Far off in the distance, the lantern carriage appeared almost lonely as it shrunk away into the scenery.

  The mechanical bird chariot rumbled onwards, hushed words echoing from the three within. On the seat beside Baiyun was the mole cauldron, but the rabbit had been left behind with a bowl of vegetables as snacks.

  "Here, take this." Qinghe said softly.

  Baiyun frowned as she passed him a token of sorts. This was the "important business" she was referring to? He examined it, running his fingers over its contours until his eyes suddenly widened.

  A direct disciple token!

  "Qinghe, this is..." he began.

  "Yes. My grandfather still wants you as a disciple." she sighed. "If you don't want the disciple token, I can help you dispose of it."

  "There's no need for that." Baiyun shook his head.

  Even if he had no interest in becoming Laohe's disciple, there were still uses for such a token. He ran his finger over the token, the words that claimed him as a direct disciple. The authority of a clan leader's direct disciple was no joke!

  Besides, as unsavoury as Laohe was, the old man was still technically on his side. Throwing away the token would almost certainly anger him; it would be insane to add another clan to worry about.

  "Still, I'm surprised you wanted to rush to the city." Qinghe said. "You seem to have too much sense to be taking a risk like this."

  "Likewise to you, Qinghe." Baiyun sighed.

  It was already shocking enough that someone would have the gall to break him out, but the last person he would expect was her. If caught, he would not be the only one punished, but the clans as well.

  "All I wanted to do was to pass you a few items." she grumbled. "The plan was to immediately leave after that, but you just had to ask a favour of me..."

  To the side, Mohei was musing to himself.

  "Veiled Garden? That name sounds weirdly familiar..." he mumbled. "Why does Baiyun want to go there?"

  Baiyun glanced at him briefly before turning back to Qinghe.

  "Ah, that reminds me!" she suddenly said. "I have something else to pass you."

  Qinghe rumbled in her bag for a moment before passing him a suspiciously long jade box. Baiyun frowned for a moment then froze.

  "Don't open it yet. It's something you shouldn't show Mohei."

  "Huh? Why can't I see it? Not fair!" Mohei whined.

  Baiyun took a long deep breath. He already sensed what was within it with divine touch.

  Within the jade box was the remains of his mangled arm, pieced together by countless stitches of silver thread and preserved in elixir. Its handiwork screamed of Ying Shi, though he had no idea why the kid would go through the effort.

  And despite all that damage... the servant seal remained perfectly intact. He felt speechless. It truly was always the wicked that survived against all odds.

  Was returning his hand a gesture of goodwill, or an attempt for the sect to continue tracking him subtly? Though for the latter, he had no idea why they wouldn't just re-imprint him with a new servant seal.

  Still, he was grateful regardless. Having the remains of his hand would make the recovery process much easier.

  "Speaking of which, I still need to return a few things to you and Ying Shi, don't I?" Baiyun asked. "Can you pass them to him on my behalf?"

  Those items were very useful to him, but he wasn't despicable enough to snatch borrowed items away and run.

  "Just keep them. It's not like they're worth much to us anyway." Qinghe said. "I'm sure Ying Shi would agree."

  Baiyun was rendered speechless by her irresponsible words. Was this really the stingy Qinghe he knew? He suddenly remembered how Ying Shi reacted to him accidentally claiming the Thousand Wills Ring, upset but playing it off as a show of generosity.

  "Even the textbooks?" Baiyun asked. "I can't exactly read with my eyes like this."

  He almost regretted asking, but he could always instantly read them with divine touch before passing them over if she agreed.

  "Just keep them." Qinghe pursed her lips.

  Baiyun glanced at her suspiciously, feeling she was hiding something.

  To the side, Mohei suddenly shot up.

  "Wait, I remember now! Isn't Veiled Garden the alchemy workshop you got arrested at? Why would you want to go back there?" Mohei asked in alarm.

  "Huh?" Qinghe was caught off guard. "Veiled Garden is a reputable workshop, why would Baiyun get arrested there?"

  "I knew something was up when you said you wanted to head to the city! Are you going back for revenge?" Mohei jumped.

  "Slow down, slow down!" Baiyun said.

  The two of them were practically jumping at him! Besides, why was Mohei's first conclusion that he wanted petty revenge? Back at Forest Tortoise town, that kid and Jingfeng already saw-

  Baiyun paused at the thought of Jingfeng, turning silent suddenly. He sighed inwardly. Not much of a grand elder, for someone's death to still loom over him even now.

  "What's wrong?" Qinghe asked, Mohei looking concerned as well.

