The world knows that Jiangnan is prosperous, and seventy percent of the country’s grain merchants come from Jiangnan.

The Wu Family has a deep influence in Jiangnan, so the news of Chen Mo buying grain naturally couldn’t escape their attention.

"Master, should we sell the grain to them?" the elegant man asked.

"Sell. Why not do business when there’s an opportunity? Whatever he needs, we’ll sell to him," Wu Lu said.

"But, Master..." The elegant man didn’t understand Wu Lu’s intention. Chen Mo had already rejected the Wu Family’s goodwill several times, so why sell the grain to him?

"Don’t worry, I have my plans. Also, let him know that if he is willing to marry Xin’Er, the grain can be given for free, and we can give him an additional batch as Xin’Er’s dowry," Wu Lu said.

"Understood, I’ll take care of it right away."

...

The winter sky darkens quickly.

The piercing cold wind makes people unwilling to go out.

In Celestial River City, at the temporary State Governor’s Mansion.

It was getting darker as the night deepened.

"Ah, there’s a ghost!" A woman’s scream suddenly erupted from the backyard of the State Governor’s Mansion.

In the hallway, alternately bright and dark, a phantom figure was drifting by.

"Chirp..." Xiao Jiu, who had been waiting for some time, leaped down from the eaves. The phantom sensed the movement and immediately wanted to flee, but at the other end of the hallway, a figure appeared.

"I’ve waited for you long enough; let’s see where you’ll run today." This figure was Chen Mo: "I don’t know how you’ve lasted until today, but since I spared you then and you didn’t leave, instead staying to frighten people, I won’t forgive you today."

Chen Mo raised his hand, and the Taiyi Divine Fire flared from his palm.

A few days ago, when Chen Mo moved into Luo Mansion, this ghost never appeared while he was there. But after he went to Nanyang City a couple of days ago, the ghost began appearing frequently, specifically terrifying Luo Zhen.

So tonight, Chen Mo had deliberately left and then secretly returned in the middle, lying in wait to destroy this frightful ghost once and for all.

Finding that it fell into Chen Mo’s trap, the ghost emitted a piercing scream and flew outside the hallway but was immediately blocked by a silver flame.

It was the flame sprayed by Xiao Jiu.

The ghost might have been touched by it, making its figure even more ethereal.

Meanwhile, Chen Mo formed a hand seal, preparing to use Thunder Technique to completely eliminate the creature.

But at that moment, the ghost unexpectedly uttered some vague sounds, as if calling, "Zhen...Zhen’er."

"Father?" Luo Zhen peeked out from behind a column in the hallway, having been the one who screamed earlier.

"Father?" Chen Mo and Xiao Jiu were both taken aback.

And just as they were stunned for a moment, the ghost somehow broke through their blockade.

"Trying to run?" Chen Mo pursued it.

Xiao Jiu followed closely behind.

Soon, Chen Mo chased the ghost to the pond in the rear garden. The water had not frozen, and the ghost directly submerged into the pond water.

Chen Mo dived in.

"Splash..." Xiao Jiu didn’t hesitate and followed immediately.

"Was that the master?" Zhao Jiangning, hearing the commotion, stepped out of the house and happened to see Xiao Jiu dive into the water.

A moment later, Zhao Jiangning saw Luo Zhen rushing over.

"Your Highness," Luo Zhen greeted.

"Luo Zhen, what happened?"

"Where’s the lord?" Luo Zhen didn’t answer, instead asking about Chen Mo.

Zhao Jiangning pointed to the pond.

...

Upon entering the water, Chen Mo discovered that the pond had a hidden world beneath.

The water was especially deep; even after diving two zhang, he hadn’t reached the bottom, but he already felt a bone-chilling cold.

Although winter pond water is cold, it shouldn’t feel bone-chilling, which made Chen Mo suspicious of something peculiar.

Being human, Chen Mo couldn’t live underwater indefinitely; he had to finish this quickly.

He activated his Ancient Heavy Pupils, starting to search for the ghost’s trace.

