"Didn't you say that? That's not right. I remember I already said it. Little Rong'er, repeat what your teacher just told you."
"Master just said that everything you said is correct. We should help and love each other within the sect, act according to our own conscience, and not do evil. When we think that what you said is wrong, we should follow the first sentence you said. Master, am I right?" Young Xu Yourong answered earnestly.
"You're right. See? I told you, I did say the rules, didn't I?" Mo Mo shrugged.
Everyone: "..."
Although she felt that Mo Mo was a bit unreliable, she had already become his disciple, and it was too late to regret it. Fortunately, Mo Mo was actually very talented, and Xu Taizai could see that Xiao Rong'er really liked her as her master. Moreover, with Mo Mo around, there was no need to worry about Xiao Rong'er's bloodline eruption.
Afterwards, they stayed at the Taoist temple for three days. During this time, Xu Yourong basically clung to Mo Mo's side, as did Chen Changsheng and Yu Ren. Mo Mo's cooking was so delicious that he would make them something tasty from time to time. What made Ji Daoren and Xu Taizai both envious and secretly cursing Mo Mo for being wasteful was that Mo Mo gave Xu Yourong and the others pills like candy. Although they were all low-grade pills, they weren't exactly cheap either.
When Mo Mo led Xu Yourong and the others away on the wind wolves, Chen Changsheng and Yu Renzhen wished they could go with Mo Mo. As for Ji Daoren, he felt extremely uncomfortable under the gazes of his disciples, unlike Mo Mo who had so many pills for them to squander.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 173 Actually, Yu Ren is the real protagonist, isn't he?
The Taoist temple where Ji Daoren lived in seclusion was quite a distance from the capital. This can be seen from the time it took Ji Daoren to lead the others to the capital in the original drama. It would have taken at least ten days to walk there. However, Mo Mo thought that this was normal, since Ji Daoren was trying to avoid the Empress's pursuit, so he naturally had to stay far away.
After asking Xu Taizai for directions, Mo Mo realized just how deeply Ji Daoren was hiding. The journey to Shendu was not only tens of thousands of miles away, but more than half of the route was through narrow forest paths. Fortunately, Mo Mo had subdued the Wind Wolf, otherwise it would have taken him more than ten days to travel there.
After leaving the Taoist temple, Mo Mo rode the Wind Wolf all the way to the capital. The journey was smooth as they rode the Wind Wolf at breakneck speed. However, the good time did not last long. Little Rong'er was still young and active. At first, she was not making a fuss because of her curiosity and excitement about riding the wolf. However, after the novelty wore off, she became bored and looked a little listless.
Noticing that Xu Yourong seemed a little listless, Mo Mo asked softly, "What's wrong, Xiao Rong'er? Why do you look so listless?"
“Master, the journey is so boring, and you’re all not talking. Why don’t you tell me a story?” Little Xu Yourong turned around and stared straight at Mo Mo, her eyes bright and clear.
"Tell a story?" Mo Mo stopped the wind wolf abruptly, scratched his head awkwardly, and said, "But I don't know how to tell stories!"
"Master!" Little Xu Yourong tugged at Mo Mo's sleeve, pouting her pink lips and looking at him expectantly, making him even more at a loss. Just as he was at a loss, he caught a glimpse of a fleeting white shadow out of the corner of his eye, which immediately made his eyes light up.
After releasing his divine sense to lock onto the white figure, Mo Mo affectionately patted Xiao Xu You Rong's head and said with a smile, "How about Master finds you something even more fun? That's much more interesting and fun than a story."
"Really? You can't go back on your word, let's pinky swear." Hearing that Mo Mo had found something more interesting and fun than stories, Xiao Xu You Rong immediately beamed with joy and held out her finger to pinky swear with Mo Mo. Xu Tai Zai, sitting behind Mo Mo, stroked his beard with satisfaction and smiled at this scene.
Smiling, Mo Mo reached out and tapped Xu Yourong's forehead, then made a pinky promise with her. After the pinky promise, Mo Mo told Xu Yourong and her granddaughter to wait for him there, while he chased after the white figure that he had already locked onto with his divine sense.
