When Shen Mo told him those words, Xie Mingjun remembered how ignorant he was. Without his father, he let others take advantage of the situation and didn't fight back. He is indeed a coward due to the principle he holds. That is to stay peaceful and humble all the time even if he is being bullied severely. In the end, he lost his home and became a useless burden.
"I, I don't want to die yet!" Xie Mingjun shouted. He didn't notice that his tears are falling.
Xie Mingjun thought he will die but he heard a peal of small laughter from Shen Mo. The young boy raised his head to see Shen Mo handing the satchel back to him.
"Get up. Follow me." Shen Mo tends not to explain why he scared the boy. He wanted to ignite Xie Mingjun's fighting spirit through life and death. Fortunately, Xie Mingjun has a will to live. "I won't do harm. I have a way to help you."
Xie Mingjun hesitated. He glanced at Shen Mo's departing figure and heard his words again. Determination filled his eyes. Xie Mingjun stood up and ran after Shen Mo to follow him. He doesn't know how many long hours had passed, he persevered walking behind Shen Mo. Xie Mingjun realized they are heading to the guard tower by the gate of the city.
Shen Mo searched for the captain of the soldiers dispatched to guard the city's gate. He approached a pair of soldiers drinking strong spirits.
"Brothers, I wish to speak with your captain." Shen Mo straightforwardly said.
The soldiers only took a glimpse of him before laughing. Shen Mo kept patient but Xie Mingjun finds it rude.
"Who are you to demand, eh?"
They stood up as if to show Shen Mo they are intimidating. Shen Mo scratched his ear and nonchalantly faced them without worry.
"Wu Patriarch, Shen Mo." He dropped his identity but the two soldiers laughed loudly their comrades started to gather around too.
"Wu Patriarch? If you are him, show us your face!"
Shen Mo's mood turned gloomy in the instant. His face, heh. He can just beat them up to teach them a lesson but he considered a diplomatic approach first. Shen Mo pulled his hood off and showed his face. The soldiers were all stunned. What Shen Mo was horrified of is that they are checking him out!
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm still a man." Shen Mo explained confidently. He is positive that they won't have any strange fetish on him.
"Beautiful girl, don't act like a man. You're posing as the Wu Patriarch, you deserve to be punished!"
"What the hell?!" Shen Mo was taken aback. He knew it, his face is cursed!
The two soldiers advanced to capture him but Shen Mo had reached his limit. He suppressed his cultivation to Nirvana and pressured the soldiers. This can shock them and no longer advance.
"Call your captain here." He repeated his demand but his tone is no longer friendly. Rather, algid and scary.
"O-of course, Ma'am, I mean, Sir!" The soldier frantically replied and ran hastily to seek their leader.
Shen Mo retrieved his indifference. His warm demeanor instantly returned as he smiled like a carefree gentleman. While looking around, the captain arrived in a hurry. He just took one glance to recognize Shen Mo. The captain Mu Zheng quickly performed a bow in respect.
"Wu Patriarch, to what may I owe you?"
"My, the orphan boy sure had grown up to a strong lad." Shen Mo patted Mu Zheng's shoulder.
He first met Mu Zheng when he was just a little boy lost in the woods of Zhou thirty years ago. The persistent crazy Will of Heaven brought an extreme tribulation against him but he spotted Mu Zheng. He did his best to save Mu Zheng and after the tribulation, he took Mu Zheng to a random barrack he found and asked their captain to train him. Mu Zheng is an orphan and he has great sympathy for orphans. Thus, Shen Mo has an idea.
"I have an orphan boy here and he is quite a talented boy. Take him in and train him with the toughest ways you know!" Shen Mo pulled Xie Mingjun forward to present the boy.
Xie Mingjun clutched the book tightly in fear. Though the man named Mu Zheng befits a gentleman's looks, his gaze is deterring. He'd rather stick to Shen Mo, ah.
"Oh, and Mu Zheng, give this to him when he reaches Qi Refining. I want him to enlist in Tao Supreme Sect. The selection happens once every five years. Make sure he becomes a Qi Refiner at fifteen." Shen Mo took out a block of jade and had a token carved out of it. He handed it to Mu Zheng so he can keep it safe. "By the way, see what that boy is holding? Do your best to guard that book. He shouldn't lose it, nor should you. Otherwise, both of you will see how angry I can get. Got that?"
"Understood." Mu Zheng wryly smiled. Why is a ragged book so important to the Wu Patriarch?
"Little Mingjun, you will live with the captain, alright? Good luck~!" Shen Mo ruffled the boy's hair before flying upwards to leave Zhou.
Mu Zheng looked back to the boy and hung the token to his waistband. "What is your name?"
"X-Xie Mingjun."
"Xie Mingjun? It fits you if you are clean. Follow me. You are now my student." Mu Zheng wonders what got the Wu Patriarch concerned about an orphan boy. Perhaps the incident thirty years ago occurred again?
Xie Mingjun took a bath and a younger soldier brought him new clothes. He felt his hope thriving in his heart upon seeing his refreshed figure from the mirror. He heard before that life in the military is difficult but he can endure as long as he lives and find Shen Mo in the future.
