determined that he had third-grade talent.

The surrounding outer sect disciples who had come to hand in their waist tokens all showed envy and yearning when they saw the white cloud-patterned robe he wore.

Yet no one hesitated. One by one, they handed their waist tokens to the old woman, shouldered their bags, and walked out through the mountain gate.

"What are they doing?"

Li Mo could not help being curious.

Right now, it should not yet be time to dismiss outer sect disciples.

Why were so many people lining up to hand in their waist tokens, looking as if they were about to leave Clear Abyss Sect?

"Because the sect trial is near. Since it is called a trial, it naturally carries a certain degree of danger."

The old woman stretched out her left hand. Of the five fingers spread open, only three remained.

"So that's how it is."

Li Mo thought for a moment and understood what the old woman meant.

Not everyone had the confidence to fight for a place in the inner sect.

If they stayed, they would have to participate in the sect trial.

If they were left crippled and still failed to enter the inner sect, then after being dismissed from the sect in the end, even making a living in the future would become a problem.

Dying in the trial was not impossible either.

"After many people enter the sect, they never think about entering the inner sect at all."

The old woman shook her head and casually put away the waist token she had just received.

Learning some skills in the outer sect, then returning to one's hometown to open a martial arts hall, or perhaps becoming a constable—this was already an excellent future in many people's eyes.

Li Mo could not help feeling moved.

The martial path was a river flowing against the current. Most people could not even be counted as fish swimming upstream; they were merely grains of sand swept along by the river.

If he had not had a cheat in hand, his future probably would not have been much better.

He would likely have returned to the county, and under his old man's arrangements, muddled his way into becoming a city guard captain or the like.

He was just about to leave.

Yet as if possessed by ghosts and spirits, he still used the Heavenly Mandate Divine Eye, which had been open all along, to size up the people before him one by one.

In an instant.

Information on many people appeared before his eyes.

[Name: Wu Bing]

[Age: 19]

[Root Bone: None.]

[Realm: Blood-Qi Realm, Three Meridians.]

[Heavenly Mandate: White]

[Evaluation: Bing's martial arts grades are not very ideal.]

[Recent Encounter: Recently received a letter saying that Widow Wang's third husband at the village entrance has died, and is preparing to return home to pursue love.]

Looking around.

Among this batch of outer sect disciples who had voluntarily left Clear Abyss Sect, most had Heavenly Mandates that were white or gray.

There was basically no investment value to speak of either.

Take this Wu Bing, for example.

If he helped him pursue Widow Wang, what reward would he get in the end?

If it was bad, it would be a few strings of copper coins. If it was good, perhaps a special item would appear, such as Widow Wang's dudou...

Of course, there were exceptions to everything.

[Name: Liu Hui]
[Age: 19]
[Root Bone: None.]
[Realm: Blood-Qi Realm, Three Meridians.]
[Heavenly Fate: Black]
[Evaluation: An old wronged soul of a poor unlucky bastard.]
[Recent Encounter: On his way back to his hometown, he ran into a honey trap. He failed to play the hero rescuing the beauty, was instead stabbed in the back by the woman, then thrown into the river to feed the fish.]

After Li Mo finished reading, he gave a soft sigh.

At least it was a life.

He admitted to himself that he could not look coldly on all things beneath heaven.

Even if it was someone unrelated to him, as long as there was no deep blood feud between them, he was unwilling to watch the other party die without rhyme or reason.

"Liu Hui!"

"Uh... hm? Disciple Li?"

Liu Hui froze for a moment and pointed at himself, seemingly unable to believe that this Disciple Li, who had risen to the heavens in a single step, had called out his name.

Even if he racked his brains until they broke, he could not figure out what connection he had with the other party.

"May I ask Disciple Li what instructions you have?"

"When you return to your hometown, will you happen to pass through Qinghe County?"

Li Mo stepped forward and asked.

"Uh... I won't pass by..."

Liu Hui said, utterly baffled.

Qinghe County? That was more than just not on the way; it was practically crooked all the way to his grandmother's house.

He originally could take the water route, drifting downstream straight back home. If he went to Qinghe County, he could only travel overland.

Yet what happened next left him even more stupefied.

Li Mo actually took out a small gold bar as thick as a thumb from his sleeve.

"What about now?"

"Uh... it's on the way, on the way!"

Liu Hui was not stupid, and he quickly reacted.

Disciple Li had something he wanted him to go to Qinghe County for.

That small gold bar looked to be four or five taels at least, enough to buy a house once he returned home.

"Mm, as long as it's on the way."

"Help me bring a message to Li Dalong, the county lieutenant of Qinghe County..."

"Please speak, Disciple."

A moment later, Liu Hui left with the small gold bar, overjoyed.

Above his head, the black Heavenly Fate had abruptly turned white again.

His Recent Encounter had also become: "Took a detour on the way home, met the escort chief of Yangwei Escort Agency midway, and became an escort."

And beside Li Mo's ear, a crisp voice also rang out.

[Congratulations, host. Investment successful. You have saved a life.]

[Investment Return: Two years of martial dao comprehension.]

Although Liu Hui was not some person of Heavenly Fate, merely one of the most ordinary masses.

He still brought Li Mo two years of martial dao comprehension.

"This can be counted as an unexpected joy."

The corners of Li Mo's mouth lifted slightly. In truth, he had not thought that much about it.

For something as good as martial dao comprehension, no amount was too much, and no amount was too little to take.

A little here and a little there made a lot, after all.

And so.

Li Mo began doing the same thing.

Five minutes later.

[Congratulations, host. Investment successful. You have saved a life.]

[Investment Feedback: Two Years of Martial Dao Insight.]

Ten minutes later.

[Congratulations, Host. Investment successful. You saved a life.]

[Investment Feedback: Two Years of Martial Dao Insight.]

Half an hour later.

[Congratulations, Host. Investment successful. You saved a life.]

[Investment Feedback: Two Years of Martial Dao Insight.]

Well, really.

This world could hardly be called peaceful. Natural disasters and man-made calamities both existed, and there were truly quite a few people who ran into accidents on the road home.

Some ran into fierce tigers and thought that, having just practiced Six Harmonies Fist, how could they possibly swallow that insult?

Then their sliding tackle failed, and they became a meal on a platter.

Some ran into black inns and were turned into human-meat buns.

In short, it made Li Mo understand why, when he had come to Purple Sun Prefecture City, his old man had spent a fortune hiring an escort agency to guard him.

These unlucky bastards had also let Li Mo reap a rich harvest.

Eight years of Martial Dao insight had entered his account!

If he got another twenty or thirty years of Martial Dao insight, he might even be able to push some martial art to perfection.

"Before the sect trial, people will keep leaving the sect."

"I can come take a look every day and farm a wave of investments on schedule."

Li Mo was in an excellent mood.

There were still thirteen days until the sect trial.

Even if fewer and fewer people left the sect later on, he still had a chance to get seventy or eighty years of Martial Dao insight.

That would be enough to raise the few martial arts he relied on for self-protection to another level.

Li Mo scanned the crowd again.

There were no more young fellows whose destined fate had turned black.

He set off in satisfaction, walking toward Divine Weapon Peak.

But that was fine. He would come again tomorrow.

He had just asked around. Disciples leaving the sect to return home would all come to the mountain gate in the morning.

In any case, he had recently planned to go to Divine Weapon Peak every day, and he would pass by here daily.