After returning, Lin Mo immediately began studying and practicing the Breath-Concealing Art.
The Breath-Concealing Art was relatively low-grade, and it was hardly a profound technique.
Lin Mo mastered it completely in just four hours.
I'll keep my aura at the foundation establishment early stage for now. I went out just now, and there's no telling who might have sensed me.
If someone realizes I've deliberately concealed my true cultivation...
Wouldn't that mean he had practiced the Breath-Concealing Art for nothing?
Gathering his thoughts, Lin Mo entered the Purple Heaven Palace and began cleaning.
He had put off the chores in the Purple Heaven Palace for quite some time. If Liu Ziyan suddenly came storming back...
And discovered he still hadn't cleaned the Purple Heaven Palace, that she-devil would probably fly into another fit.
"What the hell?"
When he reached the study in the Purple Heaven Palace, a red figure like a blood moon startled Lin Mo so badly that his whole body jolted!
"Oh... little slave, am I that frightening?"
Seated on the study's cushioned couch was none other than Hong Yue, Grand Elder of the First Saint Sect's Elder Council.
Steadying himself, Lin Mo dropped to both knees and said respectfully, "This old slave greets the Grand Elder!"
He had never dealt with Grand Elder Hong Yue before, so it was best to behave himself and pay his respects.
"Rise, little slave."
Hong Yue fixed her seductive gaze on Lin Mo and asked, "Do you know why I'm here?"
Lin Mo shook his head. "This old slave does not know. Please enlighten me, Grand Elder."
"All right~ I wasn't expecting you to be particularly clever anyway."
Before getting down to business, Hong Yue made sure to take a jab at Lin Mo. "Answer me this: have you been cultivating the Yang Volume of the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art?"
Lin Mo froze for a moment.
He distinctly remembered that this was his first face-to-face encounter with Grand Elder Hong Yue since mastering the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art.
How did she even know what cultivation art he practiced?
But... since Hong Yue had already brought it up, Lin Mo knew there was no point denying it.
So he answered honestly, "Grand Elder, as you said, this old slave has indeed been cultivating the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art."
"Just as I expected."
"Honestly, there are so many exceptionally gifted male cultivators in the sect. I really don't understand why the Sect Leader insisted on having a little slave like you cultivate the Yang Scroll."
"Still, from the look of things, you haven't disgraced the illustrious name of the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art."
"Uh..."
Lin Mo was momentarily speechless, unsure what Grand Elder Hong Yue was getting at.
"All right, little slave."
After her little lament, Hong Yue returned to the matter at hand. "A big fish has appeared in the sect recently. I want you to act as bait and help me reel it in."
Lin Mo's eyes widened, and he protested, "Grand Elder, this old slave is merely a Servant. What qualifications could I possibly have...?"
"Of course, the bait isn't you yourself," Hong Yue said, "but the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art you cultivate."
"The Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art is a supreme cultivation art that countless evil cultivators crave but cannot obtain. Who knows how many eyes out there are fixed on it?"
"If anyone asks you about it, just answer truthfully."
Lin Mo pursed his lips. "It sounds as though this old slave has no room to refuse."
"Hehe, you're rather clever after all."
"Then, Grand Elder, please allow this old slave to ask a bold question. Is the person you're referring to the Saintess?" Lin Mo asked after some thought.
"Oh?"
Hong Yue raised a delicate eyebrow, looking mildly surprised. "You actually know?"
Having confirmed that Grand Elder Hong Yue had the same person in mind, Lin Mo secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Su Yu was, after all, the Saintess of the First Saint Sect, with an exalted position and status.
Unless he had absolutely no other choice, he wouldn't dare casually accuse Su Yu.
"Yes..."
Lin Mo then gave a concise account of what he had witnessed that day.
After listening, Hong Yue chuckled. "With this information from you, I'm even more certain of my suspicions. Still, I find it rather incredible that you're still alive after stumbling upon the Saintess's secret."
"I imagine she wasn't sure whether you'd noticed her. Otherwise, you would have vanished from the face of the earth long ago."
Lin Mo did not dispute Hong Yue's words.
If Su Yu had been certain that Lin Mo had caught her, he had no doubt he would have died who knew how many times over by now.
Then Lin Mo asked, "Grand Elder, how did you come to suspect the Saintess?"
"Since I'm asking you to act as bait, I'll share my suspicions with you," Hong Yue said meaningfully.
As it turned out...
Not long ago, when Hong Yue went to deliver the accounts to Liu Ziyan, she happened to overhear a conversation between Liu Ziyan and Su Yu.
Coupled with the recent appearance of a mole in the sect, and Su Yu's repeated requests at the time for Liu Ziyan to let her cultivate the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art...
Hong Yue had ventured a bold guess: could that mole be the Saintess, Su Yu?
She had come for the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art!
That was what had brought Hong Yue to Lin Mo today.
"Originally, I only had a few suspicions about the Saintess and planned to have you sound her out."
"But after hearing your information, I'm practically certain that the big fish is the Saintess," Hong Yue said.
Lin Mo nodded in agreement.
Now he, too, could be certain that something was wrong with Su Yu.
"Grand Elder, there's something this old slave doesn't understand. Since we can confirm that the Saintess is a spy, why not simply arrest her?"
"This old slave's cultivation is far below the Saintess's. I'm afraid..." Lin Mo said, pursing his lips.
"I understand your concerns, little slave."
Hong Yue sighed as well. "If the suspect were anyone else, I could arrest them outright. But this time, the suspect is the Saintess."
"Without solid evidence, I wouldn't dare rashly declare her guilty."
"Besides, in this world, rewards and risks go hand in hand, don't they? If you complete the task flawlessly, I'll give you a satisfactory reward."
Lin Mo's eyes immediately lit up.
With a reward on offer, everything was negotiable. But working for nothing? Lin Mo wouldn't have it!
"Grand Elder, this mission is extremely dangerous. Could you... tell this old slave what the reward will be first?" Lin Mo asked eagerly.
Hong Yue spoke with seductive charm. "You little slave, you're rather impatient."
"Spirit stones, techniques, treasures, or perhaps all sorts of heavenly materials and earthly treasures. What would you like?"
Lin Mo pondered for quite a while before stating his demands. "Grand Elder, this old slave doesn't ask for much. I'd like a Heaven-Tier Treasure, plus thirty thousand spirit stones. What do you think...?"
"Oh... you little slave. You call that not asking for much?"
Never mind the thirty thousand spirit stones.
A Heaven-Tier Treasure alone, even the worst low-grade one, would cost three hundred thousand to five hundred thousand spirit stones!
"It's reasonable enough, isn't it? Is that really asking... asking too much?" Lin Mo said with an utterly innocent expression.
Of course he knew his demands were already steep.
Though Lin Mo had no clear idea of the price of a Heaven-Tier Treasure...
He at least knew that any treasure reaching heaven-tier was beyond the means of cultivators below the nascent soul realm.
"Stop playing dumb with me, little slave."
Hong Yue was so annoyed that she laughed. "Still, the risk you're taking this time is indeed considerable. You can have a Heaven-Tier Treasure, but it'll be a low-grade one."
Before you continue