He looked at me twice and handed me a folded towel: “Bite this.”
I bit down, then saw him grip my right hand, pull, push, and massage… and then I passed out from the pain.
Ah, a mortal body. I sighed once more.
I thought Mo Junqing would leave again, but this time, he didn’t. Finally.
He covered me thoroughly with a blanket, organized his things, and left. Soon he returned, placing clothes by the bedside. By dawn, he brought a basin of water.
The morning sun gradually brightened the room. I got up, washed, dressed, and opened the door to find him standing there, gazing at the distant orange sunrise.
He turned, looked me up and down, and nodded: “Looks good.”
I squinted: “You’re not leaving?”
“Leaving. Taking you with me.”
The blockhead finally understood. Thank the high gods.
I burst into laughter: “You’ll keep your word?”
“Mm.” Mo Junqing hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Last night, when you held Zhuyi, did you feel uncomfortable?”
“Of course not,” I replied silently in my heart, mocking myself. “No.”
Mo Junqing handed over the sword: “Try again.”
I took it over, gripped the sword hilt, and drew the sword halfway out. The cold light was intimidating; no wonder it was a famous sword in the martial world.
Mò Jūn Qīng’s eyes paused slightly, a faint smile spreading across his face: “You are the first person I’ve seen since birth who was not harmed by it. I don’t even know your name…”
I turned my eyes and said seriously: “Xiaoqian.”
After hearing the name, Mò Jūn Qīng laughed softly: “You are just like your name.”
Mò Jūn Qīng pondered for a long time before slowly saying: “Those chasing me are not ordinary people.”
Mò Jūn Qīng sighed and looked into the distance: “I was born into the Mò family, that sect known as the masters of the world.”
He suddenly looked at me, and I quickly pretended to be shocked.
“Although Zhuī Xī was in the Mò family’s ancestral hall, no one could control it, so it was enshrined in the temple, waiting for someone who could wield it to appear. Later, my elder brother, at the age of twenty, became the new master of Zhuī Xī. But it was ultimately proven that he was not its true master. A year later, my brother went mad and died. Zhuī Xī returned to the temple. And I am determined to control it, even if I cannot, I want to find someone who can completely control it.”
I raised an eyebrow slightly: “Are you saying you want to take me back to the Mò family?”
“Xiaoqian,” Mò Jūn Qīng turned, gripping my shoulders and looking at me intently, “Come back with me, I will teach you the Mò family’s sword techniques. The position of Mò family’s mistress will also be yours.”
I blinked: “Didn’t you say I was past the age of coming of age and not suitable for martial arts?”
“That was just an excuse at the time.”
“But I’m only staying for seven days. After seven days, if it’s not fun anymore, I will disappear from this world.” I said this quite seriously, but the other party seemed even more serious than me.
“If you want to leave after seven days, I won’t stop you,” Mò Jūn Qīng sighed. “I’ve escaped for ten whole years, and finally found you. Whether you stay or go is destiny.”
I sighed.
I glared at him fiercely and looked up at Mò Jūn Qīng: “I’ll go back to the Mò family with you.”
Mojia was not far from this small town. I sat in the carriage, leaning on his shoulder, dizzy from the bumpy ride.
“How much further?”
Mo Junqing wrapped his arm around my shoulder, held my hand, and softly said: “Soon, we’ll arrive tonight.”
I snuggled closer to him, finding the most comfortable position. The carriage suddenly jerked, and I… vomited again…
The Mojia household was not as stern as I had imagined. From the moment I stepped through the gate, everyone was extremely friendly, making me feel overwhelmed with special treatment.
Mo Junqing held my hand, walking from the front courtyard to the main hall.
Looking up, a brushstroke “Endure” character caught my eye.
Only here did I notice the atmosphere had changed, becoming as silent as I had imagined in the carriage.
Mo Junqing’s palm was sweating, and when I looked at him, his face was extremely tense. In his words, he hadn’t entered this home for ten years. When the Mojia family head appeared, Mo Junqing nearly crushed my hand, causing me to turn pale with pain.
A woman seeing my expression immediately smiled kindly: “Young lady, no need to be nervous.”
It was said that the family head was only around fifty, but the weathered face and white hair made him look much older. Though his voice was as clear as a bell, there was an unmistakable sense of vicissitude: “You’ve finally returned.”
As soon as the words were spoken, Mo Junqing’s body slightly trembled. I looked at him suspiciously; this meeting reaction was truly strange.
Mo Junqing nodded: “Mm.” He then looked at me and said, “These are my father and second mother.”
I understood now; no wonder the woman seemed unperturbed. She was a stepmother. I slightly bowed: “Greetings, Master Mo, Madam Mo.”
Madam Mo smiled: “What a well-behaved girl, and quite lovely.”
After briefly discussing recent events, it was a welcome feast that left me bewildered.
The feeling was as if Mo Junqing had just gone out for a bit, brought back a wife to meet his parents, and was about to get married with fanfare.
“What’s wrong, Xiao Lian?”
I came back to my senses and smiled at him: “Nothing.”
Mo Junqing explained: “If you stay in our family long enough, you’ll get used to it. Since my elder brother died, my second mother was childless, and I became the only heir of the Mojia family. When I escaped, they would rather kill me than let our bloodline scatter. But now that I’m back, they can treat me like family again.”
My heart slightly trembled: “Won’t they think about the harm they’ve caused you these ten years?”
Mo Junqing was silent, suddenly stopping and embracing me, his voice extremely low: “No, this is how it is in this family. If my elder brother hadn’t died, my life would be worth even less.”
I softly responded, also reaching out to hug him. Although I couldn’t guess what was in his heart, at this moment, his voice contained no hint of deception. At least in this sentence, I
As soon as the words fell, a sharp glance struck, and the Master of the Ink Sect said in a deep voice: “Haven’t you been waiting for this day? Do you want to escape for another ten years?”
Mo Junqing’s eyes dimmed: “So you already know that your child has been wandering outside for ten years.”
It turns out that these ten years were not Mo Junqing fleeing, but the Ink Sect Master not allowing him to return. Letting a fourteen-year-old boy drift alone in the jianghu, this father is truly heartless. Now I understand why Mo Junqing’s eyes always look melancholic.
“You carry the mission of the family. If you cannot complete it, never returning is fine.”
Mo Junqing remained silent for a long time before saying: “I understand.” Then he added, “Xiaolian’s bloodline may not… truly be able to destroy Zhuixi.”
I was stunned, and Zhuixi was also shocked. We exchanged a glance, suddenly filled with bitterness.
The Ink Sect Master’s voice was so heavy it almost dripped blood: “Using the blood of one who can control Zhuixi and casting it into the furnace with Zhuixi will completely destroy Zhuixi from this world. One wandering Taoist said this, two wandering Taoists said this, it cannot be wrong.” He then said sternly, “And I will not allow it to be wrong.”
I looked silently at this old man.
What made him determined to destroy Zhuixi, this legendary sword? According to Mo Junqing, ten years ago, his elder brother died because of Zhuixi. Perhaps this is why he wants to destroy it?
