Believe it or not, this Willow Lane is a place where talented men and beautiful women gather in large numbers. The brothels in Willow Lane are also divided into different levels. The lowest level is where the women basically earn money by selling their bodies, and those who go there are basically ordinary people with a little extra money.
The next level down includes not only prostitutes, but also courtesans skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting (who sell their art but not their bodies). However, these courtesans are only there to raise prices; as long as the price is high enough, anything is negotiable. Those who come here are mostly ordinary wealthy merchants and sons of low-ranking officials.
Those at the next level have transcended the definition of ordinary brothels. Although physical transactions still occur in their establishments, that's not their primary business. The main source of income for these brothels is actually the courtesans who perform but don't sell their bodies. These courtesans are responsible for playing instruments, singing, or dancing to attract wealthy merchants and powerful young men. Many of these young men are willing to spend lavishly to win a smile from a beautiful woman. Forget about having a night with these courtesans; even just seeing one of these women costs a thousand or eight hundred taels of silver. And even if you're rich, they might not be willing to see you. People who can afford to frequent brothels of this level are either extremely wealthy or noble, because even the most ordinary pot of tea or plate of snacks costs more than an average family's annual income. Of course, if you go in and don't ask for anything, they won't say anything, but correspondingly, they won't offer you any service. And the brothel Mo Mo and his companions are now entering is just such a high-level establishment.
This wasn't Liu Yanchang's first time visiting such a brothel, but he was still stunned by what he saw. The ordinary maids serving tea and water in this brothel were as beautiful and well-proportioned as the top courtesans in the brothels he had visited before. Moreover, everyone coming and going was dressed in fine clothes, and the subtle mocking glances around him made him feel ashamed. However, when Mo Mo casually tossed a transparent stone to the maid who was serving them, all the mocking glances disappeared.
"Two excellent rooms, each with a good maid, and a bath for us. Oh, and a banquet too. The rest is yours." With that, Mo Mo ignored the stares around him and walked past the maid.
The maid was overjoyed when she saw what the glittering stone in her hand was. She quickly walked to Mo Mo and led the way. Liu Yanchang was stunned when Mo Mo threw the stone. He only jogged after Mo Mo had walked quite a distance away.
Half an hour later, Mo Mo had finished washing up and changed into another cloud robe. A few minutes later, Liu Yanchang also arrived at Mo Mo's room. The maids from the brothel followed behind Liu Yanchang, bringing up dishes and wine one after another. Accompanying them were two women whose looks and figures were superior to those of the maids. Mo Mo and Liu Yanchang, who were no longer novices, naturally knew what this meant. Mo Mo did not refuse, but she pushed the two women to Liu Yanchang. After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Liu Yanchang took the two women back to his room.
Watching Liu Yanchang slowly walk away with the support of the two women, Mo Mo's lips curled up slightly. When faint moans came from the next room, Mo Mo smiled and walked out of his room to make some preparations.
A quarter of an hour later, Mo Mo walked out of the palace with a smile. Although Liu Yanchang's current knowledge made his chances of passing the palace examination almost certain, Mo Mo still went to the palace to tell Zhu Wuneng's younger brother to make sure Liu Yanchang passed the examination, just in case. After all, he was going to stop Liu Yanchang from marrying the Third Holy Mother, so this was his compensation.
After leaving the palace, Mo Mo returned to the brothel and left a letter for Liu Yanchang, saying that he had urgent business to attend to and would not be able to accompany him to the palace examination. Before leaving the brothel to go to Mount Hua, Mo Mo also left a sum of money for Liu Yanchang, enough for him to squander for a while.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 542 Princess Carry
After arranging things for Liu Yanchang, Mo Mo rushed to Mount Hua without stopping. When he arrived at the foot of Mount Hua, he saw something that made his pupils shrink: a young scholar carrying a book basket (an ancient version of a schoolbag) was struggling to climb Mount Hua, trying to cross it. Not far in front of him was a sheer cliff. It seemed that Hongjun wanted someone else to replace Liu Yanchang. But how could Mo Mo let him have his way?
Upon spotting the scholar, Mo Mo flashed and instantly appeared behind a large tree not far from him. After tidying his clothes to make himself look like he had also climbed Mount Hua, Mo Mo stepped out, panting, and shouted to the scholar ahead, "Brother ahead, are you also just returning from taking the imperial examination? Could you wait for me? Mount Hua is treacherous; if we walk together, we can look after each other."
