MOF Chapter 95
by VolareYu Shengxiang shook her head in disagreement, “Nuan Yu, you mustn’t be so impudent.”
Nuan Yu lowered her head and said softly, “Understood, Miss.”
The sky darkened, and the alley fell into pitch-blackness. Although movement was inconvenient, it blocked the night wind from three sides. Nangong Ci sat cross-legged, silently adjusting his spiritual power. A series of footsteps approached from afar, stopping two meters away from him.
“This gentleman seems to have no fixed abode, which is why he’s lodging here for the night?”
Nuan Yu lit a newly bought guide lamp and walked out from behind Yu Shengxiang. Hearing her words, she knew that Yu Shengxiang’s heart was moved with pity again.
“Miss,” she reminded in a low voice, “the master said that you shouldn’t bring strangers home casually in the future.”
Yu Shengxiang hesitated and said, “But the weather is so cold. If he stays out all night, he’ll be frostbitten even if he doesn’t die. Human life is at stake. Father will definitely agree with me.”
As the two discussed back and forth, they didn’t notice Nangong Ci getting up and quietly waiting for them to finish.
“Young Master.” Seeing him standing silently, Yu Shengxiang couldn’t help but show a hint of guilt. “We didn’t mean to disturb your rest, but the weather is cold… If you don’t mind, could the young master come to my humble home for a night?”
Nuan Yu pouted but didn’t say anything.
Nangong Ci politely declined, “Thank you for the lady’s kindness, but I am a cultivator and not affected by the suffering of the seasons.”
Upon hearing this, Nuan Yu’s lantern shook with her almost jumping action: “Miss, did you hear that? He’s a disciple of an immortal sect!”
Yu Shengxiang’s red lips parted slightly, and a look of surprise flashed across her face: “So it’s an Immortal Lord. This little girl’s eyes failed to recognize Mount Tai. I hope the Immortal Lord won’t blame me.”
Nangong Ci didn’t care: “It’s nothing. It’s getting late, so the two ladies should return home early.”
“Immortal Lord, please wait.” Yu Shengxiang suddenly stopped Nangong Ci, “Since that’s the case, then I can’t let you stay here for the night even more.”
Seeing this, Nuan Yu, as a maid, naturally followed her mistress and echoed Yu Shengxiang’s persuasion.
It seemed that he wouldn’t be able to meditate quietly for a while.
Nangong Ci pressed his sword and said, “Then I’ll be intruding.”
The Yu residence was considered one of the leading wealthy families in Yong City, but the mansion looked like an ordinary household, except for a plaque on the door.
Master Yu was charitable and had an excellent reputation in Yong City. Miss Yu was even more famous for her bodhisattva heart, distributing clothing and porridge every year to help the poor.
As soon as Nangong Ci stepped into the Yu residence, he felt a wave of blessed air rushing towards him. When it was about to touch Nangong Ci, it retreated with great tact.
Azurefall vibrated twice, settling down after adapting to the surrounding blessed air.
Nangong Ci stayed in the guest room specially prepared for guests by Yu Shengxiang, and he meditated for the entire night.
As the darkness turned to light before his eyes, he opened his eyes and looked out the window. The sky was about to dawn, and the Yu residence’s labor had already begun with the first fire lit in the stove.
He pushed the door open and went out. The maid he had seen yesterday saw him and walked over with breakfast.
“Immortal Lord, Immortal Lord, you’re up?”
Nuan Yu herself was just a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl. When she didn’t smile, her cheeks were like tightly closed pomegranates. When she smiled, the fruit was ripe, revealing dazzling crimson.
“This is what the Miss instructed me to bring you for breakfast. Although you cultivators seem to learn something about fasting, today’s Eight Treasure Porridge is especially fragrant!”
Nangong Ci paused and said, “It’s not necessary. Please thank Miss Yu for me. I have other matters, so I’ll take my leave first.”
Nuan Yu watched him leave, feeling regretful but also somewhat happy: “It seems I can have another bowl!”
Nangong Ci was unwilling to stay in the Yu residence any longer. He planned to patrol Yong City once before leaving.
