Chapter 5: The Poverty-Stricken Little Monsters

Mo Jin sensed that there were no powerful Great Demons within a thousand miles, so she signaled Lin Mo to follow the little lynx inside.

Lin Mo bent down and crawled in, only to find that the cave was much more spacious than it appeared, large enough to hold five or six adults. The floor was flat and dry, and the slanted sunlight fell across the ground in a pale golden beam, allowing her to see the interior clearly.

The floor was piled with berries and some leftover raw meat scraps, likely gathered by the little lynx before it left; besides that, there was absolutely nothing else.

Lin Mo sighed inwardly: ‘What a truly destitute little monster.’

The little lynx walked ahead and called out, –Brother, I’m back.–

A cough came from deep within the cave, followed by a voice tinged with anxiety. –Where did you run off to? Why are you only back now?–

Lin Mo stepped closer and clearly saw the little lynx’s brother lying on the ground.

He was small in stature and had the appearance of a young man.

His eyes were brownish like the little lynx’s, and he had a full, bushy beard. His face was sallow and his body thin.

One of his legs was curled up, noticeably thinner than his healthy leg.

His gaze was fixed on the two newcomers, his fists clenched in a defensive posture.

Oblivious to the tension, the little lynx lunged into its brother’s arms, its voice filled with excitement. –I brought friends back! They said they have a way to help treat your leg injury.–

The older lynx shielded his younger brother behind him and said coldly, “Who are you, and what do you want with my brother?”

Lin Mo took a step forward, pulled her student ID from her jacket pocket, and explained, “Please don’t worry. We are interns from Maolin Academy sent by the school to help little spirits. We mean no harm.”

The little lynx poked its head out from behind him. –Brother, they are good spirits! I was caught by them last night, and they didn’t eat me. They even let me go.–

The older lynx immediately turned around and carefully inspected the little lynx’s body. After confirming it was uninjured, he hesitantly took Lin Mo’s student ID.

The brand-new ID had the words “Maolin Academy” written in large characters. Below was a one-inch photo with a white background showing a clean, cute Lin Mo radiating a passionate, youthful energy.

[Plant Department, Class of 9012]

He remembered now. He had heard his grandfather say that a long, long time ago, when Grandfather was a newly formed little spirit like the little lynx, he had met interns from Maolin Academy. Back then, they had helped many weak spirits and taught them how to communicate and read.

Grandfather had also said that the two intern sisters at that time looked like immortals from heaven and possessed extremely powerful magic. The images of Lin Mo and Mo Jin before him slowly merged with the descriptions of those “Immortal Sisters.”

The older lynx relaxed his guard and returned the ID to Lin Mo, his face turning slightly red. “I’m sorry, I almost misunderstood you.”

“It’s fine.” Lin Mo waved her hand to show she didn’t mind.

“My name is Lin Mo, and this is my…” Lin Mo tilted her head toward Mo Jin, stalling for a moment with a hint of hesitation in her voice. “Um… teammate?”

Seeing Mo Jin give a slight nod, Lin Mo slowly exhaled. Fortunately, Mo Jin hadn’t denied it, or that would have been embarrassing.

Lin Mo continued, “What are your names?”

The older lynx leaned against the wall and sat up straight. “I am She Yuan, and this is my younger brother, She Qiu.”

Lin Mo burst into a giggle. “Does your family have a special hobby for round things?”

She Qiu rushed to answer, –Our family never has enough to eat, so no one is fat. Grandfather really envied the chubby guy next door, so he gave us these names, hoping we would be well-fed and well-clothed in the future.–

She Yuan scratched the messy hair on his head and said dejectedly, “The environment has become harsher over the years, and many animals can no longer survive. Some powerful spirits can’t find food, so they catch newly formed little spirits to eat. She Qiu just transformed recently and doesn’t have much power, which is why I was worried about him being eaten.”

‘Thin little spirits in the wild mountains, growing poorly in a harsh environment; only by entrusting their hopes to a name can they fantasize about growing well.’

Lin Mo nodded; she had felt the desolation of this place all along the way.

She Qiu said anxiously, –If you can treat my brother’s leg, I’m willing to give you all my treasures.–

Lin Mo asked curiously, “What treasures?”

She Qiu answered innocently, –Shiny stones.–

Lin Mo’s face was full of black lines: “…”

She really shouldn’t have held any expectations.

Lin Mo forced her lips back into a smile. “Alright, I suppose that counts as a treasure.”

Lin Mo turned to Mo Jin. “Mo Jin, what was the method you mentioned earlier?”

“The way to save him is within you,” Mo Jin said calmly, looking at the confused Lin Mo. “The plant race is born with the talent for growth and restoration. You can heal injured animals and plants. As long as you use your own abilities, you can heal his brother’s leg.”

‘I suspect you are talking serious nonsense, and I have evidence.’

Lin Mo: “Actually, I’ve always felt that I am a human.”

Mo Jin: “You were raised in human society after manifesting as a spirit, which is why you mistakenly think you are human.”

Seeing Lin Mo’s wide eyes and increasingly bewildered expression, Mo Jin temporarily gave up on what she wanted to say. Perhaps even if she brought up the past, it wouldn’t be worth remembering for the Little Bamboo. Otherwise, how could she have forgotten so easily?

