In the bathhouse, steam permeated the atmosphere.

  The workers who entered with Hua Rou were all badly frightened when they saw Jiang Leng’s body that was covered in spirit runes.

  Even for an adult, they would be extremely cautious when it came to drawing spirit runes on their bodies. They would surely choose the most valuable spirit rune that had the greatest compatibility with them. In addition, they wouldn’t mind paying large amounts of money to hire spirit rune grandmasters to draw the runes.

  Once a spirit rune was damaged, the restoring process would be extremely difficult. Also, a damaged spirit rune would disturb one’s ability to absorb and circulate spirit qi.

  In any case, if there wasn’t an essential need, ordinary people wouldn’t choose to inscribe spirit runes on their bodies. However, this youth before him was at most 13-14 years old, and he had sullied his body to such a state.

  Even if he was a rising star that was filled with unlimited potential, he was a cripple now.

  Hua Rou made a shushing gesture. After she took two glances, she no longer paid any attention. Instead, she turned her gaze onto Sun Mo. His great teacher halo was well- used indeed. However, why did he have to take in this youth with the word ‘trash’ on his head?

  Even the most ignorant teacher would know that this youth was someone that had no future.

  The genie had vanished and Sun Mo also retreated to avoid disturbing Jiang Leng’s breakthrough. When he saw Hua Rou and her group coming in, he initially wanted to block them at the door.

  However, these people didn’t cause any commotion. Since this was the case, Sun Mo also didn’t take the initiative to tell them to leave. If not, if a disturbance was created, it would surely affect Jiang Leng.

  A few minutes later, the spirit qi in the air gradually returned to normal.

  Jiang Leng exhaled a mouthful of turbid air and began to adjust his breathing.

  Hua Rou then took the opportunity to survey a few other people.

  One was a sickly invalid that coughed frequently. Even when bathing, he still had a handkerchief in his hand and would cover his mouth with it from time to time.

  As for the remaining two, one was so muscular to the extent that it felt terrifying. This youth had a body full of gorgeous muscles that completely didn’t lose out to an adult. However, if one was to speak of a harmonious and athletic build, Sun Mo fit the bill the most.

  Sun Mo’s muscles weren’t especially obvious, but his body length, arms, and legs were perfectly proportionate. His body belonged to the type where if someone was to glance at it, that person might feel an irresistible urge to touch it.

  Hua Rou didn’t know that this was the effect of consuming the diamond fruit. Its purpose was to improve a human’s body toward perfection.

  Xuanyuan Po and Qi Shengjia both had too many muscles. They looked fit, but the sense of beauty they exuded was one of sturdy violence. Their style was different from the graceful feeling exuded by Sun Mo.

  Jiang Leng opened his eyes, and there was an irrepressible look of joy on his face. He quickly walked toward Sun Mo and knelt with a thudding noise.

  “Teacher, thank you!”

  Jiang Leng’s voice came from the bottom of his heart.

  If there was no Sun Mo’s Ancient Dragon Capturing Hands, as well as the encouragement by Priceless Advice, he would have failed this time as well.

  Ding! Favorable impression points from Jiang Leng +50. Friendly (240/1,000).

  “I’m your teacher, guiding you is what I should do!”

  Sun Mo helped Jiang Leng to his feet while observing his data in the passing.

  =====

  Jiang Leng, 12 years old. Spirit-Refinement Realm, 2 acupoints opened.

  Strength: 11, depending on your strength to kill someone? That wouldn’t be too difficult!

  Intellect: 11, when brute force can solve your problems, you will be too lazy to use your brain because your stats are enough to crush many people.

  Agility: 11, average.

  Endurance: 13, you are an iron man that wouldn’t die even if you were to run forever.

  Will: 12, currently in high spirits. Filled with passion for life and is preparing to start his next phase of life.

  Potential value: Low

  Note: Respect for you is increasing. All thoughts of suicide have already faded away in his mind.

  =====

  Sun Mo felt very gratified. Although Jiang Leng didn’t like to speak much and would often put on an emotionless poker face, exuding a desolate aura and making him look like a recently excavated corpse, he knew and understood gratitude. At the very least, he knew it more compared to the sickly Tantai Yutang. “Congratulations!”

