Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1154: Just a Child

Soil flew and boulders shifted as the terrain rapidly transformed under Mo Mo’s hand gestures—this was a common Daoist technique. Different sects had their own methods of cultivation, but no one had ever seen one with this level of power.

Was this really the Five Ghost Transport technique? It looked more like a mountain-moving spell.

Many remembered this young Heavenly Master from Dragon-Tiger Mountain. Just before the Penglai Grand Gathering began, he had a friendly duel with the White Tiger clan’s young master, Huang Baifu—even then, Mo Mo had been impressive, but not to this degree.

Now, this young Heavenly Master from Dragon-Tiger Mountain seemed to be on par with the senior master Daoist Changhe—perhaps even stronger, though no one could clearly gauge his true strength.

“Mr. Mo Mo.”

Just after Mo Mo had completed part of the reconstruction and paused to rest, he heard Yan Xiaoxi’s voice.

Facing the Management Bureau’s Department Chief, Mo Mo was no longer as reserved as he once was. He simply nodded. “Chief Yan, here to check the progress?”

Yan Xiaoxi nodded. “The official press release goes out tomorrow. Every step is under tight deadlines.”

Mo Mo said calmly, “The reconstruction is nearly done. We’re just assisting. Without Lord Long, this project wouldn’t be finished in three days.”

“Mr. Mo Mo, you’re too modest,” Yan Xiaoxi smiled, then asked, “Do you have any plans going forward?”Mo Mo paused for a moment. “I plan to send Zhan’er back to his master, then give myself a year to search for a cure.”

“A year? Why only one year?” Yan Xiaoxi asked, puzzled.

“I’ve asked Baijie and some other seniors to check his condition. They’re powerless to help. So I’ll give it a year—if nothing works, then I’ll leave it to fate.” Mo Mo shook his head. “But Chief Yan, you didn’t come just to check on progress, did you?”

Yan Xiaoxi studied Mo Mo. Over the past few days, he had been paying special attention to him. Several senior Daoists, including even his own master Firecloud Evil God, had interacted with Mo Mo.

Though Mo Mo still observed junior etiquette when speaking with them, even Daoist Baijie had treated him as a peer, calling him “fellow Daoist.” When asked privately, Firecloud Evil God simply said: “In today’s Daoist World, aside from Lai Caisheng, Mo Mo is the top young cultivator. His true strength probably rivals old Baijie himself.”

Now that Lai Caisheng had vanished, Mo Mo was unquestionably number one among the younger generation.

“I wonder,” Yan Xiaoxi said, “would Mr. Mo Mo be interested in working with the Management Bureau?”

Mo Mo was slightly taken aback.

Yan Xiaoxi continued, “Did you know your master once served with us? Daoist Changhe was previously a special instructor with the Bureau. He taught our agents many techniques for exorcism and spirit-hunting, greatly improving their abilities.”

Mo Mo shook his head. “The old man never mentioned it.”

“You could think about it.” Yan Xiaoxi grew serious. “It would be a continuation of his legacy. After the battle at Mount Tai, we lost many agents. We’ll need experienced people to fill those gaps.”

Mo Mo looked at him and smiled faintly. “What, Chief Yan? You conscripting people now?”

Despite the smile, Yan Xiaoxi suddenly felt short of breath. Cold sweat formed on his back. Only now, facing Mo Mo directly, did he truly understand the weight of the praise from the elders—none of it was exaggerated.

“I simply hope Mr. Mo Mo can contribute to Divine Land’s stability,” Yan said sincerely. “I believe you have a strong sense of justice.”

“My justice isn’t worth much,” Mo Mo said casually. “Besides, I’m used to wandering. I’m not suited for teaching—might mislead others. My master taught me, but that doesn’t mean I can teach others. And if my teachings are used to hunt spirits and demons, that’s fine. But if they’re used for other purposes… that’s a different story.”

Yan Xiaoxi frowned. “Mr. Mo Mo, are you implying something?”

Mo Mo patted his shoulder and smiled. “I’ve got two more sites to finish. No time to chat—crunch time.”

After Mo Mo walked away, an aide came over with a frown and said quietly, “Chief, that guy’s really ungrateful. You even invited him personally.”

Yan Xiaoxi calmly replied, “Since we’re short-staffed, head to Sanya to provide support after we get back.”

