Prodigal Daoist

Wu Patriarch almost owns the whole world. The final step is for him to declare he is the ruler of Wu. No one can rival him, maybe the gods could?

On the other hand, Hu Xuejia is one of the most influential figures in the Eastern Sea. She is about to achieve ascension in a few hundred years, an asset very rare to come by.

But the point is, a mere mortal girl won't be a loss so why risk your life for it?

"Xuejia, I know you pity this girl but this concerns the rest of the world."

Shen Mo and the girl disappeared without a trace. Hu Xuejia has no way to find them aside from heading straight to his sect. However, she can't risk leaving the Spring Blossom Sect.

The girl opened her eyes when she felt the temperature drop sharply. What met her gaze was a neverending valley of white snow. The rigid wind would blow in their direction fiercely. She felt so cold, her body trembling terribly. The only warmth left was Shen Mo's hand holding her wrist. Unfortunately, the little warmth also dissolved as he let her go.

"You have the guts to fool the Will of Heaven and get Xuejia attached to you." Shen Mo spoke in an algid tone. His previous carefree temper seemed to have matched with the rough winter around them.

The girl fell for being weak and her eyes never left him, searching for any sliver of pity. She was feeling something sour and her eyes were stinging but she didn't know how to express them.

"Where did you come from?" Shen Mo asked. He had conducted a Soul Search on the girl but he found nothing. Perhaps confronting the Chaos Bringer head-on will reveal some clues.

The girl knew nothing and the extreme coldness tormented her. She couldn't grasp the situation. One moment, she was accompanied by ladies within a vast spring area and the next second, she was brought to a desolate plane. No matter how Shen Mo asks, she is unable to understand. Finally, her clear eyes dulled without life and she fell limply on the snow-covered ground. Shen Mo waited for a few more seconds but he sensed something wrong.

"H-huh?!" Shen Mo panicked the instant. Did he just commit a murder? On a weak little child at that?! "Dear Heavens! Wake up girl!"

If this is a Chaos Bringer who can annihilate millions of people in a second, it would have attacked him. He was then convinced the girl knows nothing. Whether she is a Chaos Bringer or not, she is equal to a blank sheet of paper. He has a chance to undo its demeaning future by guiding her to the right path.

"Master would have saved you if he was in my place." Shen Mo sighed, recalling his sorry-for-an-excuse master. "Although the old man is senile, he does have a good heart. 'The weak and poor I protect, the strong and wealthy I rob' he used to say."

Shen Mo chuckled at the memory but the sudden gust of chilling winds brought him back to reality.

"Ah, girl!" He hastily picked up the girl halfway buried in the snow..

Fui Yo Inn is popular as ever. Among the bustling streets of Chu's capital, Fui Yo Inn is always fully occupied. The excellent service and fair price is the best that its contenders could not catch up to. Wherever a person goes, Fui Yo Inn is the place to rest. The warm and cozy room coupled with the welcoming staff and dishes equal to noble tastes is always the topic of satisfied customers when gossiping about the inn.

Shen Mo was standing within the lines of people outside Fui Yo Inn. He could not be bothered by the strange looks he keeps receiving from everyone passing by.

"Ignore them, ignore them." He keeps muttering to himself while holding the unconscious girl in his arms. "Once I get inside and talk to Uncle Wang, I can achieve privacy."

Unfortunately, a staff came out and chased the people away. Shen Mo overheard there is no room available tonight. His face sulked and he gritted his teeth. There is no choice!

He dashed unnoticed and appeared in an office. There was an old fat man sitting idly by his chair that faced a mirror. He is gently combing what little hair he has and smiled at the mirror, even winking!

The sight caused Shen Mo to have a fitting cough!

"Ahhh!! Who is it?!" Uncle Wang turned around, washed in shame and terror. He squinted his barely visible thin eyes at the hysterical intruder and was able to discern whose voice was it. "Shen Mo?!"

"Puah! U-Uncle! Huuu~ it's great to see you!" Shen Mo breathed in heavily, barely holding his laughter. He stuttered, "I.. I want a room if you could spare me. It is for utmost importance!"

