Ch.4/5 This Venerable One’s Cousin

This Shi Mei [name] was not that kind of shimei [junior sister].

Shi Mei was genuinely male and, considering when he’d joined the

sect, he was actually Mo Ran’s shixiong.

The reason he had such an unfortunate name was due to the

Sisheng Peak Leader’s lack of erudition.

Shi Mei was an orphan, and the Peak Leader had found him in the

wild. He had been a weak and sickly child, and so the Peak Leader

had thought he would give this child a humble name, as humble

names bring an easier life.

As a child he had been very pretty, like a darling young lass, lovable

and charming. After much thinking, the leader eventually came up

with the name Xue Ya, which meant Chickee.

As Xue Ya grew older and older, so too did he grow more and more

beautiful. He possessed a slim figure, and the tips of his brows and

the corners of his eyes were well-shaped, giving him a graceful

mien. The overall effect was of a striking and peerless natural

beauty.

The crude, uncultured farmers of the villages didn't think it wrong to

use the name Xue Ya, but had anyone ever heard of a legendary

beauty named "Dog Balls" or "Steel Cocks"?

His fellow sect disciples didn't think it appropriate and gradually

stopped calling him "Xue Ya". But since it had been a name

bestowed by the Peak Leader, they didn't dare presume to change it,

and so they half jokingly started calling him shimei instead.

Shimei this, shimei that; after a while, out of kind consideration, the

Peak Leader shook out his long sleeves and kindly offered, "Xue Ya,

why don't you change your name to Shi Mei once and for all? Using

the character "mei" from the word meng mei, meaning ignorant and

uncivilised, what do you think?"

He actually had the gall to ask......what normal person wouldn't

abhor such a name? Still, Shi Mei had a sweet temper, and when he

saw that the Peak Leader was watching him with excited cheer,

thinking that he'd done an amazing deed, Shi Mei didn't have the

heart to decline. Even if he felt aggrieved, he couldn't embarrass the

Peak Leader, so he knelt and accepted the name with grace. From

that day on, his name was changed to Shi Mei.

The person in the black cloak coughed a few times, finally catching

his breath. His gaze fell onto Mo Ran. “Mn? A-Ran? What are you

doing here?”

Behind a thin layer of organza, a pair of eyes gentle as spring water

and bright as the night stars pierced into the depths of Mo Ran’s

heart.

With this one look, the seal on Taxian-Jun’s hidden feelings and

tender affections was suddenly broken.

It was Shi Mei.

There was no mistake.

Mo Ran was a scoundrel. In his past life, he’d played around with

many men and wom en. That he hadn’t died from too much sex had

come as a surprise, even to him.

However, the only person he’d ever given his heart to, he did not

dare to touch.

He and Shi Mei had been close, their relationship ambiguously

romantic. However, up until Shi Mei’s death, Mo Ran had only ever

held his hand and the one time their lips had brushed in a kiss, it had

been an accident.

Mo Ran felt that he was dirty and sullied, while Shi Mei was pure and

gentle; Mo Ran was not fit to be with him.

In life, Shi Mei had been treasured and cherished by Mo Ran, and all

the more so after his death. Then, he’d become Taxian-Jun’s

moonlight. No matter how much he desperately tried to relive

memories of him, the deceased still belonged to the past, dissolved

to nothing more than a lump of earth. In the underworld below, traces

of that transcendent figure had long been obscured.

But in this moment, Shi Mei was standing in front of him, alive once

more. It was only with great effort and all of Mo Ran’s willpower that

he could hold back his emotions, restrain himself.

Mo Ran helped Shi Mei up and patted away the dust on his cloak,

heart aching with an almost physical pain.

“If I hadn’t been here, they would have bullied you even more! Why

didn’t you hit them back?”

“I wanted to try reasoning with them first......”

“You can’t reason with these people! Are you injured? Where does it

hurt?”

“ Cough cough , A-Ran, I......I’m fine.”

Mo Ran turned his head, his expression ferocious. He said to the

cultivators, “You d are lay hands on someone from Sisheng Peak?

