I am just a mortal, why do you all worship me as a saint?

Chapter 9: You gave me a sword, I'll give you a sword in return.

Bai Mo suppressed the greed and desire deep in his eyes, and still couldn't believe it when he closed the wooden box.

Bai Feier also noticed the hesitation on Bai Mo's face. After all, the Bodhi leaf was indeed a rare and precious item. Not to mention giving it to Bai Mo, even to her father who was always looking for profit, it would definitely be considered a generous gift. But Bai Feier had seen real rare and precious materials before.

So she whispered a few words to him, telling him that among this reclusive elder's collection, this Bodhi leaf wasn't particularly precious, at least not as valuable as the immortal ironwood she had seen that was over 100,000 years old.

Hearing her young mistress say this, Bai Mo's hesitation lessened considerably. Seeing Gu Heng's nonchalant attitude, she realized that if she were to act coy again, she would be looking down on him.

Indeed, in the eyes of a powerful figure like him with supreme medical skills, these things were not particularly precious.

"Since Young Master Gu has given me such a precious gift, I am truly ashamed to accept it."

Gu Heng was taken aback for a moment, then laughed heartily: "It's just some leaves to brew as a drink. If you like it, I can give you some more."

He felt that the tea tasted mediocre, but since Bai Mo thought it was good, he couldn't very well say to Bai Mo's face, "I think this stuff is just so-so."

Bai Mo repeatedly declined, saying, "No need! I can't accept too many of these precious items. These are enough for me!"

Gu Heng raised an eyebrow noncommittally, thinking to himself that Bai Mo probably knew more about things than he did. Yet, he was making excuses over such a small amount of tea. It seemed that even living in a great family, ordinary people still lacked confidence. He had seen it clearly just now. If Bai Feier hadn't persuaded Bai Mo, he probably wouldn't have been able to accept Gu Heng's gift.

"By the way, Miss Fei'er, last night was quite a show for many people."

Gu Heng suddenly changed the subject and looked at Bai Feier with a smile.

Bai Feier's heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't help but look at him, "Last night... was Young Master Gu also at the Mo family residence?"

"Since the Mohists gave me this, I have no reason not to take a look, right? And it turns out I actually saw some interesting things."

Gu Heng took out the marriage invitation and waved it around. When Bai Feier and Bai Mo saw the invitation, they were shocked, but they were also worried about the Mo family's blindness.

Wedding invitations are actually quite common. Not to mention the Mohists, even the Bai family's marginal relatives would send out such invitations to ordinary people when they got married...

But they knew that Gu Heng was no ordinary person. Despite the old and dusty appearance of this clinic, the rare and precious herbs in the medicine cabinets were better than even the royal family's treasure trove. He also kept a nine-lived demon cat in the Tribulation Transcending stage as a pet. When the Mo family held their wedding, it would be only natural for Gu Heng to sit in the VIP seats, even higher than the Mo family patriarch.

But the Mo family insisted on sending him a marriage invitation meant for ordinary people. It has to be said that such a powerful family, which can only occupy one city, is ultimately too short-sighted and has probably long forgotten the principle that there are always people better than you.

Looking at Gu Heng's expression, it wasn't exactly unpleasant; rather, it carried a hint of self-mockery. It seemed he felt that this supreme medical saint, who had secluded himself in this place, had actually been treated like dirt by the local aristocratic family.

Bai Mo felt that after being in the mortal realm for so long, his mind had become so detached. Or perhaps he had reached the pinnacle and had become accustomed to the vicissitudes of life, so he no longer cared about petty matters with the Mo family.

"That day, when I invited you in to take shelter from the rain, were you troubled by this marriage?"

Gu Heng looked at Bai Feier and suddenly asked a question.

Bai Feier was taken aback, then nodded with a slightly flushed face.

"If it weren't for Young Master Gu, I would have been sold off to that纨绔 (spoiled brat) of the Mo family last night. I really have no way to repay this kindness."

After she finished speaking, she pursed her lips and lowered her eyes. To her, Gu Heng's help in removing the remaining poison and restoring her cultivation was like a second life. But she understood that Gu Heng might not care about such things and might forget about them in a couple of days.

Gu Heng remained silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

Although he was just an ordinary mortal who had only asked her to take shelter from the rain and given her a bowl of hot medicine, he didn't know how he had helped this woman with spiritual cultivation, and she was full of gratitude for his kindness.

But as people often say, the path of cultivation emphasizes cause and effect. Although he was just a mortal, perhaps he unintentionally played a role in Bai Feier's "cause and effect"?

Yes, that must be it.

Otherwise, why would such a young, beautiful, and incredibly humble woman be so grateful to him?

"It's just that doctors are benevolent. Helping you was just a simple thing to do. It's nothing to be grateful for, so you don't need to worry about it."

"Besides, I've rarely seen a girl like Fei'er in my life, with such high talent and a tenacious character. She's bound to achieve great things in the future. You should relax and not let trivial worldly matters get in the way, or you'll only end up hurting yourself."

Gu Heng spoke very sincerely, though there was some boasting involved.

He had never seen such a "prodigy" as Bai Feier in his life, but since she was a cultivator, he naturally had to speak with a mysterious air and not be too superficial.

But these words struck Bai Mo, who was standing nearby, like a thunderbolt!

It turns out that this senior could see his young lady's extraordinary talent at a glance. No wonder he was able to refine the "Star Moon Divine Water" to help her return to her peak!

Bai Mo, who watched Bai Feier grow up, witnessed all of Bai Feier's past. Ever since she reached the age to cultivate, Bai Feier has been praised and lauded, which naturally made her more and more arrogant. Being too arrogant is not a good thing, and then, calamity came.

