Clues

Lin Mo sat cross-legged on the simple bed, surrounded by a faint black mist that was almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

The medicinal power of Yin Ning Grass and Corpse Moss, mixed with the Yin Sha Qi drawn from the "Netherworld Records", flowed slowly through his meridians. With each cycle, it brought a bone-chilling cold and a slight stinging pain, but his internal energy also became more solidified.

He slowly finished his practice, opened his eyes, and a faint light seemed to flash and disappear deep in his pupils.

With the aid of the three main ingredients, the cultivation progress has accelerated considerably, but there is still a distance to go before reaching the perfection of the first level, "Drawing Evil into the Body." More importantly, without the "Centennial Earth Milk" and "Crimson Sun Fruit" to harmonize Yin and Yang and protect the heart meridian, the risks will increase as the cultivation progresses, and the progress will be severely slowed down.

Manager Hu still had no news about these two key medicinal herbs, only saying that the competition in the market was extremely fierce, and it seemed that more than one side was searching for them.

"We can't put all our hopes on one channel," Lin Mo muttered to himself, his eyes sharp. He needed more resources, more concealed strongholds, and a stronger force. Alone in this increasingly murky water, he would ultimately be no match for a single tree.

The next day, he went to the dock to handle the affairs of the canal gang as usual, but his mind was already wandering. During the midday break, he casually called over a clever gang member named Zhao Xiaosi, a local hoodlum who knew everything about the city's underworld.

"Little Si, has anything interesting happened in the city lately? Or, are there any special places outside the city?" Lin Mo handed over a small piece of silver, pretending to chat casually.

Zhao Xiaosi took the silver, beaming, and lowered his voice, saying, "Boss Mo, you've come to the right person! There's nothing particularly interesting, but I heard the four great families seem quite tense lately, sending a lot of people out of the city. As for the special place..." He scratched his head, trying to recall, "You know Old Crow Mountain, thirty miles west of the city? That place is eerie. It's said that a wealthy family from the previous dynasty built a manor there, but somehow they got into trouble, and everyone died overnight. The manor was abandoned and became a crow's nest. Nobody dares to go there normally."

Old Crow Mountain…abandoned manor…Lin Mo’s heart stirred. The location was remote and sparsely populated; wasn’t this exactly the secret hideout he desperately needed?

"Oh? There's such a place? Where exactly is it located?" Lin Mo asked calmly.

Seeing Lin Mo's interest, Zhao Xiaosi became even more enthusiastic: "It's in that forest north of Laoya Mountain, not easy to find, the entrance is all covered by vines. I only went there once when I was a kid, after making a bet with someone. It was gloomy inside, the houses were mostly dilapidated, but the courtyard walls seemed pretty sturdy. Boss Mo, you mustn't go there, it's bad luck!"

Lin Mo nodded and didn't ask any more questions, but he memorized the key information: "Old Crow Mountain, the northern forest, and the abandoned mountain villa."

For the next two days, Lin Mo continued to appear at the docks during the day, maintaining the facade of a minor leader of the canal gang. At night, he intensified his cultivation and, through Manager Hu's connections, obtained some scattered information about the manor. In summary, the manor had been abandoned for at least twenty or thirty years. The original owner, surnamed Liu, seemed to have been involved in some江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) feud and was wiped out, after which it was neglected and the government ignored it.

The time is ripe.

On this day, Lin Mo used the excuse of feeling unwell to ask for leave from the Canal Gang. Instead of wearing his conspicuous Canal Gang uniform, he changed into a dark gray outfit that was easy to move in. He carefully hid his necessary items and short weapons on his body and quietly left the city before the morning mist dissipated, heading straight for Old Crow Mountain in the west of the city.

Thirty li was nothing to Lin Mo now; he walked extremely fast and arrived at the foot of Laoya Mountain in less than an hour. The mountain wasn't high, but the dense forest gave it a desolate feel. Following Zhao Xiaosi's description, he searched northward along the foot of the mountain and, sure enough, found a gravel path almost completely buried by weeds behind a dense thicket of vines and bushes.

After clearing away the obstacles and following the path into the forest for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the view suddenly opened up before me.

A sprawling manor stood quietly in a clearing in the woods. The tall, bluish-gray walls, though covered in moss and vines, were indeed, as Zhao Xiaosi had said, quite intact, with only a few corners slightly collapsed. The vermilion gate, long since decayed, hung askew on the frame, revealing the overgrown front yard inside.

Lin Mo didn't go in immediately. Instead, he silently circled the perimeter of the manor like a ghost. The manor was backed by a steep mountain wall, with only the front and sides open to traffic, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. The walls were high enough and thick enough that with a little repair, they would be an excellent barrier.

With a light leap, he silently scaled the courtyard wall like a falling leaf and landed inside.

The scene before me was one of utter desolation. Wavy grass, waist-high, grew in the cracks between the bluestone slabs paving the front yard. Several artificial hills had collapsed, and the pond had dried up, leaving only murky silt. The main building was a complex of courtyards with multiple entrances and exits. The flying eaves and brackets still hinted at its former grandeur, but the windows were broken, the roof tiles were scattered, and signs of decay were visible on the beams and pillars.

Lin Mo slowed his pace, focusing his attention on his surroundings. The air was thick with the smell of dust and decaying plants, and occasionally the cawing of crows could be heard in the distant woods; otherwise, all was deathly silent. He carefully inspected the interior of the main building. Although it was covered in dust and cobwebs, the main structure of the house was mostly intact, especially the main hall and several main side rooms, which could be used after a little cleaning and reinforcement.

He paid special attention to the backyard of the villa, where there was an open area with a relatively flat surface, seemingly a former martial arts training ground or garden, large enough to be converted into a training ground. Near the mountain wall, there was also a long-abandoned well, its opening sealed with stones.

"Not bad," Lin Mo assessed in his mind. The location was secluded, easy to defend and difficult to attack, the main building structure was still acceptable, the interior space was large enough, and there was a water source (although abandoned, it could be cleaned and excavated). Apart from the dilapidation and the so-called "bad luck," this place almost met all his requirements for an initial secret base.

Those "bad luck" and rumors, which would be obstacles for ordinary people, were actually the best camouflage for him. Who would easily approach an abandoned mountain villa that was rumored to be haunted?

He carefully explored the villa for nearly an hour, memorizing every detail, including potential weak points in the defenses, suitable locations for setting traps and mechanisms, and planned areas for future living and training of personnel.

As the sun began to set, Lin Mo finished his reconnaissance. He stood on the steps in front of the main hall, surveying the abandoned manor with a deep gaze. This would be the true starting point of his path of revenge, the place where he would secretly accumulate power and build his power base.

"Liu Family Village..." he murmured, this name that might have long been forgotten, "From now on, this place will be called 'Silent Garden'."

He didn't linger. After confirming the value of the place, he left the villa quietly, just as he had come, and returned along the same route. His figure disappeared back into the dense forest, as if he had never been there.

By the time they returned to their lodgings in the city, night had already fallen. Lin Mo lit an oil lamp, spread out a rough sheet of straw paper, and began to sketch out the general layout of the manor from memory, marking the areas that needed priority repair and reinforcement, as well as his initial ideas for defensive modifications.

The collection of medicinal herbs cannot be relaxed, but the establishment of this base must also be put on the agenda immediately. With a stable base, it will be easier to gather manpower, develop power, and carry out some covert operations, such as... perhaps he could try to personally explore clues about those two rare medicinal herbs.

The flickering lights illuminated his focused and aloof profile.

A clearer path slowly unfolded before him.