Chapter 218: Return to the Capital

Originally, Lin Xiao had planned that if it took him nearly half a year to reach the late Foundation Establishment stage, he would consider ending his seclusion temporarily and stepping out to see the current situation. However, before entering the Nature Platform and sealing it off, he had left emergency contact methods with Liu Yunan and his father. Since he had not been awakened during his months of seclusion, it meant that everything outside was progressing normally.

Therefore, Lin Xiao decided to continue cultivating instead of leaving seclusion. He believed it was more important to seize the time and focus on his cultivation, as he was currently deeply immersed in it. His goal was to break through to the Golden Core stage as soon as possible!

Meanwhile, Mo Yuanjiao returned to the capital after more than half a month. In truth, with Mo Yuanjiao at the ninth level of Qi Refinement and Mo Que at the fourth level, they could have returned much faster. Their current speed was far greater than before, and they didn't need to worry about food, drink, or rest, allowing them to travel day and night.

However, they had brought along the horses they had ridden when they first left Lingxian Sect. Leaving the horses at the sect would have burdened their fellow disciples, who were all quite busy, and they worried the horses might be forgotten. So, they took the horses with them, which slowed their pace, and thus, it took them over half a month to reach the capital.

Before their departure, Mo Que had sent a letter to the General's Residence, informing them of their return. However, he forgot to mention how soon they would arrive, so the General's Residence assumed it would take at least a month or two for them to return, even if they traveled swiftly. As a result, no one was waiting for them at the city gates as they usually did when Mo Yuanjiao returned from his outings.

But Mo Yuanjiao didn't mind. He signaled Mo Que to quickly cast a dust-removal spell on him, then leisurely strolled down the familiar West Avenue.

Now that he was at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, he had long mastered the art of using spiritual energy to protect himself. During their journey, to accommodate Mo Que and the horses, he didn't expend much energy, so he indulgently maintained his spiritual energy barrier almost the entire time, just to keep himself spotless. After all, this was the capital, his territory, with many eyes watching. As one of the most well-known playboys in the city, Mo Yuanjiao couldn't allow anyone to see him looking disheveled.

Over the past few months of cultivation at Lingxian Sect, Mo Yuanjiao had grown considerably taller, now matching Mo Que's height. The clothes he had brought with him no longer fit, and though he had plenty of money, he didn't pay much attention to the matter. When others noticed and pointed it out, he simply waved it off, saying that shorter clothes were cooler in the summer, so he didn't bother buying new ones. It wasn't until he was about to return to the capital that he realized the problem. However, the ready-made clothes available weren't suitable for someone of his status, and his attire required custom tailoring. But since he was eager to set out and take on responsibilities, he didn't have time to wait for custom-made clothes. Fortunately, Aunt Yang's sewing skills were excellent, and she altered his clothes so well that no one could tell they had been modified.

Otherwise, the people of the capital would have seen the once-dashing young master of the General's Residence looking shabby and down on his luck.

As he walked through the familiar streets after several months, Mo Yuanjiao felt an inexplicable joy, a sense of excitement he couldn't quite put into words. He recalled how, back when he refused to join one of the three major sects, the entire city had been buzzing with gossip about him. It had gotten to the point where he couldn't even hang out with his friends without being the topic of discussion. Who could have imagined that just a few months later, he would be a completely different person?

Thinking of this, Mo Yuanjiao's steps unconsciously took on the swagger he used to have when strolling down the streets with his group of friends.

Watching his young master strut ahead, Mo Que couldn't help but remind him, "Young master, remember, you're trying to take on responsibilities now."

Startled, Mo Yuanjiao snapped out of his reverie. That's right—he needed to strive to become a pillar of the sect! He couldn't indulge in this meaningless satisfaction. Forget about being a playboy in the capital! He, Mo Yuanjiao, was now the proud disciple of the sect leader at Lingxian Sect!

With newfound resolve, Mo Yuanjiao quickly reined in his exuberant emotions and broke into a run, pulling his horse along.

Mo Que hesitated for a moment but then followed suit, running after him. The capital had rules against riding horses through the streets, but it didn't say anything about running with a horse…right?

Before they had gone far, Mo Yuanjiao spotted a familiar figure stepping out of a fragrant alleyway. From a distance, he didn't recognize the person's face, but the silhouette was unmistakable. He had always been good at remembering people by their posture, and his memory was excellent. After a moment's thought, he recalled who the person was.

Mo Que watched as his young master slowed down, then sped up again, heading straight for someone they seemingly didn't know. To his surprise, Mo Yuanjiao bowed deeply to the man and said, "Thank you, sir, for your guidance!"

Song Jusheng, who had just woken from the comfort of a warm embrace and was preparing to return to his sect's capital branch, was taken aback by the sight of the tall young man bowing to him. He froze, and when he heard the young man thank him for his guidance and recognized Mo Yuanjiao's face, he finally understood.

"You…you?! The young master of the Mo family?"

Seeing that he recognized him, Mo Yuanjiao didn't doubt him and expressed his gratitude, "Yes, sir! Thank you for your guidance, which led me to find my destined opportunity! I would greatly appreciate it if you could share your address so I can properly thank you with a generous gift!"

"You, you, you…wait, this! Weren't you…" Weren't you lost?!

Remembering how his sect had received no news of this young master joining them, Song Jusheng had been disappointed for a long time. Despite his careful lies, it seemed the boy had gone missing. Yet here he was, standing in front of him, claiming to have found his opportunity and thanking him for it?

What was going on? Had Mo Yuanjiao eventually found his way to the sect on his own, and someone had hidden this from him to claim the credit?

With this suspicion in mind, Song Jusheng quickly lost interest in pleasantries and hurriedly excused himself, muttering, "No need for thanks. It was your destiny…I have matters to attend to, so I'll be off. We can talk next time."

With that, he hastily made his way back to the sect's headquarters, determined to find out who dared to steal his rewards.

As Song Jusheng hurried off, Mo Yuanjiao stood there, lost in thought. He recalled the circumstances of his fortune-telling and watched the man's retreating figure, pondering deeply.