  (ve

  Tantai Yutang sent his congratulations and came over in the passing, wanting to observe the spirit runes on Jiang Leng’s body at a closer distance. However, Sun Mo already picked up the towel and placed it around Jiang Leng’s body.

  It was precisely because of this action that Jiang Leng contributed another 30 favorable impression points.

  Upon hearing the system’s notification, Sun Mo didn’t feel surprised. The more sensitive the heart of a youth, the more reciprocation they would feel toward warmth and tenderness shown to them.

  “Let’s fight a round, hmm?” Xuanyuan Po urged. Battle was never far from his mind.

  “Congratulations!”

  Qi Shengjia was extremely envious. His lips moved a little, but he didn’t dare to request for Sun Mo to take him as a disciple. He was afraid that if Sun Mo rejected him, he would even lose the qualifications to be at Sun Mo’s side.

  Also, he was trash in terms of aptitude. If Sun Mo accepted a student like this, wouldn’t Sun Mo lose all his face?

  “Teacher Sun, congratulations to your beloved disciple for his successful breakthrough!”

  Hua Rou walked over with a smile on her face.

  “I apologize for the trouble we’ve caused, lady boss. I’ll pay for the repair and cleaning cost of this place.”

  “Teacher Sun is too serious. It’s just a matter of some small money, there’s no need to mention it!”

  Hua Rou rejected it.

  It was tough to be a teacher, but it was even tougher to be a teacher that could cause students to feel respect and reverence toward you from the bottom of their hearts. Hence, this Sun Mo was truly impressive!

  How much did it take to repair a door? If she could forge a good relationship with Sun Mo now, in the future when he became a great teacher, that would then be considered hefty returns.

  “Boss Hua is truly magnanimous!”

  Sun Mo replied politely, but he was surveying this woman thoroughly with his gaze.

  Earlier, just based on data, Sun Mo had discovered that this woman was not only quite beautiful with an oval face and exquisite features, but her figure was also voluptuous and sexy. Just from a look, one could tell that she was a young married woman with a well-rounded figure.

  Her only flaw was that her stature was a little too short.

  Jiang Leng succeeded in his breakthrough and thus completed two-fifths of the mission issued by the system. Also, since the door was already damaged, Sun mo had no mood to continue bathing. Hence, he requested for a tiny private room to wash his body clean before summoning everyone and departing.

  “Teacher actually wanted to go and wash his body again in a private room. Could it be that he has mysophobia?”

  Xuanyuan Po was curious.

  “Maybe!”

  Tantai Yutang’s lips twitched. During this era, when men went into a bathhouse, they would all bathe in a huge common pool. For those who had to rinse themselves again after getting out of the pool, they were either misophobic or feminine.

  After Sun Mo’s group had left, a middle-aged man who came for a bath suddenly began to sniff after he went up the stairs.

  “What smell is this?”

  The middle-aged man frowned and began to follow the source of the smell.

  “Eh? Customer, please walk this way instead!”

  One of the workers went over, but he didn’t dare to stretch his hand out to obstruct the customer. He could tell that this middle-aged man was someone with a very high status just from his clothes and aura.

  “Don’t disturb me!”

  The middle-aged man frowned. After that, he came to the bathroom used by Sun Mo. He exerted his force and sniffed. After that, his brows furrowed as he went to the pool’s side.

  “Customer, be careful. It might be dirty!”

  There was currently a worker cleaning the room.

  “Is this used earlier for a medicinal bath?”

  Staring at the faintly-red bathwater in the pool, the middle-aged man found that it was a little dirty. But after a short hesitation, he still stretched his hand in it.

  “Eh? The spirit qi in the water is very dense. No, it isn’t simply just dense……”

  The middle-aged man was shocked. From the looks of it, the bathwater in the pool was already used earlier. However, if the medicinal bath from before hadn’t been used, how strong would the medical potency have been then?

  “I also want to bathe in this pool!”

  The middle-aged man instructed.

