Empress Tianhai Youxue was even more moved by Bai Luoheng's words. She glanced at Mo Mo and, seeing him nod in agreement, agreed as well. Although she was a high and mighty empress in the eyes of outsiders, she knew that at this moment she simply wanted to spend more time with her child and get to know his mother better.
An hour later, it was completely dark, but the square in front of the National Academy Auditorium was unusually bright. Fist-sized luminous pearls emitted a soft light, illuminating the entire square. Two or three barbecue grills and a large round table were set up on the square, and the round table was full of various ingredients waiting to be cooked. The barbecue grills were already emitting an enticing aroma.
A dozen minutes later, the hot pot on the table began to boil, emitting an enticing aroma, silently inviting Mo Mo and the others. Bai Luoheng and the others had been waiting impatiently. After Mo Mo brought out a large bowl of grilled skewers, they all picked up their chopsticks. Just then, a loud dragon's roar rang out in the sky above the National Academy. Then, three beautiful figures appeared on the square. They were Xu Yourong, Zhu Sha, and Qingyue, who had gone to play.
"Little Black Dragon, Sister Rong, Sister Qingyue, you're back just in time! We were just about to start eating." Bai Luoheng was very happy to see Little Black Dragon, Zhu Sha, and the other two appear in the square. Although Little Black Dragon would eat a lot of delicious food, she was also her best food companion.
"Of course it was timely. I don't know how her nose is so sensitive. She said she smelled the fragrance outside the capital and rushed back for her life. I didn't believe it at first, but now I do. No wonder she's a big foodie, her nose is amazing." Qingyue couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Just then, the little black dragon and Tianhai Youxue saw each other and exclaimed in unison, "It's you!"
"You old hag, what are you doing here? Mo Mo, get her out of here immediately." Zhu Sha clearly harbored deep hatred for Tianhai Youxue, the woman who had imprisoned her for over a decade.
"Why can't I be here? But you, how did you escape? I didn't notice anything unusual at all." Tianhai Youxue was quite surprised because the array that imprisoned the little black dragon was still continuously supplying energy, while the master who was initially imprisoned within it as the driving star array was long gone, which puzzled her greatly.
“I released her. Also, put everything else aside for today. We can talk about it tomorrow. Today, there’s only one word: eat. Eat however you want, eat whatever you want, eat as much as you want.” Mo Mo interrupted the two of them directly.
"You said I want to eat Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, with dragon blood ginseng, dragon fruit, dragon tendons, and fish and dragon fins." Upon hearing Mo Mo's words, the little black dragon immediately beamed with joy and counted on his fingers as he told Mo Mo his requirements.
"Your nose is really sharp. You could smell the fish-dragon even before you've eaten it. I just caught it today. You got a good deal. If you still can't evolve after eating so much of my good stuff, I'll sell you to make up for my losses."
Mo Mo gently pinched the little black dragon's nose, then set up a pot and started stewing Buddha Jumps Over the Wall for her. Bai Luoheng explained the relationship between Chen Changsheng and Tianhai Youxue to the little black dragon. Finally, for the sake of Mo Mo and Chen Changsheng, the two reached a preliminary reconciliation. Qingyue then took over Mo Mo's job and started grilling skewers.
Xu Yourong said nothing, quietly sat down next to Mo Mo, glanced at Mo Mo who was focused on controlling the heat, then glanced at the steaming Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and then took a bite of the kebab in her hand, happily squinting her eyes.
With Mo Mo's Dao Fire blessing it, the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, which would normally take a long time to simmer, was ready in just over ten minutes. After the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was served, the dinner officially began. As the meal progressed, the Holy Empress Tianhai Youxue completely abandoned her airs and put her arm around the little black dragon, who was also quite drunk. In the end, everyone except Mo Mo perished.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 211 Enlightenment
Looking at the people lying all over the ground, Mo Mo was quite speechless. Although wine is a good thing, especially since this wine was brewed with spiritual energy and could promote cultivation, it is still wine. Wine can make you drunk, and they don't even understand this simple principle.
"Looks like I'll have to trouble you again!" With that, Mo Mo reached out and pulled Xu Yourong and the others up, then collected their belongings from the square and carried them towards their residence.
A few minutes later, Chen Changsheng, Xuan Yuanpo, and Tang Thirty-Six were put back into their rooms by Mo Mo. After settling Xu Yourong and Qingyue, a brilliant idea suddenly popped into Mo Mo's head. So he carried Mo Yu, Bai Luoheng, and the Holy Empress back home.
