Chapter 2: Liu Ran, Mo Ran

"Today is quite good, and I even know how to counterattack," the old man said with a smile

"Are you a good person or a bad person?" she whispered, slowly drifting into a dream.

The young man opened his tightly shut eyes and looked at the slightly stooped old man, saying fiercely: "Afraid of you? If I were afraid of you, I wouldn't be called Mo Ran."

"What's wrong? Are you out of strength? Then let me take over." The old man looked at Mo Ran with a smile.

Before arriving at the continent of Yongwu, Mo Ran came from a blue planet called Earth. His birth name was Liu Ran. His parents passed away in a car accident during his childhood. Liu Ran used the insurance money he received after their death to live frugally and eventually gained admission to a university to study financial management. Throughout his four years in university, Liu Ran consistently ranked among the top of his class, indicating a promising future.

Just after Mo Ran fell into a deep sleep, the elderly man lying in the bed next door suddenly opened his eyes. The drunkenness of the day had vanished, replaced by an expression of mystery and depth. The old man gently opened the window, and in a flash, he floated away like willow catkins, making not a sound.

When Liu Ran's consciousness saw his body lying in a pool of blood, he was shocked. Before Liu Ran could figure out what was happening, a bolt of lightning suddenly descended from the sky, enveloping him in a strong purple energy that consumed him.

After the early death of his parents, he once again experienced the warmth of a mother's embrace from the woman who held him from morning till night after his rebirth. Coupled with the family's status, he firmly believed that he had struck gold this time, seemingly becoming a wealthy young master. Could it be that heaven, seeing his kind heart and his brave act of saving a child, wanted to compensate him by granting him a chance to be reborn, allowing him to truly enjoy a life of wealth

Sigh... failed again. The inspiration from just now was not found, and the young man felt a bit disappointed

At that moment, "Little one, I'm back. Come out quickly; it's time for training. If you can't take three moves from me today, heh heh, then all the rabbit meat tonight will be mine. Ha ha..." As the voice drew closer, a figure slowly appeared at the door.

"Have you not eaten?" the old man provocatively remarked

The eyes, following the open window, gaze at the distant stars, as scenes from the past slip through the mind one after another

The old man secretly praised the quick reaction, and then he saw his body performing a graceful spin in mid-air, evading Mo Ran's kick. Following this momentum, he extended his right fist to strike at Mo Ran's back.

Do not... The sound of wooden strips striking flesh, mixed with the sudden cries of despair, echoed continuously in this quiet little village

Oh? Much stronger than yesterday, not falling down. Come at me with another move." After saying this, the old man shot forward, transforming his palm into a fist, directly attacking Mo Ran's cheek

Liu Ran still remembers the moment of his death, when his consciousness detached from his body. He was unaware of the state he was in at that time; that consciousness felt like a state between gas and liquid, colorless and transparent.

"Old man, can't you be a little gentler?" Mo Ran said angrily to the elderly man

With just the sound of "peng," Mo Ran's entire body was propelled forward for a moment before falling to the ground. However, it was evident that the old man had not used any internal energy. Mo Ran quickly flipped over like a carp and sat up on the ground.

"So fast!" Mo Ran immediately raised his arms, crossing them in front of his chest. He lowered his waist, forcefully stepping forward with his left foot in a bow stance, while his right foot kicked back fiercely. With a muffled sound, the old man's palm struck Mo Ran's arms. Mo Ran was suddenly sent flying back two or three zhang. He quickly steadied himself and rubbed his arms together, exclaiming, "Damn! That hurts!"

"Hehe, that's enough. You've taken a couple of my moves, showing some progress. Let's proceed with the final training for today." After saying this, the old man took a wooden stick from behind his back and approached Mo Ran with a sly smile.

The night is dim and vast, the cliffs and precipices are no longer clearly visible, only the dark silhouettes of the peaks can be seen, a solitary star twinkles atop the mountain, the Milky Way is obscured by clouds, and the surroundings are enveloped in silence

Was that feeling just now internal energy? Hmm, let's try it again.

Little did he know that disaster would strike. On the day of the incident, it was raining heavily. As Liu Ran was about to cross the street, he suddenly saw a speeding car about to hit a little boy who was playing in the middle of the road. Liu Ran selflessly pushed the boy out of the way, but he himself was struck by the car and thrown far away, dying on the spot

Is his surname really Fang? What exactly is his background? After taking care of me for so many years, could it be for something I possess? Lying in bed, I repeatedly knocked my head, thinking over and over again, yet still found no clues

Mo Ran, who once thought he could escape poverty and live a happy life, once again experienced the pain of separation from his parents, and the imagined identity of a wealthy young man lasted for less than a year

After speaking, one could only feel the old man's body gently sway. In the blink of an eye, he had already arrived in front of Mo Ran, extending a withered hand towards him

On the bed, a young man sat cross-legged, his thumbs and middle fingers pinching together to form a hand seal. Suddenly, the young man blinked his eyes twice: "Huh? What is this?" He felt a subtle, almost imperceptible flow of warmth coursing through his body, but when he prepared to search for it carefully, it vanished immediately.

