The Myriad Realms Space was no longer the deserted place it once was.
At this moment, at the very center of the myriad worlds space is a giant palace covering an area of about ten miles. This palace is not particularly magnificent, but it is exceptionally grand. The gate alone is over a hundred meters high. Standing below it feels as if one is standing under a cliff, giving one a sense of being extremely small.
The palace is even larger than it appears from the outside, comparable to a medium-sized city. The entire space is divided into three levels, each level resembling a small shop with individual cubicles. Each cubicle contains different items, all with clearly marked prices. As long as you pay enough spirit points (a unit of measurement for spiritual power, with one spirit point equal to one ordinary spirit stone), you can take the items inside.
Scattered around the palace were various ordinary-sized houses of different shapes and sizes, including thatched huts, concrete bungalows, villas, and palaces. These buildings represented a collection of architectural styles from all over the world, both Eastern and Western, ancient and modern. What surprised Mo Mo even more was that there were even bird nests and mechanical fortresses, though they were all small, only a few hundred square meters in size.
Those who came to the myriad worlds could no longer be called human, because some of them were not human at all. After all, who lives in a bird's nest? These lucky ones from all the heavens and myriad worlds really broadened Mo Mo's horizons. Some were humanoid, and some were not.
Although humans made up the majority, there were also many humanoid and animal-like beings. As soon as Mo Mo entered, he saw a bird-man with wings. This was a real bird-man, not an angel. It had a bird's head, a human body, and a pair of large wings.
What surprised Mo Mo the most was that he also saw several unusually familiar figures. There was a wolf that walked upright, wearing a tattered orange hat and a yellow scarf around its neck. This wolf was currently bargaining with a boy who had a long braid, two tufts of hair on his head, and white clothes with the words "poverty alleviation" written on them.
Mo Mo listened to their conversation and realized that they were discussing how to divide the spoils from the previous world. The other two had stopped arguing, but the only thing left was a whole roasted lamb. The two, one human and one wolf, were still arguing. Grey Wolf believed that since he brought the whole roasted lamb back at the last moment, it should all belong to him, while Bai Yuechu believed that whoever sees it should get a share, and he should get half. So the human and the wolf argued endlessly, and neither was willing to back down.
After all, one of them is obsessed with sheep, and catching sheep is his only mission; the other is obsessed with food, and would sell his integrity by the pound for food. Getting either of them to back down is basically impossible. In the end, Grey Wolf's love for sheep made him give in. He spent ten lollipops to get Bai Yuechu to relent and stop fighting with him for the whole roasted sheep.
Besides Grey Wolf and Bai Yuechu, Mo Mo also discovered Alice from Resident Evil and Thor from the Avengers. However, this Alice and Thor were not the Alice and Thor that Mo Mo knew. What surprised Mo Mo even more was that he also saw the Monkey King Sun Wukong and Guanyin Bodhisattva. Of course, there were many more that Mo Mo did not recognize. After all, there are countless worlds in the universe, and he could not possibly know everyone.
Afterwards, Mo Mo took Gao Yue, Shi Lan, and Queen Mo Ya of Jingjue on a tour, satisfying their curiosity. The three women also took some things that interested them, while Mo Mo took some rare materials and went back.
Unfortunately, there are still too few good things here. After all, time is too cheap in high-level worlds. A nap can take hundreds or thousands of years. A mere hundred years is not enough for a nap. And Mo Mo has no use for things from low-level worlds.
Because Mo Mo entered the Myriad Realms from the mortal world, time flowed at the same rate as in the mortal world. Therefore, when they returned to the mortal world, the sun had already turned bright red and had set above the distant mountaintop, and they were preparing to finish work and go home.
After tidying up the table, Mo Mo began preparing dinner, while the three girls ran to the balcony to play with the toys they had just acquired. They couldn't help much by staying, as their cooking skills were far inferior to Mo Mo's. So, whenever Mo Mo returned, they would wait for him to prepare food for them.
Although Mo Mo could use magic to help him cook, he never did, especially at home. He thoroughly enjoyed cooking like an ordinary person, and at home he would try to be as ordinary as possible because it made him feel fulfilled and made him realize that he was not a high and mighty god, but just a slightly stronger person.
As the sun set behind the mountains, Mo Mo finished his last dish, "Braised Fish," made from sea fish he had brought back from the world of the Lotus Lantern. The other dishes were also made with seafood from the world of the Lotus Lantern.