The scholar in front stopped immediately upon hearing Mo Mo's call. He turned around and looked at Mo Mo, realizing that Mo Mo was indeed a scholar like himself. He then turned around, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Brother, you are right. I have just returned from taking the imperial examination. To my shame, after ten years of hard study, I still couldn't pass the provincial examination. I wonder where you got in?"
Taking advantage of the scholar's pause, Mo Mo quickly walked to his side. After catching his breath, Mo Mo said with a look of shame, "Like you, I also failed the provincial examination. The other scholar who traveled with me has already gone to Chang'an, so I had to come back alone. But we are still young, and perhaps three years from now we can sit together in Chang'an and enjoy a drink together."
The scholar bowed to Mo Mo and replied, "Then I'll take your kind words. See you in Chang'an in three years."
"See you in Chang'an in three years." Mo Mo returned the greeting with a cupped hand, and the two of them suddenly laughed after speaking, because they still didn't know each other's names.
“Speaking of which, we’ve been chatting for so long and we still don’t know each other’s names. My name is Wang An, and I live in a county town at the foot of Mount Hua. May I ask your honorable name and where you live?” The young scholar, Wang An, spoke first.
"My surname is Mo and my given name is Mo. I am currently living in Liujia Village, which is quite far from here." Mo Mo did not hide anything and told Wang An his real name directly.
"Is it just a temporary stay? Then, Brother Mo, would you be interested in staying at my house for a while? We could discuss our studies together?" Wang An extended an invitation to Mo Mo after hearing his words thoughtfully.
“Of course, but Brother Wang, we should hurry on our way. If we keep chatting like this, it will probably get dark before we even get off the mountain.” Mo Mo looked at the sky and said with a smile. Wang An looked up at the sky and nodded in agreement before taking the lead and walking forward.
The mountain path was steep, and Wang An had already exhausted much of his energy, so the two of them walked very slowly. Although the cliff was not far from where Mo Mo and the others had just been, by the time they reached it, the sun had already passed overhead. At their current speed, it was questionable whether they could even get down the mountain before dark, let alone make it back to the county town. Although there was a path along the cliff edge, it was full of jagged rocks and very difficult to walk on. Moreover, one wrong step could lead to a fatal fall. But if they couldn't get down the mountain before dark, it would be even more dangerous, because the wind on the mountain was too strong to spend the night there, and traveling through the night could easily result in a fall to their death.
As the sun gradually sank below the horizon, Wang An grew increasingly impatient. His restlessness made it difficult to concentrate, which easily led to mistakes. And on the edge of this precipice, the consequences of such a mistake were obvious. As Wang An stepped over a large rock on the path, he was so anxious that he didn't notice an even smaller rock behind it and stepped directly into it.
Although the rock wasn't large, it successfully caused the unprepared Wang An to twist his ankle and lose his balance. Just as Wang An screamed and was about to fall off the cliff, Mo Mo, who was behind him, rushed over, grabbed his wildly waving hand, and pulled him back with a force. Because of the force, he landed on the other side of the sloping mountain wall. Mo Mo himself, however, lost his footing and fell off the cliff because he was rushing too fast.
Meanwhile, in the Temple of the Holy Mother atop Mount Hua, the Third Holy Mother was listening to the prayers of believers while keeping an eye on Mount Hua. More precisely, however, she was observing two scholars struggling to traverse the treacherous mountain path. Those two scholars were none other than Mo Mo and Wang An.
The Holy Mother of the Three, having long resided in the temple, found her life fulfilling, listening to the prayers and wishes of believers and granting the desires of the virtuous. She was also happy to see the genuine smiles of her followers. However, this life was also somewhat tedious. More importantly, her worldly desires began to stir. Looking at the harmonious and happy couples and families among the believers, she didn't know when, but a different thought began to creep into her heart. Today, when she saw that young scholar, that thought intensified, and she began to carefully observe his every move.
What surprised her even more was the scholar who came next. Although he wasn't much more handsome than the first scholar, his unique aura instantly captivated her. For some reason, the more she looked at him, the more she found him exceptionally handsome, and she became infatuated without realizing it. Just then, the first scholar had an accident, which brought her back to her senses. As she was about to help him, the scholar she was infatuated with swiftly stepped behind the first scholar and rescued him. However, he also lost his footing and fell off the cliff in his haste. In the instant the scholar lost his footing, the Holy Mother involuntarily rushed out of the temple and flew towards the scholar who had fallen off the cliff.
