PID Chapter 30.3

Xiao Mo didn’t need to eat, so he pushed his bowl of noodles toward the children to share. With no other guests in the hall for the time being, Xiao Mo waved at the assistant to come closer. When the assistant approached, Xiao Mo slipped him a spirit stone.

 

“Tell me—if someone wanted to settle in Lin’an City and earn some money, where would be a good place to start?”

 

Although Xiao Mo was frugal and mindful of expenses, he understood that there were times when spending money was necessary.

 

The assistant accepted the spirit stone with a big smile and eagerly replied: “You’ve asked the right person! There are plenty of ways to make money here, but it depends on what kind you’re looking for. Forgive my poor judgment—I can’t tell your cultivation level. If you’re looking for methods suitable for powerful cultivators, I know a few; if it’s small jobs anyone can do, I know some of those too.”

 

The assistant was at the Qi Refining stage himself—early Qi Refining at that—and knew he wouldn’t progress much further in his lifetime. He had no grand ambitions and just worked to make a living.

 

Xiao Mo found this person quite tactful; his way of speaking offended no one: “Tell me about ways suitable for cultivators.”

 

The assistant was indeed knowledgeable about Lin’an City’s affairs.

 

“In the city, there’s an Immortal Alliance corner tower where tasks specifically for cultivators are posted. How much you earn depends on the difficulty of the task, and what tasks are available depends on luck—good ones tend to get snatched up quickly.”

 

Even though there were no other guests in the hall, the assistant lowered his voice slightly: “Two streets away from the corner tower is Blood Rain Pavilion. They take assassination and bodyguard jobs—both are high-risk ways to earn money. The pay is good but comes at great cost.”

 

He spoke cautiously, as if afraid of something. Only after finishing did he return to his normal tone and offer one last suggestion: “But you’ve come at just the right time. If you’ve reached Foundation Establishment stage, there’s a ready opportunity you can try.”

 

“Three days ago, twenty miles outside Lin’an City in Black Forest, spiritual vein fluctuations triggered a beast tide. The Immortal Alliance has already sent people to surround it and is recruiting help. As long as you’re Foundation Establishment stage or higher, you can join. You can exchange beast cores for spirit stones—or keep them for yourself.”

 

The assistant smiled cheerfully: “I’m not sure exactly how beast cores are exchanged; you can ask outside the forest.”

 

Foundation Establishment cultivators could typically handle second-tier demonic beasts. Second-tier beast cores weren’t very valuable—this was clearly an attempt to attract cheap labor. With such low cultivation requirements, it seemed likely that the beast tide consisted mostly of large numbers of low-tier beasts rather than high-level ones; otherwise, they wouldn’t be so generous in letting people enter.

 

After delivering his information, the assistant returned to his spot to wait for more customers. Xiao Mo pondered aloud: “Blood Rain Pavilion’s jobs—assassination and bodyguard work—take quite a bit of time. Why don’t we check out Black Forest first? If it doesn’t suit us, we can head to the Immortal Alliance corner tower for tasks instead.”

 

Chu Jinglan had the same thought.

 

The remaining question was how to arrange for the three children while they were away.

 

Chu Jinglan stood up and went to the innkeeper’s assistant, paying for five more days with spirit stones. The hundred spirit stones they had brought from the Lower Realm were now reduced to just over ten.

 

Chu Jinglan said, “For the next few days, some of us will be focused on cultivation in the room. Please deliver meals at mealtime. If the room fee runs out before I return, I ask for your patience—I will definitely come back to settle everything and pick them up.”

 

The assistant patted his chest confidently, a cheerful and straightforward person: “The innkeeper is my uncle. This is a small matter—I can make the decision. Rest assured!”

 

After bringing the children to the room, Xiao Mo set up an invisible black mist barrier outside and marked each of the children with a protective seal. Closing the door, he gave them strict instructions.

 

“Before we return, do not leave the room. Aside from the innkeeper’s assistant, don’t open the door for anyone else.”

 

Although the bustling street outside was tempting, the three children were sensible and nodded quickly in agreement.

 

Still, there was some unease. Chu Xia softly asked: “Will you be gone for a long time?”

 

Xiao Mo patted her head: “There are still ten days until Lin’an Academy’s lectures begin. We’ll definitely be back before then.”

 

With that reassurance, the children believed him.

 

The inn room was neither too big nor too small. Inside was one bed and one low couch. The three eight- or nine-year-old children figured out a way to make it work. There was a folding screen that could be used to divide space when needed, avoiding any awkwardness between boys and girls.

 

Having endured hardship before, none of them were spoiled or demanding.

 

Chu Jinglan also left each child a small bundle of supplies. Once everything was arranged, he and Xiao Mo pushed the door open and left.