After diving another two zhang, Chen Mo finally reached the bottom.

With the help of the Ancient Heavy Pupils, Chen Mo discovered an irregular stone, either black or silver, the size of an adult’s fist among the underwater plants at the pond’s bottom.

Chen Mo activated the Ancient Heavy Pupils to analyze it and discovered the ghost inside the stone.

The ghost apparently also noticed him and tried to escape; Chen Mo hurriedly wrapped the stone with True Qi.

At that moment, Xiao Jiu joined him and, seeing the stone, exhibited a hint of surprise in his eyes, making gestures at Chen Mo with his claws.

Underwater, Chen Mo couldn’t distinguish what it meant.

Grabbing the stone, he prepared to swim towards the surface.

But upon contact, he felt a chill, like an ordinary person holding ice.

Fortunately, Chen Mo could endure it. When he felt his breath becoming difficult, he urgently swam towards the surface.

At the pond’s edge.

Torchlight flickered, surrounded by women standing around the pond; maids held lanterns beside them.

"It’s been nearly a quarter of an hour; why hasn’t the master come out yet? Your Highness, is the master really inside?" Yi Yao said worriedly.

Zhao Jiangning nodded: "I saw the master go in with my own eyes; Xiao Jiu also jumped into the water right after."

"But why hasn’t the master come out yet?" Ye Wanqiu worried.

"A First Grade Martial Artist can stay underwater for a quarter of an hour, no problem."

Despite saying that, Jiang Ruoqing was ready to dive in and check anytime.

"How did the ghost end up in the water?" Chun Lan and the others learned what happened from Luo Zhen.

"I’ll check it out." Another minute passed, and Jiang Ruoqing couldn’t wait any longer, ready to dive in.

"Splash..." The water surface broke open, and a man with a fox flew out of the water.

"Brrr, it’s freezing, freezing..." As soon as he landed, Chen Mo threw down the stone in his hand, shivering from the cold.

"Chun Lan, quickly prepare hot water and ginger soup," Yi Yao said, seeing this, hastily taking off her cloak and draping it over Chen Mo: "Master, get inside quickly."

"Ruoqing, help me take that stone inside," Chen Mo said to Jiang Ruoqing.

Jiang Ruoqing paused her hands, which were unfastening her cloak, nodded, and used her Object Manipulation Skill to pick up the stone.

...

Inside the house.

"Xiao Jiu, what sort of stone is this?"

While sipping ginger soup, Chen Mo didn’t feel much affected anymore, and the bone-chilling cold from earlier was entirely gone.

Xiao Jiu used True Qi to evaporate the water beads from his fur, then used his claws to write something on the ground.

"Nine Yin True Stone?" Chen Mo was taken aback, having never heard of it.

Yi Yao and Jiang Ruoqing raised their eyebrows.

"What’s wrong?" Chen Mo asked, seeing the reaction from the two women.

"Master, you explain," Yi Yao glanced at Jiang Ruoqing.

Jiang Ruoqing nodded: "In the Su Nv Sect’s records, there is mention of the Nine Yin True Stone, the coldest stone, beneficial for ghosts to cultivate.

Moreover, if a Martial Artist cultivates near it, it can aid in breaking through realms without causing deviation, and is beneficial for cultivating and comprehending Daoist Mental Realms.

This stone, like the Nine Yang True Stone, is rare in the world according to the records."

"No wonder it survived till today, hidden in this Nine Yin True Stone."

Suddenly, Chen Mo looked at Luo Zhen: "By the way, Zhen’er, what did you mean by father earlier?"

"I...I seemed to have heard my father’s voice," Luo Zhen said absent-mindedly.

"Father?" Chen Mo paused, then said, "Could this ghost be your father?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Zhen’s eyes widened, seemingly realizing something. The ghost wasn’t trying to scare her; it just wanted to see her, and she felt scared herself.

"Father..." Luo Zhen looked at the Nine Yin True Stone on the table, her eyes welling up with tears.