novelraw Chapter 1132: Samsara (2)
Chapter 1132: Samsara (2)
“Do the flavors suit your taste?”
The young girl had the unique charm of a seaside fishing village—simple and lovable, like a sky full of stars. And the food in front of her was indeed mouthwatering. Mo Mo, who was already starving, couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.
“Thank you.” Mo Mo nodded. Though hungry, he didn’t eat ravenously. He just had a few casual bites first. “It tastes really good. Did you make it yourself?”
The girl smiled shyly and nodded—she looked about seventeen or eighteen.
As if suddenly remembering something, she quickly added, “By the way, your clothes—I washed them this morning and hung them outside. Once they’re dry this afternoon, I’ll bring them back for you.”
“I’m really sorry.” Mo Mo apologized. “The weather was perfectly fine when I arrived yesterday, but not long after I got off the bus, it started pouring.”
The girl tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and explained that this kind of sudden weather was common by the sea.
She didn’t disturb him further and began tidying up the small, family-run inn. Mo Mo had asked around and learned her name was Lu Yiyun, her father was Lu Hai, her mother Luo Aiyu, and she had a sick grandfather.
A very ordinary fishing village family… at least on the surface.
Once Lu Yiyun left, Mo Mo discreetly spat the food back out. He quickly pulled out a talisman, held it between his fingers, and ignited it.The talisman burned instantly, transforming into a spiritual light that scattered over the food on the table. After a long while, there was no reaction.
Hopefully just an honest, well-behaved demon, Mo Mo muttered. He felt it was a waste to spit it out—the food really did taste good, simple ingredients but excellently cooked.
This was his second day in the seaside village.
…
The small coastal area was peaceful, with very few tourists—or rather, outsiders rarely managed to blend in with this seemingly isolated place.
Lu Village stood alone on the edge of a cliff, and Lu Yiyun’s house was even closer to the cliffside. The road to the main village was several kilometers long, making it even more secluded.
Mo Mo hadn’t forgotten his reason for coming here—the legend of the Sea Demon.
Days passed with no solid clues. He only occasionally heard villagers mention taboo stories from the past. When he tried to ask the elderly in the lower village, they’d either walk away or angrily drive him off like some evil spirit.
Within a few days, the whole village knew about this outsider digging into old matters. When Mo Mo walked the paths, he was met with unfamiliar and wary eyes.
Just as he was about to give up, thinking maybe the legend was just that—a legend—a young man appeared before him.
He also arrived in the rain, disheveled, pushing open the door of Lu Yiyun’s small inn.
Unlike Mo Mo’s dyed blond hair that followed an outdated trend, this similarly aged young man had long hair tied loosely behind his head.
The moment he stepped in, Mo Mo sensed it—that distinct spiritual aura of a cultivator, the fluctuations of magic power.
The sky had gone completely dark, and the inn halfway up the mountain stood in the storm, its old doors creaking from the wind.
The long-haired young man noticed Mo Mo eating at the table. His eyes lit up and he approached.
“May I sit here?”
Mo Mo gestured for him to sit.
He even poured a cup of hot tea for the young man to warm him up. The young man politely accepted it with both hands. But when he held the cup, he noticed how steady Mo Mo’s hand was—like it was rooted in place.
The young man smiled faintly and began to apply more pressure.
The inn’s lady boss, who had been dozing behind the counter, curiously watched the two young men with their hands joined… Just then, a flash of lightning startled her, and she instinctively clutched her chest.
By now, the two had let go and were seated across from each other.
“Mo Mo.”
“Ye Fei.”
They exchanged smiles.
When Mo Mo was cultivating on the mountain, his favorite book wasn’t some Daoist scripture hidden away at Dragon-Tiger Mountain, but a martial arts novel his master used as a bed prop.
He didn’t like the killing in those stories, but he loved the chivalrous adventures. He thought the immortal path was too lofty—romance and heroism felt more down-to-earth.
