Chapter 45: In these Great Continent Mountains, wouldn’t hunting be easy for Shen Ke’er?
During this period, Shen Ke’er and Ye Kai’s lives were also very difficult.
The reason?
No Spirit Stones!
Shen Ke’er’s meagre salary wasn’t enough for her and Ye Kai to go down the mountain and enjoy themselves.
Ever since her relationship with Ye Kai grew closer and Lin Mo stopped paying much attention to her, she had completely abandoned cultivation and would go out with Ye Kai every other day to have fun.
The reason she could last this long was mostly thanks to Lin Mo occasionally giving her pocket money in the past and the proceeds from selling the Profound Ice Fruits.
Today, coming up the mountain, she first wanted to ask Lin Mo when the inner disciple’s salary would be paid.
Secondly, she planned to get closer to Lin Mo and ask for some Spirit Stones like usual.
But as Lin Mo went into closed-door cultivation, she was directly shut out.
She even had to endure the annoyance of disciples from other peaks, making Shen Ke’er incredibly miserable.
The entire Azure Bamboo Peak had become a mess, with insufficient food and clothing. For her Senior Brother to enter cultivation at this time, his heart was truly ruthless.
Ever since they ran out of Spirit Stones, Shen Ke’er and Ye Kai often dined at the Azure Bamboo Peak’s mess hall.
Those plain meals were like eating chaff and husks, like pig slop, for Shen Ke’er, who had been pampered by Lin Mo since childhood.
Ye Kai had also cursed inwardly long ago. Before his family incident, he was considered a young master who had lived a life of luxury since childhood. How could he endure such hardship?
However, despite his displeasure, he didn’t show it.
Right now, his priority was to establish his image as a gentle and considerate person, maintaining his persona.
Shen Ke’er also knew that Ye Kai hadn’t been eating well during this time and felt bad that her beloved companion was suffering like this with her.
And today, the meal was steamed buns and pickles, which truly made her lose her patience.
She spoke in a very aggressive tone, questioning Jia Ling, who was in charge of the kitchen: “You’re feeding us this?”
Jia Ling’s attitude was no longer as respectful to Shen Ke’er as before. She stated directly: “The Spirit Rice saved in the warehouse was eaten long ago. These meals now, we in the kitchen pooled our money to buy. Master also eats this, so why can’t you?”
Shen Ke’er didn’t believe her: “Our Azure Bamboo Peak, after all these years, hasn’t stored any Spirit Rice?”
“Even if the Spirit Field was burned, we shouldn’t be unable to eat within half a month, right?”
“Moreover, I distinctly remember that in the past, accompanying dishes always included Spirit Beast Meat!”
As she spoke, Shen Ke’er seemed to recall something and affirmed: “I knew it! You must have been engaging in shady dealings, passing off inferior goods for superior ones all these years. The Spirit Rice in the warehouse must have been exchanged by you for Spirit Stones.”
Upon hearing this, Jia Ling became furious: “You think I exchanged it for Spirit Stones? Why don’t you go to Senior Brother Lin and let him settle this?”
“For years, our kitchen expenses and the usage of Spirit Rice have been recorded meticulously by Senior Brother Lin. If there was the slightest discrepancy, he would investigate thoroughly.”
“When have you ever checked the kitchen’s accounts, or verified the Spirit Rice and Spirit Herb upon delivery? Have you ever contributed any effort?”
“You know nothing, protected by Senior Brother Lin, only focusing on cultivation and fun. Now you come here to disgusting me?”
“Senior Brother Lin has always been fair in his rewards and punishments, and discerning right from wrong. Why are you twisting truth and slandering him now?”
A series of pointed questions made Shen Ke’er’s face turn red, but her tone remained aggressive: “Then why isn’t there Spirit Rice in the warehouse, and where did that Spirit Beast Meat come from?”
“Why?” Jia Ling sneered, “The amount of Spirit Rice our Spirit Field produces is barely enough for the disciples of Azure Bamboo Peak. That Spirit Beast Meat, Senior Brother Lin personally hunted in the back mountains, for fear we wouldn’t eat well.”
