When they arrived at the cave, Qingfeng and Mingyue were already waiting at the door. The two servant boys still looked the same. Zhang Jingmo said, "Go prepare a few sets of clean clothes."

Qingfeng and Mingyue agreed and withdrew.

The teenager had just come down from the sky, his legs still soft. He saw Zhang Jingmo standing in front of him, saying without looking back, "From now on, you will stay here. When your master comes out of seclusion, I will take you to see him."

The teenager thanked him in a trembling voice.

Zhang Jingmo had only taken a few steps when he felt something was wrong. He thought for a moment and realized that he couldn't just leave this person here. Mortals without cultivation only had a lifespan of a few decades. Even if they took a pill to preserve their appearance, it would only be their appearance. But if he were to teach him, he was afraid of wasting the child's talent...

The more he thought about it, the more troublesome it became. Zhang Jingmo simply threw out a talisman.

The teenager had just opened his mouth wide when the talisman was pasted on his head. He looked stunned, then his body stiffened and he fell to the ground.

Lu Guijiu was stunned and said, "Master, you..."

Zhang Jingmo didn't answer. He waved his sleeve again, and Lu Guijiu saw the person being lifted by a cloud, heading straight for the treasure pavilion.

Lu Guijiu said, "..."

At this time, Qingfeng and Mingyue had just brought clean clothes over. They looked around, seemingly looking for the teenager from earlier.

Zhang Jingmo said, "The clothes are not needed."

Although Qingfeng didn't understand why, he still said yes.

Zhang Jingmo thought for a moment and added, "When Bai Lingxiao comes out of seclusion, remember to remind me that there is something in the treasure pavilion to give him."

Qingfeng agreed again.

Only then did Zhang Jingmo nod with satisfaction and leave with Lu Guijiu.

Seeing Zhang Jingmo leave, Qingfeng asked Mingyue in a low voice, "Do you think we should tell the lord about those things?"

Mingyue pouted, "Forget it. If that person comes again, the lord will know. If he doesn't come again... let's just pretend we don't know."

Hearing this, Qingfeng sighed but didn't say anything more, as if agreeing with Mingyue's words.

After Lu Guijiu and Zhang Jingmo returned to the Lingxu Sect, many people got the news.

The first to come was Yu Fen, who, as usual, brought a pot of excellent spiritual wine and invited Zhang Jingmo to have a few drinks.

After Zhang Jingmo agreed, the two started drinking at the stone table.

Yu Fen said, "I haven't seen you for a few years, and your hair still hasn't turned black?"

Zhang Jingmo said, "It's not easy to recover from an injury to the foundation." The Molten Fire Pill was against the heavens. Naturally, he had to pay a price for refining it.

Yu Fen said, "Your departure was indeed carefree, but you really don't know how Lingxu Sect has been turned upside down because of you."

Zhang Jingmo knew very well. When he first refined the Molten Fire Pill, he had witnessed the grand occasion. The number of people who came to visit him for this elixir was countless, almost flattening the threshold of Lingxu Sect.

Zhang Jingmo said, "I don't really want to come back, but with the Xuanwu Conference approaching..."

Upon hearing this, Yu Fen's hand holding the wine cup paused. He said, "Are you really planning to let Guijiu participate in the Xuanwu Conference?"

Zhang Jingmo said, "Why not?"

Yu Fen struggled for a moment, but still spoke out. He said, "That Daoist Cen's disciple broke through to the fifth level of Qi Refining a few days ago..."

Zhang Jingmo slightly narrowed his eyes. This was a bit beyond his expectations.

Yu Fen continued, "You cherish your disciple so much. Letting him participate in this, isn't it a bit dangerous?"

After returning to Lingxu Sect, Zhang Jingmo had suppressed Lu Guijiu's cultivation, making him appear to outsiders as only in the mid-fourth level of Qi Refining stage. So it was normal for Yu Fen to be so worried.

Zhang Jingmo said, "Just this?"

Yu Fen said, "Sigh, sigh, forget it, forget it. I'm too lazy to bother with you." He shook his head, seeming a bit helpless with Zhang Jingmo. He was more worried than the person actually involved. What's the use of him being anxious?

Zhang Jingmo said, "I have my own discretion in this matter. You don't need to worry. As for your state of mind..."

Yu Fen said, "Let nature take its course." He seemed to have already given up.

Zhang Jingmo shook his head. If Yu Fen encountered other obstacles, he could still help a little. But with issues like state of mind, he really couldn't help at all.

The two drank on their own for a long time, finishing the small wine Yu Fen brought. Only then did Yu Fen wobble away drunkenly. Zhang Jingmo also felt a bit tipsy. He simply went to the water pond inside his cave abode, took off all his clothes, and walked into the water, wanting to take a thorough bath.

Lu Guijiu was originally in the room and could hear the conversation between Zhang Jingmo and Yu Fen. He heard the two drinking to their heart's content, their tones also carrying a hint of drunkenness.

Then Yu Fen left. When Lu Guijiu pushed the door open, ready to look for Zhang Jingmo, he saw his master flying towards the direction of the water pond in the cave abode.

Zhang Jingmo's cave abode was a blessed place. The water in the pond was also full of spiritual energy. Zhang Jingmo took off his clothes and walked into the pond, seeming to not notice Lu Guijiu following behind at all.

Lu Guijiu stopped at the edge of the pond. Just as he was about to step forward and call out to his master, his footsteps froze upon clearly seeing the scene before his eyes.

Zhang Jingmo's hair had already grown to almost his calves. Usually he tied it behind his head, only letting it down when bathing. The spirit wine Yu Fen brought was said to be able to make even immortals drunk. Zhang Jingmo drank heartily and indeed had some drunkenness at this moment. He was lying on a large rock by the shore, his silvery-white long hair floating on the water, making his snow-like skin appear even more striking.

Lu Guijiu could vaguely see the fair back faintly visible amidst the silvery-white strands of hair. In the clear pond water, Zhang Jingmo's beautifully contoured buttocks and two slender legs could also be seen clearly. In order to float on the water, Zhang Jingmo's two legs were lightly treading water. From a distance, he looked like a merman, a sight that made it difficult for Lu Guijiu to breathe.

He watched for a while, then reluctantly called out, "Master."

Zhang Jingmo turned his head, his expression a bit dazed. He said, "What is it?"

Seeing Zhang Jingmo's face full of drunkenness, Lu Guijiu opened his mouth and said, "Master, don't catch a cold."

"Catch a cold?" Hearing these words, the drunkenness on Zhang Jingmo's face receded a bit. He laughed, "Little brat, what are you thinking? You think I don't know?"

Lu Guijiu was stunned.

The smile on Zhang Jingmo's face faded. He said, "Get lost."

Lu Guijiu clenched the hand hanging by his side.

This was the first time Lu Guijiu saw such a cold Zhang Jingmo. This was also the first time Zhang Jingmo said to Lu Guijiu, "Get lost."

After saying this, Zhang Jingmo also knew he misspoke. He reached out to wipe his face and said, "You go first. I'm a bit drunk."

Lu Guijiu let out a soft "Mm", then turned and left. However, Zhang Jingmo's cold expression lingered in his mind.

Watching Lu Guijiu's departing figure, Zhang Jingmo also knew he had misdirected his anger. Seeing Yu Fen's drunken appearance made him recall the miserable fate of his good friend and his own death in every lifetime.