Xu Mu raised a hand, signaling Dai Xingluo and Fan Shiyu to stop.
He then moved another five meters forward, expanding the range of his perception—
and finally detected movement up ahead.
"There's someone ahead. Stay alert," he whispered to the two behind him.
Both Dai Xingluo and Fan Shiyu frowned.
They listened carefully but couldn't hear a sound anywhere.
They had no idea how Xu Mu could tell—
yet, for some reason, they trusted him completely.
As Xu Mu crept closer, his tense expression eased.
There she is—the old woman.
So that "ugly makeup" she'd mentioned earlier turned out to just be heavy makeup.
Her skin was caked with powder, her lashes thick and long—but honestly, it wasn't ugly at all.
Xu Ningbing had at least been smart enough to disguise her figure by wearing several sizes larger in casual clothes.
The loose outfit puffed out at her chest, making her look a bit plump.
Right now, her hands and feet were bound, and she was leaning weakly against a wall.
From near the entrance, Xu Mu and the others could already hear the faint sound of running water.
As they moved deeper, the glow of a fire came into view.
They were still inside a cave, but this chamber was ten times larger than before.
An old man sitting by the campfire turned sharply. "Who's there?"
"Me."
Xu Mu stepped out into the open.
He noticed a spring trickling from a crevice in the rock, forming a small pool.
No wonder the temperature here was so low—the old man had built the fire to keep warm.
Xu Ningbing's eyes filled with tears when she saw Xu Mu approaching.
Bound hand and foot, she could only lean helplessly against the stones.
"Hello," Xu Mu said evenly, standing before the old man. "That woman's my friend. Why have you tied her up?"
The elder had a tangled beard, messy hair, and wore rough hemp robes.
He turned toward Xu Mu, eyes cold. "Because she deserves to die."
"What did she do?" Xu Mu frowned.
"I just happened to find this place," Xu Ningbing explained quickly. "I was so thirsty I jumped into the pool to drink some water. But then... a red lotus in the pool withered."
"It didn't wither—you absorbed it!" the old man snapped. "That was a Divine Medicine! Do you know how many years I've waited for it? And now you've stolen it from me!"
Divine Medicine?!
Xu Mu and the others were stunned.
Such things were said to be far beyond ninth-grade heavenly treasures—existences only spoken of in legends.
Xu Mu couldn't help sighing inwardly. So this is what a tenth-level Fate really means.
If that's the case, then the luck of protagonists must be on an entirely different plane.
"I really didn't mean to!" Xu Ningbing said, guilt washing over her.
At first, she hadn't believed it either—but soon after, she could feel the Qi inside her body surging wildly.
Just days ago, she had been in the mid-stage of Internal Force, but now she had already broken through to late-stage Internal Force—
and the swelling power within her still hadn't stopped.
She had no choice but to believe it.
"Senior, what's done is done," Xu Mu said with a calm smile, stepping closer. "Even if you kill her now, it won't bring your Divine Medicine back. Why not release her? Who knows—maybe she'll help you in the future."
"You talk big for a kid," the old man said coldly. "That Divine Medicine was meant to help me break through my realm—to extend my life! Why should she reap the benefit?"
Xu Mu replied, still smiling, "Forgive me for speaking bluntly, Senior, but Divine Medicine is the essence of heaven and earth—it belongs to no one. If fate let her absorb it, that's destiny. Let her go. She's a woman of strong righteousness—you'll thank yourself later for sparing her."
The old man narrowed his eyes. "You've got quite the tongue. Fine—I can let her go. But you'll die in her place."
Xu Ningbing's expression turned pale.
Xu Mu squinted slightly and activated the Divine Eye, examining the old man's identity.
Name: Qin Ju
Status: Patriarch of the Hidden Qin Family
Favorability: 0
Fate Level: 5 (max 10)
Xu Mu's heart skipped. Qin Ju?!
The name was legendary. The novel's plot had plenty of mentions of the Qin Family.
They were one of the Hidden Aristocratic Clans of Jiangnan—and their strength was leagues above ordinary reclusive families.
They were true nobility.
In the story, when the top sects like Kunlun Mountain gathered to discuss the Dragon Nation's secular experts—those outside the sect world—they had come up with a saying:
"One Mad, Two Crippled, Three Killers, Four Great Clans — the Cleaners are beyond the Five Elements."
That phrase summarized every top-tier powerhouse known in the mortal realm.
One Madman, Two Cripples, Three Killer Organizations, and Four Hidden Noble Clans.
As for "Cleaners beyond the Five Elements"—that was easy to understand.
It meant their strength had already transcended the mortal plane.
The Cleaners were backed by the state itself—some high-ranking ones were once sect masters.
Their power was on an entirely different level.
Even if you combined the Madman, the Cripples, the Killers, and the Clans together—
the Cleaners could wipe them out with a single gesture.
And among those Four Hidden Noble Clans, one was the Hidden Qin Family.
And this man before him—Qin Ju—was their patriarch.
His strength was unimaginable.
Dai Xingluo, hiding behind Xu Mu, slipped a hand into her tracksuit pocket.
Xu Mu noticed immediately and grabbed her arm, shaking his head.
To attack Qin Ju now was suicide.
"Senior," Xu Mu said steadily, "I'm willing to trade my life for hers."
According to the original plot, Qin Ju wasn't an inherently evil man.
If he truly intended to kill Xu Ningbing, he would've done it long ago.
He was likely still deciding whether he should.
"Xiao Mu! Are you crazy?! I don't need your help!" Xu Ningbing cried.
People were selfish by nature—but hearing Xu Mu's words made her question herself.
If he were the one captured right now, would she have the courage to say the same?
"I'm not crazy," Xu Mu said softly. "Let her go. I'll stay."
"You're not afraid of death?" Qin Ju's palm glowed with blue light. "Or do you think I won't dare kill you?"
Fan Shiyu and Dai Xingluo's eyes both hardened—another Mystic Art Realm expert.
"No," Xu Mu said calmly. "I'm saving her because... she's my family."
[Favorability +50]
Tears burst from Xu Ningbing's eyes as she shook her head violently, droplets scattering everywhere.
She couldn't understand—why would Xu Mu offer his life for hers?
All this time, she had misunderstood him.
Though she wouldn't admit it aloud, deep down she knew—Xu Mu was better than her in every way.
He was the son their parents favored more.
But when he said "family," her defenses finally broke.
[Favorability +10]
[Favorability +10]
Fan Shiyu and Dai Xingluo were both stunned.
Dai Xingluo's lips curved into a soft smile—As expected of the man I chose.
"It's just death," Xu Ningbing muttered through clenched teeth. "What's there to fear?"
She leaned her head forward and slammed it backward into the rock wall behind her.