Lin Mo froze, unable to adjust to the situation for a moment.
He seriously suspected that Zhou Ze had gotten his head caught in a door before leaving home today.
This wasn't right!
Although Zhou Ze sounded utterly sincere and had even backed his words with action.
Lin Mo still didn't believe Zhou Ze would lower himself to reconcile with him.
There was no other reason.
This was the First Saint Sect, a demonic sect that devoured people without even spitting out their bones!
If this had been an immortal sect, Lin Mo might have believed him.
Lin Mo placed the additional three hundred spirit stones Zhou Ze had pressed on him onto the table and looked him straight in the eye. "Steward Zhou, neither of us is new here. Neither can fool the other, so why not speak plainly? What do you want?"
"Hehe, what I want is very simple, Brother Lin Mo."
Zhou Ze said solemnly, "I have no intention of targeting you, nor do I bear you any ill will. Please don't report me again, Brother Lin Mo."
"Also, you'll remain in charge of the menial duties at the Purple Heaven Palace. As long as you're alive, no one will be able to take your position."
"Brother Lin Mo, what do you think...?"
Lin Mo stroked his beard leisurely, sinking into thought.
If Zhou Ze was worried about being reported, then his behavior today was barely plausible.
People were selfish creatures, after all.
How many spirit stones was loyalty worth in the First Saint Sect?
Still, Lin Mo hadn't lowered his guard against Zhou Ze.
Perhaps Zhou Ze had simply sensed that Lin Mo's cultivation had surpassed his own and chosen to reconcile.
If he were still that useless second-level Qi Refining cultivator from before, there was no question whether Zhou Ze would go after him.
No matter how many thousands of words one spoke, fists were the only truth in this world.
"If I can have some peace and quiet, I don't want to throw the Maidservant Department into a frenzy of squawking chickens and leaping dogs either."
Lin Mo accepted the three hundred spirit stones in compensation, then continued, "As for the female servants, there's no need to send them over. Convert them into spirit stones for me instead. Going by the Drunken Immortal Pavilion's rates for the Qi Refining Period, I'll settle for a thousand spirit stones."
At those words, Zhou Ze's face instantly darkened.
A thousand spirit stones could buy him over a hundred female servants!
Lin Mo knew exactly what sort of women the Maidservant Department had, and so did Zhou Ze.
The women who ended up in the Maidservant Department were not only hopeless at cultivation, but entirely ordinary in looks and figure too.
Even without any talent for cultivation, anyone with outstanding looks and bearing would have been taken home by the First Saint Sect's higher-ups to serve as a maid.
Seeing Zhou Ze's face turn so gloomy it could practically drip water, Lin Mo chuckled. "Steward Zhou, it's only a thousand spirit stones. Other servants might not be able to afford it, but it shouldn't be much for you, right?"
Zhou Ze's eyelid twitched violently. A thousand spirit stones wasn't much?
With a thousand spirit stones, I could hire a Golden Core Period assassin!
Why don't you just rob me?
But considering that Lin Mo spent most of his time in this little wooden hut, Zhou Ze could only abandon that idea.
Although Lin Mo was merely a servant, at least...
No one in the entire First Saint Sect dared cause trouble at the Purple Heaven Palace.
"N-no, it isn't much."
Gritting his teeth, Zhou Ze could only take out another thousand spirit stones and hand them to Lin Mo.
His heart was bleeding!
He could accept spending eight hundred spirit stones to reconcile with Lin Mo, but eighteen hundred... that was undoubtedly carving flesh from his body!
Yet Zhou Ze had few other options.
If he wanted to remain comfortably in his position as steward of the Maidservant Department, Lin Mo was a volatile element he couldn't afford to ignore.
Otherwise, Zhou Ze wouldn't even be able to sleep peacefully at night.
Having accepted the spirit stones with complete satisfaction, Lin Mo said with a beaming smile, "Steward Zhou, you're truly a brother to me. I've had faith in you since I was little."
"With generosity and a heart as vast as the sea that embraces a hundred rivers, it's only right that you became steward of the Maidservant Department!"
Listening to Lin Mo's extravagant flattery, Zhou Ze felt no pleasure whatsoever. Instead, he felt as awful as if he had swallowed shit!
Who was this fake flattery supposed to fool, a three-year-old?
But he couldn't show it. He could only force a smile. "You're too kind, Brother Lin. I won't disturb you any longer, then."
"There's plenty waiting for me to deal with back at the Maidservant Department."
Having said that.
Zhou Ze stood up and left immediately, without waiting for Lin Mo's reply.
If he stayed any longer, he feared Lin Mo would strip him down to his underpants before letting him leave!
"Take care, Brother Zhou. This old man won't see you out."
Lin Mo's cheerful farewell rang out behind him.
Zhou Ze, who hadn't gone far yet, stumbled and nearly fell flat on level ground in his fury.
Fortunately, the servant disciple accompanying him caught him in time, or he would certainly have landed face-first like a dog eating mud.
You're all giggles, but I'm damn well not!
Inside the wooden hut.
"Zhou Ze really is a talent."
Lin Mo chuckled to himself.
He had thought dealing with Zhou Ze would take some effort, but things had gone more smoothly than expected.
This way, at least for the time being, he wouldn't have to worry about Zhou Ze coming after him again.
And by the time Zhou Ze wanted to come after him.
In Lin Mo's eyes, Zhou Ze would truly be no different from an ant.
More importantly, Zhou Ze had even delivered eighteen hundred spirit stones.
Lin Mo almost wanted to award him the title of "Timely Rain."
"With that, the Maidservant Department's business is settled. I can go collect my spirit stones from that she-devil."
"But before that..."
He recalled the last things Liu Ziyan had said when she summoned him previously.
Lin Mo decided it would be better to visit the Jade Purity Pool and wash himself before going to the Purple Heaven Palace.
He certainly couldn't smell whether his own body stank, but to be safe and avoid Liu Ziyan having some kind of fit when he arrived.
It would be wiser to follow her instructions and wash at the Jade Purity Pool.
It wouldn't cost more than a few spirit stones anyway.
The Purple Heaven Palace.
An artificial lake wreathed in an ethereal immortal aura.
Liu Ziyan sat beside the wooden bridge leading to the pavilion at the center of the lake. Her snow-white, jade-like feet soaked in the water, gently stirring its crystal-clear surface. She looked utterly at ease.
Su Yu approached slowly with demure, graceful steps and said respectfully, "Master, I have good news for you. I've broken through to Foundation Establishment Perfection!"
"Mm."
Liu Ziyan merely gave a slight nod, her emotions seemingly barely stirring.
Su Yu's eyes shifted, and she continued, "Master, don't you think it's time to let me practice a more advanced cultivation method? If I wait until I break through to the Golden Core Period before switching methods, it might delay my cultivation progress."
"Indeed."
Liu Ziyan asked, "The sect has no shortage of advanced cultivation methods. Is there one you have your eye on?"
"Master, there is indeed a cultivation method I have my eye on, but..."
Su Yu hesitated, seemingly finding it difficult to say.
"But what? Speak plainly." Liu Ziyan had no desire to guess what Su Yu was thinking and asked her directly.
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