"It actually blocked it... those four thousand five hundred spirit stones were well spent!"
Lin Mo shook out his slightly numb hand, secretly relieved.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, he turned and fled.
He might have a mid-grade spirit-tier magical treasure, but the gap between their cultivation levels was far too great.
If he kept fighting, he would die at Yun Fei's hands within five moves.
Now, if he escaped somewhere crowded, Yun Fei might abandon her pursuit out of fear of the Enforcement Hall.
He might be only a servant, but the First Saint Sect had explicit rules forbidding disciples from killing one another, and that included servant disciples.
At least under everyone's watchful eyes, people would exercise some restraint.
"Hahaha! Where do you think you're running?"
Yun Fei lightly tapped her toes against the ground, leaving a trail of afterimages as she chased Lin Mo.
His inferior physical abilities, combined with the gap in cultivation, worked against him.
Lin Mo had barely gotten anywhere before Yun Fei caught up, clinging to him like a maggot burrowing into bone.
"Fairy, this old man has never wronged you. Why must you do this?" Lin Mo demanded through gritted teeth, his gaze dark.
"If you must blame something, blame the fact that you're just an ant-a servant whose death no one will care about! Hahahaha!"
With that, Yun Fei formed a hand seal with her delicate hands.
Surging spiritual power, radiating a sinister chill, erupted from her body.
It then became a chain of spiritual power that wound around Lin Mo and bound him tight.
"Die in agony, in a cold as cruel as hell!" Yun Fei's eyes widened with madness, and she clenched her delicate hand.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!
The spiritual power chain, bitterly cold as profound ice, began seeping into Lin Mo's body through his pores.
However!
Unlike what Yun Fei had expected, Lin Mo's face did not gradually turn pale and cold.
Nor did he ultimately become an icy corpse radiating cold air.
The boundless yang energy constantly erupting from his pure yang sacred body neutralized every bit of the chilling spiritual power invading his body.
Yun Fei's cultivation was certainly far stronger than Lin Mo's.
But the pure yang sacred body was no pushover either!
And strictly speaking, Yun Fei's cultivation was only strong compared to Lin Mo's.
Among the First Saint Sect's many inner sect disciples, her foundation establishment middle stage cultivation...
Might not put her at the very bottom, but it was not far off.
"What?!"
Yun Fei's laughter stopped abruptly.
This shouldn't be happening.
Lin Mo was clearly only at qi refining period perfection. How could he possibly withstand her spiritual power assault?
"Truly worthy of the pure yang sacred body!"
While Yun Fei stood bewildered, Lin Mo seized that fleeting opportunity and set himself in motion again.
He used every trick at his disposal to race toward the Purple Heaven Palace.
As long as... as long as I can get back within the Purple Heaven Palace's grounds!
By the time Yun Fei recovered her senses, Lin Mo had already vanished from her sight.
But Yun Fei still refused to give up. She could follow Lin Mo's aura and pursue him all the way.
Sensing Yun Fei drawing closer from behind, Lin Mo gritted his teeth, not daring to slow his steps in the slightest.
Before long.
Lin Mo reached the First Saint Sect's Martial Arts Plaza, where many disciples had gathered.
And the Purple Heaven Palace lay just a short distance ahead!
Seeing that she had missed her best opportunity, Yun Fei could only let it go, rather than rashly continuing her pursuit.
She could catch up and forcibly kill Lin Mo, but there was no need.
If she killed someone in full view of everyone, the Enforcement Hall would have to intervene, even if the victim was only a servant.
Besides, she did not absolutely have to kill Lin Mo.
As for Zhou Ze, the client who had commissioned her, what did he matter? She thought nothing of a mere steward of the Maidservant Department.
"Hmph, you're lucky to be alive, old servant. I'll spare you this once."
After giving Lin Mo one final look, Yun Fei turned and left.
Only after confirming that Yun Fei had retreated did Lin Mo let out a long sigh of relief.
Yet he could still hear his heart pounding clearly.
After calming himself, Lin Mo left the Martial Arts Plaza as though nothing had happened.
He returned to the little wooden hut in the Purple Heaven Palace.
Earlier, he had blocked Yun Fei's lethal strike with his black saber, but the force of the impact had still injured him considerably.
Had the black saber not been a mid-grade spirit-tier magical treasure, his injuries would have been even worse.
"Well played, Zhou Ze. Very well played!"
"Don't sleep too soundly tonight!"
Lin Mo clutched his chest, a cold, murderous gleam flashing in eyes as dark as stagnant water!
He knew tonight was his only chance to kill Zhou Ze!
Once tonight had passed and Zhou Ze learned that Yun Fei had failed to kill him, silently killing Zhou Ze would become difficult.
Though injured, killing Zhou Ze, who was at the seventh level of qi refining, would still be as easy as plucking something with his fingers.
"You'll be perfect for testing my blade."
That night.
At the Maidservant Department.
"Steward Zhou, I've been in the Maidservant Department for quite some time now, and I understand a great deal of its affairs. About the deputy steward position... could you promote me?"
A middle-aged servant knelt before Zhou Ze, offering him a Storage Ring with a fawning expression.
Zhou Ze casually accepted the Storage Ring and slipped it into his pocket without drawing attention.
"Little Wang, I've looked into it. You do have the qualifications and experience to be deputy steward, but... besides you, there are several candidates with better experience and abilities..."
Zhou Ze trailed off, leaving his meaning unstated.
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged servant whom Zhou Ze called Little Wang immediately offered him another Storage Ring.
Zhou Ze accepted it without the slightest hesitation and slipped this Storage Ring into his pocket too.
"But then again, although those other candidates have better abilities and experience, they're getting on in years. Their energy has declined considerably, and they aren't quite up to the deputy steward position."
"So... barring any unexpected developments, the deputy steward position is yours."
"Thank you, Steward Zhou! Thank you, Steward Zhou!"
Little Wang thumped his chest and solemnly vowed, "As long as I become deputy steward, I'll be sure to repay your kindness in promoting me!"
Zhou Ze chuckled and patted Little Wang's shoulder. "There's no need to repay me. Just fulfill your duties properly, and sooner or later, my position will be yours."
At those words, Little Wang grew even more ecstatic, his breathing quickening.
"All right."
Zhou Ze rose. "It's getting late. I'm heading back to rest. You may leave."
After having someone escort Little Wang out.
Zhou Ze's attitude changed completely, and a mocking smile curved his lips. "I said barring any unexpected developments. If something unexpected happens, that's none of my concern. Heh."
Before you continue