Some nerves you’ve got there.”

“A-Ran...... don’t mind it......”

“You guys wanna fight? Come on then! Fight me!”

The group of cultivators had taken just one blow from Mo Ran, but

that one blow had been enough to make them aware that his

cultivation skills were far beyond theirs. They retreated, afraid to get

into a brawl with him.

Shi Mei sighed, and advised, “A-Ran, cease the quarrelling, forgive

and forget.”

Mo Ran turned back to Shi Mei, and couldn’t help but feel a forlorn

sort of distress in his heart, the corners of his eyes feeling all hot.

Shi Mei had always been kind hearted. In his past life, at his

deathbed, there had been no resentment, no hatred. He’d tried to

persuade Mo Ran to not hate their Shizun who could’ve clearly

saved Shi Mei’s life, but who had instead chosen to stand at the

side, not lifting a finger.

“But they......”

“I’m okay though, see, nothing happened. Having less problems is

better than having more problems, please listen to this shige.”

Mo Ran sighed. “Alright, I’ll listen to you, I’ll listen to everything you

say.” He shook his head, then shot a glare at the cultivators. “You

hear that? My shige has pleaded for leniency on your behalf! Hurry

up and get lost! What are you still here for? Are you waiting for me to

accompany you out?”

“Yes, yes! We’re leaving, we’re leaving!”

“Hang on,” Shi Mei said to the group of cultivators.

They assumed that, after having beaten Shi Mei up, he was not

about to let them go easily. Thus, they knelt onto the floor, bowing as

they said, “Xianjun, xianjun! We were in the wrong, we were

ignorant. Please let us go!”

“You didn’t listen to me earlier when I tried to reason with you.” Shi

Mei sighed. “You kidnapped someone’s child, breaking their parents’

hearts. How can you live with this on your conscience?”

“We’re sorry! We’re sorry! Xianjun, we made a mistake! We will

never do it again! We will never do it again!”

“From now on you must live a clean life, no more evil deeds, do you

understand?”

“Of course! You’ve taught us a good lesson! We, we’ve learned our

lesson! We’ve learned our lesson!”

“Then, please apologize to this Madam, and heal her children with

care.”

And so the incident finally came to an end. Mo Ran helped Shi Mei

up onto his horse, then rented another one from the pit stop. The two

headed back to their sect, side by side.

The moon shone high up in the sky, its light piercing through the

leaves to scatter onto the footpath.

As they went, Mo Ran began to feel an elation growing inside him.

He’d initially thought he wouldn’t be able to see Shi Mei until he was

back at Sisheng Peak. He hadn’t expected Shi Mei to come down to

the base of the mountain for errands, and run into him by chance.

This only cemented Mo Ran’s belief that he and Shi Mei really were

fated.

Even though Shi Mei and himself weren’t technically an item right

now, they’d already snogged in their past life. By all indications, it

was going to be smooth sailing this lifetime as well, it was all just a

matter of time.

The only thing he needed to worry about was protecting Shi Mei,

making sure that things would not happen like they had that year,

when Shi Mei had died in Mo Ran’s arms...

Shi Mei had no way of knowing Mo Ran was reborn, and chatted

with him as he usually did while they went back. Soon, they arrived

at the foot of Sisheng Peak.

Who would have thought that, in the dead of the night, there would

be a person standing in front of the mountain’s gate, glaring at them

with a threatening gaze.

“Mo Ran! You finally remembered to come back??”

“Eh?”

Mo Ran looked up. Ah! Such an angry little darling of the heavens.

It was none other than a youthful Xue Meng.

Compared to the one he’d seen before his death, this fifteen-ish year

old version was much more unruly and handsome. He was dressed

in a set of light armour, with a black base and blue trimming, high

ponytail tied up with a silver hair piece. A belt decorated with a lion’s

head was fastened around his strong and slender waist, gaiters

wrapping around his wrists and ankles. A slim scimitar on his back

gleamed with a cold light, and the quiver by his left arm glittered with

silver.

Mo Ran sighed to himself, quietly thinking.