Although the white shadow was very fast, it was impossible for Mo Mo to hide from its divine sense. It was a small white rabbit about the size of a fist. The rabbit was pure white, except for its eyes, which were like crystal clear red crystals. Although the little thing was small, it was not slow. It was even faster than the wind wolf, and its killing power was not to be underestimated. Just now, Mo Mo had personally witnessed it kick an eagle with a wingspan of more than two meters and send it flying.
While Mo Mo was exchanging a few words with Xiao Xu You Rong, the little creature had already run more than a thousand meters. Just as Mo Mo was about fifty meters away, the little creature suddenly stopped, stood up, and made a series of bows to Mo Mo with its two front paws like a human, revealing a pleading look in its eyes.
Seeing how intelligent the little white rabbit was, Mo Mo didn't approach rashly. He spread his hands, revealed a kind smile, and said softly, "Little thing, I won't hurt you. You're so cute, how about I find you a playmate? Little Rong'er will definitely like you very much."
"Coo coo, coo coo coo"
Mo Mo: "..."
While learning a foreign language is very important, who would want to learn rabbit language? Luckily, he possessed divine sense, otherwise he would have been completely lost.
After connecting with the little white rabbit's sea of consciousness using his divine sense, Mo Mo finally understood what the rabbit was saying.
"Bad guy, big bad guy."
Mo Mo: "..."
Although he didn't want to hurt it, from another perspective, Mo Mo was indeed a bad guy, because after being taken away by Mo Mo, it would lose its freedom as a rabbit and could only become Xiao Rong'er's pet.
"Little white rabbit, what's your name? I'm not a bad person, I won't hurt you."
Suddenly hearing the voice in his mind, the fist-sized white rabbit was startled, shrank its neck, and looked around. Mo Mo was sure that if there was any further disturbance, it would definitely run away.
“It’s me, I’m right in front of you.”
The little white rabbit looked at Mo Mo with some confusion, then tentatively asked, "Why are you chasing me? Why can you understand me? Do you understand rabbit language?"
"I don't understand rabbit language. I'm speaking to you with my divine sense. I think you're quite cute and full of spirituality, so I want you to come and play with my disciple. I have lots and lots of delicious food that can make you very, very powerful."
"A lot of delicious food? Is it as good as alfalfa?"
“It tastes much better than alfalfa.” With that, Mo Mo casually took out a bottle of Marrow Cleansing Pills, poured out a few pills, and ate them one by one like candy. He also deliberately left the jade bottle unsealed, letting the fragrance of the pills slowly spread through the forest.
The little white rabbit sniffed, then its ruby-like eyes lit up, and with a whoosh, it leaped fifty meters across to land on Mo Mo's hand, clutching the jade bottle in Mo Mo's hand and happily squinting its eyes.
Reaching out to touch the little white rabbit that was rolling around in his palm while holding the jade bottle containing the pills, Mo Mo sighed inwardly, "Finally, I've got this little thing under control."
Mo Mo reached out his other hand and picked up the jade bottle in his palm. Unexpectedly, the little thing hugged it tightly and wouldn't let go. It was picked up by Mo Mo along with the jade bottle. He shook his head, poured a Marrow Cleansing Pill into his palm, put it on his shoulder, and then stuffed the Marrow Cleansing Pill into the little thing's mouth.
It was only then that Mo Mo noticed a herd of wild horses in the open space not far from him. Thinking that Xu Taizai did not have a mount, and seeing the vines hanging on the trees nearby, Mo Mo's heart immediately stirred. After thinking for a moment, he directly pulled over a vine, woven it into a loop, and walked towards the herd of horses.
Mo Mo's gaze swept across the herd of horses, and he immediately spotted a white horse among them. However, Mo Mo was not so patient with these wild horses that had not yet developed independent consciousness and only possessed instincts. He threw the ring directly, and unsurprisingly, the white horse was pulled over by Mo Mo without any resistance.
Having completed his mission, Mo Mo didn't linger. He wove a makeshift rein from the vines, attached it to the horse, and led the white horse back. After a few steps, Mo Mo found this too slow, so he used the "Travel" technique on the white horse, and in a flash, they were back at the spot where the Wind Wolf had been.