 

The assistant was in the main hall and saw only the man wearing an iron mask coming downstairs. He assumed that the silver-masked youth and the three children had stayed in the room while only Chu Jinglan went out to earn money. Smiling, he bid farewell: “Take care, sir!”

 

Little did he know that Xiao Mo was right beside Chu Jinglan, hidden from view.

 

Only Chu Jinglan’s body could carry out acts of violence. When revealing cultivation outside, it was safer for others to see only one figure.

 

Moreover, this way, the assistant would believe there were still four people in the room—one of whom appeared capable of taking charge—and wouldn’t worry about them skipping out on payment.

 

After asking for directions to Black Forest, Xiao Mo took control of Chu Jinglan’s body. This time, Chu Jinglan wasn’t feverish or sick and could directly use wind-riding techniques to fly there.

 

Walking twenty miles would have been slow; flying made it incredibly fast. For Chu Jinglan, experiencing wind-riding for the first time felt indescribably exhilarating.

 

While Xiao Mo controlled his body, Chu Jinglan focused on sensing and understanding what it felt like.

 

As they approached Black Forest, Xiao Mo suddenly remembered something and landed with Chu Jinglan before releasing his possession and appearing at his side.

 

Chu Jinglan: ?

 

“Almost forgot.” Xiao Mo pulled out a mask. “Switch your iron mask for this one.”

 

The mask Xiao Mo held wasn’t something conjured—it was a tangible low-tier magical artifact purchased from the system’s mall. It could block some attempts at spying by others and was far more effective than Chu Jinglan’s current iron mask—and also… much better-looking.

 

It was a golden mask adorned with patterns of birds chasing auspicious clouds. The engraved lines were smooth and lifelike as if real birds had spread their wings in flight.

 

Just like Xiao Mo’s flute, it seemed like yet another mysterious artifact that had appeared out of nowhere.

 

Since Chu Jinglan hadn’t questioned the origin of the flute, he naturally didn’t ask about the mask either.

 

He removed the iron mask from his face and gently put on the golden mask.

 

Some people look gaudy in gold, while others exude an air of elegance when wearing it.

 

The mask adjusted slightly to fit Chu Jinglan’s facial contours perfectly, concealing his handsome face. Yet his deep, orchid-like eyes became even more striking, making them difficult to meet directly.

 

Humans couldn’t bear to look into those eyes—but the Inner Demon could.

 

Xiao Mo commented: “Hmm, not bad. Much better-looking.”

 

Chu Jinglan’s fingers paused as he stored the iron mask in his storage device.

 

Could Xiao Mo have disliked his previous mask for being ugly and insisted he change it?

 

…Was it really that ugly?

 

“Alright, alright,” Xiao Mo said as he returned to Chu Jinglan’s body. “Let’s continue on our way.”

 

Chu Jinglan withdrew his thoughts and shifted control of his divine sense: “Mm.”

 

Before long, they landed outside Black Forest.

 

The dense forest was surprisingly bustling with activity. Alongside Immortal Alliance disciples dressed in purple uniforms, there were numerous rogue cultivators and disciples from other sects.

 

Among them were familiar faces—the Xiao Qing Sect group that had kicked their carriage at the city gates was also present.

 

The Golden Core Martial Uncle leading them was speaking: “Someone has already gone ahead to secure a spot for us near Lin’an Academy. Take this chance to gain more experience here. Once we enter the forest, follow my instructions.”

 

The disciples responded in unison: “Yes!”

 

Only Zi Jiao seemed uninterested. He was already tired and had no desire to kill any demonic beasts. All he wanted was a good place to rest. He kicked a pebble at his feet and looked around idly, his gaze accidentally catching sight of someone turning their head—a person wearing a mask.

 

The words “masked person” had become his sore spot today. He couldn’t help but follow the figure with his eyes, noticing it was a golden mask—not the iron or silver masks he had seen at the city gates.

 

He snorted and turned his head again, only to see yet another masked person.

 

Zi Jiao: “…”

 

So annoying—why were there so many masked people deliberately appearing in front of him today?

 

Using Chu Jinglan’s body, Xiao Mo walked toward the entrance guarded by Immortal Alliance disciples while casually speaking in the sea of consciousness: “Having so many people is great—we can even go ahead and secure a spot early.”

 

Chu Jinglan’s divine sense stirred slightly but remained silent. Xiao Mo didn’t expect a response and simply made an offhand remark.

 

The Immortal Alliance disciples didn’t check his cultivation level but handed him a storage pouch instead: “Black Forest has been divided into three layers. Using medicinal powder and formations, we’ve restricted and driven the demonic beasts accordingly. The first layer contains first- and second-tier beasts; the second layer has third-tier beasts; and the final layer has fourth-tier beasts. Foundation Establishment cultivators are forbidden from entering the second layer—if you insist on going, your life is your own responsibility.”