Smelling the aroma, the three women quickly walked in from the balcony. When they saw the table full of seafood, their eyes immediately curved into crescent moons. This seafood did not disappoint Mo Mo's decision to bring it back from the world of Lotus Lantern. Not only were the seafood large, but it was also exceptionally delicious, with no fishy smell at all. Instead, it was filled with a faint fragrance that made people want to eat more and more.
Just as Mo Mo finished eating a crab leg the size of two fingers and was reaching for another, Shi Lan placed a crab the size of a washbasin in front of her and began to devour it without any regard for her image. Gao Yue and Mo Ya were not much better off; one was busy dealing with a lobster the size of a basketball, and the other was busy peeling a crystal shrimp the size of a finger.
Looking at the three women who still looked stunning even while devouring their food, Mo Mo felt both happy and helpless. He was happy that they loved his cooking, but helpless because they had all become such gluttons. However, all these feelings eventually turned into affection. But now was not the time to talk about that, because if he didn't hurry up, he would basically have nothing left to eat on the table.
After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Mo Mo went to clean up the dishes, while the three girls were happily leaning back on the soft sofa with their eyes half-closed, watching their favorite programs on TV.
Mo Mo had just finished tidying up the kitchen when a footstep approached from afar, eventually hugging him from behind. Smelling the familiar aroma wafting from behind, Mo Mo smiled and asked, "What's wrong? Why didn't you watch TV with them and came here instead? Were you going to help? But I've already finished tidying up."
The person behind Mo Mo shook her head coquettishly, breathed softly on Mo Mo's neck, tiptoed and pressed her red lips to Mo Mo's ear, and whispered, "I came to find you, my husband. You know, every time I came out of seclusion in the past hundred years, Ya'er missed you so much."
Mo Mo's heartfelt words completely softened his heart. He turned around and hugged Mo Mo tightly, burying his head in her hair. He remained silent for a long time, but this embrace revealed his feelings; he also missed them very much.
Mo Mo held Mo Ya for a full three minutes before letting go. The moment he released her, his lips were sealed by her luscious red lips, silencing all the words he wanted to say.
Feeling the passionate emotions of the beauty in his arms, Mo Mo was instantly ignited, and suddenly, the kitchen was filled with the warmth of spring.
Shi Lan and Gao Yue, who were watching TV, were wondering where Mo Ya had gone. But when they heard the soft moans coming from the kitchen, they immediately understood what was going on. And with all the noise coming from the kitchen, the two women lost interest in watching TV.
Half an hour later, the sounds stopped. The two women breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a little disappointed. Just then, those blush-inducing sounds came again from Mo Mo's bedroom. Shi Lan and Gao Yue exchanged a glance and found that the other was already blushing. Finally, Shi Lan bit her red lips, as if she had made up her mind, walked up to Gao Yue, fidgeted with the hem of her clothes, took a deep breath, and said seriously to Gao Yue, "Are you coming or not?"
Gao Yue looked at Shi Lan, who had a serious expression on her face. She clenched her little fists and then relaxed them, relaxed them and then clenched them again. Finally, she sighed and said, "Let's go. This womanizer is getting off easy."
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 169 Entering the Heavenly Choice
The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierced the night, Mo Mo opened his eyes, turned his head and looked at Shi Lan and Gao Yue, who were curled up beside him like kittens. Mo Mo gently pulled his hands out of their arms, kissed each of them on the forehead, and then got up.
As Mo Mo gently closed the door, the door opposite him quietly opened as well. Mo Ya, dressed in a gauze dress, walked gracefully toward Mo Mo with extraordinary charm. Her fair and delicate body was faintly visible through the gauze dress, almost causing Mo Mo, who was full of blood and energy early in the morning, to have a nosebleed.
Mo Mo gently embraced Mo Ya, who had leaned closer, and kissed her delicate face. He asked softly, "Why are you up so early? Why don't you sleep a little longer? I was just about to prepare breakfast for you." After a pause, Mo Mo continued, "What would you like to eat? I'll make it for you."
Mo Ya bit her finger lightly, looking like she was thinking about what to eat, unaware of how tempting she looked to Mo Mo. After about a breath, Mo Ya smiled sweetly, reached out and wrapped her arms around Mo Mo's neck, licked her red lips, and breathed softly, "Husband, I want to eat you."