The two scholars that the Third Holy Mother was paying attention to were naturally Mo Mo and Wang An. After Mo Mo saved Wang An, he accidentally fell off the cliff. When he saw a streak of light flying rapidly towards him, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and he started shouting and pretending to be terrified and helpless. However, he stopped after two or three seconds because he had been hugged by a stunningly beautiful woman. However, the posture was a bit awkward because the Third Holy Mother was carrying him in a princess carry.
Although this was all an act to get closer to the Holy Mother of the Three Realms, the fact that a grown man like him was being carried in a princess carry by a frail woman still made him incredibly embarrassed. If the little black dragon knew about this, he would probably be laughed to death. So, the moment he was embraced by the Holy Mother of the Three Realms, he decided that this matter could only be kept to himself and absolutely could not be known by anyone else. However, what Mo Mo did not expect was that while he kept it to himself, the Holy Mother of the Three Realms did not keep it to herself. Thus, his later life turned tragic. Of course, that is a story for another time.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 543 Moving into the Temple of Our Lady
At the foot of Mount Hua, the Third Holy Mother stared intently at Mo Mo, while Mo Mo gazed fixedly at the exquisitely beautiful face before him, with skin as smooth as jade. If one ignored their current posture, it would be a beautiful sight.
At this moment, the Holy Mother of the Three Realms was carrying Mo Mo in a princess carry and staring at him intently, while Mo Mo released his arms and also stared intently at the Holy Mother of the Three Realms. The two of them just stared at each other with wide eyes.
After a couple of seconds, Mo Mo suppressed his speechless frustration and said in a low voice, "Could this fairy please put me down first?"
Upon hearing this, the Holy Mother seemed to snap out of her daze and quickly put Mo Mo down on the ground, then lowered her head shyly. Mo Mo was speechless. Just a moment ago she was boldly looking at him, how did she suddenly become a shy little girl? Although this was largely because he hadn't completely hidden his aura, she shouldn't have changed so quickly. How was he supposed to speak to her like this?
Although the Third Holy Mother's actions left Mo Mo somewhat bewildered, he wasn't one to back down. Looking at the Third Holy Mother's shy expression, Mo Mo swallowed hard and cautiously said, "Thank you, Fairy, for saving my life. May I ask if you are the Third Holy Mother who slays demons and protects the people of Mount Hua?"
“I am the Third Holy Mother. If you don’t mind, you can call me Yang Chan (the Third Holy Mother’s name). It’s getting late, so why don’t you rest for the night at the Holy Mother’s Temple on my mountain and continue your journey tomorrow?” Hearing Mo Mo’s words, the Third Holy Mother raised her head and quietly extended an invitation to Mo Mo.
"Well, the Third Holy Mother is my savior, and I shouldn't refuse your request. But my brother is still on the mountain, and I don't know how anxious he will be if he finds out I fell off the cliff. So, may I ask the Third Holy Mother to take my brother down with me?" Mo Mo looked troubled.
"This scholar is so loyal and righteous. Even in this situation, he still cares about his companion whom he has only known for half a day. Such a kind and righteous man is hard to find in the world. He is truly a good match for me. It's a pity that he is just a mortal. However, we can invite him to stay on the mountain for a few days to discuss poetry and learn about human affairs." Thinking of this, the Third Holy Mother waved her fair hand upwards. Two or three seconds later, a figure that kept screaming appeared in front of them. This person was Wang An.
After bringing Wang An down, Mo Mo told him about the request made by the Third Holy Mother. However, for some reason, Wang An resolutely refused the Third Holy Mother's invitation. The Third Holy Mother had already decided to have Mo Mo visit her temple to keep her company and relieve her boredom, so how could she let Mo Mo go so easily? Therefore, she proposed another solution: she would escort Wang An back to the county town, so that Mo Mo would not have to worry about Wang An's safety.
Wang An had originally intended to take Mo Mo with him, but Mo Mo's original purpose was to leave the Third Holy Mother now that he had the opportunity. He resolutely refused. In the end, Wang An gave Mo Mo a look that said "good luck," and was then sent away by the Third Holy Mother. After seeing Wang An off, the Third Holy Mother took Mo Mo's hand and led him back to the Holy Mother Temple on the mountain. When Mo Mo saw the look in Wang An's eyes, he finally understood Wang An's thoughts. He must have mistaken the Third Holy Mother for a fox spirit or a female ghost. After all, stories of fox spirits or female ghosts as companions were common among scholars, and the endings were often tragic—either the fox spirit or female ghost was subdued by a cultivator, or the scholar, having spent too much time with them, suffered a great loss of yang energy and ultimately died. But this time, he was wrong; this Third Holy Mother was the genuine Third Holy Mother.
