If Lin Mo attended, that sword master would inevitably attend as well, which would naturally result in them looking out for Fang Ziyan.
However, Lin Mo now had zero interest in paying any attention to Fang Ziyan's sword path.
"Oh."
Fang Ziyan gave a small response, lowered her head, and walked away.
Li Yue chased after her. "Ziyan, wait for me!"
"Ziyan, are you truly stupid or just playing dumb? Look at what time it is, and you're still thinking about that piece of trash, Chen Yu?!"
"Your Brother Lin Mo has already shifted his affections to someone else!"
Li Yue spoke with a face full of indignation, but Fang Ziyan clearly hadn't taken her words to heart.
Fang Ziyan was just getting ready to take out her communication token to call Chen Yu when Li Yue snatched it right out of her hand.
"Fang Ziyan! You shouldn't be contacting Chen Yu right now! You should be figuring out a way to pull Lin Mo back!"
Feeling wronged, Fang Ziyan's eyes grew red. "Why are you being so unreasonable?"
"I only see Lin Mo as a brother; there is no romantic relationship between us. Furthermore, Chen Yu is just my senior brother. It's not what you think."
Li Yue was momentarily speechless.
'She still hasn't grasped the situation?! She was still acting like a green tea bitch even when the fish had already swum away. Do you really not care?!'
"Give my token back."
"No."
Beep-boop, beep-boop.
The communication token began to ring. Fang Ziyan's expression changed—it was the specific contact signal of her family members. Seeing this, Li Yue finally handed it back.
"Mom, what's wrong?"
"Where are you?"
"I'm watching the flower boats with Yue. What's the matter?"
"Watching the flower boats?! I bet you're on a date with that brat Chen Yu!"
"Ziyan, didn't I tell you to get closer to Holy Son Lin? And what do you do? Not only did you fail to get the Grade Seven Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill, but you're actually out flirting with that trash Chen Yu!"
"I'm giving you a final ultimatum. Get your butt back here immediately and stop contacting Chen Yu, or else I no longer have you as a daughter!"
Her mother was furious, her tone aggressive and piercing. Even Li Yue could clearly hear the roars.
Fang Ziyan was so aggrieved her tears were about to fall. "Mom, how could you say such things..."
"How could I say such things?!"
Fang Ziyan's Mother was clearly choking with rage. Fang Tianhao was critically injured and lying on his deathbed; only Holy Son Lin Mo's Grade Seven pill could save him.
Yet her own daughter was showing her true colors! Not only did she ignore her father's critical condition, but she ran off to date that useless cripple, Chen Yu.
If it were the young master of some other sect, it might be somewhat forgivable. But it just had to be Chen Yu—a piece of trash who couldn't even protect himself!
The more Fang Ziyan's Mother thought about it, the angrier she got.
"Let me tell you, Fang Ziyan! I am ordering you to be back before midnight tonight. If you don't return, don't ever step foot in this house again!"
"And if you dare to have any further involvement with Chen Yu, see if I don't cripple you myself!"
BEEP!
Fang Ziyan's Mother cut the connection, leaving behind a dial tone.
Fang Ziyan was overwhelmed with grievance, her eyes bright red.
Li Yue quickly tried to comfort her. "Ziyan, your mother is probably just too anxious. She wouldn't actually be that cruel."
This was the first time she had ever seen Fang Ziyan's Mother explode like this. Normally, she maintained the image of a virtuous wife and loving mother.
"Waaaah..."
Fang Ziyan hugged Li Yue tightly and began to cry hopelessly.
Within the South Mountain Sect, disciples were constantly coming and going, so this naturally attracted onlookers.
"Look, isn't that Miss Fang Ziyan? What happened?"
"Could it be because of Holy Son Lin Mo?"
"Highly possible. I saw Holy Son Lin holding hands with a fairy as they went to tour the flower boats."
"Holy Son Lin is awesome. I need to record this with a shadow-recording stone."
By the time it was past ten at night, the birthday flower boat performances had concluded. Many cultivator disciples went to offer congratulations to the South Mountain Sect Master.
Lin Mo and Bai Qingyu left the crowd, hand in hand.
Watching the flower boats together had caused their relationship to heat up rapidly. Bai Qingyu was now exceptionally docile, holding onto Lin Mo's arm quite naturally.
'What the hell? Fang Ziyan is crying, and she wants me to take responsibility?'
Lin Mo glanced at his communication token, which displayed a message from Li Yue.
"Brother Lin Mo? What's wrong?" Bai Qingyu asked.
"It's nothing. Let me walk you back to rest."
Because the South Mountain Sect Master was hosting a massive birthday banquet, the sect had provided accommodations for guests. Holy Sons and Holy Maidens like Lin Mo and Bai Qingyu were housed in extremely luxurious inns.
The two walked along the path, holding hands the entire way, arriving at a small, quiet trail where hardly anyone was around.
Suddenly, Bai Qingyu spoke up. "Brother Lin Mo, is it really okay to just leave Miss Fang Ziyan like that?"
Lin Mo paused. "What?"
Bai Qingyu's face was slightly nervous. "Actually... I understand everything, Brother Lin Mo."
Lin Mo still had a face full of bewilderment.
Bai Qingyu walked with measured steps, lifting her long skirt slightly.
"Earlier today, Brother Lin Mo bought that necklace on purpose, right?"
"And this Golden Silkworm Precious Robe was actually originally meant for Miss Fang Ziyan."
"Brother Lin Mo, actually, I understand all your intentions, and you've already achieved your goal."
Before arriving at the Immortal Horizon Realm, Bai Qingyu had long heard that the one Lin Mo liked was Fang Ziyan.
Therefore, she assumed everything that happened today was nothing more than a plans designed by Lin Mo—using her as a pawn in his scheme to provoke Fang Ziyan.