Ah Mo's lashes trembled as she whispered, "Because I'm useful to Immortal Master."
Xie Zhaolin chuckled softly. "Not bad."
She released her and pulled out a pitch-black pill from her sleeve, holding it out. "Swallow this."
Ah Mo didn't hesitate. She took the pill and gulped it down. The moment it slid into her throat, a chilling aura surged through her limbs. She let out a muffled groan, cold sweat beading on her forehead, but she gritted her teeth and stayed silent.
Xie Zhaolin nodded in satisfaction. "That's a Heart Devouring Pill. It'll flare once a month, and without the antidote, you'll beg for death."
Ah Mo drew in a deep breath and bowed her head to the floor. "Ah Mo understands."
"From now on, you'll be in charge of gathering intel, especially on the gambling den's movements." Xie Zhaolin tapped her finger lightly on the table. "I also need some herbs. Go into the city's medicine shops and buy them for me."
She handed over a list she'd already prepared.
Ah Mo tucked it close to her chest. "Don't worry, Immortal Master, I'll get it done."
Xie Zhaolin waved her off. "Go. You'll set out early tomorrow."
After Ah Mo withdrew, Xie Zhaolin closed her eyes to meditate.
The Heart Devouring Pill was fake. It was nothing more than an ordinary pill laced with a strand of baleful qi. A true Heart Devouring Pill wasn't worth wasting on a mortal.
But Ah Mo didn't know that.
The corner of Xie Zhaolin's lips curled. Sometimes, fear worked better than poison. Still, she didn't resume cultivation right away. Tapping her fingers on the table, she stared out at the night. Ah Mo had swallowed the "pill," but she'd never place all her trust in a newly subdued mortal.
She needed a backup plan.
Rising, she pulled a thin disguise mask from her storage ring. It clung to her face like water, transforming her into a plain, sallow-skinned woman with drooping eyes. So ordinary she'd vanish in a crowd.
Perfect cover.
She slipped out the door and merged into the night. Soon she arrived at an abandoned gravehouse on the city's edge. The place reeked of yin energy, a site mortals avoided, but for someone cultivating the Xuan Yin Foundation Building Technique, it was the best source of baleful qi.
Her fingers formed a seal. Wisps of gray black miasma seeped from the ground, curling around her wrists and refilling her depleted spirit energy.
Not enough…
She needed more baleful qi, at least enough to unleash one full spell. If the gambling den really sent people, she might not even be able to defend herself.
Just as she focused on absorbing qi, footsteps echoed in the distance. Her eyes turned cold. She instantly suppressed her aura and slipped into the shadows.
Someone was coming.
Not just one.
Gambling den thugs? Or perhaps law enforcers from the Hehuan Sect?
She held her breath, extending her weak divine sense.
Three burly men appeared, short blades at their waists. Alongside them walked a cultivator, his aura at Qi Refining third stage, fingers faintly glowing with spiritual light.
Xie Zhaolin narrowed her eyes, gathering a needle of baleful qi at her fingertip, ready to strike.
"This the place?" a rough voice grumbled impatiently.
"Yeah. That useless Zhang Laosan said he spotted a suspicious woman around here, looked like she escaped from the den."
So it was the gambling den's men!
Xie Zhaolin sneered inwardly.
Zhang Laosan must've tipped them off before coming to her. Good thing she acted fast. Otherwise, she'd already be trussed up and dragged back.
"And that bastard? Where is he?"
"Who knows. Probably gambling again. Forget him. Search here first. If nothing, we'll try the other side."
Their footsteps drew closer. The baleful qi at her fingertip sharpened into a deadly point.
Just as they reached the doorway—
Boom!
The gravehouse doors slammed open with a thunderous crash!
"Who's there?!"
The thugs spun around, only to see a small figure standing in the doorway, holding a burning torch.
It was Ah Mo.
Xie Zhaolin's pupils contracted.
Why is she here?
The torchlight lit her anxious face as she stammered, "B-brothers, I, I just passed by and heard noises, thought there were thieves…"
"Scram, brat!" one thug barked impatiently.
Ah Mo flinched but didn't leave. Instead, she timidly asked, "Brothers… are you looking for a woman in gray?"
Xie Zhaolin's gaze turned razor-sharp.
What's she playing at?
The men perked up. "You saw her?"
Ah Mo nodded quickly, whispering, "I, I saw her in a westside alley. She went west…"
She's leading them away!
Xie Zhaolin instantly understood.
The thugs exchanged a glance, then sneered. "Smart kid."
Without another word, they dashed off toward the west side.
Ah Mo stood frozen until their figures vanished, then let out a long breath. She turned toward the shadows. "Immortal Master… they're gone."
Xie Zhaolin stepped out, her gaze icy. "You followed me?"
Ah Mo dropped to her knees, pressing her forehead to the ground. "Ah Mo wouldn't dare! I was just… worried about Immortal Master's safety, so I secretly trailed along. I didn't expect…"
Xie Zhaolin's eyes narrowed. Her act of loyalty was full of holes. She'd known from the start this girl was quick-witted, but since she could still be of use, she'd chosen to ignore it. But tonight? She'd checked carefully to ensure no one followed her. Yet Ah Mo slipped into the gravehouse without a trace. How could a mortal evade her senses?
She claimed she was a beggar, yet she just happened to know Zhang Laosan? And if she truly hated Zhang Laosan for her sister's death, why didn't she flee after witnessing his torture? Why quietly stay hidden in the yard?
If what she said was true, that her sister was ruined by Zhang Laosan, then when she saw him die horribly, a normal child's first reaction should've been fear. After all, wasn't the Immortal Master who tortured him even more terrifying than the enemy?
Xie Zhaolin's finger brushed the dagger hidden in her sleeve, its cold gleam flashing in the night. She walked toward Ah Mo, towering over her. "So, I should be thanking you?"
Ah Mo trembled, forehead pressed hard against the floor. "Ah Mo… doesn't dare…"
"Heh."
The baleful qi tightened like a noose around her throat, hoisting her into the air. Her face flushed crimson, feet kicking uselessly, but she didn't fight back.
"Do you know what I hate most?" Xie Zhaolin's finger twitched, the baleful qi constricting another notch.
Ah Mo rasped out a strangled "Imm…ortal Master…"
"Pretending to be clever." Her voice was soft, but it dripped with icy malice. "Did you really think luring them away would win my trust?"