8: Chapter 8 Fishing and Mind Reading: The Tacit Understanding Between Old Coins

The mist in the back mountain had not yet fully dispersed.

Morning light pierced through the clouds, scattering like crushed gold onto the Wash Sword Pond; the surface was calm and rippleless, like a giant piece of naturally formed colored glass.

This place was the Forbidden Ground of the Heavenly River Sword Sect, the secluded cultivation spot of the Scripture Pavilion's Grand Elder, Dugu Yun.

On ordinary days, even if the Sect Master arrived in person, he would have to bow and announce his presence from thirty feet away.

But at this moment, a young man dressed in a Utility Disciple uniform sat boldly on a small stool by the pond.

He held a verdant bamboo pole in his hand, but his gaze fell upon a book on his lap.

The title of the book was "The Art and Patience of Fishing."

"The float moved."

Nearby, an old and raspy voice drifted over.

Dugu Yun reclined on a rattan chair, also holding a fishing rod, his eyes half-open and half-closed, looking as if he might fall asleep at any moment.

"So it moved."

Li Mo didn't even lift his eyelids as his fingertip flipped a page, his voice indifferent.

"It's just a small fish pecking and testing; the hook hasn't entered its mouth yet."

"If you pull the rod now, you'll get nothing but a bunch of spooked fish."

Hearing this, Dugu Yun slowly opened one eye, a hint of amusement showing in his cloudy pupils as they landed on Li Mo.

"You kid, you really can keep your composure."

"When you were tossing 'trash' into my courtyard last night, your movements weren't nearly this calm."

Li Mo's finger flipping the book had an almost imperceptible pause.

He immediately regained his composure as if nothing had happened, saying, "The Elder must be joking. I slept soundly last night, wouldn't have woken even for a thunderclap, and I know nothing. Perhaps that assassin admired the Elder's prestige so much that he flew over specifically to turn himself in?"

"Heh, turn himself in?"

Dugu Yun let out an ambiguous snort and took a large gulp from the wine gourd at his waist.

"Surrender until his Divine Soul shattered and his brain was scorched into a pile of mush?"

"You kid, your methods are even darker than those of the Demonic Path."

The old man's words sounded like a rebuke, but there wasn't a hint of anger in his tone; instead, there was a hidden appreciation, as if he had found a worthy successor.

The moment that man in black crashed into the courtyard last night, Dugu Yun had already sensed it.

He wasn't startled by someone infiltrating, but rather shocked by the state of the man's Divine Soul.

It was a complete and irreversible mental annihilation, as if the Soul had been torn apart by some indescribable horror.

He had never heard of such an injury.

He couldn't see through Li Mo.

For the past ten years, he was nominally in seclusion, but in reality, he was like a peeping old neighbor, watching with his own eyes as this kid turned the vast Scripture Pavilion upside down.

This kid clearly didn't have a shred of cultivation fluctuation, yet he always managed to cause such earth-shattering commotions.

"Alright, stop playing dumb with me."

Dugu Yun seemed to lose his patience and waved his hand.

"Since you don't want to be a manager, then just stay here and fish with me in peace."

"Beneath this Wash Sword Pond lies a suppressed third-grade Flood Dragon Spiritual Vein. The Spiritual Qi leaking out alone is enough to prolong your life and keep you free from all diseases."

These words were a disguised form of protection and a silent endorsement.

Li Mo's heart stirred slightly. He stood up silently and gave the old man a respectful bow.

"Thank you for your fulfillment, Elder."

With this pillar of the Sect acting as his protective umbrella, his safety factor instantly soared to a brand-new height.

Sitting back down, Li Mo's consciousness sank into his mind.

After several days of frantic "book scanning," especially after devouring all the Formation and geography texts on the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion, his term library had welcomed a massive explosion.

[Ding!]

[Detected that the host possesses a large number of 'Defense-type', 'Stealth-type', and 'Environmental Perception-type' terms. Would you like to proceed with Fusion?]

"Fuse."

Li Mo thought silently.

In an instant, within the System interface, countless low-level terms of white, green, blue, or purple transformed into a torrent of data, shattering frantically and then rapidly reorganizing under a profound set of rules!

[Steady as a Mountain (White)] + [Turtle Breathing Technique (Green)] + [Dead Wood Meets Spring (Purple)] + [Anti-Reconnaissance Instinct (White)] + [Environmental Mimicry (Blue)]...

Buzz—!

A blinding golden light that made even Li Mo's Soul tremble exploded violently!