 

No wonder they didn’t bother measuring cultivation levels—Foundation Establishment cultivators were only capable of handling first- or second-tier beasts anyway. With clear warnings given, if someone chose to court death, they had no one else to blame.

 

“First-tier beasts: two beast cores for one low-grade spirit stone; second-tier beasts: one core for ten low-grade spirit stones; third-tier beasts: one core for one hundred low-grade spirit stones.”

 

Immortal Alliance Disciple: “Fourth-tier demonic beasts—one beast core is worth ten mid-grade spirit stones.”

 

Xiao Mo’s eyes instantly lit up.

 

Money—it’s all money!

 

To the Immortal Alliance disciples, this might not mean much, but to someone who had just come up from the Lower Realm and was practically broke, this was an incredible fortune.

 

The disciple handed him a storage pouch: “Once you’ve collected the beast cores, you can find us to exchange them. Of course, if you want to keep them for yourself, that’s fine too.”

 

Xiao Mo, in an excellent mood, politely said as he accepted the pouch: “Thank you.”

 

The disciple was momentarily stunned: “Uh… you’re welcome?”

 

Using Chu Jinglan’s body as a shell, Xiao Mo took the pouch and stepped into Black Forest. At the forest’s edge was an invisible protective formation that shimmered like rippling water as he entered, swallowing his figure.

 

Once inside, Xiao Mo swiftly sidestepped a fresh, bloodied demonic beast corpse, moving lightly to avoid it.

 

The person who had slain the beast was just three steps away and immediately looked at Xiao Mo with caution, worried he might steal their hard-earned prize.

 

Xiao Mo had no intention of taking their spoils and casually moved on.

 

A quick sweep with his divine sense revealed that the first layer of Black Forest was indeed overrun with demonic beasts. The area was teeming with first- and second-tier creatures, including small ones like rabbits and mice, flying bird-like demons, and even swarms of insects.

 

When Xiao Mo’s divine sense passed over two such insect swarms, he could only think how utterly unfriendly this place was to anyone with trypophobia.

 

No wonder the Immortal Alliance was willing to let outsiders help clean this up—it was truly a tedious task that required sheer numbers to handle.

 

Xiao Mo decided to head straight for the final layer. Fourth-tier demonic beasts were worth ten mid-grade spirit stones each—a huge sum. It was obvious that fourth-tier beasts would be scarce, so it made sense to prioritize them first.

 

The sky above Black Forest was shielded by a barrier, making it unsuitable for high-altitude flight. Xiao Mo lightly tapped on treetops as he moved, leaping gracefully from branch to branch. Along the way, he effortlessly dealt with any demonic beasts that crossed his path—four or five in total—and stored their beast cores in his pouch.

 

While there were plenty of demonic beasts in the first layer, competition for them was fierce. Since some beasts were harder to catch than others, people naturally targeted the easier ones first. When Xiao Mo reached the boundary of the second layer, he unexpectedly spotted some familiar faces.

 

Pausing on a tree branch, Xiao Mo tilted his head as he watched the people below arguing.

 

They were disciples from Huanjian Sect—Dai Zisheng and… Su Baimo.

 

They were here too?

 

Su Baimo wore Huanjian Sect’s disciple robes and stood beside Dai Zisheng. In just a short time since they last met, Su Baimo had broken through the gates of Foundation Establishment and advanced from late-stage Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment.

 

For Huanjian Sect, pushing someone from late-stage Qi Refining into Foundation Establishment without leaving any lasting damage wasn’t difficult. With Su Baimo being a lifesaving benefactor of their young master, they wouldn’t hesitate to invest such resources.

 

The person arguing with Dai Zisheng was a Golden Core peak disciple from Huanjian Sect named Mu Jian.

 

Dai Zisheng seemed anxious: “Senior Brother Mu Jian, I can protect him!”

 

Mu Jian remained firm: “You’re close to reaching Golden Core but haven’t formed your core yet. Killing third-tier demonic beasts will still be taxing for you. With us here to back you up, it’s fine for you to practice early—but Su Baimo has just reached Foundation Establishment and isn’t suited for the second layer.”

 

Huanjian Sect’s group consisted of six people: four Golden Core cultivators, Dai Zisheng (who was nearly at Golden Core), and Su Baimo (who had just reached Foundation Establishment).

 

In Mu Mountain Secret Realm before, Chu Jinglan alone as a Golden Core cultivator had managed to hold off numerous third-tier demonic beasts for seven days while protecting over ten lives. Compared to that dire situation, Huanjian Sect’s current lineup was practically luxurious—they could easily handle a trip through the second layer.

 

And if things got too dangerous? They could always retreat back to the first layer. This wasn’t like Mu Mountain Secret Realm’s apocalyptic collapse where there had been no escape.

 

It was quite clear that Mu Jian wasn’t particularly inclined to protect Su Baimo.