  Hah. For them to pick up on such a subtle change... why were they always so perceptive? He did not know to find it endearing or vexing.

  "Let's just say I just thought of an old face." Baiyun shook his head. "How's Fei An doing?"

  "Ah..." Mohei trailed off.

  There was a moment of silence before Qinghe finally spoke.

  "Fei An saw someone dear to her in a bad state after all she's been though. We haven't seen her since yesterday."

  Mohei glanced at her and waved his hands for some reason, but she turned away.

  Baiyun sighed deeply. Judging from everything, there was only one person it could be. After all, this disaster happened entirely during the hunting trip.

  "It's Yingtao, isn't it?" he asked.

  "Ah!" Mohei shouted. "Wait, it's not your fault! She-"

  But as he flailed around in panic, Baiyun raised a hand and stopped him.

  "It's fine. You don't have to coddle me." he said softly.

  "Well... it's just that... you're going through a lot..."

  Mohei reached out to touch Baiyun's blindfold as he spoke with a trembling voice. He turned away and wiped his eyes as faint tears began to stream out.

  "It's just... not fair..." he uttered, his voice softer than a whisper.

  Baiyun reached out a hand and pat Mohei's exposed back. He sighed inwardly.

  It was fine if a reincarnator like him suffered. But the young masters on that hunt were still children who had yet to learn the cruelty of the world. They did not deserve to be hurt and traumatised like this.

  The patter of the mechanical bird's footstep continued to echo even as the trio remained silent, save for the faint sound of Mohei's sobs. Qinghe looked at the other two in silence.

  Finally, Baiyun decide to ask her a question that had been on his mind.

  "I know Yingtao's situation isn't good, but what about Ying Shi? Any news about him?"

  He knew the kid always put on a strong front, but there were limits to it.

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  "Ying Shi... he left as well. You could say his family situation isn't good." Qinghe said.

  "I see..."

  Baiyun could only look down. For better or for worse, not being able to find Ying Shi meant he didn't need to return the bow for now, which would aid his survival at the border. But he really needed to return it at some point. He could not impose any further on someone who helped him so much.

  A rumble came from the carriage as the bird began to slow, shortening its legs with every step before finally skidding to the ground with a cloud of dust.

  Qinghe patted Baiyun on the shoulder to get his attention and tossed him an old grey robe.

  "Be careful. This cloak only befuddles the senses of spirits, so stay away if you see any Enforcers. Their qi sense will pierce right through." she whispered.

  Baiyun nodded, and the three of them dismounted the carriage.

  The city guard at the gates didn't bat an eye even as the suspicious cloaked figure and two accomplices rushed past him with a cauldron in hand.

  Baiyun took the lead at first, but Qinghe stopped him.

  "I know a faster shortcut to Veiled Garden." she said.

  Qinghe took the lead and led them down a different path through alleyways. Mohei looked almost mournful as the snack stalls on the main streets grew distant.

  After a few twist and turns, they arrived at their destination with shocking speed. It was a far cry from how Baiyun previously wandered until he chanced upon the workshop. Did Qinghe frequent this workshop? He wondered if Veiled Garden had any affiliation with Myriad Herbs.

  She pushed the gates open and walked past the showcase garden, heading straight into the shop. Mohei seemed to want to take a better look at the garden, but he reluctantly followed with Baiyun in tow.

  Refreshing cold air wafted from the inner door as the trio entered. It was quiet today, their only company consisting of elixirs, pills and herbs displayed on shelves and in glass cases.

  Baiyun was grateful, as it meant there was no chance of a stuck-up alchemist picking a fight with him this time. Though with two young masters accompanying him this time, he would not go down as easily even if it happened.

  A bespectacled middle-aged man with a moustache was hunched over a counter. It was the shop attendant, through he did not appear to be in disguise today. He seemed to be busy with paperwork and was hard at work scribbling something down, though he still gave the trio a polite nod.

  The air was thankfully devoid of the senses of any nosy sect spirits, so Baiyun felt comfortable enough to lower his hood and reveal his face.

  "Hm, it's you? Quite the fashion statement with that blindfold and cloak." the attendant mused, still writing with his head hunched. "I remember when you said elder Guan Qiang would arrive to buy Immortal Brimrose, but he never came at all! Hah... even after lying to get out of a tough spot, you still got arrested. Quite unfortunate."

  The attendant shook his head as he spoke, lazily extending qi sense over. To a cultivator this would be an insult, but he must have thought the servant wouldn't notice. Sensing something, he widened his eyes and finally looked up from his papers.