Hmm, flashy.

Xue Meng, whether a teen or a grown up, was really flashy.

Just look at him; rather than sleeping, he dresses himself in full

armour. What is he doing? Here to perform a pheasant’s mating call?

Like a peacock displaying his train?

Mo Ran disliked Xue Meng. Xue Meng too, disliked him back.

Mo Ran was an illegitimate child. When he was little, he hadn’t

known who his father was. He’d gotten by working odd jobs at a

pleasure house6

in XiangTan. It was only when he was fourteen that

he was found by relatives, and brought to Sisheng Peak.

Xue Meng, on the other hand, was the young master of Sisheng

Peak, as well as Mo Ran’s cousin. He was a prodigy, with people

calling him the “darling of the heavens'' and “son of the phoenix”. For

a cultivator, on average, the first three years was spent on learning

the basics. To form a spiritual core, it took ten. With Xue Meng’s

innate talent, it had only taken him five years to achieve all of that.

But in Mo Ran’s eyes, whether it was a phoenix or chicken, peacock

or duck, they were all birds. The only difference was in how long

their feathers were.

And so Mo Ran saw Xue Meng as: a bird.

Xue Meng saw Mo Ran as: a dog.

Perhaps it ran in the family, but Mo ran was shockingly gifted as well,

even more so than Xue Meng.

When Mo Ran had first arrived, Xue Meng had considered himself

higher class. He was more skillful, more educated, stronger and

more handsome. How could he be compared to his illiterate, sloppy,

hooligan of a cousin?

Thus this narcissistic phoenix boasted to his attendants, “Listen up,

this Mo Ran is a loafer, an absolute street mongrel. You are not

allowed to give him any attention. Just pretend he’s a dog.

The attendants praised him right back, saying, “Young master is

right, that Mo Ran is already fourteen years old. To start cultivation

now, he would have to study the basics for ten years, and take

another twenty years to form his spiritual core. By then, young

master will have already ascended, and he can only watch from

below.”

Xue Meng sneered. “Twenty? Hmph, looking at this piece of trash, I

doubt he could even form a spiritual core.”

Who would have thought that, this piece of trash would have gained

his spiritual core after just one year of studying with his Shizun.

The phoenix felt like he’d been struck by lightning. The harsh truth

was hard to swallow.

And so he’d secretly cursed the other to slip and fall when he

traveled on his sword, reciting curses until his tongue twisted.

Every time he saw Mo Ran, the small phoenix Xue Meng couldn’t

help but roll his eyes, and his scoffing could be heard from three

miles away.

As Mo Ran remembered these childhood memories, he couldn’t help

but narrow his eyes in amusement. It had been a very long time

since he’d experienced such trivial things. After ten years of

loneliness, even unpleasant things from the past had become very

sweet to him.

Noticing Xue Meng, Shi Mei dismounted his horse and took his

bamboo hat off, revealing a peerlessly stunning face.

It made sense that he would be dressed like this to go out by

himself. Mo Ran stole a peek from the side, feeling elation and

longing, thinking to himself that this person was truly alluring, a

beauty that was out of this world.

Shi Mei greeted Xue Meng, “Young Master.”

Xue Meng nodded. “You’re back? Did you take care of the man-bear

incident?”

Shi Mei smiled. “It’s been taken care of, all thanks to A-Ran’s help.”

Xue Meng’s proud and lofty gaze was sharp like a blade. It swept up

and down over Mo Ran, then immediately turned away. He furrowed

his brows, face twisting in displeasure, as if one more look at Mo

Ran would sully his eyes.

“Shi Mei, go back and rest. Stop hanging out with him, he’s a petty

thief. You’ll only learn bad things, hanging out with him.”

Mo Ran showed no weakness, and said mockingly, “If Shi Mei isn’t

going to learn from me, then is he supposed to learn from you?

Dressed in full armour in the middle of the night, sticking your tail out

like a bird. Prince of the Heavens...? Hahaha! More like Princess of

the Heavens!”

Xue Meng was furious. “Mo Ran! Watch your mouth! This is my

home! Who do you think you are?!”