"Learn to knock, you old boy!" Uncle Wang lectured. His secret was discovered by Shen Mo, ah. Nevertheless, he could forgive Shen Mo since his ancestors owe him a lot. However, his thoughts paused when he noticed the child Shen Mo was holding. He gave Shen Mo a suspicious look.

"It's not what it looks like!"

"You want a room, urgently. You have a little girl barely half your age. Damn, even barely half the half of your age! What's going on? You're being suspicious huh??"

"Me? Which between us looks suspicious huh???"

"I do not tolerate such thing! My ancestors told me to serve you well, but this is not acceptable hmph!"

"You have a shady ancestry, tut." Shen Mo retorted while picking his ear and added, "You look like the one hunting for little girls instead of me!"

They both broke into a stalemate and finally, both of them laughed.

"Uncle Wang is as fierce as his ancestors, ah."

"You are fierce yourself, old boy, heh." Uncle Wang patted Shen Mo's shoulder. "What about this girl? Surely you're not into that sort of thing..?"

"Rude." Shen Mo scoffed, he made himself at home and sat close to the chimney in hopes it can warm the girl. "She happens to have passed out. I found her and pitied her. I was hoping Uncle Wang could make some arrangements for me."

The girl remained still on the bed, she was barely breathing. She Mo sighed in guilt. He acted too rashly like the Will of Heaven. To wash away his mistake, he healed the girl by transferring not even one percent of his Vital Qi. The girl showed signs of awakening when she felt a rush of comforting warmth in her body. Upon seeing Shen Mo, she felt nothing even when she recalled how he purposely tormented her in that snowy field.

"It's strange she isn't crying." Shen Mo thought. He even recited a very nice speech in his head so he can coax her if she cries. Alas, that brainstorming went to nothing.

"Missus Shen...?" The girl asked.

Shen Mo remembered she doesn't know how to speak. It is troubling to communicate with her but...

"Who is Missus Shen?"

Is she calling him Missus Shen or what?!

"Missus Shen." The girl repeated and held his hand.

An image of Hu Xuejia appeared in Shen Mo's mind. His nose bled since the Hu Xuejia she saw looked coquettish as she taught the girl to call her Missus Shen.

"She's not Missus Shen." He asserted in a trembling tone.

Shen Mo quickly covered his nose and turned away. His view on Hu Xuejia was different. Like his buddy, he will never think of her that way!

"Ah, what am I thinking?! How did this girl do that?" For a mortal to manipulate an immortal's mind, it's so strange and very impossible. Shen Mo had never encountered this.

"This girl doesn't know our language and only learned a few words from Xuejia. If I want her to be righteous, I must keep an eye on her. Maybe I can keep her as my disciple too." He thought. Shen Mo cleared his throat and faced the girl. "I will teach you how to speak properly and learn immortal arts from our world. But, you must address me as your master."

There was no response and the girl wore the same pokerface. Shen Mo sighed again. Maybe he should teach her their language first so he can communicate with her fluently. It's like he is talking to a stone, ah.

To hide from Hu Xuejia, Shen Mo deliberately slowed down their travel and chose the ways of mortals. Carriages made him sick. He forgot this sensation since the last time he experienced carriage rides was almost two thousand years ago. In the end, he was weaker than a withered willow tree when he stepped out of the ride.

"I'm so old I can't even remember what can kill me slowly..." Shen Mo lamented while holding back another urge to throw up.

Other than that matter, Shen Mo patiently taught the girl the language of the Mainland. There are three main languages in Wu. Each is commonly used in the Eastern Sea, Mainland, and the Western Desert. For Shen Mo, it's a trifle to learn all the dialects in Wu. He is confident he can teach the girl easily with the Mainland's speech, but it surprised him she learns quickly. In a few days, the girl mastered the three main terminologies.

Since he can speak to her, he doesn't know what to address the nameless girl. He simply granted her the name 'Cai' because he used to call her 'girl'.

"Master, tea is here." Cai informed and peeked from the slightly opened door. She saw Shen Mo struggling to get up on the bed.

They are onwards the Mainland through an airship. She remembers two months ago, he wanted to try ships that sail the sea but in the end, he regretted it upon getting seasick. Shen Mo then decided to travel through an airship. It was less troubling for him and he only vomits twice a week.