The Temple of the Three Holy Mothers is not very large; it is just an ordinary temple with two courtyards. Apart from the statue of the Three Holy Mothers, there are no other statues in the temple, and there are no monks or Taoists residing there. The two side rooms in the temple are just places for tourists who come to offer incense or visit Mount Hua to rest temporarily. Mo Mo is currently staying in one of the side rooms.
Since the temple was just a place for people to rest, there were naturally no firewood, rice, oil, salt, or other necessities. Although there were pillows, mats, and bedding in the side rooms, no one knew who had used them before. Moreover, the bedding had been left unattended and had long since become moldy and emitted a lingering odor, which, though not strong, persisted for a long time. Since Mo Mo was going to stay here, he naturally had to tidy it up. For some reason, the Third Holy Mother rolled up her sleeves and helped Mo Mo tidy up the side rooms, something that could have been done with a spell. Finally, they finished tidying up the side rooms just as the sun was setting over the western mountaintop. While tidying up the side rooms, the two inevitably had some physical contact, such as accidentally touching each other's hands while taking things or bumping into each other without noticing someone behind them. The two quickly became familiar with each other because of tidying up the side rooms together.
After tidying up the room, Mo Mo looked at Yang Chan's smiling face and his heart stirred. He walked slowly towards her, bathed in the sunlight streaming in from the window. Yang Chan's heart suddenly pounded wildly as she watched Mo Mo approach. When Mo Mo stood in front of her, she involuntarily closed her eyes. She didn't know why she did this. They had only known each other for less than half a day, but when Mo Mo walked towards her with a gentle expression, she closed her eyes without hesitation. Moreover, she felt a faint sense of anticipation. At this moment, she thought that perhaps she was really too lonely.
Looking at Yang Chan with her slightly raised face and closed eyes, Mo Mo couldn't help but feel a surge of desire. Yang Chan looked so beautiful and pure under the setting sun, and the beauty had already agreed that he could taste her crystal-clear and alluring red lips with just a slight lowering of his head. But Mo Mo restrained himself and gently wiped away the dust that had stuck to Yang Chan's face from cleaning the room.
The scene Yang Chan had envisioned did not occur. When she discovered that Mo Mo hadn't acted impulsively but simply wanted to wipe the dust off her face, her face flushed red with misunderstanding. As she watched Mo Mo about to take the processed waste out to throw away, a sense of disappointment flashed through her heart, but it was quickly followed by a sweet feeling. This proved that she hadn't misjudged him. Mo Mo's failure to kiss her just now proved that he was an upright and honest gentleman, and this was the other half she had always dreamed of.
What Yang Chan didn't know was that the gentleman in her heart was regretting not kissing her earlier. However, there's no medicine for regret in this world, and Mo Mo wasn't too bothered by it. After all, what had just happened showed that Yang Chan had quite a good impression of him, and now that he was living in the Holy Mother Temple, there were many more opportunities to come. Moreover, Mo Mo only wanted to disrupt the plot of the Lotus Lantern and trick Hongjun. He decided to let everything take its course regarding the Holy Mother Yang Chan. If Yang Chan was interested, he wouldn't refuse her; if she wasn't, he would simply stop Liu Yanchang or Zhang Yanchang from being with her.
However, given the current situation, Yang Chan is definitely not going to escape if Mo Mo is willing. But Mo Mo can't predict what will happen when Yang Chan discovers the truth of this matter. This is one of the reasons why Mo Mo didn't kiss her just now.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 544 A Roasted Chicken That Determines a Lifetime
After a lot of hard work cleaning and tidying up, the originally messy and smelly side room has been completely transformed. It's just a pity that there's no bedding. Although it's only early autumn, the mountain air is still quite cold, and it's easy to catch a cold at night without bedding. However, bedding is secondary. After all, even without bedding, he can still build a fire in the room, since the floor is paved with bluestone and is not afraid of burning. So, the most urgent thing now is to gather firewood and find food. Fortunately, there is still some time before sunset, and there is a large forest next to the Holy Mother Temple.