Ignoring the elder's sarcasm, the youth withdrew his right fist that had struck the elder's arm, and then swiftly turned to deliver a sweeping kick aimed at the elder's lower body. "Bang," the elder, equally unhurried, lowered his left arm and pushed aside Mo Ran's left leg.

Although Liu Ran cannot see, he can still hear sounds. From the conversations of the people around him, he learned that he was reborn into a family with the surname Mo. His father is the third son of the current head of the family, and his mother is the second wife that his father married. He also has an elder aunt who has one son. Coincidentally, his mother gave him the name: Mo Ran

The greatest secret of Mo Ran, who has been reborn, is one that can never be revealed to anyone. Moreover, no one would ever suspect that a mere ten-year-old child, when alone each night, would actually reflect on the experiences of the past ten years in search of clues regarding someone's identity.

Mo Ran did not lose heart; his fists were like a fierce tiger descending the mountain, launching a continuous series of attacks. In a short span of time, he had unleashed over twenty moves, yet the old man effortlessly countered each one with just his left hand. At this moment, sweat had already begun to bead on Mo Ran's forehead. After attacking for a while longer, Mo Ran took advantage of the momentum to leap backward, creating distance between himself and the old man, breathing heavily.

The young man named Mo Ran, harnessing a surge of momentum, concentrated all his strength into his right fist and struck out fiercely. Just as he was about to hit the old man's chest, with a soft "bang," the old man smiled gently and slowly raised his left arm, effortlessly blocking Mo Ran's attack

Mo Ran lay on his bed, his body smeared with the green ointment given by the old man. The pain from the encounters with the old man during the day had improved significantly.

As soon as the words fell, with a whoosh, the young man suddenly sprang up, pushing off forcefully with his feet and darting towards the elderly man at the door.

"If I get hit, I will definitely be disfigured. I must dodge." Mo Ran cursed silently, leaning back and falling straight down. Just as his back was about to touch the ground, he exerted force with his waist, forcefully twisting his body half a turn. Then, with his head down, he pushed off with his left palm and kicked upward fiercely at the old man's chin with his right foot.

When Liu Ran awoke once more, he discovered that his soul consciousness was now housed within the body of an infant. However, he was unable to clearly see his surroundings or speak; he only knew that he had not lost the memories of his past life. In astonishment, Liu Ran realized that he seemed to be like a character from a novel: he had been reborn

When leaving the Mo family, Mo Ran was not yet two years old. He was taken away by a wet nurse, and when they reached the foot of the mountain, the wet nurse probably thought little Mo Ran was a burden, so she abandoned him at the doorstep of a farmer's house. At that moment, Mo Ran was filled with indignation: "You have carried me this far, couldn't you at least place me on a pile of straw or something? The ground is so cold; can my small body withstand it?" However, little Mo Ran was still too young to speak, so he could only cry out loud. This commotion attracted the attention of the farmer, who kindly took little Mo Ran in.

Is it already late at night? The night is indeed as cool as water! Sighing, Mo Ran tightened the thin cotton quilt around him and gazed towards the neighboring room. Although separated by a wall, the old man's snoring still came through the thin barrier.

Little did he know that the good times would not last long. Just as Mo Ran was preparing to enjoy this new identity, his mother fell ill with a strange infectious disease and passed away two months later. Due to her illness, many servants in the household were also infected, leading to numerous deaths within the Mo family. The current head of the family, Mo Ran's grandfather, was extremely furious, labeling Mo Ran as a harbinger of disaster. Mo Ran's mother was merely an ordinary woman, without any background or influence. The head of the family had initially opposed their union, and now, over time, Mo Ran's already somewhat marginalized status within the family plummeted even further. Later, in order to preserve Mo Ran's father's position in the family, his aunt used the excuse of Mo Ran being a disaster to expel him from the Mo family.

A few months later, an old man suddenly arrived in the village and built a small thatched cottage to settle down. No one knew where the old man came from, only that his surname was Fang, and the villagers respectfully referred to him as "Old Fang," who was about sixty years old. After his arrival, the old man sought out a farmer, claiming he had no children or grandchildren. Upon learning that the farmer had found a baby, he expressed a desire to raise the child to continue the family line. The farmer was unaware of how the old man knew that Mo Ran was found and did not think much of it, so he entrusted Mo Ran to the old man. From then on, the old man and little Mo Ran relied on each other, living a simple and modest life.