Master Liu, you have quite the personality!

Lin Mo looked at the sculpture that looked exactly like him, and the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

What... is going on?

In addition, a number of ordinary people gathered around the sculpture, their hands clasped in prayer, their faces full of reverence and worship.

Yin Xue was completely dumbfounded. She flapped her little wings and flew out a little, looking at the statue and then at Lin Mo himself.

"This...this..."

She was at a loss for words.

Just then, a chubby-faced little boy, about seven or eight years old, skipped and hopped past, holding a rough wooden sword in his hand.

He glanced up unintentionally and saw Lin Mo standing not far from the statue.

The little boy paused for a moment.

She stopped, tilted her head, and her big eyes were filled with innocent curiosity.

He looked at the statue, then at Lin Mo, looking back and forth several times, before timidly taking a few steps forward.

Looking up at her little face, she asked in a childish voice:

"Big brother...you...how come you look exactly like our guardian deity?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a woman quickly stepped forward: "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, the child was just talking nonsense and didn't know any better, please don't take it to heart, you..."

Only then did she get a clear look at Lin Mo's face, and the woman's pupils instantly contracted.

"You...you are the guardian deity!? You've returned!?"

Her voice was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake!

Swish!

The surrounding crowd instantly focused their attention on it!

When they saw Lin Mo's attire and face clearly, and then compared them to the enormous statue...

"It's...it really is him!"

"The Black-Clad Sword Saint! It's me!"

"Our guardian deity has returned! The sky is clear again!"

"Quickly! Quickly pay your respects to the lord!"

……

Someone shouted first, and the crowd erupted in excitement like dry tinder being ignited!

Some people who were nearby almost instinctively buckled at the knees and knelt down in Lin Mo's direction!

Seeing this, others followed suit.

In the blink of an eye, a large group of people knelt down, centered around Lin Mo!

Many people put their hands together and muttered incantations:

"Thank you, Sword Saint, for vanquishing the demons and saving our village!"

"Please, Your Majesty, bless my family with a good harvest this year!"

"Your Excellency possesses boundless magical power and lives as long as the heavens!"

……

Prayers, expressions of gratitude, and shouts of reverence rose and fell.

Lin Mo stood there, staring at the utterly absurd scene before him, his expression completely frozen.

For a moment, he didn't know how to react.

He was ruthless and indifferent to life and death, and could remain calm even when faced with swords and blades.

But faced with this massive, kneeling crowd praying for blessings... this was completely beyond his expectations.

Yin Xue, who was floating beside him, after the initial shock, looked at the devout people kneeling in worship and listened to the praises and prayers.

Thinking back to when I was the Demon King, wherever I went, I either fought to the death.

They either flee in fear.

It's either a scene of feigned submission...

A complex mix of jealousy and resentment welled up inside me.

Her small face puffed up.

His bloodshot eyes were filled with resentment.

Pointing her little finger at the kneeling crowd, she raised her voice several octaves and shouted at Lin Mo:

"Why?! This is unfair! Back then, they wouldn't even erect a warning monument for me, let alone a statue! Why is it that just because you went out and killed a few monsters, they treat you like a god?! And even make you immortal?! This is infuriating!!!"

She stomped her feet in anger, her face flushed red.

His expression was less one of anger and more one of madness.

Lin Mo listened to Yin Xue's indignant complaints.

Then look at the crowd kneeling on the ground before you, their eyes filled with fervent hope.

And that statue of "myself"...

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the utterly absurd feeling in his heart.

Now he roughly understands what those pointing fingers and whispers meant when he entered the city.

"Boss! Boss! This way! I've come to pick you up!"

An excited shout rang out from the crowd.

A richly decorated carriage pushed through the crowd and drove over.

The driver was Shi Xuan.

A fat face peeked out from the carriage behind him; it was Otem in disguise, disguised as Liu Sanguan.

He shouted and waved vigorously at Lin Mo, showing none of the arrogance he had shown before.

Lin Mo felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He immediately pushed through the kneeling crowd, walked a few steps to the carriage, opened the door, and climbed inside.

After picking up Lin Mo, the carriage slowly drove away from the still noisy center of the square and headed towards the City Lord's Mansion.

