Chapter 213: Returning to the Sky Ditch

Translator: Tim Editor: Chrissy

After his fight with Bian Po, Ye Mo realized his power paled in comparison to top masters. Though he nearly died, he gained some benefits. Besides obtaining the Face Preserving Fruit and Thousand Year Snow Lotus seeds, he achieved a better self-understanding. His current strength was at most equivalent to a peak Black Level ancient martial artist.

He opened the snow lotus and found nine seeds; the rest were missing, likely eaten by birds or lost. Nine seeds, however, were more than enough; he only needed a cauldron to refine pills.

After seeing Ning Qingxue off, he bought a train ticket to Guilin. His current activities were too dangerous, making it inconvenient to travel with her.

He chose the train for two reasons: no direct flights from his location to Guilin, and a need for a good night's sleep.

Compared to the other passengers laden with luggage, Ye Mo's hands were empty. People subconsciously avoided him during ticket check, but he didn't mind.

As his ticket was being checked, a voice called, "Ye Mo? Wait up!"

He stopped, assuming it was Ning Qingxue, but then saw Xiao Lei, a journalist, with a backpack and camera. He recognized her from his trip to Flowing Snake. Bold and adventurous, he knew she was there to interview him about the Sky Ditch and Shen Nong Jia.

"It's you. What's up?" Ye Mo asked, turning around.

The usually unflappable journalist found herself speechless.

Ye Mo smiled. "If you have nothing, I'm catching my train. Goodbye."

"Wait! I… I have something," Xiao Lei stammered, remembering he'd saved her life. She couldn't let him leave.

"What is it?" Ye Mo asked; there were still a few minutes before departure.

"Oh, right, I never thanked you for saving me! Since I've finally met you, I'd like to treat you to dinner." She immediately realized the absurdity of inviting him to dinner when he was boarding a train.

Ye Mo waved his ticket. "It's no big deal. You're probably here to interview about the Sky Ditch, aren't you? I have a suggestion—take it or leave it: stay away from the Sky Ditch."

"You know about the Sky Ditch? It's supposedly safe now; many journalists have been there, although they're not letting us in yet. They sent cameras inside though, and found something cauldron-like. Experts are analyzing it, suspecting it might be a Qing Dynasty relic, meaning the Sky Ditch might be a Qing tomb," Xiao Lei said, desperately trying to keep him talking.

Ye Mo listened out of politeness, but Xiao Lei's words piqued his interest. A cauldron? He needed one. He just didn't know if this one would be suitable for pill refinement.

"How big is this cauldron?" he asked.

Seeing his interest, she quickly replied, "We don't know yet, but I have some pictures." She began rummaging through her bag.

Ye Mo subconsciously stepped closer, his heart pounding. If this was a pill-refining cauldron, his search would be over. While he could craft one, his current skill wouldn't suffice for refining something like the Face Preserving Pill; moreover, the materials were rare and expensive.

Xiao Lei squatted, momentarily revealing the alluring neckline of her shirt. Ye Mo, however, was focused on the pictures.

The moment she produced them, he grabbed them. Though blurry, it was clearly a cauldron. He also noticed a nearby ditch—a waste disposal area. This was definitely a pill-refining cauldron.

Joy surged through him. A cauldron had appeared just when he needed one. His opinion of Xiao Lei rose considerably.

"Were these taken at the Sky Ditch?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. "I was meeting a coworker but I met you! I'm so lucky! If you're not busy, let me treat you to dinner. I'll reimburse your ticket later."

Having seen the cauldron, he wasn't leaving. "Haha, the train's probably already left. No need to pay. See if your coworker has arrived."

Xiao Lei spotted two colleagues, Bai Jie and Chu Dong, and waved them over.

Bai Jie, after meeting Ye Mo, remarked, "Xiao Lei, is this your boyfriend? We just took a picture of you two." She then jokingly added, "You've got competition, though; Xiao Lei is very popular."

Ye Mo shook hands with both before introducing himself.

Xiao Lei quickly punched Bai Jie, clarifying the situation and their gratitude to Ye Mo for saving her life. Chu Dong recognized him as the master who saved Xiao Lei at Flowing Snake. Even Bai Jie's impression of Ye Mo changed dramatically.

Xiao Lei, feeling slightly embarrassed by the situation, was pulled away to join her colleagues for dinner. She felt quite disappointed; she’d managed to ask Ye Mo out, but it was a group dinner, with no romantic development.

After dinner, Ye Mo exchanged numbers with the three before leaving. Xiao Lei was disappointed. Though she hadn't necessarily liked him, she felt a strange connection. Compared to her ex, Wang Qianjun, Ye Mo was far superior; however, she knew she was no match for Ning Qingxue, Ye Mo's wife.

The next day, she rejoined her team to continue their investigation of the Sky Ditch, determined to get ahead of the other news channels.

Returning to Shen Nong Jia, Ye Mo found it surrounded by soldiers and heavy machinery, clearing the way to the Sky Ditch. Journalists were attempting to photograph the scene.

He noticed several martial artists, but the strongest was only at the elementary Black Level. Using invisibility, and avoiding the use of chi, he easily bypassed them and reached the Sky Ditch, where a profound silence reigned.