Tian Yong Residence disciples could be seen everywhere on the street, dutifully guarding the safety of the Yong City people. Nangong Ci had no use for his skills and no longer lingered here. He turned around to leave the city.
As he approached the city gate, the people were lined up along the street for some reason.
Nangong Ci observed that their clothes were simple and their bodies were thin, so he had a general idea. When he looked ahead, sure enough, someone was distributing clothing and porridge.
And that person was none other than Yu Shengxiang.
Nangong Ci passed through the crowd. The corner of his eye noticed a thin girl squatting on the side of the street, staring intently at the wooden bucket filled with hot porridge.
He only glanced at her lightly, but the girl keenly caught his gaze and glared back at him, embarrassed and angry.
The thin figure turned and ran into the alley. Nangong Ci’s expression didn’t change as he walked out of the city.
“Take your time, don’t rush, there’s enough for everyone.” Yu Shengxiang warmly assured the people behind her, instructing the servant ladling the porridge, “Serve a little more.”
“Miss Yu, you are truly a bodhisattva descended to earth!”
“Miss Yu, you have helped so many of us, you will surely have a blessed life, peace, and safety!”
“Yes, Miss Yu, you Yu family members are truly the first good people in Yong City!”
“…”
Yu Shengxiang smiled faintly: “Everyone praises me too much. I’m just doing my best.”
Only when the wooden bucket was empty did the people slowly disperse.
Several servants each picked up a wooden bucket and reminded, “Miss, everything has been distributed. Let’s go back.”
“Don’t rush.” Yu Shengxiang took out the pastries she hadn’t touched from her sleeve and walked towards the alley opposite.
The servants looked at each other in confusion and followed her.
“Here. You must be hungry, right? Why didn’t you come over just now?” Yu Shengxiang looked at the girl squatting on the ground and squatted down to look at her.
The girl raised her eyes and glanced at her quickly. Just as she was about to run away, she smelled the fragrance wafting from Yu Shengxiang’s fair hand and couldn’t help but swallow her saliva.
“Eat.” Yu Shengxiang smiled at her, “What’s your name? Next time I come, I’ll give you food first, okay?”
The girl stared intently at the pastries in Yu Shengxiang’s hand and suddenly snatched them away. Her nails, covered in a thick layer of black mud and bitten into pits, forcefully left a red mark on Yu Shengxiang’s hand.
Her palm felt a little stinging, but Yu Shengxiang didn’t care and said softly, “Eat slowly, be careful not to choke. Do you, have a home?”
The girl stuffed the pastries into her throat greedily. Hearing these words, she slowed her chewing for two seconds, then got up, bumped into Yu Shengxiang, and rushed out like a frightened rabbit.
“What kind of person is that!” The servant carrying the bucket didn’t have time to grab the girl, “She took your things, Miss, and didn’t even say thank you. She’s really a wild…”
“Shut up.” Yu Shengxiang interrupted him, her gaze unusually cold, “You are not allowed to insult people.”
“Yes.” The servant quickly lowered his head and admitted his mistake, “I will never dare to do it again. Please calm down, Miss.”
The next day, Yu Shengxiang distributed porridge again and saw the girl at the end of the line. She whispered a few words to Nuan Yu, who took a thick piece of clothing and walked to the girl’s front.
“My Miss asked me to give this to you.” Nuan Yu handed over the clothes, “It’s so cold, wearing so little, you’ll get sick, right? Here, put this on and you won’t be cold.”
The girl bit her lip and slowly took the clothes.
“Oh dear, what are you shy about.” Seeing her hesitating, Nuan Yu directly shook open the clothes and wrapped her up, “It’s much warmer, right?”
The girl felt the touch of thick cotton on her body, resisting the cold wind she feared most. How could it be warm as soon as she put it on? But a little fire did ignite in her heart.
Yu Shengxiang held the porridge and waved at her with a smile: “Come and eat.”
The moment the hot porridge entered her stomach, the girl finally understood what Nuan Yu meant by “warm.”
Yu Shengxiang thoughtfully added a bowl for her: “You still haven’t told me last time, what’s your name?”