  "What's with those injuries of yours?" he said in alarm.

  He then noticed Mohei and Qinghe a distance away, and nearly jumped.

  "Good heavens... Young masters from Inferno and Myriad Herbs as well!" he dropped his pen. "Esteemed guests, what exactly is the occasion?"

  The attendant glanced at Baiyun and eyed the missing arm beneath the cloak, before trying to gauge the thoughts of the young masters. He noticed Mohei was standing beside Baiyun protectively, though Qinghe's face was aloof and unreadable.

  "I hope it's not because of what happened to your... companion over here, is it? I apologise... that incident was out of my control." he said nervously.

  Baiyun noticed he hesitated to say "friend", fearing implying the young masters befriended a servant might be an insult. This poor attendant... All he had come for was to strike a deal, but the poor sod was worrying for his life.

  That won't do. He began to think to himself, wondering how he could ease the worries.

  But Mohei suddenly jumped.

  "Ah, that's right! Tell us what happened!" he shouted. "Why was Baiyun locked up?"

  Baiyun nearly sputtered. This kid!

  "I would like to know more as well." Qinghe said, somewhat amused.

  Her too?

  "Alright, alright! I'll recount everything!" the middle-aged man bowed and clasped his hands for mercy.

  He quickly recounted the story with a hurried stutter, telling the story of how a strange young alchemist followed around and harassed Baiyun, even pulling out an alarm jade to call the guards on him. The story was surprisingly accurate, with no attempt to embellish the story and downplay the incident.

  "See... I really wasn't at fault." the attendant seemed almost on the verge of tears.

  Baiyun was so speechless he began to wonder why he was even here. He suddenly felt ridiculous for sneaking off.

  Qinghe's faint amusement turned into a slight frown, the edge of her mouth arching down ever so slightly. But Mohei was absolutely fuming and jumping around with his fists clenched.

  "That bastard! I'm going to strangle him!" he shouted.

  "Young master Mohei, don't be hasty!" the attendant said in a hurry. "He's at the Foundation stage, so you should bring a bodyguard from your clan if you want to confront him."

  "Mn. Good idea." Mohei nodded with approval. "I'll beat him up so hard even the Beast Continent will think he's a pig beast!"

  Baiyun: ...

  "But I have to say," the attendant stared at Baiyun with pity. "I had no idea our WanLing sect treated prisoners so barbarically. I can't help but feel disappointed in our wardens."

  "Eh?" Mohei seemed taken aback. "No, I freed Baiyun really quickly and he was unharmed!"

  "He sustained those injuries in a fight against a Nascent Soul beast." Qinghe added unhelpfully.

  "Huh..?" the attendant was beyond confused.

  These kids! Baiyun felt mortified, deciding to put an end to the farce before it got further out of hand. Why did he even let Mohei and Qinghe bully the man instead of just getting to the point?

  "Mohei, Qinghe, we didn't come here to harass the old man!" he shook his head disapprovingly.

  "But I'm only middle-aged..." the old man grumbled near-inaudibly.

  Baiyun shooed the two aside and made his way to the counter.

  "Attendant, I've come here with my friends today to strike a deal." he said. "May I speak to the owner?"

  "Ah... well..." the attendant said hesitantly. "I'm actually the owner. Is there something you want?"

  Baiyun stared blankly at the man.

  What even... he took a deep breath and suppressed a retort. It wasn't worth asking why when the man already had the weird hobby of disguising himself as random customers.

  "Here." Baiyun said.

  He grabbed the mole cauldron from Mohei who had been holding it for him. A rustle came from behind as Qinghe darted behind a corner, puzzling him for a moment. Right... the mole had a grudge against her and would go into a frenzy if she was around.

  The sound of straps snapping tight and faint clangs echoed before she emerged in a full suit of armour, giving Baiyun a thumbs up he couldn't see. The attendant squinted in utter bafflement at the sight.

  Baiyun shook his head before placing the cauldron on the counter, opening it and revealing the creature within.

  "...Kr?"

  The bright light of the store shone into the dark chamber, and the mole winced before getting up. But just as quickly, it grew vigilant and sniffed the air. It suddenly leapt out and landed on Baiyun's head with shocking accuracy, looking around as if searching for an enemy.

  Qinghe's awkward cough echoed within her armour.

  But the mole suddenly paused. The air was filled with the wondrous aromas of countless herbs and incredible plants were tucked into cases of glass everywhere, a true paradise for such a creature! It instantly forgot its nemesis and let out a squeak of excitement, lunging at the nearest case.

