The elders are no longer obliged of guiding Cai or worry about their library being emptied. Shen Mo waited for Cai at the Founder's Peak when he recalled spirit beasts are roaming around the mountain. Some of them are even as powerful as a Core Formation cultivator. Those above that level are eradicated so some students and inner court elders can pass by. Shen Mo closed his eyes and spreads his divine sense. He can see feel countless life forms below the Founder's Peak until he found Cai. She is running fast while holding an injured sickly cat. The trees behind her are falling because of a fierce spirit beast coming after her.
"This spirit beast has a core..." Shen Mo frowned a bit. Has Cai's external luck decreased?
He had guessed that she have extreme inner and external luck. Some geniuses only need luck to achieve their goal. Without luck, they strive harder than normal and their fate is demeaning. Shen Mo doesn't want Cai to become a villainess. She is lucky though that she met him.
Without wasting any more time, Shen Mo reappeared behind Cai just as the serpentine spirit beast is about to eat her in one lunge. He reached his hand out and held the serpent's fang.
Bam!
The serpent was thrown down by Shen Mo. The force he used is strong enough to cause an earthquake and the ground was holed up. Cai stumbled while protecting the malnourished cat. She looked back to see Shen Mo dusting his hands. He turned to her and waved his hand.
"Hey there, Cai. I forgot to mention you can't walk around here. I'll just bring you up." Shen Mo strode in her direction but he paused upon noticing the bony and half-dead cat Cai is cradling. "Cai, what the hell is that? Where did you get it?"
"I, I don't know. But I want to bring this cat and raise it, Master. I found this cat sleeping next to a tiger's corpse down the mountain foot."
Shen Mo glanced at the cat then at Cai, he kept looking back and forth. In the end, he sighed helplessly.
"Cai, if you want a pet, I can give you one. It's even strong enough to protect you wherever you go but this... You just picked up a stray cat."
Shen Mo had overlooked the cat's origin. In one look, he figured the cat can cultivate but it's already half dead. Its body is skinny and very weak. Why did Cai choose this wildcat?
"Do you really want to keep it?" He asked. If Cai wants the wildcat, he can let her take care of it and help the cat recover too.
"Please." Cai nodded and looked at the cat with pursed lips.
Shen Mo brought Cai back to the Founder's Peak. He asked her to clean the cat first before they proceed. While Cai is in the springs with the cat, Shen Mo went to the mountain foot to find the corpse Cai mentioned. He spotted the rotting corpse and examined its details.
"It has wings?"
He was stunned to find two pairs of bones sticking on the tiger's back which is shaped like wings. Shen Mo observed the tiger's preserved furs and its patterns. If he is correct, this should be the common Winged Tigers. However, he doubts one thing. The tiger before him has no resemblance to the cat Cai protected. He thought the Winged Tiger is the cat's mother.
Shen Mo returned to the peak and Cai is already finished cleaning herself and the cat. She is waiting for Shen Mo by the parlour close to the spring. He arrived in no time.
"Huh, so this cat is white, not gray." Shen Mo was surprised a bit to see the cat's new look.
"Master, look. Its pupils are so small like a pin." Cai carried the cat and showed it to him up close.
Shen Mo leaned down, his brows knitting. The cat's eyes are unusual. Its irises are white but as small as dots and the surrounding are whole black. He had never seen a cat like this before.
"The injuries are healed when I threw it to the springs and its fur is so soft. If this cat grows fatter, I wonder how good will it be to hug it." Cai embraced the cat with care which amazed Shen Mo.
"She seems different from me. Though she lacks emotions, something can still trigger her pity." He thought. Shen Mo touched the cat's forehead and healed its full body. "Cai, I'm going to look for your pet's food. You stay here and look after it. Wait for my return and please, don't eat any of the elixirs I stored!"
"Okay." The young girl agreed readily. She recalled she has been trying out all sorts of elixirs Shen Mo displayed in Unfettered Villa. She just doesn't know why Shen Mo cried in misery if she consumed them.
Tao Supreme Sect is close to the Zhou Dynasty's territory and most members of the school travel to Zhou to purchase what they needed. It has been a century since Shen Mo last strolled in Zhou. He was expecting the progress of Zhou but a ray of light suddenly strikes his position. Shen Mo easily dodged the light. He clenched his fist and ominous clouds gathered above him. In a second, deadly lightning and deafening thunders blasted.
"Shen Mo!" Will of Heaven shouted in anger and Shen Mo dispersed the clouds. She was distressed to see the dragon she borrowed is already scorched like coal and it fell limply on the forest below them.
"You really don't know when to stop." Shen Mo had known Will of Heaven can torment him any time so he is still vigilant wherever he goes. "Anything more to add?"