“As for your portion, it was top-quality Spirit Beast Meat, just like Master’s.”
“Now, with the Spirit Field destroyed, causing disciples of Azure Bamboo Peak to go hungry, why don’t you consider the root cause?”
Jia Ling’s meaning was clear.
She had indeed liked Ye Kai in the past, but compared to her own interests being harmed, that liking was insignificant.
She wasn’t like Shen Ke’er, who was raised well by Lin Mo since childhood and had never experienced hardship in life, other than the rigours of cultivation.
Jia Ling, on the other hand, had suffered. Before even joining the sect, she lived a life as hard as a farmer’s at the very bottom.
After coming to Azure Bamboo Peak, her quality of life greatly improved, but she still had to perform the labour expected of outer disciples.
It was precisely because she had experienced hardship that she cherished her current life immensely and knew that prioritizing her own interests was fundamental.
Ye Kai’s protection of Yuan Li, which led to the destruction of the Spirit Field, began to make her very dissatisfied with Ye Kai.
Before, she always thought that Senior Brother Lin was too rigid, strict, and unapproachable.
Now, if not for Senior Brother Lin meticulously keeping accounts and recording everything, who would she have explained to when Shen Ke’er wrongly accused her?
Furthermore, this Senior Brother of hers would absolutely not show favouritism and punish her just because he was close to Shen Ke’er.
Jia Ling now realized how good Lin Mo was.
Shen Ke’er could hear that Jia Ling was subtly blaming Ye Kai’s actions. She said angrily: “If it’s not about collecting Spirit Beast Meat and Spirit Herb, I’ll go to the Great Continent Mountain Range right now and get it for you!”
Having been by Lin Mo’s side for so many years, she of course knew that Lin Mo would often go to the Great Continent Mountain Range.
In the early years, when Lin Mo was at the early Foundation stage, he could go to the Great Continent Mountain Range to collect Spirit Beast Meat and Spirit Herb.
Now that she was close to the middle Foundation stage, wouldn’t collecting Spirit Beast Meat and Spirit Herb be a piece of cake?
When she returned home laden with spoils, she could not only properly prove her strength but also use this opportunity to support Ye Kai.
To reiterate, how could she let Ye Kai suffer such grievances?
Hearing Shen Ke’er say she was going to hunt in the Great Continent Mountain Range, Jia Ling kindly advised: “The Great Continent Mountain Range is fraught with danger. Without Senior Brother’s escort, you shouldn’t go…”
Although she disliked Shen Ke’er, she couldn’t just watch her go into danger.
At Shen Ke’er’s age, she could already reach the Foundation stage. She was often flattered.
Having been raised well by Lin Mo in Azure Bamboo Peak, Shen Ke’er had never encountered any setbacks and naturally had a certain arrogance.
She looked at Jia Ling with disdain: “Coward, you deserve to be cooking here your whole life. Don’t use your narrow perspective to judge me!”
Jia Ling was also amused. This Shen Ke’er truly didn’t know a good turn from a bad one.
“Fine, our Azure Bamboo Peak’s genius Senior Sister, I, the cook, will await your triumphant return from collecting Spirit Beast Meat and Spirit Herb, so that the disciples of our Azure Bamboo Peak can have a hot meal.”
Good intentions couldn’t save a damned fool.
If Shen Ke’er could return with a bounty, it would be a good thing for her too.
If not, it would be of no concern to her.
However, to avoid being implicated, she chose to inform Lin Mo after Shen Ke’er left the sect.
Lin Mo, who had already completed his Golden Core breakthrough and was lingering in his room to watch the drama, showed no emotional reaction upon hearing Gu Zi’s message.
“Go tell Jia Ling that telling me about this is useless. If there’s anything, go tell Master.”
According to the memories of the original owner, the original owner had warned Shen Ke’er about the dangers of the Great Continent Mountain Range many times.
He had even specifically emphasized, “Never go to the Great Continent Mountain Range alone.”
Since the original owner’s words had gone this far, if Shen Ke’er didn’t take his words to heart, then whatever happened would be of no consequence to him.