 

Ah, Xiao Mo matched the character to his memory: one of the eight cornerstone figures, Huanjian Sect’s senior disciple, Mu Jian.

 

Both of Huanjian Sect’s direct disciples from the younger generation ended up entangled with Su Baimo, leading to a rift between the brothers.

 

As for Mu Jian’s romantic subplot, it was pure forced dogblood. Initially, he didn’t care much for Su Baimo. In fact, he was frustrated that his junior brother, Dai Zisheng, was spending too much time and effort on Su Baimo, neglecting his own cultivation. Mu Jian had even tried to advise Dai Zisheng about it.

 

But during an unfortunate outing, Mu Jian fell victim to a certain aphrodisiac often found in “those kinds of places.”

 

And wouldn’t you know it—Su Baimo just happened to be the only one by his side. Thus began a several-thousand-word sequence in the original novel filled with content that would definitely not pass any censorship here.

The author turned the disciplined and restrained Mu Jian into a mindless beast—it was standard practice. Of course, he had to lose all self-control and be unaware of what he was doing to avoid addressing any explicit details. The core idea of this sudden event?

 

Su Baimo, being selfless and noble, willingly sacrificed himself to help Mu Jian dispel the effects of the drug.

 

In short, Su Baimo was a saint—he had no choice but to do it, and it was portrayed as an act of kindness.

 

The original novel first described Su Baimo being frightened by Mu Jian’s behavior but quickly had him accept it without much resistance.

 

He even said something specifically to Mu Jian: “Senior Brother, I’m willing to save you.”

 

All the readers saw this coming. Most had been expecting Su Baimo’s first intimate encounter to be with Dai Zisheng, only for Mu Jian to swoop in halfway and steal the spotlight. But since the dogblood had already begun, everyone grudgingly accepted it.

 

What could they do? Su Baimo had no choice—it was all for the greater good.

 

Thanks to his “selflessness,” when Mu Jian regained his senses afterward, he felt so guilty he wanted to bash his head against a wall.

 

He had betrayed his junior brother’s feelings for Su Baimo—but Su Baimo wasn’t at fault. Su Baimo had saved him. The only one at fault was Mu Jian himself.

 

Mu Jian held himself to high moral standards. Even though only he and Su Baimo knew what had happened, he voluntarily confessed everything to Dai Zisheng and took two palm strikes from him without resistance.

 

Dai Zisheng was furious—absolutely livid.

 

To him, it felt like being betrayed by two people closest to him at once—a double betrayal.

 

But somehow, neither of them were “wrong.” Mu Jian had lost control of himself due to external circumstances; Su Baimo had acted out of selflessness to save someone. The only one who seemed pitiful in this situation was Dai Zisheng.

 

And then Su Baimo stood between them, heartbroken and pleading with them not to fight.

 

From that point on, Su Baimo thrived even more in Huanjian Sect. Even Mu Jian began treating him better out of a sense of responsibility. Meanwhile, the relationship between Mu Jian and Dai Zisheng became strained and awkward.

 

Even later on, when both of them came to accept that Su Baimo had many lovers and they would have to share him with others, there remained a thorn between the two brothers that could never be removed.

 

It was Mu Jian’s guilt and self-reproach, and Dai Zisheng’s sorrow.

 

Even though their relationship had somewhat eased, too much time had been lost, making it difficult to return to how things were before.

 

Xiao Mo narrowed his eyes.

 

He had thought that Chu Jinglan and Su Baimo wouldn’t meet again for a long time—at least not until Chu Jinglan’s cultivation was restored.

 

But unexpectedly, they had already crossed paths again.

 

Xiao Mo rubbed the flute in his hand: How many more surprises were waiting for him?

 

—

 

Author’s Note:

 

I made some minor edits, specifically to the original novel’s dogblood plotline. Initially, I wanted to directly contrast the “original dogblood” scenes with the current narrative to make its absurdity stand out. But it seems everyone’s already overwhelmed by how ridiculous it was (lol), so I adjusted the description style while keeping the content unchanged. For those curious about how cringeworthy it was, here’s the earlier version (warning ahead!):

 

—

 

During an unfortunate outing, Mu Jian fell victim to a certain aphrodisiac often found in “those kinds of places.” And wouldn’t you know it—Su Baimo just happened to be the only one by his side. The original novel described it like this:

 

[Mu Jian, usually disciplined and restrained, seemed like a mindless beast with bloodshot eyes. He lunged forward and pinned Su Baimo down. Su Baimo struggled but couldn’t break free. Hearing the sound of clothes tearing, he met Mu Jian’s gaze.

 

Mu Jian looked like he was in unbearable pain.

 

Su Baimo gradually loosened his clenched fingers and stopped resisting. He willingly closed his eyes and softly said, “Senior Brother, let me save you.”]

 

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1 Kofi = 1 Extra Chapter