Gu Family Village.
It was the village that had been pillaged by bandits.
The entire village was in utter shambles, with cries echoing endlessly.
When Su Mo arrived, he saw a dozen strong men transporting the remains of the victims. In an open space behind the village, large pits had already been dug, evidently meant for burying the dead.
Upon stepping forward to inquire, Su Mo learned that these men were actually the village's hunting team; because they had been out hunting, they had been spared the disaster.
"Young master, you saved so many of the female residents of our Gu Family Village, and even killed all the bandits to avenge us. Such great kindness is beyond words—please accept my bow!"
Upon learning that it was Su Mo who had rescued the female residents, the hunting team leader immediately bowed respectfully toward him.
"Brother, no need for formalities. You should bury the deceased first and let them rest in peace!"
Su Mo waved his hand at the hunting team leader and said.
"Right!"
The hunting team leader nodded heavily. Without another word, he went back to transporting the fallen villagers.
Hm?
Su Mo glanced around and spotted the stunning young girl from earlier, kneeling and weeping before a corpse.
That corpse was precisely the white-haired elder he had seen before.
So she is that old man's granddaughter! Su Mo understood instantly.
Stepping forward and squatting down, Su Mo gently patted the young girl's shoulder and consoled, "The dead are gone, young lady. Please restrain your grief!"
The girl acted as though she had not heard Su Mo's words, continuing to sob softly.
"Ah!"
Su Mo sighed inwardly; life-and-death farewells were forever the most painful things in the world.
"Young master, Xi'er is an orphan, parentless since childhood and abandoned in the wilderness. It was Grandfather who picked me up and raised me."
At that moment, the girl spoke softly, her voice filled with bitterness. "Grandfather treated me as his own flesh and blood. The best things were always left for Xi'er, and he never let Xi'er suffer the slightest hardship. Now that Grandfather has met with this catastrophe, Xi'er's heart is filled with remorse."
"Why am I not a martial artist?"
"If I were a powerful martial artist, I could protect Grandfather. I could protect our village!"
"If I were a powerful martial artist, Grandfather wouldn't have died, and so many villagers wouldn't have died either!"
"..."
The girl spoke without stopping, as if addressing Su Mo and yet as if talking to herself.
Her body trembled continuously with her words, and tear-drops the size of beans kept sliding down her eyelids.
Su Mo listened quietly, remaining silent.
The law of the jungle—the strong prey upon the weak. This was the sorrow of the weak!
After a long while, the girl finally stopped sobbing.
"Young lady, you must pull yourself together. Your grandfather's spirit in heaven would not wish to see you like this." Su Mo could only offer continuous comfort.
"Young master, apologies for letting you see me make a fool of myself!"
The girl wiped the tears from her face and said with slight embarrassment.
"It's nothing. Let's first bury your grandfather and let the old man rest in peace."
Su Mo said, and immediately the two of them buried the elder behind the village together.
After burying the elder, Su Mo prepared to leave.
By then, the villagers of Gu Family Village had buried all the dead and came over once more to express their gratitude to Su Mo.
Su Mo returned all the wealth he had obtained from the bandits to them, then prepared to depart.
"Young master!"
Right at that moment, a soft call rang out. Su Mo turned to look, and it was none other than the girl in green.
"Xi'er... Xi'er wishes to follow young master. I wonder if young master would be willing to take Xi'er in?"
The girl took light steps forward, arriving before Su Mo, and bit her pearly whites hard, as if having made a certain decision.
With that, the girl's autumn-water-like eyes stared fixedly at Su Mo, as though she were terribly afraid that he would refuse.
Su Mo was stunned, not knowing why the girl would make such a request.
"Young lady, why do you wish to follow me?"
Naturally, Su Mo did not mind having a beauty willing to follow him.
However, he also had to figure out her intentions. He couldn't just happily lead her home simply because she was a beauty.
"Xi'er wishes to follow young master to practice martial arts."