Mo Ran contemplated for a moment, counting off on his fingers as

he did so, then said, “I’m your older cousin. If you think about it, I’m

ranked higher than you, actually.”

It was like Xue Meng had been splattered with a faceful of dog shit.

He scowled, and said sharply, “Who wants a cousin like you? Don’t

flatter yourself! In my eyes you’re nothing but a dog rolling in the

mud!”

Xue Meng was someone who really liked to call other people dogs.

Like dog spawn, dog thing, son of a bitch, such epithets came to his

mouth with ease. Mo Ran picked his ear nonchalantly; he’d long

grown used to these things. But, beside them, Shi Mei was feeling

rather awkward. He said some soothing words in a low voice, and

with a sneer, Xue Meng finally shut his righteous beak.

Shi Mei smiled, then gently asked, “Young Master, it’s so late. Are

you waiting for someone?”

“What else would I be doing? Moon-watching?”

Mo Ran burst into laughter. “No wonder you’re dressed like this,

you’re waiting for your date! Ay, who’s the unlucky one? I pity her.

Hahahahaha.“

Xue Meng’s expression darkened, and he snapped, “You!”

“...Me?”

“I’m waiting for you, what are you going to do about it?”

Mo Ran: “.................................???”

Ch.5 This Venerable One Did Not Steal

Loyalty Hall was brightly lit.

Shi Mei had parted ways with them a while back. Mo Ran stepped

into the hall after Xue Meng, perplexed, but suddenly understood the

situation upon seeing the scene inside.

Rong Jiu, that sissy.

Mo Ran had stolen some money from him before leaving, and he’d

actually had the nerve to come to Sisheng Peak to complain.

Rong Jiu was crying miserably while curled into the arms of a large,

stocky man. When Mo Ran and Xue Meng entered the hall, his sobs

grew three pitches higher, as if he might foam at the mouth and

swoon if not for the arms holding him.

On the dais, behind a bead curtain, a delicate lady sat, clearly at a

complete loss.

Mo Ran didn’t spare the repulsive pair so much as a glance, and

instead saluted to the lady. “Aunt, I’m back.”

This woman was indeed the master of Sisheng Peak, Madam Wang.

Unlike those heroines who were every bit a match for their male

counterparts, she was a meek homemaker who did not dabble in

outside matters. Without her husband here, she really didn’t know

how to deal with this at all. She spoke timidly, saying, “A-Ran, you’ve

finally returned.”

Mo Ran acted as if he didn’t even see the pair here to complain, and

smiled at her. “Aunt is up so late, did you need me for something?”

“Mn. You see, this Rong gongzi says that you... that you took his

money?”

She had a thin face, and was too embarrassed to say that Mo Ran

went whoring. Sooo instead, she chose to address the minor

offense.

Mo Ran’s eyes curved in a smile. “Really? It’s not like I’m short on

money, why would I need to take theirs? Besides, they don’t look

familiar, do I know you?”

The stocky man sneered. “Yours truly is surnamed Chang, the eldest

of my family. As a business person, minor formalities matter little;

you may call me Chang Da [eldest son].”

Mo Ran smiled, and purposefully flipped his name around: “Ah, so

it’s Da Chang [big intestine] gongzi. It’s an honor to finally meet you,

please excuse my rudeness. And this other gentleman is...”

Big Intestine gongzi: “Hah, Mo-gongzi sure is fond of acting the fool.

This is the first time you and I have met, but in the thirty days of this

month, you’ve spent fifteen nights in Jiu-er’s room. Have you gone

blind? How would you not recognize him?”

Mo Ran was entirely unperturbed, still smiling as he glanced toward

Rong Jiu. “What’s this, trying to slander me? I’m a decent, honorable

person, of course I’ve never slept with any San-er or Jiu-er.”

Rong Jiu’s face was red with anger, but he continued to nestle

against Chang’s chest, sobbing. “Mo, Mo-gongzi, I know my status is

low and unseemly... if you hadn’t exploited me so cruelly, I wouldn’t

have come calling, but to be treated like this, I... I...”

