Wandering Swordsman |

After Luo Wangchen left, Shen Mo closed the door and began packing his luggage alone.

The room was silent, save for the soft rustling as he rummaged through the items. When his fingers touched the six manuals, his heart tightened, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes. Especially the three manuals—the demonic arts he had already practiced—the *Blood Fiend Demon Art*, the *Nine Revolutions of Yin and Yang*, and the *Blood Shadow Technique*, which made him furrow his brow.

Although he had already memorized and practiced the martial arts techniques described, keeping these manuals around would undoubtedly greatly increase the risk of being discovered. Thinking of this, Shen Mo's eyes hardened; he decided to eliminate this hidden danger completely.

So he lit the oil lamp in the room, carefully tore the three manuals page by page, and slowly brought them closer to the flame. The flames gently licked the edges of the papers, gradually spreading, and with a crackling sound, the pages containing the demonic arts turned to ashes in the flames.

After dealing with the three demonic arts manuals, Shen Mo turned his attention to the remaining three martial arts manuals: "The Heart-Cleansing Technique," "Iron Shirt," and "Heavenly Void True Qi," which he hadn't studied in depth. He had already practiced the first two and confirmed that they were not demonic arts, so Shen Mo planned to give them to his master.

As for the "Heavenly Void True Qi," since he has not yet cultivated it, Shen Mo himself cannot determine its nature, so he must treat it with caution.

To be on the safe side, Shen Mo began memorizing the contents of "Heavenly Void True Qi". He sat cross-legged, opened the book, and read it word by word, not missing a single detail.

As time passed, just as he was immersed in the book, he suddenly noticed that the handwriting on the manual seemed familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before, but he couldn't recall the specific source for a moment.

By the time Shen Mo had memorized all the contents of the *Heavenly Void True Qi*, it was nearly noon. Sunlight streamed through the window, bringing a touch of warmth to the room. At that moment, Shen Mo breathed a sigh of relief, for he remembered that the handwriting on the *Formless Scripture* was remarkably similar to that on the *Heavenly Void True Qi*, as if written by the same person. This discovery warmed Shen Mo's heart and added a sense of reassurance. After all, if this martial art and the *Formless Scripture* were from the same person, then it shouldn't be an evil object.

This idea led him to decide to hand over "Heavenly Void True Qi" along with "Pure Heart Technique" and "Iron Shirt" to his master, Luo Wangchen.

After deciding what to do with the martial arts manuals, Shen Mo's gaze inadvertently fell on the two ginseng roots he had brought out from the Black Wind Gang.

At this moment, Shen Mo's stomach let out an untimely, hungry growl, "Gurgle~".

Looking at the two ginseng roots, Shen Mo hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to eat them directly to alleviate his hunger. He carefully picked up one of them, closed his eyes, and slowly put it into his mouth, chewing gently.

The moment the ginseng entered his mouth, it transformed into a rich aroma that filled his mouth and invigorated him.

Strangely, after eating the ginseng, Shen Mo did not feel any special changes; instead, he felt even emptier in his stomach.

Just then, a delicate and familiar voice came from outside the door, "Young Master Shen, are you there?" It was Situ Meng's voice.

Upon hearing this sound, Shen Mo quickly wiped away the ginseng juice remaining at the corner of his mouth, adjusted his state, and then opened the door.

Standing outside the door were Situ Meng and Zhao Xue. Situ Meng was carrying a steaming hot meal. "I heard you hadn't eaten yet, so I asked the waiter to prepare a simple meal," Situ Meng said gently, a concerned smile on her face.

A warm feeling welled up in Shen Mo's heart. He accepted the food and said gratefully to Situ Meng, "Thank you for your kindness, Miss Situ. I won't be polite then."

The three of them entered the room together. Shen Mo placed the food on the table and invited them to sit down and chat. The somewhat quiet atmosphere in the room instantly became warm and inviting. As Shen Mo ate, he listened to Situ Meng recount some interesting stories she knew, and occasionally Zhao Xue's soft laughter and agreement could be heard.

......

The sunlight at noon shone through the sparse clouds, adding a touch of warmth to this early spring season.

Since the journey to their next destination was similar, the groups from Jingtian Pavilion, Wudang Sect, Sword Tomb, and Shaolin Temple traveled together, slowly leaving Yimen County and heading northeast.

The long queue formed a unique picture on the winding path. Amidst the flying dust, the colorful costumes intertwined, showcasing the diversity and vitality of the martial arts world.

Shen Mo's outstanding performance yesterday made him stand out in the team. Many people took the initiative to come up and greet him. Faced with their praise, Shen Mo smiled slightly and humbly replied, "You flatter me, I just did my best."

Along the way, Situ Meng often came to chat with Shen Mo. Her lively figure and cheerful laughter could always be found beside Shen Mo.

All of this was observed by Situ Changkong, who was not far away. Initially, he didn't think much of it. After all, in his view, Situ Meng was only approaching Shen Mo out of politeness and friendliness.

However, as time went on, Situ Changkong's peace was gradually shattered whenever he saw the peculiar smile on Situ Meng's face when she talked to Shen Mo. He began to notice that Situ Meng's attitude towards Shen Mo was distinctly different from her attitude towards other friends, and that closeness made him uneasy.

"Could it be that Junior Sister Meng... has really fallen for Shen Mo?" Situ Changkong pondered to himself, his brows furrowing involuntarily. He tried to convince himself that it was just overthinking, but deep down he couldn't ignore the subtle shift in his feelings. As the journey continued, Situ Meng's affection for Shen Mo seemed to grow more and more obvious, which fueled Situ Changkong's growing jealousy.

During a break, Situ Meng approached Shen Mo again, and the two sat under a large tree, chatting happily. Situ Changkong watched them from afar, his fists clenched, his eyes revealing a subtle hostility towards Shen Mo.

"Brother Changkong, why are you standing here alone?" A voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned around and saw He Yun approaching, carrying some fruit. He Yun's smile was as gentle as ever, seemingly able to penetrate the deepest shadows in people's hearts.

Situ Changkong forced a smile, trying to hide his inner turmoil. "It's nothing, I was just thinking about some things."

He Yun frowned slightly, as if he had noticed something amiss. He walked over to Situ Changkong and handed him the fruit in his hand. "Here, have something to eat. Thinking like this will make you hungry."

Taking the fruit, Situ Changkong took a small bite, but found it tasteless. He Yun's gaze fell on his face, her eyes filled with concern and inquiry, "Are you worried about the demonic powers reappearing?"