"Here we go again!"
Chu Mo murmured, this time he was prepared. He focused his energy and entered the jade space within his chest.
After his repeated explorations, he no longer needed to remove the jade. He could simply concentrate his energy on it.
As soon as he entered, Chu Mo widened his eyes, exhibiting an incredulous look. Although he had guessed, seeing that small tree he had just pulled from the ground rooted in this jade space was still a strange sensation.
Heaven's Will laid quietly on the piece of green stone that originally existed within the jade.
It wasn't sucked in, but rather Chu Mo had deliberately put it there as this was the safest place.
He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but the small tree in this jade space seemed to be teeming with life. Upon closer inspection, Chu Mo found a tiny green bud the size of a needle point on one of the branches.
Only someone with Chu Mo's keen eye could see this.
"What's going on?" Chu Mo murmured in confusion, then reached out, attempting to pull the small tree out of this jade space.
Despite his efforts, the new guest in the jade space stood firm, like it was a towering tree that had rooted here long ago. No matter how hard Chu Mo tried, it remained steadfast!
"Alright then, this dreary... cough cough, this divine tree that is rare in heaven and earth, is a gift for you! Don't forget about my kindness," Chu Mo babbled like a charlatan, rolling his eyes as he said something even he didn't believe.
He simply did not feel that this small tree held any value. If the jade liked it, then it could have it.
Just as he was about to exit, Chu Mo suddenly had a thought. He extended his hand, grabbed Heaven's Will, and left the jade space.
Once out, he casually opened Heaven's Will, mumbling, "I gave you a divine tree, isn't it time you give me something in return?"
The first page had no changes. But when he turned to the second page, Chu Mo's eyes suddenly fixed on it.
"Huh?"
There were two new lines of text on the second page of Heaven's Will!
"This, this is real?"
Chu Mo silently recited the mnemonic of the new lines. He found that they seamlessly continued the Heaven's Will part that he had been cultivating before, without feeling out of place in the slightest.
He immediately started operating the augmented Heaven's Will technique. After one circulation, he found that his absorption rate of primordial force had significantly increased!
Most importantly, the primordial force he now absorbed was purer than before. This indicated that after acquiring the little tree, the jade had indeed bestowed him with unexpected benefits.
Though there were only two lines, Chu Mo knew very clearly — the value of these two lines was immeasurable!
"So this is really happening!" Chu Mo exclaimed with a face full of surprise, and then said: "In the future, whatever you want, just give me the word, and I'll get it for you!"
"Hahaha, what a treasure, a true treasure indeed!"
Chu Mo immediately memorized the additional two lines of mnemonics, then placed Heaven's Will back into the jade space. With a smile on his face, he continued to climb the mountains.
Time rushed by, and in the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed since Chu Mo left his master and embarked on his journey home alone.
Along the way, he encountered several low-level Elemental Beasts blocking his path, the strongest of which did not surpass the Cold Ice Python. Eventually, all of them ended up as Chu Mo's prey.
Chu Mo's combat power was also quietly and rapidly improving.
During this time, Qi Xiaoyu, the girl in the blue skirt, appeared two or three times. Each time, she would suddenly emerge somewhere after Chu Mo had finished killing an Elemental Beast and help Chu Mo clean up the mess.
As a reward, Chu Mo treated her to a barbecue feast. After her meal, she disappeared. Chu Mo even began to suspect that she lived in these vast mountains. How else could she be so familiar with this place?
Whenever Chu Mo asked where she went during her days of absence, Qi Xiaoyu would always look at Chu Mo innocently: "I went to play!"
In the end, Chu Mo had no choice but to grudgingly admit, she was indeed playing.
This more than a month of adventuring had greatly benefited Chu Mo. His only regret was that his jade no longer gave him any hints.
In other words, in the past month, apart from the small tree, there was nothing else in these vast mountains that the jade was interested in.
Overall, Chu Mo was in good spirits. He had broken through the Primordial Pass in just over a month. Then, he quickly advanced to the middle stage of the third level.
This kind of progress was unimaginable in the past.
Even after breaking through the Primordial Pass, it would take at least one to two years of accumulation to reach the middle stage of the third level. And this was only possible with exceptional talent and abundant resources.
Yet Chu Mo, on his own, walked along this journey home. It only took him one month to accomplish what he had set out to do.