Mo Ran’s tone was as if he was the one being wronged. “I really truly

do not know you, I can’t even tell if you’re male or female, how could

we have met?”

“You patronized my business just last night, how could you be so

cold? Chang-gongzi, Chang-gongzi, you have to get justice on my

behalf.” He burrowed even deeper into Chang’s arms, crying louder

than ever.

Off to the side, Xue Meng’s entire face was ashen, frown twitching as

he listened to this absurdity. If not for the self-restraint of his young

master upbringing, he would’ve beaten this repulsive pair off the

mountain long ago.

Big Intestine-gongzi patted Rong Jiu’s head while soothing him with

soft words, then declared threateningly, “Madam Wang, Sisheng

Peak is a virtuous, upright sect, but this Mo-gongzi is vulgar and

despicable! Jiu-er works hard for his money, all to buy his own

freedom as soon as possible. But this guy! As if mistreating Jiu-er

wasn’t enough, he even stole all the savings Jiu-er sweat and bled

for! The Chang family are not cultivators, but we are moneyed and

have been in business for generations. If your sect does not give us

a satisfactory explanation today, we will be sure to give the whole lot

of you a hard time in BaShu!”

Madam Wang was flustered. “Ah......Chang-gongzi please calm

down, I, I......”

Mo Ran sneered internally. The Chang family were salt merchants,

ludicrously loaded. Who would believe that the eldest son of the

Chang family couldn’t afford to buy out Rong Jiu’s freedom, and had

to let his Jiu-er earn his way himself? Smelled fishy, to say the least.

But his smile remained fixed as he said, “Ah, so Big Intestine-xiong

is the son of Yizhou’s affluent merchant family, impressive and

commanding as expected. Truly admirable, admirable!”

Big Intestine-gongzi looked quite smug. “Hmph, so you do know your

place. Why don’t you make it easy on yourself and ‘fess up, where

are Jiu-er’s things? Hurry and return them.”

Mo Ran said, still smiling, “How strange, your Jiu-er takes so many

guests every day, even if he lost something, why am I being

blamed?”

“You!” Big Intestine-gongzi gritted his teeth, sneering. “Fine fine fine,

I just knew you would try to get out of it! Madam Wang, as you’ve

just seen, Mo-gongzi won’t be reasonable, and refuses to come

clean, I won’t waste my breath on him anymore. You’re the one in

charge, you decide!”

Madam Wang knew little and less of such affairs, and her words

stumbled over each other in her nervousness. “I... A-Ran...... Meng-

er......”

Unwilling to let his mother get put on the spot like this, Xue Meng

stepped forward. “Chang-gongzi, Sisheng Peak has strict rules of

discipline. If your accusations turn out to be true, if Mo Ran truly

violated the mandates against greed and promiscuity, we will

naturally deal out severe punishment. However, it’s your word

against his, have you any evidence?”

Big Intestine-gongzi smirked. “I knew your sect would pull this, that’s

why we rushed to get here before Mo Ran arrived, to confront

Madam Wang.”

He cleared his throat, saying, “All of you listen well. Jiu-er lost two

units of pearls, ten gold ingots, a pair of gold plum blossom

bracelets, a pair of jade hairpins, and a jade butterfly pendant. Just

search Mo Ran for these items, and the truth of my accusations will

be made clear.”

Mo Ran objected, “What right do you have to body search me?”

“Hmph, looks like a guilty conscience to me.” Big Intestine-gongzi

lifted his chin haughtily. “Madam Wang, what’s the punishment for

the sins of thieving and lechery at Sisheng Peak?”

Madam Wang answered softly, “Uhm...my husband has always been

the one in charge of sect matters, I truly...do not know...”

“Doubtful, doubtful. I think Madam Wang is purposefully playing

dumb to shield her nephew. Heh, who would’ve thought that Sisheng

Peak was actually such a corrupt, filthy place——”

“That’s quite enough out of you. My aunt already said she’s not used

to making these kinds of decisions, aren’t you done bullying a

housewife yet?” Mo Ran interrupted, finally fed up with his

blathering. Even the carefree grin that was usually on Mo Ran’s face

had dropped somewhat. He aimed a sideways glare at the repulsive

couple.