Demoted?

The aide opened his mouth in shock… unsure what he had done wrong.

……

A streak of violet lightning surged through the overcast sky… and eventually came to a stop, hovering in the air.

Suddenly, the violet lightning dispersed, leaving only a glowing longsword. The sword shone so brightly it hurt the eyes.

It stung Mo Xiaofei’s eyes—he bolted upright, drenched in cold sweat.

“Big Bro! You’re finally awake!!”

A familiar voice—excited and relieved. Mo Xiaofei blinked at Windchaser in confusion. This wasn’t where he had fainted—he was in a clean room now?

“Uh… which Big Bro are you?” Windchaser asked hesitantly, eyes full of doubt.

“Which one do you think? What, you confused again?” Mo Xiaofei chuckled and flicked his forehead—he figured the kid was just afraid he’d wake up with another personality again.

“Phew! That’s a relief!” Windchaser visibly exhaled in relief.

Mo Xiaofei frowned. “Where are we?”

“Somewhere called Croaching Dragon Estate,” Windchaser replied. “You passed out that day and I didn’t know what to do…”

He began recounting the events of the last few days.

……

Windchaser sniffed the air, tracking lingering demon energy… now wandering through a remote forest.

He had gathered some wood and made a simple bed, carrying both Mo Xiaofei and Zi Xing along. He’d even climbed deep into the Mount Tai crevices—but found no one.

He chased after traces of demon energy, but every lead turned out to be a dead end. It was like the demons were racing to reincarnate, scattering everywhere. Eventually, he didn’t even know which direction to search.

He survived on wild fruits and spring water. In just a few days, Windchaser felt like he was turning into a caveman.

But now… all the strange phenomena had disappeared, and things suddenly felt calm again.

Fortunately, Windchaser had found a small river... Though it was freezing cold, and there might not be any fish in the water, catching a few hibernating frogs or toads for a decent meal was still better than munching on wild berries, right?

With that thought, Windchaser settled the still-unconscious Mo Xiaofei and Zi Xing on the riverbank, then stripped down and dove into the water.

Not far away, two figures were moving through the forest.

They had strong builds and thick fur—both crouched on the ground, constantly sniffing.

One said, “Lang Wu, this should be the right direction. We’re close... The Young Master is just ahead!”

The other nodded. “Yes, during the battle three days ago, the Young Master was blasted away by a spiritual energy storm... We’ve finally found her! Lang Yong, hurry! As the divine wolf guards, failing to protect the Young Master is already a capital offense! If anything has happened to her, how can we face the clan again?”

These two were the escorts from the Greedy Wolf Clan of the highlands, who had accompanied Young Master Zi Xing on her journey.

Soon, Lang Yong and Lang Wu followed the scent to the riverbank—there they found Young Master Zi Xing unconscious by the shore.

“She seems okay. Probably entered a healing hibernation due to her injuries,” Lang Yong quickly examined her.

“Looks like someone saved her... and this guy too.” Lang Wu glanced at Mo Xiaofei lying nearby and frowned. “Isn’t this... Lord Long’s disciple? What’s he doing here?”

“There’s also a residual demon aura—probably that guy saved them...” Lang Yong checked the surrounding traces. “He must’ve gone into the water. Let’s wait for him to come back... Look, he’s coming up now!”

Suddenly, a figure burst out of the water and leapt onto the shore—Windchaser, dripping wet, with algae stuck to him, and a live fish clenched in his mouth.

“You again? You’re the one who saved the Young Master??” Lang Wu and Lang Yong widened their eyes in surprise.

They recognized this little wolf demon—he had saved Zi Xing once before, back on True Dragon’s territory.

“Ah! You guys are…” Windchaser opened his mouth, dropping the fish, then scratched his head, “Wait, who were you again?”

…

“So that’s how I came here with Lang Yong and Lang Wu,” Windchaser said to Mo Xiaofei, as if just remembering something. He quickly brought a cup of water over. “Big Bro, you’ve been unconscious for days—have some water!”

This kid was learning to take care of others.

Mo Xiaofei felt a mix of amusement and emotion. “So it’s been you looking after me these past few days? Thanks.”

“No problem! No problem at all!” Windchaser puffed out his chest. “It’s only right that little bros take care of their big bros!”

Mo Xiaofei smiled and didn’t say more.

