Chapter 3: Night Conversations
"Xiaoran, wake up, Xiaoran..." The repeated calls roused Moran from his slumber. As he opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by the neighbors from the village. At that moment, Aunt Chen, with concern, asked Moran: "Xiaoran, what happened to you? You were shouting so loudly that I thought something was wrong with you"
"To serve the master is the honor of a subordinate," replied Elder Fang respectfully
The man in black glanced at him and said, "You have worked hard over the years." His eyes were filled with admiration
With a swoosh, a black figure swiftly plunged into the woods, glancing around for a moment before walking deeper into the forest. After walking for a while, it suddenly stopped, gazing forward with a hint of reverence in its eyes. Then, it knelt down respectfully and said, "I have come to pay my respects to my master."
After about an hour, when Mo Ran felt that he could no longer endure and was on the verge of death, a surge of blue-purple energy suddenly rushed back into his body, flowing from his fingers, toes, and several points on his head towards Mo Ran's purple dantian.
The man in black sighed deeply and continued, "He is also very pitiful; I owe an apology to both him and his mother."
What is going on? In my previous life, I was struck by lightning, and now in this life, I am facing the same situation. Is this for real? I cursed the heavens a few times in my heart, but it was of no use. I could only watch helplessly as the current enveloped me, enduring this immense pain
I just... At this moment, Mo Ran finally noticed the condition of the house. Aside from the neighbors who had come over, there were no signs of damage inside the house. "The house was struck by lightning and yet it didn't catch fire? That's unusual!"
If Mo Ran were to see this familiar figure here, he would undoubtedly feel an extraordinary surprise. This figure is none other than Elder Fang, who has lived with Mo Ran for eight years. At this moment, Elder Fang no longer exhibits the usual signs of aging; his body is no longer hunched. Although his face is not visible, anyone who sees him would not perceive him as a man of around seventy years old. On the contrary, the aura he exudes is enough to leave ordinary people breathless.
A sudden, intense pain caused Mo Ran to faint immediately
At this moment, Mo Ran could not see this magnificent scene. Surrounded by purple energy, every inch of his skin and every vein ached unbearably, yet he was unable to speak or move, sitting on the bed like a stone figure. Although he could do nothing, Mo Ran's consciousness remained clear.
Upon hearing the words of the Man in Black, Old Fang let out a sigh and did not speak further
There is an important matter for you to attend to now. You are to travel to Xuan'an State, where there is a person in need of your protection. Additionally, you will need to stay there for a year, after which you will return to assist me with my affairs.
Mr. Fang replied somewhat anxiously, "Yes." Only then did he stand up
Old Fang shook his head with a bitter smile and said: "Not yet, it has been three years, and I have been observing the condition within him. For some unknown reason, well... his Zifu has never been able to generate internal energy."
The master is also compelled by circumstances; he will surely understand the master in the future. Sensing the helplessness of the man in black, Old Fang advised Wei.
"Not bad, he is kind-hearted and gets along well with the people in the village," Fang Lao replied ambiguously, seemingly unsure of how to respond. He then added, "His health is also very good"
Hmm? He still hasn't sensed the internal energy?" The man in black asked somewhat dissatisfied.
How is he doing?" The man in black asked, turning his back to Old Fang.
However, just as the man in black was about to speak, Elder Fang continued: "His talent for cultivation is indeed quite high. Although he lacks the support of internal energy, every time I spar with him, he manages to come up with various strange techniques to counter my attacks. It seems he has integrated the basic moves of 'Qingmu Fist' into his offensive methods, which I have never seen before. I am not exaggerating; if we are to discuss the innovation of martial arts techniques, I must admit I fall short in comparison.
After reading the note, Mo Ran began rummaging through Fang Lao's room. After searching for quite a while without finding anything, he looked up at the sky and shouted, "Damn! I knew you went to find some wine to drink." After cursing, he felt that a lot of the pent-up anger in his heart had been released
"Yes," Elder Fang knelt down again and replied respectfully. Then, he stood up and was about to walk back.
Since you are fine now, we will head back. If there is anything, just let Auntie know, " Auntie Chen reiterated her concern.
The man in black waved his hand to interrupt, saying: "You need not concern yourself with this matter. Since he is unable to cultivate internal energy, let him be an ordinary person. Fortunately, over the years, with the assistance of the Green Jade Elixir, although he cannot become a martial artist, he is at least much stronger than an ordinary person. As long as he does not provoke any troublesome individuals, he will not face any danger"
On the morning of the second day, Mo Ran still got up early to chop wood on the mountain. When he returned, he found that Old Fang was no longer in the house. "This is strange, when I went up the mountain this morning, he was still sleeping. How could he have left in such a short time?" Mo Ran walked into the house and saw a note on the table. He opened it and found a few brief sentences written on it: "Kid, I have matters to attend to and will be away for a few days. You should practice diligently at home. If I return and find you slacking off, I will not spare you."