  “Customer, this……this……”

  The worker felt awkward.

  “I’ll add money!”

  The middle-aged man had just arrived in Jinling and he was still familiarizing himself with the rules of this place. He thought that the medicinal baths used by those valued guests wouldn’t be opened to outsiders.

  “This isn’t a problem with money. The earlier guests brought their own medicine packets to use in the bath!”

  The worker explained. After all, the commotion earlier was too great, and he had also heard about it.

  “Oh? Do you know the identity of those guests?” After the middle-aged man spoke, he shook his head. “Forget it, I’ll go ask your boss!”

  Before looking for the boss, the middle-aged man personally jumped into the pool and meticulously sensed the difference between this bathwater and the normal one.

  Mn, such good stuff did deserve him to make a personal trip!

  Very soon, Hua Rou met with the middle-aged man.

  “Is there a problem with that bathwater?”

  Hua Rou frowned.

  “No problem, I’m only curious!”

  The middle-aged man was looking at an ink painting that was hung in the room. He couldn’t help but shook his head as it was too ugly.

  “Sorry, I have no idea.”

  Hua Rou refused to answer. If this middle-aged man wanted to look for Sun Mo to make trouble, it might affect her relationship with Sun Mo.

  At the very least, before she could ascertain whether Sun Mo had value or not, she wouldn’t sell him out.

  “You don’t know?”

  The middle-aged man laughed. “The door is damaged, and the spirit qi fluctuation in the room hasn’t returned to normal. Evidently, someone has broken through 10 minutes ago. No, there should be two people.”

  Upon hearing this, Hua Rou was badly shocked. She stared at the middle-aged man and asked, “Who are you exactly?”

  Being able to sense the spirit qi fluctuation and accurately determine the number of people who had broken through…… It was a little terrifying!

  “I’m just an ordinary man!”

  The middle-aged man’s mind was fixated on his earlier question; hence, he replied casually. After that, he continued with his earlier topic, “Since there were two breakthroughs here, the commotion caused would surely not be little. As the lady boss, how is it possible that you won’t come by and question things? Hence, I don’t believe it if you say you don’t know!”

  Hua Rou fell silent; she was weighing the pros and cons.

  As someone who did business, she naturally wouldn’t do something that would cause her to lose her capital.

  The middle-aged man then flicked his finger.

  Pak!

  A white-colored alchemy pill flew out and landed on the table in front of Hua Rou. It revolved on the spot, and just from this, Hua Rou could tell that the strength of this middle-aged man wasn’t ordinary.

  After smelling the fragrance of the pill, she subconsciously exclaimed in surprise.

  “Origin nurturing pill?”

  This alchemy pill was the size of a hawthorn berry. It was white and slightly transparent. The slight fragrance it exuded could cause those who smelled it to feel refreshed. They would also feel that their limbs were full of strength.

  The name of this pill was known as the ‘origin nurturing pill’. It was an alchemy pill used in the body-refinement realm. After consuming it, one’s foundation would be nurtured and one’s physique would be strengthened, allowing the consumer to enjoy a level up in their cultivation realm.

  Naturally, it was also extremely expensive. Just a pill would cost roughly over ten thousand taels of silver. If your clan didn’t own a mine, it was better just to cultivate honestly.

  The origin nurturing pill was an alchemy pill used by those with lower cultivation bases. It was commonly seen, and Hua Rou had also consumed one in the past. However, she was so shocked because the origin nurturing pill before her eyes was clearly of an extremely high tier.

  It should be at the heaven-tier at the very least.

  That was right, for alchemy pills, because of the raw materials used, the methods of concoction, the tools, the method of energy circulation, etc, there would be different tiers and grades.

  The higher the grade and tier, the better the medicinal potency would be. After consuming it, the impurities left in one’s body would also be less.

  This pill was definitely extremely precious. Ordinary cultivators wouldn’t be able to purchase it even if they had the money.

  Firstly, they had no connections. Secondly, the pill was too expensive!

  “Esteemed customer, may I ask for your name?”

  Hua Rou’s attitude was much more respectful now. She couldn’t afford to antagonize someone who could casually take out such a high-tiered origin nurturing pill as a reward.

