Born into a farming family, Lin Mo had never been likely to harbor lofty ambitions, such as sweeping aside every enemy beneath heaven, or holding the world's power while awake and lying drunk in a beauty's lap.
His greatest dream had once been to gain a firm foothold in the sect and let his family enjoy a comfortable life. If he could work his way up to steward or elder and live a sweet little life, that would have been perfect.
Now that he possessed the precious gourd, Lin Mo truly had a chance of realizing that dream-and a very good chance at that.
But things were different now.
He realized that he was already utterly different from everyone else. His dreams needed to reach further, his ambitions needed to grow, and in the end, it all came down to one word: strength.
He needed formidable cultivation. Only then would everyone stop mocking him.
The sect assessment arrived as scheduled. Already an outer sect disciple, Lin Mo felt not the slightest ripple of emotion. He simply had his cultivation checked and passed.
During their first year, outer sect disciples were exempt from the contribution points required by the sect. This gave newly promoted outer sect disciples time to find a path that suited them.
Liu Xianzong stood before Lin Mo, the corners of his mouth twitching nonstop. Eventually, he handed his identity token to a disciple of the Sect Affairs Hall. Watching them deduct a large sum of contribution points, he trembled all over with heartache.
The sect assessment was as lively as ever. Some blockhead had only thought to bribe an examiner that very day, only to be caught on the spot by the Discipline Hall, stripped of his cultivation, and thrown out through the sect gates.
Quite a few others fell into traps set by Discipline Hall disciples and lost both their spirit stones and their cultivation. Others were swindled out of their spirit stones and could only grit their teeth until they shattered and swallow the pieces.
Of course, once the assessment was over, life became much more peaceful.
"Chamber Pot Boy, there still aren't any new servant disciples to replace you. Why not take my advice and keep doing the job? As your senior brother, I could give you a tip-one spirit stone a year. Hahaha!"
Seeing Lin Mo and Liu Xianzong emerge from the Sect Affairs Hall, Li Yibo sauntered over and spoke.
"You've got hands and feet of your own. Can't you empty it yourself? Does the sect keep people like you around just so you can trample on others?"
As usual, Lin Mo pretended not to hear. But Liu Xianzong was clearly in a foul mood today and immediately let loose.
Li Yibo and the others did not dare do anything to Liu Xianzong. Suddenly subjected to a blistering tongue-lashing from the usually good-natured man, they froze for a moment before slinking away in embarrassment.
Lin Mo smiled at Liu Xianzong and said, "Senior Brother Liu, you're usually so refined. I never imagined you could curse like that."
Only then did Liu Xianzong stop. Helplessly, he said,
"I came from a farming family. I heard plenty of village women cursing in the streets back then. It's just that we all belong to the same sect, so I've been a little more polite."
"But if someone comes looking for trouble, they can't blame me for leaving my mouth without a gatekeeper..."
"Honestly, Senior Brother Liu, just let them talk. Your little brother won't take such trifles to heart. What concerns me most right now is improving my cultivation."
Lin Mo had no desire to bother with those people.
Just as he had said, until he had the strength to protect himself, he had to keep his head down.
A few barbs from others did not hurt or itch anyway. Once his cultivation rose, he could repay this grudge with interest.
There was no point in making himself sick with anger.
Normally, Liu Xianzong would not have reacted so fiercely. But today, paying the sect's contribution points had been like carving flesh from his body, and he was in a thoroughly rotten mood.
"You're right. Take one step back, and the sea and sky open wide; endure for a moment, and the wind and waves fall still. Come on, your senior brother will show you a bit of the world."
Seeing that Lin Mo did not seem upset, Liu Xianzong returned to his usual self. He put an arm around him and led him toward a remote area.
Inexperienced in worldly affairs, Lin Mo initially wondered whether Liu Xianzong was taking him for a stroll through those legendary lanes of flowers and willows. He even felt a little bashful.
As they walked, they gradually left the sect grounds, and the people around them grew sparse.
After a little under an hour, they entered a secluded valley, and suddenly there were people everywhere again.
These people, however, all looked rather furtive. Some even wore masks, looking as though they were up to no good.
Only a handful showed their true faces and strode about openly.
"Junior Brother, have you been here before?"
Liu Xianzong asked as he watched Lin Mo cover his face with his sleeve.
What a joke. How could an upright gentleman like me possibly come here... where would I get the money to visit a place like this?
Eager for his first taste of a woman, Lin Mo had yet to realize he had guessed the destination wrong. He shook his head and whispered, "I saw everyone else doing it, so I copied them."
"Senior Brother, where exactly are you taking me?"
That was a case of asking a question whose answer he thought he already knew.
Liu Xianzong looked rather pleased with himself.
"The Black Market!"
The Black Market?!
Not a brothel?
Lin Mo's expression went blank, then embarrassment washed over him.
So he had gotten the wrong idea.
Luckily, he had not said much on the way. If Senior Brother Liu learned what he had really been thinking, who knew how long he would laugh at him?
Busy concealing his own face, Liu Xianzong did not notice Lin Mo's expression. He continued, "The sect charges too many contribution points to exchange for cultivation resources, so many people trade in secret. Over time, this Black Market took shape."
"It's become a trading place everyone knows about. But people still cover their faces when they come, if only to show a little respect for the name 'Black Market.'"
The emergence of the Black Market was bound to affect the sect's interests.
But the law could not punish everyone, and the sect also had to consider its disciples' needs. So it kept one eye open and the other shut. As long as things did not go too far, the higher-ups could not be bothered to interfere.
Besides, many merchants in the Black Market had the sect's backing, and it earned a fair amount from them too.
"Whatever you want to buy or sell, you can do it here. But you still need to watch out for swindlers."
"A disciple like you-young, with low cultivation and little backing-is no different from a fat sheep in their eyes."
Lin Mo wholeheartedly agreed with Liu Xianzong's words.
"I just want to buy some spirit spring water and see what it tastes like."
Lin Mo spoke softly.
At that, Liu Xianzong discreetly pointed toward a person nearby whose entire body was shrouded in a black robe.
The person had set out a chair and sat beneath a banner bearing the words "Buy and Sell." Compared with the other merchants running street stalls, the setup seemed rather out of place, yet it occupied the best spot. One glance was enough to tell that this was no ordinary figure.
"Ever since this person appeared, nothing they've sold has been fake. Supposedly, even plenty of inner sect disciples buy things here, and the prices are fairly reasonable. Once you've saved enough money, you can come on your own."
"This time, we're just here to show you where it is."
As they walked, Liu Xianzong explained the ins and outs of the Black Market to Lin Mo.
Lin Mo, meanwhile, was rather interested in the black-robed figure and glanced over from time to time.
When he looked up again, his gaze happened to meet a pair of eyes shimmering with pale blue light.
The black-robed figure seemed to smile at Lin Mo, then lowered their head again and continued discussing something with the disciple before them.
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