Has his identity been exposed? the man in black asked
It is the height of summer, and the weather has been very hot these past few days. Fortunately, it rained a little today, and the temperature has dropped. I suddenly feel that meditating in such weather is the most comfortable, and before I know it, I have entered a state of deep concentration.
The man in black slowly raised his hand and said to the other, "Get up, I have told you, there is no need for such formalities between us."
I understand, I am fine, thank you to the aunties, uncles, and older brothers. Although there is really nothing wrong, Mo Ran felt quite touched to see so many neighbors come because of his situation. At the very least, in his previous life, there were not so many people who cared about him. This kind of emotion is beyond words to express
Oh, you really scared all of us," said Mrs. Chen, patting her chest.
I just had a nightmare. Enduring the pain, I replied absentmindedly. Yet in my heart, I thought: "Goodness, if I told you that I was struck by lightning, wouldn't you say I had gone mad?"
Mo Ran returned to his room, sat on the bed, and stared blankly for a while. He thought to himself: "Since there’s nothing else to do, I might as well practice a bit longer. If I manage to cultivate that inner energy, perhaps when the old man comes back, he’ll be in a good mood and I might get hit less often in the future." Without further ado, he sat cross-legged, formed the stiff hand seal, and closed his eyes to continue his cultivation.
"Indeed, indeed," the villagers around echoed.
The crescent moon, resembling an eyebrow, had long since set, making it difficult to discern the objects on the ground. The stars in the sky seemed to fear the cold, as if afraid of the wind, all merging into the pitch-black canopy above. The midsummer midnight was exceptionally tranquil, with all sounds silenced; the surroundings were eerily quiet, save for the faint rustling of the leaves on the mountain, stirred by the cool breeze. The dark night sky was thickly covered with heavy clouds, heralding an impending downpour.
After watching the villagers leave, Mo Ran, enduring the pain throughout his body, sat up. Reflecting on the situation before he lost consciousness, he shivered and thought, "Surviving a lightning strike? I really am fortunate. No, that’s not right." With this thought, Mo Ran sat down again to sense his internal condition. As he sat, he felt a powerful purple energy swirling in his dantian, taking the shape of a vortex. This discovery filled Mo Ran with joy, and he thought, "Could this be internal energy? Have I finally cultivated internal energy? Haha... After three years, I have internal energy too. It seems I’m not that foolish after all." That night, Mo Ran sat down again to sense his internal condition. As he sat, he felt the same powerful purple energy swirling in his dantian. This discovery filled him with joy once more, and he thought, "Could this be internal energy? Have I finally cultivated internal energy? Haha... After three years, I have internal energy too. It seems I’m not that foolish after all." That night, Mo Ran hardly slept, as his mind was entirely occupied with the matter of internal energy.
The rain outside intensified, occasionally accompanied by flashes of lightning and thunder. In a meditative state, Mo Ran was unaware of the changes in the weather outside. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck outside Mo Ran's window, causing a tingling sensation in his scalp. Immediately afterward, streams of energy surged from within Mo Ran, swirling around him about two inches away from his body. The energy gathered more and more, becoming thicker and denser. In just a short while, Mo Ran's body appeared to be wrapped in a beautiful purple garment.
Sigh... Taking the dark green sign of the book, Fang Lao let out a long breath, then raised his head to look in the direction the man in black had left, shaking his head with a bitter smile, before turning and drifting back to where he had come from
"Wait a moment," Elder Fang turned around again. He saw the man in black swipe his finger, and a small dark green token appeared in his palm. After glancing at the token, he tossed it to Elder Fang and said, "Leave him in Ah Tang's care." Without waiting for Elder Fang's response, he turned and walked out towards the woods.
As Fang Lao's words just fell, a figure slowly emerged from behind a large tree ahead. This person was also clad in darkness, with a hood covering their entire face. Judging by their stature, the individual stood around 1.80 meters tall, and the way their clothing was stretched indicated a robust physique. The aura exuded by this person was clearly much more imposing than that of Fang Lao; it was a dominating presence, an unparalleled majesty that compelled one to bow their head in submission.
The old master and the madam should both be aware, but since his identity is not of great consequence, no extreme actions have been taken. I believe they have tacitly accepted it, after all, the second madam did not do anything to harm the family's interests back in the day; she was merely a pitiful person. As for others, they should be unaware.
After listening to Elder Fang's words, the man in black did not speak. He simply turned his back to Elder Fang, gazing up at the bright moon hanging in the sky. After a moment of contemplation, he said: "So what? Without inner strength, one can never become a strong person. Without the ability to protect oneself, it would be better for him to spend his entire life in the mountain village, where there is no conflict." The man in black seemed to have aged considerably, his tone filled with helplessness. Without the ability to protect oneself, it would be better for him to spend his entire life in the mountain village, where there is no conflict. The man in black seemed to have aged considerably, his tone filled with helplessness.
What about that little one... How will he manage? It seems he cannot do without someone by his side to look after him