The next day at noon, Chen Changsheng squinted to adjust his eyes to the glaring light, shook his still throbbing head, and couldn't help but smile bitterly as he recalled the madness of the previous night, "Sir's wine is delicious, but the aftereffects are too strong!"
After saying that, he suddenly felt something was wrong. "Why does the blanket feel a bit heavy today? Is it just my imagination?"
After his eyes adjusted to the midday light, Chen Changsheng opened them and finally understood why the blanket felt a bit heavy and pressing down on him today—it was because Luo Luo's head was resting on his chest.
Seeing this, Chen Changsheng felt his head was spinning. How could he be sleeping in the same bed as Luo Luo?
Chen Changsheng didn't panic when he noticed this scene. Instead, he carefully recalled the situation last night and realized that they all seemed to be drunk towards the end. Moreover, Luo Luo had gotten drunk even earlier than him, so it was impossible for Luo Luo to have run to his bed on her own while he was also drunk and unconscious. It was also impossible for him to have carried Luo Luo to his room. After thinking about it, there was only one possibility: the person who brought them back was also drunk and put Luo Luo with him.
Thinking of this, Chen Changsheng couldn't help but smile bitterly, yet also somewhat relieved. "Fortunately, it was Luo Luo. Otherwise, if it were Mo Yu or Xu Yourong, the trouble would have been much greater. Now it's just as you wished; you can't run away now even if you want to."
What Chen Changsheng didn't expect was that he was completely wrong. The person who brought them back was not only not drunk, but also very sober. It was impossible for the girl he slept with to be another girl, because his relationship with Bai Luoheng was deliberately arranged by Mo Mo.
Seeing that Bai Luoheng was sleeping soundly, Chen Changsheng gently hugged her, then gently laid her down so she could lie comfortably. He then covered her with a blanket before getting up, putting on his boots, and preparing to get some hangover soup, because his head was really hurting terribly.
After putting on his shoes, Chen Changsheng suddenly turned around, bent down and gently kissed Bai Luoheng's fair forehead before leaving the room. Just as Chen Changsheng closed the door, Bai Luoheng's lips curled into a happy smile, and she suddenly opened her eyes. It turned out that she had already woken up and had just been pretending to be asleep.
At that moment, in Tang Tang's room next door, Mo Yu looked at Tang Tang, who was tied up like a dumpling, with a complicated expression and said angrily, "Mo Mo, although I don't hate him and admit that I have feelings for him, you actually did this to me. I will never let you get away with this. I will make you pay for this debt sooner or later."
At this moment, Tang Tang Thirty-Six had already forgotten about being tied up like a dumpling. His mind was now filled with only Mo Yu's words, "I don't hate him, and I admit that I have feelings for him." He kept repeating something, and if you listened carefully, you would find that he was saying, "She doesn't hate me, she said she likes me."
When Tang Tang and Mo Yu arrived at the auditorium, they found that everyone from last night had already arrived. And, he wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Chen Changsheng and Luo Luo were much closer than before, and their relationship no longer seemed like that of a master and disciple, but rather like that of a young couple.
"Thirty-six, you've finally arrived! Quickly try the hangover tea that the master brewed. After drinking it, you'll feel refreshed and your headache will be gone." Seeing Tang Thirty-six and Mo Yu enter, Xuan Yuanpo quickly invited them over for tea.
"Speaking of hangover tea, I'd like to ask you, sir, what kind of wine did you give us last night? Although it was fragrant, refreshing, and left a pleasant aftertaste, it was a bit too strong, and the aftereffects were quite potent. Even I, with my Saint Realm cultivation, couldn't handle it." The Holy Empress's words carried a hint of reproach. After all, anyone would be annoyed in such a situation. Hearing Tianhai Youxue's question, Chen Changsheng and the other three also looked at Mo Mo, because they also wanted to know what kind of wine it was.
This story begins this morning.
As a Saintly Realm cultivator, the Holy Empress woke up earlier than others in the morning. When she woke up, she found herself lying in her bedroom in the Hundred Herbs Garden, wearing only her undergarments. What shocked and angered her even more was that Mo Mo was sitting at the table in the room. What angered and angered her the most was that Mo Mo said to her when he saw that she was awake, "I didn't expect you to be so proactive. That feeling was truly unforgettable!"
This almost made her explode on the spot. After suppressing her anger, she sat up but suddenly realized something was wrong. She didn't feel any discomfort in her body, nor did she feel any pain. When she saw Mo Mo's ambiguous smile, she realized she had been deceived. Following Mo Mo's gaze, she discovered that large areas of her snow-white skin were exposed to the air, which truly gave Mo Mo a feast for the eyes.