Only the common people in the center of the city remained, discussing the matter.

"Did you hear that? What did the city lord just call the guardian deity?"

"What a big shot! I knew the city lord had something to do with the gods, otherwise why would he suddenly change his ways?"

"Yes, the city lord has even reduced some taxes these past few days. He's like a completely different person. He must have been enlightened by the guardian deity."

……

Inside the carriage, the noise from the outside world was kept out.

Lin Mo leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.

"What exactly is going on?"

Otmu reported excitedly.

"Hehe, boss, this has nothing to do with me! You're just too awesome! In the three days you were gone, news had already reached those villages in the north!"

"They say there's a 'Black-Clad Sword Saint' who swept through the Graystone Mountains, destroying all the monster lairs that had plagued them for so long! He saved several villages from being wiped out!"

"The rumors are so detailed and detailed, like sword energy traversing three thousand miles, or a single sword's light chilling nineteen villages... The more they're told, the more fantastical they become!"

"Then, I don't know which guy connected that to the matter of how you dealt with Qian Wanguan."

"Just think about it: you killed the tyrannical nobles and wiped out the harmful monsters. Aren't you practically a savior, a guardian deity?!"

Otmu's tone carried a hint of smugness: "The villagers in the surrounding areas and the merchants who frequently travel between towns are extremely grateful to you, so they pooled their money to hire the best stonemasons in town to renovate that useless fountain in the square and erect a statue of you! They say they want to forever remember your kindness!"

As Lin Mo listened, the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably again.

He was simply hunting beast kings to level up and collect their essence.

Save the village?

I just happened to be passing by and didn't even intend to care about it at first.

Scammers with a fortune?

That was merely for establishing authority and plundering resources.

How come in these people's mouths, they become heroes who uphold justice and punish evil?

"I just went out to level up..."

Lin Mo said in a low voice, his tone somewhat helpless.

Hearing this from outside the carriage, Shi Xuan, who was driving, secretly thought to himself, "I'm disgusted."

"Brother, is that what you call leveling up? You wiped out all the Beastmasters around Mingbei City, from level 20 to 39, all by yourself! So many mercenaries were forced to switch to trading because of you. If they heard you say that, wouldn't they be furious?"

Otem, oblivious to Lin Mo's expression, continued his excited report: "Not only that, we've gained so much in these three days!"

"Ever since the Qian family's property was confiscated, the nobles in the city have become incredibly obedient. They're all begging for money and cooperating like quails. There are even a few bolder ones who want to host a banquet for you..."

Otmu said this with a hint of disdain in his tone.

Although it was simple-minded, it knew that the boss didn't care about these things at all.

As expected, upon hearing this, Lin Mo's eyes flashed with undisguised indifference: "Not interested."

Upon hearing this, Lin Mo's eyes flashed with undisguised indifference: "Not interested."

He was more concerned with something else.

"How's the research going with Liu Yishou? How much has the efficacy of the stone-cloth herb improved?"

This is his biggest concern right now, as it directly relates to whether he can send his mother more effective medication next time.

However, upon hearing this question, Ottmu, who had been speaking fluently just moments before, suddenly stopped talking.

A look of difficulty and hesitation appeared on his wooden face.

"This...this..."

Ottmu stammered, glancing furtively at Lin Mo's expression before cautiously speaking.

"Master Liu Yishou... he has indeed been studying at the alchemy platform for the past few days without eating or drinking... but... it seems that his main research is not on 'stone-clad herbs'..."

Lin Mo's previously calm gaze suddenly sharpened!

The temperature inside the carriage seemed to drop several degrees instantly.

"So, there's been absolutely no progress with the stone-cloth herb?"

Lin Mo's voice was very soft, yet it made Ottomu feel as if his wooden joints were about to freeze.

Otem swallowed hard and nodded, which was considered a confession.

The killing intent in Lin Mo's eyes was no longer concealed.

Previously, he hadn't been forced to do so because he needed Liu Yishou to make medicine for his mother.

but now……

What he needs is a stable and controllable alchemist.

If this Liu Yishou is so individualistic, perhaps it's time to find a more obedient alchemist.