Shen Mo's question caused Lin Yaoyao's expression to turn serious as well. She gently set down her phone and turned to look at Shen Mo, her tone carrying a hint of heaviness: "I feel that the internal ailment has been temporarily suppressed; it's no longer as unbearably painful as before, and the flow of my spiritual power is much smoother. Thanks to Bai Li's spiritual power, after forming a contract with her, my internal ailment has been greatly relieved." As Lin Yaoyao spoke, she raised her hand to lightly stroke her chest. The previous sense of stagnation had vanished, replaced by an unprecedented feeling of ease.
She paused and continued, "As for the evil qi in my body, I suspect it's related to the cultivation Materials I used previously. In my haste to quickly increase my Cultivation Base, I used some Medicinal Pills and Spirit Stones of unknown origin. Thinking back now, those Materials likely contained small amounts of evil qi. Over time, it accumulated and eventually triggered my internal ailment, while also hindering the growth of my Cultivation Base." As Lin Yaoyao spoke, a hint of frustration appeared between her brows, and she raised her hand to rub her temples, seemingly experiencing a slight headache.
After hearing this, Shen Mo nodded with a grave expression. "Where did you get those Materials?" she pressed, her sharp gaze fixed on Lin Yaoyao, her tone carrying a hint of inquiry.
Lin Yaoyao bit her lower lip. After a moment of hesitation, she said slowly, "A Loose Cultivator sold them to me. At the time, he claimed these Materials had unique medicinal effects and could quickly increase one's Cultivation Base. In my haste, I didn't carefully distinguish their authenticity before buying them." As she spoke, her voice carried a trace of self-reproach and regret. She had been so anxious to Breakthrough her Bottleneck and increase her Cultivation Base that her momentary negligence nearly led to a major disaster.
"A Loose Cultivator?" Shen Mo repeated the term, a flash of vigilance in her eyes. Her slender fingers unconsciously twirled a stray lock of hair. "Can you describe his appearance? Or do you remember where you saw him?" Shen Mo pressed for more information about the Loose Cultivator, leaning forward slightly and focusing her gaze on Lin Yaoyao as she waited for an answer.
Lin Yaoyao tried hard to recall the details of her encounter with the Loose Cultivator. She frowned slightly, her eyes downcast as she searched for related memory fragments in her mind. After a moment, she looked up and said slowly, "He looked to be in his forties, of medium build, with a goatee. He wore a grey Daoist robe embroidered with runes I didn't recognize." She paused and added, "The transaction took place at the City East Market, in a rather secluded corner. There were many people coming and going at the time, and it was quite noisy, so I didn't notice too many details." Lin Yaoyao spoke with a hint of frustration, shaking her head slightly as if blaming herself for her carelessness.
After hearing Lin Yaoyao's description, Shen Mo firmly etched the information into her mind. She nodded gently, her gaze becoming determined, and she slowly released the lock of hair she had been twirling. "I understand." Her voice was calm, yet it carried an indisputable resolve. "I will investigate this Loose Cultivator privately, find evidence of him selling inferior Materials, and uncover the forces behind him to prevent more people from being harmed." She stood up and walked to the window, looking at the blooming flowers outside. Her eyes were deep, as if she were lost in thought.
Sunlight streamed through the window frame, casting a glow on Shen Mo and outlining her graceful figure. She turned to look at Lin Yaoyao, her eyes resolute. "Yaoyao, don't worry. I will definitely get to the bottom of this." After saying this, Shen Mo turned and left the room, leaving Lin Yaoyao alone to her thoughts.
After noting down Lin Yaoyao's description, Shen Mo decided to set off immediately for the City East Market to begin her investigation. Before leaving, she went to Lin Yaoyao's room. Seeing Lin Yaoyao Cultivating and Bai Li still fast asleep, she gently closed the door. After leaving the room, Shen Mo took a sound transmission talisman from her Storage Pouch, infused it with spiritual power, and spoke into it, "Yaoyao, I'm heading to the City East Market to investigate first. Cultivate in peace and take good care of Bai Li. I'll contact you as soon as there's news." With that, Shen Mo tossed the sound transmission talisman into the air. It transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the horizon. On the table in Lin Yaoyao's room, a sound transmission talisman shimmering with a faint blue light suddenly appeared. Lin Yaoyao opened her eyes, reached out to pick up the sound transmission talisman, and held it to her ear, hearing Shen Mo's voice. She nodded gently, put away the sound transmission talisman, and continued to Cultivate to consolidate her Cultivation Base.