Perhaps because Mount Hua is steep and far from urban and rural areas, there was still plenty of firewood in the woods. In just over ten minutes, Mo Mo had gathered a pile of firewood and returned to the side room of the Holy Mother Temple. After gathering enough firewood, Mo Mo continued to venture deeper into the woods. While gathering firewood, he had seen a group of plump pheasants and several rabbits. He planned to catch two of them for dinner.
Although Mo Mo concealed all his cultivation, some things don't require much power; all that's needed is sharp eyesight and superb technique in applying force, such as using a stone to hit a pheasant.
With just a few pebbles, Mo Mo caught two plump pheasants. Because Mo Mo's pebbles were aimed at the pheasants' heads, although he didn't use much force, the two pheasants were instantly killed without even struggling.
By the time Mo Mo finished processing the two pheasants using the mountain spring water in the forest, the sky had already turned gray. Night had quietly fallen while he was processing the pheasants. When Mo Mo returned to the Holy Mother Temple carrying the two pheasants, with two banana leaves tucked under his arm and a few wild fruits in his pocket, the last rays of the setting sun had disappeared, and the earth was completely shrouded in the pitch-black night.
A few minutes later, flickering lights appeared in the Temple of the Holy Mother. Although he had seen many videos of fire-making by friction in the wild, he only realized why Bear Grylls had angrily thrown away the drill he was using to start a fire when he actually tried it himself. It was because this thing required too much patience, and if you were not careful, the embers you painstakingly drilled out would go out, causing you to fail. To his shame, Mo Mo failed to start a fire by friction this time because he did not have suitable tinder. So the fire was actually started by Yang Chan using magic.
The fire was lit, and the room became brighter. Yang Chan's already beautiful face was given an even more mysterious look in the leaping firelight. However, he only glanced at her a few times before focusing on his barbecue project, because he was determined to conquer Yang Chan's stomach with his culinary skills.
Although he didn't carry any seasonings, he did have some basic salt. He had also found some medicinal herbs while picking wild fruits. After processing these herbs, he stuffed them into the pheasant's belly as spices. However, Mo Mo didn't roast both pheasants; he only roasted one. He wrapped the other one in banana leaves and made it into beggar's chicken. The mud used to make beggar's chicken was naturally conjured by Yang Chan using magic.
Half an hour later, a golden, crispy, and fragrant roasted chicken was freshly made, and Yang Chan had been sitting eagerly next to Mo Mo for several minutes before.
Looking at Yang Chan, who was sitting next to him and had been waiting anxiously, looking no different from any other girl, Mo Mo smiled slightly, reached out and grabbed one of the chicken legs of the roast chicken, gently pulled it off, handed it to her, and said softly, "Eat it while it's hot. Although there aren't many seasonings, it should taste good."
Seeing the steaming chicken leg handed to her, Yang Chan naturally took it from Mo Mo's hand, said thank you, and then took a bite. The moment the chicken meat entered her mouth, Yang Chan's stomach was completely conquered. Even as the Jade Emperor's niece, she had only tasted such deliciousness a few times, and those few times were mostly at the Peach Banquet, where the God of Food had painstakingly created celestial dishes. Yet Mo Mo's ordinary roast chicken could provide a comparable taste experience, which made Yang Chan's goodwill towards Mo Mo increase even more.
In the end, Mo Mo only ate one leg and one neck of the roast chicken, while the rest almost all went into Yang Chan's stomach. The same was true for the beggar's chicken. He had only eaten half of the chicken leg when Yang Chan had already finished the rest of the beggar's chicken. Fortunately, Mo Mo had picked some wild fruit, otherwise he would have gone hungry that night.
After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, perhaps because they were too excited or because no one had chatted with her for a long time, Mo Mo kept talking to her until the stars filled the sky. In the end, because he was "not in good spirits," he "could not resist sleepiness" and fell asleep on the roof of the Temple of the Holy Mother while admiring the starry sky with Yang Chan.
After Mo Mo "fell asleep," Yang Chan sat beside him, staring intently at him and occasionally reaching out to gently stroke his cheek. It wasn't until a ray of golden light from the east pierced the night sky that Yang Chan snapped out of her daze, realizing that a whole night had already passed.