Upon seeing Mo Mo suddenly appear, Xiao Xu You Rong immediately shook off her previous gloom and ran towards Mo Mo with a big smile. Xu Tai Zai's eyes also flashed with joy when he saw Mo Mo return, and his joy was even greater when he saw the magnificent white horse that Mo Mo was holding.
Sure enough, Mo Mo walked over and handed the reins of the white horse to him. When Xiao Rong'er saw that Mo Mo had handed the reins to Xu Taizai and then left empty-handed, she pouted and looked at Mo Mo with a pitiful expression, as if she was about to cry.
He reached out and patted Xiao Xu Yourong's head, then picked her up and said softly, "Little Rong'er, how could Master forget his promise to Little Rong'er? Look at what's on Master's shoulder?"
After being picked up, Xu Yourong, who hadn't seen the little white rabbit on Mo Mo's shoulder due to the angle, also saw the little thing quietly perched on Mo Mo's shoulder. She instantly fell in love with this cute creature, and her face brightened up. Then, she carefully held the little white rabbit on Mo Mo's shoulder in her arms and gave Mo Mo a kiss on the cheek.
"I'm glad you like it. From now on, it will be your playmate. It can help you relieve boredom when you're not cultivating. And don't underestimate it just because it's small. It's quite capable. If you train it well, it might become a great help to you in the future." However, at this moment, Xiao Xu You Rong, who had just received the cute creature, was not listening to any of this. She was only focused on playing with the little thing.
Seeing Xu Yourong completely absorbed by the little creature, Mo Mo sighed helplessly, picked her up, and mounted the back of the wind wolf. Xu Taizai also mounted his horse, and the three of them continued their journey towards the capital.
When they returned to the outskirts of the capital, almost ten days had passed since they left Ji Daoren's Taoist temple. Although Xu Taizai's white horse could not keep up with Mo Mo's wind wolf, it did not take that long. The main reason was that the three of them had leisurely traveled around, which seriously slowed down their journey. Otherwise, they should have returned to the capital three days ago.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 174 The Apprenticeship Ceremony Begins
The walls of the capital city are not tall; compared to the walls in other fantasy worlds, they are quite short, similar to ordinary ancient city walls. Perhaps this is because the city does not rely on walls for defense.
The capital city is situated on a plain at the foot of mountains, leaning against the mountains and facing the vast plain. Outside the capital city is a wide moat, which not only serves to defend against enemies but is also an important water source for the city. Its tributaries meander through the capital city, nourishing the entire land.
Outside the city gate was a stone bridge, more than ten meters wide, spanning the moat. Two rows of stern-faced guards stood on either side of the bridge, but this did not affect the crowds coming and going on the bridge at all, making it quite lively.
"Master, have you ever been to the capital city?"
"No, I've never been to the capital."
"My benefactor, let us show you around the capital city!"
Outside the city gates of the capital, a young man led a beautifully sculpted little girl, while on the other side of the girl stood an elderly man in his fifties or sixties leading a magnificent white horse. This group of three was none other than Mo Mo and his companions, who were returning to the capital from Ji Daoren's Taoist temple.
"Okay, let's go into town."
The capital city is indeed the most prosperous city among the three races of demons, monsters, and humans. The city is crisscrossed with houses and crisscrossed with roads, which connect the entire capital like a spider web. The streets are bustling with people, not only the locals of the capital, but also many people from all over the world who are both human and demon.
The streets were lined with all sorts of stalls, mostly selling strange items, such as a leaf with beauty-enhancing effects. The shops along the roadside also mostly sold items related to cultivation, or used the guise of various mystical items to sell something else entirely.
"Master, the capital city must be very prosperous, right? It's the most prosperous city on the entire continent. Even the White Emperor City of the demon race can't compare to it. I'll definitely take you around more in the future. There are so many fun things to do here." Little Xu Yourong hopped and skipped along, holding Mo Mo's hand, her words filled with pride.
“Little sister, you’re right. Our capital is the most prosperous city on the entire continent, and also the safest. There are so many fun things to do there. If you wanted to see them all, you probably wouldn’t have enough time in a year!” Hearing Xu Yourong’s words, the roadside vendor proudly chimed in.
"Sir, would you like to explore the capital first, or settle down at your residence before you start?" Grand Tutor Xu asked Mo Mo about the next steps of the trip.