How could he refuse such a beautiful invitation? However, Mo Mo was afraid of disturbing Shi Lan and Gao Yue, so he set up a soundproofing array in their room. As soon as Mo Mo finished setting up the soundproofing array, Mo Ya immediately abandoned all her reserve and clung to Mo Mo like an octopus, being unusually proactive, as if she wanted to make up for what she had missed in the past.
Feeling Moya's volcanic passion, their tempers, already a bit flared in the morning, were now completely ignited. Traces of their battle were left everywhere—on the bed, sofa, and balcony—until the sun was nearly high in the sky, when the two finally ended their battle in the bathroom, completely satisfied.
After carrying Mo Ya back to the room, Mo Mo came out and cleaned up the traces of their battle. Looking at the sun that was almost at its zenith outside, Mo Mo said with emotion, "No wonder they say that the land of gentle pleasures is the grave of heroes. Even the most determined person cannot resist the tenderness that entwines the fingers."
Thinking of this, Mo Mo recalled the poem "Song of Everlasting Regret" by the great Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi:
The Han emperor, captivated by beauty, longed for a woman who could topple a kingdom, but after ruling the land for many years, he could not find one.
The Yang family has a daughter who has just come of age, but she is kept hidden away in her boudoir and remains unknown to the world.
Her natural beauty was hard to conceal, and one day she was chosen to serve by the king's side.
A single glance back, a smile that could launch a thousand ships; the beauties of the six palaces pale in comparison.
In the spring chill, the emperor bestowed a bath at Huaqing Pool, where the smooth hot spring waters cleansed her delicate skin.
The maidservant helped her up, her body weak and delicate, just as she was beginning to receive the emperor's favor.
Her cloud-like hair, flower-like face, and golden hairpins swayed in the breeze; she spent her time in the warm embrace of the lotus-scented tent.
The days are short and the sun rises high; from then on, the emperor no longer holds morning court.
She was always busy serving guests and entertaining them, spending her days in spring outings and her nights with them.
Of the three thousand beauties in the imperial harem, all the emperor's favor was bestowed upon one person.
...
On the seventh day of the seventh month, in the Hall of Eternal Life, at midnight when no one was around, they whispered among themselves.
In heaven, we wish to be birds flying wing to wing; on earth, we wish to be trees with intertwined branches.
Heaven and earth may pass away, but this sorrow will last forever.
This long narrative poem describes the tragic love story of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Yang Guifei during the An Lushan Rebellion, and also points out the cause of the rebellion. The poem contains many famous lines, so many that if you start a line, many people can naturally continue it with the next. (Those interested can search for it online.)
Thinking of the Song of Everlasting Regret naturally brings to mind Yang Guifei, and thinking of Yang Guifei naturally brings to mind the Four Beauties. One Yang Guifei was enough to make a king become obsessed with beauty, leading him to a life of indulgence and pleasure, spending his days indulging in song, dance, wine, and women, to the point that "the king no longer held court in the morning." There were three others of the same caliber, plus Daji, who was even more stunning. Mo Mo really wanted to see what these peerless beauties who could topple kingdoms in history actually looked like.
But now was not the time to think about that. He glanced at Gao Yue and Shi Lan in the room and found that they were still asleep. So he quickly prepared lunch for them. When Mo Mo put the sumptuous lunch on the table, perhaps smelling the aroma of the food, Shi Lan and Gao Yue in the room finally opened their eyes groggily.
Seeing that there were only the two of them on the bed, and not the figure they longed for day and night, they both saw the disappointment in each other's eyes. However, when they smelled the fragrance wafting in from outside the door, that little bit of disappointment vanished without a trace, leaving only a faint sweetness.
The two women looked at each other, their faces flushed with embarrassment as they recalled the madness of the previous night. They could hardly believe that it was themselves. They quickly pulled the blankets over themselves and hid under the covers. After a few minutes, Shi Lan calmed down first and quietly poked her head out of the covers. She whispered to Gao Yue, "This isn't going to work. We should get up quickly, or our husbands will come in and nag us soon."
Hearing Shi Lan's words, Gao Yue also poked her head out of the quilt and said in a low voice, "Then Sister Yu, you get up first, I'll get up later."
"Okay." Shi Lan replied, but suddenly pulled off the blanket covering Gao Yue's side. Although Gao Yue reacted quickly and grabbed the blanket, her delicate body was still inevitably exposed to the air. She exclaimed in surprise. Not to be outdone, Gao Yue reached out and pulled the blanket covering Shi Lan. Instantly, the two women started making a fuss.