Sunrise and sunset, moonset and sunrise, in the blink of an eye, Mo Mo has been staying on Mount Hua for almost a month. During this month, Mo Mo and Yang Chan have been sightseeing on Mount Hua during the day and lying on the roof together at night, looking at the starry sky. Now, apart from not having consummated their marriage, the two have done almost everything that lovers can do. Yang Chan is now completely obedient to Mo Mo. Although the two are not yet husband and wife, Yang Chan has already performed the role of a married woman obeying her husband to the fullest extent. However, Mo Mo always feels that he has deceived her and has not crossed the final step.
Yang Chan had long been smitten with Mo Mo, and the two spent every day together. Although Mo Mo had hidden his concerns well, Yang Chan was, after all, a goddess, so how could she not have noticed? She just didn't want to trouble Mo Mo, so she didn't say anything. Mo Mo actually knew about this, but he was too embarrassed to tell Yang Chan.
That evening, as usual, Mo Mo prepared the meal at the makeshift stove set up outside the temple and brought it into the side room to wait for Yang Chan to appear. Now, Yang Chan listens to the believers' prayers for a period of time every evening and fulfills her duties. To Mo Mo's surprise, Yang Chan appeared a little late tonight, and Mo Mo also saw a hint of fatigue in her eyes. This made Mo Mo feel heartbroken, because he had also been moved by Yang Chan's kindness and had truly fallen in love with this beautiful and kind woman.
Looking at the gentle and beautiful woman he had spent nearly a month with, Mo Mo's heart stirred. He got up from the stool, walked slowly to her side, gently embraced her, and said softly, "Thank you for your hard work, Chan'er."
Upon hearing this, Yang Chan nestled into Mo Mo's arms and whispered, "I'm fine. As long as the disaster-stricken people down the mountain are safe and sound, I don't mind being a little tired. Besides, I still have you. As long as you're here, I'm not afraid of any hardship."
Upon hearing this, Mo Mo sighed softly and said, "Chan'er, if I really lied to you, would you blame me?"
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 545 The Best Ending
Upon hearing this, Mo Mo sighed softly and said, "Chan'er, if I really lied to you, would you blame me?"
"Yes, if you dare to lie to me, I will not let you go even if you run to the ends of the earth!" Yang Chan's resolute words made Mo Mo's heart tremble, but in the end he still lowered his head and said "I'm sorry" to Yang Chan, because he really lied to her. Although his feelings for her were real, he had concealed his identity, and his motives from the beginning were not good.
Upon hearing this, Yang Chan's delicate body trembled. After a few seconds, she asked in a trembling voice, "Then are your feelings for me real?"
"Of course it's true. I've truly been sincere with you these past few days, but I've hidden some things from you, you..." Before Mo Mo could finish speaking, Yang Chan silenced him with her luscious red lips. After a long kiss, Yang Chan held Mo Mo tightly and said, "As long as you truly love me, that's enough."
With mutual affection, Yang Chan's heartfelt words became the best aphrodisiac. Under the dim light, Yang Chan's clothes fell off one by one, and finally, with a joyful groan, Yang Chan truly became Mo Mo's wife, crying sweetly all night.
As the two merged into one, lightning flashed and thunder roared outside the Temple of the Holy Mother, making the entire sky above Mount Hua resemble a thunderous inferno. Mo Mo, inside the temple, clearly felt a surge of fortune leaving Yang Chan. After this fortune left her body, the wind and thunder on Mount Hua ceased. Mo Mo guessed that this fortune was Yang Chan's fortune as the protagonist of the calamity of the Lotus Lantern. Mo Mo speculated that after leaving Yang Chan, this fortune would go to find its other master. If Mo Mo's prediction was correct, the master of this fortune would definitely "encounter" Liu Yanchang in Chang'an, because Liu Yanchang's fortune had not left.
The next morning, Yang Chan was awakened by the crisp chirping of birds outside her window. The first thing she did upon waking was to turn her head to look beside her. To her horror, she did not see the person she was looking for. What shocked her even more was that the bed beside her was cold, which meant that Mo Mo had been up for quite some time. So she grabbed the clothes by the bedside, quickly dressed, tidied herself up, and went out of the Holy Mother Temple. Yang Chan, who was in a state of shock, did not notice that her cultivation level had unknowingly increased significantly.
Yang Chan stepped out of the temple gate full of anticipation, but the person she longed to see was nowhere to be found. What pained her even more was that he was nowhere to be seen on Mount Hua either. Just as she was filled with despair and heartbreak, the figure she had been dreaming of suddenly appeared and held her tightly in his arms. Smelling his familiar scent, her heart finally calmed down. She didn't hear a word he said after that, but in her daze, she heard Mo Mo's vow that he would never leave her. With this vow, everything else was insignificant to her.