Without a doubt, this was a small but significant miracle!
On Chu Mo's person, there were the bones, tendons, and skins of primordial beasts. To a food enthusiast like Qi Xiaoyu, these things were unattractive and beneath her notice.
But to Chu Mo, they were all worth money!
Though Chu Mo was born and raised in a General's home, his life was not so wealthy. Life in the Fan Residence was not miserable, per se, but when compared to the households of ministers in the royal court, they were simply poor.
As a child, Chu Mo would see his classmates live luxuriously in the academy and he once asked his grandfather, "Why do they live such good lives, how does our family fall short?"
The elderly man was silent for a long time before speaking to the young Chu Mo, "If our family were to live like them, wearing luxurious clothes, eating precious cuisine, living in tall houses... then this kingdom would soon be done for! Their extravagant lifestyles would soon come to an end."
With a sigh of mixed emotions, the old man added, "Of course, these people have no dignity or integrity. If the kingdom fails, their high walls and doors may not necessarily fall. As long as they simply utter 'surrender', their luxury can continue."
"We are not like them—we are soldiers! Our duty is to protect this kingdom, and the people of this kingdom."
Young Chu Mo then asked, "Does that also include protecting those with no spine or integrity?"
The old man merely smiled, stroking Chu Mo's head. He did not answer the question but said instead, "You're still too young. One day, you'll understand. The kingdom isn't made up of just these powerful officials and rich merchants; it is also comprised of the countless common folk."
"We protect the common folk!"
Chu Mo, carrying a heavy load of beast bones, tendons, and skins, remembered his conversation with his grandfather and smiled, "Grandfather, you were a true soldier! I have taken your teachings to heart. Haven't you always wanted to help those fallen soldiers who were discharged from the military due to their injuries and received little stipend? I believe we can now do something to help them!"
Though Chu Mo was unsure of the exact worth of what he carried, he quite firmly believed they were worth a fortune.
Just one bone from a fourth-order elemental beast could fetch a handsome price in Yanhuang City.
Primordial beast fangs, believed to ward off evil spirits, were priceless!
The rich merchants, they had money. The most basic response they had upon seeing a treasure was to purchase it outright.
Chu Mo was joyfully considering all he could do with the money he would receive upon selling his goods, such as first renovating the dilapidated Fan Residence.
The Fan Residence occupied a large courtyard but many of the rooms had fallen to disrepair. Only a single old gate remained standing, barely holding onto the dignity of the once prosperous residence.
"Then, the remaining money can be given to One-Armed Uncle."
"One-Armed Uncle is quite capable. Even though he was a mighty warrior who had been forced to retire due to a severe injury from the battlefield, he managed to keep the Fan Residence in order."
"Without One-Armed Uncle, the Fan Residence would have probably fallen long ago."
"With my grandfather's character, regardless of the wealth he had, it would have been depleted on caring for his soldiers under his command, especially those suffering after leaving the military."
"If anyone came to him asking for help, no matter how dire the situation, he would always lend a hand."
Many people did not understand why their family was so poor despite my grandfather being a high-rank officer. The truth was, he was utterly poor.
"One-Armed Uncle's financial management capabilities are quite strong. Giving the money to him, he would use it more wisely than my grandfather."
"At the very least, One-Armed Uncle is more aware than my grandfather of how to help who truly need help."
Chu Mo murmured his thoughts, then sighed softly, "What a pity. Once again, I can't enter Yanhuang City openly. Xia Jie… I wonder if you've become a eunuch!"
"Speaking of which, I really should thank you. If you hadn't slandered me back then, forcing me to admit my guilt and face punishment, I, Chu Mo… would not have experienced what I have now and met my master."
As Chu Mo spoke, he cast his gaze towards the endless plains in front of him. At that moment, he had already walked out of the vast mountains!
Looking back, behind him stretched a grand and unending mountain range. Chu Mo was filled with emotion as he whispered to himself, "I finally made it!"
"This should be the territory of Great Qi!"
Chu Mo squinted into the distance where a team of horse riders was gradually coming towards him.
As he noticed them, they accelerated their pace towards him on sight.
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Our update quantity is still quite large, each chapter is over 3,000 words, some even more. I am using all my strength to write this book. I want to truly compete once, hoping that you all will join me! Every vote, every favorite and recommendation, is your immense support and encouragement to me!