"Humph." Will of Heaven snorted. She is in a bad mood but she has no choice this time. "Listen, look for a child with a special talent called God-Envied Physique. That child will be the youngest immortal who will surpass your achievements, bakara."
"... Okay."
"Remember, I won't stop pestering you, for the rest of your life if you don't ascend!" She warned for the last time before disappearing.
Shen Mo ponder over what Will of Heaven said. In a thousand years, he reached the peak of Celestial Death Stage. If there is a child capable of surpassing him, Will of Heaven can choose that kid to become the next Heavenly Emperor and Shen Mo can live peacefully!
Cloaked in black and his face covered with a hood, Shen Mo entered the wealthiest trading spot in Zhou. He only shows his face in front of those he knew. It was only troubling when his enemies are half bad, they keep blowing his hood off and mistaking him as a girl...
Shen Mo went to look for cat food and some herbs he will need for Cai's development. While looking around the bustling area, a group of boys fought quite close to him. He usually doesn't bother with mortal matters but he saw something special in a boy being bullied. The young boy is holding a ragged book that is familiar to Shen Mo.
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
One question of Shen Mo sent the boys running away. He approached the injured boy lying weakly on the pavement. With a closer look, his guess was confirmed. The book is a treasure unparalleled within the six realms. He still recognized the book since it has followed him once.
At that time, Shen Mo is still young. His master is cruel enough to send him on his adventure to look for an artifact. He entered a tomb of a rumored Land Immortal by accident and all legendary objects in the tomb are following him. However, the tomb's rule is that he can only take one treasure out. He picked what his master wants him to bring but a certain book followed him outside the tomb. Its guardian spirit even spoke to him and explained how powerful the book is but he rejected the book and locked it in a chest. He left the chest in a normal forest so a commoner can use it for his or her success.
"Boy, where did you get this book?" He tried to touch the book but the boy shoved his hand away. Shen Mo paused before composing himself and spoke, "Where is your family?"
"I... I'm alone." The boy said hoarsely, his eyes watered and tears soon strolled down his thin cheeks.
Shen Mo pitied the boy. He is not always merciless, he has soft spots for youngsters with hopelessness.
"Here." Shen Mo knelt before the boy. He placed a satchel full of primeval stone which is the currency of Wu and the condensed source of qi too.
"This!?"
The boy was surprised by the number of primeval stones. He looked up and noticed half the fair face the hood is hiding.
"Kid, don't lose that book or sell it. This will define your future. If you want to repay me, consider entering Tao Supreme Sect in the future. Just don't lose this book." Shen Mo smiled lightly and patted the boy's head.
When he turned his back to leave, Shen Mo raised his hand. He just conducted Soul Search on the boy and discovered the child's origin. The boy's name is Xie Mingjun who was casted away by his clan after his father's death. He is originally the son of the Xie Family's grandmaster, a Nascent cultivator. However, his father died because of a ploy Zhou Dynasty's fox ministers plotted. With his father's death, Xie Family threw him out but Xie Mingjun luckily got the book his father told him to inherit. After this incident, Xie Mingjun wandered the streets. His life is hard but because of his attainment in cultivation, he lasted until today.
"Hm... A ten-year-old boy in Body Training's fourth level, that's impressive."
Mostly, these sort of young cultivators has a good aptitude between average and geniuses. Considering Xie Mingjun's aptitude and the book he has, he will surely become an immortal in the future.
"Wait a minute! That kid, it must be the kid Will of Heaven told me!" He hastily turned back but he can no longer see the boy. Shen Mo triggered his divine sense and he found the boy running into his bullies again. "This is troublesome."
"What is this?" One of Xie Mingjun's bullies took the satchel and the others pushed him back.
Xie Mingjun can't fight, he is too out of shape and he lost hope since he experienced helplessness here. He can only watch them empty the satchel. Xie Mingjun gritted his teeth and his hands clenched tightly. Why is this world so unforgiving? He lived on to his father's expectations, he didn't harm anyone or do anything wrong but why is it he will die this miserably?
When he thought he is done, a figure in a black cloak appeared in front of him. Shen Mo glared at the boys beneath his hood and a black deformed scary shadow appeared behind him. This scared the boys that their pants became wet.
"Do not bully this kid again, give me back those you stole." He firmly said.
The boys were quivering in fear they didn't think twice and tossed the primeval stones to him. Shen Mo caught the stones and easily placed them back in the satchel. He faced Xie Mingjun but he crossed his arms intimidatingly.
"Why didn't you fight back?"
Xie Mingjun lowered his head and bitterly said, "It's useless."
"You are useless if you choose to be useless. You achieved nothing after being thrown out. Instead of living for survival, you waited for your doom every passing day without doing anything for yourself. What a cowardly man you are. You don't deserve to be here." As he mentioned this, Shen Mo raised his hand, and a blade of energy formed around his arm. "Since you lost your will to live, I can make it easy for you."