"Grandfather."
"Grandpa."
Upon seeing Liao Zhiping wake up, the two girls burst into tears of joy.
Liao Zhiping, his hair snowy white, his expression benevolent, asked, "I heard it was you two who found a divine doctor who cured me?"
"It was Xiao Fei who found him, she said he's an immortal from the foot of Kunlun Mountain," Liao Ke spoke.
Li Yunfei nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then explained Lin Mo's origins. However, upon hearing her words, both Liao Zhiping and Liao Ke were stunned! What? Breathing flames? That's not just a circus trick at a fair!
After listening to his granddaughter and daughter, Liao Zhiping's eyebrows knitted slightly together, as if he had thought of something.
In the vast Huaxia Land, enriched with diverse resources, its culture passed down for thousands of years and filled with many peculiar and extraordinary people.
Moreover, Liao Zhiping had faintly heard rumors about some magic users, who were said to have the power to control wind and thunder, possessing divine skills similar to those of immortals.
"This expert, where is he now? I must meet him in person to thank him. Whether our Liao family can overcome this obstacle depends entirely on this immortal," Liao Zhiping said, visibly excited.
Being a well-known figure in Tengchong and nearly seventy years old, Liao Zhiping had seen through worldly affairs and was usually calm and composed. This was the first time Liao Ke saw excitement on his face and a sharp gleam in his eyes.
The last time he had seen his grandfather this excited was when he was seven years old, after his grandfather had defeated the King of Gambling Stones in Tengchong and obtained a piece of top-quality jade.
"Grandfather, although he saved you, now that you're awake, doesn't our Liao family have hope? Why do we still need to rely on him to get through this?" Liao Ke's pretty face showed a hint of suspicion.
Liao Zhiping shook his head, "Xiao Ke, there are some things you still don't understand, but you're not young anymore. I'm thinking of entrusting the Liao family business to you. You should get to know this immortal more and keep a good relationship."
Liao Zhiping's words were ambiguous, even bordering on suggestive.
Liao Ke, who was extremely intelligent, immediately understood her grandfather's intentions, causing her cheeks to flush a deep red, both hot and bothered.
"He's just skilled in medicine, what's so great about that," thought Liao Ke, remembering Lin Mo's cold and haughty demeanor, which made her feel somewhat unhappy.
As for the fire-breathing that Li Yunfei mentioned, Liao Ke dismissed it as nothing more than a street performer's trick.
"Housekeeper Huang, please invite that gentleman over, I would like to meet him myself," said Liao Zhiping, looking at the housekeeper.
Lin Mo had originally planned to sit for several hours at the Liao household, and leave after Liao Zhiping woke up, but the first thing Liao Zhiping wanted upon awakening was to see him.
"Mr. Lin, Mr. Liao invites you to the study," Housekeeper Huang said respectfully and humbly to Lin Mo.
Liao Changwei, Liao Changjing, Liao Jun, and others were slightly surprised.
The study was the old master's 'private territory.' Besides the housekeeper, no one was allowed inside. Now, receiving Lin Mo in the study—this was a mark of utmost seriousness.
Lin Mo nodded and followed Housekeeper Huang to the door of the study.
"Mr. Liao, Divine Doctor Lin has arrived," Housekeeper Huang announced as he opened the door and gestured for them to enter.
In the study, Liao Zhiping, Liao Ke, and Li Yunfei were inside. Seeing Lin Mo, Liao Zhiping was taken aback; although he had known that Divine Doctor Zhuo was young, he hadn't expected him to be this young.
"Mr. Lin, please take a seat," Liao Zhiping said as he stood up, a kind smile on his face. "Mr. Huang, bring the tea."
Lin Mo sat in a chair. The study was spacious, filled with numerous bookshelves and books covering a wide range of topics, and decorated with several bonsais, giving it a unique atmosphere of scholarly elegance.
"Mr. Lin, please have some tea. I heard that you saved me. I truly don't know how to thank you," Liao Zhiping sighed softly.
"It was just a small effort, there's no need to mention it. If everything is settled, I will need to leave Tengchong soon," Lin Mo said as he picked up the fragrant tea and took a gentle sip, speaking slowly.
Liao Zhiping frowned slightly and smiled, "Judging by your accent, Mr. Lin, you don't seem to be from Yun Province? Are you planning to leave Tengchong so soon? In a few days, there will be a big Gambling Stone fair. Aren't you interested, Mr. Lin?"
Lin Mo put down his teacup and glanced at Liao Zhiping. From his words, it wasn't hard to tell that Liao Zhiping wanted to keep him.
"I'm not interested in gambling stones. I appreciate Mr. Liao's kind intentions," Lin Mo replied indifferently.
Seeing Lin Mo's determined demeanor, Liao Zhiping gritted his teeth and turned to Liao Ke, "Ke'er, go get my Emperor Jade. Mr. Lin saved my life, and I have nothing else to thank him with, except by parting with my treasure."
"Grandfather."
Liao Ke paused, her pretty face showing a hint of confusion and bewilderment.
The Liao family was not short of money, giving Lin Mo money was feasible—but the Emperor Jade was the grandfather's prized treasure; even his eldest and second uncles weren't qualified to glance at it. Why would grandfather want to give it to Lin Mo now?
"Can't you move quicker?" Liao Zhiping frowned.
"Yes, Grandfather," Liao Ke nodded, then walked to a side of the study, opened a portal, and carefully took out a black sandalwood box.
Lin Mo looked at the sandalwood box, his face showing a trace of surprise, for he felt a surge of Spiritual Energy emanating from the small box. Liao Zhiping took the sandalwood box, his palm gently caressing it, his eyes somewhat reluctant as he said to Lin Mo, "Mr. Lin, this jade was won by me years ago from a King of Gambling Stones in Tengchong. It is extremely precious. To repay you for saving my life, I specifically want to give this jade to you."
Lin Mo was no longer interested in money; with the Extraordinary Group, he had enough to spend. What he needed most now were Spirit Stones.
Lin Mo had seen ordinary jade stones before—even those that sold for tens of millions at auction were merely impressive in appearance. However, the jade in this sandalwood box contained Spiritual Energy, and that was what truly surprised Lin Mo.
Lin Mo opened the sandalwood box, which contained a pale green jade stone about the size of a baby's fist; it was lustrous and translucent. At first glance, it looked like ordinary jade, which could only be considered of intermediate quality.
But only Magic Users and Martial Artists could feel the 'difference' in it.
Given Liao Zhiping's status, he clearly wouldn't value this kind of 'intermediate' jade. Why then did he cherish this stone so much—could it be that he recognized the 'difference' in the jade?
Lin Mo held the jade in his hand; the Spiritual Energy inside was roughly equivalent to a Middle Grade Spiritual Stone—not much, but it definitely existed.
If he could find more Spirit Stones, that would undoubtedly be a great help to Lin Mo's cultivation.
Having spent decades in the gambling stone industry, Liao Zhiping had developed a skill in reading expressions. Seeing the subtle changes on Lin Mo's face, Liao Zhiping felt a drop in his heart; clearly, his guess was correct.