Mo Mo smiled slightly and said, "Let's go back to the manor first. You've been gone for quite a while, so let's go back first. Besides, the capital is right here. There's plenty of time to explore in the future." That's what he said, but in reality, Mo Mo wasn't interested in this so-called most prosperous city on the continent. Not to mention the colossal cities in "Covering the Sky" that are tens of thousands of feet tall or made of stars as bricks, even a third-tier city in the real world is no less impressive than this one. It's just that this place has a more fantastical feel to it.
"Then, sir, is there anything you need to purchase? This place gathers the most merchants under the starry sky; you could say that if you can think of it, you can find it here," Xu Taizai asked Mo Mo again.
"No need, I'll let you know if I need anything." Mo Mo shook his head and smiled, gesturing for Xu Taizai to lead the way.
Perhaps it was because he had returned to the capital that Xu Taizai finally felt at ease and was no longer as restrained as before. He seemed to have let go of his inhibitions and slowly recounted the glorious history of his Xu family on the way to the Divine General's Mansion.
The Xu family's ancestor was just an ordinary general who accompanied Emperor Taizong on his expedition against the demons. However, through his perseverance and talent, he went through countless battles and eventually became a powerful general, making the Xu family one of the most prominent families in the capital.
This was a remarkable story at the time, but unfortunately, there was no one to carry on the family tradition. The descendants of the Xu family all achieved only mediocre successes. If no one else emerges to hold their own in the Xu family, their prestigious reputation will likely become a mere shell, and they will soon fade from the historical stage, becoming just ordinary nobles.
Mo Mo recalled the general plot of Ze Tian Ji.
At the beginning of the Kaiyuan era, divine stones fell from the sky and scattered across the continent. Legend has it that by reading the inscriptions on these stones, one could learn the secrets of heaven, and thus the stones became sacred objects in the human world. On this wondrous continent lived three races: humans, demons, and monsters. The humans and demons loved peace and had been on good terms for generations, but the powerful demons coveted the rich lands of the humans and demons.
Left with no other choice, the human and demon races formed an alliance to fight against the demons. Under the leadership of Emperor Taizong of the human race, the two races worked together to defeat the demon army. However, not long after the world was at peace, Emperor Taizong suddenly passed away, and the demons once again took advantage of the situation to invade. However, Emperor Taizong had already died, and Empress Tianhai was unable to fully control the Star Chart Array. On the verge of national destruction, she painfully sacrificed her child to bring peace to the world.
At this time, a mysterious orphan boy named Chen Changsheng was rescued by his master Ji Daoren while still an infant and taken in as a disciple. Over the course of more than ten years, he was taught three thousand volumes of the Daoist Canon. By chance, when he was young, he saved Xu Yourong, who was about the same age and had the bloodline of a phoenix.
The two were innocent and naive. They met and got to know each other instantly, and quickly became very good friends. This brief memory became their most beautiful memory. Unfortunately, because Ji Daoren set up a formation that allowed them to leave but not enter in order to prevent their secluded place from being discovered, the two lost contact. However, their feelings did not fade away, but gradually fermented with the passage of time, eventually brewing into a fragrant and delicious wine.
However, Chen Changsheng's constitution was abnormal, making him unable to cultivate, and his lifespan was limited to no more than twenty years. In order to cure his illness and change his fate, Chen Changsheng went down the mountain alone to the capital, hoping to win the top spot in the Grand Examination and gain the opportunity to comprehend the inscription.
However, because the late Grand Tutor Xu had arranged a marriage between Xu Yourong and Chen Changsheng with Ji Daoren out of gratitude for saving his life, he was suppressed by the Xu family due to a series of coincidences. By chance, he met the young genius Tang Thirty-Six and Princess Luoluo, among other close friends.
Through his own efforts, the help of friends, and various fortuitous encounters, Chen Changsheng withstood the suppression from various forces and overcame the obstacles in his cultivation, his strength increasing rapidly. Ultimately, he emerged victorious in the highly competitive Grand Examination, earning the opportunity to comprehend the inscription.
After enduring numerous trials and tribulations, Chen Changsheng finally found a way to save himself. While gaining love, he also learned about his true identity. However, he gradually discovered that his existence was actually a scheme orchestrated by dark forces, and that the scheme was orchestrated by his most beloved master and most respected uncle, which nearly drove him to the brink of collapse.