After a long while, the two women, their hair disheveled, stopped their playful fight. With the end of the fight, the last bit of shyness in their hearts completely disappeared. After getting dressed, they looked at the blooming red plum blossoms on the bed, carefully folded the sheets, put them into their little world, and then walked out hand in hand.
When Gao Yue and Shi Lan arrived at the hall hand in hand, they found that Mo Mo and Mo Ya had been waiting for a long time. Mo Ya even had a teasing smile on her face, which made the two of them blush. In the end, the lunch was finished amidst the laughter and banter of the three women.
After that, Mo Mo spent more than a month with the three women. During this time, Mo Mo and the three women acted like an ordinary newlywed couple. During the day, they would go fishing, sunbathe, and go shopping, just like ordinary people, traveling around. At night...
As evening fell, Mo Mo and the three women lay on their respective recliners, watching the sunset gradually descend on the horizon. For a moment, no one spoke. After the sun had disappeared behind the mountains, Shi Lan couldn't help but say, "Husband, are you really leaving? Why don't you wait a little longer? Maybe Sister Nuwa and the others will be back tomorrow."
"What are you thinking?" Mo Mo reached out and gently tapped Shi Lan's forehead, then continued, "It's not like I'm not coming back. And even if they come back tomorrow, I'll still be here. As long as I don't enter the small world, even if I spend hundreds or thousands of years in other worlds, it will only take a day or two in the present world at most."
Shi Lan turned to Mo Mo and said sweetly, "I know, but I always feel that this is a bit unfair to Sister Nuwa and the others."
"Silly girl, what's there to be sorry about? You're sisters, there's no need to distinguish between you. But since you've said so, I'll wait a few more days."
Finally, Mo Mo stayed in the mortal world for three more days before embarking on his journey again, while the three women returned to the small world to continue their cultivation.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 170 A Fateful Encounter
Beside a picturesque stream, a handsome little boy, about five or six years old, dressed in white shirt and pants, sat quietly. Beside him was a crane that was much taller than he was when he was sitting. At that moment, the handsome little boy was reading the Annals of the Great Zhou Dynasty to the crane.
Just then, a young figure quietly appeared behind the little boy, but the man and the crane did not notice him at all. The young man did not disturb the man and the crane after he appeared. He just smiled slightly, then sat down on the ground like the little boy and listened quietly to the little boy reciting the Annals of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
So, beside this picturesque stream, the two people, one big and one small, and a crane, accompanied by the babbling brook and the clear recitation, blended into the mountains and fields, creating a unique scene.
However, the book eventually came to an end. After finishing reading the Annals of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the little boy pressed the white bead in the jade disc, closed the disc, put it away, and made a promise to the crane opposite him that he would tell it something else tomorrow.
At this moment, the young man behind the little boy also stood up, patting non-existent dust off his bottom. Only then did the little boy and the crane realize that there was another person there. So, the little boy asked the young man with some confusion, "Big brother, when did you get here? I didn't know." After a pause, he continued, "By the way, my name is Chen Changsheng, and I live not far away. What's your name, big brother?"
The young man's face still wore his usual warm smile as he softly said, "My name is Mo Mo. I arrived when you started reading the Annals of the Great Zhou Dynasty. I didn't expect you to be so extraordinary at such a young age. I have a scripture here; consider it payment for listening to your reading of the Annals of the Great Zhou Dynasty. We'll meet again someday." With that, he took out a thread-bound book and handed it to Chen Changsheng. Then, step by step, he vanished from Chen Changsheng's sight in the blink of an eye.
Actually, Mo Mo originally wanted to enter the period of the war between humans and demons, but after he entered, he realized that it was just an illusion when Chen Changsheng was reciting the text. It was a plot requirement, which is why there was a scene of a war between humans, demons and monsters at the beginning. He only realized this after he transmigrated. So he simply sat down and listened to Chen Changsheng finish reciting the entire Annals of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and then casually gave him a book as a gift.
Staring blankly at Mo Mo who was quickly disappearing into the distance, Chen Changsheng's eyes were filled with envy. He thought to himself, "If only I had such an ability, I wouldn't have to climb up and down the mountain to collect herbs anymore. I could get there in no time."
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the thread-bound book in his hand and immediately became excited. "This book was given to me by that older brother. Maybe it contains such supernatural powers." With that thought, Chen Changsheng opened the thread-bound book in his hand.