The girl's slightly tender face was filled with determination. "I can tell that young master is a good person. Only by following young master will Xi'er have the chance to become strong in the future."
"Young master, rest assured, Xi'er will never be a burden to you. I can cook, wash clothes, and handle all household chores. Even if it's to be a slave or a maid, Xi'er is willing. I beg young master to take me in!"
The girl wore a pitiful expression, her large eyes brimming with anticipation. As she finished speaking, she made a move to kneel.
Su Mo extended a hand, hurriedly stopping her, and said, "Since you are willing to follow me, then come along with me! I will teach you cultivation in the future."
"Of course, if you ever wish to leave in the future, I won't stop you either."
Su Mo sighed inwardly. Though this girl looked fragile on the outside, her heart was quite strong and her resolve resolute.
"Thank you, young master!"
A rare smile finally bloomed on the girl's face, instantly as dazzling as a hundred flowers opening, making one mesmerized.
Following that, Su Mo brought the girl back to Linyang City.
The two of them did not ride horses, instead walking all the way toward Linyang City on foot.
Though the girl had not awakened her Martial Soul and was not a true martial artist, she still possessed the sixth level of Body Tempering. Walking a distance of several dozen miles posed no problem at all.
Along the way, Su Mo chatted a lot with her and gained a general understanding of the girl.
The girl was named Gu Lanxi, a very pleasant-sounding name.
She was fourteen years old and would turn fifteen two months later after the Year-End Festival, making her around the same age as Su Mo.
As evening approached, the two returned to the Su family estate.
"Goodness! Where did Su Mo dig up such a pretty girl?"
"That good-for-nothing probably knows he doesn't have long to live and is starting to show his true colors!"
"Probably! Ah, what a fine piece of cabbage let a pig root up!"
As Su Mo brought Gu Lanxi walking through the Su family mansion, the girl's peerless appearance immediately drew sideways glances from quite a few people.
Many Su family disciples muttered sourly, feeling both envious and jealous of Su Mo—though, of course, far more disdainful!
Bringing the girl back to his own courtyard, Su Mo assigned a room to her.
Su Mo's courtyard contained a total of four rooms; he lived in one himself, while the others were vacant.
"Xi'er, you can live here from now on!"
Su Mo helped the girl tidy up the room simply and prepared some daily necessities for her. "If you need anything in the future, just tell me directly."
"Mm, thank you, young master!" The girl nodded her pretty head lightly.
"As for cultivation, I'll buy you some medicinal pills when I have time so you can complete Body Tempering as soon as possible."
Su Mo continued, "Once you finish Body Tempering, I'll find a way to help you awaken your Martial Soul!"
"Mm, sorry to trouble you, young master!"
The girl felt somewhat moved in her heart, treating Su Mo with extreme respect.
"Hehe! Xi'er, you don't need to be so polite. I'm a rather casual person."
Su Mo smiled faintly and said, "In the future, don't call me young master anymore—it sounds rather awkward. Just call me by my name directly!"
"Th-this... how can that do!"
The girl hurriedly waved her hands, anxious. "Young master has shown Xi'er great kindness. How could I directly address young master by his given name! That is utter disrespect! Besides, Xi'er is now only young master's maid; I wouldn't dare address young master like that!"
Ugh!
Su Mo was speechless. This lass was far too restrained!
"Who said you were my maid? From now on, you are my younger sister—yes, my younger sister," Su Mo said earnestly.
Hearing Su Mo's words, the girl instantly widened her autumn-water-like eyes, blinking unblinkingly as she stared at Su Mo.
"What? You aren't willing?" Su Mo intentionally straightened his face and feigned anger.
"No... no, Xi'er is willing!"
The girl's face flushed red, feeling deeply moved inside.
"Hehe! Come on, call me elder brother first let me hear it." Su Mo's lips curved into a smile as he teased.
"Ugh... Brother Su Mo!"
The girl's face instantly blushed crimson. Not daring to raise her head, her voice sounded like a buzzing mosquito.
"Haha..." Su Mo laughed heartily.
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