He said he is an immortal unrivaled under the heavens but seeing him so feeble on the bed with a sickly appearance made Cai wonder if she was scammed by a fat liar.

"Master, your tea will get cold."

She entered the room and assisted Shen Mo to get up. Shen Mo suddenly rushed to the window and opened it. Cai pursed her lips, not knowing whether to pity him or what. He chose to travel like this instead of using his immortal skills.

"Ugh... I feel so weak..." Shen Mo murmured in tears as he leaned on the sill.

Fortunately, he mustered up enough strength to go out and drink tea. The mixture of herbs and minty taste brought him relief.

"Ah! This is much better!" Shen Mo's complexion turned bright and his uncomfortable feelings were gone with one cup of tea.

"Master, don't be so loud." Cai reprimanded which made Shen Mo freeze.

For over one thousand years, no one nagged him other than the Will of Heaven. This girl doesn't know how to fear him.

"Cai, you're always serious. I've never seen you smile or laugh for once." Shen Mo thought something must be wrong with the Chaos Bringer. Its body must be defective.

Cai is smart and serious. Shen Mo knew it was because her body was refined through the souls and physiques of everyone in Qin. Furthermore, Qin has great practitioners. Its king is a Nirvana cultivator at the peak. It is also rumored the first princess of Qin have a special physique and at a young age, she reached Foundation Building. Not only the princess, but the crown prince is also wise that even the old ministers were tongue-tied facing a debate against him. With their abilities gathered in the body of Cai, she is a terrible genius.

The problem left was Cai's qi sea. Her meridians are blocked too. Shen Mo had decided to take her in as his direct disciple but he hadn't taught her any arts yet.

"Cai, come here."

He patted the space next to him. Cai doesn't suspect him and sat beside Shen Mo.

"I already mentioned that I will teach you the path to immortality. The first step is to open your eight meridians through basic meditation. The meridians are responsible for spreading and gathering external qi into and outside your body. Once you open all eight of them, your dantian will form. A dantian is the container of your Sea of Qi. It is where you can store the qi your meridians refined. The further you advance, the more your dantian expands and your Sea of Qi increases. Eh? Are you listening?!"

Shen Mo just opened his eyes to check on Cai if she is attentive but he discovered she had her eyes closed too!

It was the first time a disciple dared to ignore his teachings. Before he could get angry, he felt the surge of qi being poured into Cai's body. He was impressed but his amazement was replaced by fear. Almost all qi in their surroundings were refined by Cai!

"Master." Cai looked at the terrified Shen Mo. She opened her hand and bright energy formed on her fingertip. Shen Mo was even more bewildered. "Is this qi refined by the dantian?"

"How the hell did you do that?!" Shen Mo was surprised by her over and over.

When he was a boy, he opened his eight meridians a couple of months and that speed already scared the elders of Spring Blossom Sect. Yet, Cai only took a few seconds to create a Sea of Qi!

Now he knew the feelings of despair the Will of Heaven felt when encountering the unfairness of the world...

"Master said I must meditate to find my meridians. I unblocked them and reached a realization. Thus, I can form a dantian. Speaking of which, my dantian and Sea of Qi are strange." Cai looked down to her abdomen. She found her Sea of Qi which condensed impure energies to a dark power of some sort.

"Let me check."

Shen Mo opened her hand and let their palms touch. He let his qi travel the meridians and finally reached her dantian. Cai's Sea of Qi is not normal. It was formed into a yin-yang symbol that gathers different qi and distinguishes it. The light qi goes to white and the dark qi goes to black.

"Well, my dear disciple, you are indeed a genius." Shen Mo smiled in pride and gave his verdict.

Her Sea of Qi is a one in a billion talent. She can refine both dark and light elements, two of the primordial Dao since the beginning of time. Cai will be unstoppable in the future but there is one problem.

"You have the talent called Prodigal Daoist. It is either something you can be proud of or not. Being a Prodigal Daoist, you can cultivate the Yin Dao and Yang Dao and be unbeatable. However, for you to make a breakthrough, you must balance both elements. If not, you will reach a difficult bottleneck. I'm afraid for you to reach my level, it will take you five thousand years at most..."