She was poisoned and fell from grace. The more arrogant she had been, the heavier the blow she received. In the end, she was driven into the abyss by the praise she had received in the past and the countless taunts that followed.

But in Gu’s eyes, these are probably just “insignificant worldly causes and effects.”

He may have already foreseen that Bai Feier would inevitably go through this ordeal, and she ultimately endured the humiliation and ridicule to make it a certain distance. Senior Gu must have believed that Bai Feier's fate was not yet sealed, and therefore he helped her!

The thought stirred Bai Mo's emotions, instantly filling him with awe. He took a deep breath, tried to calm himself, and then bowed respectfully.

"Thank you, Young Master Gu, for guiding my young lady through this difficult time."

Upon hearing these words, Bai Feier seemed to awaken from a dream, and bowed gracefully: "Young Master Gu is absolutely right. Feier will definitely remember the teachings you have given me today and will keep them in mind."

Gu Heng waved his hand, his smile gentle, showing no sign of satisfaction or smugness at being praised. He simply nodded, indicating that although he was a mortal, he understood the concept of "cause and effect" that cultivators were particularly concerned with.

Actually, it's just that she's too proud to admit it.

He can only find a sense of accomplishment from these two people.

Look, although I am a mortal, I am connected to the cultivator through "karma" and even helped her.

"Young Master Gu has helped me so much. Although I know I have no way to repay you, please accept this sword. If you do not accept it, I will not be able to eat or sleep in peace."

As Bai Feier spoke, she took the exquisitely crafted silver-sheathed longsword from her waist and respectfully presented it to Gu Heng. Gu Heng glanced at it, knowing he couldn't refuse Bai Feier's gift, and accepted it. It was cool to the touch, yet felt quite heavy. He stroked it for a while, then drew it from its sheath, only to find it utterly ordinary.

This sword... is rather ordinary.

Gu Heng wasn't disgusted by the gift in return; it was just that the sword looked worse than the scrap weapons he had forged himself. But seeing Bai Feier's sincere expression, he knew that the sword was one she often used, and she seemed a little reluctant to part with it when she gave it to him.

This young lady, Fei'er, comes from a prominent family, yet she still uses such a mediocre weapon...

The stronger the weapon, the better. Otherwise, using a mediocre weapon would only add unnecessary shackles to oneself. But perhaps that was Bai Feier's intention.

She wanted to hone her skills and techniques, deliberately using this weapon to build up her momentum.

What an extraordinary woman!

"This sword is named 'Qingming'. I obtained it by chance, and I hope Young Master Gu will not find it offensive." Bai Feier was actually a little reluctant to part with this "Qingming" sword. It was a Xuan-grade divine weapon that she found in the Imperial Dynasty's Great Secret Realm. It had even given birth to a "weapon spirit" and was about to advance to the Earth-grade level.

Unfortunately, in the Imperial Dynasty's Great Secret Realm, she not only obtained a divine weapon but also suffered from a deadly poison, causing her cultivation to deteriorate rapidly. She barely even used the sword a few times.

As the saying goes, every loss has its gain, but Bai Feier felt that this gain was still a loss.

But compared to Gu Heng's help to her, this precious sword seemed insignificant, and such a Xuan-grade weapon was definitely not worth mentioning in the eyes of a reclusive master.

Gu Heng held the sword in his hand and examined it from all angles. He couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh, "Although this sword seems rather ordinary to me, since Miss Fei'er has bestowed a weapon upon me, what will you do with it?"

“Young Master Gu, there’s no need to worry. Although I have nothing else to use, I’m not in a hurry.” Gu Heng said with a smile, “How can that be? When giving something as a gift, it’s best not to care, but I can see that you really like this sword. If you just take it, I’ll feel regretful.”

Bai Feier was stunned. "Is that so?"

"It's alright, if you give it to me, I'll give it to you in return."

Bai Feier hesitated even more upon hearing this: "But...I..."

“Miss, let’s do as Young Master Gu says,” Bai Mo advised from the side. “This is Young Master Gu’s good intention.”

Bai Feier bit her lip and thought for a long time before finally nodding.

So Gu Heng didn't delay and went straight to the small courtyard behind the back hall. He opened the small house that had been covered in dust for years. Inside, there was a huge pile of weapons, including swords, hammers, halberds, and some nine-section whips, double-edged axes, and the like.

He set Qingming aside and then selected the most exquisite-looking soft sword from the dusty weapon rack.

This sword was actually one of Gu Heng's earlier works. From the blade to the scabbard, he forged it with the intention of making it "beautiful". The silver color and intricate patterns are indeed beautiful, but the quality... is only mediocre on this dusty weapon rack.

Of course, this soft sword is very suitable for a woman. However, weapons made by mortals are ultimately mediocre in the eyes of cultivators. But that doesn't matter. It's a gift, so let's just consider it a memento for Bai Feier. She certainly doesn't lack good swords. Using such an ordinary weapon is just a way for her to train herself.

So Gu Heng took the sword, returned to the back room, and handed it to Bai Feier.

"Miss Fei'er, please accept it."

As soon as Bai Feier got her hands on the sword, she sensed something was off. The patterns on the scabbard seemed to hold the secrets of swordplay, almost as if they were alive. The moment she touched it, a sharp, cold wind rushed towards her, as if it could cut her skin at any moment, making her involuntarily shrink back.

This sword—it seems to possess a spirit!

Her heart trembled. She looked up at Gu Heng and saw him nod slightly. So she very slowly and carefully grasped the hilt of the sword and pulled it out!

The sword was only partially drawn when Bai Feier felt her eyes filled with its power, while Bai Mo stared wide-eyed, barely managing to maintain his composure.

What kind of divine weapon is this?!