“Fine, search me then. But if nothing is found, yet you slandered my

sect to such extent, what should be done then?”

“Then I will promptly apologize to Mo-gongzi.”

“Sure.” Mo Ran agreed easily enough. “But just one thing. If you’re

wrong, then you have to crawl off Sisheng Peak on your hands and

knees as an apology.”

Seeing Mo Ran’s confidence, a seed of doubt couldn’t help but

sprout within Big Intestine-gongzi’s heart.

He had held cultivators in high regard since he was young, but he

himself unfortunately had no talent for cultivation.

A couple days ago, he’d heard that his old paramour Rong Jiu had

somehow earned Mo Ran’s favor, so the two had come to an

agreement. Rong Jiu would find an opening to seize Mo Ran’s

cultivation, and Big Intestine-gongzi would buy his freedom in

exchange. Not only that, he’d also promised to take Rong Jiu into his

household, and take care of him for life.

Big Intestine-gongzi longed for cultivation, Rong Jiu coveted riches.

The pair of scoundrels were well-matched in their collusion.

Mo Ran had fallen for their scheme in the previous lifetime. He’d

gotten even in the end, but had suffered quite a bit in doing so. This

time around, their ploy came up completely empty, for Mo Ran had

done an about-face suddenly and for no apparent reason. He’d still

been in a drunken stupor mere days ago, nestled tenderly in Rong

Jiu’s arms, Jiu-er this, Jiu-er that. But this morning, he’d brutally

screwed Rong Jiu twice, unexpectedly taken all his belongings and

valuables, and run off.

Big Intestine-gongzi was furious, and had immediately dragged Rong

Jiu to Sisheng Peak to complain.

This salt merchant gongzi was a shrewd businessman; he figured

that if he just busted Mo Ran, then he could force Madam Wang to

disperse his cultivation. He’d come prepared with a cultivation-

absorbing jade pendant, to gather some easy pickings for

assimilation into his own spiritual reservoir later.

But looking at Mo Ran now, Big Intestine-gongzi hesitated.

Mo Ran was a crafty guy. What if he’d already sold the stolen goods,

and was just waiting to pull one over on him?

But then again, things had already come to this point, it’d be a waste

to give up now. Maybe he was just bluffing......

The one over here was still struggling with his thoughts, but Mo Ran

had already started stripping over there.

He took off his outer robe, casually tossed it aside, and gestured in

invitation with a smile. “Go ahead and take your time to search.”

After all that racket, they found nothing but some spare change. Big

Intestine-gongzi’s expression changed entirely.

“Impossible!! You’re definitely playing some trick!”

Mo Ran squinted his purple-tinted eyes, stroking his chin. “You’ve

already turned my robe inside out ten times, and touched me all over

seven, eight times. There’s nothing left to do short of getting totally

naked, and you’re still not giving up?”

“Mo Ran, you——”

Mo Ran had a sudden realization. “Ah, I get it! Big Intestine-gongzi,

could it be that you’ve been lusting after my good looks, and put on

this entire show just to take advantage of me and cop a feel?”

Big Intestine-gongzi was about to pass out from rage; his entire face

was red with anger, and he pointed at Mo Ran, but was unable to

manage a single word. Watching from the side, Xue Meng had long

hit the limits of his patience; he might have disapproved of Mo Ran,

but Mo Ran was still a member of Sisheng Peak, and outsiders had

no right to degrade him.

Xue Meng strode forward with not a trace of politeness, raised his

hand and unhesitatingly broke Big Intestine-gongzi’s finger,

admonishing, “We’ve humored you for half the night, but it turns out

you were just making trouble out of nothing!”

Big Intestine-gongzi howled in pain, cradling his finger. “T-the lot of

you! You’re all in on it together! No wonder the things weren’t on Mo

Ran, you must’ve hidden them! You strip too, let me search!”