Ye Fei was about his age and cultivation level. He considered him a master—if only because Mo Mo also thought of himself as one. Otherwise, how could he roam the martial world?
Ye Fei’s arrival felt like something from a dream.
Arriving in the storm, meeting in a rundown inn, a subtle test between two experts, and then—names exchanged.
Ye Fei was from a hidden sect and had been training in the world for a while. He came to this remote fishing village after hearing rumors of something strange.
“From Dragon-Tiger Mountain, a Heavenly Dao disciple—Brother Mo, I didn't expect you to come from such a renowned sect. Forgive my manners,” Ye Fei said warmly, resembling a young noble straight out of a martial arts novel.
“You flatter me. I imagine your sect isn’t lacking either.”
Though Ye Fei only mentioned his sect, Mo Mo had no impression of it. Daoism might be in decline, but its branches were countless—even the old generation couldn’t name them all, let alone these hidden sects.
In conversation, Ye Fei suddenly lowered his voice. “Since you’re staying here, Brother Mo… have you already sensed the demonic aura in this place?”
Mo Mo knew what he meant and smiled. “There’s a little demon aura from the girl here, but I don’t think she’s the sea demon we’re looking for. If it’s just a harmless demon trying to live quietly, we leave it be.”
Ye Fei didn’t respond but later asked the Lady Boss to bring out a bottle of locally brewed liquor, and the two shared a drink.
…
Maybe it was because he grew up on Dragon-Tiger Mountain with only his master for company—never having peers his age.
Ye Fei’s appearance filled a void. Mo Mo, who considered himself not bad with alcohol, somehow got tipsy that night. When he woke, the sun was already high.
The storm had passed. Rain still clung to the little blue flowers in the courtyard garden.
But Ye Fei was gone. The Lady Boss said he had gone out early… maybe to look for clues?
Mo Mo hadn’t even told him that his own days of inquiry had turned up nothing. He smacked his forehead, annoyed—he had gotten too happy and forgotten his mission.
Just as he planned to go out and find Ye Fei, he witnessed the young girl being scolded by the Lady Boss at the door.
Her arm was red from being pinched, her eyes puffy. Mo Mo, unable to watch, cleared his throat and walked over. The Lady Boss, Luo Aiyu, restrained herself, muttered a few more words, then left.
The girl bent down to pick up the clothes she had dropped, then glanced at Mo Mo timidly before turning away. She had only gone to hang the laundry but accidentally dropped it, which brought on the scolding.
“That woman… she’s not your real mother, is she?”
The voice came suddenly from behind Lu Yiyun—and Mo Mo.
The girl trembled slightly but stopped walking.
Seeing her pause, Mo Mo approached—her face looked pale.
“What are you talking about? Of course she’s my mother…” she shook her head.
But Mo Mo suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist like lightning—it hurt.
“You believe me if I say I can force you to show your true form right now?” he said in a low voice. “I want to see how a regular woman with such an ugly temper could possibly give birth to a little demon like you.”
A golden glint flashed in his eyes, his expression solemn—like a divine manifestation.
“I... I don’t know what you’re talking about! Let me go!” the girl cried out in fear and panic.
“Still not admitting it? Then don’t blame me.” Mo Mo's face turned cold, his voice sharp. Although he had just recently come down the mountain, he had already slain a few man-eating demons and dealt with some vicious ghosts. His body carried a trace of killing intent.
“No…!” Maybe out of fear, the girl trembled. “Please… I—I didn’t mean to lie to you. I just… I just didn’t know how to explain it...”
“Then explain now.” Mo Mo suddenly released her wrist. “But I suggest you be honest. My job is to eliminate demons.”
“Not here…” The girl suddenly looked toward the attic behind the house. “Come with me.”
…
Auntie Jinhua frantically shoved the young man at her door, her missing front teeth making her speech slurred. “Go! Go away! I don’t know anything! Don’t ask me! Damn it, why is there another one asking about it? Leave!!”
This must’ve been the third one, right?