She learned from the maid who came in later that the clothes she was wearing had been taken off by the maid who often took care of her because she saw that her face was flushed from the heat, and that Mo Mo had just happened to bring her some sobering tea.
Upon learning the truth, Empress Tianhai Youxue was both angry and amused. A dignified Saint Realm expert was actually teasing people like a child. This also made her understand why Mo Yu often ran back to the palace in a huff. He must have teased her a lot when she was young. As for Mo Mo seeing her body, she wasn't one of those little girls who would cry and threaten suicide if someone saw even a little bit of her. Having lived for so long, she had long since become indifferent to such things. In fact, she even had some expectations in her heart, provided that Mo Mo could be completely used by her.
Mo Mo couldn't read minds, so he naturally didn't know what Tian Hai You Xue was thinking. Facing the puzzled looks of the crowd, Mo Mo smiled and said, "This is a spirit wine I brewed with spiritual herbs. It's not comparable to those spirit drinks sold outside. This wine is rich in spiritual energy. If you drink it in moderation, it can slowly increase the strength of your spiritual sense, which is helpful for cultivation. However, it's easy to get drunk. Once you drink too much, your primordial spirit will not be able to absorb so much energy all at once, and you will become drowsy. Moreover, the energy of this wine to increase spiritual sense is rather violent, like forging iron. So if you drink too much at once, you will end up like this."
"Sir, why didn't you say so sooner! If you had, I wouldn't have drunk so much. It gave me a splitting headache, and when I woke up at noon, I thought I was going to die," Xuan Yuanpo said with lingering fear. Chen Changsheng, Bai Luoheng, and Tang Thirty-Six looked at Mo Mo in surprise.
"You didn't ask me!" Mo Mo spread his hands innocently.
"Hey, why aren't you guys surprised at all?" Tang Tang suddenly noticed that Xu Yourong and the others weren't surprised at all and couldn't help but ask.
“We used to drink this wine all the time, and Master had an even better one. I secretly took a whiff of it once, and I was drunk for three whole days before I even tasted it.” Xu Yourong’s words were full of longing.
Xu Yourong's words left everyone except Mo Yu, Qingyue, and Mo Mo speechless. It turned out they were the only ones who had never drunk it before. No wonder they weren't surprised at all, and they woke up so early, they were already used to it.
"Alright, I've been out all day, it's time to go back and get back to work. Changsheng, tomorrow you'll be entering the Lingxu Pavilion to study. I hope you successfully find Zhou Dufu's notes and change your fate."
"Thank you for your concern, Mother. I will definitely succeed." After receiving Chen Changsheng's reply, Tianhai Youxue glanced at Mo Mo subtly, turned and left. Seeing this, Mo Yu broke free from Tang Tang's hand and quickly followed, much to Tang Tang's disappointment.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 212 First Attempt to Change Fate, Failure
The next morning, Mo Mo was dragged out of bed by Qing Yue. There was nothing he could do. Although he could go without sleep now, there were some habits that he couldn't change and didn't want to change, such as being lazy in bed. So, after some dawdling, he was pulled out of bed by Qing Yue.
"How old are you? Still sleeping in. Aren't you afraid your students will laugh at you?" Qingyue looked at Mo Mo, who was acting quite childishly, and was both amused and exasperated. However, her hands moved quickly and skillfully, and in just a few minutes, she had tied Mo Mo's hair up.
"Alright, let's go. Today is the day Changsheng goes to Lingxu Pavilion to study. Besides, you promised the Holy Empress that you would find the key to Zhou Garden. We've been looking for several days without any results. Recently, the Demon Clan has started to stir again, so we need to hurry up."
Looking at Mo Mo, who had finished washing and looked brand new, Qingyue nodded in satisfaction. For some reason, she especially liked Mo Mo's carefree yet dignified appearance, so she often dressed him up like this.
In fact, Mo Mo didn't really like this kind of attire. It made it impossible for him to keep a low profile, because anyone with eyes could tell that you were not simple and would definitely pay attention to you. Even if you wanted to keep a low profile, you couldn't.
In fact, Mo Mo had already concealed his aura very well. However, after all, he had been the ruler of heaven and earth for tens of thousands of years. It was an aura ingrained in his bones. No matter how well he concealed it, it would inevitably reveal a little bit. It was impossible to completely hide it. So, Qing Yue, who was with him day and night, noticed it. Then, she used her hairstyle and clothing to highlight a bit of the aura that Mo Mo could conceal.
However, since Qingyue liked it, Mo Mo let her be.