However, when he opened the book, he was dumbfounded. He could recognize most of the words individually, but when they were put together, he was completely baffled. Remembering that he had a knowledgeable and all-knowing master, Chen Changsheng quickly put the book away, slung his medicine basket over his shoulder, and ran down the mountain. He wanted to find his senior brother Yu Ren and then go back to his master to ask him to explain the book that he couldn't understand.
The two were not far apart, so Chen Changsheng easily found Yu Ren and told him about what had just happened. He then took out the book and let Yu Ren read it as well. However, Yu Ren, like him, could not understand the contents.
After closing the book, Chen Changsheng and his fellow disciple Yu Ren smiled at each other and said in unison, "Let's go find our master."
After putting the book away, the two stopped picking herbs and quickly headed back. However, perhaps because they were walking too fast, they didn't notice that Chen Changsheng's hand was scratched by the grass by the roadside. The sharp grass cut his hand, and blood dripped onto a small, withered blade of grass by the roadside.
When the blood seeped into the grass, the withered grass immediately came back to life, appearing even greener and more vibrant than the grass next to it. The two people, who were in a hurry to get back, did not notice at all.
Just then, the trees in the forest shook, and with a howl, a giant wolf the size of a small car leaped out and headed straight for the two. Without saying a word, the two turned and ran. A wolf the size of a small car, and judging from its menacing appearance, it was definitely not there for friendly conversation. Anyone who didn't run away would be a fool.
However, the two were still just children, and they were caught up after only a few steps. Just when they were about to perish at the wolf's bite, a wooden cane suddenly flew over and knocked the giant wolf away. Knowing that it was no match for the wolf, the wind wolf shook its somewhat dizzy head and left.
It turned out that their master, Ji Daoren, had saved them at the critical moment. After returning to their residence, while treating Chen Changsheng's wounds, Ji Daoren once again earnestly told him that his blood was different from ordinary people's, containing the power of stars, and that he must never allow himself to be injured or bleed.
Chen Changsheng and his companion were still young and did not know what the power of the stars was, so Ji Daoren explained to them: "The power of the stars is the power of the stars in the sky, and Changsheng, your blood contains such power. This thing is an illness for you, but it is medicine for others. It can cure all diseases and increase power." He then joked: "If I refine you into a pill, my power will increase greatly."
The others didn't realize that Ji Daoren was joking, so they quickly ran to Ji Daoren's side, grabbed his hand, and pleaded, "Don't turn my junior brother into an elixir."
Seeing this, Ji Daoren smiled at Yu Ren and said, "How could I bear to?" Then he stopped smiling and said to Chen Changsheng earnestly, "But, once you bleed, your meridians will become unbalanced, which will shorten your lifespan, you know? So, please don't let anyone else know."
The kind-hearted Chen Changsheng was puzzled, so he asked his master, "If my blood can save people, should I just stand by and watch them die?"
Ji Daoren gently patted Chen Changsheng's face and said earnestly, "Master knows you're a good boy, but there are many greedy people in this world. When they know you're a rare treasure, everyone will be tempted. Do you understand?"
However, Ji Daoren understood that if he were to encounter such a situation, Chen Changsheng would still use his own blood to save people, even if it would put him in danger. After all, he had raised this disciple himself, and how could he not know what kind of person he was? This was also what he was most worried about. Although it concerned a major plan, people are not plants or trees, how could they be without feelings? Even if he was destined to die in the end, he really wanted to give Chen Changsheng a happy childhood.
Upon hearing that his junior brother might be in danger, Yu Ren quickly assured him that he would protect him. After instructing the two, Ji Daoren told them to go play. However, after only a few steps, Chen Changsheng suddenly pulled Yu Ren back, somewhat annoyed, and said, "I almost forgot, Master. I met an older brother by the river while I was reading. After listening to me finish reading, he gave me a book as payment for listening to me read. However, the content of the book is too profound, and my junior brother Yu Ren and I can't understand it at all."
"Oh? Is that so? Bring the book here so I can see it." Ji Daoren was quite surprised.
Ji Daoren casually accepted the book handed to him by Chen Changsheng. After all, he had the Three Thousand Daoist Canons here, and there were very few books in the world that he had not read or heard of. As for why Chen Changsheng and the others could not understand it, it was only because they had not yet thoroughly read the Three Thousand Daoist Canons.
However, he was somewhat surprised when he saw the three words on the book, because he had never heard of it before. With a hint of anticipation, Ji Daoren murmured softly, "The Tao Te Ching? I wonder if you can bring me some surprises?"