Chapter 1080: Disciple

“I used it all for debt repayment,” the girl said softly. Ye Mo didn’t ask, but he suspected the debt was her grandfather’s. How old was she, and how could she owe so much? Yet, how could her spirit pill master grandfather be so impoverished? Even with debt, shouldn't he have possessed a storage ring? Ye Mo was perplexed.

As they walked, Ye Mo learned more. The girl's name was Xin Zhida, and her grandfather was Xin Xiangui. Xin Xiangui had left home to pursue his career, eventually becoming a disciple of a spirit pill master in Pill City. He subsequently became a spirit pill master himself and resided there. Fifteen years prior, he'd brought Xin Zhida back to live with him. She was young then, and all her knowledge came from him.

This led Ye Mo to question whether she was truly Xin Xiangui's granddaughter; her arrival seemed rather sudden. However, he didn't dwell on it.

Six years ago, Xin Xiangui passed away, leaving behind Xin Zhida, then only eleven years old. Fortunately, he left her a house and some assets.

Just as Ye Mo was about to inquire about the debt, Xin Zhida announced, “We’re here.”

They arrived at a small, old yard, not in the most affluent part of Pill City, but not far from it either. A simple level-three defense and spirit sense shielding formation protected it. Ye Mo was surprised her grandfather had left her such a respectable dwelling.

He nodded. This surpassed his expectations. With this location, she might reach the Golden Core state within ten years, securing a promising future.

“Qianbei, please enter,” Xin Zhida said, carefully producing a jade card to open the formation.

Ye Mo followed her inside, discovering two large spirit attraction trees in the courtyard. These trees imbued the yard with dense spiritual energy. Even without her street stall, she could cultivate effectively here.

The yard contained six rooms. Ye Mo's spirit sense revealed occupants in the other rooms. Did Xin Zhida earn spirit stones through rent? If so, the stall was unnecessary.

Only one room remained. If she rented it to him, where would she sleep?

Xin Zhida indicated the smallest room. “Qianbei, you can stay here.”

Ye Mo was confused. “This is the last room; where will you stay?”

Xin Zhida, surprised he'd already scanned the yard with his spirit sense, blushed. “I’ll sleep in the yard tonight.”

Ye Mo frowned. She was offering him her room. He could find lodgings outside the city if necessary; he wouldn't displace her.

Seeing his frown, Xin Zhida grew anxious, fearing his refusal. She sensed his kindness; otherwise, he wouldn't have considered buying her magic artifact shard.

Ye Mo pondered, then asked, “Zhida, did your grandfather leave you this yard?”

Xin Zhida nodded, confused. “Yes, my grandpa left this for me.”

“Since five rooms are already rented, why do you still work the street stall?” Ye Mo inquired.

Xin Zhida lowered her head. “Those rooms aren't rented; Grandpa owed money, so they were seized. If I don't repay the debt within ten years, they'll take the entire place. Six years have passed, and I've used all my earnings to pay off the debt.”

“How many spirit stones did your grandfather owe?” Ye Mo asked.

“It’s a long story,” Xin Zhida sighed, gazing at the other rooms with apprehension.

Ye Mo felt several spirit senses scanning the area; the strongest was a Golden Core cultivator at level five, the weakest at level one.

“Let’s talk inside,” Ye Mo said, taking Xin Zhida into the room and setting a restriction. The spirit senses immediately vanished, their owners apparently sensing a powerful cultivator and retreating.

Xin Zhida was astounded by Ye Mo's casual deployment of a potent restriction, stronger than the yard's. He seemed far more formidable than she'd imagined.

“Tell me,” Ye Mo requested.

Xin Zhida nodded, comforted by his amicable demeanor and lack of condescension.

“Six years ago, a friend of my grandpa's told him about an ancient ruin at Great Zhou Mountain. My grandpa, without much thought, gathered some friends and went. They returned after a few days, and then he began frantically collecting spirit stones. He used them to buy many magic artifacts and herbs in Pill City, refining more pills before leaving again,” Xin Zhida explained.

Ye Mo had initially assumed the cultivators had forcibly seized the house, but now it seemed her grandfather had accumulated substantial debt.

Xin Zhida, innocently unaware of any possible schemes against her grandfather, continued, “After my grandpa left, he and his friends never returned.”

Ye Mo nodded. “Who lives here now?”

“People who commissioned pills from my grandpa. He borrowed spirit stones, and they lent them to him. Some were grateful for his pills and didn't demand repayment. But others did, and lacking spirit stones, I had to pledge the house,” she replied.

“How much do you owe?”

“700,000 total.”

Ye Mo was speechless. He knew top-grade spirit stones were the norm in South Peace State. 700,000 top-grade spirit stones were insignificant to him, but for Xin Zhida, it was an insurmountable debt.

“Where is Great Zhou Mountain? Which ancient ruin did your grandfather visit?” Ye Mo sensed something amiss.

Xin Zhida shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve never left Pill City. When my grandpa left, he said he'd return. He told me not to leave Pill City to search for him. But I overheard him and his friends discussing a ‘Herb King spirit range.’”

A spirit range? Would this Herb King spirit range be ordinary?

The bitter bamboo required a spirit range, making this Great Zhou Mountain a place of interest.

“Zhida, do you know pill concoction?” Ye Mo assumed she'd possess at least some knowledge, given her grandfather's profession.

Xin Zhida shook her head. “No. My grandpa never taught me.”

Ye Mo wasn't surprised. Many pill masters and kings didn't teach their descendants; it was time-consuming and costly. Pill masters often weren't strong because of this time commitment. However, some geniuses excelled in both pill concoction and cultivation.

“What's your spirit root?” Ye Mo was considering taking her as a disciple.

“Water, wood, and metal,” Xin Zhida replied.

Her spirit root wasn't ideal for pill concoction, but Ye Mo didn't mind. His methods were less restrictive, and he had two water-type flames; he could give her one if she proved herself.

“I'm a pill master myself,” Ye Mo said. “You remind me of someone close to me, and I wish to take you as my disciple. Are you willing?”

“Huh? Is Qianbei here for the pill king tournament?”

Xin Zhida immediately knelt. “Zhidan is willing to serve Qianbei as master.”