Ye Fei looked thoughtfully at Auntie Jinhua’s face. Then, he formed a hand seal behind his back and gave a cold snort.
Startled by his shout, Auntie Jinhua froze, falling into a trance.
Ye Fei lowered his voice. “Auntie, just tell me what you know about the past. I won’t hurt you.”
The old woman slowly began recounting past events—the forbidden acts committed by the village long ago.
…
Behind the inn on the mountainside was a small wooden shed used to store firewood and tools. Lu Yiyun led Mo Mo there and rolled up her sleeve to the elbow.
Scales.
Greenish-blue scales—only a small patch.
They weren’t even ugly. They looked like ornaments decorating her pale arm.
“I… I don’t know what’s happening to me either,” Lu Yiyun sobbed. “I was scared at first—scared people would find out… And my current mom really isn’t my biological mother. My dad brought her home later.”
“So your dad is the demon?” Mo Mo frowned.
There were many problems when it came to humans and demons interbreeding… He realized he hadn’t yet seen the inn’s actual owner—Lu Yiyun’s father, Lu Hai.
“I… I’m not sure.” Lu Yiyun shook her head.
Mo Mo thought for a moment, then said, “If you don’t mind, give me a drop of your blood. I want to check something.”
Under his serious gaze, Lu Yiyun reluctantly used a wooden splinter to prick her finger, letting a single drop of blood fall.
It landed on a talisman Mo Mo had taken out. She couldn’t understand the incantations he murmured, but then the talisman suddenly lit up with a bright glow—it seemed magical.
“Hmm… you’re a half-demon.”
After a moment, Mo Mo put the talisman away and looked at her. “You’re half-demon. The bloodline might come from your father—or maybe your birth mother. Once I meet your father, I should be able to tell.”
“He got drunk a few days ago and had stomach pains. He’s been resting at the village clinic and hasn’t come back for days,” Lu Yiyun said. Then, looking worried, she asked, “What… what do you plan to do?”
Mo Mo waved his hand. “There are laws of the land and rules of the house. Don’t worry—I don’t eliminate demons who live honestly. That’s already been agreed upon. But… if I find out you’ve harmed anyone, don’t blame me.”
Lu Yiyun took two fearful steps back.
Mo Mo shrugged. “Relax. I’ve seen demons working hard jobs in cities, living in poverty. I’ll say it again—I don’t go after well-behaved demons. Besides, I’m not so desperate that I need to hunt harmless demons like you just to feel accomplished.”
“R-Really?”
“I’ll let you know for sure after I meet your father.” Mo Mo shook his head. “Maybe your demon blood comes from your real mom. If so, your dad might actually be a victim.”
The girl said nothing.
Mo Mo glanced at her. Maybe… ever since she discovered her body was different from others’, she’d been thinking about this constantly.
“That’s all for now.” He smiled. “Let’s keep today’s conversation between us. But you’d better be more cautious in daily life.”
“?”
Mo Mo’s tone turned serious. “You’re half-demon, which means you have more rationality than full demons. But you still carry demon blood. When your reason can’t suppress your demon nature, you may lose control… Like earlier with your stepmother. You should avoid her when you can. If she pushes you too far one day, she might not survive it… And if that happens, don’t blame me.”
Lu Yiyun lowered her head, not daring to speak.
…
…
Mo Mo had planned to go down the mountain to find Ye Fei, but Lu Yiyun’s situation delayed him for quite a while. By the time he finished explaining many worldly matters to her, the entire afternoon had passed.
At that moment, Ye Fei returned.
“Brother Ye, I’m really sorry. I didn’t expect to get so drunk.”
“Forget that for now,” Ye Fei said. “Mo Mo, I discovered something when I went down the mountain today—take a look!”
“What is it?”
Curiously, Mo Mo watched Ye Fei pull out a medium-sized metal box. When it opened, inside was an old red sun flag with a white background, along with several test tubes filled with strange liquids.
(End of Chapter)