The path back wasn't long, but it felt longer with a fat hen trying to nest in his hair every five steps.
"General Fatty, why are you on my shoulder if you can walk by yourself?" Lin Mo Chen complained, only to be ignored by a hen feigning ignorance.
Lin Mo Chen kept walking. He looked carefree, but his brain was working at speeds he didn't even think he was capable of.
Alright, let's use this brain full of knowledge for the first time! First problem: I've got a ghost master living in a weird rock... His gaze flicked to the pendant hanging from his neck. A strange necklace. Second problem: get the blood of a spiritual beast, which would basically make me the prey.
"Brat, what are you muttering about?" Hearing the voice, Lin Mo Chen's already frustrated face fell even further.
"About how to complete the main quest you gave me without dying in the process." He tried to sound ironic, but an imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
Huo Can's surprised voice sounded in Lin Mo Chen's mind: "You use strange words, but... who said you had to kill the beast yourself to get its blood?"
Probably from stopping so suddenly, the fat hen nearly fell off Lin Mo Chen's shoulder. Ignoring the pecking on his head in protest, he thought it through. The master is right, it's simpler than I thought. First-rank spiritual beast blood is expensive, but it's not completely out of reach.
Decision made, his pace quickened as he muttered, "Seems I need to clear my head. I feel like I've gotten dumber since I ran into Lin Xuan."
"I get the impression you were born that way, brat," the mocking voice echoed in his mind, though with a tired edge.
Hearing the disdainful tone, Lin Mo Chen rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe his master acted like a teenager. Remembering something, he couldn't help but ask, "Master, back in the white space you mentioned... Lin Xuan. Why?"
"Because the first time I observed you was when you met him. I could sense that his natural talent is exceptional, something that would be highly valued even outside this empire."
Lin Mo Chen nodded, completely in agreement. After all, a protagonist should have at least that level of talent. "Then, with your help, I won't fall behind him, right Master?" he asked, a strange excitement stirring in him.
"Sure... if you don't die in the process, that is. Brat, I'm going to sleep for a bit, talking to you consumes energy." Lin Mo Chen stopped, his face paling at the unexpected death flag.
"Master, you were joking about the dying part, right? You wouldn't want to see such a handsome and extraordinary disciple die, would you?" The only answer was silence and the sound of crickets in the small woods.
A long, heavy sigh escaped him. Lin Mo Chen kept walking until he could see his home in the distance. "I guess tomorrow will be another day of problems."
The path ended at the back door of his house. Slowly sliding the door open, he shuffled inside, grabbed his fat hen, and set her on the floor. His reward for carrying her the whole trip was to be completely ignored while she went to peck at the seeds his mother had left in a bowl.
Once in his room, he flopped onto his cot without taking off his boots and closed his eyes, thinking about everything he had to do tomorrow.
When his eyes opened again, morning light streamed through the window and hit him in the face. General Fatty was arrogantly pecking at his leg.
Pushing himself up, he stretched and got to his feet. After his morning training and changing clothes, he headed to the dining room. His mother greeted him with a bowl of soup.
While eating thoughtfully, Lin Mo Chen dragged out his words. "Mother, I'll be out all day today." Surprise showed on his mother's face.
"Do you have problems, Chen'er? You've been acting strange lately, and you were out all night the other night too. Have you hurt yourself?"
Hearing his mother's genuine concern, Lin Mo Chen's chest filled with warmth, and that warmth turned into certainty: if he didn't get stronger to keep up with the plot, he wouldn't have the right to protect this.
In one quick motion, he emptied his bowl and set his chopsticks on top of it. Standing up, he said goodbye. "Don't worry, Mother, I just decided to take my cultivation a bit more seriously and get things for myself."
One look was enough to see how surprised his mother was. A quick farewell to his fat hen, and he left the house, sunlight burning the top of his head as he started walking.
"Do you have a plan in mind, brat?"
Puffing out his chest slightly, Lin Mo Chen answered with complete confidence.
"Of course I have one. My plan is to search the market until I find the blood." Uncommon confidence shone in Lin Mo Chen's eyes.
After a few moments, an awkward silence followed his words. "...Didn't you say you were going to use your brain, kid? That was the best plan you could come up with?" Huo Can's ironic voice echoed in his mind.
Lin Mo Chen's stride stiffened slightly. His lips twisted as he answered with a sigh.
"I don't have many options, Master. I can't take clan missions until I go through the coming-of-age ceremony, and I can't ask the clan for resources either. I have no contribution points, so I only have one solution left."
The confidence he'd gathered disappeared as fast as it came. Lin Mo Chen's mood turned bitter, especially with the laughter echoing in his mind.
Two young men in Lin Family robes passed by Lin Mo Chen. On their faces, a strange look mixed with something else.
"Hmm, curious. Those two greeted me a month ago, this time they just walked right past." As he muttered, a sarcastic voice spoke directly in his mind.
"There was disdain in their eyes, brat. I recognize that look perfectly. To them, you're trash now." Hearing his master's words, Lin Mo Chen's face darkened even further.
Something was happening. Lin Mo Chen couldn't be sure. He'd spent a month without interacting with anyone, but he could feel it even in the looks from the servants.
Walking through the middle of the main plaza, heading toward the main exit, he heard voices from behind.
"That's him. Looking at him, trash should stay with trash," a young man jeered, not bothering to lower his voice as he smiled at Lin Mo Chen.
"He's just a side-branch member, he should have stayed there," another square-headed youth replied.
Could I be suffering from that popular, well-known protagonist treatment? Lin Mo Chen shook his head, denying the possibility. It didn't make sense. He hadn't been crippled, and he didn't have a golden finger.
His eyes narrowed, gaze slowly falling to the pendant hanging from his neck.
His expression tightened as realization struck. Ignoring the jeers behind him, he sped up, finally leaving the Lin Family grounds and heading into the city.
Several minutes later, in the middle of a bustling street full of shops, Lin Mo Chen walked out of one with a twisted expression. "Damn scam, 70 gold coins for first-rank Horned Rabbit blood." That kind of first-rank beast was one of the weakest, and even that cost more than everything he had.
Lin Mo Chen had already been to four shops and several stalls. Nowhere could he find anything he could afford. His insignificant 40 gold coins were useless.
Just as helplessness began to show on his face, an old voice addressed him. "I couldn't help but notice an extraordinary young man like yourself was looking for something specific. Perhaps I have a solution for that."
One look was enough for Lin Mo Chen's reader senses to go on high alert. The old man looked haggard, a long, unkempt beard hanging from his chin, and his eyes radiated distrust.
Shit, a mysterious old man offering shady goods. This smells like the start of a plot. Lin Mo Chen smiled in the calmest, most awkward way possible.
Just as he was about to refuse and run, Huo Can's curious voice spoke to him. "Haha, how interesting. Brat, follow this dying man. He has things that could be useful to us."
The smile he'd been planning froze halfway on his face. An internal struggle flickered in his eyes. With a sigh of resignation, he nodded and answered the old man.
"Really, old man? It must be fate that we met. Lead this Young Master Mo, and you will be rewarded." Any doubt vanished from Lin Mo Chen's face, replaced by an arrogant expression.
Screw it, who cares anymore. If things are going to spiral out of control, then let's act tough for once in my life. With that thought, Lin Mo Chen followed the old man, whose expression couldn't hide the greed in the depths of his eyes.