Stared at by Lu Wukai, Ji Mo felt a little guilty and said, "Why are you glaring at me? I did go in to bathe, but it had no effect by then. There's a monster living in the Dragon Transformation Pool, and I suspect the medicinal effects of the Dragon Saliva were all consumed by that creature."
To divert Lu Wukai's anger, he directly blamed Ya Zi.
In Ji Mo's dormitory, Ya Zi sneezed several times. It curiously scratched its nose with its paw, sensing that someone might be speaking ill of it behind its back.
It slowly closed its eyes and continued to cultivate. The light spots in its丹田 (dāntián - lower abdomen) flickered, gradually condensing into a mass, and a new dragon pearl was successfully born.
"Sigh..."
Lu Wukai sighed dejectedly. So much Dragon Saliva, enough to be absorbed by a hundred Ji Mos, couldn't be used up. It seemed it really had nothing to do with Ji Mo.
He was incredibly disappointed, having planned for years only to end up with nothing.
"Actually, my medical skills are quite strong, and I think I can cure your body."
Ji Mo said with a serious and confident expression, believing he could cure Lu Wukai's physical ailments.
"Even the Sage of Medicine couldn't cure me, do you think you're an Immortal Doctor?"
Lu Wukai said irritably, completely disbelieving Ji Mo's medical skills and feeling his life was bleak.
"Let's go, leave this sad place and find a secluded spot to spend the rest of my life."
Lu Wukai was in a very low mood, utterly disheartened.
The Dragon Saliva was gone, his strength could not be restored in this life, and his hope for revenge was likely dashed. The Treasure Snake had also followed Ji Mo, leaving him alone, with no zest for life.
"Old Lu, I have a little cat, very clever. How about I give it to you as a companion? A 'Lu Mao' is much more interesting than playing with snakes."
Ji Mo intended to give Ya Zi to Lu Wukai as compensation.
"A cat? What cat can compare to my Treasure Snake? No, thank you."
Lu Wukai shook his head, looking disgusted.
Later, when he learned that the "cat" Ji Mo mentioned was actually a Ya Zi, he regretted it immensely.
Ji Mo added, "Judging by your face, you're likely to have a bloody disaster soon. How about this, I'll draw you a peace charm later to ward off misfortune."
Lu Wukai rolled his eyes.
"Are you kidding me? A peace charm? What use is that thing?"
The two left the Dragon's Lair. Ji Mo asked Lu Wukai to wait and went inside to borrow paper and a brush from Song Zhenwei.
Inside, he saw Song Zhenwei holding the broken sword, looking as if he were ready to face a formidable enemy.
"Principal, what are you doing?"
Ji Mo asked, puzzled.
It was just a broken sword, no one would even pick it up if it were thrown on the ground. Why was he holding it like a treasure? Was he afraid someone would steal it?
Song Zhenwei whispered, "That old man you brought has sticky fingers. We can't let him steal my academy's treasure."
"Academy's treasure?"
Ji Mo scratched his head and sighed, "It seems our academy is truly poor, treating a broken sword as its treasure. When I have time, I'll help you fix this broken sword; we can't let outsiders laugh at us."
"Fix it?"
Song Zhenwei was speechless.
"Mr. Ji, although you are powerful and have an extraordinary background, this is an Immortal Artifact. Only an Immortal Craftsman can repair it."
Seeing that Song Zhenwei seemed unconvinced, Ji Mo said, "My blacksmithing skills are quite good, I guarantee I'll fix it beautifully for you."
"Blacksmithing skills?"
Song Zhenwei was shocked and quickly shook his head, refusing Ji Mo's kind offer.
This broken sword was already on the verge of shattering. If Ji Mo messed with it again, it might be ruined.
Ji Mo was a bit depressed. Why did these old guys not believe him? Did he look that unreliable?
He stopped paying attention to Song Zhenwei and took out paper and a pen.
Song Zhenwei curiously asked, "Mr. Ji, are you going to write something?"
"No, the 'sticky-fingered old man' you mentioned is planning to run away, so I'm drawing a peace charm to protect him."
Ji Mo spread out the paper, dipped his brush in ink, took a deep breath, and began to draw.
Song Zhenwei had heard some rumors that a large number of experts had recently arrived in Qianlong City, all looking for Lu Wukai.
Those cultivators were numerous and powerful. How could a single peace charm protect Lu Wukai?
However.
The next second, he was stunned.
Ji Mo's brush moved like a dragon and snake, as he wielded the ink. Daoist rhymes flowed, grand runes danced, and laws were infused into the paper with the stroke of the brush. Brilliant golden light erupted, and an unimaginably terrifying power began to grow.
Song Zhenwei retreated in shock, his body trembling uncontrollably. Then, unable to bear it, he plopped down on the ground.
What kind of rune was Ji Mo drawing? Why did it give him a sense of heart-palpitating fear?
Even the broken sword in his arms trembled incessantly, clearly also in fear.
After Ji Mo finished drawing and blew the ink dry, he folded the paper into a peace charm. The terrifying aura then disappeared.
If he hadn't experienced it himself, who would believe that a seemingly ordinary peace charm contained such unimaginable power?
Song Zhenwei trembled, daring not to make a sound.
He wondered if Ji Mo was deliberately displaying his heaven-defying skills to admonish him, simply because he had looked down on Ji Mo earlier.
No wonder Ji Mo had initially disdained the broken sword; a casually drawn charm was more powerful than this sword.
"Dean, what are you doing? Sitting on the ground at your age."
Ji Mo turned around and saw Song Zhenwei sitting on the floor, and quickly went to help him up.
"Really, the head of an academy shouldn't neglect his image. No wonder the academy is failing under him."
Song Zhenwei swallowed, suppressing his shock, and looked at Ji Mo with reverence, as if he were a god.
"Mr. Ji, when will you fix this broken sword?"
He asked excitedly, now believing that Ji Mo had the ability to repair this immortal sword.
"I'll say when I have time."
Ji Mo said indifferently and walked out of the room.
Song Zhenwei felt like crying without tears, believing he had missed a great opportunity. He was filled with regret!
If he had agreed just now, perhaps Langya Academy could have obtained an intact immortal sword. The more he thought about it, the more heartbroken he became.
"Old Lu, this is a small gift but carries great sentiment. Keep this charm with you; it will ensure your safety."
Ji Mo handed the peace charm to Lu Wukai.
Looking at the crumpled, ungraceful peace charm, Lu Wukai's mouth twitched.
"This is too perfunctory."
"I even gave you my Treasure Snake, and you give me such a broken peace charm?"
"Friendship over!"
Lu Wukai waved his sleeve, too lazy to even bid farewell to Ji Mo, and left directly.
"Things have cooled down, our feelings have faded. It's true that people leave and the tea grows cold."
Feeling the warmth and coldness of human relationships and the vicissitudes of life, the old man Lu sped north after leaving Qianlong City.
Because he was in such a bad mood, he didn't cover his tracks well, and his whereabouts were thus exposed.
"Lu Wukai, I've finally found your whereabouts, you old fox. There are twenty-nine experts hunting you this time. You can't escape."
Twenty-nine figures shot out from Qianlong City, turning into streaks of rainbow light, pursuing north with murderous intent.