"Wu Patriarch, who is he?" He thought deeply.
This world with six realms is called Wu, was it a coincidence he is referred to as Wu Patriarch?
Whatever the case is, he is inspired to become like him one day. Furthermore, he just witnessed a lesson. Wu Patriarch was disrespected when he chose to peacefully speak with them. However, after revealing his cultivation, the soldiers were scared they instantly complied with his wishes. Xie Mingjun remembered his father's teaching. He said, "Always be good to others because there is kindness in evil."
Was it even true?
Xie Mingjun's pupils flared resentment. He will avenge his father's death! He will take back what they stole from him! There is no such thing as his father said, he lied to him so Xie Mingjun can never unveil the ugly side of this world.
Shen Mo got back to the sect. He flinched to find Cai standing by the arch while holding the cat. She doesn't look happy, or angry. It confuses him honestly!
"The cat food is here." He got closer but Cai scoffed in disdain.
"Master, what took you so long? My cat is about to die from hunger. Not only Mimi, but I'm also hungry." Cai loathed with a bit of an unhappy tone.
Shen Mo can't resist his cute disciple being irritated. He pinched her cheek and showed her what he bought. "Let's go back inside. This won't happen again, I promise."
"Men are all lies." She scoffed which took him aback.
"Who told you that?!"
"Elder Zhang Ningxiang."
"Her? What else are the other elders teaching you?" His lip twitched from suppressed bitterness. Those elders are supposed to teach her educational lessons, not something as ambiguous as that!
"Elder Gu Cheng said girls are so picky nowadays he can't get a date. That's why I must not become like those ladies. Elder Zhang Ning'an said I might grow up to be a beautiful fairy one day, which I found odd and impossible. Elder Murong Li wonders why girls are difficult to woe because he did everything for one certain woman, he even scrubbed toilets for her but she is still angry at him. Elder Zhang Ningxiang said men can't be trusted with their promises because they like to lie. Elder Bai Shengming mentioned something called love that made his friend, the Third Elder, more desperate than a wimp. Elder Murong Li said men are dumb even if they are strong with sword fights they can't tell if a girl likes them. So far, those are the lessons I can't understand, Master."
That night, for some reason, the revered supreme elders of Wu Patriarch's sect were standing on one foot above tree trunks with heavy books on their hands and heads. The outer and inner court elders wonder why too.
"This is all a cheater's fault!" Zhang Ningxiang started which caught the other five's attention.
"If someone had forgiven me since I was so sincere, I wouldn't have told a senior about my laments!" Murong Li shouted back without looking at anyone but the rest knew who he was speaking to.
"It's both of you, come on! We all know you two are into one another so why make it so hard?" Bai Shengming loathed as he glanced at Murong Li who is hesitating on something.
"Why only them? Someone here is duller than a blind idiot, he doesn't know someone likes him too!" This time, Liu Zhouran spoke in spite while glaring at Bai Shengming.
"Who? I hadn't heard of a gossip like that." Bai Shengming's eyes brightened but a book was suddenly thrown to his face he fell from the tall stand.
"Idiot!" Liu Zhouran threw another book before flying away.
The rest glanced at each other in wonder, if Bai Shengming is still alive and if Liu Zhouran will be safe from Shen Mo's sermon.
"Humph!" Both Zhang Ningxiang and Murong Li scoffed. They turned in different directions but their hidden face showed hesitance and sadness.
"Damn, what's wrong with those four?" Gu Cheng peeked on the other side but his eyes drifted to Zhang Ning'an and her curves.
"I have no idea." Zhang Ning'an can't understand anything regarding their issues. "Hey, Sister, Brother Murong, want to go on a date?"
The two blushed fervently and slowly looked at one another.
"On the other hand, why don't we try too?" Gu Cheng suggested but Zhang Ning'an gave him a cold glance.
"I heard First Elder is single since birth." Zhang Ning'an sneered. She is just teasing Gu Cheng. He doesn't look bad and his talent is admirable but his blunt attitude is a no for her, and maybe with the other ladies he courted.
"Master, will I grow up like them?" Cai asked Shen Mo.
They are secretly observing the elders on how long will they last. It was not even an hour when two of them left their grounds and another two are unbalanced.
"Like what? As strong as them?" He assumed Cai admires their ability. He will surely boast proudly how he taught the elders some strengthening immortal arts.
"Master, you're jumping to conclusions. I meant, will I be as disobedient as them? Aren't they previous disciples of this sect? How come they are like this?" Cai's questions struck Shen Mo's heart bitterly.
Shen Mo repressed the fishy taste from his throat. She is right, this girl just exposed him to the sarcastic truth. The supreme elders of his sect are still immature brats.
"Just pray you won't be like them." Shen Mo sighed and held her hand to guide her back to the Founder's Peak. "You know how? Don't let your emotions get ahead of you. If you make a decision and was overwhelmed by happiness, sooner or later, you will regret it. The same goes if you are angry. So, you must always be reasonable. I know you can."
Cai listened and held his hand back. She thought it will be easy to hold back her feelings in the future. Cai didn't foresee, she can't, and it will place him in danger.