Someone actually dared to order him to strip?! Xue Meng

immediately flew into a humiliation-driven rage. “Shameless! You

really think those dog paws of yours are fit to touch even the corner

of my hem? Get the hell out!”

Now that the young master had spoken, the attendants in Loyalty

Hall, also long since fed up with this facade, immediately surged

forth to clear out this pair of ordinary people with no means of

resistance, and soundly kicked them off the mountain.

Big Intestine-gongzi’s furious screeching could be heard from the

distance. “Mo Ran, just you wait! I’m not done with you yet!”

Standing outside Loyalty Hall, Mo Ran gazed at the night sky, his

eyes curved into a smile, and sighed. “I’m so scared~”

Xue Meng shot him a cold glare. “What’re you afraid of?”

Mo Ran said with genuine worry, “They’re salt sellers, I’m afraid I

won’t get to have any more salt in the future~”

“............”

Xue Meng was silent for a moment, before asking, “You really didn’t

screw the prostitute?”

“Nope.”

“And you really didn’t steal?”

“I really did not.”

Xue Meng hmph’d. “I don’t believe you.”

Mo Ran raised a hand, laughing. “Let the heavens strike me down

with lightning if I’m lying.”

Xue Meng suddenly lifted his hand, and grabbed Mo Ran’s arm in a

vice grip. Mo Ran stared at him. “What are you doing?” Xue Meng

humph’d again, and rapidly chanted an incantation. Scattered

sounds could be heard as a handful of beads, each about the size of

a soybean, slipped out of Mo Ran’s sleeve and fell to the ground.

Xue Meng gathered spiritual energy in his hand and waved toward

the beads. The beads started glowing and growing in size, turning

into a pile of jewels and valuables, plum blossom bracelets, and jade

earrings, golden and sparkling on the ground.

Mo Ran: “...We’re fellow disciples of the same sect, don’t make

things difficult.”

Xue Meng glowered. “Mo Weiyu, have you no shame.”

“Hehe.”

Xue Meng roared, “No one’s laughing with you!”

Mo Ran sighed. “It’s not like I can cry on command.”

Xue Meng’s face was gloomy. “Is this how you use Sisheng Peak’s

concealing technique?”

“Mhm, practical applications~”

Xue Meng’s anger returned. “That salt merchant was an annoying

dog-thing, so I didn’t roast you in front of him. But that dog-thing did

have one thing right: violating the mandates against thieving and

lechery like you have, no matter which sect you’re at, you’d have it

coming!”

Mo Ran grinned, undaunted. “And what are you gonna do about it?

Wait for uncle to come back to tattle on me?”

He wasn’t even worried. His uncle spoiled him to no end; the most

he would do would be to scold Mo Ran a little, he’d never have the

heart to beat him.

Xue Meng turned around, brushing his wind-blown hair aside, his

eyes glinting with scorn in the darkness of night.

“Dad? No, he’s at Kunlun and won’t be back for a month or two.”

Mo Ran’s smile froze, an ominous feeling washing over him. He

suddenly remembered a certain person.

But——

If he were here, then it would’ve been him receiving Chang-gongzi at

Loyalty Hall today, not the oblivious Madam Wang.

That person... shouldn’t be here... right...?

Seeing the flickers in his eyes, Xue Meng’s air of disdain became

even more obvious.

“Dad does spoil you overmuch, but here at Sisheng Peak, isn’t there

someone who doesn’t coddle you?”

Mo Ran slowly backed away a few steps, a forced smile on his face.

“My esteemed cousin, it’s so late already, let’s not disturb the elder’s

peace and quiet, I was wrong, there won’t be a next time, how about

that? Please go get some rest, hehe, you look so tired.”

And then he immediately made a run for it.

You’ve got to be kidding me! This Xue Meng fellow is way too

ruthless!

Right now he isn’t Taxian-Jun, ruler of the human world, how could

he risk falling into that person’s hands? If that person were to find out

that he had stolen and whored, he’d probably break both of Mo

Ran’s legs! If he doesn’t run now, he won’t get a chance to anymore!

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