“Oh right! I heard some news about Lord Long!” Windchaser quickly added. “But I heard she’s been super busy these past few days—nobody can see her.”

Mo Xiaofei asked, “Do people out there know about my relationship with Master?”

Windchaser shook his head. “I didn’t say anything. You told me not to mention Lord Long unless necessary, right? I even told Lang Yong and Lang Wu to keep quiet.”

Mo Xiaofei nodded. “If Master’s busy, we shouldn’t bother her. Just knowing she’s okay is enough... I’ll rest up for now. With all that’s happened outside, I wonder how things are going. Windchaser, did you hear anything?”

Windchaser shook his head. “People here come and go, no one stays long... and no one talks to me. I’m just a nobody. Hmph! And let me tell you, Big Bro, when I went to find food this morning, they only gave me a few buns! So stingy!!”

Mo Xiaofei glanced at the plates on the table—definitely more than just a few buns. “Then what?”

“So I, uh, snagged a few plates of meat from the kitchen,” Windchaser shrugged. “But don’t worry—I left money behind!”

“Where’d you get money?”

“Yours!”

Mo Xiaofei smiled and pretended to raise his hand for a smack.

Windchaser dodged quickly and ran out the door. “Big Bro! Just think of it as me borrowing it! I’ll pay you back after I work some odd jobs back home… Anyway, you must be hungry after waking up, I’ll go find you something to eat!”

Watching the kid dash off, Mo Xiaofei shook his head… what a character.

Now the room was finally quiet. Mo Xiaofei looked down at his chest and pressed his palm against it, recalling the sensation before he lost consciousness.

Suddenly, a sharp pain surged through his body. A faint purple-gold glow appeared on his chest. Gritting his teeth, Mo Xiaofei gripped something and began to pull.

A faint sword hilt slowly emerged from his chest... veins bulged on his forehead, but he could only pull out half the hilt. The blade remained hidden—and the pain was unbearable.

He let go. The purple-gold light vanished. The hilt disappeared.

Mo Xiaofei panted heavily, “Emperor Qin... Emperor’s Sword…”

Memories of recent days surged back. His consciousness had been trapped, but he had clearly felt everything happening outside—even heard every word that his “other self” had said.

…

He wasn’t about to go to the kitchen.

Windchaser poked his head out of a corridor, then crept to the door of a room. Looking around, he reached out to push the door open.

“Ahem!”

A soft cough sounded behind him—at the same time, someone grabbed him by the collar and lifted him.

“You little rascal, what are you up to again?!”

“Ah... haha, Uncle Lang Wu, Uncle Lang Yong,” Windchaser chuckled awkwardly. “I just wanted to check on Zi Xing. I swear I didn’t mean anything bad! I even picked some flowers! See!”

“We thank you on behalf of the Young Master for your kindness,” Lang Yong took the wildflowers and set Windchaser down. “But she’s still in hibernation and can’t be disturbed. You should go back and take care of Lord Mo.”

“I just wanted a peek…” Windchaser muttered.

“Not even a peek!” Lang Wu snorted. “We’ll report your good deed to her once she wakes up. You don’t need to run over here several times a day!”

“I didn’t mean anything like that!” Windchaser frowned.

“Then what did you mean?” Lang Wu said sternly. “Don’t push your luck. We’ve been polite enough. Don’t force me to get physical—you’re just a little demon, and you dare stir up trouble here?”

“Alright, enough.” Lang Yong interrupted. “You’ll wake the Young Master. Windchaser, don’t take it personally—he’s just been in a bad mood these past few days… Tell you what, go back for now. Once she wakes up, we’ll let her know. How about that?”

Windchaser stuck out his tongue, then stomped on Lang Yong’s foot and leapt onto the roof—disappearing in a flash.

Lang Yong snorted. “What an unruly brat.”

Lang Wu frowned. “He’s just a kid. Doesn’t seem to mean any harm. Don’t be so harsh. He did save the Young Master—twice.”

Lang Yong sighed, “You think I can’t tell? But that kid’s clearly fallen for our Young Master… and just think, what’s his status compared to hers? Better to nip those thoughts early. Human or demon, you’ve got to know your limits… If we slack off, it’ll only end in pain—for him. And we’ll feel bad too.”

Lang Yong shook his head and tossed the flowers aside.

(End of Chapter)