Faced with the choice between life and righteousness, with Xu Yourong by his side, Chen Changsheng chose the latter without hesitation. He fought a life-and-death battle against the dark forces alongside a group of young heroes, successfully thwarting his uncle's conspiracy, stopping the war, and even changing his fate to become the youngest pope in history, replacing his uncle's position. From then on, he and Xu Yourong lived happily ever after.
But in Mo Mo's view, the biggest winner in the whole story was not Chen Changsheng, nor Ji Daoren who became the Imperial Advisor, but Chen Changsheng's senior brother, Yu Ren. Yu Ren had lived with Chen Changsheng since childhood, and was equally well-versed in the Three Thousand Daoist Canons. Moreover, although the power of the stars within him was guided into Chen Changsheng's body, there would undoubtedly be some residue left in his body. It was as if the power of the stars had cleansed his entire body, making his cultivation twice as effective with half the effort, and his cultivation progressing by leaps and bounds.
While Chen Changsheng was fighting desperately in the capital, he was leisurely living in the mountains with Ji Daoren. He only appeared at the last moment, and upon his appearance, he recognized the Holy Empress, confirming that he was the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou. In the end, he lit up the Destiny Star with Tang Thirty-Six and others, helping Chen Changsheng defeat the final boss, the Pope. Then, he naturally sat on the dragon throne and became the Emperor of the Great Zhou, holding great power.
Compared to the Pope who painstakingly plotted for over a decade to seize the throne representing supreme power, only to be killed by Chen Changsheng after a desperate struggle, and who met a tragic end, and Chen Changsheng, who was suppressed after descending the mountain, finally managed to decipher the inscription and obtain clues to change his fate, and after a life-or-death struggle, succeeded in changing his destiny and became the youngest Pope in history, living happily ever after with Xu Yourong, the others could basically say they did nothing, yet he became the Emperor of the Great Zhou.
Throughout the entire novel, Yu Ren's life is remarkably smooth sailing. He has the same master as the protagonist, a powerful background, a prestigious status, and exceptional cultivation. Moreover, he never experiences any hardship. He simply accompanies his master, Ji Daoren, to live in seclusion in a remote place for a short period of time, and his junior brother takes care of everything for him. After accompanying his master, Ji Daoren, on a tour of the capital, he becomes the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. His opportunities and treatment are even more protagonist-like than the main character's.
Therefore, Mo Mo believes that the true chosen one of this world is not Chen Changsheng, but Yu Ren, and the true protagonist of Ze Tian Ji is not Chen Changsheng, but Yu Ren. Otherwise, how can all this be explained?
Therefore, there is only one truth: the true protagonist of *Fighter of the Destiny* is Yu Ren from beginning to end. Chen Changsheng is merely the protagonist on the surface, at most the second male lead. Although this second male lead has far more screen time than the first male lead, it cannot change the fact that Yu Ren is the true chosen one. (The above is purely fictional; everything is based on the original novel.)
Before they knew it, after Xu Taizai recounted the glorious history of his Xu family and then introduced Mo Mo to the local customs and culture of the capital, the three of them arrived in front of a rather grand mansion.
Two bronze sculptures of mythical beasts, each weighing no less than a thousand pounds, lay quietly on either side of the main gate of the mansion. Two armored guards with swords stood silently on either side of the gate. At this moment, the vermilion gate was wide open, and above the vermilion gate hung a plaque with a line of gilded characters that read "Eastern Imperial General's Mansion".
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 175 The Storm Begins
Mo Mo looked up at the plaque above the gate and said calmly, "The Eastern Imperial General's Mansion, this should be it!"
"Yes, Master, we've arrived. This will be your home from now on." After being away for so long, Xiao Xu Yourong was overjoyed to finally be home.
Although they were shocked that their master would have such high regard for a young man, and that their young mistress was so affectionate towards him, they still adhered to their duties, refraining from asking questions they shouldn't ask and saying things they shouldn't say.
Thus, under the astonished gazes of the guards and maids in the mansion, Mo Mo, accompanied by Grand Tutor Xu, entered the Eastern Imperial General's Mansion.