  However, curiosity appeared in her heart. What medicine packet had Sun Mo used exactly? Why did it cause this major character to feel so much interest in it?

  Chapter 131 A Girl Who Loves Money So Much That She Could Die for It

  “Fang Haoran!”

  After the middle-aged man finished speaking, he grew impatient. “Quickly speak!”

  His tone of command was very annoying, but Hua Rou didn’t dare to get angry because the other party’s attitude clearly showed that he was used to ordering others from a higher position.

  Bluntly speaking, Hua Rou couldn’t afford to offend such a person.

  “The other party is named Sun Mo, and it seems that he is a teacher of the Central Province Academy. He came here with a few students to take a bath and during his time here, two of his students achieved a successful breakthrough.”

  Hua Rou was quite pleased. She managed to gain an origin nurturing pill that was valued at tens of thousands of taels with a piece of information. This was a business that only needed a small capital to bring back huge profits.

  “Central Province Academy? Isn’t that old headmaster dead already? Without him, how come the school hasn’t been delisted yet?”

  Fang Haoran felt curious.

  “Right now, the old headmaster’s granddaughter is running the school.”

  Hua Rou explained.

  In Jinling, everyone knew about An Xinhui’s fame. She was a 3-star great teacher under the age of 30. Such talents could be counted on fingers, and An Xinhui was precisely one of such talents.

  “I see!”

  Fang Haoran frowned and gave up the thought of directly looking for Sun Mo. “I’m staying on the governor’s manor. In the future, if this Sun Mo comes to take a bath again, inform me immediately!”

  After Fang Haoran finished speaking, he turned and went up the stairs, wanting to inspect the bathwater even further.

  After hearing that Fang Haoran was staying in the governor’s manor, Hua Rou had a slightly shocked look on her face. She didn’t dare to slight him and immediately followed after. “What does esteemed customer want to do? I’ll accompany you!”

  The Jinling Governor was a major character with the greatest authority in Jinling as well as the surrounding counties. With a single command, he could determine the life and death of 100,000 citizens.

  Being able to become a valued guest of the Jinling Governor clearly showed that the status of this Fang Haoran was much more respected than what she had guessed.

  Hua Rou followed Fang Haoran and saw him entering the single room. He didn’t care about becoming filthy and directly jumped into the common bath pool. He cupped his hand and scooped up some water. Not only did he bring it near his nose to smell it, but he even stuck out his tongue to lick the water.

  “Esteemed customer!”

  Hua Rou was badly shocked. Other than the behavior of the other party being too disgusting, she was also worried that he would cause countless troubles to fall on her head if he died because of it.

  Usually speaking, all the medicine packets were for external usage during baths. One mustn’t consume them or something bad would happen.

  “Noisy!”

  Fang Haoran was very angry upon being disturbed. “All of you, scram!”

  Hua Rou was scolded ruthlessly, but as a businesswoman, she endured it and put on a smiling face as she retreated. After that, she instructed her workers.

  “Pay close attention and observe him!”

  Hua Rou’s ample figure shook as she went down the stairs. However, her mind was filled with Sun Mo’s image. How miraculous was his medicine packet exactly? It actually managed to gain the interest of a major character?

  After returning to school, Sun Mo parted ways with Xuanyuan Po and the others.

  “System, can the prescription of the medicine packet be bought from the merchant store?”

  Sun Mo asked. “You can purchase it for 50,000 favorable impression points!”

  The system’s words were concise and comprehensive.

  “The pricing is actually the same as the great teacher halo?”

  Sun Mo clicked his tongue.

  “The majority of the prescriptions in the store were even more expensive!”

  The system explained. For something like that, once one learned it, they would be able to benefit from it their entire life. Hence, the price was expensive.

  It intended to let the host learn how to treasure things.

  “Forget it, in any case, 100 favorable impression points aren’t expensive either. It should be sufficient if I bathe with the medicine packet once a week.”

  Sun Mo gave up the idea of getting the giant medicine packet’s prescription. He returned to his dorm and took his spirit rune tools as well as a potted plant. He then headed to the Sorrowless Lake and continued doing his mission.