Looking at Yang Chan, whose pretty face was tearful yet smiling, Mo Mo felt a surge of pity and gently picked her up, carrying her to a nearby rock where they sat down. Yang Chan noticed Mo Mo's movement and leaned closer to him, tightly embracing his waist. Mo Mo sighed softly, no longer concealing his presence and reverting to his original demeanor. As Mo Mo returned to his usual state and appearance, Yang Chan hugged him even tighter.
Seeing this, Mo Mo reached out and gently stroked Yang Chan's delicate nose, saying softly, "Silly girl, I've already said I won't leave you. Besides, I've been the one deceiving you from beginning to end. I'm the one who should be sad and guilty. Are you going to leave me just because I deceived you?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Chan pouted and said pitifully, "I don't care, you provoked me first. I don't care if you are the scholar Mo Mo or Emperor Wangchen. Now that I am yours, you have to support me for the rest of your life. And I have said before, if you dare to lie to me, I will chase you to the ends of the earth and never let you go. Now that you have provoked me, I have decided to pester you for all eternity."
Mo Mo hadn't expected that Yang Chan, who was always gentle and kind, would have such a cute side. He felt even more pity for her, so he smiled and tapped her pretty nose, saying, "You mean what you say, I've taken it seriously. So, little lady, you're doomed. You'll never escape my grasp for all eternity." After saying that, Mo Mo gave Yang Chan a big kiss on the cheek.
Mo Mo and Yang Chan were enjoying their time together, while Liu Yanchang was also riding high. Mo Mo had left after arranging things for him, and Liu Yanchang was initially worried for a day or two after her departure. However, when he learned from a woman he was close to that Mo Mo was clearly of extraordinary background, he was relieved. Moreover, due to the huge fortune left by Mo Mo, he quickly became a patron of brothels and even the entire entertainment district. Of course, this was not what made him most proud. What made him most proud was that he successfully passed the imperial examination with his own talent and learning. Although he was not the top scholar, he successfully ranked among the top three. This was only because he did not have as deep an understanding of cultivation as the previous few. With the imperial edict, he became a celebrity in Chang'an. Furthermore, because of Mo Mo, he also successfully caught the eye of the true upper echelons of the Tang Dynasty, and naturally, the court also noticed his good fortune.
This Tang Dynasty is not the Tang Dynasty of history; this is the Tang Dynasty of the mythical world, and it stands at the pinnacle of all races. At this time, the Tang Dynasty is filled with countless talented and extraordinary people. Although they cannot fully analyze the origin of this fortune, they have learned a little bit, and that little bit is enough. So after the results were announced, Liu Yanchang was not only immediately granted an official title and rank, but he was also chosen by the prime minister to be his son-in-law. The wedding date has been set for the 18th of this month, and it is already the 8th. That is to say, in ten days, Liu Yanchang will become the prime minister's son-in-law. With the support of the prime minister, it would be difficult for Liu Yanchang not to prosper. How could he not have a choice? And when he thought that all of this was brought to him by Mo Mo, he was extremely grateful to Mo Mo.
Liu Yanchang, basking in his newfound glory, was completely unaware that the Jade Emperor's niece, the Third Princess, who was supposed to descend to the mortal realm to marry him, was currently nestled happily in the arms of the person he was most grateful to. However, this was perhaps a good thing for both him and the Third Princess, as he was merely a mortal. Even if he were to marry her, he would inevitably meet a tragic end. And even if he were resurrected as in the original story and the family were to reunite happily, they wouldn't have a good life afterward. Liu Yanchang was, after all, just a mortal, and mortals experience birth, aging, sickness, and death. In other words, Liu Yanchang would eventually die of old age and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation. Neither the Jade Emperor nor the Queen Mother, nor Erlang Shen, would allow Liu Yanchang to reside in Heaven and enjoy immortality, as they couldn't bear the shame. Furthermore, if things unfolded as in the original story, Liu Yanchang would likely be reborn as an animal after death. To slap the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother in the face and then expect to live a happy life forever was simply a pipe dream. Therefore, Yang Chan's relationship with Mo Mo was perhaps the best ending.
P.S.: Merry Christmas to all my book lovers!
(End of this chapter)