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining a Golden Legendary term: Void Walker (Pseudo)]

[Term Effects:]

[Absolute Stealth: Your vital signs, Spiritual Qi fluctuations, and even your karmic presence can be completely reduced to nothingness. Even if a Mahayana Stage Cultivator sweeps over you with their Divine Thought, they will only perceive you as a stubborn rock or a handful of air.]

[Myriad Things Integration: You can briefly merge with any nearby inanimate object (walls, shadows, trees) and become one with it. The duration depends on the strength of your Mental Energy.]

[Passive Trigger · Voidification: When a lethal attack is detected, your body will automatically turn ethereal for a moment, granting immunity to 99% of physical and spiritual damage. (Cooldown: Twelve watches)]

Li Mo stared at that row of glittering golden words, and the fishing rod in his hand dropped to the ground with a "clack."

A Golden term!

And it was a pure, ultimate life-saving divine skill!

With this, let alone sweeping floors in the Sect, even if he went to the main hall of the Demonic Cult's headquarters to dance, as long as he didn't start shouting out loud, probably no one would be able to discover his existence!

"What? Did a beauty pop out of the book and steal your Soul?"

Dugu Yun noticed his lapse and teased lazily.

"No... no."

Li Mo quickly snapped back to reality, picking up the fishing rod while making up an excuse.

"The book says that fishing can help one see through illusions. I... I think I just had a bit of an Epiphany."

As he spoke, with a thought, he activated [Absolute Stealth].

It was at that very moment!

Dugu Yun's hand holding the wine gourd suddenly froze in mid-air.

He turned his head abruptly, his eyes like lightning, staring fixedly at Li Mo beside him!

The person was still there.

The young man in the Utility Disciple uniform was still sitting properly on the small stool, head bowed, looking focused on the float.

But in Dugu Yun's Divine Sense, which was powerful enough to cover the entire back mountain—that spot was empty!

A total void!

No breathing, no heartbeat, no body temperature—even the karmic traces of that person's existence seemed to have been wiped away by an invisible hand!

If his naked eyes couldn't still see him, Dugu Yun would have absolutely believed that Li Mo had just dissolved into the Dao and ascended, completely vanishing from this world!

"This... what kind of monstrous Cultivation Technique is this?!"

Dugu Yun's Adam's apple bobbed as a massive wave of shock surged in his heart.

Even the legendary, supreme Great Void Invisibility Incantation of the Immortal Realm was probably only at this level, right?

Just what was this kid's background?

Just as he couldn't hold back and was about to question him, a sharp streak of light tore through the sky, plunging straight toward the Wash Sword Pond like a falling star.

"Junior Martial Uncle! Something big has happened!"

The newcomer was wearing a purple Sect Head's robe, his face filled with anxiety; it was the current Sect Master of the Heavenly River Sword Sect, Ye Gucheng.

Seeing this, Li Mo immediately deactivated his ability, reverting to that unremarkable Servant with a weak aura, and stood up to step aside.

"No need to leave."

Dugu Yun raised his hand to stop him.

"If it's a secret, you won't understand it anyway even if you stay."

"If it's not a secret, there's no harm in one more person listening."

He glanced at Li Mo, his tone returning to indifference.

"Go, pour some tea for the Sect Master."

Li Mo immediately put on a terrified yet flattered expression, nodding repeatedly, and nimbly pulled a tea set from his Storage Pouch to start a fire and brew tea.

Although Ye Gucheng was surprised why his Junior Martial Uncle would keep a Servant by his side, he was too anxious to look into it at the moment.

"Junior Martial Uncle, that list... it's real."

Ye Gucheng's voice was as dry as if it had been rubbed by sandpaper.

"The Enforcement Hall interrogated them overnight and indeed found tokens of collusion with the Overlord Blade Sect in the caves of those Elders."

"And..."

He flipped his palm, and a giant light-and-shadow map floated in the air.

It was the defensive map of the Heavenly River Sword Sect's mountain-protecting Formation—the Nine Curves of the Heavenly River Sword Formation—covered in dense light points and crisscrossing lines.

"We discovered that the core diagram of the mountain-protecting Formation has likely already been leaked!"

Ye Gucheng pointed to a glaring red dot in the northwest corner of the map, his tone heavy with grief.

"This is where the 'Heavenly Gate' is located, the only fatal weakness of the Formation! The moles planted by the Overlord Blade Sect have been secretly eroding the foundation here for years! Although they've been rooted out now, the foundation is severely damaged and cannot be repaired in a short time!"

Dugu Yun's face also darkened completely.

