Chapter 86: The History of the Mo Clan (IV)
Gu Yi’s studies of the Healing Spirit Talisman divided it into six levels; he could only write up to the fifth. The essence of the spirit talisman was to guide the energies of heaven and earth, which, upon reaching a certain degree, would cause changes in the surrounding environment. When escaping for one’s life, high-level talismans were clearly unsuitable.
Shu Le’s wounds were severe: one on her back, inflicted by Shu Yu, and another on her right shoulder collarbone, dealt by Mo Chi. Both bled profusely, and her spiritual energy was depleted, leaving her utterly weak.
The cave was pitch-black. Gu Yi could only sense the spiritual energy to emit light. The sudden brightness startled the cave’s inhabitants, sending creatures—snakes, rats, insects, and ants—scurrying away. He had expected a girl like Shu Yu to cry out in fright, but her brow didn’t even twitch, which was for the best—no need to attract attention.
He tapped the ground with his finger; spiritual energy dripped from his fingertips, falling into the air and sweeping outward, clearing away the foreign creatures. His fingers moved swiftly, gathering droplets of spiritual energy to form a second-level Healing Spirit Talisman, though he was capable of creating better ones.
Still, it was best not to let Mo Chi sense anything unusual.
He placed a talisman on Shu Le’s back and right shoulder, at least stopping the bleeding for now.
Shu Yu, sitting cross-legged, couldn’t help but open her clear, curious eyes. “That talisman isn’t from Luyang Institute. Who are you?”
Gu Yi laid Shu Le flat; after applying the talisman, she frowned slightly in her unconscious state. She should be alright, but full recovery would take time.
“Do you want one?” he asked Shu Yu.
Her wounds were no less severe, and her spiritual energy nearly exhausted.
“I’m your enemy. You could kill me.”
Gu Yi said nothing. The damp chill of the cave threatened to bring fever upon Shu Le, so he quickly lit a fire with the vines he had torn off earlier.
The flames danced brightly, occasionally leaving behind a spark that vanished in an instant.
Gu Yi handed her the simple talisman. “The breeze brought us here, but who knows where we are—perhaps this is Mo Chi’s domain. You’re the strongest among us three; if you were killed, defeating Mo Chi would be even harder.”
By the firelight, Shu Yu’s face looked pale, but she managed a faint smile. “Don’t worry. Death is not frightening.”
“Talking like that…” Gu Yi asked, “Have you died before?”
Shu Yu replied, “I suppose you could say I have.”
Gu Yi looked at her profile—fine features, beautiful, calm, and gentle.
She truly seemed unafraid.
“You saved me, but I won’t be grateful. Women of the Mo clan know why men help us.”
Gu Yi had first heard of the Mo clan from Zhi Hua, who said their people carried an enduring spirit mist.
---
The second time was just before coming here.
Gu Yi was curious. “May I ask you a question?”
“Go ahead.”
“I’ve heard of the Mo clan twice now. Both times, I wondered the same thing: if Mo clan women are like this, what happens to Mo clan men?”
Shu Yu spoke gently. “The Mo clan possesses a unique talent that many envy, especially ordinary girls, but in truth I envy them immensely. Do you know why?”
“I do,” Gu Yi said, genuinely understanding. “It’s the old saying: ‘A gentleman is blameless, but trouble follows those who possess a treasure.’ If you lack the ability to wield beauty, it becomes a disaster.”
Perhaps he was right, for Shu Yu closed her eyes in pain.
Gu Yi chose silence.
A long pause.
…
She said, “The Mo clan is indeed a bloodline, once dwelling in a Peach Blossom Spring, famed for its beautiful women cultivators. Yet beauty brought calamity. When the nation fell, Mo clan people scattered, begging to survive.”
Gu Yi could imagine it. “Many deaths are hidden in those words—‘scattered, begging to survive.’”
“You asked about Mo clan men. In truth, they suffered even more.”
“How so?”
Shu Yu’s tone was calm, lacking passion. “The Mo clan specifically refers to the women who possess the enduring spirit mist. Unlike most clans, Mo clan boys do not inherit this trait. They are just like ordinary people, able to live normal lives. However, for one reason, most of them conceal their names.”
Gu Yi asked, “What reason?”
“If a Mo clan man marries an ordinary woman and has a son, the boy won’t have the spirit mist. But if a daughter is born… it’s different.”
“Mo clan girls are rare and precious. So, sometimes, if someone discovers a man who can father girls with the spirit mist, what do you think happens?”
“They capture him,” Gu Yi frowned. “So Mo clan men suffer greatly.”
“Yes. That’s why no one ever claims to be a Mo clan man. Sometimes, if they have a daughter, they abandon her to avoid discovery.”
Gu Yi said, “If it’s so dangerous, why not stay unmarried?”
Shu Yu shook her head.
“Most do. But occasionally, a Mo clan man, hoping for luck, marries an ordinary woman, wishing for a simple life. He knows he’s Mo clan, thinks he can hide and live peacefully.”
---
“He is lucky, for his wife bears only sons. Nothing happens. He plans to tell his sons the secret when they grow up. But fate intervenes—perhaps the son goes missing, or the man dies unexpectedly, unable to tell.”
Gu Yi understood. “So there are many in this world who don’t know they are Mo clan men.”
“Not many, but some. We are one clan, yet our destinies differ.”
“For Mo clan women, heaven gave us the enduring spirit mist and enviable beauty, but that same envy forces us to live in hiding. Most don’t dare to cultivate. The moment one joins a sect, her spirit mist is soon discovered.”
“Even if she cultivates secretly, she must avoid contact, for once Mo clan women begin cultivation, the spirit mist transforms our skin, appearance, and aura—no matter how we hide, it cannot be concealed. Thus many choose to live their lives as ordinary people, with ordinary faces.”
The fire blazed fiercely, but the tale was cold.
“Were you taken in by your palace master?”
“Where would such fortune come from?” Shu Yu’s smile was bitter. “The palace master is among the few Mo clan women who escaped all dangers. But the Rain Palace has no tradition of sheltering Mo clan people—I am merely one who happened to be like her.”
Gu Yi was puzzled. “Why? She has the strength to protect her kin.”
“No matter how strong, the palace master is only one person. How could she protect us openly? The persecution from the world made us who we are—how could she oppose the world?”
“If she protected us in secret, traces would be left behind, leading those who seek us right to our kin!”
Despite this,
Gu Yi said firmly, “Still, I believe she should try. If she doesn’t encourage more Mo clan women to cultivate, the clan’s fate will never change.”
…
“That’s because you don’t know Mo clan history. Every gathering of clan members is the prelude to disaster.”
Her voice echoed through the cave, saturated with despair.
Boom!
Suddenly, a violent explosion sounded outside.
Mo Chi was searching for them.