Just then, Xu Yourong ran in, sat directly on Mo Mo's lap, hugged his neck, and pouted, saying in a wronged tone, "Does Aunt Yue not want Rong'er anymore? She doesn't comb Rong'er's hair anymore, and only cares about running over early in the morning to comb Master's hair. Does she not like Rong'er anymore?"
"How could that be? Aunt Yue loves you the most, how could she not want you? Besides, you're already so old, why are you still clinging to your master? What if you can't get married when you're old enough?" Mo Mo pinched Xu Yourong's delicate nose affectionately.
"That's perfect! Rong'er can stay with Master for the rest of her life. Rong'er has decided to stay by Master's side for the rest of her life." After Xu Yourong finished speaking, she kissed Mo Mo on the cheek with a smack.
"Alright, get up quickly. Didn't you say you wanted Aunt Yue to comb your hair? Sit down properly, otherwise how can your Aunt Yue give you a beautiful hair and makeup?" Mo Mo said with a bit of helplessness, but his words were full of doting affection. The smile on his lips showed that he did not object to Xu Yourong's intimate actions.
"I don't want Aunt Yue to help me wash up anymore. I want Master to comb my hair and draw my eyebrows, otherwise I won't get up." As she spoke, she winked at Qingyue next to her, and Qingyue gave her a subtle thumbs up.
Mo Mo's six senses were incredibly sharp. Although he didn't pay special attention, he still caught the little movements between the two. However, he didn't care and just regarded them as some ordinary little actions between the two. Therefore, he didn't think much of it and agreed.
Seeing that Mo Mo had agreed to her request, Xu Yourong was so happy that she kissed Mo Mo hard on the cheek before getting down from her arms. Mo Mo also stood up and picked up the comb.
Speaking of which, Mo Mo hadn't picked up a comb for a long time since Liu Xueqing left. When Qingyue handed him the comb, Mo Mo couldn't help but recall Liu Xueqing's stunningly beautiful face. Scenes from the past seemed vivid in his mind, and it took him a while to come back to his senses.
Mo Mo had often combed Liu Xueqing's hair and drawn her eyebrows in the past. Although it had been a long time since he last picked up a comb, Mo Mo was not at all rusty. Xu Yourong's waist-length hair was like a docile little white rabbit in his hands, exceptionally obedient. In just a few minutes, Mo Mo had combed Xu Yourong's full head of black hair into an exquisite hairstyle, making Xu Yourong even more stunning and beautiful. After Mo Mo carefully drew her eyebrows, Xu Yourong looked at the person in the mirror and could hardly believe it was her.
After a short while, Xu Yourong calmed down, stood up, and pressed Qingyue down onto the stool, saying, "Master, you can't favor one over the other. You must dress Aunt Yue up like a fairy."
Mo Qingyue turned around and looked at Mo Mo with an expectant expression.
Mo Mo didn't speak, but let his actions speak for themselves. He gently turned Qingyue's body around, and a few minutes later, a completely transformed Qingyue appeared in front of Xu Yourong. Looking at the smiling, charming person in the mirror, Qingyue couldn't believe her eyes. She couldn't believe that the person in the mirror, who was even more beautiful than before, was herself.
"Don't doubt it, it's you, the one who is stunningly beautiful."
Upon hearing Mo Mo's words, Qing Yue stood up emotionally and gave Mo Mo a passionate kiss, igniting his passion. Xu You Rong, watching the two embracing, had a longing look in her eyes. After hesitating for a moment, she rushed over after the two separated and sealed Mo Mo's lips with her own delicate, luscious red lips.
Mo Mo: "!!!"
What's going on? How could Xiao Rong'er...?
Feeling the passion and deep love emanating from the person in his arms, which seemed to ignite him, and recalling the scenes from the past, Mo Mo finally understood something and couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "What a tragedy!"
After a long while, their lips parted. Xu Yourong looked at Mo Mo with a determined expression. Mo Mo sighed and said, "I understand now. It was because Master was too foolish in the past. You suffered. But we are still master and disciple."
"I don't care, I just like you, and I've never considered you my master. I've always considered you my lover. From the moment I met you, I was determined to follow you for the rest of my life. Who told you to have such a domineering smile back then, which completely filled my heart?" Xu Yourong said domineeringly.
Looking at Xu Yourong, who had a stubborn expression, and then at Qingyue, who showed no surprise at all, Mo Mo sighed and said, "Let's go, Changsheng and the others must be getting impatient."
"So, Master, you agree?" Xu Yourong asked with a look of delight.