"If the Heavenly Gate is broken, the mountain-protecting Formation will be as good as useless. If the Overlord Blade Sect attacks with their full force now..."

"That is exactly what I am most worried about!"

Ye Gucheng's face was full of bitterness.

[part:gemini-2.5-flash-lite]

“I have summoned all the Elders of the Formation Hall, but they... are helpless! This is an ancient, incomplete Formation, far too complex; touching one part affects the whole. No one dares guarantee that rashly repairing it won't detonate the entire Grand Array!”

The two men stared at the map, sinking into a deathly silence.

Meanwhile, Li Mo, who was pouring tea nearby, casually glanced at the holographic Formation Diagram with his peripheral vision.

【Ding!】

【Detected high-level Formation Diagram: 'Nine Bends Sword Formation of Tianhe (Damaged Version)'.】

【Analyzing... Analysis complete.】

【Fatal loophole discovered: Spiritual Qi backflow at the 'Heaven Gate' Formation Base.】

【Optimal repair solution generated: No repair needed. Simply implant a B-Fire attribute Spirit Wood at the 'Jing Gate' in the southwest; then shift the 'Gui Water Stone' artifact at the 'Xiu Gate' in the northeast three inches to the left. This will induce the state of 'Water and Fire Already Crossed,' utilizing the Grand Array's own Five Elements mutual generation power to automatically repair the fatal flaw.】

Li Mo's hand, holding the teapot, paused almost imperceptibly.

That... simple?

In his eyes, the knot in this so-called ancient, incomplete Formation was like an unsolvable math problem. Everyone was trying to conquer it with the most profound calculus, yet failing to see that the answer was merely moving a misplaced decimal point in the question.

But he couldn't say anything.

A sweeping Utility Disciple, pointing out flaws and suggesting repairs for the Mountain Protection Grand Array in front of the Sect Master and the Grand Elder? That wasn't a Genius; that was a Prodigy waiting to be dissected.

“The tea... the tea is ready.”

Li Mo held out two cups of hot tea, head bowed, looking utterly terrified, and handed them to Dugu Yun and Ye Gucheng respectively.

Just as he handed the teacup to Ye Gucheng, his foot 'coincidentally' tripped over a small stone.

“Ah!”

He cried out, his whole body lurching forward violently.

Ye Gucheng's brow twitched, and he instinctively used Spiritual Qi to support the teacup, preventing it from falling.

However, the tea inside still sloshed out a few drops due to the violent shake.

“Sizzle—”

The scalding tea splashed precisely onto the southwestern corner of the suspended Formation Diagram—the location of the 'Jing Gate'—spreading a small, blurry wet patch.

Simultaneously, Li Mo's fingers, which he 'clumsily' waved to steady himself, naturally brushed lightly across the northeastern corner of the Formation Diagram—the location of the 'Xiu Gate.'

“I deserve death! I deserve death!”

Li Mo looked as if his courage had been completely shattered. His face instantly turned pale, and he dropped to his knees with a thud, his forehead banging against the floor repeatedly.

“This Junior was clumsy and soiled the esteemed diagram of the Immortals. I beg the Sect Master for punishment! I beg the Elder for punishment!”

Ye Gucheng was already frustrated and about to sharply reprimand him.

But Dugu Yun, standing beside him, suddenly sprang up from the rattan chair as if struck by lightning!

“Wait!”

Dugu Yun’s voice carried an almost unbelievable tremor.

Ye Gucheng paused: “Junior Martial Uncle, it’s just a copied diagram; if it gets dirty...”

“You know nothing!”

Dugu Yun cursed, which was rare for him. He rushed to the map in three quick strides, his fingers trembling as he pointed at the two spots Li Mo had 'accidentally' soiled. An unprecedented brilliance erupted in his eyes.

“Look! Tea is Yin, falling upon the location of the Southern Fire element—this creates water violently clashing with fire! And his smear precisely obscured the artifact at the Northern Water element location... Brilliant! Truly brilliant to the extreme!”

Dugu Yun excitedly circled the map twice, his eyes growing brighter the more he looked!

“We were all focused on how to plug the hole at the 'Heaven Gate,' but we forgot the Formation itself is alive, it flows!”

“By drawing fire in the southwest and draining water in the northeast, creating a head-on clash, the Spiritual Qi pressure at the Heaven Gate will naturally be relieved! It’s cutting the firewood from under the cauldron! This isn't repair; this is revitalizing the entire dead Formation!”

Ye Gucheng was also a master of Formations. After Dugu Yun’s shout, he instantly felt enlightened!