  During this week, Sun Mo had created a spirit gathering potted plant for each of his personal students. His drawing technique was also steadily improving.

  With his improvement in his skill, he began to start imagining more stuff.

  Sun Mo was already not satisfied drawing spirit gathering runes on ordinary green plants. Thus, he spent a huge amount of money to purchase a pot of snowrose.

  Snowrose was a plant with many leaves, roughly about several hundreds. It was suitable to be an ornamental-type of potted plant.

  Sun Mo not only wanted to draw a spirit gathering rune on each of the leaves, but he also wanted to link them all up into a spirit gathering formation.

  Sun Mo’s trip to the Sorrowless Lake lasted until late at night. The moon was high in the sky, cascading down its silvery-white rays.

  Sun Mo stood up and stretched. After that, he glanced at the quiet campus. He was speechless.

  No matter how strong a body was, it also needed sustenance. At the very least, Sun Mo didn’t feel hungry at all. This was why he was so concentrated and could put in all his effort, causing him to end up forgetting the time.

  “The canteen should be closed by now,

  right?”

  Sun Mo packed his stuff and headed outside the school, intending to look for food. When he stepped on the main path, he saw a young girl pulling along a handcart walking past him.

  “It’s that 777!”*

  Sun Mo’s eyes brightened. He was acquainted with this girl. Back then during the first day of the student recruitment meet, she told him she could become his personal disciple, but he had to pay her 100,000 taels of silver first.

  It was a young girl who loved money so much that she could die.

  However, after seeing the clothes the girl was wearing, Sun Mo understood.

  Her name was Ying Baiwu. This name was very nice to hear and was also unique. She wasn’t like other teenage girls who had long hair and would maintain their looks meticulously. She directly chose to cut her hair and keep it short instead.

  This was naturally not because of any special reasons. The only reason was because she was too busy and too tired of life. She basically had no time to maintain her long hair. Besides, she could save some money on soap if she had short hair.

  Although soap wasn’t expensive and cost only a few copper coins, Ying Baiwu couldn’t afford it.

  Her figure was thin, and signs of doing physical labor could be seen from her pale countenance and fatigued expression. However, her gaze was sharp. With her clearly defined features, she seemed to exude an aura of sharpness like an unsheathed dagger.

  Sun Mo followed her. He watched as she pulled the handcart and stopped at the back entrance of the canteen.

  Ying Baiwu entered, but not long later, she carried out a rubbish bin that was even taller than her. She then poured the swill and slop in the bin into the large wooden bucket on the handcart.

  Huala- Huala

  A rancid and pungent smell permeated the air.

  Sun Mo covered his nose. However, Ying Baiwu glanced at the swill. Her throat moved as she involuntarily swallowed a gulp of saliva. After that, her stomach began to grumble.

  “Damn!”

  Ying Baiwu lifted her feet and ruthlessly kicked the rubbish bin as she cursed, “Is there a need to waste so much food? Do you guys know how many people go hungry every day?”

  There were still bits of meat and noodle strands in it, and these were things Ying Baiwu usually couldn’t afford to eat.

  Ying Baiwu only managed to fill her handcart completely after entering and exiting the canteen three times. After that, she pulled her handcart along, intending to head to the rubbish area in Jinling to throw it.

  Ying Baiwu had this job for three entire years. In the past, she was only assisting her father, but after her father’s legs were broken because he owed debts through gambling and couldn’t walk anymore, Ying Baiwu could only do it herself.

  A job such as the transportation of swill was too dirty. If she did it in the day, it would affect Jinling City’s environment and cause inconvenience for pedestrians and merchants.

  The entire Central Province Academy, with students and teachers, exceeded 10,000 in number, and they produced plenty of rubbish every day. Ying Baiwu had to use the entire night before she could barely transport all the trash over.

  Looking at Ying Baiwu’s skinny figure pulling the handcart, slowly making her way to her destination, Sun Mo couldn’t help but sigh.