“Bu Yu.” The girl took the bowl and spat out two more words, “Thank you.”
“Bu Yu.” Yu Shengxiang was a little surprised, “What a special name. My name is Yu Shengxiang.”
Bu Yu drank the porridge and said softly, “I know.”
“You know me?” Although Bu Yu’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s, Yu Shengxiang still heard it clearly, “Then why didn’t you come to me before?”
Bu Yu shook her head and just kept drinking the porridge without saying anything.
Yu Shengxiang looked at her and chuckled, holding her face: “Don’t be shy in the future, just come find me.”
At the end, she added another sentence: “Anything is fine.”
*
After leaving Yong City, Nangong Ci wandered around, and the number of demons and monsters slain by the Azurefall Sword increased. He drank morning dew and slept on straw stacks, alone and without leaving a name. Until one day, the morning dew condensed into crystal-clear pearls clinging to the leaves, did he realize that it was winter again.
Xie Ci’s tomb was on the back mountain of Southern Return. Nangong Ci suddenly wanted to go back and take a look.
This time, he didn’t alarm anyone. He returned to Southern Return under the cover of the dark night and stayed on the back mountain for a night.
Today was Xie Ci’s death anniversary, but besides him, no one else would remember this matter.
Nangong Ci squatted down facing the tomb, raised his hand and gently stroked the cold tombstone. It was difficult for his heart to have emotional fluctuations anymore, and to appropriately express the emotions generated by these fluctuations from his eyes.
He was just numb, so he watched indifferently. And beneath the indifference, there was the uncontrollable pain and love.
“Xie Ci, I searched all the places I’ve been to, but I haven’t found a way to bring you back.” Nangong Ci muttered in a low voice, “Perhaps, you have already been reincarnated and forgotten the past.”
Is there really no art of rebirth in this world?
Yes, there is.
It was written clearly in that Record of Strange Contracts, the art of rebirth is one of the four forbidden arts. Although as difficult as ascending to heaven, it was not illusory.
However, to exchange for a life, it was necessary for tens of millions of people to die.
Nangong Ci could not do this. He could only look for other methods, hoping for the pity of heaven.
The wind was fast and dense at night, blowing Nangong Ci’s mind particularly clear. He suddenly remembered that there was another method, although it could not directly achieve rebirth, it was currently the closest thing to rebirth.
—Spiritual Artifact.
And the two great spiritual artifacts in the world were located in Mo City and Shuo City respectively.
Nangong Ci staggered when he got up, and his knee bumped into the tombstone. He couldn’t wait for a moment and wished he could immediately reach one of the two places, Mo City and Shuo City.
However, extreme joy leads to sorrow. A familiar unease emerged again. Nangong Ci gripped Azurefall tightly, vaguely feeling that between heaven and earth, something akin to chaos was forming.
The spiritual energy of all things gradually subsided, and demons and monsters were lurking and ready to move. Along with the unease in Nangong Ci’s heart, something was struggling to break out of the ground.
Far away, it was as dark as an abyss.
In the night, a woman in purple returned to her residence, holding an umbrella. As soon as she put away the umbrella, a man ran out of the study impatiently.
“A Si, you’re back!”
Wen Rumeng took the umbrella from her, put his arm around her shoulder, and his face changed: “Why are you so cold?”
Nie Xiangsi knew she was in the wrong, so she had to admit it: “Sorry, I went out too hastily and left the cloak at home. Don’t be angry with me, Meng Lang. I won’t make such a mistake again.”
Wen Rumeng pinched her face, pretending to be serious: “If there’s a next time, see how I punish you.”
Even though he said that, he took off his own cloak and tightly wrapped it around the woman.
“Didn’t your family… tell you to go back? Why didn’t you go back?” Nie Xiangsi asked tentatively.
Wen Rumeng’s expression stiffened slightly, revealing a look of loneliness: “My father, he’s too stubborn and won’t listen at all. Going back would definitely mean being locked up at home, forced to marry.”
Nie Xiangsi lowered her eyes, a trace of sorrow flashed across her eyes: “A perfect match in terms of social status, nothing could be more suitable.”