He looked at the map in horror, his mind furiously deducing. Every thought sent shivers down his spine!

“It’s truly... feasible!”

“And... and it can be completed in just half a day!”

The two men looked at each other abruptly, seeing the ecstatic relief of surviving a disaster, along with a trace of... inexplicable strangeness.

This was too coincidental, wasn't it?

Their gazes involuntarily fell upon the trembling figure still on the floor.

Li Mo kept his head buried in his arms, his body shaking like a fallen leaf in the autumn wind, still mumbling fearfully.

“This Junior is guilty, this Junior will go to the back mountain to wash latrines for a hundred years to atone...”

That pathetic and useless appearance was utterly flawless.

Ye Gucheng frowned deeply: “Could it be... Heaven’s will? This child’s unintentional mistake is actually our Sect’s only chance of survival?”

Dugu Yun, however, looked at Li Mo with a depth he had never shown before.

A smile, known only to old foxes, flashed in his eyes.

Once was coincidence.

Twice was luck.

This was the third time; if he still believed this was an 'unintentional mistake,' then his hundreds of years of cultivation had been wasted on a dog.

But he said nothing.

“Alright, stop howling; you’re giving this old man a headache.”

Dugu Yun kicked Li Mo’s rear end.

“Considering the 'artistic flair' with which you spilled that tea... scram, don’t be an eyesore here.”

“Thank you, Sect Master, for not punishing me! Thank you, Elder, for your mercy!”

Li Mo acted as if he had received amnesty. He scrambled up using his hands and feet, grabbed his small stool and fishing gear, and ran away crawling and rolling, his retreating figure as wretched as possible.

Only after that figure vanished at the end of the small path did Ye Gucheng speak hesitantly.

“Junior Martial Uncle, this Utility Disciple...”

“Just some kid whose luck is Heaven-Defying,”

Dugu Yun interrupted him, lying back down in the rattan chair with a relaxed posture.

“Some things are best left unclear. Hurry up and repair the Formation. Those mad dogs from the Overlord Blade Sect have probably smelled blood and are about to pounce.”

Ye Gucheng’s expression sharpened. He bowed deeply, put away the Formation Diagram, and shot into the sky like a streak of sword light.

The back mountain returned to silence.

Dugu Yun looked in the direction Li Mo had left, a meaningful arc curving on his lips.

He stood up and picked up the book Li Mo had 'forgotten' on the stone: 'The Art and Patience of Fishing.'

He opened the first page.

A neatly cut bookmark was quietly tucked inside.

On it, a line of crooked small characters was written in charcoal.

“When water is too clear, there are no fish; when men are too observant, there are no followers. Elder, was my tea good?”

Dugu Yun was first stunned, then uncontrollable laughter echoed throughout the valley.

“Good kid!”

“What a fine 'When water is too clear, there are no fish!'”

He picked up the unfinished cup of tea Li Mo had poured from the table and drained it in one gulp.

The tea was rich and mellow, with a long aftertaste.

This was no mere Utility Disciple.

This was clearly a Dao Protector sent by the heavens to guard his Heavenly River Sword Sect!

...

Meanwhile, Li Mo, who had 'fled' back to the Scripture Pavilion, showed no sign of relaxation.

When analyzing the Formation Diagram just now, the System had not only provided the repair solution but also flashed a blood-red warning in his mind.

【Warning: The Formation loophole is not due to natural aging or artificial damage, but has been eroded from the root by an ancient Demonic Path secret technique called 'Blood Fiend Induction.'】

【Tracing the source... The origin of this technique is not within the Sect, but deep... underground.】

Li Mo stood in the center of the vast hall on the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion, his gaze seeming to penetrate the thick bluestone floor, looking towards that bottomless darkness.

“Squeak.”

His pet, the Treasure-Seeking Rat Squeak, had climbed onto his shoulder at some unknown time.

The little creature’s tiny claws were tightly gripping a piece of black-red scale fragment it had just dug up from the deep underground. Its entire body was trembling uncontrollably.

On the fragment was a trace of Demonic Blood that, even after a thousand years, still emitted a terrifying vitality.

Li Mo’s eyes instantly turned bone-chillingly cold.

He slowly clenched the broom in his hand.

“It seems the Overlord Blade Sect was just a smokescreen pushed to the front from the very beginning.”

“The real trouble has been sleeping right beneath our feet all along.”

A storm far more terrifying and bizarre than sectarian disputes was quietly brewing deep underground.

And he, as the only one who understood the truth, seemed unable to remain an outsider any longer.