While Ba Jie was having a rough time, Lin Mo's situation was far better.
Early in the morning, Xie Yuling had already gone downstairs. By the time she reached Lin Mo's floor, he happened to open his door just as she arrived. Their eyes met, and both smiled.
Footsteps echoed one after another in the quiet hallway.
Once they reached the first floor, Xie Yuling could no longer hold back. She leaned closer to Lin Mo, her voice brimming with awe and delight.
"I checked this morning—there’s not a single bruise or swelling left on my mom’s face! That medicinal oil of yours is absolutely miraculous!"
Lin Mo raised a finger and shook it leisurely in front of her.
"Nope, nope, nope. It’s not the oil that’s miraculous—it’s me. The Rejuvenation Talisman I gave you had an even better effect. Of course, to make it easier for Auntie Zheng to accept, a little disguise was necessary."
Xie Yuling recalled the various talismans Lin Mo had given her.
She knew Chu Miaomiao only had a Protective Talisman.
But she? Rejuvenation Talismans, Invisibility Talismans, Five Thunder Talismans... she had them all, every kind imaginable.
A warm current flowed quietly through her heart, making her cheeks flush slightly.
This feeling of being special, of sharing a secret only the two of them knew—it left her both comforted and strangely unsettled.
Clearing her throat, she suppressed the odd sensation and turned serious.
"So, what really happened last night?"
At first, she’d thought her mother was just unlucky. But the moment she heard the Protective Talisman hadn’t been on her when it happened, she knew something was off.
Even if she couldn’t see the red mist, a woman’s intuition left her uneasy.
Lin Mo considered for a moment before briefly explaining the matter of He Meihua and the cursed object.
"Don’t worry," he said, watching Xie Yuling’s furrowed brow with a firm tone.
"Keep the Protective Talisman on you, and even if that thing were ten times stronger, it wouldn’t harm you in the slightest."
His words carried absolute confidence, but Xie Yuling’s concern didn’t fade—it simply shifted direction.
"Then... are you planning to track down that witch?"
"Yep. That cursed object is an evil artifact, and I’m certain that witch has more than just one. So she has to be found."
Truthfully, it was a mission from the System.
But even without it, Lin Mo would have sought out the source and eradicated it.
Seeing his certainty, she couldn’t help but ask,
"Then... can I come with you?"
She’d wanted to ask last night but had been too afraid.
Now, she finally dared to voice it.
"Sure," Lin Mo replied casually, without a hint of hesitation.
Xie Yuling’s prepared arguments lodged in her throat.
Had he refused, she would’ve countered with questions about the talisman’s effectiveness.
But his immediate agreement left her oddly embarrassed.
"If I go... will I end up like those dumb heroines in dramas? Getting captured and used against you?"
She eyed him cautiously.
After all, so many clueless female leads in shows charged straight into danger despite having zero skills.
Lin Mo reached out and placed a hand on her head.
"Don’t worry. The talismans I gave you are effective. You won’t turn into one of those useless heroines."
Xie Yuling wasn’t like ordinary people to begin with.
Even if she relied on his talismans, Lin Mo hoped to train her into someone who could stay calm in danger—someone who could protect herself and others.
Especially now that he knew this world had traces of the supernatural.
That’s why he was willing to let her join.
As he’d said, with the Protective Talisman, even a cursed object ten times stronger couldn’t harm her.
Unless the enemy surpassed him.
But someone stronger than him wouldn’t bother with such underhanded methods to craft dark artifacts.
They wouldn’t need to slowly refine cursed objects through others—they could just wreak havoc in some third-world country without consequences.
Lin Mo wasn’t stupid.
—System: Isn’t it because I’d never assign you an impossible mission?—
That afternoon, Lin Mo knocked on the office door.
"Reporting in."
Without waiting for a response, he walked in—no teacher would stop him.
As the top-ranked student, he enjoyed the highest privileges.
Lin Mo strode straight to Chen Xiaoya’s desk.
Her computer displayed an unfinished test paper.
Seeing him, Chen Xiaoya looked up proactively. "What’s up?"
"Teacher, I need to skip evening self-study tonight. There’s something I have to take care of."
Lin Mo had never asked for leave before, so his sudden request made her probe further.
"Is something wrong?"
"It’s my landlord’s issue. They need my help. Just for tonight."
Hearing this, Chen Xiaoya didn’t refuse.
"Alright, I’ll note it down. Stay safe."
"Got it."
With that, Lin Mo’s gaze shifted to another teacher in the office—the homeroom teacher of Class 7.
She taught Chinese, but not for Class 8, so their interactions were minimal.
Still, Lin Mo approached her.
"Hello, Teacher Xu."
Teacher Xu looked surprised. She knew Lin Mo but hadn’t expected him to seek her out.
"Lin Mo, is there something you need?"
"I’m here to request evening leave for Xie Yuling. I hope you’ll approve."
Teacher Xu frowned slightly. Xie Yuling was her student, but having a Class 8 student request leave for her seemed inappropriate.
"Why didn’t Xie Yuling come herself?"
Lin Mo replied calmly, "You’re aware of her family situation. She’s quite introverted, and today there’s a family matter. She might not make it back for self-study."
Teacher Xu recalled Xie Yuling’s background.
Facing the school’s top student, she knew there was no need to be overly rigid.
Strictly enforcing rules here would only create unnecessary conflict.
Everyone knew even the principal favored Lin Mo.
After some thought, Teacher Xu waved her hand.
"Fine, just this once. If Xie Yuling needs to skip self-study regularly, her guardian must come to the school to apply."
Lin Mo nodded earnestly. "Just tonight. Thank you, teacher."
The perks and privileges of a top student.
Lin Mo knew them well—something as simple as this was easily managed, even for a top-ten student.
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
y came from. The chests contained supplies, currency, class-change scrolls, skills, talents… and even godhood! The laws of the world were completely rewritten. This became a world where everyone gambled with their fate! Some people, despite having nothing, opened a divine artifact and rose to the top, eventually ruling the world. Others went bankrupt, opened nothing but worthless junk, and leaped from skyscrapers in despair. Lin Ye arrived in this world from another reality, utterly bewildered. “What is going on? Why is everyone a gambling addict?!” “Opening chests? No way. I refuse to gamble. I’ll start with myself!” Until— On his first chest, he obtained a Mythic Talent: Void Incarnation! He could become completely intangible, pass through all things, and reduce everything to nothingness! … On his fiftieth chest, he obtained a Mythic Weapon: Blade of Karma! With a single slash, karma shattered, twisting the universe and overturning the myriad phenomena of creation! … On his ninety-ninth chest, he obtained a Mythic Divine Treasure: Primordial Purple Energy! It could split open the heavens and earth, create all things, and evolve countless worlds with a single thought! Lin Ye: “Now that I think about it… shouldn’t someone have told me that every chest is guaranteed to contain something Mythic?!”