Thinking of this, Mo Jin’s heart grew a bit colder. She lowered her eyes and said, “Raise your hand and place it on his injured leg, then close your eyes and sense the energy fluctuations around you.”

Lin Mo did as instructed, closed her eyes, and quieted her mind.

She Qiu and his brother She Yuan held their breath simultaneously, staring at Lin Mo without blinking.

At first, Lin Mo was skeptical, but then she truly felt tiny, glowing green spots of light dancing around her. She felt a surge of wonder. Then, Mo Jin’s voice sounded in her ear: “Try to see if you can catch them?”

Lin Mo held her breath, her cheeks puffing out as she began to exert force. Her face slowly turned red.

A cool fingertip lightly poked Lin Mo’s puffed-out cheek.

Lin Mo instantly deflated and looked up. Mo Jin had her arms crossed and her brow slightly furrowed; the expression on her face was exactly the same as the one she had used to look at She Qiu earlier.

Lin Mo even read a trace of pity and a hint of disdain in that gaze.

‘Ugh, I’m being looked down on.’

Lin Mo hung her head, looking like an innocent, pitiable child who had made a mistake.

Seeing Lin Mo like this, Mo Jin didn’t have the heart to scold her, though she did feel a bit of a headache.

She rubbed her temples with her finger and said calmly, “Use your mental power, not your breath. Holding your breath won’t catch them.”

‘Oh, so that’s how it works.’

Lin Mo pouted and re-engaged her senses, using her mental power to capture those tiny glowing green spots. After a while, she finally caught a small cluster. She couldn’t help but chirp excitedly, “I caught them!”

The hearts of She Qiu and She Yuan finally settled, and big smiles appeared on both their faces.

Mo Jin’s voice was as indifferent as ever. “Mm. Try to send that green light cluster into She Yuan’s injured leg.”

Lin Mo nodded heavily. She turned her hand over and gently placed the light cluster against She Yuan’s injured leg, pressing down with a bit of force. ‘Eh, it’s actually quite springy.’

Lin Mo remembered when she used to knead dough; if a large clump was hard to knead evenly, she could split it into small pieces to make it easier. She divided the light cluster into several smaller ones and squeezed them into She Yuan’s leg. As the light entered, Lin Mo could see the meridians in his leg and the injured area. She patiently recombined the small clusters and gently wrapped them around the damaged meridians. Soon, that meridian was like a dried-up stream that had been cleared of silt, allowing clean, refreshing water to flow once again.

She Yuan felt his entire body, from his leg upward, suddenly turn warm. The previous cold sensation vanished, and his body felt stronger than before.

Seeing the color return to his brother’s face, She Qiu said excitedly, –Brother, is your leg better?–

A look of joy appeared in She Yuan’s eyes. “It feels much better.”

Hearing this, Lin Mo withdrew her hand and opened her eyes. She watched She Yuan stand up and walk a few steps; it was impossible to tell his leg had ever been injured. Her face was also filled with excitement.

She Yuan’s eyes were full of hot tears. “Thank you both so much. If you need anything in the future, just tell me. I am willing to do everything in my power to help you.”

She Qiu rushed to say, –Me too!–

Lin Mo felt a bit embarrassed and looked toward Mo Jin, feeling a bit lost.

Mo Jin was already standing at the cave entrance at some point. Standing against the light, her expression was hidden, but her silhouette looked somewhat desolate and lonely. Lin Mo could sense that Mo Jin didn’t actually like this kind of emotional atmosphere.

Lin Mo turned her head, and just as she was about to say it wasn’t necessary, she saw a large pile of shiny gold nuggets held in She Qiu’s hands. Her eyes instantly lit up.

She Qiu held the gold out to Lin Mo and said sincerely, –These are my favorite toys that I picked up by the river a long time ago. Thank you for saving my brother. They are all yours now.–

‘What a straightforward little monster.’

Lin Mo took the gold and stuffed it into her pocket. This gold was enough for her to buy a house! She was making a huge profit. Even if she split it evenly with Mo Jin, she could still afford half a house. She felt blissful.

The more she looked at little She Qiu, the more she liked him. Why hadn’t she realized how cute he was before?

Lin Mo smiled and was about to pat the little lynx’s head when she was hit from behind by a cold gaze.

Lin Mo shrank her neck and immediately withdrew her hand, smiling radiantly at She Qiu. “I really like the gift you gave me. I’ll take these as payment, so nothing else is needed. By the way, do you know where the stream in the woods is? Where did the previous Maolin Academy interns stay?”

She Qiu said happily, –I’m glad you like it.–

She Yuan flushed with nervousness. “Those gifts are too light; I will give you other gifts in the future. The stream is nearby, and it seems the previous interns lived near it as well. They even built a small wooden cabin there, though I don’t know if it’s fallen apart by now. I need to go hunting; She Qiu knows where it is and can take you there later.”

“Alright then, thank you.” Hearing there was a cabin left by previous interns, Lin Mo was instantly hooked. She finally wouldn’t have to live exposed to the elements anymore.