"I didn't say that, you said it yourself." A slightly helpless smile flashed across Mo Mo's lips, but Xu Yourong, who was completely focused on Mo Mo, noticed it. Excitedly, she jumped onto Mo Mo and clung to him like an octopus.
"Alright, if we don't leave soon, Changsheng and the others will start urging us." Mo Mo affectionately pinched Xu Yourong's pretty nose.
When Mo Mo and the other two arrived at the auditorium, Chen Changsheng and the others had already prepared breakfast. However, today's breakfast was a bit hasty, partly because Mo Mo hadn't cooked, and partly because no one had much of an appetite. Today was the day Chen Changsheng would enter the Lingxu Pavilion to study, and whether he could change his fate with his own strength depended on this one day.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 213 Viewing the Stele, Breaking the Stele
Since he had promised to take care of Chen Changsheng, he would definitely do it. Therefore, Mo Mo followed Chen Changsheng into Lingxu Pavilion, while the others waited outside. Xu Yourong, Qingyue, and the little black dragon continued their journey to find the key to Zhou Garden. The reason why Xu Yourong and the others were working so hard to find the key to Zhou Garden was because they knew that the little black dragon missed her father very much, and they wanted the little black dragon to see him one last time.
After entering the gate of Lingxu Pavilion, one must climb a long staircase to the second floor to truly enter the Lingxu Pavilion. In reality, Lingxu Pavilion is merely a place to enshrine the ancestors of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Apart from a series of huge portraits, there is basically nothing else inside. It is only because it is said to contain the notes of Zhou Dufu that people yearn for it. Zhou Dufu was once the number one person in the world, and it is said that these notes contain his method of defying fate. This is also one of the reasons why Chen Changsheng discovered the Grand Examination.
Although Mo Mo knew where the notebook was, he didn't intend to help Chen Changsheng find it. So after entering Lingxu Pavilion, he sat down on the futon in the middle and quietly watched Chen Changsheng search for it himself.
Indeed, Mo Mo really wanted to complain about the original drama. The notebook was placed behind a stone brick next to one of the statues. Logically speaking, so many years have passed, and there must have been dozens or even hundreds of people who had entered Lingxu Pavilion. Even if one person knocked on a brick, they should have found that notebook by now. But for so many years, no one has found the notebook. Moreover, without exception, these people are all true geniuses. But perhaps they are too respectful to their ancestors here and dare not search around.
However, Chen Changsheng didn't care about all that. He was going to die anyway, so why bother with all the formalities? After apologizing, he started searching everywhere, touching this and knocking there. Finally, he noticed that one of the statues was different from the others. The other statues all had their eyes open, but his were closed. Sensing something was wrong, Chen Changsheng carefully tapped the stone bricks around the statue and eventually found the hollow stone brick.
“Sir, I think I’ve found Zhou Dufu’s notes.” As he spoke, he removed the hollow stone brick and took out a black stone and a black, antique hexagonal wooden box engraved with strange images.
"Congratulations! I wish you success in changing your fate!" Mo Mo replied to Chen Changsheng with a smile.
After carrying the wooden box back to the futon in the middle, Chen Changsheng opened the black box. Upon opening the lid, he discovered that it contained some sophisticated machinery. He realized that the only way to open the box was to unlock the mechanism on top.
Looking at Mo Mo beside him and realizing that he had no intention of helping, Chen Changsheng had no choice but to slowly figure out the intricate mechanisms on his own. After several attempts, he finally discovered that the copper buttons and wires on the box were actually the connections between the constellations. He eventually opened the box and obtained the notebook.
"The stars hang down over all things, and those that are similar follow one another, drawing souls and guiding fates, dying and being born together."
"The stars are like destiny; to change destiny is to change the stars. If you want to change your fate, you must change the trajectory of your destiny star. How is that possible?"
“Sir, Zhou Dufu’s notes say that if you want to change your destiny, you must change the trajectory of your destiny star. But the stars are far away in the sky. How can we change their trajectory with our weak power? Do you have any ideas?” Chen Changsheng was somewhat skeptical, so he turned to Mo Mo to ask.
“Yes, but my method won’t work for you, and I don’t even have a destiny star, so don’t ask me about this. You need to figure it out yourself. But didn’t Zhou Dufu say that stars are associated with all things, and that they are related, intertwined, and mutually reinforcing? There is a connection between destiny stars, and people and their destiny stars are mutually reinforcing and mutually destroying. Changing a person’s fate can change the trajectory of that person’s destiny star. Perhaps you can start from this aspect.” After Mo Mo finished speaking, he took out a small bag of melon seeds and started cracking them open.