  She was wearing clothes made from sackcloth. Not only was her clothes completely bleached due to washing too many times, but over ten patches could also be seen on it. She was really poor to the extreme. No one could be poorer.

  Outside the school, there were three shops that operated for 24 hours a day. Sun Mo wasn’t choosy, and he casually ate something and he got the waiter to pack his take-away of 0.5 kg of beef and two baked sesame seeds-coated cakes.

  Sun Mo didn’t return to the dorm. Instead, he sat on the grassy area at the roadside. While he drew spirit runes under the light of the moon, he was also paying attention to the canteen’s back entrance.

  After half an hour, Ying Baiwu returned. Her sackcloth clothes were already drenched in sweat. Every step she took would cause droplets of sweat to fall onto the ground, forming a tiny wet spot.

  After another round of being busy, Ying Baiwu once again filled the wooden bucket on her handcart with swill. After that, she left and headed toward the rubbish area once more. However, before she walked too far, she stopped and directly walked to the grassy area.

  “Have you watched enough?”

  Ying Baiwu roared in a low voice, akin to an enraged tigress. When Sun Mo stood up, her expression immediately changed upon noticing that he was wearing the azure-colored teacher robes.

  “Oh damn! Why is it a teacher?”

  Ying Baiwu wanted to leave, but she was worried that this teacher might report to the school if she left right away. If that really happened, she would lose this job.

  Honestly speaking, this job was very tiring. Ying Baiwu had long since wanted to quit. But if she didn’t have this job, what should her whole family eat? They couldn’t possibly depend on her mother’s income that came solely from embroidery, right?”

  “There’s someone who watched you before?”

  Sun Mo was curious. From Ying Baiwu’s meaning, it seemed that this was not the first time she had encountered something like this.

  Ying Baiwu didn’t reply, but her hand was holding onto the firewood knife attached to her waist.

  During these three years, she had encountered too many people who wanted to harass her. Beggars who were sleeping by the side of the roads, gangsters who idled their time away, and those two school workers who were disgustingly lecherous. All of them wanted to take advantage of her. If it wasn’t for the fact that Ying Baiwu was ruthless enough, she would have been dragged by someone into the grassy areas and raped.

  Sun Mo furrowed his brows, but he involuntarily nodded after thinking about it. A young girl transporting swill in the middle of the night. It would be strange if nothing happened to her.

  “You should be hungry after doing so much work, right?”

  Sun Mo took out a paper bag. “Take it. I finished my supper and I got some food for you too!”

  Ying Baiwu’s eyes narrowed, and her gaze was filled with a little bewilderment. After that, her expression turned ferocious. “I have my limbs with me, I don’t need your sympathy!”

  After she finished speaking, she suddenly moved forward and snatched the paper bag away.

  “Eh!”

  Sun Mo was stunned. (I thought you didn’t want it from your words?)

  “Hmph, this is the compensation you own me for insulting my character.”

  Ying Baiwu glared at Sun Mo.

  “Hehe!”

  Sun Mo smiled. This was a girl who felt inferior yet was also very cunning. She didn’t want others to look down on her, but she was unwilling to miss out on so much food as well. Hence, she used such a method to obtain the food, changing the terms from sympathy to compensation. “Had people attacked you before?”

  Sun Mo was curious. “Earlier when you came over, what were you intending to do?”

  Ying Baiwu didn’t say anything. She went back to her handcart and continued to work.

  “You can’t possibly be threatening others to extort them of their money, right?”

  Sun Mo followed her. He recalled her look of wanting money so bad that she could die for it when he first met her in the past.

  “Who the hell are you to care?”

  Ying Baiwu glared at Sun Mo. After that, her gaze turned to his teacher robes. “If you have not joined the faculty officially, you would be in huge trouble if you wear such clothes.”

  “I’m a teacher, an official one.”

  Sun Mo laughed. “An official one?”

  After hearing this, Ying Baiwu seriously surveyed Sun Mo for the first time. Wait a minute, why did he seem so familiar. Had she met him before in the student recruitment meet?

  [1] 777 is referring to the girl’s stats when Sun Mo first met her during the student recruitment meet.