  "Don't!"

  Luckily Baiyun already extended his arm ahead of time, barely snatching it out of the air before it flew off. It gnawed angrily on his arm as he turned back to the shopkeeper, though the contract rendered the bites harmless.

  "A gardener mole?" the man frowned slightly.

  Baiyun could tell the man was puzzled. Why was a servant showing him a rare animal monopolised by the Myriad Herbs Clan?

  "Managing a garden like this in a city can't be easy." he said. "If you'd like, I can entrust the mole to you for a few years."

  "Huh?" the attendant seemed taken aback.

  The mole turned around and stared at Baiyun with similar confusion. It barely understood human language, but its instincts told it something was off.

  "...Have I done something this favour?" the attendant spoke warily. "We're not exactly acquainted, are we?"

  If anything, it would make more sense for Baiyun to hold a grudge against the workshop after being arrested unjustly.

  Qinghe and Mohei seemed just as baffled.

  "Baiyun," Qinghe spoke first. "If you need someone to take custody of the mole during your absence, you can entrust it to me or Mohei."

  "Yeah!" Mohei nodded furiously.

  "Absence? You're going on a trip?" the shopkeeper spoke. "I won't pry about the details, but I have to agree with your friends here. Passing your mole to a stranger like me is odd, isn't it? And besides..."

  He turned toward Qinghe.

  "Young miss of the Myriad Herbs clan, is this truly acceptable? Doesn't your clan monopolise these moles?"

  Qinghe shook her head.

  "It has nothing to do with me. Baiyun owns that mole, so he can do whatever he wants with it."

  "Is that so... I see." the shopkeeper said.

  Despite his words, he didn't seem any less perplexed. The three of them turned to Baiyun, waiting to hear his explanation.

  Baiyun had his reasons naturally. Now that he would be forced into border duty, there wasn't much he could do with the mole, a creature that excelled only in peacetime.

  He glanced at the Cosmic World Tree Seed in its glass case with a divine thread. Leaving such a dangerous object unsupervised would make him uneasy. What if a decade later while he was relaxing elsewhere, some idiot drilled a hole into it and blew up the entire planet?

  Since he wanted to obtain it at all costs, this was a play to establish connections with Veiled Garden.

  "Qinghe, Mohei, I really appreciate it, but I want the best for this mole." Baiyun said slowly.

  He paused before continuing.

  "Qinghe, your sect garden is large and has far too many moles. It's unlikely anyone would be able to tend or pay much attention to the mole."

  "Mohei, I'm not sure if your clan even has a herb garden for it to tend to."

  Baiyun finally turned to the shopkeeper.

  "After seeing all the effort you've put into maintaining a garden here, I thought you could use a helping hand. I'm hoping you can teach the mole a thing or two while I'm gone."

  The shopkeeper sighed.

  "In other words, you want me to be a glorified babysitter for your mole. I assume you'll charge a fee for it too?"

  Baiyun shook his head.

  "You don't need to pay a thing. As you said, all I need is someone to take good care of the mole while I'm gone. And you'll get the help of a gardener mole for your workshop. It's a win-win."

  The shopkeeper began to fidget, thanking the counter for hiding his nervous hands.

  He cursed to himself. What exactly was the deal with these 3 children? He wouldn't mind having the help of a gardener mole, but everything about this deal seemed suspicious, and he had no idea what their motives were.

  But at the same time, with the young masters of 2 major clans before him, could he really afford to defy them?

  Though, while he joked about being an unpaid babysitter... Gardener moles had a reputation for a reason, and it wasn't rare for alchemists to rent a mole from the Myriad Herbs Clan for despite the high fee. Yet he was being offered the help of one for free?

  No matter how he looked at it, something was obviously wrong. When something was too good to be true, it was a scam!

  Baiyun stared at the shopkeeper and wondered why the man was silent.

  The cosmic void seed might have a truly ludicrous price, but it was an item no one would actually buy. The price had likely been hiked up to dazzle its status as a showcase item. Once he got on good terms with the shopkeeper, he was sure he could negotiate a much lower price.

  And the Veiled Garden would offer experience for the mole while helping the owner greatly, speeding up the education process for when he finally found the chance to start a herb garden.

  Mn! This was an excellent deal that was an absolute win-win for the both of them. Baiyun felt pleased with how good the terms of his trade was, a far cry from the tactics of black-hearted merchants. He couldn't think of a single reason the deal would be rejected.

  The shopkeeper trembled before finally speaking.

  "I'm sorry... I can't accept this deal after all."